Do you prefer create-a-character or preset ones?

I recently came to the conclusion that I vastly prefer premade characters in games over ones you have to build yourself. I think that the main reason is that premade characters generally have more personallity and usually have better stories attached to them. It seems like, to me anyway, that games that have you create a character are taking the easy way out by just making the character a vessel for your fantasies over an actual person. I don't hate character creations by any means, but if a developer came up to me and asked me to choose, I'd go premade all the way. Anyone else feel the same way?

It really is just game specific. But since developers never give me the full beard I want, I would actually prefer to create my own character or for them to just give me a bearded version of their main character.

Doesn't it depend on the game? If I'm playing a Bethesda game (they're the guys behind Elder Scrolls and Fallout, right?), I want some Sexyface action; if I'm playing Persona 4, I want to get my Yu on.

I usually use a pre-set and tweak the design a little bit, so I like the created characters, but it doesn't need to be super deep.

Do you mean premade as in everything about the character from its looks, personality, and choices is predetermined (like Final Fantasy?) or do you mean like choosing default Shepard over making your own?

Definitely create-a-character. I get into those things deeply and will screw around for hours tweaking a character. Hell, in Saints Row The Third, I have a huge wardrobe for my character and I change her outfits every time I come back to a crib. I also frequent change her appearance slightly at the cosmetic surgery places around Steelport. A robust character creator is something that attracts me to a game.

Premade almost always looks better. Like in Mass Effect where it's based on a real guy.

It depends on the game and what the developers are trying to do with their game. I like creating a character in Mass Effect, but I wouldn't want to in Dead Space 2.

Depends on the game, though I always appreciate the option for me to tweak my main character in anything, or at the very least a varied select of outfits. I never played with default Shepard across my 5 playthroughs for both ME games.

I agree that it depends on the type of game like it is fun to create guys in games like Skyrim and Dark Souls but it something like Mass Effect I would like to use a pre-made (default) Shepard cause all the other ones look weird. It just doesn't have the flexibility with the voice acting and the amount of customization but something like Saints Row the Third is great since you can change the voice and make each character absolutely crazy.

I love to create my characters. Seriously, Def Jam: Fight For NY wouldn't be the same if the dude you were playing as, were just another dude.

As noted, it's a game to game situation. That being said, there's few things as fun as spending most of your evening playing a new game simply in the creation part of it. Which is probably half of the reason I own too many of THQs wrestling games.

CAC works better in Bethesda games, presets in Bioware games.

As for preference, I almost always go custom just because I can.

Preset characters for most games. I just can't muster the enthusiasm nowadays to create a character.

I'm all about Default Male-Shep because he gets so much trailer time, other games I just create.

@MooseyMcMan said:

Premade almost always looks better. Like in Mass Effect where it's based on a real guy.

That's the situation where I would go with a premade model since it's vastly superior. But if the presets are just models made from the create-a-character assets, then I usually pick one of those for my base and then change hair, beard, eyes and tweak some fine settings to my liking.

Depends on how good the developers are at creating pre-made faces. I'm not a fan of the new default female Shepard for ME3 for instance and will definitely be rolling my ME2 Shepard instead.

I like to be able to change things like hair color/style/length, eye color, and facial hair, but the detailed face-shape-morphing stuff for every single physical feature just isn't for me.

create but I don't get into details like the nose shape, etc. cause I'm too lazy. I'll just pick the preset that I like and then tweak it slightly.

i like premade characters. the characters usually come out weird and doesn't fit the story to games. some games it does good but others it doesn't.

@PenguinDust said:

Definitely create-a-character. I get into those things deeply and will screw around for hours tweaking a character. Hell, in Saints Row The Third, I have a huge wardrobe for my character and I change her outfits every time I come back to a crib. I also frequent change her appearance slightly at the cosmetic surgery places around Steelport. A robust character creator is something that attracts me to a game.

Agree, create-a-character is a HUGE deal for me too as is any other form of customize options

Depends on the game. In most games that allow it, I usually just make a character that no one would want to play as if it was pre-made.

Create a character. Unless the character creator is really, really, really bad. : |

"serious" games (mass effect): premade

"stupid" games (saints row): create a character

I want a good character, no matter who makes it. I don't trust my own creative spark that much,

It depends on the game, Mass Effect is in theory a create-a-character game but Shepard have a (or a couple of) very defined personalities.

I usually tweak the pre-set

I usually like to create a character. If the game has enough options then I can make someone that sort of looks like me, or like in the case of Amalur, I can at least make a cool looking dude.

@PenguinDust said:

Definitely create-a-character. I get into those things deeply and will screw around for hours tweaking a character. Hell, in Saints Row The Third, I have a huge wardrobe for my character and I change her outfits every time I come back to a crib. I also frequent change her appearance slightly at the cosmetic surgery places around Steelport. A robust character creator is something that attracts me to a game.

Same here. If a game would work with creation tools, I want them. I'm starting to wonder if Mass Effect should really have it because created characters tend to look really poorly animated in the facial region (and they make your skin look much warmer and darker in the menu for creating a character and then the game is nothing but blue and white lighting and suddenly you realize you made a paper white character.

Also, some of the funniest things I've ever seen where Oblivion character creation sillies.

I usually use a pre-set and tweak the design a little bit, so I like the created characters, but it doesn't need to be super deep.

I've sunk 20 hours into Soul Calibur V and I'm yet to use a default costume. The creation in Saints Row The 3rd was also a major selling point for me.

Premade.

I always enjoyed games more like that. I guess that is also cause those characters got a well developed story arc instead of just 20 options that aren't the best executed or not too different.

It depends how good the character creator is, I think the Mass Effect one is kind of bad and all the custom options look kind of weird.

Saints Row the Third was really impressive in this area. I didn't feel I was making an inferior looking version of the 'poster' character.

I personally like games better when my character has a personality and voice acting, silent protagonists really weird me out. There's some kind of weird idea developers have that having character customization doesn't work with "active" protagonists, which is why I prefer premade characters. Mass Effect is a notable exception because the character has a personality, but on the other hand it doesn't have a very good character creator - most people who use it can't really make a good looking character, so they use the default anyway. I haven't played SR3 yet which seems to be another exception, but they actually have 7 voice actors for the main character, which doesn't really seem like a practical solution for most developers anyway.

(Course, I still like games like Skyrim with silent protagonists, but I prefer characters with personality)

@WilltheMagicAsian said:

It really is just game specific. But since developers never give me the full beard I want, I would actually prefer to create my own character or for them to just give me a bearded version of their main character.

I'm glad I'm not the only one with a virtual-beard obsession.

@FLStyle said:

I'm all about Default Male-Shep because he gets so much trailer time, other games I just create.

This, too. I love customization in other games but DMS is how I remember that character.

@Deathawk said:

making the character a vessel for your fantasies over an actual person

Well, that's my motivation. During my character creation, my mind automatically forms a backstory, a family, friends, quirks, etc. of that character, so they become an "actual person" to me ^^

More customization is never a bad thing. Unless of course the game is specifically about a certain type of character.

Preset. I've never been very creative when it comes to character customization and I always either make them look to plain or too ridiculous and I'm never satisfied.

I always say I like Create a character, but In reality having a preset character is so much easier and usually a better looking character.

Create a character. It's more fun to fill in the blank with your character.

yes it depends on the game but given the option Create a character all the way. There are many games where your playing a set character with his/her set personality. So when given the option to role play and make the person i want to make is always fun. Most times i like to put me into the game or made up person of my creation. Fallout, mass effect, skyrim, dark souls, dragon age and similar games like it benefit the most to me with this kind of freedom to be and make whoever you want to.

I really like the best of both worlds. In a game where I'm forced to make choices, I prefer either a sort of blank slate or a create-a-character. In a game with no choices, I really don't care.

That said, Saints Row The Third is my favorite character creator since the original Mass Effect, and I'm only on ME's side at all because it was so simplistic and minimal.

@MikeGosot said:

I love to create my characters. Seriously, Def Jam: Fight For NY wouldn't be the same if the dude you were playing as, were just another dude.

Fight for New York.

That game... is awesome.

created characters usually look like all ass and by their very nature have no personalities. I'd much rather let a professional model my character for me than have to assemble it myself with overly limited tools.

If a game lacks a strongly defined protagonist and is played at least partly in third-person, character creation options are essential. In heavily story driven games that already have strong protagonists, this option could end up being detrimental to the experience.

I take the preset and change the hair.

@MikeGosot said:

I love to create my characters. Seriously, Def Jam: Fight For NY wouldn't be the same if the dude you were playing as, were just another dude.

Fight for New York.

That game... is awesome.

It depends on the game.

Massive RPGs: Create-a-character

Anything else: Preset characters

To actually take the time to create a character in titles like Gears of War or Call of Duty would seem absolutely pointless. In the end, I don't really care what the individual looks like when I'm being driven through a linear story while simultaneously blowing up things. When it comes to RPGs though you're not only supposed to feel like you own the character, but also play a very particular role in order to fulfill that characters personality. When there's an option to make moral choices, collect loot, and follow skill trees to develop a personalized character, why not spend the time developing your appearance?