How do you feel about death of a supporting character?

[briannavon]

For both of my games, I'm thinking of having a supporting character die due to something the player could do. But it would not be the end of the game.

So like , would you be OK in a game if you had this character you lived with or even raised being dead because you made a bad choice? Would you like the drama of other characters talking about how they miss that character or would it be too much?

[Kessie]

In my opinion, it adds to the drama and 'feels' so to speak in a positive way depending upon the execution of events xD. It would also add to replay value :3.
In short, I certainly don't discourage it.
The Walking Dead game is a good example of how that approach could be incorporated that acted as a means of enhancing the player's experience and the weight placed on their choices.

[Haze]

I think that if a supporting character dies, it can't be because of a stupid reason. Since supporting characters tend to be pretty important, their death would have to be important, too. For example, a supporting character taking a bullet for the MC is good. A supporting character tripping and falling on something sharp that happens to kill them tends to be bad and pretty weak.

So, if a supporting character must die, don't make the reason for their death be dumb! Make it memorable, and you'll make that character memorable.

[briannavon]

I think that if a supporting character dies, it can't be because of a stupid reason. Since supporting characters tend to be pretty important, their death would have to be important, too. For example, a supporting character taking a bullet for the MC is good. A supporting character tripping and falling on something sharp that happens to kill them tends to be bad and pretty weak.

So, if a supporting character must die, don't make the reason for their death be dumb! Make it memorable, and you'll make that character memorable.

Don't worry, I won't make the death happen for a dumb reason (what would be the fun in that!)

[Auro-Cyanide]

Of course it would be okay. Why wouldn't it? Games do it all the time.

The key is to make the player care about the character first, genuinely, then kill them. That way they can feel emersed with the main character and experience the pain. You can either make it be a part of the story, or a choice. Or the really nasty ones make you choice which character dies, but no choice to save everyone.

[Kiki]

I'll echo what everyone else says; yes. Games, shows, movies, books, ect... other canons do it all the time. The trick is to not only give the character good development beforehand and to make the death important, but to make the death have meaning in context of the story. If someone dies it should have an effect in the story line, even if its just an effect on the other characters in terms of their development. Otherwise the death feels cheap.

[dramspringfeald]

Death should always have a purpose. Killing a character for the sake of killing the character is lazy and really kind of cruel. If your ONLY reason is "lol bad player" then no. It serves no purpose beyond you "the all mighty Dev" imposing your will on the player. It's bad form and should not be done.

[briannavon]

Death should always have a purpose. Killing a character for the sake of killing the character is lazy and really kind of cruel. If your ONLY reason is "lol bad player" then no. It serves no purpose beyond you "the all mighty Dev" imposing your will on the player. It's bad form and should not be done.

It won't be just to kill a character. The reason is

one of my games is based off Harvest Moon, which has not had anything sad happen in a game for a while. For years, it's been like every town lives in this safe little bubble. So I want to remind people of the ones like Harvest Moon : A Wonderful Life when the nice old lady died. Remind them that Harvest Moon and Harvest Moon-like games are not just all smile-faces and no worries, because that is boring.

[dramspringfeald]

So yeah, "Lol bad player" love god mod Dev.

[briannavon]

So yeah, "Lol bad player" love god mod Dev.

Well, I guess I can see how it would seem that way (now I feel super evil ). But I will atleast try to write it so it does not seem that way to anyone else!

[dramspringfeald]

The game I'm working on I kill off 3 main characters 1 of which is a child and the other depending on how you play is the Main character. I don't do this "to teach them a lesson," I do this because their deaths are needed. They push the plot, Their deaths have meaning. All 3 characters by the time they bite it are full fledged people, you know them, you may or may not like them but when they are snuffed you WILL feel it. (this does NOT include the countless Red Shirts and Storm Troopers)

Unless that is what you are going for then you are basically doing it so that YOU feel better. I could go into the whole Bullying or Emo aspect of "dance to my tune player" but you get it.

In short unless the death is important then DO NOT DO IT. It will drive both players and perspective followers away.

*Edit* and masking it so it doesn't seem that way.... is still doing it that way.

[briannavon]

OK, OK. I will look into my plot later on and decide if it's important for any characters to die. I won't do it if it's not important to (why was I acting so wonderfully evil today, I wonder. I guess it must be the teen in me )

[Mithfalath]

I think that if a supporting character dies, it can't be because of a stupid reason. Since supporting characters tend to be pretty important, their death would have to be important, too. For example, a supporting character taking a bullet for the MC is good. A supporting character tripping and falling on something sharp that happens to kill them tends to be bad and pretty weak.

So, if a supporting character must die, don't make the reason for their death be dumb! Make it memorable, and you'll make that character memorable.

I will have to +1 on this one. Having played the Suikodens dearly, I almost expect every good story to have some meaningful death within 'em.

[ShippoK]

If anything, I actually find it quite sad when random mooks get killed more then the supporting characters do.

Mostly because, deep down... You really don't know if they had a family or not...
You don't know if there kids are waiting for there dear old dad to come home for little yrrGRUA 4th's birthday.
You don't know that Little poochu the demonslayer is waiting at the door... Waiting... Waiting... and waiting for master to come home.
You don't know or care, they're mooks, enemies you kill for random exp or gold! You don't care for there deaths at all!

Who are the real monsters here!?
(I type this as I kill millions of wolves for ABP points.)

I will have to +1 on this one. Having played the Suikodens dearly, I almost expect every good story to have some meaningful death within 'em.

I disagree, a meaningful or even unmeaningful death shouldn't hold back how great/good the game's story was.

[LVUER]

I will have to +1 on this one. Having played the Suikodens dearly, I almost expect every good story to have some meaningful death within 'em.

Try Fire Emblem series. EVERYONE can die there... PERMANENTLY.