Poll: When a game lets you create your own protagonist...

[AnthrSolidSnake]

I typically create myself, both for immersion, and because I'm apparently the only person who doesn't find themselves completely boring. It depends on the game though. Fallout for example, I do myself, and I even try to guess what my stats would actually be if I had them. Makes for a slight better understanding of myself. For example, I'm not too strong, a bit average, but I have a great tolerance to pain, so I leave Strength at average levels, and put a point or two into endurance. I'm not too quick on my feet, but I'm rather observant and aware of my surroundings, so chalk one less point to agility, and one more in perception.

However, if it's Saints Row 3, I usually make a new character that looks cool, or an already established character, like Duke Nukem. I love how easy it is to create Duke Nukem in the Saints Row games.

 

[Irridium]

I usually make some weird approximation of myself. Like, the character has some of my features, but I exaggerate/add in others. I do it for both males and females. Then after that I make whatever I feel like making at the time.

 

[The Madman]

I have a soft spot for badass redheaded women, so when it suits the game I tend to make one of those. Otherwise I tend to ere towards a generic guy model.

 

[Caiphus]

I always try and make the character look as much like me as possible. I'll still try and make it as close as possible in games like Dragon's Dogma where you can customise height and weight.

And if I'm playing as a girl, generally on the second or third playthrough, I'll just make her hot. No real method or pattern, just hot.

I think that makes me the most boring person on this forum, but hey. Works for me.

Edit: Will never actually give them my real name though. They will always be called Caiphus.

 

[Drops a Sweet Katana]

I normally just go with an OC. It's much easier considering I don't know my facial structure well enough to recreate it and most character creators that only give limited options usually can't accommodate. I could manage it if I had mirror next to me when I did it, but I'm not that vain.

 

[CleverCover]

When I played Oblivion, or start out for the first time on any RPG, I make myself as a test run.
When I figure out the controls and how things work, then I really start roleplaying.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

I've always found the idea of creating oneself in a game to be lazy. It's a roleplaying experience, after all.

I usually go with one of my original characters. Sometimes, particularly in games where roleplaying is less of a factor (such as Rock Band) I will create an established character from fiction. At other times, I will take an established character from fiction and then modify them in some way to create something new. I often do this on second play-throughs of more heavy roleplaying games (like the joke character, but less of a joke and more a chance to explore and adapt a character not my own).

For instance, my "Boss" in Saints Row is Kitiara from the Dragonlance series. She was technically my second "boss" in Saints Row 2, but I liked her far better than the original character I did the first time, so I kept her as my main "boss" for SR3 and now SR4. I have a lot of fun trying to dress her like a Dragon Highlord.

Currently, she's wearing Blue Knights armor, a Blue Warrior Princess helm, and carrying around the Tentacle Bat (as close as I can currently get to a bad-ass sword).

However, while she was originally based on Kitiara, her personality (at least in my mind/in the predetermined dialog of the game) has long since caused her to drift far from the original source material.

 

[Alorxico]

I think I tried to recreate myself in Sims 2 in an attempt to have a more interesting life than what I was having back in college, but after a while I got tired of watching virtual me have more fun than real me, so I just went back to playing God and controlling the lives of characters of my own design.

I also took the hint and got out of the house for at least an hour every Saturday. That had mixed results.

 

[Candidus]

I always make women that are attractive to me (short face, red hair, green eyes, freckles, medium build, muscular or chubby is fine), with the name that is most attractive to me (Andine), with the class that implies the personality that is most attractive to me (melee, physical damage, high burst low defense classes).

Assuming all that is possible.

 

[-Ezio-]

I always create an original character, one that fits the world, and I will always choose the female gender and have red hair. Not sure how that started but it's just something I do in every game!

i do the same thing.

 

[busterkeatonrules]

Original character for me. Every time. I like to make the best-looking character possible with the editing tools available. Trying to create a facsimile of a pre-existing character (or myself) takes far more time, is far more frustrating, and will inevitably end with some level of disappointment.

I usually take the time to come up with various backstories for them as well. Especially in games like Skyrim, this does a lot to break the monotony of multiple playthroughs. OF COURSE I'm going to play that game several times. You have to, in order to see everything. My second character is still going to do a lot of the same things that my first one did - but this way, at least their MOTIVATION will be wildly different!

 

[Kargathia]

I usually roll with a preset with slight tweaks. Don't understand how people can spend hours on nose length or eyebrow placements.

When it comes to choosing classes/skills, sure, I spend a shitload of time there.

Yea, I tend to do the same thing. I'm just not that good with faces, so if I start meddling with sliders too much it'll always end up weird.

If possible I play female protagonists, mostly because I find it easier to identify with a female than with a hulking mass of concentrated testosterone.

I don't really have a pre-conceived notion of what I like, but generally speaking they end up as pretty wiry characters of less than average height. Strong, but not ripped - fighters, not body-builders.

 

[ace_of_something]

My wife pointed out that I nearly always make my characters not white, (I am very white). I'm not sure why, maybe it's because I want the character to be their own thing rather than me. This is assuming it's a game where 'human' is the only option (such as Saint's Row series).

Otherwise I tend to gravitate toward the LEAST humanlike option such as my Argonian in Skyrim. Again, I don't know why.

 

[Souplex]

I usually do an approximation of myself.
Your poll needs an option for "Whatever's default" and I just look through the presets for something that looks good.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Someone that looks like me.

Or someone I could fap to.

One or the other.

 

[LookingGlass]

I try to create a character that I think fits in with the game's world. It usually takes me forever and pisses me off because I either can't get the character to look good or I can't decide on various stats. I'm always relieved when an RPG gives me a few choices of character model instead of a full-blown editor. Bonus points if I can choose my skills/stats during the game instead of up-front.

 

[Risingblade]

Myself cause I'm fucking awesome

 

[Varrdy]

First time around, I always create "Me" and generally play as the good guy. Once that's done, I usually create a new character and play another way / gender / morality path / class etc.

 

[Miss G.]

I make a character following what I like in anime; either gender more towards androgynous most of the time, red/white/pink/turquoise/purple hair, fair skin/dark-olive/rich brown skin, swimmer's body, petite or model height, and if it's a fantasy, apply those to the furthest race away from human as possible. If there's no option to be non-human, I'm usually not buying the game.