Now that I have an idea what themes I could tell in my world ideas, and what environments would help show that theme I can move onto the top piece of the pyramid. The character. Now, when you look for character in game environments you are often met with small vignettes, sometime humorous sometimes not. This is because in a large open world game you can only show character in a small part of the world map. Whereas I am creating one small environment which I need to fill with character. I need the whole environment to breathe character, not merely place a few character vignettes around the environment.

:: What is ‘Character’? ::

Unlike theme character is a little easier to define. It does not however mean the same thing as characters. A character as in a person or npc in a game can show their character in their actions or dialog. Likewise a persons character also tends to inhabit the locations they frequent, one persons bedroom is going to be entirely different to another’s based on their personal interests and hobbies.

I need to understand how we tell great characters before I can decide what kind of character I want to fill my environment with. I don’t want my character to fall into a stereotype, yet their character must be clear through environmental clues alone. I also need to make sure that my character doesn’t contradict the theme or the world setting of the environment I am making. All three parts of the storytelling pyramid must work together to deliver a great visual story.

There are different elements to great characters, but in his book ‘Into the Woods: A Five-Act Journey Into Story’ John Yorke (2014) theorises that all of these elements, what drives a character and what they stand for can be boiled down to a root conflict.

‘at the heart of all of us – and thus all great fictional characters too – is conflict. ‘

Yorke, J (2014)

Without using characters directly internal conflict is going to be hard to show, but I can approach showing such conflict through having the interests of the character who inhabits my location contrast to the world setting established. With my themes adding to that, using the characters conflict to directly enhance the theme shown.

:: How do we show character in environments? ::

So, if character is a person’s likes and dislikes, and the conflict they bring. How do we show character within an environment scene? There are many examples of game environment showing the theme of the game as well as the worlds setting (fig.1) but it’s much less common to find environment with character baked into it. Instead, character is often shown in environments through small vignettes (fig.2).

The difficulty here is I don’t want to implement character through simply using a vignette. Instead, I want the character to run through the entire environment. There will be no player exploring my environment, thus removing the limits of making sure the environment works well within gameplay, giving me the freedom to fill the environment with character.

:: What characters would live in my worlds? ::

The characters that inhabit my locations need to help reinforce the theme of the story as well as believably exist in the world setting created. If my world setting is Victorian England, I can’t have the character clues in my environment be from a different time period. That would break the continuity of the scene and would make the high-end storytelling section of the pyramid act in opposition to the mid and low end sections.

:: What if Jack the Ripper Returned? ::

The two environment ideas I have set in the world of Jack the Ripper returning each centre around one character and their internal conflict. For the first environment of the poor woman’s home, I want to show the conflict the character would feel between the fear of working and the desperation for money for her child. I could show this in the environment by making the furnishings as battered and worn as possible but have the baby’s cot be well cared for. Thus, showing the characters dedication to raising her child, and showing the impossible situation she is in. Shining a spotlight on the theme in the environment through the implementation of her character.

With the second scenario, I could lean into the detective’s obsession with catching Jack the Ripper. Showing the characters conflict between trying to move on with their life and their need to catch the killer who eluded them before. The challenge is showing that internal conflict of the character through the placement of clues throughout their environment. I could show uneaten meals on the detective’s desk, his office otherwise cluttered with materials from his investigation. Or have the newspapers from the first investigation criticising the police for their failure in catching the killer pinned to the wall. Showing how the character is haunted by their past failure.

:: What if Operation Sealion was Successful? ::

The characters purposed in my two locations in this universe are similar, and their conflict are likewise similar. In the first location I focus on a single character, who has a past fighting for the British in WW2 but having been defeated now lives in an occupied Britain. Their conflict comes with being forced to hide their past for fear of reprisal, and I would show that by presenting two rooms. The first, by the front door being filled with propaganda as a cover while a second room, hidden behind a false door shows the characters past medals from the war. Their secret pride on display in the hidden room they spend most of their time in. I would need to add things like empty plates or a military bed/sofa where the character sleeps in their secret room. Embracing their past away from the prying eyes of the state.

The second option would be similar, I would keep the front room filled with propaganda as a cover. In the second room however I cold show a communications array, showing the characters secret involvement with the resistance. Or maybe leavings of thanks from families they have sheltered from the secret police. This character takes on a more aggressive role in the world, but their conflict comes from the same resistance as the first character.

:: What if a Rebellion Took Charge? ::

I have one location I would like to use for this world setting, but with two opposing themes that call for very different characters to be shown. Both characters exist in the same location (their changing room at the studio) however in our first scenario the character is working for the resistance willingly. Their changing room perhaps shows hidden symbols of the rebellion mixed in amongst state regulated news articles there forced to report on. I would have to focus on the oppressive nature of their job, show their dissatisfaction in their work. Perhaps they have a photo on their desk of them and their same sex partner. But the tv in the room is reporting on government discrimination against gay couples. Showing their reasoning and motivations.

The second scenario would be approaching the same environment from the opposing perspective. Instead of the character willingly acting for the rebellion they are being forced to do so. Show images of the characters family, with a ransom note on their desk. But also have images of them celebrating with their co-workers. Or an award for 10 years of service (or longer) showing they love their job and are now being forced to go against their wishes and beliefs. What is interesting here is by changing how the character feels about the world setting we can also change how the audience feels. In the first scenario the world is one about fighting an oppressive government, while the second is about cruel rebels fighting against public interest. All shown through character clues.

:: References ::

Bend Studio (2019). ‘Days Gone’ [Video Game]. Available online: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1259420/Days_Gone/ [Accessed 29/10/2022]

Yorke, J (2014). ‘Into the Woods: A Five-Act Journey Into Story’. New York: Harry N. Abrams. [Accessed 17/10/2022]

MachineGames (2017). ‘Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus’ [Video Game]. Available online: https://store.steampowered.com/app/612880/Wolfenstein_II_The_New_Colossus/ [Accessed 29/10/2022]