What are the forum’s thoughts are Blizzard offering an NPC implementation service? Family or friends contact Blizzard with the deceased’s username and realm. Blizzard closes the account and puts their main toon in the game as an NPC. Not a mission giver or one you can interact with. And just have their name be relevant to whatever zone/city they are in.
I understand the first thought might be that Blizzard would be overwhelmed… but I feel that not everyone’s families and friends would think to contact Blizzard, or maybe even know World of Warcraft exists. I’m sure, if the service existed, some players might word up their loved ones… but one would hope they have many more years ahead of them.
I also think the closing of the account could avoid people faking their own death to get put in the game. While it is a little morbid to do such a thing… there are some sick and twisted people in the world.
It doesn’t have to be a quick turnaround either. Blizzard doesn’t have to implement the NPC within 24 hours. Maybe just have a queue of toons to put in the game, and just slowly process them as time goes by.
And I don’t think ‘overpopulation’ is relevant… as it is an MMORPG. And the game world itself is quite large to accommodate a large and constant addition of NPCs.
In the past, Blizzard have implemented some special people who have passed away. So they at least are willing to honor players. And there’s even been some people who have held funerals in game for their deceased loved ones. So it’s clear that there’s some players who want to honor other players.
Personally, I think it would be bittersweet to be able to find a friend in-game who has passed away. Especially if you’ve spent time playing WoW with them in the past. Maybe no other player will know who the NPC is meant to be… but you’d know. A list of names on a wall somewhere in game would be a nice gesture too… but an NPC would be perfect for WoW players, I feel. Especially the dedicated and loyal people who have been playing since launch.
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there would literally not be enough room in azeroth to fit everyone.
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Thing is- there’s HUNDREDS of not thousands of WoW players that have passed away.
The game was popular for like 12+ million at peak. That’s an insane amount of people.
Generally, only content creators or WoW devs themselves get posthumous player/personal memorials. And honestly, I think that’s fair.
They’ve done more for the WoW community than just ‘playing the game’.
But, I don’t see why they can’t have a long text engraving in Stormwind Cemetery or something like that, which is continually updated with deceased player names, and their classes, and maybe a quote. Similar to a real-life graveyard, but moreso a tribute.
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Due to scandals etc, I don’t think Blizzard wants to get into the habit again of putting in persons who are dead. I think they swore off that a few years back or so.
I imagine they’d require a death certificate and have a little legal head ache maybe. Don’t think they’d want to undertake such an idea.
God. No. I don’t want the entire game to become a graveyard. It’s morbid enough as it is.
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Wish granted.
The Maw is gonna be one heck of a place 
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That would be like putting memorial benches in the mall for all the people who have shopped there and since died. I don’t think the OP gets the scope of what they’re proposing.
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I say NO simply because players would abuse this into the ground.
Players would be making up names. Sending in requests that they
know Blizz will not even consider. A few would even try to sneak words
into made up names thinking they can trick Blizz into it.
But I do think they should have a instanced graveyard where each player
can put whatever name they want on one tombstone that only that player,
or the group the player is in, can see their tombstone.
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No. There’s a difference between Make a Wish and everyone, their brother and pet squirrel wanting to be immortalized as an NPC in game.
You can choose a spot to have a memorial on your own, something that was important to them in game, and go there as often as you wish to remember their character and what they brought to your gaming life. Blizz doesn’t need to do this for you.
Make a Wish children are not the same as my good friend who passed a couple years ago. We celebrate him in game and out of game, without the need for an NPC.
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I was thinking maybe have one memorial that people can add names to when you click it after it’s filtered by Blizzard, but somehow it will be abused.
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Go to the forums, dig up the players profile, screenshot their toon, print it, and put it in a frame. That way you can visit it whenever, and wherever you like, whether the game is up or down, whether you subscribe or don’t, and keep it as long as you like.
I like the way they do it now. People that had a major impact on WoW and Make-A-Wish kids.
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Maybe have the player show up as a rare on a long timer?
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“Seymor Bhutts is up! Need healers!”
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“Can anyone come help me kill Jeff’s Mom?”
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After the lawsuits, they have already said no more naming NPCs after real people. Too much potential baggage.
I don’t want that much real life in my video game, personally. It goes a bit too far.
What’s the worst thing that could happen? Blizzard cluelessly charging real money to turn people’s deceased loved ones into NPC’s.
I am getting a bad feeling that this could go horribly wrong.
