No overreaching intro this time. Let's get right to it.
1. Don't overdo the backstories.
This refers to playable characters or characters who show up often but aren't necessarily the main characters. I'm thinking of people like Robo from Chrono Trigger or Cid from Final Fantasy VII. They were reasonably well developed, but nobody would consider them the main characters. My point here is that all playable characters should be developed, but be careful with the backstories. If everyone had parents who were killed in a war and was tortured as a child and all that other depressing stuff that tends to find its way into most RPGs, the individual ones aren't that interesting. It's about contrast. One character's dark past is so compelling because it is so different from everyone else's.
There are plenty of people out there who live quiet lives and have never really experienced violent trauma or anything of that sort. With a character like that, it winds up being fun to explore their reactions when they finally are risking their lives and experiencing a deadly adventure for the first time.
2. Seek Diversity.
I realized how important this was during production on Master of the Wind's third arc. ArtBane and I had come up with several characters who all happened to be young blonde girls. Their personalities couldn't have been more different, but when we got to a point where they were all actively involved in the story, I started to see how it could be confusing. So when picking sprites for new female human characters, I went out of my way to go for different hair colors. Good writing goes a long way towards helping people distinguish characters of course, but visual diversity all but assures it. And this goes well beyond just the question of hair color. People of all ages from all walks of life make good supporting characters. If your game is set in a world where there is more than one race, use the possibilities that offers to their fullest advantage. Some people may not be good with names, but they will still remember who a visually distinct character is and how he or she fits into the story.
3. Remember what "supporting" really means.
Aside from contributing to the richness of the story itself, supporting characters are meant to provide a closer look at different aspects of the main characters. A small child can bring out a sweet side of a hard-ass, a loud blowhard can be suddenly silenced when the object of his affections makes an appearance, or a quiet schemer may only reveal his true motives in the presence of a trusted friend. What I find really effective is characters who wind up getting in arguments with the main ones. You can tell a lot about someone by how they argue, and seemingly insignificant things like pet peeves add texture to any character.
4. The more the merrier.
A lot of games have casts that seem suspiciously small given the sheer size of the world they take place in. Most people have their family, their friends, and then dozens of acquaintances they see periodically as well. If your main characters live in a small town, they likely know a good deal of the people there at least a little bit. This idea is generally concerned with NPCs; implying a small level of familiarity between them and the main characters always makes them a bit more memorable. With more influential supporting characters, it's usually impossible to have too many unless their personalities are not strong enough to set them apart. One final point: Unless your villain is some lunatic who lives alone in a haunted castle or something, it's a good idea to create some supporting characters for him or her to interact with as well. It has the same effect that it would on heroes; bringing about other sides that otherwise might have gone unseen.
1. Don't overdo the backstories.
This refers to playable characters or characters who show up often but aren't necessarily the main characters. I'm thinking of people like Robo from Chrono Trigger or Cid from Final Fantasy VII. They were reasonably well developed, but nobody would consider them the main characters. My point here is that all playable characters should be developed, but be careful with the backstories. If everyone had parents who were killed in a war and was tortured as a child and all that other depressing stuff that tends to find its way into most RPGs, the individual ones aren't that interesting. It's about contrast. One character's dark past is so compelling because it is so different from everyone else's.
There are plenty of people out there who live quiet lives and have never really experienced violent trauma or anything of that sort. With a character like that, it winds up being fun to explore their reactions when they finally are risking their lives and experiencing a deadly adventure for the first time.
2. Seek Diversity.
I realized how important this was during production on Master of the Wind's third arc. ArtBane and I had come up with several characters who all happened to be young blonde girls. Their personalities couldn't have been more different, but when we got to a point where they were all actively involved in the story, I started to see how it could be confusing. So when picking sprites for new female human characters, I went out of my way to go for different hair colors. Good writing goes a long way towards helping people distinguish characters of course, but visual diversity all but assures it. And this goes well beyond just the question of hair color. People of all ages from all walks of life make good supporting characters. If your game is set in a world where there is more than one race, use the possibilities that offers to their fullest advantage. Some people may not be good with names, but they will still remember who a visually distinct character is and how he or she fits into the story.
3. Remember what "supporting" really means.
Aside from contributing to the richness of the story itself, supporting characters are meant to provide a closer look at different aspects of the main characters. A small child can bring out a sweet side of a hard-ass, a loud blowhard can be suddenly silenced when the object of his affections makes an appearance, or a quiet schemer may only reveal his true motives in the presence of a trusted friend. What I find really effective is characters who wind up getting in arguments with the main ones. You can tell a lot about someone by how they argue, and seemingly insignificant things like pet peeves add texture to any character.
4. The more the merrier.
A lot of games have casts that seem suspiciously small given the sheer size of the world they take place in. Most people have their family, their friends, and then dozens of acquaintances they see periodically as well. If your main characters live in a small town, they likely know a good deal of the people there at least a little bit. This idea is generally concerned with NPCs; implying a small level of familiarity between them and the main characters always makes them a bit more memorable. With more influential supporting characters, it's usually impossible to have too many unless their personalities are not strong enough to set them apart. One final point: Unless your villain is some lunatic who lives alone in a haunted castle or something, it's a good idea to create some supporting characters for him or her to interact with as well. It has the same effect that it would on heroes; bringing about other sides that otherwise might have gone unseen.