Short answers, pulled from the story.
NPC stands for non-player character. The term originated in tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons to describe characters controlled by the gamemaster rather than by a player. In video games, it refers to computer-controlled characters with predetermined behaviors.
A DNPC, or dependent non-player character, is a rules mechanic in the Champions game and other games using the Hero System. It is a character controlled by the GM for whom the player character holds some responsibility, and who can be placed in danger by the PC's choices.
Black Isle Studios and White Wolf, Inc. were known for multiple-choice roleplaying in all of their games. The Ultima series also illustrated the shift from non-branching dialogue in Ultima III: Exodus to branching dialogue starting with Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar. Other series with branching NPC dialogue include Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Fire Emblem, Megami Tensei, and several Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy titles.
Pinkydoll's NPC livestreams earned her as much as $7,000 in a single day. She gained 400,000 followers in the same month she started NPC streaming in July 2023. Viewers sent digital gifts in real time, and Pinkydoll would mimic a character or perform an action in response.
NPC streaming is a type of livestream in which creators mimic the repetitive, scripted behavior of non-player characters from video games. It became a popular trend starting in July 2023. Viewers purchase digital gifts and send them to the streamer, who responds with a brief character action or phrase.
From around 2018, NPC became an online insult used to suggest that a person cannot form their own thoughts or opinions. It is often illustrated with a grey-faced, expressionless version of the Wojak meme. The term implies the target responds to situations with preset reactions rather than independent thinking.