Questions on character design in games

Is the artistic design of the character enough to suggest the character's personality/ disposition?

How big of a role does the artwork play in comparison to the character's personality?

How does the look of the character affect the players initial perception of them compared to the actions of the character?

Is character customisation really important?

Can character customisation greatly affect the relationship between character and player, even if the character's narrative (characterisation) does not change despite the customisation?

Is there enough variation in character design to satisfy players?

Is the art style of a game always indicative of the intended audience?

Is identifying with the character always important? For example, MOBAs have many characters that you can play, it's not like an RPG where you may form an emotional attachment to your character. Or even DOOM where the character has no name, as the protagonist is supposed to be the player. (http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/Doom's_protagonists)

Not all video game characters have a back story or even anything to say, there are just there visually. How impactful is their design; is it enough to make them significant in some way.

How the different elements of character design come together to form a complete character. For example, voice actor, animation, expressions, clothing etc.

How big a part do culture and society play in character design?


Umbrella:
Explore the different elements that go into character design.