Email	Print Reprint
	add to:
	Del.icio.us Digg Google Furl	Slashdot Y! MyWeb Blink
	TABLE OF CONTENTS Design Pointers Interview: Chuck Clanton Body Language The Design Process

6.3. Design Pointers

6.3.1 Think between Characters

When coming up with initial character concepts and sketches, think not just about how each character behaves in isolation but also about the relationships between characters. How does this character feel about that one? How does he express this in how he moves? Does he keep a greater distance from the other? Are his movements more closed and tense around the other? It is possible to provide a much richer and more socially realistic experience for the player if designs are grounded within the larger social framework of the interactions between bodies.

6.3.2 Use Touch and Interpersonal Distance

Consider using touch and interpersonal distance to help players understand character relationships and to enhance emotional reactions to what is going on. If a player is being mentored by a character, why not have that character give the player's character a friendly pat on the shoulder? If a player is closer to one character and not friendly with another, show this in how close they stand when they talk and how their bodies orient toward one another. You can even incorporate social touch into core game-play dynamics, as in ICO, expanding the notion of physical contact in games beyond trading blows.

6.3.3 Imitation: A Missed Opportunity

The principle of imitation was included in this chapter, although I could not find a good current game example, leading me to believe that this is a powerful, missed design opportunity. Consider how the subtle imitation of a powerful character's movements by more submissive characters could enhance their apparent authority and charisma. Imagine showing shifting alliances in a complex RPG through imitation by characters. Envision showing friendship networks and hierarchies in a social online game through automated imitation by player-characters. Think creatively about making use of imitation.

6.3.4 Group Dynamics

The designers at There have demonstrated the value of incorporating group dynamics into 3D chat. When creating a multiplayer environment, consider building and extending from their work to help make the game more socially realistic and engaging.

6.3.5 Extend a Game's Character-Style Palette

When planning how characters will move, consider the signature dimensions of body movement that were discussed earlier and choose a palette of physical qualities that evokes the experience you want the player to have. Not all characters should possess the exaggerated grace and flow of professional athletes. ICO is a splendid example of using some awkward movement traits to create a different sort of engaging player experience.

Consider taking time during the design phase to give each character a rating along Gallaher's dimensions: expressiveness, animation, expansiveness, and coordination. When crafting specific animations, Laban's effort dimenions—space, weight, time, and flow—may be useful for helping to capture the personality and mood of a character performing that motion.

1 Design Pointers | 2 Interview: Chuck Clanton | 3 Body Language | 4 The Design Process Next Page

RELATED ARTICLES Q&A: Software Testing In A Virtualized World Secure Software Needs Careful Testing -- And Lots Of It Securing the Java Core Petascale Tools and Genomic Evolution Legal Compliance: Open Source and Quality Assurance		TOP 5 ARTICLES No Top Articles.