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DESIGN A WORLD AROUND A CHARACTER OR DESIGN A CHARACTER AROUND A WORLD
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RedMask
1139
RedMask
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CloseI been working on a new game and an interesting problem arose.
The main character of this new game is someone from my previous game who happens to have a very large hair style. When I had her go through a door way, I noticed the sides of her hair didn't quite fit and went through the edges of the door. I suppose its not a big deal but I thought maybe I can do something to fix said visual glitch. My first idea was to make the doors of the game wider (design a world around a character) but there are plenty of short haired people in the world to. So I'm thinking a better solution might be to have certain narrow doors scrunch her hair. Which would just require a certain animation for the character(design a character around a world).
Anyway, just wanted to share my thoughts.
Would you rather design a world around a character or design a character around a world?
The main character of this new game is someone from my previous game who happens to have a very large hair style. When I had her go through a door way, I noticed the sides of her hair didn't quite fit and went through the edges of the door. I suppose its not a big deal but I thought maybe I can do something to fix said visual glitch. My first idea was to make the doors of the game wider (design a world around a character) but there are plenty of short haired people in the world to. So I'm thinking a better solution might be to have certain narrow doors scrunch her hair. Which would just require a certain animation for the character(design a character around a world).
Anyway, just wanted to share my thoughts.
Would you rather design a world around a character or design a character around a world?
I would probably think about designing the characters around the world in this case. If the characters had a more limiting handicap, like, say, being confined to a wheelchair (See: Myra from Soul Sunder), then, building the world around characters, and their limits (or to test those limits?) might make more sense.
spejoku
0
Well changing the hair animation is the easiest solution, but you raise an interesting question. Normally I think that characters are built alongside the world so you don't have this problem happen very often.
I think it depends on what idea you want to emphasize. Is your character an outsider to your setting, and thus needs to adapt and change what they do? or are they just a transplant of old assets, and who they are now should actually fit the world, story-wise? If your character and your world have visibly different graphical styles, then you can mess around with that in the story.
I don't know what you should do, but I think the question is really interesting.
I think it depends on what idea you want to emphasize. Is your character an outsider to your setting, and thus needs to adapt and change what they do? or are they just a transplant of old assets, and who they are now should actually fit the world, story-wise? If your character and your world have visibly different graphical styles, then you can mess around with that in the story.
I don't know what you should do, but I think the question is really interesting.
Design characters around the story you would like to tell. After all, they are the vehicle by which the story is conveyed to the reader.
Well I don't think this question means what most people are thinking it means. If you read what RedMask is saying he's actually asking if it's best to increase the height of doorways if your character is too tall.
I would say make the world around you make sense to the character you're in, unless you're going for a super surreal thing. I mean, if it's a place for small people, then the doors can be small. But depending on the person that built the house, they'd build the door large enough for normal people to go through.
I mean, for doors though, it's probably best if there's no visual glitches. If you can make the whole hair scrunching thing look seamless, then it'd be a pretty awesome thing to be honest. As a player, I'd be like "whoa, they took time to do that? That's cool." Unless the rest of the game suffers, then I'd be like, "they took too much time drawing a hair scrunching animation when they should have spent time making the game play well in other places." Personal judgement will factor in this.
If you want to do it, then do it. Do what you feel. People often don't know what they want until they have it. They think they know what they want, but more often than not, they don't. That's part of your job as the artist. To make things people don't know they like, but then realize they actually like it.
I would say make the world around you make sense to the character you're in, unless you're going for a super surreal thing. I mean, if it's a place for small people, then the doors can be small. But depending on the person that built the house, they'd build the door large enough for normal people to go through.
I mean, for doors though, it's probably best if there's no visual glitches. If you can make the whole hair scrunching thing look seamless, then it'd be a pretty awesome thing to be honest. As a player, I'd be like "whoa, they took time to do that? That's cool." Unless the rest of the game suffers, then I'd be like, "they took too much time drawing a hair scrunching animation when they should have spent time making the game play well in other places." Personal judgement will factor in this.
If you want to do it, then do it. Do what you feel. People often don't know what they want until they have it. They think they know what they want, but more often than not, they don't. That's part of your job as the artist. To make things people don't know they like, but then realize they actually like it.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
I thought this was going to be about story themes, and conflicts, and building compelling worlds that add value to your characters, and building compelling characters that add value to your worlds. About deciding whether you should come up with the ambiance and history and theology and government and appearance of the world first, and then design the personality and upbringing and goals and beliefs and flaws of your main characters to fit with them, or do it the other way around, or something in between.
but no it was about people fitting in doors
but no it was about people fitting in doors
yukipo
0
author=LockeZ
I thought this was going to be about story themes, and conflicts, and building compelling worlds that add value to your characters, and building compelling characters that add value to your worlds. About deciding whether you should come up with the ambiance and history and theology and government and appearance of the world first, and then design the personality and upbringing and goals and beliefs and flaws of your main characters to fit with them, or do it the other way around, or something in between.
but no it was about people fitting in doors
Can we talk about this instead?
Avee
5794
Hmm... it all depends on your intent as the author?
If you want to express an opinion about the game's world, characters designed around it may be used as "tools" to present that opinion. Example: FF13 I guess.
If you want to tell a story on an individual level, then the world provides the tools to develop/symbolize the character's theme. Example? Little Red Riding Hood, maybe?
You can of course get rid of either the world or characters and still manage to tell a story. But I find it more interesting, powerful and inspiring when both are related in numerous ways or reflect one another's themes.
Just quick late night thoughts.
If you want to express an opinion about the game's world, characters designed around it may be used as "tools" to present that opinion. Example: FF13 I guess.
If you want to tell a story on an individual level, then the world provides the tools to develop/symbolize the character's theme. Example? Little Red Riding Hood, maybe?
You can of course get rid of either the world or characters and still manage to tell a story. But I find it more interesting, powerful and inspiring when both are related in numerous ways or reflect one another's themes.
Just quick late night thoughts.
TheNecromancer
3160
author=LockeZ
I thought this was going to be about story themes, and conflicts, and building compelling worlds that add value to your characters, and building compelling characters that add value to your worlds. About deciding whether you should come up with the ambiance and history and theology and government and appearance of the world first, and then design the personality and upbringing and goals and beliefs and flaws of your main characters to fit with them, or do it the other way around, or something in between.
but no it was about people fitting in doors
HAHA I had been ignoring this topic and now decided to see what kind of discussion might be here. Was totally expecting to find what you thought.
Red_Nova
Sir Redd of Novus: He who made Prayer of the Faithless that one time, and that was pretty dang rad! :D
9192
author=Marrend
I would probably think about designing the characters around the world in this case. If the characters had a more limiting handicap, like, say, being confined to a wheelchair (See: Myra from Soul Sunder), then, building the world around characters, and their limits (or to test those limits?) might make more sense.
Interesting you should mention Soul Sunder. Originally, I had planned a lot more movement than just walking from point A to point B (climbing, jumping, etc.) But when I sat down to map the dungeons, I realized I had to make every area handicap accessible. It was an... interesting obstacle to navigate.
In general, I would lean more towards the idea of designing the world around the characters. Players who have gone through many RM games will be pleasantly surprised to see that something as seemingly basic as moving from one location to another has been given a layer of depth. This makes the world feel fresh, and helps the characters stand out as unique and interesting.
Redmask, yours seems to be an interesting case. Having the character's hair scrunch when you enter a door feels like a lot of unnecessary effort for you. Plus, as a player, I would find it to look hilarious if that were to happen since it would be so unexpected. As long as you're aware of both of those points, then go ahead and make her hair scrunch up.
author=yukipoauthor=LockeZCan we talk about this instead?
I thought this was going to be about story themes, and conflicts, and building compelling worlds that add value to your characters, and building compelling characters that add value to your worlds. About deciding whether you should come up with the ambiance and history and theology and government and appearance of the world first, and then design the personality and upbringing and goals and beliefs and flaws of your main characters to fit with them, or do it the other way around, or something in between.
but no it was about people fitting in doors
I think I'll make a thread about it :DDD
Red_Nova
Sir Redd of Novus: He who made Prayer of the Faithless that one time, and that was pretty dang rad! :D
9192
Oh, we're abandoning this thread? I thought RedMask was using his specific example to ask for help as well as a segue to the more broad question.
Oh. I see your point. Well, I already went ahead and made the topic, click here to view it. I apologize if I've just made something unneeded >.<;;;
author=LockeZ
I thought this was going to be about story themes, and conflicts, and building compelling worlds that add value to your characters, and building compelling characters that add value to your worlds. About deciding whether you should come up with the ambiance and history and theology and government and appearance of the world first, and then design the personality and upbringing and goals and beliefs and flaws of your main characters to fit with them, or do it the other way around, or something in between.
but no it was about people fitting in doors
Oh good, it wasn't just me...
RedMask
1139
author=Red_Nova
Oh, we're abandoning this thread? I thought RedMask was using his specific example to ask for help as well as a segue to the more broad question.
Well at least some people get what I was going for.
Anyway it's perfectly fine if another topic is made. If people feel more comfortable moving the conversation to that thread it's all good. I'll be sure to read the comments on that thread as well.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
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