The character creation process is the very first experience players get in a role playing game. The character creation process is the most important part of any role playing game and it is surprising how often this experience is overlooked by developers. In this feature I am going to discuss two possible ways of creating a character creation process and the reasons why they work so well.

For most RPGs and every MMORPG gamers must make the most important decision that they will make throughout the length of the game before they have played a single minute of it. The typical character choices are as follows:

• Male/Female
• Race
• Class
• Physical Appearance

The Race and Class may be the most important because there are some attributes relative to each of them. In most RPGs the class or profession of your character determines whether you are a melee powerhouse or a simple medic. Often the race of your character will give you certain abilities that other races may not have. This is the most common setup I have found, many games allow you to choose many other characteristics.

The first character creation process I want to discuss is the “Gamer Profile” style. The idea of this character creation process is that the gamer is asked to answer several questions about hypothetical situations and from the responses the game will assign the correct character type. This sort of character creation process has the advantage of being more immersive, it doesn't make the player feel like they are playing a game. Some of the problems are that it can take a while if there are several different types of characters. Also it does not give the player complete control, and the player could end up being a character they actually do not want to be.

Another character creation strategy is the “Complete Freedom” style, where the gamers gets to control and setup every aspect of there character. This is the most common in MMORPG games where physical appearance of the avatar is very important. This sort of approach can also bring about difficulties because players can often be overwhelmed with all the choices. This approach is also not very immersive and could take away from the feel of the game.

The character creation process is so important and I find it interesting that there is so little innovation. Having characters choose what they are going to be from the start seals that characters fate. Often in MMORPGs the choices you make during character selection will determine who you play with and even how successful you are.

The ideal character creation process would occur during the game. Allowing players to play however they like but slowly gaining skills in certain areas. This would let players experiment and see how exactly they fit into certain play styles. I hope in future MMORPGs we see some innovation and new methods of building your character.

-Seth (26-June-2005)

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