Lately I've really been into games that allow you to customize your character, the more customization options the better! In my opinion it adds to the feeling of immersion and customization in a game rather than just having a stock character. Don't get me wrong, some of my favorite games don't allow you to customize a character (Final Fantasy) but I think it is a great asset to RPG games, especially ones that already allow you a great deal or influence over the story outcome. So I was just wondering which RPG or JRPG character creation everyone liked the best and why. Some of my personal favorites (based purely on character customization) are Dragon Age, Dragon Age II, and White Knight Chronicles. These games seem to have a greater degree of customizability even over games like Oblivion, Demon's Souls, Two Worlds II, ect. I spend hours creating cool characters on these games because they have so many options for hair, eyes, tattoos, facial features and so on. While I love Oblivion I felt like beyond face morphing (which often results in a hideous mess) there weren't many other options to chose from when it came to hair, tattoos, makeup, eyes, etc although it is really nice to be able to choose your race I just like being able to create a very unique character (or at least be given the illusion that I can lol).
Customizable Character Creation in Console RPG/JRPGs
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I really liked the character creation in Dragon Age Origins. I got my character to look very close to the way I wanted. Fallout 3 wasn't bad either, though it took quite a bit of fiddling and I basically ended up with someone who looked good from some angles and pretty bad from others. Fallout New Vegas seemed kind of bad. My character basically looked like crud. I dunno, maybe it was the same as Fallout 3 and I just didn't do as good a job.
Oblivion had the worst character creator I've ever seen. Any human character had huge protruding cheeks and extremely sunken eyes. The only thing you could make - male or female - was a spitting image of Ghengis Khan. I really hope they fix that for Skyrim.
I feel that I am on the other side of the customizable character creation. To me it takes away from the immersion of the story. There just a gap between character you created and the world that the game is in. I put the player created characters under two groups: the mostly made and errand boy. In the mostly made, the game makers have made most of the character ad let the player meaningless picks or limited picks. Commander Shepard is one of these characters. The errand boy is where your character just goes off on task that the characters that are important to the story give to you so they can deal with their more main role.
I like:
Dragon Age Origins
Fallout 3 and NV
Oblivion
Morrowind
Dragon Quest IX
Mass Effect
Champions of Norrath
...I also like the way they do character customization in the Fable games.
I find myself to be quite the opposite. I almost always go with the default character design, name, history, etc. I suppose some people may feel a deeper connection with their character if they have customized it, but it pulls me out of the immersion of an RPG. I just want to play the game in the way the designers envisioned it.
I feel that I am on the other side of the customizable character creation. To me it takes away from the immersion of the story. There just a gap between character you created and the world that the game is in. I put the player created characters under two groups: the mostly made and errand boy. In the mostly made, the game makers have made most of the character ad let the player meaningless picks or limited picks. Commander Shepard is one of these characters. The errand boy is where your character just goes off on task that the characters that are important to the story give to you so they can deal with their more main role.
wiouds
I find myself to be quite the opposite. I almost always go with the default character design, name, history, etc. I suppose some people may feel a deeper connection with their character if they have customized it, but it pulls me out of the immersion of an RPG. I just want to play the game in the way the designers envisioned it.
reason58
I do agree that many of the character options in games like Oblivion, Demon Souls and especially Two Worlds II are very arbitrary and limited but there are games out there which exceed those limitations. The same can be said for the "errand boy" type which is something I think that many customizable games fall into. I'm not saying that ALL games with customization options are good, I'm just saying the ones that do it well and are able to over come these the two problems you just mentioned are some of the best RPGs out there.
Also, I feel like customization adds to the RPG experience because they are such immersive games, the point is to draw the player into the game. By allowing players to have more control over the character they play as well as the events that occur in the game it makes me feel more involved as part of the story. Think this is best exemplified in the Dragon Age games in which you have control over character design, story events and even character relationships. Also if the game designers didn't envision a game with custom characters then why did they add them? And why are there often several default characters to choose from? It seems more like the creators intended for you to be able to customize the character as part of their vision for these games. Also I think it represents the diversity of the players by allowing them to choose between races, genders and style.
I love character customization; I think it really ads to the sense of emersion that in my opinion mark the best RPGs. It's like you are creating a digital personification of yourself into the game, making it feel more personal then if you are given a preset character. I think the best character customization system I have found yet was in Mass Effect, lol that probably has something to do with why that game is the best game I've played this gen, at least to some degree :p
[QUOTE="wiouds"]
I feel that I am on the other side of the customizable character creation. To me it takes away from the immersion of the story. There just a gap between character you created and the world that the game is in. I put the player created characters under two groups: the mostly made and errand boy. In the mostly made, the game makers have made most of the character ad let the player meaningless picks or limited picks. Commander Shepard is one of these characters. The errand boy is where your character just goes off on task that the characters that are important to the story give to you so they can deal with their more main role.
ConanAPTX4869
I find myself to be quite the opposite. I almost always go with the default character design, name, history, etc. I suppose some people may feel a deeper connection with their character if they have customized it, but it pulls me out of the immersion of an RPG. I just want to play the game in the way the designers envisioned it.
reason58
I do agree that many of the character options in games like Oblivion, Demon Souls and especially Two Worlds II are very arbitrary and limited but there are games out there which exceed those limitations. The same can be said for the "errand boy" type which is something I think that many customizable games fall into. I'm not saying that ALL games with customization options are good, I'm just saying the ones that do it well and are able to over come these the two problems you just mentioned are some of the best RPGs out there.
Also, I feel like customization adds to the RPG experience because they are such immersive games, the point is to draw the player into the game. By allowing players to have more control over the character they play as well as the events that occur in the game it makes me feel more involved as part of the story. Think this is best exemplified in the Dragon Age games in which you have control over character design, story events and even character relationships. Also if the game designers didn't envision a game with custom characters then why did they add them? And why are there often several default characters to choose from? It seems more like the creators intended for you to be able to customize the character as part of their vision for these games. Also I think it represents the diversity of the players by allowing them to choose between races, genders and style.
My point is that character customization reduce the immersive games for me. Player created character never feels as involved in the story as a built in character. I was more immerse in Gears of War 3 then I was in Mass Effect.
Most true WRPG or JRPG games that I've played lately actually have terrible customization in my opinion. Fallout 3, Oblivion, Mass Effect, and a few others made it nearly impossible to have a decent looking character that wasn't the default. These can at least be solved by mods on the PC versions, but on consoles, I find the customization lacking. Honestly, the only game where I've seen full blown character customization that actually made it possible to create a good looking character has been Saints Row.
[QUOTE="ConanAPTX4869"]
[QUOTE="wiouds"]
I do agree that many of the character options in games like Oblivion, Demon Souls and especially Two Worlds II are very arbitrary and limited but there are games out there which exceed those limitations. The same can be said for the "errand boy" type which is something I think that many customizable games fall into. I'm not saying that ALL games with customization options are good, I'm just saying the ones that do it well and are able to over come these the two problems you just mentioned are some of the best RPGs out there.
Also, I feel like customization adds to the RPG experience because they are such immersive games, the point is to draw the player into the game. By allowing players to have more control over the character they play as well as the events that occur in the game it makes me feel more involved as part of the story. Think this is best exemplified in the Dragon Age games in which you have control over character design, story events and even character relationships. Also if the game designers didn't envision a game with custom characters then why did they add them? And why are there often several default characters to choose from? It seems more like the creators intended for you to be able to customize the character as part of their vision for these games. Also I think it represents the diversity of the players by allowing them to choose between races, genders and style.
wiouds
My point is that character customization reduce the immersive games for me. Player created character never feels as involved in the story as a built in character. I was more immerse in Gears of War 3 then I was in Mass Effect.
Most true WRPG or JRPG games that I've played lately actually have terrible customization in my opinion. Fallout 3, Oblivion, Mass Effect, and a few others made it nearly impossible to have a decent looking character that wasn't the default. These can at least be solved by mods on the PC versions, but on consoles, I find the customization lacking. Honestly, the only game where I've seen full blown character customization that actually made it possible to create a good looking character has been Saints Row.
ParanoiaRising
Alright well I guess that's an opinion rather than an argument. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, honestly though I feel like some of these comments are a little off topic since the question was which ones do you like the best not do you like them or not.
[QUOTE="wiouds"]
[QUOTE="ConanAPTX4869"]
My point is that character customization reduce the immersive games for me. Player created character never feels as involved in the story as a built in character. I was more immerse in Gears of War 3 then I was in Mass Effect.
ConanAPTX4869
Most true WRPG or JRPG games that I've played lately actually have terrible customization in my opinion. Fallout 3, Oblivion, Mass Effect, and a few others made it nearly impossible to have a decent looking character that wasn't the default. These can at least be solved by mods on the PC versions, but on consoles, I find the customization lacking. Honestly, the only game where I've seen full blown character customization that actually made it possible to create a good looking character has been Saints Row.
ParanoiaRising
Alright well I guess that's an opinion rather than an argument. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, honestly though I feel like some of these comments are a little off topic since the question was which ones do you like the best not do you like them or not.
I agree that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and it is nice when others are trying to contribute to to the thread topic and not their thread count. . .
Alright well I guess that's an opinion rather than an argument. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, honestly though I feel like some of these comments are a little off topic since the question was which ones do you like the best not do you like them or not.
ConanAPTX4869
I am just trying to explain my place. Also, you can not have just a listing because it is against rules. One time, I ask what games do you not like but respect. The thread got lock, and I got a warning.
[QUOTE="ConanAPTX4869"]
Alright well I guess that's an opinion rather than an argument. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, honestly though I feel like some of these comments are a little off topic since the question was which ones do you like the best not do you like them or not.
wiouds
I am just trying to explain my place. Also, you can not have just a listing because it is against rules. One time, I ask what games do you not like but respect. The thread got lock, and I got a warning.
I didn't say it was just a list. If you read my original post I asked for what people's favorite customizable character RPGs are and why they think those are the best. I wanted to discuss the different customization games and compare them. I wasn't asking for a list nor did I ask whether you liked them or not.
Have you looked into Dragon's Dogma?Pvt_r3d
I watched the trailer but other than that I don't know much about it. Is it supposed to have character customization options?
[QUOTE="Pvt_r3d"]Have you looked into Dragon's Dogma?ConanAPTX4869
I watched the trailer but other than that I don't know much about it. Is it supposed to have character customization options?
Yeah, it has a character creator system just like White Knight Chronicles. The game is a third person action adventure game with a gameplay element called the "pawn" system. "At first blush it actually just resembles something like Dragon Age. You have a party of up to four people (your character included) and three of them will be pawns. You main pawn will follow you through the game and grow with you. The other two can be recruited, actually borrowed from other players online. You can select them by class and choose how you want them to behave in battle. Apparently, when your pawn is selected by another player, he/she will actually grow stronger from the experience. From the Capcom Unity blog: Main Pawn: The Main Pawn is like a permanent partner, who will follow the player throughout the adventure. As with the player character, the Main Pawn's appearance and gender are customizable, and the Main Pawn will also level up and improve through increased experience and knowledge. You can also "rent" other players' Main Pawn's using an online feature. Support Pawns: Main Pawns borrowed from other players will act as your Support Pawns. Of course, there are also many Support Pawns built into the game, so you don't have to take advantage of the online feature to have these pawns and create the party of your liking. Players should consider the conditions of battle when choosing their pawns. Online Mode: Players will be able to borrow other players' Main Pawns and use them in their own party. Lending one's pawn out to other players will cause that pawn to improve and gain new knowledge of enemy weakpoints and dungeons. Players can also "educate" pawns and choose the way they want their pawns to act." Here are some TGS gameplay walkthroughs for the game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh8VaOQ2K0&feature=related[QUOTE="ConanAPTX4869"][QUOTE="Pvt_r3d"]Have you looked into Dragon's Dogma?Pvt_r3d
I watched the trailer but other than that I don't know much about it. Is it supposed to have character customization options?
Yeah, it has a character creator system just like White Knight Chronicles. The game is a third person action adventure game with a gameplay element called the "pawn" system. "At first blush it actually just resembles something like Dragon Age. You have a party of up to four people (your character included) and three of them will be pawns. You main pawn will follow you through the game and grow with you. The other two can be recruited, actually borrowed from other players online. You can select them by class and choose how you want them to behave in battle. Apparently, when your pawn is selected by another player, he/she will actually grow stronger from the experience. From the Capcom Unity blog: Main Pawn: The Main Pawn is like a permanent partner, who will follow the player throughout the adventure. As with the player character, the Main Pawn's appearance and gender are customizable, and the Main Pawn will also level up and improve through increased experience and knowledge. You can also "rent" other players' Main Pawn's using an online feature. Support Pawns: Main Pawns borrowed from other players will act as your Support Pawns. Of course, there are also many Support Pawns built into the game, so you don't have to take advantage of the online feature to have these pawns and create the party of your liking. Players should consider the conditions of battle when choosing their pawns. Online Mode: Players will be able to borrow other players' Main Pawns and use them in their own party. Lending one's pawn out to other players will cause that pawn to improve and gain new knowledge of enemy weakpoints and dungeons. Players can also "educate" pawns and choose the way they want their pawns to act." Here are some TGS gameplay walkthroughs for the game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh8VaOQ2K0&feature=relatedWow that sounds really cool! I watched the trailer and thought it looked good but now it looks even better! Thanks for letting me know :)
So what is your current favorite character customization game?
How good is the character customization in White Knight Chronicles 1 and 2? Hopefuilly it's a lot better than Fallout 3/Fallout New Vegas/Mass Effects/Oblivion where I find the character customization to be absolutely terrible. Like someone else has said, it's nearly impossible to have a decent looking character.
You can make your own characters in Dragon Quest IX on DS.
How good is the character customization in White Knight Chronicles 1 and 2? Hopefuilly it's a lot better than Fallout 3/Fallout New Vegas/Mass Effects/Oblivion where I find the character customization to be absolutely terrible. Like someone else has said, it's nearly impossible to have a decent looking character.
SpikeyAss777
I thought the character customization in that game was great, especially if you like anime! There are lots of different choices and its harder to make an ugly character than cool character. Lol the funny thing is I haven't had time yet to play the rest of the game but I spent several hours (only because I wanted to and enjoy doing it) creating a character and I was very satisfired with the result. I can't wait until I finish the games I'm currently playing so that I can try out that one and play with my character :)
It certianly has the most options I've ever seen, you can customize name, gender, body type, head size, body size, neck length, muscle, fat, proportions, leg length, foot size, skin color, facial type, brow height, brow angle, facial length, facial depth, cheek width, chin width, chin length, chin depth, jawbone width, jawbone height, jawbone position, wrinkles, eyebrow type,eyebrow height,eyebrow width,eyebrow depth,eyebrow span,eyebrow color, eye type, eye size, eye width, eye depth, eye angle, left eyelid, right eyelid (if you wanted to have them winking or eyes closed or something), iris type, iris color, eyeball color, nose type,nose size,nose height,nose length,nose width, nostril height, mouth type, lip color, mouth size, mouth height, mouth cornors, ear height, ear angle, hairstyple, hair color, moles, facial hair,and even a usual expression and voice!
For games where the main character character is actually important, I prefer to have no customisation i.e. JRPGs
Obviously for WRPGs where the protagonist doesn't utter a single word, then customisation is fine.
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