When you create a character...

[gbemery]

This is just something I was wondering about. I never give it too much thought when I create a character in a game such as Mass Effect or recently Dragon Age: Origins, but when I do I usually make either the ugliest or goofiest looking character possible, especially in Saints Row 2 ( I finished with a fat guy with a strong Scottish accent wearing bermuda shorts, a tank top, some weird hat and a small pink camo backpack.)

Anyway I guess my question is what do you, the Escapist community, do when you play a game with a character creator, such as Fallout 3, Mass Effect etc, how do you model your character? After yourself, do you try to make the ugliest bastard you can, or do you just simply not put much effort in and just go with a preset character?

And I guess a bonus question could be what was the funniest, ugliest, or most like you character you have created?

 

[Sick boy]

I try and make the most ridiculous character I possible can. Crazy hair, crazy pants whatever I can make and I remember back to COV/COH you could make a girl character and seriously exaggerate her 'areas' to ridiculous levels. I was always a fan of that and yes, a lot of people say I'm incredibly immature about it but I don't care so don't bother commenting on that.

 

[zauxz]

I usually try to create a character that looks like me.

Except in Mass Effect. All of my attempts failed horribly, so I just rolled with the premade guy.

 

[Fasckira]

While the game is installing I tend to think about what kind of character I would like to play. By the time I get to character creation, I've already got an idea in my head of what he/she should look like and act like, so I tend to of course model the character around this.

I think the most hideous character Ive created was in Sims 2, and was some sort of wierd blue thing. This urge to create a monstrosity was brought on out of boredom and the ability to have a complete control over somethings features.

 

[Jekken6]

I don't know. In fallout 3, for some reason, my male caucasian characters share a striking resemblance to Chuck Norris.

 

[EnzoHonda]

I usually try to create a character that looks like me.

Except in Mass Effect. All of my attempts failed horribly, so I just rolled with the premade guy.

Same here. And in Mass Effect, anything other than the pre-made guy looked Asian or Mexican.

Oblivion had some ugly mother-fuckers. It was damn-near impossible to make someone who didn't look like they had Down's Syndrome or was born in Wales.

Fight Night has a solid character-creator. I was able to make a guy look so much like me that it freaked my brother out.

 

[gbemery]

While the game is installing I tend to think about what kind of character I would like to play. By the time I get to character creation, I've already got an idea in my head of what he/she should look like and act like, so I tend to of course model the character around this.

I actually have tended to do this more now during Dragon Age: Origins...well right up till my 360 died

 

[aruseusx]

Usually I just make the starter customisation character work (The cockney accented male in Saints Row 2 is awesome) but in the case of fallout 3, since no one looks human in that game I made an extreme albino guy.

 

[gRiM_rEaPeRsco]

There wasn't a scottish accent in SR2

OT: i'm very boring and uncreative so i usually end up going with a premade face or hitting random til i see a good one but i like to customise hair, beards and clothes XD

 

[Little Duck]

I normally make a female protaganist if I have the option as games need more decent female protaganists. In RPGs, you create the personality so it can never be what you don't want it to be.

That sounds slightly pervy doesn't it?

 

[Adzma]

I generally make mine out of a bit of this, bit of that. I fiddle around and see what works and what I like. I figure if I'm going to be staring at them for hours on end they should meet my standards.

 

[Kollega]

No, i don't make him hilariously ugly or suspiciously identical to me. I just try to make him somewhat stylish. But of course, i have not most standard definition of "stylish"... For example, outfit of my Saints Row 2 character is modeled after TF2 sniper.

 

[Baggie]

First playthrough, I look like myself, and I roleplay myself.

Second playthrough, I tend to play the game, go for a cool looking guy and get high level and have fun

Third playthough onwards I make silly characters like mad scientists and evil bastards.

 

[Nickolai77]

I make mine look slightly like me, with a few experimental changes considering what i think suits the character or what looks cool. If it is a fantasy game like Oblivion, i rarely play as elves, i've always seen them as "stuck up" and never been that keen on their race. (However, out of humans, drawves and elves, i'm probably most like the elves)Usually i play as humans, or in the case of Oblivion, Bretons. Which where half human anyway.

My skills are that of my playing style, i like taking my enemies out from afar, so in fantasy games i make them good marksmen, or in games like Fallout i would make them profficent in small arms weaponry.

 

[XxSabrielxX]

I usually will try to make a character a cute asian female with colored hair if I can. It's always awesome when tiny cute girl with an anime hairstyle takes down the baddest of enemies. When I tabletop roleplay (with dice and paper) I usually make a male anthropomorphic wolf, fully capable of walking upright and handling humanoid tools and such.

 

[gbemery]

There wasn't a scottish accent in SR2

Well so I got the accent wrong. It is late, it has been some time since I played the game and I have played many others since but none the less whatever voice it was it was pretty sweet.

 

[gmacarthur81]

I play female characters (because why would I want to stare at a dude for hours on end ) so I make them as attractive as possible.

 

[Tharwen]

I don't know. In fallout 3, for some reason, my male caucasian characters share a striking resemblance to Chuck Norris.

That's his first step. He weakens you psychologically by appearing where you wouldn't expect him. It's only a matter of time before you open the door and BAM- Roundhouse kick to the head!

 

[thiosk]

I'll give the catch-all answer and respond with "depends on my mood for the day"

The more "into" a game I am, the more care i take.

mass effect? Pretty much stock face.

I expect to spend the first day of owning dragons age prepping my start charachter.

 

[Rhayn]

Usually I find a nice preset, change some things about randomly until I find something I like. I suck horribly at all character creators, so if I am to set out to create a character that looks something like someone I know, be it myself or someone else, they look liked shaved gorillas.

I do however never go with a preset. Even if I see a screenshot of someone elses character that looks like mine, I get an overwhelming urge to reroll.

But once I've gone through everything I do when creating the character, it's damn near perfection. As an example from Dragon Age, I was going to start a mage character, but everything that looked good in the creator looked horrible in-game. But then suddenly, I got a perfect looking one. Feeling quite happy with myself, my avatar appears in the world, and first thing I notice is that I forgot to change the portraite from the preset one. Exit game, new game and off I went again.