Table Of ContentComputer Game Development S
L
O Virtual
A
N
Virtual Character Design
Character
for Games and Interactive Media
While the earliest character representations in video games were rudimentary
Design
in terms of their presentation and performance, the virtual characters that
appear in games today can be extremely complex and lifelike. These are
characters that have the potential to make a powerful and emotional connec-
tion with gamers. As virtual characters become more intricate and varied,
there is a growing need to examine the theory and practice of virtual character
V
design. This book seeks to develop a series of critical frameworks to support
the analysis and design of virtual characters. i for Games and Interactive Media
r
t
Virtual Character Design for Games and Interactive Media covers a u
breadth of topics to establish a relationship between pertinent artistic and a
scientific theories and good character design practice. Targeted at students, l
researchers, and professionals, the book aims to show how both character
C
presentation and character performance can be enhanced through careful
consideration of underlying theory. h
a
The book begins with a focus on virtual character presentation, underpinned r
by a discussion of biological, artistic, and sociological principles. Next it looks a
at the performance of virtual characters, encompassing the psychology of c
emotion and personality, narrative and game design theories, animation, and t
acting. The book concludes with a series of applied virtual character design e
examples. These examples examine the aesthetics of player characters, the r
design and performance of the wider cast of game characters, and the
D
performance of characters within complex, hyperreal worlds.
e
Features:
s
i
• Reviews the scientific, sociological, and artistic literature pertinent to g
character design, and presents this information in a manner accessible n
to both practitioners and researchers
• Develops a series of critical frameworks that can be used to analyze
existing characters in video games and other interactive media
• Recommends effective virtual character design approaches that can be
applied across a range of platforms, technologies, and game genres
• Makes connections between the theory and practice of character design
through case studies of innovative video games
K20875
ISBN: 978-1-4665-9819-5
Robin J.S. Sloan
90000
9 781466 598195
Virtual
Character
Design
for Games and Interactive Media
Robin J.S. Sloan
ABERTAY UNIVERSITY, DUNDEE, UK
Boca Raton London New York
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Version Date: 20150407
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Contents
Acknowledgments, vii
About the Author, ix
Introduction, xi
Section i PreSentation
chaPter 1 ◾ A natomy and Physical Cues 3
ANATOMY 4
Body Proportions 5
Body Type 6
Sex Differences 9
PHYSICAL CUES 13
Attraction 13
Health 15
Age 19
SUMMARY AND ACTIVITY 21
REFERENCES 23
chaPter 2 ◾ V isual and Audio Design Principles 25
LINE AND SHAPE 26
SILHOUETTE 30
COLOR 33
VISUAL STYLE 38
iii
iv ◾ Contents
SOUND DESIGN FOR VIRTUAL CHARACTERS 44
Diegetic, Synchronous, and Empathetic Sound 45
Sound Motifs 48
SUMMARY AND ACTIVITY 48
REFERENCES 50
chaPter 3 ◾ R epresentation, Customization,
and Transformation 51
IDENTITY 52
REPRESENTATION 53
Gender and Sexuality 55
Ethnicity, Religion, and Nationality 60
Age and Social Class 63
CUSTOMIZATION 67
TRANSFORMATION 71
SUMMARY AND ACTIVITY 73
REFERENCES 76
Section ii Performance
chaPter 4 ◾ P ersonality, Emotion, and Expression 81
PERSONALITY 82
Personality Traits and the Five- Factor Model 82
Individual Attitudes 84
Political Views 87
Balancing Personality Design for Virtual Characters 89
EMOTIONAL STATES 92
Emotions as Adaptive Behaviors 94
Emotion and Virtual Character Performance 96
EXPRESSION 97
Posture and Proximity 97
Facial Expression 101
Voice and Emotional State 103
Contents ◾ v
SUMMARY AND ACTIVITY 105
REFERENCES 107
chaPter 5 ◾ C ontext, Story, and Gameplay 109
CORE AND SHELL 110
NARRATIVE SHELL 112
Setting and Backstory 112
Archetypes and Stereotypes 114
Interactive Plot 120
Narrative Mode 123
Thematic Statements 126
GAMEPLAY CORE 128
Video Game Genres 128
Gameplay Design 131
Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics 134
Flow 136
SUMMARY AND ACTIVITY 138
REFERENCES 140
chaPter 6 ◾ A cting, Movement, and Animation 143
THINKING AND ACTING 144
STANISLAVSKI’S SYSTEM 146
MOVEMENT 149
ANIMATION PRINCIPLES 152
ANIMATION METHODS 161
MIXED- METHODS ANIMATION 164
SUMMARY AND ACTIVITY 166
REFERENCES 168
Section iii Practice
chaPter 7 ◾ C ontrol: The Aesthetics of Playable Characters 171
ROLE EMBODIMENT 172
ROLE FULFILLMENT 175
vi ◾ Contents
ROLE PROJECTION 178
CHARACTER FLOW 181
SUMMARY 183
chaPter 8 ◾ C ast: The Aesthetics of the Virtual Ensemble 185
CHARACTER APPEAL 186
DEPENDENCY 190
CO- PROTAGONISM 194
SUMMARY 198
chaPter 9 ◾ C omplexity: The Aesthetics
of Hyperreal Characters 201
THE UNCANNY VALLEY 202
THE TURING TEST 206
VIRTUAL KNOWLEDGE 210
CONCLUSION 212
REFERENCES 213
GLOSSARY, 215
LUDOGRAPHY, 217
Acknowledgments
I’m grateful to both my colleagues in academia and my friends in the
games industry for the many conversations about virtual characters we’ve
had over the last few years. I am also thankful to my undergraduate and
postgraduate students, both past and present. Arguably one of the most
rewarding aspects of university life is getting to work with students who
are so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their subject. And with so
many of them now in top games jobs around the world, I’m grateful that
they continue to keep me informed about developments in game making.
It is clear to me that this book would never have been written if my
parents hadn’t purchased a ZX Spectrum when I was six years old. My
fascination with playing, writing, and building games can be traced to
the day that I loaded Manic Miner for the first time. More recently, if it
wasn’t for my patient wife, I would never have found the time to assemble
these chapters into a more coherent whole. All the while, my daughter has
insisted that I come outside and play. With the book now complete, I guess
it is time to venture outside—at least until she gets the hang of Mario Kart.
vii
