（#fave #stan #fan #character）Ultimate "Fan activities" that reflects one's life! Appeal of Creating Original Characters!

What a dream collaboration.
You could probably upload this to Crafting app or somewhere just like this and turn it into a poster.

This is more "Fan activities" (supporting your favorite) than any other officially sold merchandise out there.

Today, I'm going to talk about character creation in video games.

There are quite a few game titles that feature character creation, but have you ever tried it?
And,
when making a character, are you the type to meticulously customize every single detail?

Not to toot my own horn, but I think I'm definitely the type to spend a lot of time perfecting it.
And once I've made them, I'm also the type who finds it really hard to change anything later.
If I change even a little bit, it feels like "something's not right," and I end up not being able to touch it anymore.
In a way, maybe that's proof that I poured my whole heart and soul into making them in the first place.

Just for fun, I'm going to talk about my original "Fan activities" style,
using examples of my own character's original in-game images
alongside images processed by AI.

Where there's people life, there are games, and in games, there is "me"

There are games in life.
I get it.

No game, no life.
I get it.

I'm sure many people would nod deeply in agreement with these words.

Of course, we have our real lives, and we can't dedicate all 24 hours of our day to games.
That's exactly why we want to seek exceptional value in the game worlds we dive into during our limited time.

When it comes to "the nature of the protagonist" in games, there are broadly two main directions.

• One is the path of fully immersing yourself as a captivating, pre-made character.

  They are famous as named characters,
  and since I'm from the generation that lived through the whole FF7R craze, I'll use them as an example.
  Like Cloud and Sephiroth from "Final Fantasy VII,"
  it's the joy of reliving the lives of "named characters" who were meticulously crafted to the limit specifically for that world.
  There is an undeniable sense of immersion in their character models, which mesh perfectly with the story.

• And the other is the star of today's topic: the option of "character creation."

  While they belong to the game's universe, you construct their appearance and identity yourself;
  they are, so to speak, "a character who came from another world."

The "Real Me" Behind the Character

A character born from character creation is an inhabitant of the game world,
but at the same time, they are also an alter ego of you who came from "another world (reality)."

At first glance, it's just a character modeled using standard in-game assets.

Yet, blended into the background of their appearance and demeanor
are all sorts of elements—the people the player has met in life,
the scenery they've seen,
the things they've learned,
and even the experiences cultivated through their daily work.

Because of this, an interesting phenomenon occurs.

"Your character as you see them" and
"your character as others see them"
look completely different.

This is simply because a "filter of one's own life" is applied to the character, which only the creator can see.

The main scenario included in the game is something seen by an unspecified number of people.
That is one thing,
but beyond that, you can probably see your own original worldview as well, can't you?

Mixing Colors: The Crossover of Worldviews

Through this filter, you can see your own unique, original worldview that goes beyond the main storyline of the game.

Even when looking at a single object, field terrain, or building, you begin to see it mixed with the colors of your own values.

Take the enemy characters you fight in the game, for example.

We aren't defeating them simply because "we hate the goblin sitting right there."

We want to replace that goblin with that absolute piece of trash we've dealt with in the real world,
and unleash a strike with every ounce of our strength.

If that piece of trash happens to be fat, and the in-game enemy is also a heavy-set character, it makes it pretty easy to visualize.

That's why you pump up your attack power and beat the absolute crap out of them.
Just to say, "Take that, you idiot!"

I guess my enemies are the kind that don't just stay within the game, you know?

An in-game enemy ceases to be just mere data, and instead becomes an entity for sublimating your real-world stress and grudges.
This, too, is the true charm of an original worldview where reality and the game blend together.

You Don't Have to Get It Perfect from the Start

Players who already have their own backstory and worldview for their character will naturally obsess over the details without being told.

You might have started out with an orthodox character built from common, generic parts, but that is perfectly fine in its own way.

As you progress through the game and make adjustments little by little, it will strangely start to resemble "you."

Before you know it,
a moment will come when you think, "Wait, isn't this just me?"
It's completely normal, so don't worry.

Eventually, as you play, your imagination will run so wild that you could practically write a whole novel or drama script starring your own character.

You can take screenshots while imagining a scene from your character's storyline,
and you can even make full use of AI to transform them into pictures with all kinds of different nuances.

Within the Blended Worldview

Whether it's infatuation with a named character,
or an original character you build yourself whom you can become an even bigger fan of.

I've put together a summary of what makes games with character creation so captivating.

• Standing on the same horizon as famous characters

  (Standing shoulder to shoulder with named characters)
  Legendary characters like Cloud and Sephiroth went through multiple model changes, like a second or third draft during development, before becoming what they are today.
  The process behind the character you meticulously put together is exactly the same.
  It positions them as the "one and only protagonist" of that world.

• Tending to choose the opposite gender of yourself

  (Including some personal bias)
  A classic character-creation trope.
  For example, a female player might find someone like Cloud attractive, and as a result, she creates her ideal male character when customizing her own.
  I feel like this phenomenon ties back into deep subconscious psychology.

• The catharsis of holding hands with the "me" who entered the game

  (Are there two of me?)
  It feels hard to put into words,
  but there are moments when only your consciousness dives deep into the game's universe, connecting you and the character on screen with a strange sense of oneness.
  There is a bizarre, yet comforting catharsis there—almost as if you are going on an adventure while holding hands with another version of yourself.
  Because of this, when it's time to move on from or retire from that game title,
  you can sometimes feel a conflict that literally tears you apart inside.

• Changing outfits based on your mood that day

  (Or sticking to your one signature look)
  Games with character creation usually offer quite a few outfit options.
  I bet there are people who frequently change their character's clothes, just like picking out today's outfit from a closet.
  Swimsuits for the beach and kimonos for New Year's are classics, aren't they?

• Taking "SS" becomes highly addicting

  (Screenshots)
  The screenshot crowd is pretty much the same in any game.
  When I say it "becomes addicting," I don't mean that shooting finishes up quickly. It's actually the exact opposite.
  Once your pride-and-joy character is finished, you just can't stop taking pictures.
  You take one shot, and new ideas start flowing endlessly, like "Next, from that angle" or "Next, with that lighting," and before you know it, hours have passed...
  That kind of luxurious, bottomless swamp awaits you.

Character Creation Is a Catalyst for Anchoring Your "Real-World Soul" into a Virtual Universe

The true essence of character creation goes far beyond just "making an avatar."

It is a catalyst for blending the "real life (filter)" you have walked so far into the virtual world of a game,
allowing you to weave a story that is uniquely your own.

If experiencing a named character's story like a movie is "gaming as an appreciation,"
then character creation can be called "gaming to live out another possibility, existing as an extension of your own life."

Whether it's sublimating real-world stress by unleashing it on in-game enemies,
or projecting your ideal self onto a character to go hand-in-hand with another version of you—
all of this depth is born precisely because you have been living your real life to the fullest.

The reason you feel a heartbreaking loneliness when you retire from a game is that you have undeniably left a "piece of your soul" right there.

Being able to possess a world you can immerse yourself in so deeply
is proof that the life shared between you and "the other you" has become truly vibrant and full of color.