I respectfully disagree with sunandshadow in his belief that the main character has to start the game without "baggage."

The problem with having a main character who knows intricate portions of the plot is that the player wants to learn things alongside him/her throughout the course of the game. This is what makes RPGs great. However, I can think of three methods to evade this problem.

First, you could have the main character be ashamed of what s/he has done, having her/him slowly coming to terms with what has been done. This way, the player still gets to discover the events in question throughout the game, and gets a deeper insight into the character as well.

Second, you could have the player follow the game through the eyes of a supporting character. From this perspective, not only does the player get to learn along with the character, but they get to experience a whole different range of emotions, too.

Lastly, and this is the one I'd recommend for this story, the main character could be afflicted with a type of memory loss. The game could start with him trying to find out who he is and why he has no memories, then he figures out why he has no memories (more on that below). Eventually, the main character learns that he assassinated someone, which makes him think he's evil. Finally, the whole truth comes out, and the game can move into its final phase.

Memory loss is a bit cliche', I know, but I think it fits in with your story quite well. Memory loss could be considered part of the banishment process, as it seems to be more about removal than punishment.

Perhaps the previous government instituted a policy which allows for people suffering from temporary insanity or PTSD who commit crimes to start over. The corrupt government, however, instead of placing him somewhere to start a new life, dropped him off on the other side of the world and left him for dead.

Starting the story off with the main character in a strange place with no memories gives you a lot of places to go with your storytelling. It also provides the perfect scenario for players to work their way through your story.

I have some other thoughts, particularly about the antagonist of the story, but I don't have the time currently.

Silentcupidz, I'm going to be honest and say that I have a hard time following the train of thought you laid down. There just isn't enough fleshed out to critique. *However* I like the basics of your idea and it seems like you have the creative wheels turning. Take these random thoughts for what they are worth.

You're looking to mix JRPG and western. To me, that points to a Trigun/Cowboy Bebop/Vampire Hunter D vibe (yes, I tknow that's three different vibes, but kinda the same.) :) There's an iPad game which recently hit that same groove called Squids:

What all of these have in common is that they are not primarily Modern/political/War, which is the first line in your description. The western genre only seems to make sense when based in the distant past or the distant future (ie, not modern). "Western" says to me "frontier, outlaws, lack of structure, on your own, very scant law enforcement." War says to me "one or more strong sides in opposition, moving armies around."

So to start, I think you need to really nail down the vibe you are looking for and write some world setting backstory. Describe the lands, the people, the political factions, until it becomes real in your mind. Then go back and throw away the stuff that doesn't fit.

If the idea above is in a Western setting, it seems to me you are working a Homecoming plot line. That is, someone with position, authority, or capability who loses everything, is left for dead, and comes back to correct the system from a new perspective. Movies in that vein include Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name trilogy, The Sword with No Name, The Man From Nowhere (not a western, though), and The Warrior's Way. In most of these cases, the exile is self-imposed or mutual. It is also typical that the society the protaganist finds himself in must remain unaware of his background. This is how the rpg vibe of starting from nothing is maintained. If the character reveals x, these y people will revolt/try to kill him/etc. So in essence the character begins from square one.

The explanation of why they don't just kill him is too convoluted. It is much simpler to simply show a few beats in the backstory:

1) MC finds out truth.

2) Government finds out MC knows truth.

3) Sham trial. "Guilty. Sentenced to banishment."

4) In the truck out of town, higher up says "Make sure the banishment is permanent." MC is shot and left for dead, rescued by a passerby, and healed up. --or-- there is some transparency, such as a news crew following the story, which prevents MC from being killed.

The rest of the story is MC fighting his way back in a race against time.