MA Design Lecture - Arthur Parsons - Games Design

Okay, so while I've been getting on with designing, I've still been looking at literary works and the theoretical side of things.
For now though, I want to reflect on the lecture from the 20th, when Arthur Parsons gave his talk on IP. I mean, it was a little while ago but it was particularly interesting to me regarding the creative freedom with characters belonging to an IP.

It was really good food for thought, actually, especially since it was kind of relevant to what I'd been doing. Essentially I've been bending IP's for the sake of research through practice, such as placing Link into a completely different game space wherein he would appear substantially different visually.

The points Arthur made about finding the hidden gems and finding out how far they could push the boundaries of the IP, i.e. how much fun they could have with the characters, it kind of supported what I was exploring in the first place. Traveler's Tales have made plenty of Lego games, which do basically place existing characters into a completely wacky game space. I know that they're just a Lego representation of the original's IP's game space, but it's more like an alternate universe in my eyes.

The characters are put into a different environment, and have to interact differently, because Lego is far from removed from the world(s) they've come from. Yet TT have obviously been successful in maintaining the essence of those characters. They're still recognizable and relatable as the characters most people know, but they've just been given a more quirky spin. As Arthur said, they dug deep for little, funny details that audiences may have missed in the other medium the IP in question might originally belong to.

While this is all well and good, and grants some creative freedom through pushing the boundaries further apart, it made me wonder whether this is detrimental to certain fans of that IP. For example, a fan of Harry Potter may have seen the films but not read the books, therefore they may not know that Slytherin's common room was underwater (the analogy Arthur used). While it's great for the most hardcore of fans, could it potentially break the experience for lesser fans if they don't know all those little gems of details? Would they possibly feel like it's not entirely the same character they know?

I pondered how they might go about balancing this - but never had time to ask.
I should probably still ask, since it's somewhat related. >_<

Project #4 - Case Study 4 - Amaterasu

I've used Okami as case study in an earlier project, however exploring a different matter it seems that it is just as relevant here. Through research I discovered that the main character, Amaterasu is largely regarded as one of the most influential game characters. I found this interesting indeed, since she is a non-human character. In fact, she is a goddess of the sun.

Despite being a deity, and a non-human one at that,  she has been noted as one of the most wanted characters as a friend in Japan (Ashcraft, B. 2010). Okay, so perhaps it is easier for the Japanese to embrace her since the lore of Amaterasu is from Japanese culture, however she also gained an extremely dedicated following all over. 

She has been praised for being a character that 'doesn't need attitude. Instead she's a majestic and wise creature whose creators 'understood that animals are fascinating enough on their own' (Barratt, C. 2008). She's not a stereotype or an archetype - she's in a league of her own, and seems to capture people's hearts with her duality as a goddess and a wanderer full of wonder. Perhaps it seems strange that she, so far removed from a human character, is so easily identified with by players. 

My reasoning would be that, although she is a goddess, she sets upon a journey to save the world and restore peace. It's a pretty archetypal story, if you look at it closely, but it's brilliantly packaged within a fascinating game space with fascinating mechanics and an even more fascinating character. Amaterasu is a breath of fresh air - a benevolent protagonist whose gentle nature transcends her goddess status. Players are more than willing to step into the shoes of such a unique character since she lacks most of the typical attributes of many other main characters that are churned out. Even though she is a goddess, she is put into a situation wherein she is portrayed as essentially mortal.

Again, as a goddess and a wolf, there is no expectation for her to act any certain way since people don't really understand how an animal thinks, not really, so players aren't disjointed when they learn her characteristics. It's all unique, and it all blends well with the ultimate serenity of the game space. In the form of a wolf, perhaps people would have thought she would be more feral in nature, more egotistical given her status, but she guises as a flea-ridden dog to the inhabitants - displaying her absolute humility. (GamesRadar. 2012). That brings her a little closer to humanity.

She pleasantly surprised audiences all over and found a place in their hearts.




































Barratt, C. (2008). The Top 7 Lazy Character Cliches. Available: http://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-lazy-character-cliches/?page=6. Last accessed Feb 2015.
Ashcraft, B. (2010). What Game Characters Does Japan Want To Befriend?. Available: http://kotaku.com/5630912/what-game-characters-does-japan-want-to-befriend. Last accessed Feb 2015. 
Games Radar. (2012). 100 Best Heroes in Video Games. Available: http://www.webcitation.org/6Cjs4P0ou. Last accessed Feb 2015.

Project #4 - Case Study 3 - Red XIII

I don't know an awful lot about Red XIII from Final Fantasy VII, however I am aware that as a character Red XIII as a non-human character is quite well-liked, in fact I've heard from a number of fans that they prefer the lion-esque Red XIII over most of the human characters in the game. That's why I found him an ideal case to discuss. 

 

So, it was necessary to look into this character and find out why he is so popular amongst FF fans - other than the fact that he's a badass-looking cat with the ability to talk. 

Even though he is the least featured character, he strikes a chord with a large number of players. And while he is inspired by Native American culture -which goes without saying by his design and the nature of Cosmo Canyon, the place of which his tribe are the guardians - the fact that he is a beast detracts from any particular expectation from him. He isn't viewed as a Native American since he isn't even human, however his inspiration derives from it.

Cosmo Canyon

 

So why, when he is the least present character in the game, is Red XIII so particularly easy for people to relate to? As already said, there is no specific expectation from him to act or think in a certain way since he is a fictional race from a fictional culture. Regardless, he has a strong tie-in with the physical game world, having once been captured by the Shinra and now harbouring a strong resentment towards them. This is a very human, very identifiable emotion. Because he is entirely sentient, and suffers from internal struggles that the best part of the human race deal with, he is believable as an entity within his given world - despite the fact cats can't talk for real.

In this case it's not about him being real - it's about him being believable and having a tie with both the player and the game space. Not to mention the strange affinity that people have with animals as opposed to other humans. It's very likely people sympathize more with the character since he ISN'T human.

Red XIII experiences the fear of loss and longevity, battling with his all-too-human emotions that contradict his nature as a beast. The reason I point this out is because, yet again, it's something that strikes a chord with players since many have known loss. Okay, so we don't live as long as Red XIII - whose real name is Nanaki - but we all experience loss. Red XIII packs a hell of a lot more emotion than a lot of human characters.

The hypothesis behind this is that his characteristics have far fewer restraints as a non-human character than if he was human.

Project #4 - Case Study 2 - Ash's Pikachu

 

Everybody loves Pikachu (well almost everyone!) More specifically, many, many people love Ash Ketchum's Pikachu. Pikachu is very non-human character, clearly - in fact it's an electric mouse inspired by a real pika (yes, they exist!) And yet so many people feel attached to what is essentially just a fighting animal. 

The way in which we can look at it is similar to that of a man and his dog.
Dog owners are so emotionally attached to their canine companions, through the sheer amount of personality those dogs can express without a single word - perhaps the most import attribute being their loyalty.

Of course, no one can really say what EVERY Pikachu is like, since it's a relatively common Pokemon. But in the case of Ash's Pikachu - and even Richie's Sparky actually - it's safe to say that it has  A LOT of character.
Pikachu might just be the most sassy little Pokemon around, even after all these years. I suppose that's what people value about Pikachu so much: the amount of personality one little, bright yellow non-human character can hold.

Pikachu carries a lot of traits similar to our own - traits which clearly transcend just human nature, if we refer back to the man and his dog scenario again. He's (yes he's a he; he doesn't have a heart-shaped indent in his tail!) obstinate - refusing to evolve since he's obviously quite comfortable the way he is. He's happy with himself. I guess we could all learn a lesson from Pikachu there.What's more, he's got his little quirks and his funny moments, even his dumb moments. We can relate to all of these. What makes Pikachu so easy to relate to, actually, is the fact that he is a sentient creature who can talk to an extent. Okay so Pikachu can only say his name, but still, you can hear the personality and his emotions in his voice when he 'speaks'. Regardless of the fact he's a pokemon, he's Ash's best friend, not unlike the bond between a man and his dog ;) (there's that analogy again).

It's the little things like his obsession with ketchup that make Ash's pikachu so loveable and identifiable for a lot of people, since he has a unique personality much different many of the other other Pikachu's in the Pokemon world. Not much can be said for Ritchie's Sparky really, except that he clearly has enough of his personality to have a cool little quiff.

In other words, Pikachu displays an emotional connection with Ash, and by extension leaves the rest of us able to identify with him. It's not at all weird to like a fictional, electrically-charged, ketchup-loving non-human mouse of a character! ;)

Project #4 - Case Study 1 - Midna

I guess it goes without saying that I began with yet another Legend of Zelda case study. However I have intimate knowledge of a  number of the series' games, and it is also my understanding that the particular game I am looking at presents a good example of a nonhuman character, to begin with. The game I refer to is Twilight Princess. 

Okay, so technically Link isn't referred to as human, since he has elven ears and is a part of the 'Hylian' race which is never actually specified as human or non-human, however I'm not talking about Link for once. One of the best written supporting characters of the series, in my opinion, is Midna. 

(Dislaimer: Obviously, explaining why Midna is a good/popular non-human character is going to mean that there will be some spoilers, as usual ;) )

 

Midna is a member of the race known as Twili. Little to nothing is known about her during the beginning of the game apart from the fact that she is an imp-like creature that is a little horribly manipulative, especially towards Link when she encounters him. Personally, I thought that I was going to find her as irritating as Navi in Ocarina of Time, since she was a particularly nasty little creature for a while - using Link to selfishly meet her own ends.

However, that's just the thing. You don't know what those ends are, and you don't know why she's in Link's realm and not her own. Not just yet. 

Midna has a surprisingly big fan-base, actually. A lot of players consider her the best written character in Twilight Princess, and I believe that's largely due to her deep character development:

Through the beginning of the game, the player is led to believe that must just be the nature of Twili to be as horrid as she is - in fact not all that different to the twilight monsters she helps you fight. She even admits to Link that she didn't care what happened to him, only that it was convenient she came across him as she could use him to achieve her own goals. Initially, you don't know what those goals are, and it's easy to assume that those goals aren't of the benevolent kind.

Then, when Link does the usual heroic thing and saves her, Midna actually shows that she has a heart. Without realizing she does come to care about what happens to Link, and she opens up to him. You learn about the twilight realm, how the twili were banished there and ultimately why Midna isn't particularly fond of the people in Hyrule as a result. Midna is under a curse, as it turns out, a monarch thrown out of her own kingdom. As crude as usual, she apologizes to Link by way of asking for his help and admitting that she needs to save both worlds. 

The oh-so-ever-noble Link accepts, of course. This is a pivotal point in the game wherein Midna changes, and you realize that Midna could very well have been reflecting her own hurt and frustration onto Link as a result of her own suffering. I think her design is very clever since her nature up until that point is very impish, much like her non-human appearance.

Link and Midna's relationship changes

I think her design is very clever since her nature up until that point is very impish, much like her non-human appearance. Ultimately her change in attitude and her acceptance of Link drives her to support him all the way in defeating Ganondorf, after which the curse is broken over Hyrule and the Twilight Realm, and Midna too - revealing her true form:

 

While her imp form is humanoid to an extent, the physical appearance of the Twili is very close to that of humans, albeit with different proportions (a very moot point there). As a noon-human character Midna is believed to have some of the deepest characteristics, with the biggest character development since she was disguising her own internal problems and trying to solve them the wrong way until Link helped her see the error of her ways. In a way this goes back to the discussion of people being able to relate to a character of any culture as long as there is a relatable circumstance.

Internal struggles are common in everyone, even non-human characters it seems. Not only that, but Midna helps Link to understand that the twilight isn't so bad either. In fact dusk is a beautiful part of the day.

Project #4 - The Brief

During my research I have come across arguments that players can relate more easily to a character which is non-human since there is no prejudice, immediate stereotype or a particular association. With this in mind, one assumes that there is no expectation for a non-human character to behave, think or look a certain way. 

So, this served as a good spring board for another project. 

The Brief

To investigate the relation between characters, game spaces and players through exploring non-human characters. Can non-human characters form a stronger bridge between the player and the game world?

Consider believe-ability. 

In this brief the intention is to design three unique characters within a consistent unique environment. One will be non-human and the other a creature. To keep this controlled, they would hypothetically co-exist. 

PART 1 - Establish a fictional space in which the characters would exist

PART 2 - Create a non-human character

PART 3 - Create a human-like character

The intended outcome is to determine whether characters that are less human/less familiar are more relatable since there are little to no expectations as to what they should be like and how they should interact with a world.

As usual, I began with case studies that follow this.

Project #3 - Outcome and Conclusion

 So this is what I ultimately came up with:

I believe that this project was actually quite successful, since outside opinions told me that my design for Link was pretty well suited for the Borderlands environment. Not only that, but Link is still recognizable as Link in both physical appearance and character. 

To put it terms of fundamental character design, as long as Link kept his 'big sword' - the something that makes him recognzable - it seemed that the essence of who he is wasn't taken away. In other words, he is still identifiable to LoZ players even as part of Borderlands' game space since he still rocks his 'Hero's Tunic' and his infamous hair style - albeit adapted to exist easily within a different culture.

I tried to have a bit of fun with this along the way, which would explain his slightly quirky profile. All of his attributes/details are based on real aspects of Wind Waker - including the idea of him disliking pigs for example, or his wanted poster: 'vandalism and harassment' referring to the fact that Link spends a lot of time breaking people's pots and entering their houses, by many players' hands. It's a running joke within the series that I chose to translate. 

Conclusion

The verdict here is similar to previous exploration, really. Regardless of the culture/game space/environment in which a character exists, there should be an aspect of their design - be it personality or, of course, their 'big sword' - that is unique to the character and easily identifiable in whichever circumstance the character may find themselves. In doing this, it leaves the player able to relate to a character even if they may or may not belong to an familiar culture. 

Project #3 - Refining the Design

Having established a good silhouette, I then focused on how I would portray Link's famous Hero attire within the confines of Borderlands' much grittier culture. I wanted to stick with the colour palette, as this seems to be a good move on the part of other artists who have redesigned Link. He is easily recognizable through his colour palette. Rather, I tried to have a bit of fun exploring his outfits and his attitude. 

Though I had created various silhouettes for weapons that he might hold, my resident expert and I wanted to have a bit of fun. The nature of Borderlands gave a bit of leeway for us to tackle to the quirkier side of Wind Waker - one of the most amusing being the pigs which attack Link relentlessly as a consequence of Link injuring them too much. So, it seemed fitting that he has a mechanical pig bomb.... right? :

Another quirk from Wind Waker, actually, is how goofy Link seems to be. He comes out with some impressively manic expressions, and this made us consider how his eccentric personality would translate to the world of Borderlands. As a result, I would see Link as slightly manic, enough to wield a mechanical pig with a dynamite strapped to it, that is... Not only that, but he is always pretty chipper in Wind Waker. So... this was the outcome. 

Link has an extremely expressive personality through just expressions!

The next stage was exploring suitable colours. Obviously, I wanted to stay with the original colour palette of Wind Waker Link in order to maintain the essence of his character, but it also had to suit the style of Borderlands. Since it is far grittier than Wind Waker, I focused on slightly grungier tones. 

I also played with some weapon designs for a bit of fun, and through discussing with others we found that a compound crossbow was a decent idea since Link always has a bow in some form or another. 

Project #3 - Initial Designs and Rationale

Getting started with this proved trickier than I would have thought. My first sketches felt stale, like I was just mimicking what was already in the world of Borderlands. That's not what I was hoping to do. I wanted to try and put a unique, Borderlands twist on the original Wind Waker Link, in order to try and maintain the identifiable nature of the character. 

I pinpointed what kinds of characteristics of Link could translate across a different fictional culture, and how I could play on this. Borderlands is known to be a bit outrageous, so I looked into the slightly wacky sides of Wind Waker. (Hence, a friend of mine and I came up with the ridiculous class type 'potbreaker', since it's an ongoing joke among Zelda fans that link is just a vandal who likes to break vases!)

I found it difficult trying to portray Link as a young child, so I sought to adapt him a little so that he would suit the game space of Borderlands better. Obviously I ran the risk of losing the essence of young Link, but I was careful. I found designing a child in Borderlands difficult, at least until I discovered the DLC character, 13-year old Tiny Tina.

In the end, after much debate with my resident Borderlands expert, it was agreed that it would be ideal to design Link around a similar age, only slightly older than his Wind Waker self. 

With that in mind, I played around with silhouettes. 

Project #3 - Gathering Information

So I didn't know a great deal about Borderlands. I suppose that's what made this project quite so tricky to begin with, since I had to do a substantial amount of researching.

Gathering visual information was easy enough, at least. It's a unique art style regarding games, taking on an almost comic book feel. It's also very, very different from Wind Waker, in terms of style, genre, world and story. Again, this aspect also made it challenging, but also enjoyable at the same time.

Not only did I gather visuals on a variety of characters, but also on the environment around them as well since I am focusing on the characters within their game spaces and consequential cultures. Doing this helped me to get a good feel for the game space and what kind of character Wind Waker Link might be in terms of class and skills etc.

I learned a few things from a friend who knows the games well, including that Borderlands can be outrageous in places, and almost absurd - which ultimately gave lease for a bit of creative freedom, especially since Wind Waker Link is known to be a tad goofy himself. I also learned that there are endless possibilities for weapons and their abilities.

Having established these things, and knowing what shapes the game, prepared me for the design process.

Mood boards: 

Project #3 - Case Study 2

This artist's design was for the 2010 Comicon Game Artisan Challenge. Apparently artists could alter the age of a character. Clearly, this artist aged Link a great deal and I thought this would be a good concept to discuss, given the artistic license in Link's design itself.

Damien Canderle - Winner Comicon Game Artisan Challenge 2010

I, like others, immediately associated this design with a game like World of Warcraft. Though it's not clear whether that was the artist's intention, Link clearly differs from any other iteration of Link in the series. Obviously, the biggest change is his age. In the series, the eldest iteration of Link is still a young man, and oddly enough viewers of this artwork have expressed their support for seeing Link of a similar age to this in a future installment. 

Despite Link being several decades older here, he is clearly still Link. He's far more mature, however, and this shows in his visual design - not counting the obvious of course. His attire is closely connected to the original Hero's Tunic, but it's grittier and it does have a far more adult feel about it. Though it's not clear, this design was probably based on Twilight Princess or Skyward Sword's version of link, wherein he is a young adult. I for one associate it with Twilight Princess since this redesign seems to share Link's seriousness from that game.

Again, the attitude takes significance here. While other incarnations of Link obviously have slightly different personalities that different players relate to, and sit well in the different worlds of Zelda, here we see the solemnity of Twilight Princess Link - as such I immediately made the connection between the two. The point here is that attitude - personality - is important. If this artist's interpretation of Link had an entirely different personality to any incarnation of the Hero, then it could very well have been a different story,

Visually there's no question. We know this is Link. He could exist in WoW easily, as a number of people have pointed out, or this could be the artist's interpretation of how a future Zelda title could be in style. However that's what is interesting about it since it still retains the original essence of Link, with the tunic, famous weapons and the gauntlets. The only gripe that I could see people having with this is the fact that he is right handed here, not left-handed as he almost always has been. Of course, that's a pedantic outlook on things, but it goes back to the point of player familiarity with a character; why they recognize and relate to them.  

Project #3 - Case Study 1

I chose to look at a couple of examples of other artist's interpretations of Link. My first study is of Link as a modern 'hipster'. I honed in on this since it was largely disliked by a lot of hardcore Zelda fans. So, I decided to analyse why this might be. 

Artist: Sakimichan.deviantart.com

Immediately I could see why Link as a part of this culture would not go down well with those who know the character well. Many relate to Link since he is almost always depicted as a humble character that cares a great deal about other. However, what people see in the 'hipster' culture is an attitude that is simply not Link. 

Visually, Link's design is recognizable as Link - the colour of the hero's tunic, headgear not dissimilar to his hat, and of course the familiar design of the Hylian Shield, in the form of headphones instead. While this works and was appreciated, since he is still relatable as the hero of time, it is less of an aesthetic issue and more of a characteristic issue. 

Of course it isn't right to say that 'hipsters' are arrogant, but 'hipster' has taken on the meaning of being someone who actively strives to be different, niche and 'uncool'. For me, I was immediately put of this artist's redesign of Link, since his attitude DOES feel wrong. There's a smugness about him that he holds in this portrayal - which is almost polar opposite to the way Link actually is. This stands to reason that there is more to a character holding a connection with the player than just how they look that appeals to the player. A character's appearance is clearly adaptable to different game spaces and their respective cultures within those worlds, however it seems that a character might become lost if their personality is tampered with - since that is not the character players know and love.

 

Project #3 - The Brief

My third project turned out to be relatively tricky.
This was of a similar ilk to my first project, although can relate to what I explored in the previous project.

The Brief

To explore the possibilities of an established character existing in a different established game space. In doing this it would further establish what makes the character identifiable and the affects of a culture on that character. What makes that character and could they still be relatable within a completely different game world? 

To do this, it was decided that I would redesign Wind Waker Link into the world of Borderlands. The cultures of these games are vastly different, which provided a challenge for me.

To summarize my brief: 

• Design Link as if he belongs in Borderlands

• Establish what makes Link still recognizable as Link and why

• Explore differs and what remains between the original iteration and the redesign?

Often people are opposed to redesigns such as this, since the artist fails to maintain the essence of the character that players originally related to. So the challenge here was to avoid breaking that relation between the player and character. 

Project #2 - Conclusion

Bringing my three character designs together and discussing them with players familiar with their respective intended games, I was able to draw a conclusion from them.

 

The bottom line is, significant characters need to exist within a game space for a reason. A prominent character that has no impact on the game space, character and consequently the player can potentially break a player's experience within that world. The theme of family demonstrates this quite simply, in that it creates an emotional link between the player and character and by extension the game space. It is easier for a player to step into the shoes of a character when their situation is identifiable, even if said character belongs to a wildly different culture - for example, an entirely fictional one.

That said, a significant character - such as a brother in the cases of my project - can be significant in ways other than discussed in my case studies. Through feedback on the circumstances of my characters, it became apparent that they can be significant in other ways than the 'damsel-in-distress' scenario. While Links' brother, let's say, wouldn't strictly drive Link to start his adventure, it is he who would feel compelled to assist Link in his journey because of an invisible bond of blood relation. Of course, this doesn't always have to be the case, as was explored with Vyse's sibling.

Characters without rhyme or reason can potentially break a player's immersion within a game space. Significant characters such as family members aren't limited to being a catalyst for an adventure through simply needing to be saved. They could be a boon or a hindrance, and an excellent avenue for character development - i.e. unfolding mysteries previously unknown about the main character. They can add depth to a story and/or game space. The significant character could directly influence the main character and the player's emotions and/or choices. For example, would the player feel sorry for Vyse's brother, and would it be in Vyse's nature to do so too? If the player can see through Vyse's eyes, then the experience becomes that much more in depth.

To summarize, a character can exist comfortably within a game space and maintain the link between player, world and protagonist through providing a relatable situation for the main character that also blends within the culture of that game space. It stands to obvious reason that aesthetically this character should belong within that game space.

In other words, a character can belong to any culture - real or entirely fictional- as long as they provide a strong link between the the game space, character and player. 

Project #2 - PART 3 - Outcome

I spent a lot of time back and forth with people familiar with the style of Skies of Arcadia, getting feedback on some of the colour palettes. Greens and purples were too reminiscent of other characters from other franchises, so it was advised that I steered away from it. In fact, the dramatic change to yellow was welcomed since the character was seen to fit in the game space much better, according to feedback.

This is my final design for Vyse's brother. 

As a character within Skies of Arcadia, he would be as part of an optional mission. 

To put it briefly, Vyse's brother broke away from the Blue Rogues years ago after a falling out with Dyne (Vyse's father) and since resenting the man. Disagreeing with his principles and disliking Vyse for following their father so blindly, the character became a Black Pirate in order to do as he saw fit, to prove that he didn't need any of the Blue Rogues or their morals.

The player as Vyse would be able to choose to engage with Vyse's brother, to take on this optional mission. Vyse would be forced to fight his brother to stop him from trying to launch a spite attack on the Blue Rogues. This would unravel back-story about several characters that are otherwise unexplored during Skies of Arcadia.


Scene depicting the family feud between Vyse and his brother:

Project #2 - PART 3 - Vyse's Brother

Since I'd previously looked at Skies of Arcadia, and having played the game, I am familiar with the game space and the characters within it. So this part of the project was relatively easy in and I was able to establish an appropriate unique character. Having looked back and analysed the game, it was apparent to me that it would be simple to create a new character for a world so large and so varied. Given that Skies of Arcadia features optional missions, I took advantage of this in designing an older brother for the main character, Vyse.

I brainstormed the kind of character his brother might be, aiming to branch away from the good/strong relationship ideal that I focused on with Link's brother.

Brainstorming

Exploring some of the character anatomy in Skies

While there are pirates clearly inspired by different cultures, a brother to Vyse would be more likely to resemble his more Western style of pirate attire since he would originally come from the same culture as his brother. I researched a number of different pirate designs in the game, with the following sketches the result of that:

It was decided that his artificial leg would add curiosity towards the character, following some views on others who have played the game. It is his 'big sword' as Josh would aptly put it. As it turned out, general comments seemed to lean towards the top middle or the bottom right designs, largely appreciating the style of the headgear/hairstyles.

With that in mind, I moved on. I played with a couple of clothing designs and explored a number of colour palettes, not forgetting that Skies of Arcadia is a bright and vibrant world with even brighter and more vibrant characters.

Honing in on a palette that felt right within the space of Skies of Arcadia was actually quite tricky. I didn't want the character to be too similar to Vyse, but show some resemblance to the Blue Rogue uniform in a way - more in the style of his clothes as opposed to colour, and of course similar eye/hair colour to indicate a relation to Vyse.

Exploring Colour Palettes

The concept of Vyse's brother is that he is an enemy character, to try and explore how this circumstance could steer the engagement between player, character and game space. The story behind the character will follow in the next post. 

Project #2 - PART 1 & 2- The Outcomes

So having completed a first pass on both of my designs for Link's Big Brother, it became apparent that there was something missing in them.

I received feedback on both of them and it was a common remark that while yes, the premise of each iteration would work within their respective installments of the Legend of Zelda series, they seemed a little bit too generic style, as though they would blend too easily in with the rest of the Hyrulean Soldiers.

After a bit of time away from it and coming back to get a fresh look on the outcomes, I made a few changes that hopefully added to the originality of each iteration of Link's Big Brother. The armour became more ornate, the Twilight Princess iteration with more detail since the style of that game is more detailed than that of Ocarina of Time. Though the background stories /characteristics of each iteration are different to suit each game space - to optimise the player's connection with both them and the world  - their general designs are of a similar ilk.

As such, it was concluded that this idea is transferable across different LoZ worlds given the presence of Hyrulean Soldiers in multiple games.

Revisited designs:

I also painted a scene depicting the characters within the game space/ alongside Link to try and get a feel for how they would appear within their respective games.

This scene is from the gate that leads up to Hyrule Castle. I imagined that Link's big brother might be posted here in place of the other generic guard who stands watch in Ocarina of Time.

I also sketched Link and his brother together in order to try and portray the resemblance between them. I think it worked out, since feedback suggested that my original character did appear that he could be related to Link. 

Project #2 - PART 2 - Twilight Princess

Before reworking my first design, I had gone onto exploring Link's big brother as I felt he might look/be should he have appeared in Twilight Princess. This both indicates that he could have significance in either game space with the right approach and design. It became apparent to me that his characteristics/back-story would most likely vary in keeping with the scenario of Twilight Princess, which is somewhat different to Ocarina of Time. For a start, you don't know much of Link's past, whereas you learn in OoT of how he came to be in Kokiri Forest. As such, this gave room for a bit more leeway in defining who his brother is and what he does.

There was less exploration involved in this design since I was both taking direct inspiration from an already existing design (s) - that being the soldiers uniform and the Magic Armour - and also from my first original design. It was easily adaptable into the slightly different style of Twilight Princess, making it equally adaptable into a slightly different game space and culture.

Through feedback it was the general consensus that Link's brother would have fit well as a position quite close to Princess Zelda, a situation which could see Link encounter his brother when he encounters Zelda within Hyrule Castle.

After some exploratory sketch-work and establishing a silhouette, the first pass of this iteration came into focus quite quickly: