Why Your LLM NPCs Sound the Same (And How to Fix It)
“Let me tell you, my good friend…” If you’ve built LLM-powered NPCs, you’ve heard this. Your character starts strong, maybe even impressive. But by turn 20, something’s wrong. They’re repeating themselves. The same phrases. The same gestures. The same rhythm. I ran 150 turns of dialogue with an LLM-powered character last week. Here’s what I found: Pattern Frequency “takes a long swig from his glass” 59% of responses “my good friend/man/fellow” 30% of responses “eyes unfocused” 15% of responses “let me tell you” 13% of responses My character, Francis—a boozy ex-politician—couldn’t stop drinking. Not because it was dramatically appropriate. Because the LLM fell into a rut. ...