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.