10 Video Game Developer Roles You Didn't Know Exist
7. CFX Artist
I believe it was Edna Mode that said, "Darling... NO CAPES!", when she featured in the Disney animated feature, The Incredibles.
But... why no capes? Capes are cool, they're wipe-clean (perfect for taking part in a Nickelodeon game show), and wearing one distinguishes you as a superior/irresistible mate for a partner.
Well, the truth is, capes are difficult to get right.
In fact, all fabric is difficult to get just right... especially if we're talking about in videogames. This is because realistic, convincing cloth physics tend to be something most players don't really notice if done really well, but they stick out like a skidmark on my Optimus Prime boxers when done poorly.
I'm sure you've all seen an engaging, well-animated cinematic just ruined by a crazed bit of character clothing firing around the screen like a paperclip in a microwave.
A CFX (or Cloth Effects) artist may be a considered a taskset of a technical artist, or even a VFX artist, but occasionally you'll encounter a dedicated CFX role requiring one person to work solely on anything which acts like cloth (so, that'd include everything from traditional clothing to things like the skin of a dragon's wing, or even sometimes muscle systems).
So, next time you want to add capes, either hire a CFX artist... or heed the wise words of Edna.