hey, uhh so about that incursion 4koma i was going to make... it got put on the back-burner because i got distracted designing my own MC for that game. i know you mentioned that you'd love seeing fan-works but what was supposed to be a simple character reference sheet became a whole ass character analysis ESSAY because i LOVE to WRITE. i'm slightly embarrassed reading over my own work, but i'm in too deep; i need to share this WALL OF TEXT with you or else it'd keep me up at night.
while we're on the topic of character creation, how would you describe your process for making them? for example, do you draw out the character first and then write their personality? or do you do it the other way around? please lend me your creative dev power...
i want to read it!!! I want to read it!!!!! I want to read it!!!!! yaaaay!!!!
+ of course, id be glad to! take this with a big juicy line of salt of course bc im no pro and im just self taught, but- my process for designing characters is usually something like:
>sketch some person, usually with a vague idea in mind of the sorta main traits i wanna invoke by their design- i.e. what personality do they have, job, what kinda lifestyle etc. for drawing eddie i wanted to make him look obviously like a burglar to hit the "home invasion fetish character" mark- so he needs to have all black kinda outfit, needs face hidden, needs gloves etc. yk? for ter i wanted to make him look like a casual sorta friendly approachable guy who might live in ur hometown, so he gets just an old worn tshirt and some jeans, boots etc. Its good to pick out a few points of "uniqueness" too though, to make them recognisable and not too plain. i.e. eddie's gold teeth and necklaces or ter's tattoos, something like that. not going crazy and making some vtuber looking person with 5000 accessories unless u intend that, just adding a few points to separate "totally generic burglar" from "eddie incursion the burglar" yk? and then after that...
>realise i've just made a mega ripped guy with long black hair and male manipulator core fashion again. change some details for variety😭 this point may not be applicable if u are not an idiot. but if u are- maybe try to push the boat out and make sure ur ocs dont all end up looking like brothers and sisters of each other😭 so if they do maybe try change the hair colour/texture or length, race or body type and build and things like that. or maybe give them some tatts or glasses or a hat, yk? acne, freckles, eyebags, makeup, nail polish, jewellery, prosthetic limb or things like walking aids, body proportions like fat disposition, height, limb length, muscles, scars, pupil/eye shape, saw teeth, freckles, braces or grills or something, piercings, body hair, do they have hold items they usually carry, smoker or carrying some kind of drinks or food items, bust size if applicable and things... just try to make sure they look a bit different to each other bc u want to easily tell them apart not just by one or two traits but overall... but this part only rly applies if u make lots of ocs😗 + think about what different things in their looks say about them and their lifestyle and traits as well, like how different hair and clothing colours can give a certain vibe about their personality. and personally, maybe this is a creepy thing to say and maybe it isnt quite applicable, but i also try to make sure the looks of the oc is suitable for the kinds of fetishes i aim to target in their game. like for instance like i mentioned i really wanted eddie to have black gloves and his face covered, bc i think that someone who want to play a home invasion fetish game is gonna be interested in this design. u can just put stuff u have a fetish for in ur designs, ppl who see it will definitely feel ur passion and it will be good💪
>and now they have a rough appearance, u should give them traits that make them suitable for the role they will be playinf, and kinda refine the personality and the appearance at the same time. Start with the biggest ones (i.e. for eddie i wanted him to be creepy but cute and a good LI for a home invasion fetish game, so i was hoping for "yandere, pathetic wet dog, sadomaso, sexually aggressive, perverted, actually a good person just very warped, desirable but also genuinely creepy and sinister in order to make a suitable LI for a yandere game" etc)
u also can try to think of their motivations and background. what drives them? Think about people in real life u know and people from books and stuff. Eddie has a really strong fear of abandonment, so he always wants to get control of MC bc he's scared of being left alone and would do anything to avoid it. the red string of fate is what made him a yandere, but before that he was kind of a loner, so he's a little shy due to his inexperience, but he has a cocky side bc he looks good and knows it. u can try to imagine how their youth was and what they want out of life, if they have a traumatic life of some kind or if it was perfect and stuff. what made them a yandere, or made them someone who can love/accept a yandere? i like a combination of personal history and magical sorta "red string of fate" thing, but lots of yan media has other things too.
U can also look at oc prompts to help w this. like if u think about "what parents did they have if any" or "are they popular at work/school" or even "what does their usual diet/habits look like" or something it can help a lot to flesh them out in ways u mightntve thought of. And what they like in bed is really important if theyre an oc for an adult IP! i hope this helped a bit and wasnt too much word salad😭😭😭🙏🙏🙏 but basically after i feel like i have a solid appearance and profile for them it def makes it a lottt easier to put them in Situations. I hope this is at all useful and isnt just a bunch of unhelpful drivel, but let me know if u have any other questions and if so i will try again💪🫡 yay
