In Baldur’s Gate 3, you have the ability to customize the appearance of your character, although the options in the character editor are not extensive. Unlike other games in this genre, the game does not have sliders to change facial features. Instead, players must use presets when creating their hero.
Lead character artist Alena Dubrovina explained the reasoning behind this decision and how the character editor allows players to express their individuality in unique ways.
“We never made a character editor […] specifically for players, even though it seems like we did,” Dubrovina said in an interview with Kotaku. “First and foremost, we make it for ourselves when we start development. Because we knew that the game is going to be massive. We knew there would be way too many characters in the game, and we knew that we had to make each of them individual and be ready for the appearance of Dragonborns or similar creatures. […] So we know that if we want to offer our designs, and in a year there are going to be 100 of them in the game, our task is to prepare them so that all of these NPCs or at least some of them look unique.”
Dubrovina believes that most customized characters end up looking too similar, despite the hours players spend creating them. ”We wanted to avoid that. And if we were to create sliders, they needed to be truly unique and not look the same.”
The game will feature 11 races, and Larian has no plans to change them in the near future. The studio aimed to stay true to the Dungeons & Dragons lore, which is reflected in the character editor. For example, elves cannot have beards, and adjusting the horns of tieflings or dragonborns affects the pattern on their scales. However, there is still room for deviation from the canon, as Larian has removed moral alignment, allowing for more diversity in role-playing.
The team prioritized inclusion and consulted with experts and animators to create hairstyles for black characters. Their approach to gender also differs from other companies. In Baldur’s Gate 3, players can choose from four body types that are not tied to a specific gender. Additionally, players have the option to choose the genitals of their character, with multiple variations.
“You can choose a penis or a vagina, as well as pubic hair, although, given the reptilian nature of Dragonborns, they will look slightly different,” noted Kotaku.
This choice has an impact on the game itself, according to Dubrovina. It is not related to sexual scenes but rather allows for player self-expression. Larian even created equippable underwear that can be customized and worn as part of character customization.
“The question came up: ‘What happens when you take it off?'” she said. ”At first, we thought, ‘You know, maybe nothing will happen. Maybe there will be another underwear mesh underneath. Who cares?’ But then I started thinking about it, talking about it, and we realized that for some players, this is just another way to present their identity.”
If players do not wish to spend time on the intimate areas of their character, there is an option to hide them. However, it is commendable that Larian pays attention to these details.
“BG is very focused on your individuality and ultimate fantasy, where you can be anyone or anything,” she said. “And we wanted that to be represented. We think that visual [character creation options create] a positive player experience. I’ve noticed it myself, when I play games or when I choose which game to buy, right? I look at the characters and I want to look beautiful. I want to look fun.”
You can start practicing creating your perfect hero now, so that you can recreate them when BG3 releases on August 3 for PC and September 6 for PS5, as data transfer from the early access version to the full game is not possible.
Article from www.playground.ru rnrn