PANACEA: TRIO OF HEROES

Character Design Process

Next I worked on Protection (Tec-Tec) whose key trait is his desire to protect everyone around him. I envisioned him as a big loveable goof who adopts every stray he sees. He wields a cannon that fires masks at interlopers. While it was important to me to make sure all three heroes wear masks and gloves, I also wanted his protective gear to be extra suped-up since that's the root of his power. I decided to give him an elaborate mask inspired by plague doctors, thick gloves, and special sanitary booties to cover his shoes.

Finally I tacked Constitution (Connie), which I thought was the most abstract and challenging idea to embody. Constitution is about inner strength, endurance, and wisdom, particularly as it relates to one's ability to recognize misinformation . I decided Connie should be physically small an unimposing, a scholar whose immense wisdom gives her the power to illuminate the minds of people in the throws of panic. As the idea developed, I gave her a soap-adorned hat and a satchel full of scrolls that contain valid scientific information.

In Panacea, three heroes work to heal a community overrun with fear and confusion during a pandemic. They fight to vanquish misinformation and promote safe practices. I approached this task conceptually, using info from the CDC website to determine what it takes to suitably fight the pandemic. Each character looses represents one facet of these safe practices: Sanitation, Protection, and Constitution.

Panacea is a PC game that follows a trio of renegade health avengers on a quest to vanquish misinformation and defend public safety in the midst of a pandemic. This game was created to bring some levity to people, especially children, who are frightened and confused by quarantine. I approached this project as an opportunity to explore character design, creating a cast of brave and lovable heroes who promote safe practices in dangerous times. Created for the online Covid-19 Game Jam hosted by the TAMU LIVE Lab.

I began with Sanitation (Sanny) who felt like the most straightforward character to me. She is a mage-like warrior who wields medical technology in the form of sanitation gel, eliminating contagions with her staff and emanating a cool, mysterious presence.