| rdfs:comment | - Heroes come in all shapes and sizes; there are those who Jump At The Call and those who Refuse The Call. Whether reluctant or adventurous, stories with these heroes can start Easing Into the Adventure by introducing the hero well before they get their wooden sword and very first Fetch Quest in their peaceful hometown; with a young Bob doing chores, playing with friends, having a heart to heart promise with Alice, fighting and losing to the Jerk Jock who teases them. The usual. While we've seen it a million times, it's still a classic. See also Good Morning, Crono. Contrast In Medias Res.
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| abstract | - Heroes come in all shapes and sizes; there are those who Jump At The Call and those who Refuse The Call. Whether reluctant or adventurous, stories with these heroes can start Easing Into the Adventure by introducing the hero well before they get their wooden sword and very first Fetch Quest in their peaceful hometown; with a young Bob doing chores, playing with friends, having a heart to heart promise with Alice, fighting and losing to the Jerk Jock who teases them. The usual. This helps us see the hero "before" and better appreciate Character Development, provide exposition, and generally build up slowly rather than quickly to the story's actions. In video games, it can Justify The Tutorial. It also makes their motivations for adventuring, returning home, and fear of losing (or pain at having lost) their hometown all the more poignant. It does raise the danger of losing fans who would like the actual story and attracting (briefly) fans who will not, because the opening is not indicative of the story. Notably, if the peaceful hometown survives the hero's Call, there will be a Jerk Jock that the hero will return to face and handily beat, as well as a girl he wanted to woo who he now either marries, or spurns in favor of the girl he met on the voyage. This is so common in RPGs, be they Western or Eastern, that they might as well patent it -- the "faffing about" part makes for great tutorial material. While we've seen it a million times, it's still a classic. See also Good Morning, Crono. Contrast In Medias Res. Examples of Easing Into the Adventure include:
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