Player character

A player character or playable character (PC) is a fictional character in a game who is controlled or controllable by the player.

Role-playing games

In a role-playing game (RPG) a PC is an individual within the game's setting. The character's thoughts and feelings are decided by the player based on the background provided by themselves and by the setting; while the character's physical presence within the world is usually represented by a collection of statistics, numbers stating the degree of certain attributes of the character, such as strength or intelligence.

When creating a character, a player either imagines a character and then selects these characteristics deliberately, or generates the characteristics randomly then describes a corresponding character. Most games use the former method, but a number of Dungeons & Dragons-derived games allow or require random character generation. Most role-playing games have a system for the selection of the numbers mentioned above with intricate rules and many choices. Attributes represented can range from fundamental (endurance, social skill) to the trivial (favorite color, height) depending on the nature of the game and the degree of detail the players want to go into. These attributes describe the way in which that character will typically act and what the character is capable of doing.

A player character provides the player a chance to do things that, in real life, could not be done or would have unwanted consequences. That is one of the attractions of role-playing. However, excessive actions by characters attempted by some players can spoil a game for the other players. The expectations of the other players need to be respected or the social cohesion of the playing group can break down.

Computer and video games

In a computer or video game a PC is one that can be used as the player's avatar within the game world. Some games only have one such character available by default (for example, Samus Aran in Metroid). However, many other games have multiple characters available for play. Some characters, called secret characters, cannot be played without finishing some specific, often arcane labor in the game (The Super Smash Bros. series is famous for having massive amounts of secret characters). Some games automatically change the playable character during the course of the game. Other games give the character control over more than one character at the same time, or allow one character to directly or indirectly control one or more other characters.

In some role-playing games, players may construct playable characters from a range of aspects, such as race and class. Playable characters can also refer to the multiple characters the player can control (such as the members of their party), especially in single player computer RPGs that allow the player to control more than one character.

Some times, usually in first-person puzzle games, the Player Character is a simple blank, never seen or heard, since the player sees through his eyes and the other characters interacting with him, talk like not expecting any response from him. This blank helps the player play his role without having to think about any name, backstory or personality traits. A typical example is the Stranger (Myst).

In contrast, a non-playable character, often called a NPC, is one that cannot be used by the player. Most non-playable characters are designed as AI opponents, bosses, or non-player characters that might not be properly balanced for a player. In some games, usually of the fighting genre, secret characters can be played when the game is hacked into.

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Role-playing games

Computer and video games

See also