WhatAndrewWants

Andrew Has Adjectives

Andrew briefly discussed some adjectives that entered his head when thinking about genre and tone for Mercenaries.

For the most part, we don't disagree. He thinks that setting up our characters as fringe, marginalized soldiers is fine, although he doesn't want to rule out traditional military backgrounds entirely. Fair enough.

Willing Heroes vs. Reluctant Heroes

The one point where we do differ is that Andrew is pushing heavily for Willing Heroes as opposed to Reluctant Heroes. An Indiana Jones / James Bond mold.

I'm not opposed to the Willing Hero in our game, but I do think we'll get more bang for the buck from a Reluctant Hero. My hunch is that Andrew is resistant to a reluctant hero because he thinks it'll be cliche. Which is certainly true, but I think that we can do a compelling Reluctant Hero and still be fresh.

My Objections To The Willing Hero

The reason why I like Reluctant Heroes is because there is a built in conflict. If the player sees a hero character that is between a rock and a hard place, BAM! Instant identification, and we have a clear problem that pulls the player through the game narrative.

The GTA series does this acceptably. I won't argue that the Betrayed by GF or Drug Deal Gone Bad plots are hallmarks of storytelling, but I immediately understand the hero's plight, and remember the quest that he's on.

What Mercs Needs, Regardless Of What We Choose

I want to avoid the situation we have in Mercs 1.0, where we don't offer the player a compelling character or a compelling conflict, so by the time you're halfway through the game, you forget who you are, and why you're doing what you're doing.

We need a clear WANT for a character from minute one of Mercs 2.0. Something that say to the player, this is our character, and this is what he wants. Something that the player will hold on to throughout the game, so that even if she puts it down for a couple weeks, she can come back and say, "I remember this. I'm playing a crazy dude that wants to avenge his father's death." Or whatever.

I don't care what that might be for the moment. But we can't do without it.

In any case, I will investigate and see if a compelling Willing Hero will work.