Game Writing and Design Guide Notes #4 - Building Characters

Relationships between characters

The main roles that appear in games are: player characters, non-player characters, bosses, and guide characters.

Each role has a relationship with the writer or designer who created it, and we need to invest time in the character. If the work is done well, players will form emotional attachment to the character they control and build connections with other roles in the game.

In general, NPC content should be richer, because NPC actions are fully decided by design, so their total impact on the experience is the largest.

Characters and writers

Writers need drama, and drama is often created through reversals, such as enemies becoming friends, friends becoming enemies, or neutral characters changing sides.

Because game narratives need to be tight, there are usually not many characters. That is why many games often use betrayal as a core story element. As writers, we know the betrayal will happen, but we want players not to know, and to feel surprised when the truth is revealed. This means we should plant hints at the right level, but not make players feel tricked by the story.

Unlike other forms of entertainment, in games players can be the cause of other characters changing – the player’s actions can affect how other characters see you, and even change their identities by changing the player’s identity.

During game design, we should carefully consider decisions that cause reversals. They increase depth but also resources and complexity. At the same time, it is important that no branch outcome makes the rest of the game unbearably hard. The result can make the game harder, but it should not make it impossible for players to handle.

Organizing characters

Almost all games contain large groups of neatly arranged enemies, such as zombies or armies. We treat these characters as members of an organization and build a detailed story for the group. A persistent and clear understanding of the organization the player faces makes the game stronger.

A single character can come from this organization. Through similarity or contrast between the individual and the whole, you can better describe and build the story.

At its core, a game builds a set of basic rules within complex events and situations. Play within those rules, build the game’s scenes, structure, and experience goals. Keep updating and fine-tuning the template to fit a specific project, making characters rich, complex, or even confusing.