There are many special terms and abbreviations in the field of analog and digital games. These are often used in forums and chats - but those who are not familiar with the topic only understand the station. NPC is also such an abbreviation. This article will tell you what it means.
That means NPC
NPC stands for non-player character , i.e. non-player character or figure. The word describes a character or a game figure that is not controlled by the players themselves. Instead, the non-player character controls a game master (for analog games) or the game software (for digital games).
In most (role) games there are many such characters. They drive the action by giving the players important information or assignments, selling them things or fighting them. In addition, they make a game world more lively, as they lead a life of their own, so to speak, and cannot or can hardly be influenced by the players.
In some cases, an NPC can even become a playable character. The abbreviation for this is PC (player character) or SC (player character). The players then already know the character as an NPC and are allowed to control it themselves from a certain point in time.