Designing Your Character - Game Character Development with Maya - page 2

In this first chapter I will share my own thoughts about the character design process, and
in particular my ideas about designing the two main characters that we will develop as we
work through this topic.
What Makes a Successful Character?
Designing a character can be difficult; not only have you got to be fresh and original, but
youmustalsobeabletocommunicateyourideastoothersthroughyourartwork.Youdon't
have to be an excellent traditional artist; all you need at this point is the ability to roughly
sketch your ideas and put them onto paper for others to see. Once the sketches are ap-
proved, you can spend more time creating better renderings of the concepts to flesh out
your basic ideas.
So what are key points to keep in mind when designing a successful character?
Target Audience —One of the first things to consider is for whom you are design-
ing this character. Who is the game aimed at? The design and style for the charac-
ter should fit the target audience's age group. If you are designing for a younger,
pre-teen player, the character could be more of a caricature or could have a cartoon
style with exaggerated proportions and bright colors. An adult audience will con-
nect better with a more realistic hero.
Player Identification —As with the characters in a film, the more players can
identify with the game hero, the more deeply they will be drawn into the game.
Players must want to be the character, to step into those shoes for the duration of
the game.
Character Depth —Your characters' personalities will contribute tremendously
not only to their visual design but also to the way they act. Their “background” is
what shapes their personality, so it's essential that you have good knowledge of the
characters' past and present.
Branding —If you are designing the main character for the game, it could be that
all advertisements will be based upon that character. With this in mind, the charac-
ter must be original and memorable as well as marketable.
Technical Considerations —We talk more about technical matters later in the
chapter. Knowing the technical limitations that affect your character will have an
impact on your design of that character.
The Game World —Finally, look at what the level/world builders in your game
are doing. Work together with them, so that your characters and their world fit to-
gether. If the styles compete, the character may look out of place, and you lose the
player's connection with the game hero.