Motivation for our main character or an evil person is really important in an RPG. We want to know WHY our hero is saving the world, or WHY does the dark prince want to take over the world, and not just because they want to. You also cannot just whip up some characters to add to your RPG, they need to have a little bit of background. Or, if their past is shrouded in mystery, make it come to him over time.

MOTIVATION
Ex, Andrew did his chores because he was getting paid.

The only reason I would do chores was to get paid, MONEY, MOOLA, RUPPEES, whatever (not GP, XD). I might do those chores out of my kind little heart, but don’t count on it. Now, taken to a more extreme level…

Why might your hero in your game be doing what he is doing? Chances are he was to get paid, but that’s not always the case. No one would save the world or kill the most powerful satanic creatures out of their kind little heart. Maybe these "satanic creatures" took your sister, or maybe they are going to enslave every human and turn them into clay chickens. Maybe it’s for some sort of lost love one. Whatever the reason, your hero needs to have a MOTIVE.

CHARACTER BACKGROUND
Ex, the only way Gary Coleman was hired on the set of "Diff'rent Strokes" was because he was the shortest black kid they could find.

Lets assume every other colored folk were tall, basket ball playing kids. Those "B-ball" kids would never get on the set because they didn't have the "size" of Arnold.

How does this relate to an RPG?

Character backgrounds are best expressed with feelings or emotions. Well, chances are, your character has certain feelings. We want these feelings to be expressed in a way that the player can almost seem to relate to the main character of an RPG. Place yourself as a NPC in an important event in your game. Does the dialogue seem to fit? Put it together so it makes sense.

CONCLUSIONS

Remember to treat your characters as real persons (yes, 16x24, 256 colors, and 12 anim. People may be hard at first). But these things are what make RPGs good, and a game can be easily ruined without these factors discussed in this article.