: Re: How to make side-characters look competent next to the chosen one? I'm writing a storyline for a game where the forces of evil have humanity cornered. Truly everything seems lost, that is, until

@Pope4766717

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In most games I've experienced, the characters available to the players have been roughly equal. One may be better at one thing, another at something else, but for the most part, it can be fun to play as any of a number of characters.

You seem to be almost forcing your players to play Bob. Why is that? Games are less rigid about character development (when there is any) than novels, but there should be some. I think this is why Witcher, from an obscure company in Poland, became such a huge hit. The characters could communicate and that was an important part of the game. It wasn't just monster-hunting.

You seem to have taken things backwards. Not only is only one character, Bob, the only really competent one in this game (from your description). And it sounds like "affection level" is something you put experience points into rather than actual work (communication is a good start).

I'm not much of a gamer, but I don't picture myself playing your game. Dave, the greatest swordsman of the kingdom, has become a comedy character. It doesn't feel right.

To fix things a bit, I'd lower Bob's power a bit so that an exceptional human could keep up with him. Maybe Dave always fights with a small unit of elite fighters. It sounds like it is important that Dave not be a laughing-stock, and that's what he is now.

Read some stories where there are extremely exceptional characters. For example, the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordon has a main character who is a reincarnation of an eternal hero, destined to drive back the dark. And yet he isn't any stronger or faster than an exceptional human, at least at first. But he learns to use magic (which is highly dangerous for a man, always leading to insanity and death). He has exceptional mentors who teach him to fight in various ways, and fight alongside him. The training started with his father.

And the important part is that some people can fight him or outdo him at some things. And some of his problems are political, which is difficult even for one favored by the pattern.

But the most important thing: even though Rand is the chosen one, he has too friends who may not be as chosen, but they can fight some of the battles with him.

Good luck.

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