Avatars and their Creators [Archive] - Quarter To Three Forums

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BlueJackalope

07-31-2007, 01:45 PM

Caught this story on NPR

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12263532

and went to the art exhibit that it was talking about.

http://www.alteregobook.com/about.html

Interesting to see the folks behind the pixels.

FYI - that hot chick? A fat Korean dude.

BlueJackalope

07-31-2007, 01:45 PM

http://www.alteregobook.com/images/AE_girlinpink&haritsu.jpg

spoke too soon!

Mordrak

07-31-2007, 02:21 PM

That's really neat. I like some of the conclusions you can jump to by the comparisons, but unfortunately the images are so small that the text description is unreadable.

Jon Shafer

07-31-2007, 02:37 PM

Cool article. :)

That's really neat. I like some of the conclusions you can jump to by the comparisons, but unfortunately the images are so small that the text description is unreadable.
That's because they want you to buy the book. ;)

Jon

BlueJackalope

07-31-2007, 03:36 PM

Cool article. :)

That's because they want you to buy the book. ;)

Jon

I was hoping to see more than the few pictures they put on the site, and the captions are completely unreadable.
I'll definately look for the book over at Powell's.

I was thinking bout my own avatars, if I can create them its usually me - incredibly muscled bald dude with a goatee, well bald dude with a goatee anyway. Or the hottest chick I can make. I doubt that really reveals too much about me.

Zylon

07-31-2007, 03:52 PM

"It says I have blue, but I decided I wanted grey eyes!"

Lum

07-31-2007, 04:08 PM

http://www.alteregobook.com/images/AE_girlinpink&haritsu.jpg

spoke too soon!

The woman in question is actually a famous transsexual singer in Korea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harisu).

BlueJackalope

07-31-2007, 04:19 PM

The woman in question is actually a famous transsexual singer in Korea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harisu).

D'oh! I think DJ Krush did a song with her actually.

Morkilus

07-31-2007, 04:33 PM

This also new from those cutting-edge folk from NPR!!

July 23, 2007
'Guitar Hero' Game Earns a Following

Jason Lutes

07-31-2007, 05:10 PM

That's a pretty cool project. The one of the kid with the breathing apparatus was kind of a stunner, in that his avatar seems like an extension of how he sees himself. Kinda choked me a up a little.

AndrewM

07-31-2007, 08:05 PM

That's a pretty cool project. The one of the kid with the breathing apparatus was kind of a stunner, in that his avatar seems like an extension of how he sees himself. Kinda choked me a up a little.

According to this (http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/06/15/magazine/20070617_AVATAR_SLIDESHOW_8.html), he's actually in his 30s.

McBain

07-31-2007, 10:19 PM

Laugh out Loud, EverQuest kid.

Matt Perkins

08-01-2007, 08:28 AM

I heard (http://www.whatwouldmattdo.com/2007/07/31/character-toon-and-avatarwhatever-you-call-them-they-define-you/) this piece on NPR yesterday and checked around and found some more pictures:

here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/04/technology_gamers_and_their_avatars/html/1.stm) and here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/technology_online_gamers_unmasked/html/1.stm)

The most interesting part, and it's what I talked about a bit on my site, what your avatars says about you, not how it looks compared to you. Or the why people create specific avatars and how they get treated because of it. Very interesting stuff.

Jason Lutes

08-01-2007, 09:41 AM

The most interesting part, and it's what I talked about a bit on my site, what your avatars says about you, not how it looks compared to you. Or the why people create specific avatars and how they get treated because of it. Very interesting stuff.
I guess it's mainly an art book, but I winder if Cooper makes any distinction between MMO games and single player games wherein you can customize the main chracter's appearance. It seems like there's something fundamentally different between creating an alter ego that will interact with others online in a "social" context, and one which won't. I'm not sure how to define the difference, but making an avatar for WoW is pretty different from creating one for Tony Hawk or GTA, and some of the portraits in the book are of avatars in offline games.

BlueJackalope

08-01-2007, 12:43 PM

I guess it's mainly an art book, but I winder if Cooper makes any distinction between MMO games and single player games wherein you can customize the main chracter's appearance. It seems like there's something fundamentally different between creating an alter ego that will interact with others online in a "social" context, and one which won't. I'm not sure how to define the difference, but making an avatar for WoW is pretty different from creating one for Tony Hawk or GTA, and some of the portraits in the book are of avatars in offline games.

On an intuitive level I suspect most people fashion the "Ideal Me" avatar for single player games. You, but hotter. I loved having virutual me take a walk with Luca Brasi in Godfather.

I don't have a ton of MMO experience, but Ill bet folks more often go more fanciful for MMO's. To free one to act the fool or to help roleplay. I'm guessing the genderswitching thing is to generally make the long long level grinds a little more enjoyable. Its also probably the same instinct to not use your real name for internet message board posts, to keep your RW identity seperate from your game world one.

Mordrak

08-01-2007, 03:23 PM

Side note, can you really make 200 bucks a month selling stuff in Second Life? Or is that basically, if you got in when land was cheap and brands hadn't formed yet, but now don't even think about it?

Matt Perkins

08-01-2007, 03:30 PM

Yeah, I'd say creating a character to play in an MMO is very different than one in a single player game. In a single player game you can play the ugliest/prettiest SOB/nice guy and no one gives a shit. It's just a computer game.

But in an MMO, how your character looks and acts defines you. Which means you can reinvent yourself if you desire, you can create characters that are like you or not, you can be a different person or a more attractive person, or just try to get some respect you don't feel you get in RL. All with instant feedback from other actual people (well, their version of themselves online :D)

Plus, as most people aren't 100% in touch with everything about themselves, when you create your and play your avatar, you're giving things away about yourself most likely.

I think this is only going to get more involved as we can become more customized in our virtual characters, abilities, looks and possessions. It's going to be interesting at the very least.

And I probably still be playing a dwarf if the game has an option to do so. Because I love me dwarves! I fear to ask what that says about me.

Ben Sones

08-01-2007, 03:32 PM

Matt Perkins

08-01-2007, 03:37 PM

I suspect that people craft game avatars in different ways for different reasons. For instance, while I know that some people see their in-game avatar as sort of a digital version of themselves, I see them more as characters, like the protagonist in a book. I have no problem choosing character types, genders, and personalities that in no way mirror my own.
Sure, but when you do that, you affect your character with your choices, your leanings, etc. Your characters say something about you... Or so the theory goes.

Kinda like playing poker with someone and figuring out their tic. It's all there to see if you know where to look. I think.

Ben Sones

08-01-2007, 03:45 PM

Yeah, that's true. I mean, I like some types of characters better than others, obviously, just as I like some books better than others. I'm sure all that says something about my personality.

Lum

08-01-2007, 04:08 PM

Side note, can you really make 200 bucks a month selling stuff in Second Life? Or is that basically, if you got in when land was cheap and brands hadn't formed yet, but now don't even think about it?

$200/mo is about what you'd make if you had a reasonably successful store selling something original (clothing, weaponry, models, etc) and treated it like a part time job in terms of hours spent on it. A few make a lot more, and many make nothing at all.

Jasper

08-01-2007, 05:31 PM

Weird. I generally make a different character each time, either one that I think fits well into the setting, or just to do something different. For City of Heroes I made up some authoritarian business man in powered armor who liked to bust Nazi (errr, 5th Column, or whatever) heads, complete with background, origin, etc. Such background details never came up much, but it was explicitly not just me in powered armor. Does my role playing a pulp style right wing vigilante say something about me? I doubt it.

Strangely I don't do this so much in single player games where you don't customize the appearance, so playing Crimson Skies for example I envision it as some alternate reality where I'm a dashing sky pirate.

Ben Sones

08-01-2007, 05:58 PM

Hanacker

08-01-2007, 06:01 PM

I guess it's mainly an art book, but I winder if Cooper makes any distinction between MMO games and single player games wherein you can customize the main chracter's appearance. It seems like there's something fundamentally different between creating an alter ego that will interact with others online in a "social" context, and one which won't. I'm not sure how to define the difference, but making an avatar for WoW is pretty different from creating one for Tony Hawk or GTA, and some of the portraits in the book are of avatars in offline games.

My friend has the book. Kinda neat. Which Avatars are from offline games? I thought all the Avatars were from MMOs (or MMO-lite games like Guildwars (which doesn't have much in the way of character customization so they try (somewhat unsuccessfully) to make the text descriptions interesting)) so single player stuff didn't get mentioned at all. City of Heroes and Second Life have by far the most entries since they have by far the best avatar creation of any mainstream games. But I didn't read every entry so maybe I missed them.

Mordrak

08-01-2007, 07:30 PM

My two favorite characters from CoH:

El Cucaracha: A mutated cockroach with super strength and radioactive powers; a big, buff guy who looks a bit like the Tick (an obvious inspiration), but with cockroach-brown skin and bug eyes. His costume was bright yellow, green, and purple, colors inspired by Mexican Day of the Dead decorations. I'd often shout out catchphrases en Espanol while playing him.

The Cosplayer: a mentally unstable fangirl who learned martial arts by watching anime, and now believes the she is a superhero. Wears a schoolgirl outfit and mask that she fashioned herself, and has a quirky animal sidekick (actually just a stuffed animal sewn to the shoulder of her costume) that she constantly talks to. It doesn't talk back.
Yeah, I loved the CoH/CoV generator. I'd just make characters all day when I was playing.

My favorite is the Yarrrr 2000, a mechanical pirate from a popular children's ride that was pushed too far by those little gremlins. It became self-aware resulted in some bloody excitement and screams for all involved. Plus he is a robot pirate with a wooden peg leg.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a120/hawksdr/cov_all.jpg

Yes, it's pathetic that I make screenshot collections of my characters. Seeing it again, I should have named Beatnick Artist just Beat Nick.

$200/mo is about what you'd make if you had a reasonably successful store selling something original (clothing, weaponry, models, etc) and treated it like a part time job in terms of hours spent on it. A few make a lot more, and many make nothing at all.

Thanks for the info. Doesn't sound what I'd be able to make it work. I'm looking for something or some combination of things that I can eventually replace my current meager income with, but allow me to work from home and be my own boss. Most of the stuff I'm finding is like that, work part time 20 hours a week to make 200 bucks a month. I'd have to work 80 hrs a week to even come close to making enough.

davidf

08-01-2007, 09:02 PM

http://home.comcast.net/~taskforcecommand/Pictures/screenie.JPG

Here are some of my COH avatars top to bottom left to right
Burgundy Bowman (my newest toon)
Task Force Commander (my third 50 at the base Task Force Command I manage)
Undead Hunter (my latest level 50)

Bottom row
Agent Ender (3rd toon I ever created in COH)
Yellow Tank (my 2nd lvl 50 tank, the other Blue tank)
Nuclear Inferno (my very first 50 in the game, original name was Firestormer, and got genericed), look stayed the same though
The last one is Emerald Gaurd (the 1st toon I created, though I put the new jet boots on him)

Been playing since beta, and I think I'm finally starting to wear out on this one. Play on Pinnacle and its been a lot more quiet on the server. Most of the core SG memebers are gone. I haven't been actively recruiting to our Supergroup so its pretty empty , fortunatly we have something like 3 million prestige in the bank, and the base is so decked out I really can't think of another thing I could add to it that would make it better, so its all upkeep from this point forward. I love the base editor, but I've done everything with it and our base that I want to, I was running the base building channel for a while, but again let that slide as well.

Our base has some ideas Ive still not seen other bases try, such as a firing range, a full on nightclub, and a hanger bay (though truthfully I could make this more grand if I wanted)

Dean

08-02-2007, 11:31 AM

I only ever created one avatar in CoH. I know the character creator is the draw, but I have one "me" and that's it. I made a villain too.

So, here's The Other Stagehand-- I'm hot tubbing with my group. Other Stagehand is the guy with the cigar:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/deanodonnell/screenshot_2006-10-13-23-25-07.jpg

And here is Porphredo:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/deanodonnell/screenshot_2006-08-15-23-20-45.jpg

I actually got tired of the look of Other Stagehand, and made him a whole new "opera" costume, that's very Thor-like, but I only trot that out for special occasions.

Mordrak

08-02-2007, 01:02 PM

Here are some of my COH avatars top to bottom left to right
Burgundy Bowman (my newest toon)
Task Force Commander (my third 50 at the base Task Force Command I manage)
Undead Hunter (my latest level 50)

Bottom row
Agent Ender (3rd toon I ever created in COH)
Yellow Tank (my 2nd lvl 50 tank, the other Blue tank)
Nuclear Inferno (my very first 50 in the game, original name was Firestormer, and got genericed), look stayed the same though
The last one is Emerald Gaurd (the 1st toon I created, though I put the new jet boots on him)

Been playing since beta, and I think I'm finally starting to wear out on this one. Play on Pinnacle and its been a lot more quiet on the server. Most of the core SG memebers are gone. I haven't been actively recruiting to our Supergroup so its pretty empty , fortunatly we have something like 3 million prestige in the bank, and the base is so decked out I really can't think of another thing I could add to it that would make it better, so its all upkeep from this point forward. I love the base editor, but I've done everything with it and our base that I want to, I was running the base building channel for a while, but again let that slide as well.

Our base has some ideas Ive still not seen other bases try, such as a firing range, a full on nightclub, and a hanger bay (though truthfully I could make this more grand if I wanted)

Nice. The Task Force Commander shot is great. I never stuck with it to 50. I am tempted to come back with the Rikti Invasion and invention system, but not sure. I'm hoping the Marvel MMO ends up on the PC or perhaps a CoH reboot, ala Guild Wars. The only known MMO reboot like that, EQ2, just split the playerbase though.

I messed around with the base editor when CoV came out and it seemed really cool, if horrendously expensive. They should have had individual lairs that belonged to players that linked to the supergroup lairs.

I only ever created one avatar in CoH. I know the character creator is the draw, but I have one "me" and that's it. I made a villain too.

So, here's The Other Stagehand-- I'm hot tubbing with my group. Other Stagehand is the guy with the cigar:

I actually got tired of the look of Other Stagehand, and made him a whole new "opera" costume, that's very Thor-like, but I only trot that out for special occasions.

Cool. :) I made tons of characters, but only two or three made it above 20. I think Dr. Malefecint was my highest at 30, he was a Mastermind. I still think CoH/CoV has some of the best mob designs in any MMO. When I went back for CoV, I thinking to myself how cool the various gangs and supervillain/hero groups looked.