Fools Rush In - Part Eighteen

NPC Interesting Techniques. I've said it before, but Freeman really doesn't do his credibility any favours using terms like this. He means 'Ways to Make NPCs Interesting'.

We've covered a lot of this chapter already but it's worth a quick recap. Freeman introduces his 'Character Diamond', a list of around four (hence diamond) Traits that serve as an outline and a thumbnail sketch for major NPCs. You create a list for each character and then measure the dialogue you write up against that list to see if you're keeping the personality of that character clear and coherent.

Additionally an NPC can have any number of Quirks, minor affectations and foibles that serve to further individualise a character.

There have been a few skeptical eyebrows raised on the blackbored, but this is something I think I can keep an open mind about. The main criticism I have is that Freeman is never really clear about what he considers to be a Trait and what he considers to be a Quirk. He gives examples as if the differences are self-evident, but it's not hard to argue with his conclusions. If you're setting out to be deterministic about methods that will improve scriptwriting I think you have to be very clear about your definitions.

For example, Freeman cites that constantly tripping over things is not a Trait, because this has no bearing on how an NPC sees the world. Tripping over stuff he defines as a Quirk. However, to my mind, a character who is always clumsy could easily have that limitation come to rule everything about them, living in constant fear of criticism of their ineptitude.

Hmm, it seems that this can be a foggy area. I think we'll take the only obvious course of action when the way ahead is unclear, that's charge blindly forward wildly, flailing our arms in front of us. Let's write the character diamonds for our five major NPCs.

Captain Agnes Walker

Captain Agnes Walker, an accomplished soldier who has risen through the ranks of the Angels on merit. Part of her success is due to her innate ability for battlefield strategy, seemingly able to make sense of any tactical situation and out-think any opponent.

She has a lot of respect for her rank and the formal command structure. She addresses everyone under her command formally and expects the same in return. She brooks no arguments from her subordinates.

She is not above passing the odd laconic remark in a manner that serves her as humour. As these jokes are often made under enemy fire her squadmates sometimes fail to see the funny side.

Private Sarah Kane

Sarah knows what's on her mind and she lets people know as often as possible. She does this forthrightly and with little concern for other people's feelings. That's their problem, she thinks. In a lot of ways she's self-delusional, in part her outbursts are genuine but sometimes it's a kind of self-denial of feelings she might find in herself that she judges unacceptable. She will cover her fear with statements of bravado, for example or cover her ignorance with loud declarations of the worthlessness of the knowledge she feels she is lacking.

As a complement to her brashness Sarah is always first into a fight, shouting the loudest challenges and the worst insults. Her best defense is her offense.

Despite her outward bullishness Sarah harbours a deep insecurity. Her origins lie in a high-population society where it's difficult to stand out from the massive crowds which is why most of her traits are centered around attention-seeking. She needs reassurances and acceptance from her peers, but it's a goal she rarely allows herself to attain. Even when paid a direct compliment she will be outwardly doubting and skeptical but internally there will be a conflict between being secretly pleased and self-admonishment that her pleasure makes her naive and open to manipulation.

Private Anna Northcutt

Anna is the recipient of Level Ten Enhancements, a group of voluntary electronic and biological modifications designed to improve an Angel's performance on the battlefield. Level Ten Enhancements come in several flavours, Anna's are Tactical Analysis Specialist, a set of abilities based around battlefield intelligence, which means she knows quite a lot about things that make an appearance during the game and will prove to be a useful source of information for the player.

However, a side effect of her Google-like ability to summon knowledge about almost anything combat related is a restriction on her ability to express her emotions. Hey, something had to go to make room for all that info, right? It's not that Anna doesn't feel emotions, it's just that she struggles to find a way to express them without being swamped with things like the ideal method of stripping-down and field-cleaning a Liandri Corporation K-16 Assault Rifle under high-concentration, suspended particulate conditions.

Private Bethany Harris

Beth was raised on a sparsely-populated farming world, a quiet and reserved girl. She was brought up in a Christian family, a religious tradition she still faithfully observes. As a youngster she joined the Liandri Angels in search of excitement and broader horizons among the stars, but it's a view that has mellowed with experience. She remains reserved and cool-headed, a result of a quiet confidence in her faith and her conservative upbringing.

Her philosophy of listening and thinking before she speaks has granted her a kind of wisdom. Whenever she ventures an opinion on a particular subject, it's more often than not after no small degree of thought.

Private Lucy Clark

Lucy is the unit's 'tank', wearing a heavily armoured battlesuit and clutching a formidable rocket launcher. Despite this firepower, she is the most battle shy of the group, having joined the Angels relatively recently and lacking combat experience. I've added this as quite a contrived detail because it amuses me. Chances are the regular FPS player will recognise Lucy as the ace in the hand in terms of firepower, but by making her character nervous and reluctant to join the fray I'm hoping that part of the 'game' will involve persuading Lucy to stand up and fight.

Also in Lucy's mix is a kind of block-headed insensitivity to the nuances of the interaction of her squadmates. She simply lacks the mechanism to understand what's going on beneath the surface and will often say the wrong thing at the wrong time. This trait also manifests itself as naivete and gullibility, making her the butt of many jokes.

She also has a tendency to be vocal about things she finds annoying or distasteful (in part as a result of her insensitivity to how this might be taken by her comrades).

That sets out the basic plan for the characters in Freeman's model of the Character Diamond. Next time we'll rough in some dialogue to give some structure to the script.

Comments: on the _blackbored

Next: Part Nineteen (coming soon)