Character Creation- How do you do it?

[Fkemman11]

Do you start with the eyes? The mouth? The nose maybe? What is the measure for you of what a good character looks like? I have created hundreds of chars over the years for many different games- as have most of us. What I have noticed is that different ppl sort of gravitate towards a certain "look" for their characters. So what influences your character designs for FO4 or other games? What are the determining factors? For instance, would you design the same character for FO4 as you would for Skyrim, Saints Row, The Sims 4, or whatever game you fancy? Is it the limitations of the game itself in most cases? What say ye all? :smile:

 

I always start with the eyes. Then the nose and mouth followed by the face shape. Little things like the brow and higher cheekbones make quite a difference. Then there is texture and shading. I have experimented with all extensively and you can make major changes with both. Color schemes are also important to get a very specific look. Certain colors, skin textures, and shading help to convey depth. Brown eyes seem to look more realistic in some cases than blue or green to me. FO4 does a good job of starting character creation on a "middle ground" so to speak, allowing for more variances in every aspect of face creation. Still, It seems that the general look of most ppl's chars is somewhat similar. Does this mean that we all generally agree on what is pretty or handsome- and what is not? Perhaps it is because FO4 is set in a semi-realistic setting that more closely mirrors our reality or understanding of it.

[wanderer3292]

I definitely make characters in different games look different. I wouldn't make the same character in fallout as I would for skyrim. I try to make them look similiar to the npcs in the game world.

 

personally I don't have a ton of fun making faces. I usually use a template of a pre made face, and tweak it to how I'd like. I noticed that on most games, once I find a look that I like, most characters for that game end up looking very simliar.

[jones177]

Hi

 

I start with the face profile. Jaw line, cheek, forehead.

 

Then eyes, brows, nose, mouth.

 

For most of the female characters I have created for this game I have gone with a rugged look. They are usually military on leave at the time war breaks out.

 

Here is one of my favorites.

 

 

 

For Skyrim it depends on their specialty. Mages are less rugged than fighters and that means setting the jaw first.

 

My Mass Effect character is my favorite since I used her for 3 games.

 

Later

[montky]

howdy FKemman11,

an excellent question as ever.

this is partially related to your earlier thread reflecting on 'when is a Game 'declared dead'?"

or "how to discern if a game is dormant or dead?"

 

I have sent ^{_{the long-form}} response to your NMM inbox,

apologies for a 'dense read' - I swear, I tried to pair it back to the least as possible.

 

that said, there are options to make more customization closer to _nX^! rather than a subset via that framework.

so, as a combinatorialist/compatibilist,

I would suggest that the 'coincidental' cluster of appearances,

is ostensibly explicable via 'sample selection bias' hehe, and

is moreso reflecting the limits of gamestates and choicespace, moreso than a 'window' into the Userbase's Theory of Aesthetics etc.

its a function from the stats that,

2 standard deviations: < 15mins spent total customizing avatar, < 100hrs total on gameplay...

if we do back-of-the-envelope on that, we're already in the 5fth percentile or so of total Fallout 4 gamers by dint of being at NMM at the first place hehe.

 

new lands, and custom sliders etc,

under the Community Resource Framework (and CCA 3,0 SA-RD-Remix or OpenGNU framework for ReadMe/TermsofUse)

would ostensibly encourage even more modding collabs in these spaces

for better Regionalizations -> |phenotype etc| for parts packs.

rather than folks needing to re-invent the wheel etc.

that mastercopy proviso of the EULA though is ostensibly causing a lot of folks to 'hold their best back'

 

I mean, look at the incidence rates of folks

FORPGing roleplaying as a mutant etc, cross-comparatively reflect on the rate from past fallout titles.

also look at the incidence of new lands/new enemies...

[JimmyRJump]

I go back and forth between all the options available until the result is to my liking. Simple as that.

 

 

Latest SSE character (vanilla CC), Tjorven, Nord.

 

 

 

 

 

[Fkemman11]

Originality is key here. I cannot claim to be a champion of it because I do tend to admire some of what others do. How many times has anyone just said "fck it" and gone the opposite way on the sliders you think? I have several times and really was pleasantly surprised a few times- although I didn't keep many of them. :D

[Moraelin]

Wot Jimmy said. I generally start with the cheeks and jaw line, for the general outline, but from there it's a couple of hours of going back and forth between pretty much all settings, 'cause I just can't get the whole to look the way I want.

 

And sometimes I never can get someone I really like. Like, for example, I never managed to get a head that says Punisher to me. Part of the problem being that I'm not even sure what that would look like, anyway. I eventually just went "ah, screw it" and just used my old Preacher character.

 

Then I see someone on youtube ending up with a much prettier character in a fraction of the time, and make a mental note to send them into the woods with the royal huntsman :wink:

[pungtap]

Hello!

I typically start with a preset that I like. I usually use one from "Picturesque Presets for Looksmenu by Mystolle" as there are tons to choose from.

 

After I select the preset I like, I start with the nose and eyes. I typically shrink both the eyes and nose to get a more "realistic" human face. Most people tend to over-size the nose and eyes of an individual. I then work the cheeks, mouth, and jawline/chin in that order. Only then, when I'm satisfied with the face do I move on to eye color and hairstyles.

 

My favorite part is working the extras because that is how you really come up with a unique, realistic looking character. I try to add just the right amount of "imperfections" and transparency to scars and face blemishes/redness. Then I work on makeup/ tattoos/dirt and grime.

 

I usually tailor the body to the Special Stats of the character. If I am doing a melee build I typically make them larger with more scars and blemishes to signify a life of hard fighting. If I'm doing a sneak/support character I typically go with smaller or fatter characters. I usually use of a body replacer of some kind such as CBBE, or a custom skin for tattoos or other unique body characteristics.

 

A list of mods that usually go into my builds (in case you are interested):

Looks Menu by Expired6978
Looks Menu Customization Compendium by "A bunch of people"
Lots more Female Hairstyles by rbddc12
Vivid Hair Color Extended by GothikaGeist
CBBE by Caliente
Tattilinas Tattoos Nautical by Nyricake (modified by pungtap)
Unique Player Body
Shade Girl Leather Outfits - CBBE(RU) by Lena67
Wes Tek Tactical Optics - Night Vision Thermal Vision Goggles and More by fadingsignal
Crimsonrider's Accessories (AWKCR-AE) by Crimsonrider
Synth Overhaul - CAST by MaaroTakai

That is about it, but I may have missed some, so if I have I humbly apologize to the mod creators!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JimmyRJump]

Hello!

 

I typically start with a preset that I like...()...

 

 

Sure, it has its advantages. But using a non-standard preset (i.e. one made by a modder) is something I (almost) never do to avoid having to download a whole bunch of mods I don't usually use in order to make the preset look like the modder intended. A lot of the time the Valkyrie mod is needed for this or that preset and let this be a mod that severely clashes with other body and face mods I use, to the point that the game crahses when selecting a preset that uses Valkyrie.

[Fkemman11]

 

Hello!

 

I typically start with a preset that I like...()...

 

 

Sure, it has its advantages. But using a non-standard preset (i.e. one made by a modder) is something I (amùost) never do to avoid having to download a whole bunch of mods I don't usually use in order to make the preset look like the modder intended. A lot of the time the Valkyrie mod is needed for this or that preset and let this be a mod that severely clashes with other body and face mods I use, to the point that the game crahses when selecting a preset that uses Valkyrie.

 

Damn. I didn't know that. I guess I'll have to stop using it in my mods then.