How to deal with necessary plot holes?

For example, later in my game the MC will have to pick a Aide-de-camp. There will be three options, all of which are developed characters. It does not make any sense for him to have to pick out of three options, because realistically, there would be hundreds jostling for this position. But it would be such a time sink to code and write all of those options, that it’s really not worth it. How do other writers deal with this?

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Plot-holes, or anything fiction, they all depends on readers’ suspension of disbelief.

Now, I assume, in your story, the PC is the one who literally pick their assistant from a mass of people. You can write it so the PC find the best three, and make the final decision is player-inputted.

This should be easier since you mentioned that those three are developed character. Bonus point if they already have established relationship to the PC, not just random stranger.

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Rewrite. As simple as that. Sometimes you have to cut some stuff with a katana then write the things that will make the options have sense

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For the problem I mentioned, how would I change that? He’s a Crown Prince and heir of an empire that contains tens of millions of people (I cannot and will not retcon that, it’s a major part of the story), and there is no reason why there shouldn’t be hundreds of people competing for the role.

They won’t at the start. Their parents, on the other hand will.

To a degree, yes. The candidates will be vetted for loyalty by the PC’s personal guard’s officers, they’ll get tested to see how good they’d be at the role, the person in question will have to be from a major noble house, but the PC will pick the one who gets the job.

That’s probably what I’ll end up doing, thanks.

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Perhaps the three options meet the certain qualifications for the position?

Just do it, it’s not major enough to break the story, and trying to explain it can lead to more issues. Don’t give the readers a reason to question it and they won’t

For your specific problem? Nepotism.

In general? You’re allowed a bare minimum of “it’s required for the plot” graces.

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You could put it that way, that meeting hundreds of people consumes time, which as a Prince the character does not have unlimited of, so predecision was delegated to someone else.

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Nepotism is SOP in the Imperial Army, and one of the major things that will go into those three being picked, is that they have powerful fathers and the PC knows the fathers personally.

That’s a good way of solving it, but it’s more likely going to be a “You read through the files prepared by your General-of-guard, and you decide upon three candidates, and you call them in for interview.”

No it’s not. The thing that you will be looking for is skill(which is pretty universal) and loyalty to you.(again, universal)

The three people in question are all the sons and heirs of powerful people, and they all have a lot of “soft power”.

Your parents are unlanded, and the person you are heir to will die soon(this is not a spoiler, she’s ninety).

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“After meeting with hundreds of candidates, you finally narrow it down to the final three.”

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Why The better? That’s ASSUMING my character will be good or will want good people as assistance. Maybe I want bad people maybe I want beautiful people or just someone that Will helping me kill my parents and overthrow them.

What i will suggest is something like You selected from a few list until this three candidates why you choose them

And then choices of character perspective In my case i role-playing evil so i will choose something like powerful people will helping in my goals

What I tried to say many games assume by default we will play with good justice paladin in mind. In the neutral text in beginning games and such.

With texts like that "Everyone smiles at you and bow gratitude blah blah … Then more and more text presentation as best person handsome ever… Until magically all changes when we choose evil and we have been forever hated… Causing bizarre continuity errors from neutral text to state based text.

Let people choose WHY they selected those people between the list of individuals. Use that to define player personality and make player feel dynamic engaging with meeting them.

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Given that you are a slaveowner(serfs are essentially slaves in this universe), and this game is partially about how evil people with power can be without even realising it, I’m not assuming that.

They’re not going to have standout skills(an Aide-de-camp is a high ranking gofer and doer of paperwork, so they wouldn’t give that job to the next Napoleon(or for an in-universe example, Earl Alaric of Eastfort)). They will have differing personalities and morals, and all of them will be very loyal(they were partially selected for loyalty).

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Yep. Handwave it away with a sentence or two like this. No one will question it being slimmed down like this. Better three interesting and varied candidates than a large pile of faceless names.

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I would second Gower’s suggestion. It seems to me that addressing that there should be hundreds of other candidates competing for this position is only be a minor part to your story.

That said, adressing it with a passing statement will be more than sufficient to justify how you arrive at those three choices. Example:

After meeting with hundreds of candidates, you finally narrow it down to the final three.

Candidate A has proven themselves a fine Archer and swordsman. … …

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Cool glad to know i only could play in general without knowing the project But is a problem that even @Havenstone had at beginning of his first demo… He could told you how I adamantly went against Forcing love helots lol :wink: I wish you luck. I will certainly will read and I will tell my opinion when it end publishing.

The problem is why I will want an archer or whatever. I am at least in general more interested in why and the reason of my characters that stats or metagaming of other npcs stats. I know i am weird lol. I think both options should be … For instance A could be best archer in universe but if is a goodie that will report my character i will never select them .

Make them recommended to him probably by someone with some authority over him like their parents.

I mean, were they not basically slaves in this universe?

Yes, but serfs have it worse off than even Russian serfs.

The only person who outranks him is 90 years old, and is trying to make sure the PC learns how to appoint on his own.

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How would this be considered a plot hole? It makes sense for the player to narrow down their options to the best.

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