Champions Online Developer Blog Update
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I think characters with failed titles tend to fall into categories where it's very, very hard to identify with them. Aquaman. Well, he's a king of an underwater kingdom. OK, interesting but how does that relate to me? Hawkman. A reincarnated Egyptian stuck in a relationship for eternity. I'm sure many of us have felt like we were in inescapable relationships, but I don't think we want to read about one every month! Iron Man. Really rich guy. Totally smart. Gets all the women he wants. None of these elements exactly strike a chord with the common man.
I mentioned earlier that comic book readers especially need to identify with their characters. This isn't true in novels, movies or even short-lived mini-series. In those cases, the story itself, rather than the character, can intrigue its reader. In a monthly comic, where the primary constant is the central character, a reader must feel some sort of kinship. If the readers don't feel any sort of connection, there's no reason to stick around.
Watchmen, perhaps one of the most influential comics of our time, featured some of the most intriguing characters ever created. But think about the nihilistic Rorschach could he support a monthly series? There is no doubt he was incredibly cool within the confines of Watchmen, but could I really identify with someone like that for any extent of time?
How does this relate to Champions Online? This theory of character is very important in our dialogue. A MMORPG has much fewer lines of dialogue to develop its characters than a novel or comic book. Every single word is precious; every verb, noun, adjective, adverb must create a better understanding of a character's motivation and personality.
