Writing a Character Brief
So, the best way to go about quantifying your characters, primary and secondary, is by creating a
character list and character descriptions or briefs that communicate who these people are
and how they fit into the game story, how are they being used? You would of course begin by
listing and describing the primary characters. Those are the ones responsible for the main action
of the game. And then by moving on to the secondary characters, what they bring to the
table, how they propel your story. As far as the descriptions go, let's take our current example of
the warrior princess a little bit further.
We would describe them in terms of the following points. 1.Who is he? Or who is she? Are they
a primary or a secondary character and how do they relate to the game story? 2.What do they
look like? What are they wearing? What are they carrying with them. How do they comport
themselves. 3.What is their personality like and how does that personality help fulfill their role in
the game story? 4.How do they relate to other characters in the game? How does that ecology
work? 5.What are their strengths, and what are their weaknesses, and how can that affect the
game's story? 6.What are the motivating character goals for this character.
So let's put that in terms of our made up game, The Warrior Princess. We'd begin by listing
her. The princess is our protagonist.1 She is a princess of the realm and an accomplished warrior
in the kingdom. She's on a quest to find her father's magic scepter and confront the man who
betrayed her, the evil magician. The princess is tall and elegant in stature, with strong legs
and wears a heavy satin tunic that is deep purple, her kingdom's royal color. Her sword is tied to
her side with a wide red sash given to her by her father, the King. Her light brown hair is braided
tightly behind her head as utility. And her blue eyes and warm smile can calm any situation with
just a simple look. The Warrior Princess is brave and unflinching. She is as polite as a demure
princess, but direct and strong interactions. She knows what she needs to do pretty much at all
times, and is unwavering in her determination.
She projects an outward confidence, though, that belies her own insecurities and fears of not
being good enough for her father's love and respect.
2 She is however, the only person in the kingdom with the determination, grace and intellect
needed to find that missing scepter. The princess as a child was raised by the magician, who has
for years been a father figure to her while her real father was busy reigning over their vast
kingdom.
3She's been deeply betrayed by the magician, who has recently shown himself to be an evil man
out to acquire power and wealth and ruin their royal family.
4The princess is determined, but she can be deceived by false kindness. She sees the best in
people, but to a fault, and is in part actually responsible for allowing the scepter to fall into the
evil magician's hands.
5Therefore, the princess is intent on exacting revenge for the magician's deep betrayal, and
restoring her own honor and sense of self being after being duped for so long by the
magician. Therefore, she must find a way to find the scepter and return it to her father, the king.
Now, the descriptions like this for the primary characters are more involved and detailed than
they would be for secondary characters like Bart. When it comes to goals and strengths and
weaknesses since these points affect the story line directly through the primary characters. But
on the whole, these character lists and briefs help you as the designer drive your game story. But
they will also serve to communicate to other designers how to visualise those characters for
you. Whether you take on the role of creating the art yourself or you have somebody else take on
that role, these descriptions go a super duper long way in painting a picture of what these
characters look like. But be sure to be concise and descriptive, and try to think of the primary
characters beyond the scope of the game at hand for a deeper, richer character description.
About Character Briefs
Understanding who your characters are is important to understanding your story and your
game. In this lecture, we will take a closer look at the primary characters in StarCraft II: Wings
of Liberty and break down their characters as exercise. Namely, we'll be making character lists
and character briefs to describe who is in the story and what they do.
To create your character briefs keep the following six points in mind:
1. Who is he/she? Are they a primary or secondary character and how do they relate to the game
story?
2. What do they look like? What are they wearing or carrying with them?
3. What is their personality like and how does that personality help fulfill their role in the game
story?
4. How do they relate to other characters in the game?
5. What are their strengths and weaknesses, and how can that affect the game story?
6. What are the motivating character goals for this character?
