characters characters Protagonist - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

charactersSlide2

characters

Protagonist

Usually hero

Outer and inner problems

Antagonist

Sidekick

Servant

Pet

NPCs

Merchant

Trainer

Quest giver

Higher selfSlide3

Threshold

guardian

Progress delayer

Trickster

Mischief maker

Herald

Used to facilitate change in the story

Character roles

Higher self

Hero as he aspires to be

Mentor

Teaches the hero

Ally

Meant to aid the hero

Shadow

Ultimate evilSlide4

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 gameAffect on gameplayRepresentation to playerSlide5

Character GrowthSlide6

Goals of Character Design

Enhance story

Emotional response

Characters to identify with and care about

Credible within the game styleSlide7

Goals of Character Design

Create characters that people …

find intriguing (even if a villain)

can believe in

can identify with

Distinctive enough to be memorableSlide8

Player-Designed Avatars

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

themselvesSlide9

Nonspecific Avatars

Designer doesn’t specify anything

Text-based adventure games

Allows very tight connection between player and avatar

Half-Life

’s Gordon Freeman

Limiting for designerSlide10

Specific Avatars

Goals

Personality of their own

Belong in the game

Begins with visual depiction

Player’s relationship more complex

Identify with, not become Slide11

Semi-Specific Avatars

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”Slide12

Controlling avatars

Indirect (“point and click”)

Doesn’t steer avatar, points to where to go. Player as disembodied guide friend

More likely specific avatar

Direct

Player steers avatar through game world, doing a variety of actions as necessary

More likely nonspecific or semi-specificSlide13

Designing the Avatar

Nonspecific, semi-specific or specific

Visual, psychological, social

Direct or indirect control

Goal: character the player can identify with qualities can appreciateSlide14

Art-Driven Character Design

Creating a character by first thinking about his visual appearance

Visual design

Character physical types

Physical design

Defining attributes

SidekicksSlide15

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 personalitySlide16

Character Physical Types

Humanoids

Non-humanoids

HybridsSlide17

Physical Design

Methods to attract

Hypersexualization

Cuteness

Cartoonlike qualities

Cool, tough, cute, goofy

Culture differences in art styles

Japanese: large eyes and tiny/huge mouths

Cute faces with sexually provocative women

European: often ugly and strange to AmericansSlide18

Defining 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): somberSlide19

Sidekicks

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 otherwiseSlide20

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 archetypesSlide21

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 impulsesThree-dimensional

Have multiple emotional states that

can produce conflicting impulsesSlide22

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 – distinguishingSound effects also tell about personality

Confirm player’s commandSignal injury, damage, death

Pitch describesSlide23

Believable Characters

Major characters need rich personalities

Answer many questions about them

Where was he born?

What is his education?

What are his favorite activities?

What were his biggest triumphs in life?What are his interesting or important possessions?

etc.Show through appearance, language, and behaviorSlide24

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 allSlide25

Believable 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