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The correct term is 'RPC', NOT 'NPC' folks...

SkeleTonySkeleTony Member Posts: 5
in Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
RPC stands for "Recruitable Player Character(s)". 'NPC' stands for "Non-Player Character(s)". NPCs can and are NEVER (be) played by players. Most of you will not care because once terms are widely misused and become standard misuse then we humans tend to just keep misusing said terms rather than correct our usages. But this still annoys me to no end because usually there is some sort of flimsy reason of convenience such as the errant usage being shorter/abbreviated but 'RPC' is no longer or more cumbersome than 'NPC'. Also it would make for less confusion to use the correct terms so people like me do not see "New NPC for BGEE" and have to read the thread to figure out whether the author meant 'NPC' or 'RPC'.

Comments

  • jasteyjastey Member Posts: 2,785
    That's why it's usually "joinable NPC". ;)
  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    Although it is a fact that, culturally, words are given new meanings might lose old ones. If players have been calling Imoen an NPC over the last 20 years shouldn't we just let it be?
  • ArtonaArtona Member Posts: 1,077
    I think that usage is one of the most important factors that determine meaning, but I'm open to discussion on linguistic philosophy grounds. :)
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,460
    NPC is correct usage - it's just not as specific as RPC. In some circumstances it would certainly be simpler to say RPC rather than have to specify whether an NPC is joinable or not. However, it's not always clear whether a character is joinable or not - describing Sarevok for instance would be quite complex if you try and narrow the definition of NPC.
  • byrne20byrne20 Member Posts: 503
    Yeah I always looked at it as 'Joinable NPC' :wink:
  • sarevok57sarevok57 Member Posts: 6,006
    i always thought joinable team mates were called PCs as in playable characters?
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,371
    sarevok57 wrote: »
    i always thought joinable team mates were called PCs as in playable characters?

    I took PC as 'player character', as in, me myself. NPC's were everybody except me, whether they would join my party or not. NPC's that would join me in my quest were just potential party members...
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,584

    Thaco and Balrog got it right.

    It's non-PLAYER character, not non-PLAYABLE character.
  • Humanoid_TaifunHumanoid_Taifun Member Posts: 1,063
    Your party members are basically pretend-DMPCs. Yes, it is possible to make Keldorn cut down an innocent person. But you are really not supposed to do that. Instead, take what hints you get about his personality and control him in the missing DM's stead. Keldorn cannot fall as a paladin. All he can do is leave the party. It is a game limitation on the basis that he never cut down any innocent people, no matter what screenshot evidence you might have. You effected their deaths, and he left the party because he is disgusted with you.
    So he is not supposed to be a Player-Character. My problem with "RPC" (a term I have never heard before and that I have trouble finding a definition on the internet for), is that it implies "Player-Character".
    Traditionally, the RPG world is divided into PC(s) and a large number of NPCs. That describes every living creature. You are either controlled by a player or you are not.
    I understand that Baldur's Gate blurs the lines somewhat, and I can support the idea that Baldur's Gate needs a third category. But I struggle to accept a term that takes away the non-Player part entirely. When I read that, I am immediately reminded of RPGs like Icewind Dale where you create the entire party and might decide to temporarily replace one of your party members temporarily for a specific task that you created a specialist for.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited March 2019
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    This is the first time I've ever heard the term "RPC". It simply doesn't exist (yet?) in common useage. If I used the term, I'd feel like I had to define it every time in parentheses or else nobody would understand me. Language is only as good as its ability to communicate your meaning to the other person.

    Maybe you and the writers from where ever you got that nomenclature will be able to reach enough people to get the term to being used commonly. Good luck with that. You may be banging your head against a wall, though. :)
  • ChroniclerChronicler Member Posts: 1,391
    "Companions" is usually the term used to describe characters that are not the player, but are still player-controlled.
  • AaezilAaezil Member Posts: 178
    Incorrect all npcs can join your party CTRL + Q
  • megamike15megamike15 Member Posts: 2,666
    this is why i just use the term party member.

    i personally don't like the term henchmen either.
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