public static void CreatePlayerCharacters()
    {
        playerCollection = new Dictionary <string, PlayerCharacterData>();

        //use this line to load data straight from a json file
        //PlayerCharacterMap map = Utils.LoadJsonFromPath<PlayerCharacterMap>(inPath);

        /*
         * {"id":"soda_junkie",                                                "gender":"MALE",      "body":1,    "head":1,    "mouth":1,    "hands":1,    "hair":1,    "outfit":1,    "accessory":0,      "eyes": 1,                 "base_stats" : ["hp=10",     "atk=1",     "mp=5",      "spd=100"],                       "equippable_slots":"WSAI",             "can_hire_in_tavern": "yes",     "can_only_hire_one_per_party":"no",     "hire_cost":0,        "purchase_prereqs" :  ["TAVERN"],                              "skills":""},
         * {"id":"tavern_owner",                                           "gender":"MALE",      "body":1,    "head":1,    "mouth":1,    "hands":1,    "hair":2,    "outfit":2,    "accessory":0,      "eyes": 1,                 "base_stats" : ["hp=10",     "atk=1",     "mp=0",      "spd=100"],                       "equippable_slots":"WSAI",             "can_hire_in_tavern": "no",      "can_only_hire_one_per_party":"no",     "hire_cost":0,        "purchase_prereqs" :  ["SODA_OWNER"],                          "skills":""},
         * {"id":"blacksmith",                                                 "gender":"MALE",      "body":1,    "head":1,    "mouth":1,    "hands":1,    "hair":10,   "outfit":16,   "accessory":0,      "eyes": 1,                 "base_stats" : ["hp=10",     "atk=1",     "mp=0",      "spd=100"],                       "equippable_slots":"WSAI",             "can_hire_in_tavern": "no",      "can_only_hire_one_per_party":"no",     "hire_cost":0,        "purchase_prereqs" :  ["SODA_BLACKSMITH"],                     "skills":""},
         * {"id":"wizard",                                                     "gender":"MALE",      "body":1,    "head":1,    "mouth":1,    "hands":1,    "hair":0,    "outfit":20,   "accessory":40,     "eyes": 100,               "base_stats" : ["hp=25",     "atk=5",     "mp=35",     "spd=100"],                       "equippable_slots":"WSAII",            "can_hire_in_tavern": "no",      "can_only_hire_one_per_party":"yes",    "hire_cost":750,      "purchase_prereqs" :  ["SODA_WIZARD"],                         "skills":"EVISCERATE, PRECOGNITION, MAGIC_MASTER"},
         * {"id":"carpenter",                                                  "gender":"MALE",      "body":1,    "head":1,    "mouth":1,    "hands":1,    "hair":1,    "outfit":3,    "accessory":1,      "eyes": 2,                 "base_stats" : ["hp=13",     "atk=1",     "mp=10",     "spd=100"],                       "equippable_slots":"WSAI",             "can_hire_in_tavern": "yes",     "can_only_hire_one_per_party":"no",     "hire_cost":10,       "purchase_prereqs" :  ["SODA_CARPENTER"],                      "skills":"SWIFT_METAL"},
         * {"id":"miner",                                                      "gender":"MALE",      "body":1,    "head":1,    "mouth":1,    "hands":1,    "hair":1,    "outfit":5,    "accessory":4,      "eyes": 2,                 "base_stats" : ["hp=11",     "atk=2",     "mp=20",     "spd=100"],                       "equippable_slots":"WSAI",             "can_hire_in_tavern": "yes",     "can_only_hire_one_per_party":"no",     "hire_cost":25,       "purchase_prereqs" :  ["SODA_MINER"],                          "skills":"PICKAXE, PROSPECTOR, EXCAVATOR"},
         * {"id":"nurse",                                                      "gender":"FEMALE",    "body":1,    "head":1,    "mouth":2,    "hands":1,    "hair":4,    "outfit":4,    "accessory":2,      "eyes": 1,                 "base_stats" : ["hp=13",     "atk=1",     "mp=30",     "spd=100"],                       "equippable_slots":"WSAI",             "can_hire_in_tavern": "yes",     "can_only_hire_one_per_party":"no",     "hire_cost":40,       "purchase_prereqs" :  ["SODA_NURSE"],                          "skills":"FIRST_AID, BIOHAZARD"},
         */

        //instead, create the data manually
        //the following letters are used to indicate the type of equippable slot:

        /*
         * W = weapon
         * S = shield
         * A = armor
         * I = accessory item
         * */
        var sodaJunkieData = new PlayerCharacterRow {
            id = CharId.SODA_JUNKIE, gender = "MALE", base_stats = new string[] { "hp=10", "atk=1", "mp=5", "spd=100" }, equippable_slots = "WSAI", skills = ""
        };
        var carpenterData = new PlayerCharacterRow {
            id = CharId.CARPENTER, gender = "MALE", base_stats = new string[] { "hp=13", "atk=1", "mp=10", "spd=100" }, equippable_slots = "WSAI", skills = SkillId.SWIFT_METAL
        };
        var nurseData = new PlayerCharacterRow {
            id = CharId.NURSE, gender = "FEMALE", base_stats = new string[] { "hp=13", "atk=1", "mp=30", "spd=100" }, equippable_slots = "WSAI", skills = SkillId.FIRST_AID + "," + SkillId.BIOHAZARD
        };

        PlayerCharacterMap map = new PlayerCharacterMap();

        map.player_characters = new PlayerCharacterRow[] { sodaJunkieData, carpenterData, nurseData };

        PlayerCharacterRow  row;
        PlayerCharacterData tempCharacter;

        Gender parsedGender;
        bool   parsedCanHire;
        bool   parsedCanOnlyHireOnePerParty;

        for (int i = 0; i < map.player_characters.Length; i++)
        {
            row           = map.player_characters[i];
            tempCharacter = new PlayerCharacterData();
            tempCharacter.Init();

            tempCharacter.SetId(row.id);
            tempCharacter.SetSpecies(Species.HUMAN);
            tempCharacter.SetBaseFaction(Faction.PLAYER);

            Stats.ParseArrayIntoStatObject(row.base_stats, tempCharacter.baseStats);

            parsedGender  = (Gender)Enum.Parse(typeof(Gender), row.gender);
            parsedCanHire = (row.can_hire_in_tavern == "yes");
            parsedCanOnlyHireOnePerParty = (row.can_only_hire_one_per_party == "yes");

            tempCharacter.SetBaseAppearance(parsedGender, row.body, row.head, row.mouth, row.hands, row.hair, row.outfit, row.accessory, row.eyes);
            tempCharacter.SetHireInfo(parsedCanHire, row.hire_cost, parsedCanOnlyHireOnePerParty);

            //parse out equip slots
            ParseStringIntoEquipSlotsForCharacter(row.equippable_slots, tempCharacter);

            //purchase prereqs
            tempCharacter.purchasePrerequisites = row.purchase_prereqs;

            //skills
            if (row.skills.Length > 0)
            {
                tempCharacter.SetBaseSkills(row.skills.Split(','));
            }

            //set defend flags for certain classes
            if (tempCharacter.id == CharId.SODA_JUNKIE || tempCharacter.id == CharId.DUAL_WIELD)
            {
                tempCharacter.SetFlags(CharacterFlags.CANT_DEFEND);
            }

            playerCollection.Add(tempCharacter.id, tempCharacter);
            characterCollection.Add(tempCharacter.id, tempCharacter);
        }
    }