Charachter Design Template
Posted: November 6th, 2011, 5:26 pm
<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?
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?