>>5761576I like this, in deference to the Hungry Caterpillar anon (pic related here
>>5741687 ) I shall call it the Mr Men method. I imagine most 4chan audience desired encounters describe Mr Tickle in some form
I also sort of use this Mr Men method too but I want to do this in a macro scale way, not just a singular trait/emotional disposition. Most of my game settings have some theme (not always that well hidden). What I want is to create Mr Men style characters that represent the embodiment of an entire social movement or societal facet of that era or historical theme. So say if the setting is pseudo 19th century, there will be a character who embodies industrialisation, another the gentry, or the suffragist movement or theosophical mysticism etc. If the setting is Norse or folklore, you want a character who embodies outward reach of civilisation / empire / conquest vs inward isolation / tradition "the old ways" the ancestral memory etc. It is still the Mr Men method but with some more expansive societal forces miniaturised into an individual. It is quite difficult to manifest this controllably within a roleplaying game though.
Do your game stories have any form of underlying moral message? How do you determine in a scenario what behaviour/action is punished versus what approach is rewarded? Do you reward bravery / boldness, exploration / experimentation, comedy/mischief, caution, strategic anticipation / forward thinking, economy of action / efficiency, fictional speculation / narrative conjecture, kindness, wisdom, caution, courtesy/etiquette in character conduct, rape, heroism...?
As described in the past, generally in my games any suggestion or action that leads me to creating and exploring more interesting lore for the world is rewarded. Sometimes there are a few set puzzles or hidden situations but any unusual or memorable nonobvious solution to them might be accepted, not just the predetermined one. Eventually repeated attempts at formulaic or obvious repetitive actions usually lead to a game ending.
