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"Hey kid. Where's your mom?"
Rowan- 06/07/2010 11:57 PM
- 2696 views
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Lennon
88
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CloseThis is an interesting question. It's also something thats bugged me ever since I noticed it.
I don't get why its become a staple that a main character, protagonist or antagonist can't have parents. They can have ONE parent, but never two for some reason. I think it would make sense, if the missing parent(s) added something to the story, or was a centerpiece of the story, but in my expeirience thats rarely the case.
I personally give my characters parents, or maybe just one. I might not focus that much on both, or either, but at least they exist. My characters are also sensibly aged to be travelling about the world, most often in their early twenties, or sometimes 40+. If there are any younger characters that would require supervision, hell, the other characters are there.
I never really considered the fact that the characters could be married with kids or anything like that. Thats also a very good point, though.
I don't get why its become a staple that a main character, protagonist or antagonist can't have parents. They can have ONE parent, but never two for some reason. I think it would make sense, if the missing parent(s) added something to the story, or was a centerpiece of the story, but in my expeirience thats rarely the case.
I personally give my characters parents, or maybe just one. I might not focus that much on both, or either, but at least they exist. My characters are also sensibly aged to be travelling about the world, most often in their early twenties, or sometimes 40+. If there are any younger characters that would require supervision, hell, the other characters are there.
I never really considered the fact that the characters could be married with kids or anything like that. Thats also a very good point, though.
Well... I think having no family at all is a real option, if it's something you just don't want to focus on.
But if the character has a family, it's probably a good idea to make it an interesting one... as opposed to "Crono's Mom" style (same as Pokémon).
In my game, character's got mom, dad, and brother.
A character with wife and kids would be awesome, especially if they have some minor relevance to the story or gameplay.
But if the character has a family, it's probably a good idea to make it an interesting one... as opposed to "Crono's Mom" style (same as Pokémon).
In my game, character's got mom, dad, and brother.
A character with wife and kids would be awesome, especially if they have some minor relevance to the story or gameplay.
Darken
3952
Oh boy discussion in a blog! Most of the time in an RM game it just allows the author (who is probably 12 or something***) to not have to worry about writing the complication of the main character actually having a family. In the same way you have the hero's town burning down, you no longer have to write a detailed explanation as to why the 16 year old hero gets to travel the world without parents consent/contact/etc because he's an orphan and/or the villain killed his parents!
It's not to say it's impossible to somehow write your hero to have parents, but it's a common trope for convenient reasons. One interesting thing I've done with my game's story is having one of the characters have this huge family living in the same house, and there's an amusing scene where the hero is introduced to all of them one by one and adds a lot more depth to the character's personality and lifestyle.
I'm wondering if there has been an RPG where the hero had A STEP DAD because I've had like 1 or 2 (my actual dad being a classic traveler RPG character who pops up once in awhile).
***: Not insulting or even implying that all people who write the parentless hero are in their early teens, but thats USUALLY the case as the want for non-association with your parents is pretty common in that age group!
It's not to say it's impossible to somehow write your hero to have parents, but it's a common trope for convenient reasons. One interesting thing I've done with my game's story is having one of the characters have this huge family living in the same house, and there's an amusing scene where the hero is introduced to all of them one by one and adds a lot more depth to the character's personality and lifestyle.
I'm wondering if there has been an RPG where the hero had A STEP DAD because I've had like 1 or 2 (my actual dad being a classic traveler RPG character who pops up once in awhile).
***: Not insulting or even implying that all people who write the parentless hero are in their early teens, but thats USUALLY the case as the want for non-association with your parents is pretty common in that age group!
comment=33426
One interesting thing I've done with my game's story is having one of the characters have this huge family living in the same house, and there's an amusing scene where the hero is introduced to all of them one by one and adds a lot more depth to the character's personality and lifestyle.
I love this.
Too bad it's a lie, because you don't have a game.
When I do have my characters having no parents it's usually story related. Character dev wise my characters are usually hard-asses so they either 1.Saw their parents die 2. Were disowned by their parents 3. Were orphaned.
I sometimes do include the characters parents but I rarely give them a main part. One exception was my first original RPG where one of the main characters and their sister had been kidnapped and ended up being raised somewhere else, and they eventually discovered one of the older party members was their father.
I sometimes do include the characters parents but I rarely give them a main part. One exception was my first original RPG where one of the main characters and their sister had been kidnapped and ended up being raised somewhere else, and they eventually discovered one of the older party members was their father.
Rowan
131
Depending on the game's universe; Instead of thinking of an elaborate way of killing them off, It's just as simple to have a protagonist or their family check up with each other every now and then (through mail, carrier pigeon or something). In pokemon gold/silver, the mom constantly calls the hero to check up on him.(You can 2 if your want to)
I think this boils to the old realism issues in RPG. You can have the family to be an in-game element, or you can ignore it completely. And it's forgivable if you do. But if you add it, you have to do it right. It's like having a feeding/hunger system in a game. Not having to eat is unrealistic, but no one cares. But if you do add a feeding system, you have to do it right, not just for realism's sake.
meavor
0
Well it really depends on the game and if any the culture of the people in the game.
I've come to the conclusion that in the Pokemon world it is socially accepted for parents to allow their 10-17(blacknwhite) year old kids to leave and train their Pikachus and Chubaccas. It such a normal occurrence that it means little to the parents. I mean the police never seem to want to stop the main character from running around. Plus the only real danger is the so called evil "Team" of the region, who only use Pokemon (no guns or weapons) to steal and attack other Pokemon.
I've come to the conclusion that in the Pokemon world it is socially accepted for parents to allow their 10-17(blacknwhite) year old kids to leave and train their Pikachus and Chubaccas. It such a normal occurrence that it means little to the parents. I mean the police never seem to want to stop the main character from running around. Plus the only real danger is the so called evil "Team" of the region, who only use Pokemon (no guns or weapons) to steal and attack other Pokemon.
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