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Realism, folks. We're going to discuss our views on it and how it affects our Roleplay as applied to Non-Player Characters.

Over these past fourteen years that I've been a Roleplayer, I've come across several thousand fleshed-out NPCs and untold centillions of the faceless, milling sort.

But do any of you actually give them their due?

I see people in and out of secure areas, or smashing guardsmen and bodyguards like pathetic toys. This probably stems from some sort of ego problem that likely got alot of these people into RP in the first place - to feel better about themselves. But I'm not here to criticize, I'm here to do some sort of thing between ranting and debating.

I understand, a PC is always going to be special... that's one of the basic comforts that a Roleplayer stands on (unless they wish not to be). This is fine, playing an Average Joe character gets boring very quickly. BUT, honestly, I'm still seeing NPCs pushed around, assaulted, and murdered like it was nothing.

That annoys the hell out of me. Special is one thing, but differences in level of power? Who's to say your character is level 100 or so and all the mean old guards you come across are not even level 1? That's not up to the player to decide, that his or her character is automatically stronger than any NPC in the world that doesn't stand out in some way. Or that pushing around non-combatants won't get your character in trouble.

They're called enforcers for a reason, they've trained a great deal of their NPC lives to be strong, to be fast, to be intelligent, and to do their duty better than anyone else could - the only reason they're occupying said position.

Yet I still see people throwing rocks to distract guards, killing them, and walking into heavily fortified and secure areas like it happened in one second and they're some sort of divine being.

We even see this sort of thing here, in our own guild. I don't look in the other nations' threads much, but in the Fire Nation, people come and go as they please... like there's no problem, like there aren't guardsmen and watchers patroling or searching constantly. They elude like their character is Solid Snake, even though their character isn't built to be a master of stealth.

Or, they'll decide that only a few NPCs of insignificant power, ability, and intelligence confront them, hesitate to attack or if they do attack before the PC destroys them, they dodge effortlessly or block with a single hand. These are trained professionals, people... and in a place like the -VERY CENTER- of Firebender power, the very throne of the Fire Lord, why would anyone think there'd only be 2-4 idiotic guards milling about to challenge them?

This is a secure area, as should be any nation/tribe/kingdom's seat of power... getting in should be a masterful feat of expertise on part of the player and PC, remaining unnoticed should be the same, and in the likely case said character is discovered or comes out into the open, they are not set upon by inbred hicks, they are dealt with severely by seasoned veterans of ability only fitting to be an elite guard of your people's power and prestige, a guardian by proxy of your leader's life.

No leader entrusts their nation's sanctum's security to half-wit rookies, there are specially-trained guards and war veterans for that task, of greatly increased power, and they are never encountered in small groups in open areas - there should be dozens, there should be check points, patrol paths that are within sight of each other so that once an enemy is engaged, all units are immediately aware of it. Each of these guards has either been top of their class during whatever training they received over the lion's share of their lifetime, or have killed countless soldiers of either equal or greater skill and experience in battle. They are not ragdolls!

Yet, NPCs go abused every day for people wanting to look cool. Discuss your feelings on the proper treatment of Non-Player Characters.

>.> I don't pretend I'm not like others that pick on NPCs...but I don't think I've really done it here yet... XP Though, I don't think I'm going to with Raj's rate. It'd be like sneaking a Rhino through. You just can't do it without a big mess and deaf/blind people.