Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
member of the party, then that character is effectively the player's avatar (though
some games require that more than one character survive). The player usually sees
the avatar onscreen more than any other character if the game is presented in the
third person. Displaying the avatar requires the largest number of animations, which
must also be the smoothest animations, or you risk annoying the player. The avatar's
movements must be attractive, not clumsy, unless clumsiness is part of the avatar's
character.
The nature of the player's relationship with the avatar varies considerably from
game to game. Whether the player designed the avatar herself, whether the game
displays the avatar as a visible and audible presence, how the player controls the
avatar's movements, and many other factors influence that relationship.
Player-Designed Avatar Characters
While most games have an established character as the player's avatar, role-playing
games, especially multiplayer online ones, almost always give players considerable
freedom to design an avatar to their own specifications. They can choose the ava-
tar's race, sex, body type, hair, clothing, and other physical attributes, as well as a
large number of other details, such as strength and dexterity, that have a direct
effect on the way the avatar performs in challenging situations. (For more informa-
tion on these attributes, see Chapter 15, “Role-Playing Games.”)
Figure 6.1
shows
an example character creation screen from
The Lord of the Rings Online
. In such
games, the avatar is a sort of mask the player wears, a persona she adopts for the
purposes of the game. Because the player herself designs the avatar, the avatar has
no personality other than what the player chooses to create. In such games, then,
your task as a game designer is not to create avatars for the players but to provide
the necessary tools to allow players to create avatars for themselves. The more
opportunities for personal expression you can offer, the more the players will enjoy
exercising their creativity.
FIGURE 6.1
The Lord of the Rings Online
gives the player many
options for designing her
own avatar.
