An NPC "metadata" requirement to assist collaborative writing

[I-am-Erk]

Something Kevin said off-hand has had me developing an NPC metadata block that describes conversation notes, styles, and background ideas in a way that I think would make it more accessible for new writers to contribute to an existing NPC. Certainly what I have so far contains information that would make it easier for me to step back into NPCs I haven't used for a while, and keep story notes and threads straight. I am interested primarily in what other writers or prospective writers think about this. Would this help you be less nervous about adding to an existing NPC, if we had this?

I am considering making this a requirement, where all static NPCs would need at least some of this information defined in a metadata document.

This is the approximate description of the sort of info we're talking about:

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These are "designer notes" for specific NPCs describing loosely who they are, what they might do, and how to write them.

These are not meant to represent hard-and-fast rules for how to write these NPCs. These guides were mostly written by the NPCs primary or original author, and a new writer could take them in new directions. Rather, these guides are here to (with any luck) help new creators feel less intimidated about joining in to write "someone else's" character. Remember, whether you're the person joining to write for an existing NPC, or the person watching someone else change your NPC, this is a collaborative writing project, and the moment a bit of work gets into the repository, it is now free to be reinterpreted and modified by someone else, taking it in unexpected directions. That is a feature, not a flaw.

I will try to maintain three core sections for each NPC:

• "Voice": How does this NPC talk, any phrases or writing tips, any mannerisms this NPC should show in their described actions
• "In-game Lore": What existing canon is there in-game about this NPC - especially important to note things other NPCs say about this person as a new writer might not know to look in other places about it
• "Unofficial Notes": This is possibly non-"canon" stuff that the creator of the NPC, or at least whoever added them to this document, would suggest including either in the actual explicit canon of the NPC, or to keep in your mind when writing them.
  • "Background": Notes on this character's history that may not be in game currently.
  • "Secrets": This is a subtype of ideas, character concepts that perhaps should never be stated in game but writers should keep in mind and drop hints at for players to guess and form theories about
  • "Motivations": These are things that again may never be stated in-game but can influence the character's development. Both secrets and motivations are things that are good for writers to have to think about but best left as implications, not stated outright.
  • "Development": How does this NPC change over time? Or, how might this NPC change over time, if not yet added to the game.
  • "Goals": What does this NPC want to accomplish? Do they have any missions for the player?

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Sample NPC done in this format:

Luo Meizhen

Voice

• Angry, sarcastic, frustrated
• Well-educated, a bit arrogant about her own abilities and defensive about what others will assume about her
• A bit of an SJW (as an SJW myself, I can say that, right?)

In-game Lore

• Was a grad student studying fungi before the cataclysm
• Due to the escalated conflict with China she believes (often correctly) people treat her poorly for being Chinese
• Faints at the sight of blood. Has a thyroid problem.

Unofficial Notes

• Background: Has a PhD in mycology and a wide range of other STEM/biology related skills.
• Secrets: Was accepted to medical school out of undergrad, but had to drop out: she just could not get used to seeing blood.
• Motivations: Would like to survive but knows she is not well-suited to it. If she does make it out of the beggar area, she'd like to get back into researching fungus now that it's become quite exciting.
• Development: If taken in by the player, Luo should gain some confidence and her sarcasm should change a little more towards good natured teasing. In the future, she should be able to start a fungal research lab in the player faction.
  • If she could get regular thyroid medication she'd have a lot more energy
• Goals: Initially, she wants to get out of the beggar area and survive somewhere safe. If she can accomplish that, she'd like to start researching Mycus.