The Hero's Journey: 3 of 12 - The Refusal of the Call

The refusal of the call is where the hero rejects the call to adventure. This can be on a small scale, such as a moment of personal doubt, or a brief rebellious outburst on the part of the hero. Generally in computer games there is no refusal of the call, especially when there is only one call. The refusal of the call is usually reserved for games that place more of an emphasis on story.

If multiple quests and subquests are offered, then the game has to allow for multiple refusals. As long as the main quest is taken care of, some of the smaller quests can be ignored without any serious penalty. If the hero is given two or more calls that conflict simultaneously, then it automatically creates dramatic tension. A well-known example is the choice between good or evil. The player's actions determine which call has been refused.

In some cases, the refusal of the call can be seen as a good thing, if the quest involves undertaking actions that would result in unpleasant consequences, such as killing innocent people.