Moods of RPGs

[CoolZidane]

RPGs are important not only in their stories and characters, but also in their moods. It's important to know how to work with different moods and how to change them as your game progresses.


I. Types of Moods

There are various types of moods in games, including:

1. Comedic

This is an obvious mood, the comedy. If your game has this mood, it will be light-hearted. Things can't get too dark, or else the humorous aspect will be lost. However, there it is possible to include a mix of darkness and comedy. Comedic RPGs tend to be filled with jokes and funny situations. Whether or not these have an impact on the storyline is up to you. Two great examples of humorous RPGs are Final Fantasies 6 and 9.

2. Sad

This mood is centered around depressing things, particularly death. This is also a mood you don't want to have your game fermented on. If the game is sad the whole way through, it can really bum the player out. So, if you have a sad mood, use it sparingly.

3. Menacing

The menacing mood is based around evil aspects of the game. The villain and his henchmen generally get the most of the mood, as is what should be done. Menacing moods are supposed to make the player feel a bit uncomfortable about the situation.

4. Tense

This is used in suspense situations. This is meant to have the player be on edge, as they should have no idea what is about to happen. Not much else can really be said about this.


II. How to use Moods

1. Mood Changes

The most important thing about moods is how to change them. You can't have a menacing mood be in the game the entire time. If you do, you should keep it subtle. Make occasional references to the menace, but don't make it the main focus the entire time. In order to change moods, you need to know what moods you're changing between, and then you must think of a slow, subtle transition to the other mood. For example, in Final Fantasy 9, after the chase by the 3rd Black Waltz, the party arrives in Lindblum. As the Festival of the Hunt approaches, less concern is placed on the events surrounding Garnet and Alexandria, and the player can get a breath of relief. After all, no one is going to be chattering day in, day out about some "weak" threat.

2. Mixing Moods

You can't have an entirely comical game, nor can you have an entirely menacing game. However, a menacing game with a good dose of comedy can equal success. Once again, Final Fantasies 6 and 9 come to mind. Both games use jokes to lighten the mood when things get dark, and are able to do it without breaking the mood. For example, in Final Fantasy 6, as most of the team prepares to escape down the Lete River, Locke tells Terra, "And whatever you do, do not let a certain lecherous young king [Edgar], WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED, near you!" This gives a chuckle to the player, but still keeps you focused on the task at hand.



Epilogue

That's about all I have to say about moods. Pretty much, look at a couple Final Fantasies, particularly 6 and 9, if you want great examples of the mood in games.

[MrMister]

Good point for the sad section.
Movies like 21 Grams and Requiem For a Dream are fine, because they are only 2 hours long. If you never have a happy/funny moment in your entire game, it can have negative effects.

Like a guy.. he eats some poison.
And then his family gets decapitated by a mobster named Fingers, including his 4 year old daughter and his 15 year old son.
Then another guy gets beaten up and horribly disfigured at a gas station, and goes into a coma. And the hospital is set on fire by accident, causing his life support machine's wiring to go haywire, electrocuting him to death. And then his wife commits suicide because of a combination of grief of guilt. She was feeling guilty because she had an affair with the original poisoned man, and beat his wife to death so they could run away to Fiji.

Pretty bummed, eh? Sadly that's the premise of my next game. But I throw in some dead baby jokes to keep it light.