Kinship is Key to Immersive World-building

I don’t like online communities. I’m not a fan of forums, so how do I find myself spending hours reading through this sub? Well, obviously, I’m very passionate about my projects and have found some very valuable insights here. But I also feel a sense of kinship and community with strangers I’ve never spoken with that I’ve never felt in other online forums. <br><br>So, the first thought I had this morning was, “What did I do differently here that I haven’t done in other places?” Well, the answer is simple: I am not a profile or a username; I am a real person to all of you. When I posted something, you commented back, and then I commented on your comments. You’re not speaking to a profile, you’re speaking to me. You don’t see me as a profile, you see me as a person who is genuinely seeking to improve. <br><br>Kinship is key to immersive world-building. Players aren’t going to be attached to a profile or a username as much as they will be attached to a person. If all of your NPCs feel like cardboard cutouts or just random, unfeeling names, then no one is going to care about them. I can already imagine how much you all care for your own NPCs and characters and obviously those of us who game or read do as well. So, how can we make them more personable and relatable in a way that lets players find kinship with them? <br><br>**Explain Yourself:** The most important thing is giving players an explanation for *why* things are the way that they are. <br><br>*Give motivations for rules and norms:* Just like my distaste for social media, having a motivation behind your NPCs’ feelings, behaviors, and rules for society goes a long way in making a place feel lived in. Don’t just say, “I’ve never liked online communities.” Say, “I’ve never liked online communities because they’re fake. The people aren’t genuine and it doesn’t feel lived in.” <br><br>*Explain their backstories and histories:* Why did your players end up as adventurers? Why do they care about saving the world? What happened to them that makes them feel that way? Why do your NPCs have these backstories and histories? How did that affect them? <br><br>*Explain their feelings:* Just like I am passionate about my projects and feel like I have a connection with all of you, explain how your NPCs feel towards one another. Do they like each other? Why? Do they dislike each other? Why? What can be done to change those feelings? How do they feel about the state of the world? <br><br>**Show Yourself:** Players are obviously going to see your NPCs in action while playing your games or reading your stories. What can they observe that shows your NPCs as people? <br><br>*Give your NPCs interests and hobbies* that players can see in action or hear about from other NPCs. <br><br>*Display mannerisms* that show off your NPCs’ true personalities. <br><br>*Show how your NPCs interact with one another and other players.* How do they react when they see certain NPCs? How do they interact with players? <br><br>**Talk to Players Like People:** The biggest mistake that game developers make is treating the players like they’re playing a game instead of people within the world. <br><br>*Talk to players like they’re people.* Instead of lines like, “You acquired 100xp,” say, “Wow, you’re really growing into one of the most powerful adventurers in the realm!” <br><br>*Talk about players the way that you would talk about other people in the real world.* When players interact with an NPC, instead of saying, “The Rogue approached me,” the NPC should say, “Erik is one of my closest friends and most trusted allies. When he approached me, I was excited to hear what he had to say.” <br><br>*Involve your players in conversations.* If your players are within earshot of two NPCs talking to one another, they should be able to join the conversation and feel like an equal participant. <br><br>I hope all of these tips have been valuable to you. These obviously won’t apply to everyone or every situation, but should be able to provide some general insight into how to make your NPCs feel more like people and less like cardboard cutouts. <br><br>Also, if you made it this far, thank you for being so wonderful and making me feel like a person and not just a profile. That also goes a long way in making a place feel lived in.