Is the Player a Fictional?

[genkigirl]

The player charatcer is full of interesting dynamics. She's difficult to figure out. I assume she is the human protagonist in the game then I read here in the blog:

"The player character is often the focus of many games. It’s them that carry the story forward to it’s inevitable conclusion and I got asked who the hero was in the game. The mysterious female protagonist you play in Subworld is a nameless character who’s will is bent to your own, to use or pervert as you see fit. How she relates to the denizens of the world and what happens to her as a result is subject to your whims."

Which suggests she might be as much a part of the Subworld as she is a mere Human visitor. Also When Brussels says "I am not written to be the hero", would suggest the Player character is. So if she is written to be the hero, then she can't be a real human but a Fictional, right?

So who is the Human Writer in that regard? Is the Dev referring to us?

[Bandit Slayer]

I don't think either of them are written to be the hero. You get to decide which one is a good or bad. Maybe both are terrible players.

[writer97]

Maybe what they were written to be and who they really are are two different things? What happens when a fictional world becomes real? Are they still at the written whim of their creator?

[genkigirl]

Interesting theories. My question was not whether or not they are the heroes of the game but whether or not the Player Character is a Fictional. There is plenty to suggest that she is more of a construct for the sake of Subworld than she is a Writer. Are we, as the player, actually who the characters refer to when for example, Raynah says "You better not be another one of those Human Writers kid."

Who is she talking to? The player character or us?

For that matter does the player character have a name? or is there something official but in the long term at the player's discretion?

[writer97]

Interesting. If she is a Fictional, who wrote her? Do we write he into existence just be the act of playing? In which case is she aware of what she is? Have we enslaved her? How would Brussels react to that?

I heard that she might be called Astra, which means "star", is this another play on words?

[wrenlurant]

Well if you want to be technical any character in any game exists because we are playing the game. But the player character name isn't the focus of the game.

[writer97]

That really depends. I've been looking into deliberate names in games, Astra meaning Star for example. The center stage, the main part. Brussels not being called Jack.. apparently because he thinks it's racist. Games like this like to use focus to hide important clues behind the curtains, deeper meanings. The Vice and the Virtues for example could have deeper meaning then mere creation and destruction. Yes it could mean nothing but a lot of fans like to figure out deeper meanings. Like what is Grim's role in Subworld if he no longer does the deed of death? Who, what and more to the point why is something else doing that job in Subworld?

[wrenlurant]

It's interesting you bring grim up...