Let's talk about NPCs!

[cosmods]

Hi everybody! This is Gena, I was recently asked to help out with a couple of minor modly duties, one of which is some additional world building for Waverly Bay. The game's been going for a few months now, so we want to expand on the setting and the non-player human characters living in it. We can't realistically populate a whole town, so I wanted to make this an open discussion with you guys about what kind of NPCs you want to see in the game! 

I figure that it'll be best if we just concentrate on fleshing out the NPC characters that are going to be interacting with the gems the most. It's fine to just handwave the townies most of the time, like the shopkeepers and restaurant owners and whatnot. I've got a couple of ideas for more prominent NPC characters right now; like a jeweler who's interested in Gem culture, a truck driver who's responsible for bringing most food and supplies into town, and maybe a creepy Gem-obsessed cultist (like some weird foil to Ronaldo). These are just concepts right now, but I'm interested in hearing YOUR character ideas! You can be as in-depth or abstract as you want. I can't guarantee that every suggestion will be used, but everything helps. Thanks!

Comments

[soft_focus]

CONSIDERING THAT MASUMI WORKS FOR A JEWELER...

I would love some ideas on said jeweler, that is for sure.

I may have handwave-tagged around as some guy working at the dump while in the test drive as well, and considering how many raid that spot, some trash booth person could thus be an idea.

[no_refunds]

Oh yeah! I feel like that junkyard is one of the most heavily-visited spots in town, so somebody who works in there would be great!

AS FOR THE JEWELER.. Originally I intended for her to be a married lesbian couple, with one who's interested in the geological side of gems, and another who's into the metaphysical healing stuff. But there's no reason to not make the jeweler be into both, so I'm condensing her into one person. She can still totally be handwaved as married, though.

Anyway! She's a sweet little lady, very passionate and knowledgeable in gem-based subjects. She doesn't know much about the Gem species or culture, but she's really curious and wants to find out more. We're planning on making her involved in some future plot involving monsters, though we don't know exactly how she gets in possession of cracked/shattered Gems in the first place. Still working on that!

[spontaneouscombustion]

Oooooh! This should be awesome! And welcome to modding, Gena!

As for NPCs, can't think of any human ones at the moment (but I'll let you know if I do), but any further plans for the Griffon?

[no_refunds]

Thanks!

AAAAND... I don't actually know yet! I'll have to ask about that, but I'm pretty sure that there are future plans to keep using the Griffon.

[nailed_it]

Maybe a minor authority figure of some kind? Granted the World Info page specifically states that contact between the Gems and any higher authorities would be dangerous but given all the shenanigans the Gems have been up to, it wouldn't be surprising if they approached them first at this point? And ask them to cool it. XD

Also would it be possible to develop the Mechanic in any way? He or She could be a cool person to talk with about how to build stuff or things like that perhaps.

[no_refunds]

Kind of like a Mayor? I think we'd have to make them different than Mayor Dewey in SU, but an authority figure would be good! Maybe a sheriff?

A mechanic would be great too! Maybe they could even teach Gem people how to fix up broken cars or motorcycles or something.

[justhavecourage]

I've been kinda handwaving a mayoral figure that Akoya is seeing but I can just easily handwave that off since I never actually did anything with it, just mentioned Akoya was busy.

Mechanic sounds good too. One small town mechanic.

Would we give these NPCs names too?

[soulfultwin]

I think something along the lines of NPCs that are naturally against/distrusting of the sudden boom in gem population might serve to give people more to do. Whether it be trying to prove themselves trustworthy, to take advantage of/manipulate the rising distrust, or even just setting up a few ambassadors of good will to further the town's prosperity, I feel it would really serve to not only flesh out the town, but also give people more options in terms of how to interact with the town.

[no_refunds]

That's a great idea! Maybe some businesses would even refuse to offer service to Gems out of frustration at some point.

[madeoflove]

As a counterpoint to the cultist, I'd like to see a flat earth atheist who thinks all the Gem stuff is a hoax despite being provided consistent evidence to the contrary

I'm sure I'll get other ideas, I used to make silly lists all the time for GB but let's just use this as a starting point

[soulfultwin]

you literally just described

[no_refunds]

ITS NOT GEMS. ITS WEATHER BALLOONS

That's a great idea tbh. A counter to the Ronaldo type! also sob i dont know dbz well enough but based on that description that character sounds great

[alittlemystery]

A Ronaldo type would be fun not just for the part where they tie people down and try to cut them open but also because they'd love the Mystery Shack. Which as a Pines would make me happy.

I'd also like a Responsible Adult who is appalled by all these fucking kids not going to school, taking jobs, and fighting monsters. Maybe they could try to take custody of them and we could have a super dumb ace attorney battle.

[no_refunds]

CHILD SERVICES IS GOING TO TAKE THE GEMBABIES. They would probably get beat up if they tried. But a court case is way funnier! :D

Also yeah I'm pretty interested in a gem cultist! All of those temples and artifacts make gem culture seem really creepy and ominous from an outside source. And we don't get a lot of looks from SU proper about how gem meddling has potentially messed with human culture!

[strawberry_roll]

-- Definitely wanna see the Mechanic fleshed out more. Especially with all the Gems who've been raiding the Junkyard for parts -- how do they feel about that?

-- The Gem-obsessed cultist could get... really dark, but I could see them being particularly interested in the obviously less human Gems. Or growing increasingly jealous of the humans who've been brought in. That could even lead into a longer term plot with them trying to obtain Gem status somehow...?

-- Along the same lines, we could have somebody who's simply flat-out jealous of the Gems take up a similar plot line. Someone resentful of growing up 'stuck' in Waverly Bay. Maybe they wish they could be the one swept off to another world, even as they mock the whole concept of anyone being drawn here of all places...

-- What about... somebody who just wants to be special, or wants to think of themselves as the protagonist who gets increasingly involved in Gem antics and somehow becomes the main hero? You know, like how a lot of series start out: the ordinary student who gets drawn into the center of everything. Someone who fancies himself like Kyon, or Naegi, or [insert reference here].

Especially if he (or she?) fancies themselves the type who can attract a harem of superpowered cuties...

-- What if Bill (or somebody else, but he seems to be designated harem head at the moment FOR SOME REASON) tried to add some poor NPC to his harem? Especially if they're linked somehow to Potential Authority Figure. I CALL SHOTGUN WEDDING!

-- And then, of course, just the normal townfolk who are used to this and roll with it. Especially establishing older residents who might have a better grasp of the town's history and all...

[no_refunds]

-Mechanic/junkyard owner seems like a must. Definitely a handy NPC to have around.

-The Gem cultist could be *incredibly dark*. It could get real bad real fast, I think they could be combined with the jealous person, for double the trouble! Maybe they would even try to put a gem in their body somehow? WHAT WOULD EVEN HAPPEN... I DONT KNOW BUT IT'D BE BAD. Especially if it was a broken gem! Yeek.

-Protag character might be a little too involved, since it sounds like the story would be about them, rather than the Gems! A main hero would be too weird when the game's already about everybody coming together as a big magic super-powered team! (with it's own problems and trouble making members, but still!)

-THAT ONE WOULD BE UP TO TORA

-I'd say those ones could probably be handwaved! But definitely a good idea, maybe whichever NPCs wind up being established could mention offhandedly about how life was before gems started showing up and whatnot.

dont mind me ive been waiting for this

[justhavecourage]

I keep alluding to some supermarket guy who is smitten for Akoya who gets him discounts for green tea. I could probably build on him. I can see him being a very 'Sadie-like' character. It;s just an idea.

Also a very pissy insurance agent.

Also that one angry soccer mother who insists her children not interact with gems and hosts PTA meetings against gem-kind with her husband as the sheriff/police officer of the town.

During Thilda and Link's interaction, I mentioned there was a very friendly farmer with a horse and some animals over there. I can see him supporting gems of all kinds, like the old kind grandfather who doesn't understand anything about gems, but is willing to offer a place to stay if someone needs to get away.

And some fishermen since apparently fishing is the main source of revenue for the town maybe

[no_refunds]

Some of these are great!

I'm thinking it would be a good idea to make a list of human characters in Waverly Bay, even if not all of them would be totally fleshed out or even used as NPCs for events. Not at first, at the very least. Maybe if they were involved enough with the Gems, they could be picked up for that kind of thing?

But it'd be good to have an idea of how many people are living in town and what they do, especially since a few have already been mentioned in threads and posts, like the farmer! So even if the *mods* aren't using them, the players can!

[onaroll]

I once mentioned on Plurk how I wanted a bunch of college-age kids into LARPing the RPG Baubles & Behemoths get mistaken for native Gems.

Or to mistake the Temple Gems for fellow LARPers. Either works,

[no_refunds]

That's a cute idea! They'd probably be better suited as minor background-y guys, though.

[agent3]

...We should have our own Jamie the Mailman. Like, if the gems use the post and order stuff, we get this mailperson who's stuck bringing things to this crazy place for all these different people and is pretty dumbstruck about the whole situation.

Also, maybe a lifeguard or someone who works down at the beach who sees a lot of this gem weirdness? Not sure how they'd react, but it'd be cool to have someone familiar with the area and keeping people safe also getting entangled in this gem ridiculousness.

[no_refunds]

Ooh! Both of those are really good!

[organtrail]

I only have one idea, and that's:

someone who's a local business owner and this game's equivalent of the cabbage merchant from ATLA

they just keep getting their store/stand or whatever damaged from all this gem madness

naturally I don't think they'd like the gems very much but

[nailed_it]

I am seconding this to infinity and back. If only because Yang may have destroyed his stuff once already. XDXDXD

Like, just please, we have a bunch of characters here who excel at creating collateral damage (sometimes intentionally) we need some poor sap who ends up on the wrong end of it all the time.

[urmyanthyding]

Someone to run the ice cream shop ruby's looking to work at would be cool! Since she spends... so much time and money at the ice cream shop.......

[no_refunds]

Oh yeah! I think the ice cream shop is a fairly-visited location, so that's probably a good one to have!

[strengthinkindness]

How about a pet store owner/animal shelter people? Apparently some Gems have been picking up stray animals here and there, and Fluttershy mentioned once helping the pet store in taking care of their animals.

[revolutionfalcon]

/creeps in here

I actually spoke to ToraNova a few weeks back about having a pet store because I wanted to have Shun working at one (because psht, dealing with people is inferior to dealing with animals) so I would be happy to toss around ideas for a pet store owner. There's also the point that these farms that are supposed to be on the edge of town would need supplies and stuff from somewhere, so that's another point in favour of a pet/produce store.

[pearl_chevalier]

We also should have a doctor who is interested in gem physiology!

... or they can be super pissed at the gems for injuring people from collateral damage but I don't think many have been harmed. But a doctor who wants to get these guys to an x-ray or something that their small town doesnt have.

And we should also have that one OC who is telling Labrys, Yu, Link and Fluttershy to stop hoarding all the stray cats.

[no_refunds]

Oh yeah, a doctor would be great!!

And I guess that second one would be a... vet? A pound owner?