Download - Computer Games - Character Design - Fundamentals

Story DevelopmentComputer Games

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Character Developmentin Video Games


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gOutline•Goals of character design•Relationship between player and avatar•Art-driven character design•Story-driven character design•Putting theory into practice•Summary


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gGoals of Character Design•Enhance story•Emotional response•Characters to identify with and care about•“Competently” constructed•Credible within the game style


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gGoals of Character Design•Create characters that people

•Find intriguing (even if a villain)•Can believe in•Can identify with

•Distinctive enough to be memorable


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Avatars•Player-designed•Specific & nonspecific avatars•Control mechanisms•Designing an avatar character


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gAvatar•Flexibility differs by genre

–Role-playing games usually greatest–Race, sex, hair, physical attributes, etc.

•Typically no personality but what is created•Goal is tools for players to create themselves


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gNon Specific Avatar•Designer doesn’t specify anything

•Text-based adventure games

•Allows very tight connection between player and avatar

• Dead Space’s Isaac Clarke

•Limiting for designer


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gSpecific Avatar•Goals

•Personality of their own •Belong in the game

•Begins with visual depiction•Player’s relationship more complex

•Identify with, not become •In extreme, avatar can reject player’s guidance

•The Longest Journey’s April Ryan


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Semi Specific Avatar•Only partially characterized

•Better to make cartoonish•Common with action game avatars

•Mario•Lara Croft

•“Beyond the bare facts of her biography, her perfect vacuity means we can make Lara Croft into whoever we want her to be.” – Steven Pool, “Lara’s Story”


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Control Mechanisms

Indirect (“point and click”)Doesn’t steer avatar, points to where to go. Player as disembodied guide friendMore likely specific avatar

DirectPlayer steers avatar through game world, doing a variety of actions as necessaryMore likely nonspecific or semi-specific


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Designing the Avatar

•Nonspecific, semi-specific or specific•Visual, psychological, social

•Direct or indirect control

•Goal: character the player can identify with qualities they can appreciate


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Visual Design•Realism doesn’t matter, self-consistency does

•Pac-Man•Lara Croft

•Purely artistic characters tend to be more superficial and one-dimensional

•Lets the player impose his own personality


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Character Physical Types•Humanoids•Non-humanoids•Hybrids


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gDefining Attributes•Clothing, weapons, symbolic objects, name•Color palette reflects character’s attitudes or emotional temperament

•Superman, upholder of “truth, justice, and the American way”: bright/cheery, American flag•Batman, Dark Knight of Gotham City (grittier, more run-down than Metropolis): somber


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Side Kicks•Most prominent common element in game design•Combine qualities (e.g. tough with cute) to provide variety and comic relief•Benefits

•Give player additional moves and actions•Extend emotional range of game•Can give player information they couldn’t get otherwise


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Story Driven Character Design• Starting with the story behind the

character and developing his traits and personality before considering his appearance

• Character dimensionality• Language & accent• Developing believable characters• Character growth• Character archetypes


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Character Dimensionality

• Zero-dimensional•May display only discrete emotional states

• One-dimensional•Have only a single variable to characterize a changing feeling or attitude

• Two-dimensional•Have multiple non-conflicting variables that express their impulses

• Three-dimensional•Have multiple emotional states that can produce conflicting impulses


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Language & Accent• Key cue to character’s personality

›Vocabulary – age, social class, education›Grammar and sentence construction – education and class›Accent – place of origin and social class›Delivery (speed and tone) – excitement, boredom, anxiety, suspicion, attitude or emotional state›Vocal quirks – distinguishing

• Sound effects also tell about personality›Confirm player’s command›Signal injury, damage, death›Pitch describes


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Believable Characters• Major characters need rich personalities

•Answer many questions about them•Where was he/she born?•What is his/her education?•What are his/her favorite activities?•What were his/her biggest triumphs in life?•What are his/her interesting or important possessions?•Etc.

•Show through appearance, language, and behavior


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Believable Characters

•Attributes – location, health, relationships, etc.

•Can change as the player plays the game•Status attributes: change frequently and by large amounts•Characterization attributes: change infrequently and only by small amounts or not at all


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gBelievable Characters•Three golden guidelines to developing effective, believable characters

•Needs to intrigue the player•Needs to get the player to like him•Needs to change and grow according to experience


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Character Growth•Must include growth to have a meaningful story•Growth varies by genre•Must decide:

–Which characters will grow–How they will grow–Implementation in game–Affect on gameplay–Representation to player


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Character Growth


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gCharacter Archetypes• Hero

•Outer problem is aim of game•Inner problem is flaw or dark secret

• Mentor•Guide character

• Higher self•Hero as he aspires to be

• Ally•Meant to aid the hero

• Shape shifter

• Form changer• Threshold guardian

• Progress delayer• Trickster

• Mischief maker• Shadow

• Ultimate evil• Herald

• Used to facilitate change in the story