Gothic II NPC details

JoWood Productions has today released new information pertaining to the 400 or so nonplayer characters that will inhabit the deadly world of Gothic II. According to JoWood, each and every one of the NPCs in the game will have its own life--complete with an occupation and social life--to lead, regardless of whether or not they come into contact with the player.

When encountered, NPCs will also react differently to the player depending on which of the three character classes they've chosen and any previous meetings they may have had. For example, if the player steals money from an NPC the first time they meet, there could well be a confrontation of sorts at the second encounter. NPCs will also have their own groups of friends in the game, meaning that by upsetting a single character, players could quickly become a target for an entire group.

"Gothic II features an incredible 400 NPCs who go about their lives working, sleeping, eating, and getting drunk together while occasionally meeting you as you undertake quests," said Rebecca Lindon, PR manager at JoWood Productions UK. "You are presented with a living, breathing community, the likes of which have rarely been seen in a video game before, and then have the challenge of successfully achieving your goals within this incredible setting--without upsetting the society."

Gothic II is currently scheduled for release in February in both North America and Europe. For more information, check out our previous coverage of the game.