Charachter Design Template

[dontstephere]

<If you want to design a char for an upcoming game, please fill this out and repost. I need by tonight at 11:59 Western time.>




Are the game’s characters primarily art-based or story-based?
What style is your art-based character drawn in: cartoon, comic-book superhero, realistic, gothic, and so on? Will your character be exaggerated in some way: cute, super-sensual, or otherwise?
Do your art-based characters depend upon visual stereotypes for instant identification, or are they more subtle than that? If they are more subtle, how does their appearance support their role in the game?
Can the player tell by looking at the character how that character is likely to act? Are there reasons in the story or gameplay for wanting a character’s behavior to be predictable from his appearance, or is there a reason to make the character ambiguous?
If the game has an avatar, does the avatar have a sidekick? What does the sidekick offer the player – information, advice, physical assistance? How will the sidekick compliment the avatar? How will the player be able to visual distinguish between the two of them at a glance?
With a story-based character, how will you convey the character’s personality and attitudes to the player? Through narration, dialog, gameplay, backstory, or other means?
How does the character’s grammar, vocabulary, tone of voice, and speech patterns contribute to the player’s understanding of her?
Specifically in the case of avatar characters, what about the avatar will intrigue and interest the player?
What about the avatar will encourage the player to like him?
How will the avatar change and grow throughout the game?
Does the character (any character, not just the avatar) correspond to one of Campbell’s mythic archetypes: the hero, mentor, ally, threshold guardian, and so on? Or does he have a less archetypal, more complex role to play, and if so, what is it?

[DreamingInsane]

How is this.. Entertainment?


Edit: i'm an noob. Mainly I got mislead by all the "OMG YOUTUBE MAINSTREAM VIDEOS" and I forgot about the description of this forum, Sorry.

[dontstephere]

u make a char? its every gamers dream to have a character they designed in a game.

[Fehzor]

I have no idea if I'm "on time" or not for my assignment, or why there is a deadline on this, but...

Are the game’s characters primarily art-based or story-based?
-If I were to make a character for a game, I'd probably make it art based. Not sure though.

What style is your art-based character drawn in: cartoon, comic-book superhero, realistic, gothic, and so on? Will your character be exaggerated in some way: cute, super-sensual, or otherwise?
-Probably gothic+cute. That would be... strange and awesome I guess.

Do your art-based characters depend upon visual stereotypes for instant identification, or are they more subtle than that? If they are more subtle, how does their appearance support their role in the game?
-My art based character(s) would not be a stereotype. That would be boring. I'd rather him/her/them be based more upon general underlying ideas and themes, that allude to things subtly.

Can the player tell by looking at the character how that character is likely to act? Are there reasons in the story or gameplay for wanting a character’s behavior to be predictable from his appearance, or is there a reason to make the character ambiguous?
-If there is a story, it would be better if the player could tell how the characters are going to act... to an extent. You'd want to control the player's thoughts on things throughout, by manipulating what they think the characters are going to do. If I were designing a character(s) for a game, I would try to make it fit its role by being ambiguous or obvious or whatever, as fits the story.

If the game has an avatar, does the avatar have a sidekick? What does the sidekick offer the player – information, advice, physical assistance? How will the sidekick compliment the avatar? How will the player be able to visual distinguish between the two of them at a glance?
-If there is a sidekick, the sidekick would be best either controlled by the player (as a part of the player, per say, like... many of the characters in RPGs), or the sidekick should indirectly be helping the player by doing small "helpfull" things (Like Donald+Goofy in Kingdom Hearts). The lead character would obviously be the player.

With a story-based character, how will you convey the character’s personality and attitudes to the player? Through narration, dialog, gameplay, backstory, or other means?
How does the character’s grammar, vocabulary, tone of voice, and speech patterns contribute to the player’s understanding of her?
-I rather like it when smiley faces pop up over the characters head, so I'd probably do that... The character's actions+words will obviously define what the player thinks of him, as will the characters vocabulary etc.

Specifically in the case of avatar characters, what about the avatar will intrigue and interest the player?
-Likely their style as a whole... (clothing, choice of weapon, attitude)

What about the avatar will encourage the player to like him?
-Whoever said I wanted the avatar to be liked? What if I wanted the avatar to be loathed? There is quite a bit to manipulate.

How will the avatar change and grow throughout the game?
-The avatars in most games typically end up going through major losses or transformations.. though I'm not sure if you mean like that, or as in, +25 exp. If its the second, I'd rather the character not have to grind. That just sucks.

Does the character (any character, not just the avatar) correspond to one of Campbell’s mythic archetypes: the hero, mentor, ally, threshold guardian, and so on? Or does he have a less archetypal, more complex role to play, and if so, what is it?
-I'm certain that some characters do, and that if you're making a sort of dry game that many will.

Most of these are rather ambiguous, and I can't tell if I'm answering a questionnaire, creating my own character, or what. Oh, and formatting isn't a bad idea.