I don't really look at anything when creating my characters. I just do whatever I imagine.
As for the "gothic" part, I don't agree with you on this one.
I have a few black characters but that doesn't mean that they're gothic or grunge or whatever.
Also, I like to have a different variety of colored characters in my game. I have a few lionesses and a few wolves.
I do sometimes like to create realistic characters but I don't usually stuck with them for too long because I enjoy the more creative side of the game and character creation.
As for roleplays, I don't make characters that will "fit" in a specific group. I'm more of a "take it or leave it" kinda person.
I don't model my characters after myself, but I have actually tought about doing so.
I am currently in a process of creating a Game of Thrones character and I am waiting for a preset that I ordered for her to be made.
So she is in fact gonna be a human shaped in a wolf form.
As for the representation of the characters, I don't really mind. Most of these things are mentioned in characters Bio's.
As for my characters traits,I always make sure not to make them oversized. I don't want too big or too small characters.
I try to make females a bit smaller than males and just general things like that.
Also I almost always put eyes to the max size.
1.Do you model your characters after yourself or your demographic in any way?
When an idea for a character manifests itself to me, I usually just go along with it. They could be similar to myself in some aspects, just as they could be the complete opposite. I could have created a realistic lion one day, only to create a magical sparklewolf the next day. My creation process is much more spontaneous than it is planned. The only time I sit down and meticulously build a character from the ground up is for my D&D campaigns.
I think that the only demographic traits that me and my characters share is that they're mostly male and gay.
And most of my characters aren't even human. If they're not animals, then they're either elves, or a completely different humanoid/non-humanoid species.
2. Do you believe that this form of representation in characters is important, even if unrealistic or impractical? (ex: gay/trans animals, cultural aspects in roleplay, etc.)
Personally, what's important for me is being able to somehow relate to the characters on an emotional level. This goes for both my own OCs and characters from games/books/movies, etc. A solid character with a well-thought out personality and a fleshed out backstory, as well as relatable flaws is definitely going to make me invested in their story. On the contrary, a flat character with little to no story and unrelatable behavior is the quickest way to bore me, regardless of whether or not they share all of my demographic traits.
If someone likes to incorporate culture and other aspects of themselves into their characters, then I say let them do it. If it makes them happy, I don't see a problem with it. I'm just saying that it's not the first thing I think about when making my own characters.
3. Are there any patterns in making your OCs? Are there certain traits that you may or may not see in yourself that you often include in your character design?
The only thing that comes to mind is that all my characters are male and usually gay, bisexual, or lack any kind of attraction to anyone. Besides that, I can't think of anything else. My OCs come in a whole slew of different personalities and appearances, from lawful good to chaotic evil. But I see small fragments of myself in them–and I can relate to them, despite the fact that they might be a fantasy wolf, or a realistic lion, or even a colorful demon.
Oh my God I cannot tell you enough how much I agree with the 2nd answer!
I always get bored when having characters without backstories and without any meaning to me.