Should there be more animals like Sonic as NPC?

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Abso-fuckin'-lutely!

Seriously, I love having humans around, but it feels like it's missing something when Sonic and the crew are the only ones we ever see and yet we've ended up meeting more and more across the world as the series continues. I'd like to think of that as a technical thing, seeing as how there's only so much time you can invest in making NPCs before they have you work on something else.

But really, more NPCs would be great. Now how they go about doing it is the question. They obviously wouldn't stand out enough to overshadow Sonic and the gang, so we don't have to worry about that. But it would be a question of giving them that sense of uniqueness we had in the NPCs from Unleashed.

We really can't just have them replace humans overnight in the next game.

Who the heck said we should? We were talking about having more animal NPCs, not taking the human ones out.

[Celestia]

I always found it pretty funny how humans would just accept the fact that a giant, talking, blue hedgehog was just running around their city at incredible speeds and thinking next to nothing of it in the games.

That and no-one seemed all that bothered by the Werehog, either. I like to think that anthros are common enough that it's pretty easy to accept their existence. As for his speed, I am surprised that no-one (that I can remember) asks him how he can move so fast.

As for the whole animal NPC thing though, I think it would be pretty interesting. Though, it would be unfitting in a place like Station Square, one that looks so much like a city that humans would live in. If they designed it to be more like Mobius, where it's all colorful and pretty much shows the people that it's somewhere completely different like the original Sonic games did, then I think the talking animals would be a better choice. It's hard to think of a human standing in Green Hill Zone like it's all good.

^This, basically. Although I'm not quite sure why Amy seems to be living in Station Square in Adventure...

[Dr. Mechano]

I don't mind the idea, but I'd want them in addition to humans, not at the expense of humans. I love my human NPCs, and I don't want them leaving anytime soon.

I think it'd be kinda neat, actually, to see a large city filled with both human and Sonic-styled animal inhabitants.

[EXshad]

Yes, holy shit yes. The first time I saw footage of Sonic roaming a town in Sonic 2006 (before it was revealed to be utter garbage), I was curious if Sonic Team were going to offset the realistic humans with more anthropomorphic furries strewn about. It would have created a pretty good balance, in my opinion, and definitely defined it as SONIC's world, rather than him being plopped in an out-of-place realistic setting.

Of course, that never happened and it wouldn't have mattered if it did because the game is an unlikeable piece of shit anyway.

In Unleashed this really didn't bother me, because the people in that game were meant to represent the different cultures. How exactly could they have pulled off an Italian Spagonian hedgehog, or an African Mazuran echidna, for example? Cartoony people were the best choice of action, and surprisingly, I think Sonic Team nailed it.

Still, if they decide to go ahead and make another large-scale Sonic game with hubs filled with interactive people, I hope they at least have a few generic furries to accompany the generic people, just to show that Sonic and pals aren't on the endangered species list.

Edited January 30, 2012 by EXshad

[neezTHEhuman]

Anyone remeber the Tikal flashback events from SA1? With Tails and I think Amy she would transport you back in time to that city with a massive pyramid in the middle and identical looking echidnas roaming around whom you could speak to. I think if animal NPC's are to be used that is the correct way of doing it. They should all look similar and have minimum involvement in the story to avoid introducing yet another character to the already huge Sonic cast. Another example of this are the toads of the Mushroom Kingdom in Mario. They are all identical looking except for the colour of their spots.

I think Robotnik should be the only human in an 'animal world' in the games because why would humans have rings, springs, loops and boost pads in their world? Also I always found it weird that a 3 foot talking blue furry could run around station square stopping traffic or buy chilli dogs from street vendors and no one wold bat an eyelid!

[Diogenes]

I think Robotnik should be the only human in an 'animal world' in the games because why would humans have rings, springs, loops and boost pads in their world?

Why would animals have them? Is every animal coordinated enough to bounce from a spring safely? Is every animal fast enough to run around a loop? Do rings protect all and only animals from damage?

[Indigo Rush]

I think Robotnik should be the only human in an 'animal world' in the games because why would humans have rings, springs, loops and boost pads in their world?

This is an argument.

[AuroraRedwinters]

Personally, someone must have had a sick sense of humor for the death spike pit that is in the Mystic Caves then.

[dirupti]

I'm not apposed to this idea at all. I would personally like it if the animals were modernized versions of the fellows down at the bottom of this picture. http://info.sonicretro.org/images/b/ba/Sonic1_jp_manual_05_Pages_7_and_8.jpg

[Komodin]

I think Robotnik should be the only human in an 'animal world' in the games because why would humans have rings, springs, loops and boost pads in their world?

Wait, so you can buy that cartoony animals would totally have all that stuff in "their" world... but an equally cartoony human world with that stuff is just too much for my willing suspension of disbelief?

Personally, I wouldn't at all mind the increased presence of animal NPC's. At the very least, they would help make it so that Sonic and co. don't stick out as much.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I think Robotnik should be the only human in an 'animal world' in the games because why would humans have rings, springs, loops and boost pads in their world?

Simple.

Rings = money. You used them to buy stuff in games like Unleashed and in the casinos.

Springs = high ground. Makes it easier to get on top of roofs.

Loops? Well, that's a shitty example for humans or animals. You ever notice that the human cities also have loops?

Boost pads = faster movement. Why walk 20 yards to a friends house when I can use a boost pad to run there?

We done yet?

Edited January 31, 2012 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Diogenes]

^ Makes me think, if we get animal NPCs, are we ever going to get human PCs? Besides Eggman in a mech, that is; I'm talking more traditional Sonic gameplay.

Probably not. That might be for the best.

[KHCast]

^ Makes me think, if we get animal NPCs, are we ever going to get human PCs? Besides Eggman in a mech, that is; I'm talking more traditional Sonic gameplay.

Probably not. That might be for the best.

SONIC MAN!!!!

Playable. NAOOOOOW!!

Edited January 31, 2012 by The Amazing Spiderman

[Thirsty Pocket]

Have felt there should be more animal NPCs since the first Adventure game.

Not that I think they should do away with humans, that's one of the reasons I liked Dragonball, random talking animal people with little importance, acting completely normal amongst the crowds of humans.

...That and I really love Sonic Teams character designs. I really do... I just wish it didn't always have to mean a new playable character with a most likely unwanted alternate play style. Marine was really annoying... so she may be a bad example.. but we need more characters like her.

[Salamander]

In all honesty I'd just put them in in equal numbers to humans, mingling freely, and never draw any attention to it at all. The absence of anthropomorphic NPCs has always basically been a plothole, and any attempt to openly fix it will probably create more problems than it solves. Just quietly bring them in and don't make a big fuss about it.

[SoniClub]

While I like the idea in principal, thinking about it actually being the norm' bugs me. I feel it'd somehow undermine the main characters and, while it may just be because I started off with Adventure, it just feels natural that Sonic and co' live in a world with humans.

The main reason I'm put off is because of reasons that Hydrocitee has already said, the fact that these anthros would very quickly end up looking like rushed fan-characters and mere rip-offs of the main cast. Although that depends, in my head I just see a bunch of annoying re-colours like in Archie, but who knows, maybe ST would make them look somewhat more natural/original like in Rush Adventure.

A comprimise I like is to use the already overwhelming amount of characters that exist in the franchise, and have them as our anthro NPCs. Characters like Manic, Sonia, Bean, Bark, that evil duck from Tails Adventure could all be involved as simple 'walking-about' characters. No need to explain their occurance; it'd just be a nice cameo that only fans would notice and probably squeel at, yet we have well made and consistant anthros walking about. Might add a nice bit of continuity to the series as well. I always wondered what happened to characters like Mighty...

Just imagining a really subtle reference where everytime one of these characters walks past in a hub-world Sonic's head automatically turns to look at them like with those glowing unlockable power-ups from Sonic Adventure.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Wordy

[Piedemon]

I would like to see a combination of Anthrope and Human characters, you know... that you move around a city and you get to see several anthropes walking in the main street along with some humans in the mix.

It would give some sense to the idea of "Anthropes are so common that humans don't raise an eyebrow when they see Sonic"

[Blue Blood]

A comprimise I like is to use the already overwhelming amount of characters that exist in the franchise, and have them as our anthro NPCs. Characters like Manic, Sonia, Bean, Bark, that evil duck from Tails Adventure could all be involved as simple 'walking-about' characters. No need to explain their occurance; it'd just be a nice cameo that only fans would notice and probably squeel at, yet we have well made and consistant anthros walking about. Might add a nice bit of continuity to the series as well. I always wondered what happened to characters like Mighty...

I agreed with your post until I got to the part in bold, Characters from other continuities, be they TV shows or comic, should never ben included in the game. I don't suppose characters like Bean or Bark would be bad at all though, but ideally they'd be more than just random cameos.

[SoniClub]

I agreed with your post until I got to the part in bold, Characters from other continuities, be they TV shows or comic, should never ben included in the game. I don't suppose characters like Bean or Bark would be bad at all though, but ideally they'd be more than just random cameos.

Obviously those were just examples, but I agree, it'd confuse things. Also I imagine there'd be some crazy law-suit if Sega even tried to put Sonia etc. in a game lol.

[Sparky]

Background mobians should look like these. These were made by dantemustdie00, based off background characters in Archie.

Edited February 2, 2012 by tsz11

[VO.SUPER]

Now those are designs I can get behind.

[Kuzu]

While I like their designs, most of them seem somewhat non-standard compared to other Sonic characters, but I guess that's to prevent recolors and whatnot.

[Your Vest Friend]

I dunno, they seem a little too complex. They do look like prime fodder for fans to overhype their significance. I guess this is why the issue is so hard to balance. :/

Not quite on topic, but;

Is that supposed to be...I mean, I don't know even a single Archie reptile with that sort of design, let alone a game reptile. Goddamn it, why do I have to be so overanalytical with these things?

[Pawn]

My initial reaction was a positive one, since they are very well presented. On closer inspection I noticed that many of them have human-like hair and too many of the males have clothes for my liking (...you know what I mean =|). Their Archie roots betray them.

Having said that I do like 1, 2, 4, 7, 10 (maybe), 11, 12 (if her outfit was slightly different) and 14 (seriously, this makes me want a new baboon character).

I dunno, they seem a little too complex. They do look like prime fodder for fans to overhype their significance. I guess this is why the issue is so hard to balance. :/

Agreed on this. Perhaps if the colours were a little muted as well?

Although when all is said and done I am just happy with humans.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Lungo

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

My initial reaction was a positive one, since they are very well presented. On closer inspection I noticed that many of them have human-like hair and too many of the males have clothes for my liking (...you know what I mean =|).

I will never in my life understand what the problem is giving male characters clothing beyond shoes and gloves. And it's not as if gender actually has that much of an impact as to why they shouldn't either.