Show, Don't Tell!
Don't speak. I know what you're thinking, and I don't need your reasons...
Don't speak. I know what you're thinking, and I don't need your reasons...
Hosted by risefromtheashes (winner of the "Don't Be a Hero" case competition), glo-shroom, and clcman.
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The Hero's Journey
The silent protagonist is a staple of video games: Portal, Undertale, Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, and a million other RPGs and platformers. Sometimes this is because of technical limits or production convenience (e.g. Chrono Trigger), and sometimes it's because the game doesn't need much dialogue to begin with (e.g. Super Mario Bros.), but sometimes it is a deliberate choice. A game's protagonist might be a "man of few words", similar to certain characters from TV or films, or the game might use other techniques to convey its protagonist's words and thoughts without writing them in a textbox. If integrated seamlessly, the player won't fully internalize that their character never said anything on-screen - whether the protagonist is actually speaking in-universe or not.
A well-written silent protagonist will benefit their story more than if they had just spoken their thoughts out loud to the player.
[*] For example: A protagonist speaking or monologuing is the easiest, but least elegant way to deliver information. ("My name is Phoenix Wright. I'm a lawyer working at the Fey & Co. Law Offices.") Sometimes, a protagonist can absorb information better than they deliver it - in which case, a silent protagonist might listen to other characters describe ongoing events rather than deliver exposition directly to the player. Or, perhaps, something can be implied without a character directly saying it at all; instead, context clues and non-verbal indicators can help the player keep up to speed.
[*] Another example: Where a speaking protagonist will often be more uniquely characterized, in some cases, this can make it easier for a player to feel out of touch with their character. A silent protagonist whose words are implied rather than written outright may be easier for a player to project their thoughts onto, where otherwise they might find their character's words hard to follow or be turned off by their character's reactions to events.
[*] A third example: Perhaps a protagonist is actually non-verbal. They could be mute or deaf; they could be non-verbal for psychological reasons; they could be physically injured; they could be controlled by outside forces preventing them from speaking; maybe they just don't know the same language as the rest of the cast, so they choose not to talk. Whatever their reason is for not speaking, it can be integrated into the plot diegetically (meaning, it directly exists in the plot) and make for a unique narrative.
But what about Ace Attorney? Compared to a shooter like Half-Life or an RPG like Final Fantasy I, it is true that AA uses much more text than subtext, almost always relying on spoken dialogue or the protagonist's inner monologue to deliver information. But these are not the only tools the AA writer has access to. Sometimes, it's necessary to take a handicap to improve your skills - to give up your primary tool to give others a try. Think of this as being blindfolded, having to develop your other senses (hearing, touch, etc) to find your way when you cannot see.
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The Call to Adventure
Your task is to create a case with a protagonist who does not speak or monologue on-screen. Your silent protagonist may be the viewpoint character, the character controlled by the player, and/or the central character of the story. These do not all have to be the same character, but if you divide these roles among multiple characters, at least one of them must be a silent protagonist.
Feel free to put your own spin on the theme! Among other things, you can have multiple POVs, a metanarrative, or supernatural elements affecting your case's definition of "protagonist" - as long as you follow the spirit of this theme, there shouldn't be any problems. If you need additional clarification, ask and we shall provide! You can post any questions you have on this thread, or if you want your question to be private, feel free to PM us and we will do our best to help.
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Supernatural Aid
To help you with your task, here are some important clarifications on what does or doesn't qualify as a "silent protagonist". We've also included some examples for anyone who needs them. Keep in mind that these are not hard-and-fast rules, but if you plan to break them, make sure you know what you are doing and try to keep in the spirit of the theme. If it feels like you're technically meeting the requirements but dodging the spirit, that'll dock you some points.
1. You may not use white-text dialogue or blue-text monologue to voice the protagonist's words or thoughts. At your discretion, you may use one or two words of spoken dialogue infrequently during critical story moments or to provide intrigue, but we advise against this if you are uncertain.
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The Road of Trials
We will be judging your case by the following metrics:
Story & Characters
[*] How compelling is your narrative? Does it keep the player (us) engaged - or does it feel like a slog?
[*] Are your plot beats paced out well? Do scenes play for the right amount of time - or do they feel rushed, or dragged out?
[*] Is the flow of information easy to follow? Does exposition come naturally - or does it feel shoved in?
[*] Are the characters unique and memorable? Does the cast synergize well with each other, and do they conflict in interesting ways - or do they seem incompatible?
Gameplay & Mystery
[*] Does your gameplay synergize with your storytelling? Does it feel like the interactive segments contribute to the plot or characters - or does it feel like the narrative has to stop to give the player a chance to do something?
[*] If your case contains custom game mechanics: Are they fun? Do they add something to the gameplay experience - or do they feel like they could be removed without changing much?
[*] If your case contains a traditional mystery: Does everything make sense - or are there leaps in logic? Are investigation segments easy enough to follow - or does the player have to check the walkthrough just to know where to go? Are puzzles and contradictions fair, even if difficult, and do they account for all reasonable solutions - or is the player forced to answer puzzles in unintuitive ways?
Presentation
[*] Does your case have a cohesive soundtrack and art style? Do images and sounds seem like they fit - or do they feel jarring where you put them?
[*] If your case uses custom visuals/assets: Are they legible, and do they blend in well with the case's art style? Do they clearly communicate what they need to - or does the player have to pixel-hunt to find the important bits?
[*] Is your case free of presentation errors? Are visual and sound effects used appropriately - or is the screen flashing every few seconds? Does your case seem like it has been proofread** and playtested - or does it have a lot of typos and improperly merged or timed frames?
**We will not judge harshly on grammar and spelling, especially for entrants who don't speak English natively. We understand the difference between forgetting how a word is spelled and making an actual typo.
Theme Relevance
[*] Does your case benefit from a silent protagonist? Does their silence contribute something to the experience - to their characterization, to the story, to the flow of information - or does it feel like nothing would have changed if they were a speaking protagonist? Do they feel like a real person, and/or an effective vessel for the player - or do they come off as uninteresting, or a blank slate?
[*] How well do you use formal techniques to characterize your protagonist in lieu of dialogue? Does your case effectively use a variety of audiovisual and interactive methods - or does it rely too much on one or two specific methods?
[*] Does your protagonist's role in the story make sense? Do they integrate into your case cleanly - or does it feel like they are shoved in?
[*] If your protagonist is implied to speak: Are their intended words and actions implied clearly - or do they unintentionally confuse the player? If your protagonist is not implied to speak: do their reasons for being non-verbal make sense, and do they use alternative methods of communication effectively - or does their non-verbal nature seem gimmicky?
[*] If you choose to redefine the protagonist role for your case, such as with a metanarrative: Does your case break convention in a way that benefits it? Does the player character still come off as a silent protagonist - or does it seem that they only technically meet that requirement?
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The Ordeal
[*] Entries must be created between January 18 and April 18, 2025.
[*] Entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time on April 18, 2025. A 24-hour grace period will be provided in case of technical difficulties or last-minute changes.
[*] Entrants must declare their intention to join the comp in this thread before the deadline has passed.
[*] Entries must be submitted to all three hosts - risefromtheashes, glo-shroom, and clcman - via AAO PMs with a walkthrough included.
[*] Entries must not be edited after submission, except to fix game-breaking bugs, until all three hosts' reviews have been released.
[*] Entries must not be showcased until all three hosts' reviews have been released.
[*] Entries may contain spoilers for the first four Ace Attorney games. Entries may not contain spoilers for the spin-offs or 3DS releases.
[*] Entries may not contain spoilers for 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors. Spoilers for other franchises must be specified.
[*] Entries may fall under the following categories: trial, investigation, comedy, or miscellaneous.
[*] Entries may be incomplete upon submission.
[*] Entries may be created in collaboration with up to three users. Hosts and entrants must not playtest other people's entries.
[*] Entries must be created in English and on AAO.
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Challengers
[*] DJJ6800 & Msipp26
[*] Bannedfrom7
[*] Jofe
[*] parcark
[*] DeathByAutoscroll & Rummy
[*] Aoiakaishioni
[*] papaouté
[*] omroom
[*] XavierWright
[*] MegaEdgeworth3
[*] SproutTrout
[*] GuardianDreamer
[*] skyem
