What is the main reason for rpg's using unrealistically young characters in games is

[Vyk]

You're looking at the wrong angle. You're only considering a story that has character development as one of its key dynamics, instead of the plot around the main character. Which granted was there. But you don't always have to have huge changes in your character as the plot evolves. Part of an RPG is the adventure. If Auron or Lulu lead, most of what happened would have still happened. They followed the religious thing, and then rebelled against it. A teenage love story wasn't necissary to develop the plot.

Besides. Characters can change at any age, as was stated. The only example you're considering is a change in maturation. But people can change their point of view too. Wakka didn't grow up, but his character developed too. His wasn't a coming of age story. It was him casting off his ignorance and bias racism. He was an older character

[LunarWeaver]

I understand the whole target audience thing, and the development thing, but I still think RPG makers should branch out more. How many 15-17 year-old kids with spiky hair and swords can save the world?

I don't mind playing as a 15 year old even though I'm 20... I don't even 'feel' they are the age they are most of the time. But I still don't see why developers can't make adult characters sometimes. Games aren't just for teenagers in high school, and I plan to play them pretty much forever *shrug* I'll be 50+ and still playing RPGs myself.

I'm a huge fan of Xenosaga, and they keep all the development of other games even though 6 out of the 7 main characters are older than I am. They're 23, 27, 30, 35, and, uh, 4000 or so. The villains are older than I am too... and it still works out fine.

Anyway, it doesn't really bother me what age they are, but I don't think it would kill them to include more adults. I'm glad that FFXII has quite a few adults running around in it

[JKTrix]

Sometimes these characters have incredibly ignorant behaviours befitting a young, inexperienced person. For example, it's a lot more believable for a 15 year old to not realize that a particular female is openly flirting with him than it would be for an older adult (who should have experienced something similar).

Besides, the story of David and Goliath is one of the most fascinating stories in history, and has been an infinite influence to many other stories. These 'coming of age' games are possibly made to 'influence' the younger people by showing them that you're not helpless because you're young. It's all about the motivation.

It's a lot easier (story wise) to form a child with Zero life experiences into a hero, than it is to change an adult with a lot of experiences and values into something different (i.e. FF4's Cecil). The result of a more drastic change like in FF4 may have a greater impact, but it is harder to write than just forming the experiences of someone who hasn't had any. Those sort of situations with adults will require a pretty extensive backstory in addition to the real story of the....story... if you want it to be any good. If nothing was explained about Cecil's past, he would have been a pretty dry character.

Kids in games (and anime) saving the world won't go away, and I think it's a very minor issue. I say we should be thankful when we have older heroes with extensive histories and such, as those are truly rich experiences.

[darkchrono]

Actually Vyk the young characters in Xenogears were actually intended to be that young and it wasn't just some number they decided to slap on after the game was finished.


At some point in the game they do actually go into how old Fei, Elly, Bart, Billy, and Margie are (and Maria as well).

Some of the other characters that they state how old they are during course of the game are Ramsus and Miang (there might be a few others but those are just the ones I can think off the top of my head).

But in anycase I liked what they did with the characters in Xenosaga. Most of the characters in that game (particularly the npc) are all in their 30's, 40's, and 50's (and most of the characters who look young are all robots).

The only unbelievable one in that series I have seen is that somehow Shion got to be a high ranking officer by the age of 21 or 22.

[KentaRawr!]

The odd amount of maturity in young people is possible. Just not very common. However, making a giant fire ball appear from your giant 1 handed sword and killing a giant poisonous snake is not, due to the lack of a giant poisonous snake and a giant 1 handed sword that spews giant fire balls. Anyway, they probably have such young characters because an old person in a video game probably can't relate as much to a young person as a young person in a video game can. But that's just what I think.

[darkchrono]

The odd amount of maturity in young people is possible yes. But it is not real possible for those young people to be high ranking military officers or some of the other positions that twenty year olds seem to possess in rpg's.

[JKTrix]

The odd amount of maturity in young people is possible yes. But it is not real possible for those young people to be high ranking military officers or some of the other positions that twenty year olds seem to possess in rpg's.

It's possible to achieve a pretty high rank at a fairly early age in reality, but usually when it's someone very young it enforces that they are a prodigy of some sort.

I'm part of the military in my country, and we have Lieutenants who are in their very early 20s. At least in the British military system, you take a course so that you can become a Commissioned officer, so it's pretty 'easy'.
The highest possible rank in our military is 'Lieutenant Colonel', since we're sort of a 'spin-off' of the British Military.

[Shion Strife]

Personally... I think those ages were just slapped on there... Because I just had to look to make sure. I really didn't believe they were any younger than like 20. In fact I figured them to be 22+ (Fei and Elly at least). I guess its not really the age number, its the maturity and atmosphere... Xenogears was not made specifically to peddle to a 13-year-old demographic. Or even an 18-year old demographic. They did something right. But it wasn't slapping the number "18" on their main characters.

anyone who played xenogears will realize the age of fei and elly really doesnt matter cuz of certain other factors playing into their personalities......

[LunarWeaver]

The odd amount of maturity in young people is possible yes. But it is not real possible for those young people to be high ranking military officers or some of the other positions that twenty year olds seem to possess in rpg's.

It is a little strange to see 15 year old Billy as commander of the entire army. Anime and games are full of child prodigies that completed college and military school and became delta force super-commander by the age of 17 (Although, you mentioned Shion earlier, and she's head of the First R&D Division at 22 because Wilhelm needs her to be close to Kos-Mos for his plans and she's 'special' in some way )

I guess to fully enjoy games with underage stars you must suspend disbelief just like you do for movies and such. Video game characters never react to the extreme situations they're in realistically, rather of age or not. Gotta make exceptions for the sake of plot and pacing and all.

[Vyk]

Personally... I think those ages were just slapped on there... Because I just had to look to make sure. I really didn't believe they were any younger than like 20. In fact I figured them to be 22+ (Fei and Elly at least). I guess its not really the age number, its the maturity and atmosphere... Xenogears was not made specifically to peddle to a 13-year-old demographic. Or even an 18-year old demographic. They did something right. But it wasn't slapping the number "18" on their main characters.

anyone who played xenogears will realize the age of fei and elly really doesnt matter cuz of certain other factors playing into their personalities......

They don't keep that, they have to re-realize it. Though that is a really good point. I'm sure it helps their maturity in a subconcious manner.

[bipper]

You play young characters so that you can grow in their world with them and gain and understanding and viewpoint about their worlds at about a normal age that they would.

Also, a young character is pretty much a naive innocence. The only kind there is for a seed that will someday blossom into a hero. It is common for the protagonist to be 'not smart' and in need of guidence in a romance and tragity. Thus, a child is common cast.

Bipper