The Fool
A Character Design Process for a Venetian Fighting Game
I. Research
The Fool, like most cards in a tarot deck, can take on more than one meaning. In some cases he is the simplest of men, motivated only by basic human needs. His poor habits and worse decisions lead him to poverty. He is weak and easily taken advantage of. Other times he is portrayed as an adolescent optimist. He is sheltered and pure. He is someone who is just beginning their adventure towards independence. The fool is not necessarily an idiot, he is just someone taking their first steps towards wisdom.
II. Ideation
Here is where I started to play around with my fool’s identity. Who was this young man going to be? First I wrote down what he had to be; youthful, playful, optimistic, cheeky, and naive. I played with some general shapes for this young man to try to find what was working. I rolled with the idea of him being an entertainer. Was he a juggler? A trapeze artist? and ballet dancer? What would those outfits look like and how could I taper them to fit his character? I leaned towards baggier clothes. They send the message that the fool still has some growth to do physically and mentally. I was looking through various balancing circus acts when I had the idea of putting him on a ball. In this exploration I found a narrative to fit. My fool is a starry-eyed performer from France, looking for a new start at the Carnevale di Venezia.
III. The Fit
Once I had the general idea for his personality and appearance, I started to explore the ways in which the fool would exist as a character. Maybe since he can’t really lean forward or backwards while balancing on a ball, he can attack with the long tails on his jesters hood. Next I worked on the mask. Would this be a static mask with one fixed facial expression? Or would this be a magical mask that moves like a face? After much consideration, I found that a fixed expression was much more charming and fitting for my fool. With this information in hand, it was time to design the outfit. I gave him some almost quilted-patchwork sleeves to imply that maybe his grandma or guardian knitted this for his big adventure. I was looking at toy balls from the middle ages and found some really cool ones made out of reed. I figured my fool could perform on one of those balls if it were wrapped in a fabric like his sleeves. His cap n’ bells would be rather long if they are making up for his short arm reach. This way he can attack standing up without falling off his ball. His mask is a Venetian mask with small accents that take from French Masquerade patterns. He of course greets the world with a wide, happy smile :D
IV. Life
Since this is a fighting game I had to think about how he would play from a side view. I drew up a lot of moves and attacks to get an idea for his play style. I wanted him to be fluid and elusive. This is the kind of character that can really toy with their opponent, a character with huge potential. He is unsafe and has heavily punishable moves, but when he shines he really shines. A character befit for a fool.
