Playable: Our story kicks off with our main character and the narrative arc is largely based around his experiences. While the other characters are drawn into the story and are equally as affected as he is, it seems as though it may be prudent to keep the focus on the character with whom we are most heavily invested. If we begin the game from this character's perspective, and then suddenly the player realizes that this isn't even the character that they're controlling, will they lose interest? Can they relate as much to someone who they aren't directly controlling? We can still have other playable characters, but the player will know who they're meant to identify with.
Non-Playable: If we want to highlight a team of diverse and multiply-talented characters, what better way then to throw the player right into controlling them and playing around with their skills? If we try to keep the player oriented around one playable main character, then what encourages them to experiment with the other characters and the various combinations of the other characters? By denying one main character the spotlight, we allow everyone in our cast to shine and to have a rich background story woven into our main narrative. Some people might be turned off by the idea of a non-playable character being at the heart of the game's narrative because it hasn't really been done before-- but maybe that risk will pay off.
What does everybody else think? Does a game need a playable main character to be relatable, or will having a cast of unique characters make the game more relatable to a wider range of people?
Larry Tuch - Week 6
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying the exchange! What a great way to get into the stream of your creative process.
I really like the idea of centering a game's narrative around a non-playable character, just because it sounds so unique in terms of catering to a player's goals throughout a story.
ReplyDeleteOn the idea of creating a cast of characters and focusing on one vs. several, I think one game that does a good job in this department is Final Fantasy VI. In that game you start off with one main character, Terra, then the reins get handed over to Locke, the treasure hunter, and then eventually to King Edgar and his brother.
From the start of the game there is a focus on Terra, but as the game progresses and encompasses a wider cast of characters (eventually 12+ I believe), the focus becomes less on one character and more on the entourage of characters. Eventually, towards the end of the game, you even have the option of including or excluding any characters you wish as you head for the final battle. In that respect, you are started with a focus on one character (Terra), but then that focus is shifted wherever you want it towards the latter half of the game.
-Josh