ABSTRACT
When Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance (Vivendi, 2001) was released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2 console, it was received with enthusiastic approval. When starting the first mission in the game, a mission that consisted of clearing out a cellar of giant rats and vermin in the Elfsong Tavern, it was obvious how extraordinary the graphical detail was compared to contemporary games. After finishing the first mission, it was time to head back to the Elfsong Tavern to sell some loot and get another mission. The vendor in the tavern greets you with a long monologue about his products; a sales pitch to make players spend their gold on his merchandise. Even the vendor, a non-player character (NPC) in the game, was, when compared to contemporary standards, both detailed and believable, the first ten times. However, after going to the same vendor for the fiftieth time, his monologue was starting to become annoying …
