Character Development

The Goals of Character Design

• In many genres, games structure gameplay around characters

• Characters should be distinctive and credible• Good character design aims to create

characters that are:o Compelling and believableo Easy for the player to identify with and care abouto Competently constructed – well drawn or well

described

The Relationship Between Player and Avatar

• Varies considerably from game to game• Factors that influence the relationship include:

oWhether the player designed the avatar himself,o If the player can see and hear the avatar,o How the player controls the avatar’s movements

Player-Designed Avatar Characters

• Some games give players considerable freedom to design an avatar to their own specifications

• The player chooses the avatar’s physical attributes and other details that can directly affect the way the avatar performs

• The player creates the avatar’s personality

Player-Designed Avatar Characters

The Lord of the Rings Online gives the player many options for designing his own avatar.

Specific and Nonspecific Avatars

• Nonspecific avatarso The avatar acts as an empty shell for the player to

inhabit, so appearance and personality are left unspecified

o Very limiting to the designero Are completely controlled by the player, so they

seem like visitors to the world• Specific avatars

o Games with strong storylines use detailed characters with their own history and personality

The Effects of Different Control Mechanisms

• Direct controlo The player steers their avatar through the game

worldo The player sees the avatar as an extension of

himselfo The avatar is treated like a puppet or tool ofthe player

The Effects of Different Control Mechanisms

• Indirect controlo The player points to

where he wants the avatar to go, and the avatar walks there of its own accord

o The player feels more like a disembodied guide than a personal inhabitant of the game world

Designing Your Avatar Character

• How do you want the player to relate to your avatar?• Think about how the player will control your avatar: directly

or indirectly?• The player will see the avatar all the time; it must be a

character the player can identify with, and shouldn’t possess qualities that players actively dislike

Designing Your Avatar Character

• Select the characteristics that will achieve your goals for the player-avatar relationshipo The more we know about the avatar, the more it

becomes differentiated from usoWith indirect control, the avatar is distinctly

someone else, with a mind of their ownoWith direct control, the avatar is to some degree

an extension of the player

Visual Appearances

• Art-driven character designo Think about a character’s visual appearance firstoWorks well for simple characters who don’t

change much during the course of the game• Story-driven character design

oWorks well for designing characters with complex personalities, and

o Characters whose behaviour or appearance change during the course of the game

Character Physical Types• Characters fall into three general categories:

o Humanoids• Have human-like characteristics; two arms, two legs, one head

o Nonhumanoids• Include characters shaped like vehicles or machines, animals, or monsters

o Hybrids• Include beings such as mermaids or human/machine combinations

• Art-driven characters are usually exaggerated in various ways to indicate a stereotype

Character Physical Types

• Four of the most common stereotypes are:o Cool characters• Never get too upset about anything• Often drawn as insouciant when standing still, but their

game actions are usually fast and focusedo Tough characters• Exemplify physical aggression – they are frequently

drawn with exaggerated height and bulk• Animations are usually big and abrupt, fast moving, and

aggressive

Character Physical Types

• Four of the most common stereotypes are:o Cute characters• Have a general demeanor of cheerfulness, they usually

look innocent and detached• Animations usually allow them to achieve things that

they physically could not accomplish in the real worldo Goofy characters• Are seldom upset by anything for long, have slightly

odd proportions and funny looking walks and other movements

Hypersexualized Characters

• Hypersexualization is exaggerating the sexual attributes of characters to make them more appealing

• Avoid hypersexualizing characters because:o They are clichéd, making it hard for players to take your game

seriouslyo It limits your market and seldom adds mucho They actively discourage older players, who’ve seen it all before, and female players

Clothing, Weapons, Symbolic Objects, and Names

• People express their personal style through clothing and accessories• In a video game, characters’ clothing allows the player to more

easily see who is whom• Unique identifiers are crucial for avatars• A character’s choice of weapons tells a lot about them• Transferring a symbolic object can transfer a magical power or statusto another character• Using names that represent a stereotypical group or ethnicity lends characters a cartoonlike style

Color Palette• Choose a color palette that reflects character’s attitudes

and emotional temperament• Use a signature color for the player’s character to keep

them visually distinctive• Characters can share a palette if the proportions of the

colors vary between individuals

Sidekicks

• Allow you to give the player additional moves and other actions that would not be believable in a single character

• Extend the emotional range of the game by showing the player a character with a different personality from the hero

• They can give information that the player wouldn’t necessarily get any other way