On creating characters with two interests

[gekiganwing]

My most recent game-in-progress has six variables: Physical fitness, Humanities, Science, Social life, Appearance, and Art. The protagonist can build up these over the game.

One of my early ideas was to create simple characters who would be interested in only one of the six variables. For instance, an "art girl" who wants the hero to work on his art, and who doesn't care about much else.

However, I'm considering characters who would be interested in two variables, such as Art and Social life. I'm trying to think how I could shape and portray characters so that they're clearly interested in both aspects. Something other than the main character just flat-out being told "she's into these two things."

Let me know if you have recommendations.

[Doc_Odd]

Well, one traditional method is to have events involving the girl happen in relevant locations. The girl who's always out clubbing at night is presumably interested in social life, and possibly appearance (since people dress up to go out). Or if the player gets a chance to compete in things involving any of these categories, presumably the girl who's into physical fitness will pop up for sporting events and the arty girl at art shows. I don't see how having a girl have more than one interest makes this any harder; just give her more than one type of event she sometimes shows up for.

Unless the problem is that you're worried that once the player figures out one thing the girl is into, he's not going to be trying other things and so won't figure out her other interests. In which case having her occasionally say she's too busy for some event on one of her interests, or subtly hint that while she thinks the interest that's going on is cool, people who are too obsessed with just one thing are boring, could tip off the player that he should be doing other things as well for that girl.

[gekiganwing]

Thanks, Doc Odd. I should've mentioned that the main character makes his decisions from a dorm room, and only important events will happen outside of it. Still, I'll think about your idea... it might work.

[mikey]

An interesting problem, hard to solve IMO. Usually one girl will have a dominant interest, but if she has two, the interest could split - the way to do it may be by having TWO decision points instead of one.

So in one part of the conversation, the player would pick:
- sports
- evening with friends
- community service

And the next options would see the protagonist choose between
- gallery of art
- collecting stamps
- studying

So in your case for the Art/Social girl the choices would be Evening with friends and Gallery of art.

And in case you had a girl that had only one interest (sports), it's simple:

First choice:
- swimming
- studying
- art

Second choice
- basketball
- library
- hanging around

For your sports-only girl the correct choices would be swimming and basketball.

[gekiganwing]

That's a rather good idea, Mikey. I'll take note of it.

I had been trying to think up characters which would first seem interested in one thing, and at a later time, it would become clear that they have a secondary interest. For instance, one who was a baseball team manager and thus interested in Physical, but after a while, the hero (and player) would learn that she also wanted a better social life.