Time for a little dev blog, this time about writing!
At their core, role-playing games and visual novels share a similarity: without exciting, genuinely lovable characters, they’re quickly forgotten. If you, like me, grew up during the heyday of Final Fantasy and BioWare, you’re also aware that you don’t need a ‘real’ dating sim to form parasocial bonds with pixels and polygons. And let’s be honest: in Monster Girl Therapy, the monster girls aren’t just in the title, they’re also the main appeal of the game, at least at first glance. And at second glance as well! :D
So: How to create compelling characters?
Start with ANYTHING … (The Spark)
Seriously: anything! This could be a wild idea (‘A child in a purple cloak full of eyes!’), a pragmatic gameplay consideration (‘Everyone likes grappling hooks!’), or even inspiration from media (‘Oh my god, idol X from K-drama Y was so damn cool!’). In my case, it was the visual designs by TheRealFusion!
But a spark isn’t a fire yet. As a next step, we need a fitting character concept. This concept then serves as a throughline for multiple layers of character work. In the end, we want something that a) feels human (even when dealing with monsters!) and b) actually sticks with you.
… find the core (The Character Concept)
This character concept should align with the game’s overarching concept. Since Monster Girl Therapy carries this core idea in the name—there’s even a blog post about that—it was kind of obvious how to arrive at the character concepts: I needed different monster types with problems! And together, they had to form a coherent cast.
As an example without relevant spoilers, let’s use Shaliva, the slime girl!
Her character portrait does a few things before even thinking about the slime part: A relaxed pose with a candid smile, an unremarkable hairstyle, even the simple clothing (for a fantasy setting, at least)—they all but scream ‘girl next door!’ I also love how she’s offering the skull as if she found something interesting by the roadside. But of course, she IS a slime girl. The thing in her hand IS a human skull! And is that a club behind her back…?! That contrast immediately adds a bit of an edge.
The character concept: Shaliva is a tutorial NPC that wants to be accepted and loved. She neglects herself to please others—and sometimes takes all of that one step too far!
… and add some stuff! (The Layers)
The basic idea: every single layer, every aspect of a character should reinforce the character concept, and, by extension, the overarching concept of the game. These layers can even extend beyond the character, including everything connected to them. Below are a few ideas, using Shaliva again.
1. Character type. In other games this might be a job, a species, or a narrative role; in my case it’s obviously the monster type. Slimes have been the very first enemies you fight since Dragon Quest—basically tutorial fodder. Going further back, to D&D, gelatinous cubes are destructive creatures that suddenly swallow adventurers and dissolve them alongside their gear. Yikes! But ‘biologically’ speaking, they’re also literally formless … adaptable!
2. Psyche. Shaliva wants to help. She’s your buddy! Not just because it was her job in the game, but also because she craves the gratitude and emotional validation of others. On the other hand, said game, her purpose, is slowly falling apart. It’s easy to understand why she clings to anyone who might need her help… Her own needs? Who cares! She just wants to help! In truth, though, she’s also deeply traumatized by all the players who skipped her tutorial in order to see more recent content…
3. Language. Shaliva wants to be liked, and she wants her interactions to be easy-going. Hey, she’s just ‘one of the guys,’ you know? Accordingly, she speaks casually, with a lot of jokes and puns, always friendly and colloquial, but without swearing. Even her name is a joke! She actively avoids conflict, often using humor. Only when pushed into a corner, her self-denial might escalate.
(These aren’t even her only colours!)
4. Environment and music. Shaliva lives in the sewers of Sliwhelbud. This place is confusing, potentially dangerous, but also the tutorial area… so, not REALLY dangerous after all. But just in case? Shaliva will give hints to make sure no one gets stuck! She’ll even answer the dumbest questions possible. And in the background, you’ll hear archetypical fantasy music, adventurous and motivating. The sewers are meant to feel like a mysterious place you explore for a sense of wonder—they’re Shaliva’s sewers after all! (But yes… They’re still sewers.)
5. Gameplay. Every monster girl has her own kind of minigame, and for Shaliva, it’s classic puzzles you might find in any RPG dungeon. Flip switches and push barrels! Overcome obstacles for quick dopamine! The puzzles on the main path are quite easy, and if the player stumbles into a more complex puzzle room, Shaliva will make it VERY clear that they don’t have to be solved. Perhaps you shouldn’t even! No negative feelings around here.
6. Story. I won’t go into detail, but you might already sense a certain tension between the friendly, aggressively positive Shaliva who refuses to acknowledge any problems, and the traumatized Shaliva on the brink of madness, who is terrified of being abandoned. Will she leave the game in the end…?
7. A mirror for the hero. Our protagonist has issues as well. This ‘selfless helping’ thing Shaliva has going on is perhaps not unfamiliar to an RPG hero, or to a player of videogames, and it’s often just as ‘selfless’ as it is for her. Maybe you could help each other!
What’s the point? (And do I really have to do this?)
Of course not! There are countless ways to create good characters, and this approach, at least with this level of connectivity, might not even be suitable for ALL games. The layers could be completely different, depending on concept and structure. Some aspects, however, can probably be generalized, and the core idea—the whole point of it!—is practically always good, basic advice:
The individual parts of a game should build upon each other.
Most people won’t consciously notice all of these connections… but they will FEEL them! Our brains are really good at recognizing patterns, and those patterns can help us to make sense of things. That means: if the intent pays off, it becomes easier to empathize, to develop a better feeling for the story and its themes.
Now, IF this intent actually pays off is a completely different question, of course…
In this sense: Monster Girl Therapy will be out soon! :D
Next time: pricing policy (probably)