How to Design a (Balanced) Character

Do you imagine yourself as a Guardian? Do you want to let people read [i]your[/i] story? Join us at [url=http://www.bungie.net/7_The-Black-Garden/en-us/Groups/Detail?groupId=39972]The Black Garden[/url]! A place where people brave enough to write their own stories come together and forge a Destiny. So this is a handy little guide to designing a balanced character and will be summed up at the bottom if you don't want to read walls of text. As an intro, I'd like to say I am not an expert and these are simply my own opinions on the topic at hand. I decided to write this piece because far too many times have I seen "God Characters" who are basically indestructible and outclasses the enemy in every single way. You may not like the way some things are written, you may like how other things are written; either way, I hope you enjoy the read and learn a little something. 1. Make up a background story. Since this is talking about the near extinction of mankind, I made my character have a grim past. However, it should spark something within the character to become a Guardian or fight for mankind. It could be something honourable like protecting the people, or something a little less honourable like the allure of artifacts and money. Either way, make their past significant to their future; show that it [i]actually[/i] effects them in some way. [b]Avoid:[/b] Making their past excessively grim or blessed. 2. Choose a name and traits. Naturally, you want your character to stand out from the crowd and be "original". While I applaud you for the effort, it is nearly guaranteed that someone, somewhere has come up with nearly the exact same character. So don't beat yourself up over it. Start from something simple: What are their facial features? Any particularly noticeable features? What do they enjoy doing? What are their fears? Those sort of things. The name, I find, is usually the most difficult part of a character; so do that last! [b]Avoid:[/b] Making your character the "perfect Human/Awoken/Exo". 3. This is probably the most important part. A generally good concept for balanced character design is like a scale. You [b]should[/b] have an equal amount of strength and weaknesses. It's fine, in my opinion, if you have more weaknesses than strength, but is [u]never[/u] acceptable to have more strengths than weaknesses. Let's take a look at my character, Zwei: [quote]Revelde "Zwei" no last name. Unranked. Human/Awoken cross breed/mutation. Not a Guardian. He had a mentor in his past that was a Guardian, Warlock Dax. Zwei has had a grim past, and it reflects in him. He's [b]uncaring[/b] about most things, [b]borderline psychotic[/b], dangerously [b]sadistic[/b], and has [b]Dissociative Identity Disorder[/b]. Since his mind and heart have been broken an innumerable amount of times, he has adopted a [b]hard shell and also tries to distance himself from others[/b]. However, earn his trust and you will never have a more reliable companion. He seeks his own path and looks towards the future, but is [b]haunted by the ghosts of his past[/b]; nearly literally. He has somewhat of a [b]fear of rain[/b] because it reminds him that everything that's happened is real; and that's when the ghosts of his past confront him. He himself is in an [b]extreme depression[/b] and [b]actively seeks out dangerous situations[/b] in the hope that he'll be able to soon rest in peace.[/quote] Did you count all the flaws he has? That was [i]nine[/i] fatal flaws. While some can be considered strengths, the weaknesses outweigh the strengths it gives him. So, what exactly is he good in? He has: Quick reflexes, Good at CQC (Close Quarters Combat), Reconnaissance, and First-Aid. Basically, he has more than [i]double[/i] the amount weaknesses than he does strengths. These aren't minor "I'm feeling depressed" flaws. These are more along the lines of, "If it's raining while I'm on a battlefield, I will cause [i]my entire team[/i] to die." Naturally, not all flaws have to be mental, it's simply how I chose my own character to be. You can also add a physical restraint in there like asthma, myoclonus, myalgia; just to name a few. [b]Avoid:[/b] Restraints which are just rewordings of previous ones. 4. This is where it becomes personal. Understand your character, and allow other people to understand them. You wrote this character, you know all their defining traits now; so what do they do when they're in a tight spot and why? You have to have them do things related to their character. If they're scared of people, don't have your character talk their way out of a situation, that's OOC (Out of Character). Build up to it, show them stuttering or have nervous shuffling. Something to show that they aren't naturally extroverted. [b]Avoid:[/b] Going Out of Character. 5. Do NOT sympathize with your character. We all love our characters, we've probably all poured over them in customization screens and spent hours just making them perfect. They're the embodiment of our hard work, but do NOT feel sorry for them. If they're in a tight situation, don't ease up the situation and have them take the easy way out; they should face the challenge. This is the same thing as miracles removing obstacles in their path (literally and figuratively). If you DO sympathize with your character, they'll never grow. [b]Avoid:[/b] "Babying" your character, they can handle themselves. 6. Lastly, write from your own experiences. This gives that extra layer of reality and credit to your characters. You should be able to see some of yourself in your character, since everyone is unique; so too will your character. This step is what turns them from just words on paper to something that's tangible, living, and [i]real[/i]. [b]Avoid:[/b] nothing. Summary of Points: 1. Background Story. What [i]drives[/i] your character? 2. Choose Traits and Name. What [i]defines[/i] your character? 3. [i]Balance[/i] Strength and Weaknesses like a scale. 4. [i]Understand[/i] your character and why they do things. 5. Let your character face their [i]challenges[/i]. 6. Make them [i]alive[/i]. Have fun, and write well!