Assignment 1 - A Cast of Characters

Here is a cast I created. This may serve as a starting point for a future project.

Genre: Action, “Dark” humor
Story Driven characters.

The Cast:
(I only have basic black-and-white doodles for character concept art, but they're meant to be more story-based anyway)

Kat:

The ambiguously-gendered protagonist, and newest member of the Order, a shadowy organization of assassins that acts to influence world politics. Kat is,

-mysterious

-sarcastic

-seeking purpose

-???

The player will be given moral choices to make for Kat, allowing them to define for themselves who Kat really is.

Venom:

A veteran member of the Order, and Kat's rival (or enemy, depending on player choice toward the end). Venom is,

-ruthless

-loyal

-cynical

-distrusting of strangers

Meister:

The aged leader of the Order. Meister is,

-scheming

-idealistic

-slightly absent-minded

Slick:

A young man who stands in the way of Kat's first mission. Slick is,

-enthusiastic

-dutiful

-protective

-also trying to prove his worth

Sample Dialogue:

(The opening scene where Meister explains the mission)

Meister: “If the revolution is allowed to spread, then civil war will soon ravage the entire country. To prevent this outbreak of war, and to protect the countless lives that would be lost, the leader of the revolution must be killed. With him dead, the spirit of his followers will break and the revolution will fail.” He holds up a map. “This will show you where to find him. The gates are well guarded against intruders, but not impenetrable. Simply find and kill him, then make your escape.”

Kat: “That sounds straight-forward enough. Does his death need to look like an accident?”

Meister: “No, discretion is not an issue, nor are other casualties. You may kill anyone that gets in your way.”

Kat: “Really? Wait, I thought this mission was to prevent a lot of people from dying.”

Meister: “It is. Don't you understand? If the revolution is allowed to continue, many more lives will be needlessly lost in the name of overthrowing the King.”

Kat: “So, you're saying we cannot allow innocent people to die in the name of revolution...”

Meister: “Correct.”

Kat: “...But we can kill whoever we want in the name of our ideals.”

Meister: He nods. “Now you're getting it.”

Kat: Pauses awkwardly.

Venom: “Meister, I am not convinced that this one should be trusted with such an important mission.” He turns to Kat. “Your skills are untested, and your words betray your lack of commitment.”

Kat: “And you're not in a hurry to make friends, I take it.”

Meister: “Untested or not, Kat is a member of the Order now, and I believe this mission to be within Kat's ability. Do you question my judgment, Venom?”

Venom: “I would never question your wisdom, Meister.”

Kat: Rolls eyes.

Venom: “However, I wish to request that I be allowed to shadow Kat-”

Kat: (thinking) Shadow cat?

Venom: “-to ensure the success of the mission.”

Meister: “As expected from you, Venom. I will allow this, but I also expect this mission to be a measure of Kat's skills, so do not get directly involved unless absolutely necessary.”

Venom: “Yes, Meister.”

Meister: “Now then Kat, I trust everything is clear to you. The horses are already saddled. You will reach the first gate on your map within the hour. You are both dismissed.”

Venom: “Yes, Meister.”

(At the start of the first level/area)

Venom: “This is it. I'll keep an eye on you from a distance, but don't expect my help. Meister charged you with this mission so you could prove that you are worthy of your membership in the Order. The time has come to see just what kind of man you really are.”

Kat: Turns and looks at him but says nothing.

Venom: “Er... or is it, what kind of woman you are? Now that I think of it, I have never seen you without your hood on. The name Kat is really quite ambiguous as well.”

Kat: “What difference does it make?”

Venom: “It makes a big difference. I still barely know anything about you. How can I or the rest of the Order trust you if we don't even know whether you're a man or woman? Besides, you should show some pride as a member of the Order. How can you not care how androgynous you look?”

Kat: “You're one to talk, with that hairstyle.”

Venom: Flustered, “Wha- What is wrong with my hair?!”

Kat: “Why? Do you worry a lot about how your hair looks?”

Venom: “Yes, I- I mean no, of course not... Enough of this. You have work to do. Get to it.”

Kat: “Yes, ma'am.”

Venom: “I'm not a ma'am!” He groans. “You think you're so funny? Cracking jokes on a mission is a good way to get yourself killed. You're an assassin; an elite representative of the Order, remember? Start acting like one.”

Kat: Sighs. “I know, you're right. I will take the mission seriously, I swear.”

Venom: “Good. Now get started.” He leaves.

Kat: Mutters under breath, “Yes, ma'am.”

(Toward the end)

A child blocks the path to the target. If the player attacks, Slick intervenes to stop them, giving the child and the target time to hide inside a building. He locks the door behind them.

Slick: “Hold there, villain! Only a wicked creature would endanger the life of a child!”

Kat: Pointing at the target, “Hey, he was the one hiding behind a little kid. If you want to question someone's morals, start with him.”

Slick: “Nevertheless, my people stand threatened, and I, a righteous knight's apprentice will defend the innocent from harm. Prepare yourself, vile creature, for I shall deliver a righteous arrow from above and pierce your stony heart in the name of justice!”

Kat: “Is this guy serious?”

If the player hesitates at the final area:

Venom: (offscreen) “Why do you hesitate?” (appearing) “Do you have some moral qualms about hurting a child? Get over it. What did you think you would be doing when you joined a shadowy cult of assassins? Holding a bake sale? You came here to do a job. Now finish it.”

• If the player waits a little longer:
  Venom: “Stop stalling! If you won't kill a child, I'll do it myself.” If the player keeps waiting: “I knew you were weak.” He runs forward and attacks the child.
  • If the player lets him attack, Slick intervenes, helps the target and child hide, and does his normal introduction, only now Venom retorts at the end.
    Venom: (to Slick) “Foolish boy. If there's anything I hate more than disloyalty, it's unbridled youthful enthusiasm.” He quickly kills Slick, unlocks the door and turns to the Kat. “Now, get in there and do the job you came here to do. A commitment to the Order isn't something you can just walk away from.”
    • If the player attacks Venom at any time:
      Venom: “You dare to betray the Order by attacking me? So be it. I will take great pleasure in severing the weakest link from the chain.”
      • If the player flees while Venom is still alive, he shouts after them:
        Venom: “Are you running away? Coward! Mark my words, I will hunt you down!” If the player continues fleeing, they get the Deserter ending.
    • If the player follows the target inside without attacking Venom, then comes back out:
      Venom: “Having second thoughts? It's not too late. The target is within your reach. If you finish the job now, I promise not to mention this little misunderstanding to Meister. The mission of the Order is far more important, after all.”
  • If the player stops Venom first, Slick does not appear, and Venom says his usual line for being attacked.
• If the player attacks the target after Venom appears, Slick appears and does his normal introduction, but Venom responds differently:
  Venom: “Ugh, what an obnoxious character.” To Kat: “But at least now I know you have the resolve to do what is necessary. I will let you take care of this fool.” He leaves the area.
  • If the player tries to leave the area, Venom returns:
    Venom: “Hold it. Don't tell me you're thinking of leaving. This job is not over yet. If you run away now, the Order will not welcome you back. Think about what you're doing.” If the player still leaves, he fails to stop them, and the player gets the Deserter ending.

Questionnaire:

1. The characters are mainly story-based.
2. The characters would ideally be drawn in a cartoon style.
3. Characters do have some visual stereotypes, such as Venom's scar, or Meister's bald head and facial hair.
4. The supporting cast have appearances that are fairly indicative of their character. Kat is left intentionally ambiguous in hopes that more players will identify strongly with him/her and let them know they can be an active part of the story.
5. N/A
6. Characters will convey their personalities through their dialogue as well as their actions in gameplay. Kat especially will be defined according to the player's actions in gameplay.
7. Overall, the cast tend to convey through their tone and speech patterns how seriously they take themselves and their situation, with Kat being the stark exception. Hopefully, these things lead to the player tending to roll their eyes at the NPCs, and thus Kat has even more in common with the player.
8. Kat's mysterious nature and unique assassin's tool (which is not revealed through dialogue here) will hopefully intrigue the player.
9. Kat's attitude of being the only sane person in a world of crazies will likely help the player identify with him/her, as well as the knowledge that they can impose their own choices on Kat's character to change the outcome.
10. As above, Kat is going to develop based on player preference. Whether he/she finds a conscience and deserts the Order, becomes a cold-blooded killing machine, or remains somewhere in the middle, the player will direct that growth.
11. Characters do seem to fit into archetypes here. Kat is a Hero, or at least an anti-hero, and possibly a Shape-shifter depending on the player. Slick is a Threshold Guardian to the letter. The others are less clear. Meister is something of a Herald, at least at first. Venom can become an Ally (reluctantly), but isn't guaranteed to.