Comments on Real Human Beings: AAA Games Want Us to Sympathize With NPCs (or Do They?)TypePad2014-10-13T20:14:53ZSLHamlethttps://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/tag:typepad.com,2003:https://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2014/10/paste-real-human-beings/comments/atom.xml/jay commented on 'Real Human Beings: AAA Games Want Us to Sympathize With NPCs (or Do They?)'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341bf74053ef01b7c6f32c7f970b2014-10-14T14:09:59Z2014-10-14T14:09:59ZjayI can see a time coming soon where artificial awareness and artificial intelligence are but mirror images of own or...<p>I can see a time coming soon where artificial awareness and artificial intelligence are but mirror images of own or greater. The concept of NPC along with the concepts of gaming will no longer have meaning, then what game devs use propaganda, seems like "trash in trash out" situation if we are not careful.</p>Arcadia Codesmith commented on 'Real Human Beings: AAA Games Want Us to Sympathize With NPCs (or Do They?)'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d8341bf74053ef01b7c6f32842970b2014-10-14T13:36:28Z2014-10-14T13:36:28ZArcadia CodesmithThe RPG was invented as a direct extension of hobby wargaming. War is mostly an affair of two teams of...<p>The RPG was invented as a direct extension of hobby wargaming. War is mostly an affair of two teams of frightened teenagers clutching deadly weapons and trying not to soil their pants as old and safely distant men tell them how and when to kill one another.</p>
<p>In order to maintain an acceptable level of bloodshed, each team is told that the other team are monsters that pose a deadly threat to everything our team holds dear. The fantasy genre just takes that dynamic literally, and pits you against vast arrays of irredeemable and disposable enemies that you need feel no qualms about putting down with extreme prejudice (in all senses of the word).</p>
<p>That any game is giving them more dimension is an important step forward, but it's not the final step by any means. I look forward to seeing more games where "good" and "evil" are nuanced, and the solution to conflict isn't a mountain of corpses.</p>