What is the hardest part of creating a hero?

[Pepsi132]

I have a question, destined for the darkspore creators, but I doubt this will be read by them... I just wondered, what is the hardest part of creating and inventing a hero? Is it...
---> Designing a hero, the actual look.
---> creating the 3D animation
---> Inventing the attacks and abilities
---> Equalising the abilities to be "fair" in comparison to other heroes
---> Creating the backstory

I just wondered that's all (who knows, if you tell us what's the hardest part, maybe us, the comunity, can help....)

[Altnaharra]

I would imagine it would be all the time it takes to make sure each item can be edited onto the character, it is probably quite a bit of 'true/false' script.

Most likely just scripting the general animations of the character. Attacking, multiple idle postures, dancing, skills, variant skills, running, ect.
Working out the hit boxes of a character could also be a pain in the butt.
(which would explain why there isn't Actually 100 characters.)

--
For me personally it is naming the character. If you were to ask me what my characters back story is or home planet or philosophy, I would give you an answer in no time flat. If you were to ask me for a general design for a character I could whip one up in minutes.

If you asked me what my characters name was... I would have to think about it.

[Dragonpenguin]

I would imagine it would be all the time it takes to make sure each item can be edited onto the character, it is probably quite a bit of 'true/false' script.

Most likely just scripting the general animations of the character. Attacking, multiple idle postures, dancing, skills, variant skills, running, ect.
Working out the hit boxes of a character could also be a pain in the butt.
(which would explain why there isn't Actually 100 characters.)

--
For me personally it is naming the character. If you were to ask me what my characters back story is or home planet or philosophy, I would give you an answer in no time flat. If you were to ask me for a general design for a character I could whip one up in minutes.

If you asked me what my characters name was... I would have to think about it.

I agree! As a hobby, I draw cartoony dragons and wolves. It's fun to give them names, but since I've been doing it for so long it's SO hard to think of names... So hard that I resort to giving stupid names like Jay. Though, I've given almost every one a creative backstory, and on original Spore, It was a breeze making creatures. The problem was coloring them and thinking of names.. Which I used the Randomizer for ideas sometimes.
Thanks for reading all that pointless stuff.

[CrystalwoIf]

Well, saw the thread... so here's my answer.
Balancing them in campaign and pvp, such that no one character holds all of the cards.
Defining their first ability as a character is also a tricky endeavor, given that it's unique.
Coming up with a different idea for each of them, and then balancing it all? HARD.
Balancing their Unique ability? HARD.
Balancing their squad ability? HARD.
Balancing their passive ability? HARD.
Balancing their Damage outputs? HARD.

[Pepsi132]

I just realised I have new respect for darkspore for their heroes. Many people say... Oh 25.. . Not that much compared to wow or lol for example, who may have twice as many. However those games just have characters as humanoids in most cases, so to invent a new character, all they would need to do is design new clothes! I respect darkspore now that I realise how origional and diverse the creatures are... It's much harder to imagine and design a whole new creature, then just a set of clothes...
So kudos... For darkspore

[Matau99]

Nowhere near as hard as you think. I have made some truly unnatural and unique creatures on Spore, and its quite easy.

[Zekchromium]

I would say appearance. NOT! Strangely, all male humanoid Heroes hunch over, and several Heroes have centigrade (is that the bird-like legs?) legs.

Definitely the implementation of the Hero's motions and abilities into the game. Programming can be rather hard. It takes years of experience, and it is still hard then. Mods (modifications, not moderators) simply use pre-existing data and simple textures, so they don't count.

The easiest: equalization, because they didn't seem to have attempted it. Heroes are wildly unbalanced, as evidenced by 'Ravagers-only' squads. Sentinels, while having high health, are more likely to lose health due to their need to be in super-close range and low dodge and resist ratings, and Andromeda isn't very useful solo, and can be difficult in co-op without the other person also using a Tempest.

[CrystalwoIf]

Interesting point about the ravager only squads, though I feel that's more due to the fact that sentinels simply don't chop foes down quickly enough to stay afloat in horde combat, while a well built ravager can be a superstar.

Or perhaps we simply haven't figured out what makes a sentinel a superstar yet? :3

[Pepsi132]

Sentinels do the same job a ravager does, but unfortunatly slower. Which is why when people deep chain, you can easily do it with sentinels, but it would be too slow. Ravagers aren't "better", they are just faster.