Virtual Character Design for Games and Interactive Media

Chapter 4

Personality, Emotion, and Expression

We should begin our discussion of performance by first examining the psychological concepts that underpin human behavior and actions. If our goal is to design characters audiences can relate to and empathize with, then it’s essential that we have some understanding of the nature of personality, emotion, and expression. From the overarching attitudes and traits that define how we behave to the short-term feeling states that affect our thought processes and immediate actions, an appreciation of both personality and emotion is vital for good character design. By extension, how we use nonverbal communication to express who we are, what we are thinking, and what we are feeling is fundamental to the creation ...