Player Design and Animation
A player character with an engaging design is a key way for players to connect with the environment and the game's goals.
The player's design is simple and gender-neutral, using a mostly purple colour scheme with some pinks and browns.
The draft of the player was heavily influenced by Stardew Valley player character designs, and featured a tinted face shield that was later changed to clear for clarity.
The final player design includes all 4 directions, and is much more detailed - aligning with the art guidelines. Their stance is also more relaxed, and the design is much more vibrant.
Player animation is crucial as it reveals extra information about the player and their environment. How the player character acts can tell players about their personality, strengths, weaknesses and abilities. It can also convey their feelings about the environment and how the environment affects them. For example, the idle animations of yawning and dozing off convey that the player character is relaxed - which may mean that they are calm in their environment, or that the player themselves is losing attention. The sweat dripping off the player when they run, and their struggle to use a shovel (seen here), also shows that while they may be a competent farmer, they are not very athletic. Animations can also be fun surprises that the player can uncover as they play, and are a crucial part of making the player feel like they have agency.
