The Narrative Within Interactive Media (Part 2)

I have spent the past week or so buried in the wonderful world of The Witcher 3. It is the best written, best polished, and most immersive game I have played in a very long time. So, before I kick off today's discussion, I would like to say that (in my opinion) CD Projekt Red have shown the world of game development how it should be done. They did not rush their launch, taking the time to make sure the launch was stable, and the game playable on launch. This is fantastic, and the way that all developers should do it!
Now, moving on, we shall look at another element of the narrative within video games: Character Writing. I will focus the dicussion into Player Characters, and Non-Player Characters (with a focus of RPGs - though you might find some comments applicable to other genres). Some terms I use below are common parlance, others I have made myself.

Player Characters

The Player Character is, as the name suggests, the character(s) that the player controls throughout the narrative of the video game.  These characters take various forms, depending on the intent of the developer - how they want the player to interact with the character's narrative.
Empty Trousers - This type of character has little real personality, and at times little real impact upon the narrative of the game. This type of character allow the player to interact with the narrative by giving the a 'vehicle' through which they can observe the world. Often, in this case, the dominant NPCs of the game carry the story of the game - the Player character actually serving as a tool to help them complete their goals. This type of Player Character is not particularly common in RPGs - more often appearing in FPS (First Person Shooters) and other action-based games.
The Unalterable - A type of Player Character that is becoming less common in RPGs as writing becomes more common, this type is similar to the Empty Trousers but carries the story themselves. As mentioned last week, this results in the player at times feel like they are acting out the role of a character in a film. The actions of the player have no impact upon the narrative, the player simply performing the actions they are instructed to, much as the Empty Trousers type does. The most notable game of recent years that features this character type is the Uncharted series.
The Alterable - This type of PC is particularly effective in recent games. The Alterable PC is a character who has been initially created by the developer - their name, appearance, and past decided upon before the Player begins the game. However, once the Player takes control, the Player is given the power to make choices on behalf of the Character - how they respond to problems, how they resolve conflicts, how they interact with their world. At present, in my opinion, this is the most effective way for video games to achieve proper immersion. By giving the player a starting 'stance' within the game, with a clear backstory and appearance, the player is encouraged to engage deeply with the character. Surprise surprise, in my opinion the best example of this type is Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher series.
The True Player Character - This, potentially, is the direction in which future RPGs will take. Technology (particularly the AI, and world building sides of things) hasn't yet got the power to truly realise this character type, but video games such as Fallout, Wasteland, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and The Elder Scrolls have demonstrated the potential of this character type. Player's are permitted to define the appearance of their 'avatar', name them, sometimes even write their backstory. However, at present, they are still given a specific role to fulfill in the world, even if this role is relatively broad and unguided (Fallout and The Elder Scrolls are probably the best example of this).
Ultimately, I think, we will reach the point where a virtual world can be created, and the player can create any character they like, and have no overarching plot governing their way through the narrative, instead allowing the player to travel through a truly dynamic world - much like the best run Dungeons & Dragons table top games.
As you can imagine, all of these Player Character types can be effective in allowing the Player to experience the world of a video game. Each offers different levels of immersion, and allows the player to interact in different ways with the Narrative. Most people have a personal preference for a particular type of character and no way is the one 'right way'.
Each type would obviously come with its own particular complexities in writing, though some require fewer scripted elements, other would require more.

NPCs

Non-Player Characters are any characters within a game who are not controlled by the player. As such, their interactions with the Player Character and the narrative are predetermined. However, as you can imagine, the different types of PC impact upon how the NPCs actions are determined. In something as heavily scripted as Empty Trousers or The Unalterable, the NPCs are not required to react to anything, instead acting out their roles within the narrative. In games where the player has choices and is able to impact upon the world and its residents, the NPCs must be more complex, as they must have the capacity to interact with the actions of the player. If, in these games, the NPCs lack this necessary complexity, the immersive quality of the game is reduced, and can potentially ruin the gaming experience.

As such, the writing of NPCs is inextricably tied to the writing of the PCs.

Conlcusion

In conclusion, it can be seen that character creation is a a deeply involved process, and corner cutting would inevitably be detrimental to the game's narrative. Both PCs and NPCs must be written with their interaction kept in mind - neither type will be effective, or add to the narrative's immersiveness, if they fail to interact properly with each other. Without carefully written NPCs, even the best designed PC will fall flat, and vice versa.

I hope you have enjoyed this week's installment of The Narrative Within.

Until next week, 

N N B Clarke