In this article, I'm turning my back on the main protagonists who usually bask in the limelight of our stories and our conversations. Because today I'm going to talk about the video game characters hidden in the shadows of the heroes, yet always at our side when we need them: Companions.
I love video game companions. But what are they exactly? Companions, in my mind, are the lighter kinds of 'recruits' we experience in non-linear games and RPGs, as opposed to the heavily scripted side characters or sidekicks like Ellie in The Last Of Us, for example. They're optional side characters, sometimes expendable, and it is the player's own effort and choice to get to know them.
Simply fighting by our side is enough alone to create a bond with these companions, but, as game writers, we also have the power to evoke so much more emotion through attachment beyond this. Take a look at the 90s classic, Cannon Fodder, a squad-based shoot 'em up where you controlled a number of uniquely named but expendable soldiers. The guys literally only gave us their name and their allegiance but, hell, that's all they needed for 8-year-old me to care dearly for every damned one of them. And a name really was all it took.
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Whenever a soldier was killed, a tombstone would appear on the hill of the pre-mission screen and the game continued on, the next recruit in line taking his place. On top of this ever-expanding graveyard, the game would show a heroes board and a 'lost in action' board, altogether collectively adding those tiny seeds of emotion... Pride, love, loss and mourning. Just to cement that these were more than just avatars. Cannon Fodder is a basic and outdated example, yet it shows oh so well the power in those soldiers' having even the most basic uniqueness, rankings and lives that could be taken away.
If such technically limited games had such an impact on us way back then, think of the power at our hands to evoke so much more now.
Preface: How I met Vorstag
I first met Vorstag in the Markarth inn. He sounded cool and vikingy, so I hired him to join me on my adventures. One day, we were ambushed by a powerful group of brigands and, after countless reloads, I wasn't sure we'd ever be able to beat them. But! Eventually, we won! Yes! But wait, I thought... where... where's Vorstag?
Frantically I searched and I searched, but loyal Vorstag was nowhere to be seen. Until... there he was, next to the river, so peaceful, led in a sad heap, great Vorstag now crumpled in the grass, only the serene sounds of the trickling river to fill the air. I should reload! But... also, it took me like an hour to beat those guys so... I scooped up Vorstag's lifeless body and dropped him in a little wooden boat nearby. I nudged the tomb-boat off and watched him float on quietly down the river, out of my life and into the distance. This was where our journey together would end.
My point is that that attachment to our companions, that camaraderie and those extra choices we're forced to make for them are so good. That was my moment. It wasn't scripted, Vorstag was one of many possible companions, but he was my companion. He was different from the others, he had his own quirks and his own story. And we made our own story too...
Attachment To Companions
What was one of the key things that made Vorstag special to me? For one thing, he had his own character. He wasn't just cannon fodder or another clone, or at least he didn't appear to be. Obviously, good quality character development is a huge part of likable companions, but the diversity and contrast in their basic nature really separate them from each other and give them their own personas. Skyrim and Dragon Age Origins, for instance, both absolutely nailed the diversity in their companions.
My specialty as a narrative designer lies in open worlds and large scale non-linear storytelling... which means a lot of companions are needed, and within limited realistic means as a game writer. Hence I've been recently working on a modular personality system for companions, which led me to refresh my memory on meaningful character development. Companions don't often get a whole lot of spotlight so it can be a challenge to actually give them strong characters that define them and help the player form a deep attachment to them.
Most character development methods will rely heavily on controlled situations and linear narrative to manufacture ideal moments for them to shine. Yet companions in less story-driven games typically only have very limited dialogue or involvement in any plot; we often only have dialogue barks, battle taunts, inventory exchanges and ambient chatter to rely upon.
But we can utilise those simple dialogues by writing them well. We can still make companions special if we find balance and contrast among our cast of characters' personalities in those small moments.
Diversifying Persona
A great way to start drafting up our companions is by using the common character archetypes as a base to build their foundations from. Once you start looking into movies, games, books, you'll find yourself spotting which characters are which archetypes. My favourite to go by are the 12 Jungian archetypes.
Archetype: A collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches.
Archetypes are recurring behavioural patterns and narratives that have proven to be pretty universal within people's personalities. Each of us tends to have at least one dominant archetype and they represent the full range of basic human motivations that drive us. Outside of their psychological use they've become valuable tools to writers since they add authenticity and meaning to characters.
The 12 Archetypes
I find character archetypes a little difficult to assign to video game and movie characters, especially since I believe a strong character doesn't always neatly fit into one rigid category. Nevertheless visualising the basic types can help us kickstart ideas and lay the foundations for a cast of diverse characters.
The traditional hero with a plan
Pros:
Physical or mental prowess
Disciplined, confident, collected and ready for anything
Cons:
Egotistical, arrogant and overconfident
Compulsive and underestimates situations
Motive:
To save the day and prove their worth
Examples:
Wonderwoman, Brienne of Tarth, Geralt of Rivia, Gamora
