So, we had a heated discussion over at an RPG over whether or not the NPCs in it can be controlled by players or not. It made for an interesting discussion, as different terms of NPCs were brought up. In one corner, we had the camp of "NPCs should be controlled by the GM only, and any NPCs the players create belong to them to control exclusively" and in another corner we had the camp of "Players and GMs alike control the NPCs."
Both have their pros and cons, and I have the faint nostalgia reach into the back of my skull as I try to remember the last time I played in an RPG where everyone can control NPCs.
So, that is my question(s) for this thread: How do you define NPCs? What NPCs are acceptable for players to control? Are RPGs more enjoyable when the GM controls NPCs or when the players control NPCs?
Both have their pros and cons, and I have the faint nostalgia reach into the back of my skull as I try to remember the last time I played in an RPG where everyone can control NPCs.
So, that is my question(s) for this thread: How do you define NPCs? What NPCs are acceptable for players to control? Are RPGs more enjoyable when the GM controls NPCs or when the players control NPCs?