Better Game Characters by Design- P1 pot

[...]... not just game design, but character design for games A topic near and dear to my heart! I had no idea this kind of thing went on How amazing! And what good news for the future, right? If kids in college today are studying character design for games, then maybe the industry will be flooded with fresh talent just dying to make better characters and better games! (Not to say anything bad about games today—except... likely that a game s characters will be appealing both at the surface level and also within the ongoing context of game play itself, where a character is truly judged by players Better character interactions make the game more appealing, and that encourages the kind of word-of-mouth marketing that all game publishers hope for Making choices based on the player’s social experience of characters will... principles that I found most helpful in creating characters The Value of Improving Characters with Psychology There are plenty of things to worry about in the game- design process, and there are already models and advice books from cinema and fiction writing that can be xix O921-Prelims.qxd 5/19/06 11:15 AM Page xx PREFACE drawn upon when creating a game s characters Why add another layer of complexity?... what makes games fun Katherine discusses character design not just in terms of what is interesting to dissect, but also in terms of what will actually enhance the game experience After all, we’re not just making up characters for the sake of showing off, right? Well, maybe we’re doing that just a little bit But mostly we’re trying to make a rich experience for the player If the characters in a game have... skip And it can broaden the audience of a game by including players who care more about social interaction than the hard-core gamer might (see Part II for a discussion of taking multiple audiences into account when designing characters) How to Read This Book Here are some suggestions to help guide busy readers in getting the most from this book: • For those new to game design If this book is a textbook... today—except that the characters in them are really flat and boring and derivative clichés most of the time But I digress.) xvii O921-Prelims.qxd 5/19/06 11:15 AM Page xviii FOREWORD Anyway, the point is that I met Katherine and was surprised to find someone in academia who really plays games! And really likes games! I think you can see that in her book Katherine’s examples are from games that she has... address the core of the experience—the player’s active and unfolding engagement with the game world and the characters within it A character in a game should reveal itself in relation to the player and his or her actions and motivations The player’s character is that person’s physical, social, and emotional suit within the game A nonplayer character (NPC) exists most vividly for the player in the moments... on FOR AN ENTIRE SEMESTER I don’t want to bum anybody out who teaches game theory for a living, but for crying out loud that stuff is boring And after all was said and done, I’m still no better at that stupid game Maybe that is why I am, to this very day, a little uncomfortable around academics when they are talking about video games Or maybe it is just because of the drastically different perspectives... improving game character design Designers can use these principles to make characters that are more socially and emotionally powerful for the player and that are also more fun, engaging, and believable—all qualities that help enhance the game- play experience Reading this book will help any design team learn what great character designers do instinctively Each chapter includes relevant examples from games... making choices about the appearance and early behavior of characters Using these principles will enhance later game- play experience of these characters and the level of overall social and emotional engagement with the game itself Who Will Find Part I Most Useful Part I will be of greatest value to game designers, artists, and animators Programmers, audio specialists, and dialogue writers may also find it . design for games, then maybe the industry will be flooded with fresh talent just dying to make better characters and better games! (Not to say anything bad about games today—except that the characters. fundamental ideas, whether it be for games or for other applications. Better Game Characters by Design: A Psychological Approach Katherine Isbister Artificial Intelligence for Games Ian Millington Visualizing. Authors Leonard Daly and Donald Brutzman Game Physics Engine Development Ian Millington O921-Prelims.qxd 5/19/06 11:15 AM Page iv Better Game Characters by Design A Psychological Approach Katherine