Player's relation to a group.

As a result of my case studies, I have a better understanding on how a player can associate themselves with a group of people. The more similar a group's traits are with the player's the easier it is for a player to associate themselves with the group, which is why the antagonists in Killzone use clothing and equipment similar to contemporary gear. A player who is comfortable with the people around them will be more willing to work together that team. On the other hand, if the team's culture is completely alien to a player, a player will want to play against that team. Antagonistic characters often have actions that do not conform to a player's social norms, which is what makes players work against them. The structure of a group can make interactions within the group very personal, or impersonal, which can help grasp a sense of scale within the group, as well as make the differences and gaps between ranks clearer.

Killzone 2 : Group Traits

During my meeting with Ryan, we talked about my study of humanism and individuality in Killzone 2. However, I had to look into the visual nature in a lot more depth.
I continued to look back at the characters in Killzone 2, as well as 3. It was also interesting to note how within the Helghast faction, Additional group traits in 3 subtly divided the hierarchy of command into further sub-categories.

V2.

The methods in which groups of characters are categorized into teams are through the identification and creation of distinct contrasting visual elements reflective of the group culture of a team. 

The criteria that is used to separate a team is limitless, however,  visual elements such as colour, form, size and even race allow a player to identify these differences easily and help reinforce the criteria that defines the teams group culture.

Taking Killzone as an example…..

Humanity is used as the criteria in which both the antagonistic and protagonist teams are defined. Visually, the teams can easily be identified by a clear contrasting colour scheme of characters with dark tones versus characters with lighter tones. If we look closer however, we can identify additional contrasting elements that allow us to postulate a level of humanity within the characters of each team.

Overall, Humanity is the category that is used to define which teams are the protagonists, and the antagonists. The former being the ISA, and the latter being the Helghast. Individuality is a sub-category that is used to reinforce this.

Individuality is represented through the design of the ISA characters in Killzone 3 through faces that are a lot more varied and visible. Clothing is a lot lighter, and comfortable, designed around the needs of the character as a human being whereas the Helghast wear clothing that seems a lot heavier with emphasis on protection and survivability. This gives the helghast a bulkier, heavier appearance which is easily identifiable through silhouette, and the ISA a more agile, but fragile aesthetic.  Whilst the Helghast uniform and equipment is a lot more standardised, the individuality of the ISA soldiers in KZ3 is reinforced through a larger, varied selection of clothing, swapped out throughout different locations in the story to adapt their uniform to different climates.  The ISA characters have the freedom to wear whatever they want. Unique clothing items such as hats, scarves, hoodies and balaclavas to customize and enhance their uniforms in a very individual way to make their character stand out from one another. Not only does this reflect their mercenary like nature, but it also shows a character’s individual preferences,  supporting their nature of a human being. The clothing used to make Helghast characters stand out on the other hand appear to be issued based on class, with the character having no choice in their appearance, representing oppression and discipline.

Subtle Nazi references on Helghast characters such as colour schemes, symbols and items of uniform references a group with a culture that is deemed immoral which again helps a player to detach themselves emotionally from the faction. Often referred to as Space Nazis, the situation is akin to allies versus axis in visual terms. Even the leaders are based off leaders who are deemed bad, or evil such as Stalin and Hitler. Additionally, the ISA are akin to more contemporary western military characters with archetypes that are a lot more familiar to a player, the rag-tag element giving them the underdog appeal.

Rico and Jammer, a Hispanic male and female are also introduced in killzone 2 and 3 in the ISA faction. The diversity of races within the ISA are more unique and relatable on a personal level than the faceless, emotionless Helghast characters.

Rank –

In Killzone 3, a larger number of more varied characters are introduced to both teams.  The Helghast army is further categorized into 2 armies.  One army representing the standard helghast infantry, and the other, representing the soldiers of the wealthy and technologically advanced Stahl arms company. With technology and wealth acting as additional criteria used to separate the army into 2 categories, further visual cues are used to represent this visually. Whilst the regular soldiers sport very rounded shapes, specifically the roundness of their helmets and rounded structure of their bulky bodies, the technologically advanced troops contain sharper, more angular aesthetics.  

The sharper appearance, not only making them more of a threat psychologically due to the angles, reflect current military technology becoming more streamline and angular. The aesthetics of these soldiers mimic this through sharp angled helmets and armour to represent a tier of technology above the standard units.   

More ISA characters are introduced too. These characters use a larger variety of clothing, both civilian and military to adapt their uniform to the conditions, reflecting their need to survive within the planet. Many of the characters not choose not to wear helmets, further distancing themselves from the helghast and making them feel more human.

It was interesting to note that the separation of the Helghast into Military, and Company character within the same faction, with differing group traits ended up concluding with the leaders of both categories, both being in the same team,  fighting each other at the end of the game.
Though in my honest opinion, I think Killzone 3's story was terrible, but for other reasons.

Killzone 2 : Hierarchy, Individuality and Symbolism

Killzone 2 is a great example of how humanism and individuality can be used to relate a player to a team, whilst secluding them visually from the other...

Case Study : Killzone 2 Character hierarchy analysis

As one of the initial flagship releases for the PS3, Killzone 2 boasted an immersive and graphical experience brought forward through realistic visuals and iconic character design, namely the antagonistic Helghast race the player must fight throughout the game. The purpose of this case study is to examine how visuals reinforce character abilities and how it links with the hierarchy of units within both fighting factions within the game, analysing the elements that make the helghast faction both iconic and memorable.

AESTHETICS AND INDIVIDUALITY

The design of the 2 opposing factions varies greatly within the Killzone universe. The design of the Helghast characters revolve around aesthetics that create a very dark atmosphere. For example, Guerrilla games wanted the sniper character to be designed in a way to make him feel as inhuman as possible. The idea behind the character was to create a very ghostlike adversary with a cloak and backpack which created a hunchback like pose, and extended hood which blends into his torso and hides his face to create a very sinister, non-human feel with only the glowing red dots of his mask piercing through the shadows. In single player these dark, inhuman like elements create characters that a player may find alien and hard to relate to on a human level.
To comply with the alien atmosphere, the sense of individuality is removed completely within these characters; the face masks aiding the removal of personality and units sporting a very limited unified colour pallet, where the characters act as more of an asset of war rather than a living being. These aesthetics are consistent with the helghast team culture of an efficient and merciless war machine. 

The ISA on the other hand are designed to feel a lot more relatable to the player. Visual elements are more human which makes it a lot easier for a player to relate to. The player’s squad in which he works with throughout the game all have faces with distinguishable features, which define them more as an individual with a personality rather than an asset. The human association with the ISA drives immersion as the ISA character hierarchy and team culture are together more relatable than that of the Helghast, usually forcing the player's perspective of the ISA in a positive light.
However, the ISA protagonist's short-sighted view of the Helghast people as inhuman beings additionally making them difficult to relate to, being seen as a negative trait by some. Following the release of KZ2 and 3, a minority has come to favour the Helghast. The storyline ended up working against the character design, as players sympathised with the antagonistic faction, seeing them as misunderstood and oppressed. (r)

Killzone 2 enemy types grouped in order of appearance

Enemy Type                               Health                  Level of Appearance      Occurrence in Game

Assault infantry                          50                           CR                                           Very High
Rifleman                                    50                           CR                                           Very High
Support Trooper                          50                           CR                                           High
Shock Trooper                            50                           BM                                         Very High
Commando                                100                         SD                                           Medium
Grenadier                                  100                         SB                                           Low
Advanced Assault Infantry           75                           SV                                           Medium
Sniper                                      50                           SV                                           Low
Advanced Shock Trooper           75                           TR                                           Medium
Pyro Trooper                            150                         TC                                           Very Low
Elite Shock Trooper                  100                         TC                                           Low
LMG Trooper                             75                           VP                                           Low

RANK

One of the defining factors of the helghast is the structure of their military hierarchy. In this case, hierarchy refers to the characters in terms of level. In Single player, enemies are gradually introduced to the player in a sequential manner. Characters are categorized in a hierarchy of ability and difficulty; the lowest, most common enemy is at the bottom and more specialized or difficult enemies higher up. Traditionally, it is common for the lowest form of enemy to be introduced first, which in this case is the Assault infantry. Further up, we are introduced to increasingly difficult characters as well as specialist units such as the sniper and the pyro trooper. It appears that the higher the unit appears in the hierarchy, the more they deviate from the common grunt (the Assault Trooper) visually. This hierarchy pushes imbalance between units, allowing the enemies to be introduced in a way that allows a gradual increase in difficulty comparative to the players increasing skill level.

SYMBOLISM
Helghast Hierarchy

Political 
Scolar Visari
Admiral Orlock
Chairman Stahl
Board of Chairmen
Military
Colonel Radec
-
-
-
Military officers
Infantry

The separation of class within society plays a large part in defining the helghast as a group. Throughout Killzone 2 and 3, the common working class character differs greatly from the Helghan leaders, with no middle class present. Powerful characters, such as the board of chairmen in KZ3, and Scholar Visari all have a design that is a lot more decorative and symbolic, with slick attire coated with medals and helghan décor which represent the wealth and power of the helghast nation. The lower class however, have attire and accessories that are purely functional. One of the easiest identifiers of class is the iconic mask, which represent the working class profession according to the official killzone timeline (r). This is further established through in game cutscenes and promotional artwork depicting the helghast wearing the masks in harsh, poor environments. These identifiers form a useful tool that enables a player to easily identify a character with a position of power in the game.

The design of the main antagonist of Killzone 2, Mael Radec, takes these elements into account and uses them to establish his high ranking position within the hierarchy. It is clear that he is in a position of power through elegant and ornamental design; suitable for his role of military advisor; however, the presence of the iconic mask still places him in the category of soldier. This is reflective of his personality as an outstanding tactician, but not one of a political leader. 

However, on the multiplayer side, all sense of rank and hierarchy are eliminated, or rather, flattened to give players an equal ground. By removing rank, each character focuses more on a unique ability. In a way, there is no longer a common unit in which ranks compare themselves from visually and therefore each character stands out a lot more individually, however, by giving each team an identical counterpart on the other side, the sense of individuality is broken down as it puts emphasis on the player’s role rather than character. The class based system doesn’t stress the importance of one character over another, but rather forces individuality through select abilities. This focus on an imbalance of ability opens the game to more engaging and evolving game styles.  In a sense, the idea of individuality, or lack of, is blurred in multiplayer as the focus is shifted as a team from that as a rank system to that of a class system and is dependent on if a player chooses whether or not to stereotype themselves within their class.

CONCLUSION

It has been identified through this case study that Individuality itself can linked to the hierarchical structure of the team, where symbolism can be used to further categorize characters in the hierarchy and reinforce a character's position, rather than personality. The large gap between classes, and hierarchy that stresses functionality rather than personality helps develop an iconic antagonistic group identity which is quickly and easily identifiable. It was also observed that the level of human association with a character helps prompt favourability, as seen with the inhuman elements on the Helghast and ISA characters; not just aesthetically, but additionally through team culture. 

Framework

My new and improved framework. I could cut it down at "Reinforcing visual elements", but it would be useful to specify some of the criteria that I will be using.

Framework

The group identity, or team culture is defined by certain traits that are associated with that group. Each trait has associated visual elements that are consistent throughout each character in the group which combine together to create a group aesthetic. These elements can consist of many things, as long as they can be easily identified by a player.  Individuality and Roles are parts of these traits that form the group culture.A well thought out group hierarchy also helps define the structure of the group, increasing immersion through believably.

Below are a list of some of the criteria that can help define a group aesthetic...

1. Shape/Silhouette
2. Size/Scale/Structure
3. Colour
4. Harmony/Disharmony
5. Clothing/Fabric/Texture
6. Individuality
7. Weapons

Semester 2 Crit Feedback.

Feedback from crit made me think that I may be trying to throw too much into my characters without a proper framework. Though they were happy I was looking at different areas and expanding my boundaries, it didn't seem to fit well with my characters. I seem to be jumping into the modelling too fast, so I've been told to step back a bit. I have been focusing on making the same 3 characters work from the beginning  so it would be better for me to start fresh instead of trying to constantly adapt the previous characters to new designs. My exploration into Angelic Hierarchy doesn't seem to be going anywhere, so I'm thinking of just dropping it completely. 

The current characters have become difficult to read, with too many different influences making them difficult to identify as a group. This is a result of trying to merge everything together without a proper structure. The colours are the only thing unifying the characters together, however, the shape and silhouette, materials, forms and other influences don't seem to have much consistency with them.

I am going to start fresh with a new group, simplifying things to make them easily readable. I'll need to clean up my framework as well. It will revolve around developing a group identity, specifying specific traits, and then reinforcing those traits through consistent criteria, both individually and as a group, such as form, silhouette, clothing or weapons.

Angelic Hierarchy : Bayonetta

Bayonetta’s enemies use the Christian angelic hierarchy to classify the level and abilities of their enemies. Enemies roles were inspired by their religious counterpart, using much symbolism in their aesthetics.

Team identifiers :Gold/White colour

Halos 

Decorative aesthetic

Characters : Additional Influences

The Captain

I have decided to further adapt the hermit character into a high ranking officer like character. He will be some sort of long lost officer who has been living in seclusion. By having a sophisticated hierarchy of rank, it should hopefully result in more believable characters. 

"A more sophisticated hierarchy can lead to more believable characters" Player Character engagement in Computer Games. 

I focused on the use of equipment and mechanical sections as a form of decoration rather than functionality. It emphasizes him more as a decision maker rather than a fighting soldier and makes him seem a lot more important as he is highly decorated. 

I combined the use of religious imagary of comparable religious roles. Things like the General's cap made of rings. Unique coloured uniform to stand out from the rest. Torn clothing to suggest experience, and a scepter that implies power. 

The Aviator

I used the flying character I had designed previously and adapted him to the angel role. I wanted to make the character very impersonal so I continued giving him very inhuman like elements. 

I added influences from both WW2 pilots and angels to adapt him more to his role. 

I gave him more "Angel" shaped wings. He has a very pilor like collar. I added additional rags to make him fit the team aesthetic more.His mechanical elements are a lot more functional. I also like how his large upper torso implies strength. Overall, I think I was able to make him look very inhuman. His role is intended to be more of a Boss like character, hence why he is the largest character of them all. He is not necessarily the highest ranking, but he is the deadliest of all the characters. 

 I also began developing weapons for the character. I wanted the character to be very role orientated if he is to lack individuality. His back heavy design relies on a weapon for balance, further reinforcing his reliance on his role as a character.

The third character uses influence from religious crusaders. Being the lowest ranking of the 3 characters without specializing in a specific role, the aesthetics call for the character to be functional and adaptable in her role. 

 -Cloak/Mask Variations
-Cloak suggests more secretive role such as sniper or spy. This doesn't really suit the character so I may remove this.
-Kinght like decorations.
-Flag for motivation and team identification.

I'll need to do a lot more with this character to make her fit in more with the others as she lacks any mechanical forms.

Basic colour test : 3 blocked out characters together.