SNARKHUNTER'S PROFILE

I appreciate when NPCs give you multiple options like "Shut up" or "Go on1" "Go on2" etc. Bonus if the Terminate option is first (for those button mashers). Conversation branching makes things so much more interesting & interactive for the completionist (and so much more convenient for the rushers). It makes if feel like you're actually...well, conversing with the NPC.

As said above, even the most "useless"/standard-looking NPCs are great for weaving in mini-stories. Even examine text or movement can qualify as "NPCs." Using few NPCs (frequently checking back on an orphanage) or many related ones (Youngster #17: "I like shorts!" / each town having its underground society spy or family-related innkeeper) adds a sense of cohesion. But being completely random and wacky is important too: share those brilliant random ideas you get throughout the day!

In the end, it comes down to your substance and not the packaging. Great writing makes the NPCs memorable, regardless of format, font, or animations (please don't punish the reader with a "?" "!" "..." bubble before every line). Those epic Russian novels can have like 50 characters, while other stories only show you a handful. So I don't think it's a question of "how spread out should the NPC world be" or "what game-related purpose does this guy have" but rather, the quality and enjoyability of the writing which determines everything else.