I can understand your point, however you still have yet to explain how other humans that inhabit the earth alongside us are non sentient beings. In my opinion I believe it is due to the fact that humans especially those who self-label themselves as outcasts cannot understand the complexity of others. I’m almost constantly in a state of deep thinking, questioning and pondering all that I’ve witnessed and experienced and I times when I get wrapped up in my musings I ask myself “can those who I come across in my daily life possibly be as complex of a creature as I?” The answer is yes, however I can’t possibly begin to understand the thoughts, goals, experiences, and intricate desires as others but I know it exists.
For however brainless and automated humans act in these modern times, there is still humanity left in them it has only been deluded by the societies and constructs under which they live, toil, and cope. Even if this world is an illusion, it would be laughable to claim that only I and those I deem worthy are sentient life forms and that all others who I don’t understand or value are simply assets created by the world I live in with the sole purpose of keeping me trapped inside the illusion
If you understand that this reality itself is a simulation then it isn't a far fetched idea that many of the actual characters are just potential NPC's. Personally I believe we are all inhabiting NPC bodies yet we all have the ''potential'' to awaken the PC (or spirit) in us. However many experiments fail and many never make it out of the cycle of awakening/rebirth/recycling. Many will just get grinded down and recycled without making any progress spiritually and are forever stuck in a cycle of rebirth.
But let me propose this:
Is it possible that an evil overlord running the simulation has purposely put false characters into the simulation that act and behave exactly like the real thing yet are not the real thing? Can a simulation run a simulated being that acts, feels and pretends to be real and for as far as even that simulated entity goes and knows, it is conscious, yet it is not really conscious?
This goes a bit back to the woman in the red dress from the matrix.
You would never know that she was just a npc. In fact the very nature and very reason for npc's to exist is to deny that they are npc's in the first place. That is their very stated objective and anything else would break their directive and reason to even exist. To create a real illusion of reality that you think is real even though 99% of the characters are just fluff and there to keep you in check.
You try to act normal to a stacey? Too bad, she's a bot and gives you a look of disgust so you'll feel shit just like the script is written for you.
Ofcourse the alternative means that the stacey is either,
A) Indoctrinated and forced to treat you like you are subhuman. Aka another victim of the simulation. In which case I would feel pity for her lack of understanding and feelings for other conscious entities.
or
B) Just a trashy conscious being that has no respect for other conscious beings. In which case, screw that.
or or ...
I personally prefer option C, just a bot. No hard feelings, no negative or judgmental feelings. It's just an object doing what it is told to do and that is to make your life shit.
Also I've actually seen a person being turned into an NPC with new memories. So I can confirm that this simulation purposefully replaces real people with fake ones just to fuck with you and play you like a fool whilst trying to pull you back from the realization that it is an simulation.
You see the person who warned me about this ... is actually the person who got replaced. That is why I know it is a fucking simulation. Because the real person I knew, was erased and replaced. She warned me about it but I couldn't stop it ... it's like seeing your best mate die in front of you as their very existence is erased and their memories and times you played together are altered and they become your enemy overnight. That person pleaded with me to believe them and help them ... yet now I have to live with the truth that they might be gone forever.