Should I give my player insert character a backstory?

Questions, skill improvement, and respectful critique involving game writing.
Post Reply
Message
Author
Carter
Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2022 4:59 pm
Contact:

Should I give my player insert character a backstory?

#1 Post by Carter »

Currently my player character is set up really well to be a player insert character, having no predetermined name, age, gender, nationality, or really anything. There isn't even going to be a model for what they actually look like since the whole game will be in first person. Add to that the game starting at the very beginning of the player's career and them having no prior history with any of the other characters, and I basically have a prime example of making the player feel like they really are the protagonist of a story rather than just playing as one.

But I've had this idea. The idea gives the player insert character a backstory like this; they once applied to work at a larger company, but were unable to qualify due to a medical condition, which is the reason why they're joining such an unknown ragtag company. And they're now hiding it from everybody because they're afraid of losing the job because of it. I wouldn't actually show the backstory at any point, but it would be a recurring element that would slowly be revealed and eventually resolved as the story progresses. I think it could help add some much needed personal stakes to what could easily become a very dry story.

My only concern is that giving the character a backstory, especially one that the player isn't fully aware of until a few chapters in, will denote them as their own character separate from the player and will remove that feeling of the player being a part of the story. I'm already giving them a somewhat defined personality since the game primarily consists of 1 on 1 conversations between the player and other characters, but now I'm starting to question if even that is too much.

So I think I have three options:

1. Strip my player character of all personality, backstory, and anything that could potentially separate them from the player and shift the emphasis onto the other characters with the player acting as more of a force of change to those around them rather than another character with a personality.

2. Emphasize the character's humanity by adding the backstory, motivation, personal stakes, etc. while abandoning the player-insert angle.

3. Throw all of my ideas into the pot and hope it works out.

I need some advice here because I don't know which direction to take at this point. Should I go with my initial idea and have the player insert character be a literal avatar for the player and stay away from anything that might cause a separation from the two, or should I lean in to the separation and flesh out the player character into being their own person that the player simply controls? Is there a way I could hypothetically do both at once? Please let me know what you think.

User avatar
Zelan
Lemma-Class Veteran
Posts: 2436
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 7:23 pm
Completed: The Dark
Projects: Cosplay Couple
Tumblr: evns
itch: Zelan
Discord: ltnkitsuragi#7082
Contact:

Re: Should I give my player insert character a backstory?

#2 Post by Zelan »

I think the answer partially depends on your goal for the game. In my opinion, genuine player-inserts are really hard to do well. The best examples I've played are Queen's Crown, which never made it past the demo stages, and Our Life. In both of these games, practically every single piece of dialogue, thought, or action by the protagonist is a choice, with Our Life in particular having very extensive options.

People certainly can and do write self-insert protagonists without going into this level of detail, but as you're aware, any discrepancies between the protagonist and the player can alienate some players if the game is advertised as having a self-insert protagonist.

Personally, I think the concept of someone having a medical condition that they're forced to hide is a great concept, and I would be super interested in that kind of character (plus, someone with a backstory like that would have their personality greatly influenced by this life experience).

However, it seems from your question that you were thinking this would be a side plot at best? Correct me if I'm wrong, but you mention wanting to implement it for fear of the rest of the story being dry. If that's the main reason for adding it, you could give this plotline to a characters other than the protagonist and keep the protag as a self-insert. I'm curious as to what the rest of the story is that you're worried it might be dry by itself, though. Is it the dryness of the story itself or the protag that concerns you?

Quick question - if the player is currently intended to be a self-insert, how are you handling gender? Do players choose their gender at the beginning of the game? Do you just avoid using any pronouns whatsoever for your protag? (I often find the second option clunky in longer stories.) If it's neither of these and the gender is actually set, I would lean a bit more towards advising you to scrap the self-insert angle, as that's already a big piece of the character that is being decoded for the player.

Hope this text wall is helpful, haha. Good luck with your project!

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users