Games: Survey

[mrwiseman]

Ok, so here's something new to discuss:

Protagonists in some adventure or RPG games, like Zelda or Wonderboy, are mute, because their creators didn't want to force your character to say something. You can deduce what they were supposed to say from NPCs "Oh, so you want to _____?".

In other games, like Grandia or Xenogears, the protagonist speaks.

Which do you like better?

[blahguy729]

I think it depends. In Zelda (dunno about Wonderboy)all you have is the one character and it is more adventure. It allows one to feel more involved i guess because you shape your own character which i find cool, but in RPG's like Grandia 2, Baiten Kaitos, etc. it allows for whole characters to be formed and tell a story that many people enjoy vs you basically having your character say what you want them to say in your mind that fits. With the speaking protagonist it gives you the sense you kinda have from reading a book and wanting to find out what happens next to this dynamic character you've grown attached to and with the silent ones you feel more like you are in it vs just on the outside. for example, how in zelda you can choose your name and when the NPC's tell you how to do things they say it as if you are the character. so i think both are fantasamic and that they are different ways having you experience a great story/adventure.

[Xellos]

If you are the only playable character, and the game actually lets you make decisions that effect the game, then I like the hero not talking. If you're in a party, or the game doesn't give you choices/outcome's the same, then no, mutes are lame.

[mrwiseman]

I want my characters to speak in all cases; being mute feels dumb at dialogues - or lack thereof - and I don't feel like thinking "now he/she's saying 'Ohh, yes, that morondorf!'", as it's not true. I'm playing somebody else's game because I want to see somebody else's characters and story; if I wanted my own I'd make a game myself.

I don't like being able to choose my own names for the same reason, and because it means no voiced dialogues, or stupid voiced dialogues, as they can't call you by your name. Even if I don't like the protagonist's name, it's the name the game creators wanted for him/her; anything else feels fake, and besides, I can't go to a message board and make a post about how hot Vanesa is because nobody will know who am I talking about.

As for game choices, and in the particular case you want different choices opening different paths without having a good/official choice and a bad choice, it'd be a good idea to keep a pattern of them, so you always have, for example, a witty choice, a hentai choice, a stupid choice, and an emo choice.