Character Composition Chapter 2 Video Game design composition

How is a character developed and then designed by an artist? In this presentation you will learn about character design. You will analyze what it takes to develop dominant characters and make them stand apart from other characters. You will explore the role and function of a character. You will detail the important aspects of designing characters. You will outline the character-design process.

Overview of Character design A story has a central premise – a basic idea or situation of the story – that forms the character – how s/he will act or respond to the changes in the story. The character’s qualities and personality will determine the choices s/he makes in a story. These are mapped out first. Once the personality is determined, the physical artistic work begins, including movement and expressions.

Developing character The two most identifiable and memorable features of a great game are gameplay and character. Characters do not happen by accident. There is a process by which they are developed. What is a character? A character is a motivated participant in a game. Characters have character – the talents, skills, abilities, etc. needed to complete the task of the game.

What types of characters exist? Protagonist – the main character of the story. Antagonist – the main adversary of the protagonist. PC – player character – the character that is controlled by the player. Avatar – an image used to represent the player in the game. Player-select avatars – the player can choose which avatar they would like to represent them. Game-select avatars – The game provides the avatar. It cannot be changed. Player-designed avatar – the player makes a unique avatar.

Non-Player Characters Non-player character (NPC) is any character controlled by the game instead of the player. Cooperative NPC – helps the player complete the game objectives. A sidekick is a subordinate to the player character. Competitive NPC – attempts to stop the player from reaching the objective. Bosses Minions Neutral NPC – not motivated by what the player is doing. Swarm – a collection of characters that move, act and behave as a single entity.

Driving Characters Gameplay-attributed character – a game character that only needs the realistic physical features required to complete the game objectives. Think of them as empty vessels. They have tangible features like strength, height, clothing, etc. but NO EMOTION associated with the story. Story-based character – conveys some portion of the game story. The main character is the most important story-based character. This character makes decisions. Intangible features are emotions, inner strength or fear, etc.

Designing Characters Background – create a character profile Conveying character – start building a physical character that reflects its profile. Context clues – information that leads a person to a conclusion. For example, big, strong physique = strong character. Semiotics – the science dealing with the meaning of symbols. Character archetypes – a universal character identifiable by any culture (crown = royalty) Hero Shadow Mentor Helper Guardian Trickster Herald

Character design process Create concept art – the first iteration of the visual appearance of a character. Create model sheets show different poses and viewing angles. Create movement sketches show a few frames of animation. Create expression sketches display body positions and facial expressions. Create sketches for weapons and accessories Create mockups – a physical representation of a character. A doll dressed in costume, for example. Create renderings – the computer model with colors, textures, etc. applied.