Author Topic: Where are the character image creaters for RPGs? (Read 2584 times)

DarkSpade · « **on:** 28 September 2019, 21:42:13 »

I was skimming an article on the best character creators in video games and of course, the amazing to the point of being insane Black Desert Online come up. It got me thinking. We've got all kinds of ways to create maps for RPGs, both paid and free. Where the heck are the character creators? Something I can use to create an image of my character as close to possible as how I see them in my head rather than scouring the internet for a close enough image or paying someone who can draw. I'm seen some that are little more than paper dolls. I want to see something like Hero Forge but without the limits of needing to look good coming out of a 3d printer. And in color!

Luciora · « **Reply #1 on:** 29 September 2019, 10:26:50 »

Make an account in a game, generate a character amd screenshot it?

DarkSpade · « **Reply #2 on:** 29 September 2019, 10:36:03 »

Doable, but not perfect. Most games are only going to give you, at most, the starting gear during character creation and often with no posing options.

Luciora · « **Reply #3 on:** 29 September 2019, 10:59:02 »

The base idea is good, and I'm certain there can be alot of fam created contented for it, but what sort of payoff is there for that developer? There's also possible C&D notices amd lawsuits for licensed content that fans will no doubt include for personal use.

DarkSpade · « **Reply #4 on:** 29 September 2019, 11:11:47 »

People buy map creation software and well as character building tools so I imagine there's a market for this as well. Already know I'd buy it. Would be useful for both players and GMs.

No one is sending C&D letters after Bethesda for people making their fallout characters look like popular characters, so why would they in this case?

Luciora · « **Reply #5 on:** 29 September 2019, 11:24:48 »

I'm talking intentional versus good enough to pass. I'm playing Guild Wars 2, and have a number of characters that are close enough doppelgangers for Sailor Moon and DC characters that I regularly play, in the case of a character paperdoll generator people tend to make packs for specific themes. That's where trouble can happen.

dgorsman · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 September 2019, 12:05:14 »

Are we just talking about a Mr. Potato Head style people picture generator? Pick eyes (spacing, size, shape, color, etc.), nose, mouth, and so on?

DarkSpade · « **Reply #7 on:** 29 September 2019, 12:16:41 »

No, I want to pick the race, shape the face, body type/shape, hair, gear, pose, etc. Check out this video from the earlier mentioned Black Dessert Online. Which turns out to have even more features than I thought and may be worth picking up after all.

(just a heads up, characters are in underwear during parts of creation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msQ9Pdy3pwk

Still, I'd love to have something like this as a stand alone product. Especially if it could also handle modern setting games and allowed for user created addons.

Daryk · « **Reply #8 on:** 29 September 2019, 13:07:28 »

Eh, Google image search is usually enough for me...

dgorsman · « **Reply #9 on:** 29 September 2019, 16:00:36 »

Quote from: DarkSpade on 29 September 2019, 12:16:41

No, I want to pick the race, shape the face, body type/shape, hair, gear, pose, etc. Check out this video from the earlier mentioned Black Dessert Online. Which turns out to have even more features than I thought and may be worth picking up after all.

(just a heads up, characters are in underwear during parts of creation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msQ9Pdy3pwk

Still, I'd love to have something like this as a stand alone product. Especially if it could also handle modern setting games and allowed for user created addons.

That's exactly what I was referring to. It's literally a Mr. Potato Head system for character images.

ANS Kamas P81 · « **Reply #10 on:** 29 September 2019, 21:17:58 »

There's always artists willing to take commissions for work; some of them do pretty damn good stuff. I've got a few artist friends who do comms and I love how things turn out.

Orin J. · « **Reply #11 on:** 29 September 2019, 21:53:05 »

Quote from: DarkSpade on 29 September 2019, 10:36:03

Doable, but not perfect. Most games are only going to give you, at most, the starting gear during character creation and often with no posing options.

don't most MMO games have model viewers on wikis that let you dress a character with various stuff? i mean a lot don't i know but you should be able to find something....

this said, i can draw pretty well and never had your problem. you could probably get an artist friend to do it for a decent price depending on the lever of detail and size you want here. just don't ask me. i have potato computer issues.

Tymers Realm · « **Reply #12 on:** 30 September 2019, 09:15:46 »

:::Sigh:::

:::Remembering discussion on the old City of Heroes boards about having their CC being a separate item...:::

CapricornNoble · « **Reply #13 on:** 01 October 2019, 18:39:10 »

Hmmmmm, would be an interesting coding project. Some ML/DeepFake algos, maybe a few specific feeder pics (make me someone who looks like Tony Stark, but with...), and some sliders/radio buttons/etc. for manipulating specific features, then run the output through a cell-shading filter.

DarkSpade · « **Reply #14 on:** 01 October 2019, 18:52:03 »

I do have an artist friend, but with all the RPGs we play even if I got a friends and family discount, I'd go broke paying him to do character sketches for me.

guardiandashi · « **Reply #15 on:** 05 October 2019, 18:36:48 »

I understand the issue,

I am in a similar situation I would really love to get an image of a character I made for a Rifts game
its a female Wolf breed (husky appearance) dogboy that is 7'7" tall with the wolf style legs (not human ones) and yet I never can find art especially in color that fits IMO

Wrangler · « **Reply #16 on:** 05 October 2019, 20:11:25 »

Art workwise, i've been getting screenies of Droid games advertising. Seems to be good way get character images.

As far creators. i don't know. The few free ones the like the The Character Creator, which can make simplistic but nice looking avatar.

Deadborder · « **Reply #17 on:** 08 October 2019, 07:50:12 »

Lego Minifigs all the way

Daryk · « **Reply #18 on:** 08 October 2019, 16:44:53 »

Emmet salutes you! :D

Colt Ward · « **Reply #19 on:** 09 October 2019, 11:33:11 »

I have seen people use EVE's generator, not sure about Star Citizen.

For some of my RP background characters I have grabbed movie/TV screen shots- I use the Matrix 2 Merovingia shot for a big time arms dealer that has pretensions.

Or like this one from Event Horizon-

A little judicious cropping and you can get a 'wallet' size photo with some background (space movies are best for this of course) to go with the little blurb about the contacts. I imagine I have anywhere from 150-200 characters that can be met on specific worlds (Outreach, Galatea or Solaris VII), can be dropped into a story for any place or time (like a list of mercs whose background can be pinned down when used), or faction specific- like the Regulus faction.

Daryk · « **Reply #20 on:** 09 October 2019, 20:05:47 »

That's pretty much exactly what I did for Forza Deici di Galatea down in Non-Canon Units...