Your ideal/favorite playable character

I'd like for once that in an Anime-style RPG, the main character wasn't so 'pretty'. I've noticed that through the FF series (since 7), the main characters are always too good looking.
I think I'd probably like a main character to look more rugged and believable (especially if it's a warrior-type character). Maybe something like Barret in FF7...

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Original post by tuita I'd like for once that in an Anime-style RPG, the main character wasn't so 'pretty'. I've noticed that through the FF series (since 7), the main characters are always too good looking. I think I'd probably like a main character to look more rugged and believable (especially if it's a warrior-type character). Maybe something like Barret in FF7...

...or Raziel from Soul Reaver?

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Original post by tuita I'd like for once that in an Anime-style RPG, the main character wasn't so 'pretty'. I've noticed that through the FF series (since 7), the main characters are always too good looking. I think I'd probably like a main character to look more rugged and believable (especially if it's a warrior-type character). Maybe something like Barret in FF7...

In Xenallure the main character is not particularly a warrior type - you are a generic near-future human dropped unexpectedly into a strange world. And Xenallure being a romance RPsim, one of the major goals of the gameplay is to court the NPCs, so it would actually make sense for the main character to be very handsome/pretty. But then again, the gameplay does include fighting, hunting, repairing busted machinery, so a more rugged appearance could work too. I don't know that I'd want to watch Barret compete at a DDR competition though, rotfl.

I don't think the player should be bound to have a predetermined look to their character. Given them an option between appearance will greater immerse them in the gameplay and give more value to the character. This is only my personal opinion though.

I have nothing against "pretty" charcters so long as they're beautiful women like the following lovely ladies:

Aya Brea (Parasite Eve):


Tifa Lockheart (Final Fantasy 7):


Tanya (Red Alert 2):


Princess Li'sar (Battle for Wesnoth):


What can I say? I find women to be far more visually appealing than men. In fact: while playing a game I often think, "This game is pretty good, but it'd be even better if every character were a hot girl."

spikey hamster ball ftw.

If that's not an option I agree with ArchWizard

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Original post by Rob Loach I don't think the player should be bound to have a predetermined look to their character. Given them an option between appearance will greater immerse them in the gameplay and give more value to the character. This is only my personal opinion though.

We would like to do that if we weren't already aiming for more features than we can easily implement. It's not a high enough priority and would take a lot of work to make the main character's appearance customizable. One male version and one female version of the main character, not to mention alternate-race versions of the main character, is already more than complex enough.

I'd like to get rid of the extremes. Anime characters are often rake thin, or absurdly rotund, or have 0% body fat and insane muscular definition. They tend to look like anatomy studies by art students.

I'd say make the physical form as generic as possible, as far as figure and facial features go, so that the player can think of that character as an avatar, rather than seeing them as a person totally distinct from the player's own identity. Then use animations, behaviors and other "acting" elements to make that character fit into the story.

The player should think of the main character as "myself with a different personality".

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Original post by Iron Chef Carnage I'd like to get rid of the extremes. Anime characters are often rake thin, or absurdly rotund, or have 0% body fat and insane muscular definition. They tend to look like anatomy studies by art students. I'd say make the physical form as generic as possible, as far as figure and facial features go, so that the player can think of that character as an avatar, rather than seeing them as a person totally distinct from the player's own identity. Then use animations, behaviors and other "acting" elements to make that character fit into the story. The player should think of the main character as "myself with a different personality".

Actually in Xenallure the main character has no personality of his/her own, it's created through the player's dialogue and action choices. But I agree that the main character shouldn't be extreme-looking, for the very reason the his/her appearance should seem an appropriate match to any personality. On the other hand I think it's important to have physical diversity among the courtable NPCs so there's someone for every player's taste.

This is my favorite character in SS series:


in-game image:


Mainly because she looks the most normal compared to other characters with humongous boobs, weird hairstyle, unusual clothes and look. Once a character is added with too much accessories and style, it loses its charm. I like it simple and cool.

I agree with Iron Chef Carnage's suggestion that it would be best to have a "generic hero/heroine" type look. Firstly because you won't alienate that many people with a "weird" look (such as overdone hairstyles or crazy clothes), and secondly given that nearly everyone else in Xenallure will be pretty odd looking and alien giving the main PC a "generic" look would, in my view, actually help them stand out in that world as the hero/heroine.

I'm gonna have to go with Marle...

You've already said that customization isn't an option, so you're going to have to go with a style that fits in the game. Since it seems to be an urban based (?) game, generic seems to the way to go. Short, ruffled hair for the male and shoulder-length (or a ponytail) for the female. I prefer dark hair and eyes for both geners, but brown hair and dark eyes for the male and blonde hair and blue eyes seems fitting for the "generic" theme.

On a side note:

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Original post by ArchWizard Tanya (Red Alert 2):

Kari Wuhrer is the yummy. If you ever want to see her being exceptionally sexy, rent "Red Blooded American Girl II". It's a garbage flick, but man is she sexy.

Not that I expect you to use this character, but I like this guy. I don't know why he has a patch of white hair though because I've never seen that in any of the books. He also isn't exactly handsome [grin]

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Original post by GroZZleR You've already said that customization isn't an option, so you're going to have to go with a style that fits in the game. Since it seems to be an urban based (?) game, generic seems to the way to go. Short, ruffled hair for the male and shoulder-length (or a ponytail) for the female. I prefer dark hair and eyes for both geners, but brown hair and dark eyes for the male and blonde hair and blue eyes seems fitting for the "generic" theme.

The male and female character are supposed to be male and female versions of the same person, not different people. So, they will have the same hair and eye colors, whichever colors we decide on. They will also have the same outfit, in male and female versions. Possibly jeans and sneakers. Estok a long time ago suggested giving them sunglasses to make them look more anonymous, so that's an option I'm considering.

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Original post by nprz Not that I expect you to use this character, but I like this guy. I don't know why he has a patch of white hair though because I've never seen that in any of the books. He also isn't exactly handsome [grin]

Hey, it's guts/gattsu! I always though Ashley, the playable character of Vagrant Story, looked rather like him, particularly his eyes and jaw structure.

easy

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Original post by sunandshadow The male and female character are supposed to be male and female versions of the same person, not different people. So, they will have the same hair and eye colors, whichever colors we decide on. They will also have the same outfit, in male and female versions. Possibly jeans and sneakers. Estok a long time ago suggested giving them sunglasses to make them look more anonymous, so that's an option I'm considering.

I'm not so sure about sunglasses; wouldn't that make it a lot harder to show character emotion? It will work if your PC is meant to be emotionally blank (a bit like J.C. in Deus Ex), but in a romance-based RPG I think that might work against you a bit.

In order to enforce some sense of genericness, could you put the hero/heroine in some sort of uniform? This worked quite well in Fallout, where the PC starts off in a blue jumpsuit with the number 13 on the back (because everyone from the hero's vault wears that). I can't remember the backstory of your game that clearly, but if the PC was part of some sort of scientific or exploratory team it would make sense to give them some sort of standard uniform. This could also act as an identifier for the PC's teammates (if I remember the story, weren't there a couple of people from the same team scattered across the world)?

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Original post by Neil Kerkin Quote: Original post by tuita I'd like for once that in an Anime-style RPG, the main character wasn't so 'pretty'. I've noticed that through the FF series (since 7), the main characters are always too good looking. I think I'd probably like a main character to look more rugged and believable (especially if it's a warrior-type character). Maybe something like Barret in FF7... ...or Raziel from Soul Reaver?

I grew to like Kain a lot better than Raziel, to each its own [smile]