Initial motivation for PCs
BluePear
Member Posts: 13
I have been working on a total conversion mod for BGEE (originally for BGTutu) for over a year now and I am having a little problem with getting the plot started. So far I have been concentrating on side quests and basic game mechanics. It is very difficult to set up the story for as many different PCs as possible.
In BG1 the PC's motivation can be to avenge Gorion. Or if charname does not care about his foster father he might just want to get rid of those bounty hunters for his own safety. He might simply be looking for adventure or companions, so he joins Khalid and Jaheira in their quest.
Of course in BG1 the PCs back story is quite predetermined. I am trying to keep the game open for a variety of characters with different back stories while still having a main plot.
Basic motivations can be the desire to help people, the hunger for power, the wish to have adventures, wealth or fame.
Maybe someone could help me find motivation for different PCs so I can introduce the plot in a way that every character can follow it.
English is not my native language. So I hope this post is not too confusing.
In BG1 the PC's motivation can be to avenge Gorion. Or if charname does not care about his foster father he might just want to get rid of those bounty hunters for his own safety. He might simply be looking for adventure or companions, so he joins Khalid and Jaheira in their quest.
Of course in BG1 the PCs back story is quite predetermined. I am trying to keep the game open for a variety of characters with different back stories while still having a main plot.
Basic motivations can be the desire to help people, the hunger for power, the wish to have adventures, wealth or fame.
Maybe someone could help me find motivation for different PCs so I can introduce the plot in a way that every character can follow it.
English is not my native language. So I hope this post is not too confusing.
0
Comments
Classic ideas are having the entire world or the character's friends, family or interests threatened somehow. That way Good, Evil and Neutral characters all need to respond in some way. It's a bit cliche and does funnel people in a certain direction but it gets the job done.
Revenge is a possible motivation, but misses out for e.g. someone roleplaying a priest of Ilmater, who accepts and forgives suffering.
BG2's device of having something essential taken from you is a good one. It means you can attach your own alterior motives to your character, but the fact is you *need* to get back what Irenicus takes from you.
There's always the possibility of a McGuffin though. McGuffins are small, portable items like a USB drive with secret data in a spy film, an ancient and powerful magic scroll in fantasy or a briefcase full of cash in a gangster movie. They don't advance the plot in themself, and the character won't use it but they need to be protected and delivered to the right person.
Hope this is useful, but check out TV tropes if you need ideas. It's where I steal all mine from.
Good hears 'demons', evil and neutral hear '2000 gold'.
My Lawful Stupid Paladin's motivation? You could call it gold, I guess. But in truth it was a strange amalgamation of being a noob and the continuing to be a noob.
"AHA! There you are armoured figure! Erm.. brother...? what?! Highlander?"
Bearing in mind that prior to my first playthrough of BG, my only PC game experience was 'Worms' - I think I did okay!
Then I tried BG2 , but at the start I asked Imoen who she was , so I thought "what, another guy with Amnesia?".