Character in Games

The lecture on character covered the concepts of person/persona and character, in both 'true' and 'characterisation'. Characterisation being the most obvious qualities of a person, including age gender and mannerisms, and true character being their deeper personality and morality, such as the decisions they make under pressure.

We looked at examples from Charles Dickens: Great Expectations, and how the character in it is an orphaned child, who's ideas of what his parents and siblings would be like if they were alive holds great importance to him. His name, Pip, is interesting, as rather than implying a seed with the potential for flourishing life, a pip had this potential but instead became a piece of waste or an inconvenience that gets stuck between your teeth.

In a game world, 'Hero' from Fable is a great example, as he is an orphan from an early age, who therefore has a similar story to Pip. However, in a game world, the character's story is not closed, and the player is in control of Hero's destiny. This gives the orphan character a new significance, a character with nothing to lose, and everything to gain, is a superb starting point for choice in a game world. A blank canvas.