CSE1GDT Character Building

Paul Taylor 2010

http://thecontaminated.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/super-mario-lego-building.jpg

Typical Character Depth

Book CharactersDeep mental / psychic struggles

Movie CharactersEmotional and physical struggles

Game CharactersAlmost entirely physical struggles

Types of Avatars

• Your choice of avatar is critical to the gaming experience

The word ‘Avatar’ is derived from Sanskrit, which refers to a god magically taking physical form on the earth, very fitting!

We want the player to project their consciousness into the

character

Avatar Type #1 - The Ideal Form

• An easy way to empower the player• Let them be someone great– James Bond– Nathan Drake– A Jedi Knight– The world’s best Poke-trainer

For the ideal form to work you MUST connect with a players appeal towards the character type

http://www.acepolls.com/uploads/0088/5535/Nathan_Drake.jpg

But Which Bond???http://www.gearlover.com/images/james-bond-height-chart1.jpg

Avatar Type #2 - The Blank Slate

• The opposite of the Ideal Form• This is a character which is so plain they can

be whatever the players mind decides• Stick Figures• Simple Characters• Invisible characters

http://a3.vox.com/6a00b8ea071cde1bc000c22526e35b604a-320pi

Blank Slate Characters

Scott McCloud:A simple character in a detailed world makes the player relate

to the characterDetailed worlds can seem alien, every detail that does not

match your mental image, reduces the player’s connectionA low detail avatar in the game will typically draw the players

towards it as their mental image of the avatar will rarely clash with it.

• Odd one out?

http://www.gossipgamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/1237687236272.jpg

WoW Characters

See: http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/31/avatar-days-short-examines-wow-characters-and-their-players/• Creepy!• Multidimensional Reality

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.urlesque.com/media/2010/04/penguinhandshake.jpg

The true Story of Lara Croft

Toby Gard – Designer of the original Tomb Raider and avatar Lara Croft

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Toby_Gard_-_E3_2005.jpg

• Drawing from fighting games such as Street fighter 2 and Virtua Fighter, Toby noted the male players enjoyed the ‘aesthetic appeal’ of the female characters.

• Toby realised that as Tomb Raider was to be in 3rd person, players would have to spend a lot of time looking at the back of their characters.

His conclusion was......

Players would rather “watch her bum than some bloke’s bum” (Beyond Game Design, p223).

Not the ideal catalyst for ‘girl power’ in gaming but it worked

In 2000, roughly 20-25% of Tomb Raider players were female. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lara_Croft)

February, 2009: “... Lara's image devolved from one of intelligence to a virtual blow-up doll.” (http://au.wii.ign.com/articles/955/955082p1.html)

http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/girl-power/2006/04/19/1145344091493.html?page=fullpage

The Theory: Gaze Theory

Gaze Theory: Theory of the relationship between the media, how it is observed, and how it is meant to be observed.

The Specific Term: Male GazeThe Meaning: Where scenes, scripts, etc are from

the typical male perspectiveThere is such a thing as ‘Female Gaze’ too

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MaleGaze

Character Development - Elliot Feldman

• Writer at Sony Online Entertainment

• Determine your main characters• Complete a bibliography for each character• Create an interaction diagram• Create dialogue for characters• Buy ‘The art of dramatic writing’ and

The Hero with a Thousand Faces’

http://i.ehow.com/images/a02/2k/e5/design-video-game-characters-1.3-800X800.jpg

Compelling Game Characters

Hopefully you’ve decided that great characters can take your game to the next level

If you haven’t go play Uncharted 2 - Now

Character Functions

• Why is the character in your game?• What should they do?• Or what do you need to get done, and who

could you create to fill the void?

Barry’s Excursion to the Meat Factory

Meat Factory Excursion Characters

• Hero : Barry• Mentor:• Companions: Barry Jr.• Enemies: Barry Jr’s Evil Twin BadBarry• Bosses:

Define and Use Character Traits

• A second approach to developing great characters is to define their traits

• Barry is: Strong, Quiet, Small, Tough• What traits would a companion need to roll

with Barry on his adventure?

Exploit the Interpersonal Circumplex

• Big Words! = Characters interacting!• In the psychology world this is represented as

a two axis graph– Friendliness (Hostile <-> Friendly)– Dominance (Dominant <-> Submissive)

• It is all relative to the character in the centre• You use it by placing the other characters

around this character

The Nice Version

http://www.ieeetclt.org/issues/april2005/index_image010.jpg

The Ugly Version!

http://media.photobucket.com/image/Interpersonal%20Circumplex/SKYNET_2007/Image2-4.jpg

Make a Character Web

• This is an extension on the Interpersonal Circumplex– Basically it is writing an explanation for each of the

positions characters take in the graph.

• Barry– Barry Sidekick: Barry finds them irritating, but

comforting to have around– Darth Barry: Barry’s nemesis he stands for everything

that Barry hates (including tomatoes)

Use Status

• In any interaction people fight for status– It is a lower level than talking, but always takes place

and someone always takes the higher status• Today I’m taking the higher status as lecturing

you• In the Army the chain of command dictates status

pretty effectively, and punishments are in place to keep the status tree standing

Conflicts and Changes are Interesting

Also make sure your NPCs’ do not take status away from the player accidentally!

Signs of StatusHigh Status:Being Relaxed, In Control, Strong Eye Contact, Not moving your

head, etc

Low Status:Fidgeting, Avoiding Eye Contact, Touching your own face, Being Tense, stumbling words, stuttering, etc

Status is also relative between characters!

Use the Power of Voice

• Great voice acting can be very powerful• In movies and theatre the actors read and amend

the script as they feel it should be.• The industry tends to write the game, create the

characters, then hire the voice actors.• Removed from their natural position of imagining

the character, actors are put in a position of fulfilling an existing character.

Use the Power of the Face

• Facial Expression makes up a HUGE amount of the language we transmit. Games are becoming more and more capable of divulging facial behaviours to players. Use it!

• Imagine watching a movie where all characters had a Paper Bag on their head – Ugly Bob style

http://teamghru.110mb.com/images/thrutheghru08/ugly_bob.jpg

Powerful Stories Transform Characters

• Study Films and Novels, you’ll see that the characters get transformed through the story.

• Meaningful changes in the key characters of a game will add interest to the story

• Imagine Lord of the Rings without Frodo going hard-ass? Or with Frodo hard-ass from the start?

Avoid Uncanny Valleyhttp://jonathanjoly.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/uncanny-valley1.jpg

The End!