Playable Characters in Wheel of Fate

Beyond the main story (or critical path) of an RPG, I think it’s safe to say a

game’s playable characters are at least as important, if not more so to the

overall experience. I say this because of course, you’re going to view the

entire journey through these characters, bonding with them along the way,

growing them and typically, gleaning their background as you go. If you do

not like them, it’s highly unlikely you can appreciate the greater narrative.

So, when I’m talking playable characters, exactly what this means of

course varies from one RPG to the next. We may be talking about a

completely predefined character or group of characters. Perhaps the avatar

is customizable, perhaps there are optional companion characters to collect

and find. In the case of Wheel of Fate, the player begins with a custom

Avatar. Over the course of their travels, they meet a variety of potential

companion characters that may be added or removed from the party at any

time.

If this sounds like the same model as seen in Mass Effect, it is. As with

Mass Effect, I believe there is huge strength in this model. First of all, the

Avatar acts as more or less a blank canvas for the player to express

themselves however they like. Meanwhile, the companion characters provide

a growing pool of archetypes and classes to draw from, allowing the party to

fight and act to whatever style the player might prefer. From a narrative

standpoint, this rogues gallery presents a variety of predefined personalities

that a player can choose that either support or perhaps contrast with the

Avatar. This allows for interesting group dynamics to emerge, all at the

player’s discretion.

One of the greatest strengths of the Mass Effect franchise was the

bond formed with the companion characters. The player would be presented

with the option to complete a companion quest for each companion. Such

quests would not only uncover the companion’s past, deepening your bond

with that character, but also offer a game benefit for each completed

companion quest.

Likewise, Wheel of Fate presents a deeper take for each companion

through their quest, and also much like Mass Effect, completing a companion

quest will grant the player a definite game benefit. In the case of our game,

each companion with a completed quest will be permanently and

significantly improved with some new and exclusive item or skill. Where our

game differs from Mass Effect is the availability of such quests.

As with most things in our game, the Wheel of Fate has a say in the

matter. Companion quests are a certain rare type of content that may only

occur infrequently. When a companion quest does become available, it is

definitely worth the player’s time to complete it, as when the next wheel spin

occurs, it will be wiped, replaced with something new, and there is no telling

when it may come up again.

Wheel of Fate companions come one to each class, with new

companion groups coming available at certain intervals, like, say a new chapter. The player will have complete control to develop them how they

like, choosing gear and skills. The value of this is that when the player has

access to a new group of companions, they may choose to develop them in

different directions, equipping new skills or passive abilities than the

counterparts of the last group. Of course, characters from each new wave

may be selected in isolation, combined with companions from the last group,

etc, all at the player’s discretion.

Considering the player avatar may also be assigned any class and

gear, this basically allows for a wide variety of party composition. You may

focus on a certain class, balance the team with one of each class, and so on.

Ultimately, the player’s journey is their own to fulfill in any RPG.

Hopefully, the available characters in Wheel of Fate provide more than just

team dynamics and combat options; hopefully they become something like

friends along the way.