Mental Illnesses / Neurological Disorders as a theme for character concept art

As a side project to my space-based grief game, I want a small project to be able to demonstrate my artistic abilities in the specialism of concept art whilst still remaining relevant to the themes of pro-social gaming that the majority of my work and research has been geared toward. With this in mind, my aim is to look at various different neurological disorders as a descriptor to develop character concepts for - originally looking at a mobile game similar to Pokemon Go! with the idea of getting players outside and walking around as a therapeutic remedy to depression and other such conditions whilst also being a platform for information about conditions though I feel having no set format for the game would allow me to develop these characters based purely on my own artistic methodology and not being steered by mechanics of a game or rules thus showing off more of my own methodologies and what I'm capable of adding to a game developers art team.

Whilst there is an extensive list of these disorders there can be some creative freedom in looking at the symptoms and developing from there or merging certain conditions together that have close similarities to each other, this will be dependant on where my research and art development takes me.

The following is a selection from the list of mental disorders as defined at any point by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). A mental disorder, also known as a mental illness, mental health condition, or psychiatric disorder, is characterized by a pattern of behavior or mental function that significantly impairs personal functioning or causes considerable distress.

The DSM, a classification and diagnostic guide published by the American Psychiatric Association, includes over 450 distinct definitions of mental disorders. Meanwhile, the ICD, published by the World Health Organization, stands as the international standard for categorizing all medical conditions, including sections on mental and behavioral disorders. 

Revisions and updates are periodically made to the diagnostic criteria and descriptions in the DSM and ICD to reflect current understanding and consensus within the mental health field. The list includes conditions currently recognized as mental disorders according to these systems. There is ongoing debate among mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, about the definitions and criteria used to delineate mental disorders. There is particular concern over whether certain conditions should be classified as "mental illnesses' or might more accurately be described as neurological disorders or in other terms.

ANXIETY DISORDERS

Agoraphobia

Generalized anxiety disorder

Panic disorder

Selective mutism

Separation anxiety disorder

Specific phobias

Social anxiety disorder

DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS

Dissociative identity disorder

Dissociative amnesia

Depersonalization-derealization disorder

Dissociative fugue

Ganser syndrome

MOOD DISORDERS

DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS

Depression

Anhedonia

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

Major depressive disorder

Dysthymia

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Psychotic depression

Seasonal affective disorder

Atypical depression

Catatonic depression

Postpartum depression

Melancholic depression

Pervasive refusal syndrome

BIPOLAR DISORDER

Bipolar I disorder

Bipolar II disorder

Cyclothymia

Hypomania

TRAUMA AND STRESSOR RELATED DISORDERS

Reactive attachment disorder

Disinhibited social engagement disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic embitterment disorder

Acute stress disorder

Prolonged grief disorder

NEURO-DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS

Intellectual disability

Language disorder

Sensory processing disorder

Speech sound disorder

Stuttering

Aphasia

Autism spectrum disorder

Asperger syndrome

Rett syndrome

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Developmental coordination disorder

Tourette syndrome

Down syndrome

Tic disorder

Dyslexia 

Dyscalculia

Dysgraphia

Nonverbal learning disorder

SLEEP-WAKE DISORDERS

Insomnia

Hypersomnia

Idiopathic hypersomnia

Kleine-Levin syndrome

Narcolepsy

Sleep apnea

Night terrors

Exploding head syndrome

PARASOMNIAS

Nightmare disorder

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder

Confusional arousals

Sleepwalking

Hypnagogic hallucinations

Hypnopompic hallucinations

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM SLEEP DISORDER

Delayed sleep phase disorder

irregular sleep-wake rhythm 

Jet lag

Advanced sleep phase disorder

Non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder

NEURO-COGNITIVE DISORDERS

Delirium

Dementia

Traumatic brain injury

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder

Amnesia

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Agnosia

SUBSTANCE-RELATED AND ADDICTIVE DISORDERS

All of the substances in this section of disorders have the same series of separate identifiers as follows;

Disorder

Dependance

Intoxication

Withdrawal 

Delerium

Psychosis

Mood disorder

Anxiety

Addiction

Harmful pattern of use

All from the use of the following;

Alcohol

Cannabis

Synthetic cannabinoids

Opiods

Sedative, Hypnotic or anxiolytic

Cocaine

Amphetamines

Synthetic cathinone

Caffeine

Hallucinigens

Nicotine

Volatile inhalents

Dissociative drugs - ketamine, Phencyclidine etc

NON-SUBSTANCE RELATED DISORDER

Addictive personality

Gambling disorder

Video game addiction

Internet addiction disorder

Sexual addiction

Food addiction

Exercise addiction

Addiction to social media

Pornography addiction

Shopping addiction

PARAPHILIAS

Voyeuristic disorder

Exhibitionist disorder

Frotteuristic disorder

Pedophilia

Compulsive sexual behaviour disorder

Erotic target location error

Sexual masochism disorder

Sexual sadism disorder

Fetishistic disorder

Transvestic disorder

Other specified paraphilic disorder

SOMATIC SYMPTOM RELATED DISORDERS

Hypochondriasis

Cyberchondria

Somatization disorder

Conversion disroder

Factitious disorder imposed on self/or other (Munchausen syndrome/Munchausen by proxy)

Pain disorder

Medically unexplained physical symptoms

SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS

Delayed ejaculation

Erectile dysfunction

Anorgasmia

Vaginismus

Male Hypoactive sexual desire disorder

Female sexual arousal disorder

Persistent genital arousal disorder

Sexual arousal disorder

Premature ejaculation disorder

Dyspareunia

Sexual dysfunction

ELIMINATION DISORDERS

Enuresis

Nocturnal enuresis

Encopresis

FEEDING AND EATING DISORDERS
Pica

Rumination syndrome

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder

Anorexia nervosa

Binge eating disorder

Bulimia nervosa

Purging disorder

Diabulimia

Night eating syndrome

Orthorexia nervosa

Atypical anorexia disorder

DISRUPTIVE IMPULSE-CONTROL, AND CONDUCT DISORDERS

Intermittent explosive disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder

Conduct disorder

Antisocial personality disorder

Pyromania

Kleptomania 

Mythomania

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE AND RELATED DISORDERS

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Body dysmorphic disorder

Body integrity dysphoria

Compulsive hoarding

Trichotillomania

Excoriation disorder

Body-focused repetitive behaviour disorder

Olfactory reference syndrome

Phantom limb syndrome

Primarily obsessional obsessive-compulsive disorder

Hoarding disorder

SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM AND OTHER PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS

Brief psychotic disorder

Delusional disorder

Delusional misidentification syndrome

Paraphrenia

Psychosis

Schizophrenia

Schizoaffective disorder

Schizophreniform disorder

Schizotypal personality disorder

Shared delusional disorder

PERSONALITY DISORDERS

CLUSTER A (ODD, ECCENTRIC)

Paranoid personality disorder

Schizoid personality disorder

Schizotypal personality disorder

CLUSTER B (DRAMATIC, ERRATIC)

Antisocial personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder

Histrionic personality disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder

CLUSTER C (FEARFUL, ANXIOUS)

Avoidant personality disorder

Dependent personality disorder

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED (PD-NOS)

Depressive personality disorder

Passive-aggressive personality disorder

Sadistic personality disorder 

Self-defeating personality disorder 

OTHER

Gender dysphoria

Catatonia

Culture-bound syndrome

The end goal with this side project is to utilise the unique and intricate details of these neurological conditions with a deep dive into their histories, observing symptoms and explanations of them as a way to develop some sort of concept art depicting them as the demonic monsters they can be to the sufferers all whilst performing a representative and informative piece of work to be collated for viewers.

Singing Praise for Scavengers Reign

During my summer break and time to reflect between modules (DE4404 Experimental Practice and DE4405 Specialist Practice respectively), I found time to watch the series 'Scavengers Reign' that had recently arrived on the streaming platform Netflix.

To sum up the series it follows the survivors of the damaged interstellar cargo ship Demeter 227 who are stranded on Vesta, an alien planet bustling with flora and fauna but filled with dangers. Initially the survivors are separated into three groups: Azi and her robot companion Levi, Sam and Usula, and the isolated Kamen, who travels with a telepathic creature named Hollow. Over time all their paths converge towards the crash-landed Demeter. The series makes the most of the development of these characters through the journey they undertake rather than the destination they hope to reach or the means in which they got into this situation.

The obvious parallels between this series and my own project are what originally drove me to watch this series but it was uniquely distinct and interesting in how it dealt with similar themes in an almost polar opposite way but achieved results in my own reaction to how I would wish players would react to my own project. 

Firstly having a series of primary characters who we follow along with (rather than just one space suit) allowed the producers to show off the different ways humans could react to their situation and delved deep into how their own personalities had an impact on this particular reaction. The characters are split into several groups comprised of Ursula and Sam, Azi and the robot Levi, and finally Kamen who pairs up with a telekinetic frog-like creature later called Hollow. These pairings are purposely chosen to highlight the differences between characters and their approaches to the planet as well as allow the characters to interact and help each other grow and journey through their own relatable character arc.

Ursula is an ecologist and a botanist, she's resourceful and observant and learns from the world around her. She's able to adapt to the environment the easiest possibly because she didn't have any strong connections before arriving on the planet. What little we do find out about her past is that she was once a mother and had a family but we never meet any of these characters even in flashbacks, she doesn't even talk about them and in comparison to other characters we get very little backstory for her. This may be intentional, perhaps her family died or left and she was looking for a fresh start aboard the Demeter. Whilst on Vesta, Urusla's observant nature allows her to solve a lot of the problems that she and Sam encounter, she witnesses events that are so small yet mean so much - the beautiful birth of a tiny creature, its entire lifespan and death all in the span of 2 minutes something rarely witnessed by any living being on this planet. Urusla is able to become so interconnected to her new environment because she had no strong attatchment to her old one and all that matters are the connections she's made here. This all gets contrasted against Sam, an incredibly smart pilot, engineer, and captain of the Demeter. He is able to use his ingenuity to build entire devices using flora and fauna on the alien world with him and Ursula making a brilliant team with it at first seeming that their survival is guaranteed except for Sam, who opposing Uruslas observance and wonder of the environment, hates this planet. He doesn't stop to admire the scenery, he just wants to get back to his old life refusing to adapt to the world instead reminiscing of his past constantly talking to Ursula about his brother, his friends, and old lovers, unable to let them go. Urusla marvels at the world she's seeing and finds it fascinating, Sam is upset and terrified by it fighting it harder than anyone else in the show because he feels they don't belong here and the more he fights the more the environment tries to keep him. While telling the haunting story of an old colleague Sam tells Uruslua "I just couldn't imagine giving up that kind of control over my own life", and in an ironic turn of events a parasite latches itself onto Sam's heart and hijacks his mind, he literally loses control over his own life. Not that he ever had control to begin with he just believed he had a sense of control to give himself a sense of comfort. As the Demeter's captain, he lost control of the ship, and his makeshift radio fails because of natural error, when making their way through the wall Ursula doesn't listen to him trying to control their movements. The more control he loses the more terrified he becomes fighting the world even harder and losing more control in a downward spiral realising to late how much he has lost with the parasite and with his final act, refusing to let the parasite fully change him, he takes his own life making sure he dies while he's still himself a defiant act allowing him to pass by his own hand and control, ensuring Ursula's survival and passing on the mission to her.

Azi is in charge of cargo on the Demeter and when she lands on the planet she comes equipped with lots of useful gear. She sets up a camp, sets up crops, and marks off territory, but unlike Ursula who embraces this land, Azi is only surviving in it she has no intention of staying only securing her own survival long enough to be rescued. She doesn't wish to live in harmony with the planet and uses her tools to actively fight against the planet which fights back slowly depriving her of her tools. However unlike Sam she changes her view of the planet through journeying alongside her robot companion Levi - another of her tools with sentience which the viewers can assume would be the most likely to reject the planet and follow orders yet after coming into contact with some yellow mold like substance is the character who bonds the most with the planet, even after being destroyed by Hollow, a final loss for Azi, is then resurrected by the planet to fully embrace the new chimeric character they have become a mixture of Levi and the planet itself. It is this final loss that I feel pushes Azi to look at the planet in a different way and come to terms with the loss of her old life, though at several stages on her journey you can see her being slowly swayed to this way of thinking by both the planet and Levi at certain points.

Finally Kamen, a corporate middle manager which represents a tiny disposable link in a vast corporate chain and paradoxically he is the most disconnected person in the past before reaching Vesta. Kamen starts off stranded and driven mad by solitude and hunger, his isolation is an extension of his social identity, eventually being saved by this alien frog-like creature that uses telekinesis and telepathy to get other creatures to bring it food, using false images and dream-like visions of Kamen's ex-wife Fiona to force him into a role of subservience. Through these hallucinations, we learn what sort of person Kamen was before. He's toxic, arrogant, and self-destructive. He's got an inferiority complex and drove his wife away having few if any friends. Kamen's job represents what little worth he sees in himself, everything with him is transactional and selfish, he deludes himself into thinking that if he could succeed at this shitty little job that it would prove his worth to Fiona and win her back but we also learn that he is single-handedly responsible for everything that happened to the Demeter causing the crew to be marooned by disobeying safety regulations in a desperate attempt to succeed at his job putting everyone's lives in danger to achieve his own goals. Hollow comes to reflect the cannibalistic nature inside of Kamen, self-delusion is the core of Kamen's character with him eventually giving himself into the delusion and allowing Hollow to absorb him creating a safety from the chaos outside that he refuses to witness - refusing to face the consequences of his actions. The story ends with him having to come out of hiding and repent for his atrocities and a forced change is brought upon him, where he helps the remaining crew settle and thrive on the planet doing his own little bit and coming to terms with who he was causing all of his own isolation and losses.

By having multiple characters reacting to a loss of their old lives in such different ways, each being a reflection of their own characteristics, it gives more chance for people to relate to the journeys and see their own faults and qualities in a new way. Having my own game be based on one player allows the player to fill the player character with their own identity, however, along the journey they could find notes or data of other passengers who escaped and follow their stories along the way to open the conversation up to alternate perspectives through the journey of loss. As well as seeing the outcomes of how other characters may have interacted with the planet as a mechanic for displaying how to overcome obstacles and puzzles - think that first puzzle in the dungeon in skyrim where you witness a bandit attempting to solve the puzzle and being shot at with arrows when they put in the incorrect solution.

A secondary opposing artistic choice between Scavengers Reign and my own project is the abundance of life upon Vesta compared to my own choice of having an unmanned mining operation - I originally thought having no life on this planet would further demonstrate the isolation often felt during grief however being among a multitude of flora and fauna that you can't connect with, have a lack of understanding of, and in general don't fit in with can also cause the same effect to an even greater amount. reminding me of a Robin Williams quote about nothing worse than being in a room full of people and still feeling lonely because even though you're present you're not a part of the crowd. This would allow me to demonstrate my skills and developmental choices of designing parts of the environment with flora and fauna with concept art in a way that would be observable in my final degree show to professional quality similar to some of the concept art for Scavengers Reign below.

Learning Agreement 3 - DE4405 Specialist Practice

 

NAME - John Michael Padden

MA COURSE - MA Game Design

DATE - 04/09/2024

VERSION NUMBER 3

Brief Explanation / Outline of Project / What?                                                                                  

I am hoping to continue and expand upon my previous project, which is a potential 2 player 2D side-scrolling game to enable players to journey alongside the player character through an alien world that is representative of the 5 stages of grief, allowing the players to gather the tools necessary to deal with their own grief or help others suffering from it. Alongside this, I am going to produce illustrations of creatures that are representative of the different mental health issues that globally affect individuals in present society in the form of a mobile game akin to Pokemon Go to help inform players of the symptoms and information not always readily available through design and aesthetics of the creatures.

Context / Rationale / Why?                                                                                                              

Grief is an emotion that touches upon everybody at one stage in their lives, gaming and other such activities are often seen as a distraction from facing these emotions, frequently viewed negatively in terms of actions that can heal or benefit those suffering from grief. I wish to turn this convention on its head and offer an alternative through the use of knowledge gained from researching pro-social games to provide a game that develops personal tools to assist those going through grief from both viewpoints (whether you are/will lose someone/something or are suffering with a terminal illness and wish to leave behind lasting memories with a loved one through the act of a shared experience in this game).

Secondarily my side project dealing with mental health issues that are annually increasing shows an obvious lack of resources for people to understand what they or others may be going through providing an enjoyable yet informative medium through a mobile game that illustrates creatures depicting these mental health issues to provide a unique way for people to learn and empathize with others who may be suffering or even understand their own thoughts and feelings a little better and feel less isolated from their issues.

Key Areas of Research / How?                                                                                                        

A lot of research for the 5 stages of the grief project has already been undertaken but a more in-depth and precise level will need to be followed up on from the previous more experimental areas to push forward the exact outcomes I wish to achieve from the game, predominantly looking at how grief can be represented authentically to create empathy and compassion from players rather than just appearing as a game attempting to cash in on peoples emotions. One overlapping area of research will be therapy-based methods for enabling clients to deal with grief and mental health issues and how they can be manipulated into artistic choices during the creative development of the games. Further research into the development of these types of games (2D side-scroller and mobile game akin to Pokemon Go) to understand how the artistic choices made can be implemented into a playable format to achieve something that will emphasize my work during the degree show.

Intended Outcome of Project / Results.                                                                                           

To have a portfolio of character concepts for a mobile game based on mental health issues as well as be closer to having a showreel version of my space game based on grief that showcases my abilities to utilize decision-making skills during the design process of making concept art and illustrations for a game with such a deep and sensitive subject matter.

STUDENT SIGNATURE - J.M.Padden