How to make your characters emotional balance?

[Kupotepo]

This discussion is casual and not serious. I am just want to talk, mostly.
Since many of us making games from a different era and genre which can be a funny story or education to others. I am not a novelist or a writer, so I hope to learn from all of you.

"Realistically, no character is able to stay so depressed for so long without doing something drastic (or crazy)."
Simple Character is easy to write in an RPG game, but it is unnatural. Because of human's emotional is dynamic, we have up and down moments every hour or seconds.



Sorry moderators, I just change the title from Characters do you're proud of or wish to create because it is too general.

 

[Elliott404]

So many in my case that I can't count how many exactly lol

I used to hate them back then because, seriously, they were cringy. I cringed really hard just by looking at them, but now, I am proud of what I've created after so many revamps.

 

[Kupotepo]

@Elliot404, did your majority characters funny, whimsical, or serious people? Why did you need to revamp?

 

[Elliott404]

I'd say many kind of personalities.

 

[Kupotepo]

@Elliot404, are your characters complex or simple personalities? First of all what game did you made?

 

[Elliott404]

I try to not make them too complex, and not too simple either. Uuuhhhhh, None, yet. . . . I am working on it, and it might take a long time to finish it.

 

[Aesica]

I think it's probably going to be difficult to describe characters that I (or anyone else) might be proud of and why we like them due to the lack of depth a mere forum post is able to provide. I could tell you all about Harold, why he's awesome, fights dagrons and doesnt afraid of anything, etc because I know him well. But to someone else casually reading my post, they'll be like, "uh okay, great."

Part of what your game does (or should do) is get the player emotionally invested in your characters somehow--again, not something a forum post can really do all that well.

 

[Kupotepo]

@Aesica, I agree with you that topic is too broad. I just ask for fun.

 

[watermark]

Let's for a moment put character emotions on a line from exaggerated to realistic.

It appears both types work.

The "exaggerated" emotion setting is best represented by anime. Notice how in anime the characters usually act with extreme emotion, sometimes bordering on wacky or comical? Just think about any scene from Naruto. They're usually emotionally charged. The characters are either laughing like maniacs, crying, or speaking in a very serious manner (so you'd know that WHAT THEY SAYING NOW IS IMPORTANT). Oh, and you can't forget the obligatory blushings and nose bleedings during "romantic" scenes. You may say it's all very unrealistic, yet it works, as indicated by the incredible popularity of anime. This type of emotional setting can also be seen in slapstick comedy such as Mr. Bean, South Park or Three Stooges. I think this works when the audience clearly understands that you're trying to be weird and funny rather than realistic.

On the other end of the spectrum is "realistic" emotion, which is often advocated by professional novelists and TV show writers. This is where you try to write "how would a real person act", even in extremely strange situations. Obviously many of the movies and books out there go with this approach and the pro's do a great job.

I think when making a game first one has to decide which way to go, and then sticking with that setting.

 

[Kupotepo]

@watermark, being direct and exaggerated are great, but we are making a game. We have limited tools such as music to control the atmosphere and dialogue to communicate information a player, and movement routes which are kind of showing actions, however not detail as Animes.

So watermark, what is your approach?

But many how is your characters talk a lot? How much dramatic your characters on actions I mean animation effects?

 

[TheoAllen]

We have limited tools such as music to control the atmosphere and dialogue to communicate information a player, and movement routes which are kind of showing actions, however not detail as Animes.

and voice acting

I have seen some RM games that has a great way to convey an anime like scene. The whole part of the reason is, in my opinion, it has face emotion. It can be a standard faceset graphics on the box or bust (but mainly that stuck on me was the one with faceset, also the reason why I use it as well). The move route doesn't need to be super detailed. Sometimes, just manipulating a jump and speed are enough to represent the scene.

 

[Kupotepo]

@TheoAllen, voice acting in RPG maker games are impressive if I can find enough people to do that. Oh yeah, the face set graphics which might indicate emotions to a player. I am just though of balloon icons. Wow, many things can convey messages. My knowledge of RPG maker is starting to come back.

 

[Milennin]

My earlier games had more exaggerated reactions to situations, but I tone it down a bit more now. Still, I prefer characters who show a reaction to what is happening than emotional zombies. Some games I play with extreme scenarios, like a family member of the MC gets murdered, and all the MC can muster is a "grr, why did this happen" before going back to what they doing, is a major turn-off. I quit games for a lack of reaction from characters, but not so much for overreactions.

 

[watermark]

@Kupotepo I think we can get inspiration from theatre, particularly ancient Greek theatre. Back in the day when they had no microphones and cameras, they had to figure out ways to allow the audience sitting far away to know what’s going on. So they would employ masks and exaggerated motions to convey emotion. Our challenge is similar: how do you convey emotion with a 32x32 or 48x48 sprite? It’s similar to an actor who’s seen from afar. You may have to use more exaggerated motions.

Like @TheoAllen mentioned, we can use facesets and character motion. Your tools also include balloons, charset poses, as well as battle animation. (And voice acting...but that’s a whole topic in itself. XD). But among these I think your most potent tools are music and sound effects.

Still I think most important is not the number of tools, but how you use them together with your writing. I actually suggest you go play horror games such as ib or witch’s house. If you take out each individual sprite from these games, they are laughably not scary. But when they appear in game...well....yah...even pixel can be scary.

 

[Kupotepo]

@Milennin, sorry, What are emotional zombies? Maybe if a character does not a reaction to a tragedy, that people might be a sociopath. However, if a character is overreacted, that character is a real-life actor, a childish person, a faker, or a crocodile tear. The problem is that not many people have that kind of personalities. Ordinary people act rational and moderate.

@watermark, should I execute the action like full of blood and head flying off? However, my game is fantasy, not a horror theme.

I see the romantic RPG game that uses emotional loading scenes like the girls crying all the time. I like really this really happen. The standard tyrannical villain is displayed obvious evilness, however, that is not how practical of a power-hungry person plays. That villain is played a role as a hero and a saint to gain power because ethical ordinary people would oppose them so quick. Next, the problem is how to maintain power after gain power.

 

[Milennin]

@Milennin, sorry, What are emotional zombies? Maybe if a character does not a reaction to a tragedy, that people might be a sociopath. However, if a character is overreacted, that character is a real-life actor, a childish person, a faker, or a crocodile tear. The problem is that not many people have that kind of personalities. Ordinary people act rational and moderate.

It's better to make sure players are able to read character emotions than for them to guess because they don't show anything. You don't get nearly as much to work with as with live action, where you can zoom in on a person's face and hear their voice. Therefore, it's better if a character overreacts than if they 'underreact', or not react at all.
Also, since when are MC's in fantasy RPG's 'ordinary' people anyway, lol?

 

[Kupotepo]

@Milennin, I agree with you that games should be clear about character emotions. The problem is how did you show character emotions. What did you suggest just saying it, walk around, or jumping? While music and sound effects build the mood. Yes, I get that you need to present emotion to players, but what kind of emotions? Feeling bad for a character. Feeling annoying of a character. Relatability.

 

[watermark]

@watermark[/USER], should I execute the action like full of blood and head flying off? However, my game is fantasy, not a horror theme.

@Kupotepo No...that's not quite what I meant when I said go look at horror games. I mean look at how they successfully used timing, music, and simple animations to convey emotion. Horror games are usually very successful in conveying emotion, mainly Fear. We can get inspiration on how to do it with other emotions.

I think what's more important is the timing as well as use of music rather than say...heads flying off. I thought of an example. Seeing as how your first language is Thai, that reminds me of a moving commercial I saw years ago. This one:

Did anybody, especially the man protagonist, use any exaggerated emotions here? Nope. In fact, he did little more than smile. And everyone else here did very ordinary things. Yet this is one of the few commercials that can make me cry. I think this is a perfect example of using simple language, simple actions, and an effective story to convey deep emotion.

 

[Kupotepo]

@watermark, music and sound effects are conveying mood, I give you that. Marketing is a good conveying mood and spreading a message. Thank you for the video. The heartwarming RPG games are very popular because it is relatable to ordinary people in a just society; you take another point. My RPG game is more political and a waring human nature before a safe society created. Yeah, I have to have heartwarming motions from time to time deescalated tension from a story. By showing a love story or joke segment, and pull the heart sting.

 

[Marquise*]

It... made me cry too and... You know I forgot to believe in good with the human beings. Thanks @watermark