discussion Realism in Character Design vs Realism in the Story

[eezergoode]

It really depends on the reader/player and WHY they are playing/reading. But to those of us who actually invest into the story, those sudden changes can be very jarring. If I'm in it for fap material, it doesn't bother me so much, but If I am really getting into the story... yeah, it bugs the hell out of me, and has, once or twice, cause me to just walk away after it happened for like the third time across just two updates.

 

[stevetheegg]

For me, realism is relative to the general silliness of the story. If it's super serious then realistic behavior is required. If it's just for laughs, do whatever you like.

 

[MattShizzle]

I don't play the cartoon looking ones at all, so...

 

[conzibald]

I've noticed that I when I play games that if a game has characters that look more like cartoons, including anime style, then I am willing to accept plot points or story elements that are less realistic. A better word might be believable instead of realistic. I'm talking about things like Koikatsu as opposed to Daz3D. The opposite is also true for me. I expect a more logical story in games with 3D characters that look anatomically closer to real people.

Has anybody else noticed this?

I have not noticed the same but seems plausible. i think it also depends on what kind of world or setting they are going for, at least for me. For example if it would be trying to look realistic over going with an art style and takes place in fantasy or similar my suspension of disbelief is eaiser compared to trying to set it in a more realistic or historical setting. For me immersion or the suspension of disbelief is very important in story driven games. Are also while not vital really good in gameplay focused games as it can help with atmosphere or get a nice powerfantasy trip.

oh and on a final note i generally always want people especially humans, act as people. when their motives or personality(or lack thereof) seem to come from nowhere or come off more forced for plot to happen i most likely get turned off. Only exception i can think of is if it turn an otherwise generic plot into something entertaingly bad and interesting. Also depends on what my mood is in as low energy or bad mood makes me sometimes overly critical. If it evokes a positive feeling or i am in a general good mood i have an easier time overlooking things.

 

[jinkaz]

I never really understand the association between the design and the story, if the character look realistic but the story is Goofy and wacky, I'm going to expect goofy wacky things not a realistic story, and if the characters look like anime characters but the story is realistic and serious, I'm going to expect a realistic serious story

 

[roux69]

For graphics, I find that art direction is better than the uncanny valley of realism.
The issue with DAZ assets, everyone seems to use the same models over and over.
The issue with hand drawn assets is that it requires talent/skills as well as an increased amount of time to make.
With AI, it tends to be pretty samey from picture to picture as the models are trained on the same data over and over. (as well as being theft).

As for the story, I don't expect any semblance of realism in any of the games we play. I just simply activate my suspension of disbelief.

 

[Flame125]

I learned long ago, from someone who is far more talented than I am, that the world and characters drive the story. When you allow the story to drive the world and characters, you lose a lot of your audience. You need to stay consistent throughout. Don't change the rules of your world or the personalities of your characters just because the story needs that change in order to progress. If you have to do that, it means the world, the characters, and the story weren't compatible to begin with.

Agreed. I mean a little plot twist such as character hidden potential unlock is okay, but don't turn it from "Hi I'm a schoolboy who discovered I have magic because my ancestor can use magic" into "The world is ending and I am the only one who can stop it". At this point, I might as well watch 90% of the latest shounen anime to satiate my heroic moment.

 

[CharlieV]

Depends what the game is 'trying' to be. Don't mind a ridiculous story if this is totally embraced and doesn't take itself too seriously

 

[xatfx]

I actually agree with you, the aesthetic bias of the game influences the realism (or not) that I expect from the game.

 

[dpocky]

I've never found a connection between art style/choice and my disbelief of story/situation. It's always been about the setup for me. If it starts off absurd, I'll accept/believe whatever happens next--that's just how the game's world is going to be.

Whether a cartoon of a guy riding a dragon, or a Hollywood live action production where a dude rides a dragon, it's still a dude riding a dragon.