Non-Playing Characters Policy

Created by Captain Aviram Drell on Mon Aug 5th, 2019 @ 3:35pm

Non-Playing Characters

Non-playing characters (NPCs) can be very useful tools to our storytelling. They can greatly enrich the environment in which our characters live and work as well as provide more opportunities for us as players to write creatively.

As-Needed NPCs

As-needed NPCs are created on a case-by-case basis for the purposes of a single post. Details on their character and background are generally scarce (i.e. rank, name, species, and function). It is typically unlikely that such characters will make another appearance. As such, they are not entered into the site’s personnel manifest.

Generic NPCs

Generic NPCs are members of the ship’s crew and/or guests who make repeating appearances (e.g. a shuttle pilot, a semi-regular nurse, an alien leader) but are not seen with enough regularity to be considered part of a ‘recurring cast’.

These are characters for whom it is helpful to have a name and some brief details in order to keep their appearances consistent. They are usually created by players to portray other characters within their own department or are created by members of the command staff to flesh out the manifests of various departments.

Any player may write for a generic NPC. However, players should make sure they keep the character’s portrayal similar to their appearance in any other posts the NPC has been included in. An NPC shouldn’t be the cute, cuddly Ensign one minute and then a snarling, angry fear-fest the next time they are used.

Whenever a generic NPC has a significant role in a post (beyond just name-dropping or the most basic of appearances), they should be added to the post along with the authors. This ensures that anyone else wanting to write for the NPC can check the link on the character’s bio page, read the other posts that NPC has been used in, and see how the character has been portrayed.

Beyond name, rank, race, gender, and position, there are no rules regarding the amount of information required for the creation of generic NPCs.

Player's NPCs

A player’s NPC (PNPC) is a character that has been created specifically as a way for that player to write more regularly and detailed than is usually done for generic NPCs.

These characters should at least have basic details (such as physical description and a personality profile) completed on their biography. It is expected that, as the character becomes more developed, the character’s biography will become more developed as well.

Adding a PNPC to a player’s account allows the player to post directly from that PNPC and to earn ‘credit’ for writing the post.

PNPCs should not be utilized without the permission of the player who owns the PNPC. The owner’s name will be noted on the crew manifest in the format [Drell] or [Zachary].

Players who want to create PNPCs can do so in any department they wish, though they should seek the permission of the player whose character runs that department first. They may also have to ask one of the command staff to create the character in the manifest if they don’t have the access levels required for it themselves. After creation of a PNPC, the player should contact the commanding officer in order to have the character linked to their account.

NPC Ranks

Nova will usually restrict you from creating a non-playing character within your department that has a rank higher than your own. The logic behind this is that most, if not all staff members within a particular department should not exceed the rank of their department head.

Those with higher privileges on the site (i.e. command staff) are able to create NPCs in any department and of any rank.

The maximum rank of any non-playing character shall be that of lieutenant (except for rare and specific NPCs where character development or the mission plot require otherwise).

Cadet ranks should be used very sparingly and only for PNPCs. Any cadet with a rank below that of junior (3-pip) must have a strong reason for their presence aboard the ship as most cadets do not participate in their first field training assignment until the third year.

Warrant officer ranks (especially the higher grades) should be used sparingly. These officers will be rare aboard ship and will be highly experienced individuals who rose from the non-commissioned officer (NCO) ratings.

Provisional ranks (as seen on Star Trek: Voyager) should be used very sparingly. They are intended for when a field commission is granted to an individual by the ship’s commanding officer where it cannot or has not been confirmed by Starfleet.

Follow-Up

Questions, comments, and concerns are always welcomed and should be directed to a member of the command staff via private message or email.

Modification and enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of the commanding officer.

See Also

• Character Promotion
• Character Development

Source

Adapted from the “NPCs Policy” of the USS Highlander. Used with permission.

Updated: 08/05/2019