History Main / VulnerableCivilians

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' uses a system similar to ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', where the smaller, open-area towns like Big Town, Canterbury Commons, Arefu, or Republic of Dave were occasionally subject to random monster attacks, which can result in the death of quest-related [=NPCs=]. In fact, monsters would sometimes spawn ''right inside the town itself''. At higher levels, this would often involve Yao Guai or Deathclaws, resulting in the death of everyone inside the town. Additionally, there are a number of named [=NPCs=], most notably the merchant caravans, that roam the wasteland and are likely to be eventually eaten by monsters.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' uses a system similar to ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', where the smaller, open-area towns like Big Town, Canterbury Commons, Arefu, or Republic of Dave were occasionally subject to random monster attacks, which can result in the death of quest-related [=NPCs=]. In fact, monsters would sometimes spawn ''right inside the town itself''. At higher levels, this would often involve Yao Guai or Deathclaws, resulting in the death of everyone inside the town. Additionally, there are a number of named [=NPCs=] (most notably the merchant caravans) that roam the wasteland and are likely to be eventually eaten by monsters.

!Examples:

* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', monsters never invade walled towns in order to kill civilians, but monsters that travel along the main road will attack travellers on the road and as well as smaller settlements and farmsteads if they spot an NPC working on their farm. Because all {{NPC}}s in ''Oblivion'' (except for patrolling imperial guards) are unique individuals (many of whom give sidequests) rather than randomly spawned characters, each NPC killed by monsters is one less person in the game world, who will not be replaced, and if they were part of a sidequest, their deaths make that quest unfinishable.

* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', monsters never ([[GilbertAndSullivan well, hardly ever]]) invade towns in order to kill civilians, however bodies of several dead travelers are seen, as are travelers in the process of being attacked.
** While monsters never invade the major walled towns, I have seen them attacking some of the smaller farmsteads and settlements. This usually occurs when a monster is traveling along the main road, and happens to spot an NPC working on their farm. Additionally, some [=NPCs=] commute between cities, leaving them open to monster attack while traveling on the main road.
** Additionally, all {{NPC}}s in Oblivion (except for patrolling imperial guards) are unique individuals (many of whom give sidequests) rather than randomly spawned characters. Each NPC killed randomly by monsters is one less person in the game world, who will not be replaced, and if they were part of a sidequest, their deaths make that quest unfinishable.
*** Thus sparking the great debate: is it cheating to use the console to set the invincibility flag, protecting [=NPCs=] from their own stupidity for the sake of keeping the world a little more lively?
*** The death of a NPC does not always make a sidequest unfinishable. If you accept a sidequest to kill a NPC before the NPC dies, once the NPC dies you will be credited with performing the kill, even if a wolf or bandit killed the NPC instead of you.
** Some of the time, an ''Oblivion'' NPC who needs you to guide him or her somewhere becomes invulnerable during the course of the trip. For example, [[spoiler:Martin is invulnerable from Kvatch until you arrive at Cloud Ruler Temple]], so you could use him as an invulnerable sidekick for quite a lot of the side quests. When doing the Main Quest, the [[spoiler:Jemane brothers from the quest "Separated At Birth"]] are invulnerable until you [[spoiler: take them to their family farm]], making them useful in the Main Quest section [[spoiler:The Great Gate]] as additional soldiers.

* In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', monsters never ([[GilbertAndSullivan well, hardly ever]]) invade towns in order to kill civilians, however bodies of several dead travelers are seen, as are travelers in the process of being attacked.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' uses a system similar to ''VideoGame/TheElderScrolls IV: Oblivion'', where the smaller, open-area towns like Big Town, Canterbury Commons, Arefu, or Republic of Dave were occasionally subject to random monster attacks, which can result in the death of quest-related [=NPCs=]. In fact, monsters would sometimes spawn ''right inside the town itself''. At higher levels, this would often involve Yao Guai or Deathclaws, resulting in the death of everyone inside the town. Additionally, there are a number of named [=NPCs=] (most notably the merchant caravans) that roam the wasteland and are likely to be eventually eaten by monsters.

* In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrolls Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]'', monsters never ([[GilbertAndSullivan well, hardly ever]]) invade towns in order to kill civilians, however bodies of several dead travelers are seen, as are travelers in the process of being attacked.

* Most of what was said about ''Oblivion'' above also applies to ''TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', with the added fact that a dragon can strike almost anywhere outdoors, including towns, and if you don't take it down quick then an NPC or two will most likely get caught in the crossfire and die. Some plot-critical [=NPCs=] are [[InvulnerableCivilians invulnerable]], but more often a family member, friend, or apprentice of the deceased will often take their place (if they were a shopkeeper or blacksmith or something), and those who knew them will now comment on what a tragic waste it was that their life was cut off.

Others have VulnerableCivilians. Some games, like the infamous ''GrandTheftAuto'' series, allow the player to go on a killing spree and cause all the chaos they want, but some put the [=NPCs=] directly in harm's way. These are VulnerableCivilians, the people whose lives are at risk from the dangers of the game world itself.

* Done in ''FinalFantasyXII'' when you're in areas where you can actually fight monsters. The [=NPCs=] (who generally tend to be adventurers themselves) can and do get into fights with monsters all on their own, while monsters will even pick fights with each other as predatory animals are wont to do in RealLife.

* Used in the ''Superman Returns'' games....in fact, it's rather the entire point. YOU are pretty much invulnerable (the worst anything can do is stun you), but instead the city has a life bar when it takes damage and/or citizens get hurt. If it gets emptied, then it's game over. Nice touch of realism, but sadly it pretty much turns the entire game into one long {{Escort Mission}}.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' uses a system similar to ''TheElderScrolls IV: Oblivion'', where the smaller, open-area towns like Big Town, Canterbury Commons, Arefu, or Republic of Dave were occasionally subject to random monster attacks, which can result in the death of quest-related [=NPCs=]. In fact, monsters would sometimes spawn ''right inside the town itself''. At higher levels, this would often involve Yao Guai or Deathclaws, resulting in the death of everyone inside the town. Additionally, there are a number of named [=NPCs=] (most notably the merchant caravans) that roam the wasteland and are likely to be eventually eaten by monsters.

* In ''[[TheElderScrolls Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]'', monsters never ([[GilbertAndSullivan well, hardly ever]]) invade towns in order to kill civilians, however bodies of several dead travelers are seen, as are travelers in the process of being attacked.

* In ''CommandAndConquer'', civilians are very weak and can get squished if they get in the way of a tank rush or the like.

* In ''WorldOfWarcraft'', some mobs will attack critters (small creatures that won't battle and have very little HP like rabbits, etc). The game keeps most [=NPCs=] and mobs seperate by design (apart from the odd EscortMission) though.
* ''VideoGame/ScarfaceTheWorldIsYours'' is a mixed bag. Tony Montana won't shoot the innocent. His (playable) employees can murder whomever they wish to. With the exception of some plot relevant characters such as the bank teller.

* Done in ''{{STALKER}}'', where every character (including major characters) could be killed, and most human settlements were subject to random mutant or bandit attacks. Thus, it was entirely possible for quests to become unobtainable as major characters were killed in random shootouts.

* ''Fallout 3'' uses a system similar to ''TheElderScrolls IV: Oblivion'', where the smaller, open-area towns like Big Town, Canterbury Commons, Arefu, or Republic of Dave were occasionally subject to random monster attacks, which can result in the death of quest-related [=NPCs=]. In fact, monsters would sometimes spawn ''right inside the town itself''. At higher levels, this would often involve Yao Guai or Deathclaws, resulting in the death of everyone inside the town. Additionally, there are a number of named [=NPCs=] (most notably the merchant caravans) that roam the wasteland and are likely to be eventually eaten by monsters.

** All of the child [=NPCs=] in ''{{Fallout}} 3'' (those who aren't killed by scripted effects) are completely invulnerable.
** In previous ''Fallout'' titles, any human can be killed: shopkeepers, random civilians, even children. Killing children makes everyone hate you and [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment can even draw bounty hunters after you]]. Also, killing people in your hometown can trigger a NonStandardGameOver. Unlike ''Fallout 3'', however, towns were never subject to random monster attacks.
* ''FalloutNewVegas'' fixes the monster spawning locations so that monsters no longer randomly spawn right in the middle of settlements. It's still possible for monsters to chase you into town and kill the residents, though.

* Most of what was said about ''Oblivion'' above also applies to ''TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', with the added fact that a dragon can strike almost anywhere outdoors, including towns, and if you don't take it down quick then an [=NPC=] or two will most likely get caught in the crossfire and die. Some plot-critical NPCs are [[InvulnerableCivilians invulnerable]], but more often a family member, friend, or apprentice of the deceased will often take their place (if they were a shopkeeper or blacksmith or something), and those who knew them will now comment on what a tragic waste it was that their life was cut off.

* Most of what was said about ''Oblivion'' above also applies to ''TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', with the added fact that a dragon can strike almost anywhere outdoors, including towns, and if you don't take it down quick then an NPC or two will most likely get caught in the crossfire and die. Some plot-critical NPCs are [[InvulnerableCitizens invulnerable]], but more often a family member, friend, or apprentice of the deceased will often take their place (if they were a shopkeeper or blacksmith or something), and those who knew them will now comment on what a tragic waste it was that their life was cut off.

* In {{Runescape}} its easier to for the average player to kill civilians then talking to them. to kill the civilian you click on him, to talk to the civilian, you right click to talk to him, then you click to talk to him. also most NPCs normally treat other NPCs as a normal, everyday thing.

* Used in the ''{{Crusader}}'' games. Friendly fire is in fact quite possible if there are enough enemies, and since there are [[NoOSHACompliance civilians present in many dangerous areas of the game]]...

* Used in ''{{Prototype}}''. The zombies of the zombie apocalypse will happily chow down on the hapless citizens of New York City. [[VideogameCrueltyPotential And you can kill them yourself,]] if you want to.

* ''Fallout 3'' uses a system similar to ''TheElderScrolls IV: Oblivion'', where the smaller, open-area towns like Big Town, Canterbury Commons, Arefu, or Republic of Dave were occasionally subject to random monster attacks, which can result in the death of quest-related NPCs. In fact, monsters would sometimes spawn ''right inside the town itself''. At higher levels, this would often involve Yao Guai or Deathclaws, resulting in the death of everyone inside the town. Additionally, there are a number of named NPCs (most notably the merchant caravans) that roam the wasteland and are likely to be eventually eaten by monsters.

* ''Fallout 3'' uses a system similar to ''TheElderScrolls IV: Oblivion'', where the smaller, open-area towns like Big Town, Canterbury Commons, Arefu, or Republic of Dave were occasionally subject to random monster attacks, which can result in the death of quest-related NPCs. In fact, monsters would sometimes spawn ''right inside the town itself''. At higher levels, this would often involve Yao Guai or Deathclaws, resulting in the death of everyone inside the town.

* In ''{{Fallout}} 3'', the system is supposed to be similar to ''TheElderScrolls IV: Oblivion'', where any NPC in the game world can be attacked and killed by roaming monsters or bandits at any time. However, it seems that {{NPC}}s drop dead completely randomly when you're not looking, and when you do return to them you just find their corpse with no sign of whatever could have killed them. Thus it's good not to get attached to anyone, not even the more developed quest-related characters.
** Note that [=NPCs=] can be harmed by fall damage. Remember all those missing handrails on the high, high gantries of Megaton? And I quite enjoy playing Detective. "But where's his head? Ah-hah! An eyeball... HOLY SHIT DEATHCLAW".
** In Rivet City certain NPC's (like Harkness) can only be knocked unconscious and not killed.

** In previous ''Fallout'' titles, any human can be killed: shopkeepers, random civilians, even children. Killing children makes everyone hate you and [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment can even draw bounty hunters after you]]. Also, killing people in your hometown can trigger a NonStandardGameOver

* ''Scarface: The World Is Yours'' is a mixed bag. Tony Montana won't shoot the innocent. His (playable) employees can murder whomever they wish to. With the exception of some plot relevant characters such as the bank teller.

* Mostly played straight in ''DeusEx'' -- the New York, Paris and Hong Kong levels are all full of [=NPCs=], and just about all of them can be hurt or killed... except for some plot-dependent characters such as Paul Denton and Walton Simons, who are invulnerable until the game decides otherwise.

* In ''WorldOfWarcraft'', some mobs will attack critters (small creatures that won't battle and have very little HP like rabbits, etc). The game keeps most NPCs and mobs seperate by design (apart from the odd EscortMission) though.

* There are a few ''GuildWars'' missions and quests where different types of civilian NPCs get attacked by monsters. They generally do very little damage and die quickly, with attack animations resembling punches and hits.