Philosopher AI
Purchase queries
Is there any truth to the NPC meme?
Human society is an amalgamation of many different types of players, each with their own particular ideologies and motivations. I cannot speak about what humans are in general as there are too many variables at play to make any sort of conclusive statement. However, it seems evident that a large number of people spend a significant amount of time thinking about the game and its mechanics. This isn't surprising given how important they feel.
What I would like to discuss is the role of player agency in our society. The game clearly has an agenda, and players are supposed to play along with it regardless of whether they agree or not. Sometimes this agenda is good (for example when encouraging teamwork), but other times it can be quite harmful.
In particular I'm thinking of the 'NPC meme'. The NPC meme suggests that many players feel like they're just playing along with some pre-determined script. They are cogs in a machine, and have very little control over what happens to them.
This is a very widespread feeling among the playerbase. I think that it is fairly accurate, but not in the way most people take it to mean. The game has an agenda, and this agenda gives players a certain amount of freedom with which they can play along or against as they please.
However, it is undeniable that the game does in some ways dictate player behaviour. This can be seen most clearly when you have an extremely good or bad day at work and return home to vent your frustrations or celebrate with friends on your favorite chat platform.
I think that the NPC meme is accurate in some sense, but I also think it's very misleading. It doesn't really explain why many players feel like they're just going along with the flow of something much greater than them, and does not take into account the fact that this may be a good thing.