In the last few
blog posts I focused on carefully structuring and refining game mechanics to
increase engagement. While these mechanics are an important part of games,
there are also other gameplay elements to consider, such as story-related
components. Today we are going to look at one part of stories: the characters
that the user will encounter and interact with. Some of these characters might
play a minor role, but there will be others that are going to be key to the
story. If such a character lacks personality, they will only make the user less
interested in the story.
Final Fantasy XIII - While in general Final Fantasy games have characters with a lot of depth, Final Fantasy XIII was criticized for having bland and one-sided characters. |
As in real life, characters
don’t suddenly materialize out of thin air, without any recollection of who
they are and why they’re there. As a designer, you should have a good idea of
the goals and characteristics of each character. What do they want out of life,
and how do they try to achieve their goals? What have they done, and how does
that have an effect on how they are? How do their hopes and dreams fit into the
overarching story?
To The Moon - Life is not always about the good moments; To The Moon features an engaging story about the impact of character flaws on relationships. |
Interacting with
the characters
Once you’ve
thought up the characters, you need to think about how they relate to the
user’s goals and actions. Do their goals align, creating a reason for them to
help you, or to join you on your quest? It’s important to consider here that
the reason should make sense; if characters join the user in a fight for life
and death, they need to do so for very strong reasons (instead of the ‘I had
nothing better to do argument’). By giving the user opportunities to interact
with the characters outside of action-packed moments, they get an opportunity get
more information about their personality and background.
Star Wars: The Old Republic: If one of your companions does something harmful to you on purpose, you should have the option to kick them out of your group. Why should you even keep them around? |
Interaction
between characters
Another way to
increase the user’s affinity with characters is by having them interact with
each other. This interaction can be positive, such as two characters slowly
developing a romantic relationship, but it can also be negative, such as two
characters fighting with each other. Small additions like these can make the
characters feel more ‘alive’, and create a sense of surprise in the user. This
sense of surprise is very important; we can’t predict everything in real life
either.
Tales of Vesperia - Within these short optional skits the characters talk to and about each other. It's a good way of seeing how their relationships grow over the course of the game. |
Within societies
The next step is
going from an individual level to a society level. Where do these characters
come from, and how does this affect their behavior. These kinds of differences
can generally be thought of in terms of behavioural tendencies. These
tendencies can follow existing stereotypes, such as dwarves being grumpy and
having the tendency to drink a lot. Existing stereotypes might feel comfortable
to the user, but they might also feel old and stale. Some tips to help you
think about societies: where do these characters live, and how would that
affect their behavior. For instance, groups of characters living in a barren
land would probably be hard workers with little time for frivolous activities.
Does gender have an effect? How do they treat those with a different status?
Kingdoms of Amalur: This game features interesting societies that are very different from the traditional archetypes. |
Do note that most
of these elements will not be visible to each user and reside solely in the
mind of the designer. However, they will help you to think about other
characters, and the overarching story, and create a sense of internal
consistency. Do you have any others tips you’d like to share, or some other
ideas on how to make characters more engaging? Any subjects you would like to
see a blog post about? Don’t hesitate to tell us below!
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