Finishing off May Write Away - Character

You know a game character and plot has been expertly written when you're given "I would never hurt [character]. I care too much for her" as a dialogue option, and you pick it because you MEAN IT, not because it leads to a favorable outcome in the game.

Only the best-written characters can form that kind of deep connection with the player.

On an unrelated note, the love story between Serana and the Dragonborn could be a feature film by itself.

But what are some factors which lead to making this kind of connection in a game?

1) Professional-level voice acting.
Seriously. No, really. STOP LAUGHING.
Big-league games today are growing toward movies in terms of how players receive information.

...this isn't always a good thing, *cough* The Order:1886 *cough*.

In your average game balanced between cutscene and gameplay, the positive effects of voice acting are becoming more apparent, even though quality voice acting isn't something most players demand.

Mainly because they're too busy blowing stuff up or shooting terrorists or exploring dungeons or jumping on platforms to care.

But in games which are designed to immerse the player, which is quickly becoming the standard across all genres of gaming, the presence of deeper emotion, inflection, and implication in the voice acting adds a new dimension to the game experience.
Which in many cases isn't noticed until you play an older (or new but worse) game that doesn't have it.

2) A plot in which the player builds a relationship with the character.
Properly written dialogue and plot can create a facsimile of a bond between the player and the character.
This can play out in all sorts of plot circumstances, but the most common usage involves the player fighting alongside the character, and the player experiencing consequences from his/her choices involving that character.
Reactions to dialogue options, split-second decisions, or even accidents due to game lag can all contribute to the character feeling real.
Trauma can also contribute to the player's sense of connection to the character, especially in any game which masters the art of making the player experience emotions directly (as opposed to the oft-made mistake of showing the player-character feeling a certain way, and just assuming the player will sympathize).
If you feel it directly, and you see the character you're connecting with feel it, the connection is strengthened.

3) Relatability.
Spell-check doesn't like this word, or any other deriving from "to be able to be related to," which is WAY too many words.
This is a duh for any character in any medium, but especially game design and writing.
If you're going to give me a quest to save X-character, and you want me focused on rescuing rather than on slaughtering the kidnappers (both will happen, but we're talking about motivation here), you have to have created a character who feels real, and not just a bundle of pixels shaped like a caricature.

Here are two examples, both using the kidnapping idea as a framework, of relatable vs unrelatable:

A) The hero (you) comes upon a wrecked carriage. A trail of blood leads to the east. Following it brings you to the body of a young man clutching a journal. The journal mentions a group of enemy soldiers who ambushed the carriage and took its occupant, a young princess, hostage. The young man apparently slipped away and tried to follow them to their hideout, but was spotted and killed, but not before scratching an arrow on the ground pointing toward the hideout.

B) The hero (you) has been adventuring for awhile, at one point joining up with a group of comrades to clear out a string of bandit lairs. Their youngest member is insecure and lacks confidence, and really sucks up to you. You encourage him to take his own successes and turn them into self-confidence. He smiles and hopes to one day be like you.
Later, having parted ways with the boy and his fellows, you receive a message: He tried to take on a whole group of bandits, got in over his head, and is now being held for ransom. You're the only one close enough to reach him before the ransom deadline.

So, player, which one would you be more likely to want to rescue?

Obviously you'd be motivated to rescue both, but the motivation is deeper for one than for the other.

In A), regardless of your reason for rescuing the princess (money, desire to slaughter enemy soldiers, etc) the motivation comes from a caricature, the image of the damsel-in-distress in your own head as a result of seeing it countless times in literature and film and other games.

In B), while there is some degree of caricature (the novice in over his head), the motivation comes from YOUR shared experiences and relationship with the actual character.
In the ideal game setup there would even be a sense of mentor responsibility, given that you encouraged him to be more self-confident.


That we as players are able to make these kinds of connections with game characters demonstrates an astounding level of growth in videogames as a storytelling medium.
The player's ability to interact with game characters is unprecedented given previous limitations, and continues to open up new degrees of immersion and emotional experience for players.


I'm hoping to continue to write at this rate in the coming months, though it's entirely probable that I'll be doing weeks' worth of writing (still going to try sticking to the 200-per-day setup) in individual posts.
Just want to thank anyone and everyone who has found their way to this blog for your continued reading and support.