These Video Game NPCs SUCK!

Sometimes a video game NPC will end up rubbing grits into your trousers and calling you skid mark for the rest of your life because of their inability to perform certain actions efficiently, however, the NPCs that make up the otherwise batshit 1983 Hobbit Game for DOS became a problem because they were actually programmed to do one thing exceptionally well.

It's a shame that this one thing is "straight up leave your party because they aren't 'feeling it'", and no I'm not kidding.

You see, in their infinite wisdom, the devs decided to give each and every character a unique AI, complete with needs, wants, and an aggro factor that would play into how active/effective they would be in combat. However, while this sounds utterly groundbreaking back in the 80's it was keyboard smashing the moment it transferred its principles to practice, as more often than not the following scene would play out.

You are attacked by goblins. You ask Gandalf for aid. He replies "no". Fine, go rescue Thorin who's just been captured by trolls. "No," says Gandalf once more. Good now I'm dead, thank you, you greying fool. "I'm off down the shops, do you want anything?" says Gandalf and leaves the party.

And remember Thorin and Gandalf are both needed to actually complete the game, so the fact they can deny your requests and then wander off for an adventure of their own really does take both the piss and cake when it comes to terrible NPCs