COMM 344 - Video Game Character Archetypes

                For my blog series I would like to illuminate the different types of character classes we see in video games, board games, and even in film and television.  These archetypes are present in almost any fantasy setting because of the versatility and teamwork capabilities they possess.  When many different roles are being filled by different persons a task such as defeating an antagonist or solving a puzzle becomes a project where all of the characters must work together to provide the help that only they can.  Seeing a cast of heroes that all have different strengths, weaknesses, and abilities creates diversity amongst the heroes, and when antagonists can fill these roles as well the subsequent quest can be full of surprises.
                Tracing back to the earliest versions of Dungeons & Dragons, we are aware of four main types of characters.  A fighter, usually in the form of a knight or a warrior, is your basic tank (a character that can both deal and take damage very well).  A thief is a weak but nimble class that can vary into the realms of assassins or rogues that utilize speed as their biggest asset.  The third class is the Mage who prefers magic over physical attacks to deal damage with elemental based properties (fire, water, wind, earth, etc.).  Lastly, a Cleric or a healer that provides support for the rest of the party and can use their holy-based magic to deal damage to the undead. 
                These four classes alone provide many different scenarios and traits that have shaped the stories of Role Playing Games for over a decade.  But in this day and age there are far more classes than just these four.  Through combining these classes we come up with new classes (such as combining a fighter and a healer to create a Paladin, or a holy knight) and these new classes can be customized even further in today’s games.
                 I would like to expand on not only the different classes we are presented with today, but to also give many examples of the characters in our media that fit these roles.  Even television shows that do not take place in a fantasy setting have archetypes that play off of the abilities that these fictional characters possess, and how these classes act in and out of battle are also a topic of interest for me.  The way that classes interact with each other can be fascinating in that they can cause conflict within themselves.  For example most thieves don’t like to work in groups, so often times we see them being the “loners” of the group.  The medic is usually a gentle, kind individual that devotes their efforts into making sure everyone is in fighting condition.  There are definitely exceptions to these, and researching how character developers are refreshing these classes will be something else I would like to touch on.  By the end of this semester I will be able to determine not only the history of these characters, but perhaps what designers have in store for them in the future as well.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FantasyCharacterClasses

http://www.edge-online.com/features/game-design-archetype-vs-stereotype