I should clarify – this is not a ChoiceScript question, more of an aesthetic one.
I’m working on a new story where the player is essentially a demigod, and I’m trying to work out around 4-5 opposed pairs to flesh out their personality but I’m finding myself a little stumped.
These will affect the flavor of choices open to the player as the story progresses, and at extreme values may open up certain paths while closing off others.
Do these…look like stats you’d be interested in seeing in a game? Are there better synonyms to describe these traits? Is there some glaring personality facet I have overlooked?
I do plan to have traditional stats for things like combat, magic, and so forth, but at this stage of writing I’m really trying to let the player establish what sort of god they were, as that will have a bearing on the situation they find themselves in once the flashbacks end…
I’m slightly confused on the humanity/ indifference trait is it supposed to be your relationship with mortals or lack thereof? Or is it a morality stat ? If it’s the latter I would suggest changing the name to principled/amoral that way it’s easier to tell.
Also if we are a demigod would our divine parentage affect our stats?
I envision it as how well the MC relates to humans. Do they see them as individuals that they easily strike up relationships with, or do they see them distantly, taking the long view that since mortals die in a few short decades that getting too attached to them is a waste of time?
The plan is for four different divine origins that at this point of planning are mostly cosmetic, but I have a few scenarios playing in my head where they could be more significant.
The first thing I notice is Cautious / Bold and and Wrathful / Serene are adjective stats while Arrogance / Humility is a noun stat. Aesthetically, I tend to like when personality stats are all adjectives or all nouns just for consistency’s sake, but that’s just a personal preference.
I agree the Humanity / Indifference stat is a little confusing, mostly because it’s mixing something you can be close to (humans) with a way of acting (indifferent). I think it might work better if it was two factions or two ways of acting.
For example: Involved / Distant, Mortals / Gods. Choice of the Dragon uses Disdain / Vigilance for a similar kind of stat, so perhaps something along those lines?
Some things I’ve found helpful when working out opposed pair personality stats:
Making a list of archetypes I want to be playable.
For a god game I might have 1.) vengeful old-testament god, 2.) kindly wise god, and 3.) god who really just wants to be left alone by everyone. Is each archetype playable? Which sides of the opposed pairs would each archetype lean towards?
Looking at combinations of the opposed pairs.
What does an arrogant, serene, and bold demigod look like in game? Do I think that would be an interesting character to play? Do I want that kind of character to be possible to play? Do any combinations of personality traits seem redundant or contradictory?
Regarding the humanity/indifference stat, I feel like just because the MC might not care about human lives because of how fleeting our life is doesn’t mean they wouldn’t or couldn’t have sexually relations with them in order to have children or pretend to care in order to gain worshippers.
I see your point, and agree that’s a good change to make. Once I have the actual stats nailed down I’ll make sure to get them aligned in that manner.
I hope so!
Definitely – the distinction I’m trying to make is between more of a “humanistic” being who embraces mortals and all the wonders and horrors humanity can create, and the opposite which would be a more unapproachable, enigmatic being who commands from on high, seeing themselves as far above humans as we do insects, or bacteria.
Maybe I could create a header above this stat bar that reads “Attitude towards humans” (or “attitude towards humanity”?) and use something like Nurturing/Aloof?
