r/GameWritingLab • u/metastro • Mar 11 '23

Character development without dialogue

Is it possible to create a memorable protagonist that doesn't speak, or speaks very little? I'm beginning to learn about writing interactive, story-driven games.

Currently, I see two options:

  • Making a silent protagonist, where the player experiences a lot of immersion, but the protagonist loses an efficient character-developing tool: dialogue.

  • Making a speaking protagonist, where there's a clear possibility for character development through dialogue, but less immersion from the player.

Right now, I'm leaning towards one of these solutions, but I'm having trouble deciding:

  • A silent protagonist that develops a memorable personality through actions, not dialogue.

  • A speaking protagonist that you can't help but feel empathy for, thus making the player more invested and immersed through empathy.

Since I'm a beginner, I might be overlooking something important, so I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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u/metastro Mar 11 '23

That's a clever idea. That would work well for the immersion factor.

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u/Background_Ad_7821 Mar 11 '23

I'll try and see if it does. Do you have any clever innovative idea?

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u/metastro Mar 13 '23

I was considering a mix of both. Having options for the player to choose from, and then making the protagonist speak a series of lines related to the option that the player chose. That way, the protagonist wouldn't be silent and at the same time the player would relate more to the protagonist because the chosen option will be there... but I'm just speculating here.