I think one of the things that I have found in my games is that the more enjoyable (non-villian) NPCs have unique voices. I don't just mean that the GM uses a different voice when they speak, (although I do think that is very important) but the character also have a distinctive personality that sets them apart from other characters (PCs and NPCs) in the game. Just because a character is a close friend to a PC, doesn't mean that they think exactly alike. The character should have at least a few traits that come out when they speak. When I speak in character for that character, I feel the character is a success if I don't have to tell the players what NPC just said that even if there is a roomful of them. For example, in my recent Changeling campaign the characters were dealing with several NPCs. One NPC was Samildanach, a werewolf who would spend most of his time in Wolf form. Having grown up as a wolf, he distrusted humans, was uncomfortable in human society and tended to speak in a growled voice. He was the grumpy one who was always wanting to "just get this over with." Another NPC that was along on their wild ride the last couple of adventures was Chase, a young Satyr stoner. He was lecherous as most Satyrs are, but the thing that put him apart from the Satyr PC already in our group was his enthusiasm and pure energy. He talked a mile a minute and constantly threw himself on poor Birch and later on poor Drusilla. He pledged his undying love for Drusilla That lasted about a whole adventure...until someone else caught his eye. While Denon was wallowing in drink and self-pity, while he was still pledging his love for Mera even as he started a relationship with Ling, Chase was....well....chasing a new fling and if his eternal love shot him down, there was always the next one.
Another thing I think is important for an NPC is that they have a real relatonship with a character, not just be there to supply them with quests, clues, etc. One of my favorite NPCs of all was Nall, a chimerical (dream) cat with wings. In my first Changeling game, a player created a dog-pooka named Buck. Buck was a gamer, through and through. He loved video games and roleplaying games. He also had a 3 point chimera that the player said "you can design." The first game he describes his character playing video games, trying to get his mind off of the weird reflection he saw in the mirror (he recently discovered his Fae self by finding a dog-face looking back at him in the mirror). I decide that now is the time to spring his familiar on him. being that his character is into video games and anime, I think of something I saw in a video game recently, a flying cat. A flying cat come bursting through his window to land on his bed. "Hey Buck, how's it going?" He chases the cat around the room until he tires out from chasing it. "How do you know my name!?" The two bicker and fight for most of the campaign. Nall seems to be around only to insult and harass Buck but on several times he pulls Buck's butt out of the proverbial fire. Then near the end of the game, Nall disappears for sometime. When Nall returns, Buck tries not to show how much he missed him but the two are both obviously happy to be reunited. The PCs go off and save the world, but in the process Buck sacrifices his dreaming self. The final scene of the final game has the PCs visiting the human Buck in an insane asylum. Buck is heavily drugged and watching tv in the common room. A winged cat is sadly curled up on his head waiting for him to remember his true nature. I think what made Nall so successful is how much of a relationship he had with the PC. Ideally, every character should build bonds like that. It really gives the game some depth.
I seem to be in the mood to write about roleplaying today....
Practically all roleplaying games use stats and there are very few that seem to actually keep them balanced. Most systems seem to have just tried to make stats as balanced as they can. Sure, Str in GURPs may not be as important as Dex, but it does have it's uses. In the Champions/Hero system they tried to balance it out by having some stats cost more than others. Amber on the other hand has the auction system to balance stats. If the players don't think Strength is going to be as useful as Warfare, they won't bid up as high on the stat. Of course, most Amber games don't use auctions or ranks. The auctions are time consuming and keeping track of the current rank of a character as new PCs and NPCs are added is a pain.
Personally, my theory on attributes in the Amber DRPG is if two PCs who spent equal points in different attributes face off using those attributes, the thing the GM should be comparing is the ranks of those attributes. If one character spent 40 points to get first rank Strength and the other spent 50 points to get second rank Psyche and they face off using those attributes in an equal situation where neither attribute has an advantage then the character with the first rank attribute should win. (I can't think of a situation where neither would have an advantage, but this a hypothetical question, no?) Now, if a PC and an NPC face off with equal points spent, than the PC wins. That's "main character power."
Now maybe that person who spent the 50 points for a second rank ability gets upset because he spent an equal points as the first rank character. That player should remember that the reason he has second rank was because he and at least one other player thought that first rank in that ability would come in to play more often. The character who has the first rank took more of a gamble that the ability he bid up for (Strength in the example) might come in handy. It did in this case.
So, since I don't need to worry about ranks unless the PCs are fighting eachother, I don't figure the NPCs in to the ranks. That makes figuring out who has first, second, etc. a whole lot easier.
"What if a player has a power that boosts an attribute?" Well, all of the powers in Amber come with a drawback. If th player is using an existing power to boost an attribute than it already has its flaws. If it is a brand new power, I would have made sure that attribute-boosting power would have enough of a drawback to balance it at character creation. So, if it can improve the characters ranking, it should have a worthy disadvantage. (Perhaps it only lasts for a very short time and leaves the character exhausted and vulnerable after using it....) Also, just because that character temporarily has a higher rank does not mean he instantly wins. The actions of the attacking and defending characters has to be taken in to account as in any fight between characters. If the defending character doesn't make he mistake of underestimating his new high-powered opponent and stays on the defensive he may be able to make it a test of Endurance or be able to stall until help arrives.
Better GMing
This is something I thought of a while ago to help me find those descriptive words I find myself reaching for in game. In the old days I used to draw maps of all of my major scenes in a game. I don't do that very much these days but I can take the same level of preparation to prepare for the game. What I can do is take one of the writing exercises I read in Writing Down the Bones and apply it to GMing. Before the game, I can picture the location or scene in my head. Once I have it in my head just the way I want it, I'd write down as many descriptive words or phrases I can about that scene. Then I'll have a good list to work from during the game and I can pick and choos from that list. I don't know if that'll work or just be awkward. It may be tough to stop and look at the list in game, but by writing the list, I may be able to remember the key ones better when it comes up in the game.
You can't completely help it. The characters you play will always seem to have something in common with you. I think that is one of the parts of "getting in to character." The more you get in to the mind of your character, the more your character gains some of your way of thinking and acting. I think it is like how a movie actor lends his voice and style to each role he plays.
A huge difference between an actor and a roleplayer is that the actor always knows the kinds of hardships and loss his character will face. If his character is going to die, he knows that from reading the script. So, when he plays the scene of the character dying he has already prepared for the death. When stuff happens that hurts the character, the player is bound to feel a bit of the characters pain. That's part of roleplaying. The actor does it to, but he had time to prepare for it.
Personally, I like playing tragic characters. When I was involved in my high school Drama department, I always went for the tragic parts and I am told that I did a very good job with those parts. Most of the roleplaying characters I make have some huge tragedy. I don't know why. I don't think I'm working through issues or anything like that. Maybe it's just that pain and suffering come easier for me or seem more real to me. Who knows?