The Ghosts in the Machine: A Love Letter to the Non-Player Character
In the lexicon of the internet, “NPC” has become an insult – a way to describe someone as boring, repetitive, or lacking a soul. But for those of us who grew up with a controller in hand, we know the truth. NPCs aren’t just background decoration; they are the heartbeat of the virtual world. Without them, our heroics would be performed in a vacuum. Without them, we are kings of empty castles.
This is a history of, and a thank you to, the entities that taught us how to play.
