Hello all once again. Since I haven't restarted a new character this week (or last 3 days lol). I have come to discuss something Ive always wondered about. I will complete my Bachelors in Psychology this may, and Ive actually already taken and passed (with 4.0) all the psychology courses, leaving only finite mathematics to complete for the degree.
Anyway Ive often wondered about the psychology of character creation. Questions such as why do we create the characters that we create? What do these characters say about us? Why cant some of us decide on a character? ect.

What I'm looking for is a combination of YOUR answers to this questions, and also any actual psychological studies that would be relevant.

These are my answers so far:

Why do I create the characters the I create:
Lord knows Ive made a lot of them, but most of them are warriors. I think this is because in my real life I feel like a warrior, though I don't look like one. (Im about 190 soaking wet and 6ft 1 kinda on the nerdy side). However my life has been one of struggle. Though I usually make my way through using my intellect rather than brute force, I don't feel like an intellectual. I feel like my drive and determination has gotten me much further than just being smart. However there is also the side fact that I'm definitely a beta-male. In fact I am a cross-dresser, and generally feminine. This is why an Orc or a Nord never worked for me, I just don't feel like I'm that kind of fighter. I wound up with a very young and soft featured Imperial with long red hair. A warrior with a little finesse and tact.

What does my character say about me?
You know I'm not really sure. I guess I would have to see what someone else thought about him, and see what they thought.

Why cant some of us decide on a character?
I can only speak for myself. I began the game as a perfectionist, trying to find the best build possible. That alone took a long time, and then when I found out what it was (in my opinion) I didnt really enjoy playing as it. It never clicked. I finally had to decide to play as what I like rather than what was probably "the best,"

I haven't found any pertinent studies so far but Ill keep looking.

http://nienkehinton.blogspot.com/2006/08/using-psychology-to-create-characters.html

This is a blog, but Im going to post it because I think its interesting and relevant for developing personality in our roleplaying characters. Ill come back later and highlight some key ideas.

Why do I create the characters the I create.
I create my characters to be someone other than myself for a few hours at a time. I never play "as myself."

I play two-handed sword-wielding Warriors, mostly. I am a very careful person in real life. I consider the consequences of my actions before I do anything whenever possible. It is wonderfully theraqeutic to spend an hour or two within the safe environment of a video game rushing into danger with wild abandon.

I play female characters exclusively. I don't identify with males. I tense up when I'm around them. I was one of those boys who hung out with girls in school. When my parents had a party I'd spend my time in the kitchen with my mother and her friends. She'd shoo me out out of the kitchen to watch sports on TV with my father and his friends in the living room but I hated that. I'd sneak back into the kitchen as soon as I could. I'd ask for Barbie dolls for Christmas and be told that a boy playing with dolls was wrong. I got toy guns and bags of army men instead - which, of course, I hated. So I don't really see it as a choice. It's the only way I can feel comfortable playing.


What does my character say about me?
I suppose it says that I'm a sick, twisted individual desperately in need of immediate psychiatric help.


Why cant some of us decide on a character?
For me there's just something optimistic about starting over. It's a chance to completely undo past mistakes. I get to start fresh, do it right this time. It's like waking up in the morning: you have a whole new day ahead of you. That's what starting a new character is like for me. That feeling gets to be almost addicting after awhile. After I've played a character for awhile I begin to want that old feeling of unlimited possibilities back.

There are quite a few studies that look at the psychology of gaming personae or online personae. Have a look at Computers in Human Behavior or CyberPsychology journals.

I create characters I feel deserve to have their story told.

For example, I recently created an orc named Ornog gro-Bonk as he wanted to prove to me (and Tamriel) that even an Orc could save the world. He's helping Barus investigate the shrine now.

What does he, Gregreo, and the Skyrim heroes I will create say about me? That I'm a creative person with a hell of an imagination. I'm creating Alga Highlander first not just because I want to see a female Nord whoop dragon [censored], but because she has a story to tell and I want to let it happen.

Why can't I decide on one character? Well, take Gregreo, my first ever Elder Scrolls character. His story has been told and re-told already and its time for him to retire and let other characters carry his torch. It's passed on to Ornog and will soon pass on to Alga when I get Skyrim.

Why do I create the characters the I create.
I don't usually create warroirs and when I do, I don't keep them for long, same with mages...and thieves? That's a different story. My thief (sneaky and sly) characters usually last for a long time, I don't know why but they just do.
I'm not really brave enough to be a fighter and I don't feel intelligent enough to be a mage-type-person. I can be quite sneaky I suppose but I don't like/ I'm not good at sports.
If I'm ever in trouble I'll usually ask someone else for help which explains why most of my characters use conjuration. bliviongate:
When I was younger I lived on a farm next to a forest so spent most of my time climbing things and exploring. We lived 7 miles away from the nearest house so I only ever talked to my parents, sister and farm animals. I have several scars from falling off/over/out various objects but I always remember someone being there to help. :thanks:

What does my character say about me?
I'm cowardly and lazy but I have lots of friends to help me out. :intergalactic:

Why cant some of us decide on a character?

I have a perfect character now. Haa-Rei the Argonian has been my friend for 5 months now (But that includes several restarts ^_^ ) and he just feels...right. He's not a warrior or a thief, or a mage. He just walks around and talks to people or sits at home and reads books. He constantly runs off in the face of danger but will always find a way to solve his problems (usually with a little bit of help via conjured creatures). Maybe other people spend too much time trying to make the 'best' character for a game rather than finding the 'best' character for an adventure.

*Sniffle*...*Clears throat*...Much better. :bunny:

It is a much more difficult task than we are imagining, imo. First, whatever Beth can accomplish in terms of game mechanics, it will never be able to get remotely close to the grandeur that is 'being'. You find yourself thinking why you do this or that in Beth game's limited creation mechanics, and when you think you get a few answers, you may discover there are other games with character creation methods - Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, that raise other limitations, questions etc... TES does not even have an 'ethos' compass, which might add relevant info to your anolyses / studies. How would it impact what you know about character development if you had to choose from absolutely Chaotic Evil to Lawful Good alignments?

I do not think that there is absolutely nothing to be said about us in char dev, but it will be very little. For instance, I know for a fact that for some reason my brother always chooses to play male Paladin of Lawful Good alignments. In TES terms, that would probably be an Imperial or Nord of Skills: Blade, Athletics, Block, Armorer, Heavy Armour, Restoration, Speechcraft, focusing on fighting Undead, etc... be in NWN, be in DA, TES and other fantasy games. I find myself choosing the same builds: an old bearded male Wizard of Lawful Neutral/Evil align or a fragile, intelligent beautiful female Shadow Assassin Neutral Evil (this build I posted here a couple of times). If you want to overanolyse things (nothing wrong with this), then my bro always chooses a path characterised by vituous actions and I choose always something to do with superior intelligence, regardless of morality issues. Also, few males choose to play female characters, as I do, which I have heard a few people say has implications on sixual orientation (which I think is plain absurd). I guess I am looking for a best fit in my mind to a character that will have specific set of abilities - so the Wizard will always be as I described, so is the Assassin, etc... with few variations.

Good luck on your research, I believe it will be as interesting as challenging - so, do NOT limit yourself to TES games! What harm is there in trying other char dev systems out there (if you are really interested)?

Why do I create the characters the I create:

I always create a lawful good knight who loves to explore to live out my dreams. I create my character to be a model of the person I would love to be - a brave, adventurous person whose days are filled with adventure and discovery instead of schoolwork, staying at home, and sleeping. I've always admired swordfighting in movies and games, as well as knights, hence I always create a character that represents those ideal values. In real life, I am quite shy, timid, and cautious. Some of that does carry over to my characters, but overall, they do things I wouldn't dare to do, such as carelessly running/riding off into the wilderness and not worrying about fighting any hostile creatures/beings along the way.

What does my character say about me?:

My character says I worry too much.

Why cant some of us decide on a character?:

As I am trying to create a perfect representation of what I wish to be, anything I deem as an imperfection draws my attention to it. I want to make a perfect character, and as that isn't possible, I find myself recreating characters simply because I don't like how the custom class worked out, how their face is shaped, or how pale they look in relation to other members of their race.

I think picking female characters DEFINITELY has implications on sixual orientation. Namely, if I'm gonna watch a toon's butt and back of their head for hours and hours I'd rather it be a sixy female butthead than some big burly dude!

I create female characters (I am female myself) who are a mixture of thieves and mages. For instance, a mixture of major skills like: Acrobatics, Marksman, Sneak, Security, Illusion, Mercantile, Mysticism would feel just about right at the moment. (Assuming that I use KCAS and actually selected skills that I want to use as my major skills.) These characters are nerdy, want to get into all locked places, have a look into all locked chests, want to read the secret diaries of all NPCs, and want all NPCs to love them. Fights are done in a cowardly manner: for instance, jumping on top of a rock when being attacked by a melee person, then pelting him with arrows... sounds about right.

I am stuck with Khajiit or Bretons at the moment. All other races just don't feel right.


My restartitis began early after I got Oblivion. Baurus had suggested that I should be an Assassin or an Agent; I accepted; I went into the Imperial City Market district and either leveled up to lvl 5 extremely fast by doing alchemy or by doing speechcraft with everyone. When I left the Market District and encountered the first leveled foe, I got my [censored] handed over to me. So, I realized that I shouldn't select certain skills in vanilla Oblivion. And I restarted until I had found a selection of skills that worked.

The same happened in Morrowind, by the way.


Now, however... even though I have a more or less perfect setup of skills for my characters, I still restart them a lot. This is due to the reason that I play the games in binges. Some weeks of intense gaming; some weeks of playing something completely different... and when I return to Oblivion or Morrowind and see my former character, I don't know what I wanted to do with her next. And then I get nostalgic about the early levels and there's a massive risk that I will restart instead of playing the former character some more.



What does this say about me?

I don't know. In real life, I don't have the urge to enter everyone's house to check out what they have in their chests, closets, basemants, or what sort of books they read. I also don't need everyone to like me, and I don't give everyone a speechcraft treatment until they do.

The "curious nerd with stealth" matches somewhat though.

I think reasoning like this DEFINITELY has implications of insecurity.

Why do I create the characters the I create:
I have so many characters that it's really quite hard to say. I suppose my main Character, Kai, is a valid (though perhaps exagurated) version of myself. But I have more than betrayed that with other characters i've made.

I tend to make characters that fit with a storyline i've made before, my female character Paige came a long time after i'd written a short story about her and my character Kai had been made nearly a year after i'd first written about him.

Example:
Sarathomir; a kind hearted, noble, strong-willed paladin. This is the character I play the most at the moment.
Though i'm not so noble myself, we hold similar 'qualities'. I'm arrogant, brave, strong-willed as is he. But I don't think that's the reason I made him.

I'd understand implications of 'why' I may have created this character if it wasn't for conflict with my other characters.

Darker assassin Garathar with high marksman and and sneak certainly doesn't represent me at all and it's much harder to find a link.
Paige is a timid female that barely fights at all, and only when forced will resort to her crossbow - again I can't find any link to myself or a reason why she's like this (maybe you can?)

Perhaps you're looking too deeply into what is quite a simple; 'I like these qualities (whether I possess them, or desire them) and want my character to have them.
It seems odd that I can have so many very different characters that are so different; and still be able to find why I created them.
Then again; maybe i'm schizophrenic.
:P

I'm a computer science guy, so wizards are totally my thing bro.

First let me clarify that I no longer play. Over time, the constant focus on killing has become more and more repugnant to me. It's easy to kill things. What's hard is to nurture, support, and sustain others in our mutual struggle to survive. Real heroism is usually in the unsung and often unrecognised sacrifice of parents; the courage of the rare honest politician in the face of overwhelming corruption.

I have gotten many insights into my own mind over the years from these games. There is an excitement in leading your character to great heights, There is much to be learned about our mortality and vulnerability by playing in a dead-is-dead style. The game version of the life and death struggle is no proving ground. It is a place to explore creative thinking and your own feelings about that struggle. It is a place to grow or become forever set in narrow perceptions.

Why do I create the characters the I create:
My goal in starting a new character is to be entertained. While that does happen, it has never been the most important outcome. Out of reflecting on my characters in this forum, I eventually started two forum based RPGs and a Fan Fiction.

What does my character say about me?
In the broad view, over a span of several characters, I would say that it shows changing attitudes, priorities, and even an evolving set of values. My first truly epic character was Severus Snape. He was in many ways an overachiever. Angel, my last character is quite gentle in nature and cares nothing about fame, fortune, or power. She is the product of reflective moments and overheard snippets of philosophy percolated through my personal perspective.

Why cant some of us decide on a character?
Because you are creating crash dummies to be shoved into a meat grinder and trying to make one that can survive. Even if you achieve your goal, it's still just a tougher crash dummy. For many moons, my criteria in creating a character is that they must be fascinating and extremely unique. During the game, they must be true to their own nature but are free to evolve; not in a preconceived way but through a natural progression. If I became bored, I took it as "My character is bored." I would ask my character what would get them excited again. The answer was always different and always took us in some unexpected direction.

Why do I create the characters the I create:

I'm primarily a mod-maker, so I need NPC's for quests, and I like to play as each of them for a while to get a bit of background to their character. For Gweden Brothel, I played a lot of female characters of all races, and tried to find a good variety of skills and temperaments to build on. Some of it was following the expected characteristics of the built-in races, such as the Bosmer being an Archer, and the Orc favoring an axe, but where there wasn't a lore-based "rule" I went for unconventional, to make the characters stand out from the crowd.

My own preferences are for the challenge of doing the opposite of what the developers expect, so when the game favors one-handed swords for melee, I'll go for two-handed axes. If mages are biased towards Destruction spells, I'll try Restoration instead. If I find a roadblock to going the "wrong" way, I'll try to mod around it, and let my character be the maverick they want to be. One reason I stick with Oblivion is that the contrary paths are open, and I don't need to change much. My latest Orc, Blossom, has taken the lowest starting stat on the chart (25 for Personality) as her challenge, and reached 100, with Mastery of Speechcraft and Mercantile. It's probably hard to separate the psychology of my character choice from that of the developer team, as I'm really only holding up a mirror, and reversing their "conventional".

What does my character say about me?

See above. Maybe I'm a reactionary?

Why can't some of us decide on a character?

Probably those who have the most restart-itis are those that actually CAN decide on a character. They just can't help playing the same one, and are really trying to escape it, and play something different, but they all turn out the same because the player makes the same choices the same way for each of them. Their "pure mage" carries a sword in case he runs out of Magicka and ends up with Blade Mastery, just like their swordsman did. Some of that is bias in the game, some of it is bias in the player. I'm trying to find out which is which, and fix the part in the game.

Why do I create the characters the I create:

I like variety and I make characters that seem like cool concepts and which are different than my previous ones.

My first two characters were designed to play through all the major questlines. The first one was a noble spellsword doing MQ, MG, FG, and KOTN. Becauase of that my second one just had to be pure stealth and he'd complete TG, DB, and SI. My third charcater (and the only female) was then a pure mage and my last one was a pure badass. I even named his custom class Badass Mofo, which was fun because when i was done designing the class the game asked me if I was sure that I wanted to play a Badass Mofo. ^_^ He was an Orc with red skin (made him look more demonic) who refused to use weapons, armor, or enchantments because that stuff can be taken away from you and that makes it unreliable.


What does my character say about me?

That I like variety?


Why can't some of us decide on a character?

I don't suffer from restartitis so I never thoght about it.

It seems like my story. For many years role playing games have been been the only way to live as the girl I wanted to be. And not only with computer rpg, but also pen and paper.
My characters were the reflection of my inner self in a magic mirror and I found some relief only in these moments.
But reality was another thing and this way of copying only postponed a problem I had to face up.
At a certain point I created a new female character for myself, but this time not in a rpg word of imagination, but in real life and now I'm very satisfied with it.

I play a lot of different characters, but my most common is a paladinish "tank" who tries diplomacy and if that doesn't work I have my heavy armor and shield plus magical resistances to protect me through the conflict. Second is a character who speaks loudly and carries a big stick. The loud character usually has low armor and resistances and compensates with sheer brute force. I am a man of few words, but when I speak people listen. I tend to ignore conflict unless it is proceeding in a constructive direction (no pointless insulting and arguing with me). I have 2 modes.: careful, patient, evasive and blunt, bold, aggressive depending on the situation I am in. I exaggerate those personality types with my characters. My "lawful good" characters are perfect angels and my "neutral" characters are more self-centered and have little patience for charity work. Being evil in games doesn't tickle my fancy.

EDIT: Oh, forgot to mention that I tend to be OCD and restart my characters constantly if I feel a quest did not got the way I wanted or I make a minor mistake with skills..... I do not care about being perfect, but the stupid compulsion forces me to try.
EDIT2: Guess sleep deprivation made me forget to answer the questions directly. I play for entertainment and a good story is necessary or I will quickly become bored and uninstall the program. I like open ended "gray" games over linear ones, unless there is really deep combat system. Choosing how I interact with the game world is the best part. When I can not decide on a character it is because I can see all of the possibilities of how I could interact in the game, be it combat or social dynamics, that I start another just to see how it "feels" to do things differently.

Why do I create the characters the I create:
All of the Character's I've made are females, obviously because I am a female. They've all been types of Elves and one very beautiful Argonian. I've never chosen any other race because I don't think they're "beautiful" enough. Every time I make a new character, I spend hours and hours on her to make sure she looks amazing. I think this is because I've always wanted to be the most attractive person in the short time I've been living, IN REAL LIFE. Also, I find it hard to make her one thing as in a mage, fighter, assassin, ect. I have a tendency to make her everything. I want to make her perfect because in a video game it's possible, but in our life it's not. I make her the person I, myself, wishes I could be.

What does my character say about me?
I want to be a perfectionist, and have everything in my life to be perfectly astonishing. I want things that are out of my reach and impossible.

Why do I create the characters the I create?:

I like testing limits. I create intentionally imbalanced and "weakened" characters, in a effort to challenge myself. I'm not interested in the kind of "difficulty" that one gets by turning up the slider, but I'm greatly interested in the challenge that comes from solving problems. That's why one of my recent characters is completely non-violent, but still attempting to finish the Mages Guild quest without killing. It's why another, a barbarian warrior, wears almost no armor, and uses no protective magic.

Some of my characters in Oblivion are based upon NPCs in Morrowind. Thus I have played Heddvild (the Nord barbarian who wanders around Balmora), and Uresa Omoril, one of the ordinators in Ald Daedroth. I've even played as Fargoth.

What does my character say about me?:

Not a whole lot, really. I make all kinds of characters, male and female. I have learned to play Oblivion as all "types." If it says anything, it may be that I like to play fantasy RPGs. I have honestly never confused my character with myself; I'm often "absorbed" in the play, but I don't "take personally" what happens to my characters.

Why can't some of us decide on a character?:

Why do some people go into MacDonald's and agonize over which "happy meal" to order? :wink_smile:

Why do I create the characters the I create?

I've played lots of different characters, from manly Orcs who slashed and smashed, to regal Altmer who were classy and bright, and thieves who left bread loaves in beggars' food bags from here to the Shivering Isles. About the only character type I've never cared for is an indiscriminate killer.

Elle, who's stuck with me the longest out of all my various TES characters, is a female Bosmer. (I'm a female, although 5'10 and only able to pull a child's bowsting...). She's clever and witty, and while she enjoys socializing to an extent, she doesn't care much for "attention" from others. She relies on a few close friends for emotional and intellectual support, but she's mostly a loner. She has a past, and she often contemplates the various changes that have come about in her thinking, and tries to find closure for many decisions that ultimately led to her struggles. She's not easily classified as weak or fragile, but through her eyes, she is fragile indeed.

What does my character say about me?

I enjoy the idea of being free to roam with no responsibilities other than those I impose upon myself. I also enjoy the idea of going about unnoticed. At the same time, I enjoy attention within my own parameters. I am someone who spends a lot of energy dissecting and anolyzing many things, not out of regret but out of a need to understand them from as many angles as possible. With some people in my life I have a strong need to be understood for who I am, and to have my voice accepted, flaws and all. I have a temper that has instilled fear into many a man. I'll always be a little girl somewhere deep inside.


Why cant some of us decide on a character?

When I get restartitis, it's usually because I can't identify with my character. They aren't talking to me at all. When this happens, I shelve the game for awhile until I hear someone calling to me. I'm often surprised initially at who I find, but eventually I figure it out.

Why do I create the characters I create?
When ever I play RP games, the "role" I play is generally an extension of my true self. I don't play a "what would Jesus do" style, or a "what would a school shooting perpetrator do" style. I play a "what would I do if it was me" style. I put myself in the shoes of the character and his actions mimic what I believe I would do in the same situation (if I had that character's abilities). This has been my MO in both Elder Scrolls and Fallout games. Therefore, my characters tend to be intelligent, stealthy types. Looking before leaping, thinking things out before acting, and trying my best to come out of a situation alive. My characters are always good rather than evil. They never kill for the sake of killing. This is not to say he won't take the first shot stealth advantage, but it is always toward an evil NPC that would kill him on sight given the chance. He will always help those in need if it is within his power to do so.

What does my character say about me?
I never really thought about it, but I guess it says that I am basically a good natured guy that bears no ill will to those that don't deserve it. :biggrin:

Why can't some of us decide on a character?
I haven't really had that problem. My character's "role" is always basically the same. ( See "Why do I create the characters I create" above ). What I do is try different classes of characters to play the same style. This is not so much indecision as it is enjoying variety.

Why do I create the characters I create?

When I get into a game, I tend to stay there for years. So it was with the series of Diablo and Baldurs Gate games and now with the Elder Scrolls. Acadian typically ventures forth as a strong survivable character, and undergoes many restarts as we learn a game. He was a Barbarian in the Diablo series, a Fighter-Thief in the Baldurs Gate games and an 'all rounder' or 'mystic ranger' in Oblivion. Once we have the game figured out, the spirit of my glass cannon begins to speak. In the Diablo series she was a bow using amazon simply named 'Bowgirl'. In the Baldurs Gate games she was an elven archer named Athena. In Oblivion, she manifests as a mystic archer named Buffy.

Where does the spirit of Buffy come from? That is complex. In part she is an invisible friend that has traveled with me for over half a century. Now that I'm retired, she more freely manifests, and I invisibly travel various fantasy lands with her. We have learned to freely cross planes together, and are so interwoven as to be inseparable regardless of our location. In fact, she is quietly sitting on my shoulder, bored and doing her nails as I type this.

What does my character say about me?

Perhaps it says that I am boringly predictable. Possibly it says that when I commit to someone - even a pixel someone - it is with a deep and enduring passion. Most certainly it says that I am odd. Regardless, I am too old to be concerned about it.

Why can't I decide on a character?

During my 'Acadian' phase with a game, multiple restarts are simply a manifestation of learning the mechanics of the game. Once Buffy emerges however, it is for real and doesn't require restarts. My only advice for those who seek a 'permacharacter' is the same as for any relationship: Don't try to force it. When it happens, it may well be how and when you least expect it. Close your eyes and open your mind.

Why do I create the characters I create?
Because I cannot play the game without creating a character first?

I have been playing Oblivion for about 16 months now, and in that time I have created and played as many characters. I have done a character of every race except Khajiit, and tried every style there is, from sword and board fighter, two-handed fighter, sneaky thief, archer, archer/conjurer, balanced sword/bow, pure mage, battlemage, conjurer, illusionist, Witch (using a mod that lets you summon forest animals), etc... I create and play so many different characters, because I want to try new things. Every time I do, it makes the game new again.

As far as their personalities go, again, they are a mix. My characters have been everything from ruthless murders to noble and kind. One was a soldier, one a Deadra, one a fervent believer in the Nine, one a disillusioned Mythic Dawn sleeper agent, one a thief, several have been foresters, one a courtesan, one a spoiled rich kid who hated her parents, you name it.


What does my character say about me?
It says I have a zillion personalities? I suppose it says that I am flexible.


Why can't I decide on a character?
What do you mean by decide on a character. There is no law that says you can only play one character ever in a game. I play my characters until their story is told. Then I let them retire and live happily ever after (or unhappily, as the case may be). In some cases that can take months, in others just a few weeks. For me, the characters in the game are much the characters I write in fiction. They are people with their own personality, history, and goals. As I play them, they come alive (just as a character does the same as you write them). Every session in the game I learn something new about them. In some cases I find the character just does not speak to me, so I put them aside and try someone else.