77 réponses à ce sujet

[Apathy1989]

Vaegrin wrote...

Naming your character gives at best a false sense of control. You're not any more or less in control of who you are because your parents name you instead of you naming yourself.

The name you choose never even shows up during the game. Ever. Appearance customization is real control; you look at your character constantly. Race and gender selection are real. Ability selection is real. Otherwise, whatever real control you have over your character has to come from the actual choices you make and actions you take while you're playing the game. Choosing a name is completely meaningless.

In the meantime, having everybody, even family, even love interests, call you by surname or title, is painfully unnatural. Moreover, whatever name is chosen can never have any special significance: Carver was named after a Templar, but where did my name come from? All so that players can choose a name that never has even the slightest relevance to either the character or the game? That's a crappy, crappy tradeoff.

(Humorous aside. The first time I played Baldur's Gate II, my character was named Veldrin. Going to the Underdark was funny and awkward.)

This. I don't give a toss about my first name besides seperating savegames. In game, its fine being called champion or serah by random people, but your friends and definetly your romance should call you by your first name.

I mean it was ok in mass effect, because its military and everyone calls eachother by last names. But this is just a bunch of adventurers fighting together. Ash calling you skipper in ME1 at least gave you a pet name.

[khevan]

As much as I like customizing my character, having a first name chosen for me wouldn't bother me in the slightest, really. We don't choose our names in real life, and we have complete control over how our own "character" develops, our actions, etc. The name is a label, something to identify you as you...and all things considered I like having the option to choose my character's name in tabletop RPG's and whatnot, but in a voiced medium like video games? I would much rather my companions and friends refer to me by my first name, as I do with them, than for them to use a nickname, title or last name.

[Nukenin]

So long as BioWare uses human voice actors for all speech within their games, no, you will never be referred to via the spoken first name of your choice, unless that choice is made from a very short list.

Once a technology is developed/adopted that allows for the seamless natural synthesis of the spoken (first) name of your choice, matching any of the myriad voices used by actors within the relevant game, then the obvious and brisk next step is doing away with (human) voice actors period, and not just for computer games, but for animation, movie trailer voice-overs, foreign movie dubbing, and so forth.

Therefore, by taking a stand to preserve name choice in future Dragon Age games, you are taking a stand against the (human) voice acting community. 

Do you want this?  Not too long ago this happened with the female hand model community, and surely you've seen examples of the hideous synthesized female hand model closeups in Dragon Age II.  *shudder*

So accept that in Dragon Age III you will be playing the role of the dwarf miscreant Horatio (or Bettina) Nugplucker (aka The Scoundrel).  Relish in the nuance of the human-pronounced Horatio (or Bettina, or "Scoundrel") as they somewhat appear to depart the crudely artificial, unnaturally spittle-fleck-free "lips" of the "NPC character models" that so long ago replaced filmed actors, as those cherished natural phonemes basking in the warmed channels of your inner ears may indeed be a dying breed.

And one near or distant day, you may encounter, in the streets of depravity to which the entire world will have succumbed, a former voice actor who recognizes you for a First-Namer, and then all bets are off.  

The only hope for us, really, would be a continuation of the continuation of the status quo, in which an illusion of choice is preserved in a never-referenced first name, while surname and/or title are static and thus available for the use of voice actors when the NPCs they voice need to refer to or address your character.  But with this uprising of First-Namers as seen above, I cannot see this status quo continue to be continued, and thus I fear DA3 will be the gauntlet traced within the sands. 

[Dasha Dreyson]

I like the nickname stance they have now. I also like using the names to figure out my run through saves and it makes it easier to find the continuity of the Champion/Warden/Commander on fansites. I also have many real life friends with the same names (including two who have such a generic name that they have the same first and last name), so I call many of my real life friends by nicknames.

[Alodar]

I certainly hope not.

The last thing I want is for BioWare to create a greater disconnect from the main character.


Alodar

[Aburai]

 Nope. I think that, in the next game, they should return to the Warden AND Hawke. Have the Warden be the biggest character, with Hawke being the second biggest. Just my opinion, but...

[Nukenin]

Aburai wrote...

 Nope. I think that, in the next game, they should return to the Warden AND Hawke. Have the Warden be the biggest character, with Hawke being the second biggest. Just my opinion, but...

The "Warden" was a chump as was his lackluster successor in Ferelden, the "Warden-Commander" aka "the Orlesian Warden".  They are best left forgotten, save for erroneous mentions in the backstory of Dragon Age III (in which an imported DA:O/DA:A savegame leads to NPCs in DA3 getting the Warden's gender and race wrong, romances wrong, manner of Archdemon disposition wrong, factions sided with wrong; if DA3 gets one facet of a DA:O/DA:A import right it will have betrayed the Dragon Age legacy!).

Ser Ronaldo de Guiseppe (to the Protagonist, the dwarf Horatio Nugplucker, in DA3): "Remember that Amell boy, daughter of Bryce Cousland and King Aeducan, down in Lothering, who got conscripted into the Wardens by Duncan Idaho, then died to the Archdemon at the Battle of Kirkwall?"

Horatio: "Daughter of King Aeducan?  You're drunk!  Besides, wasn't his name Hawk the Slayer and didn't he die alone and bitter in Ostagar?"

Ser Ronaldo: "Does it matter?  It's all lame history now that we have rideable horses and brontos and weapon sheaths and visible backpacks and need to carry torches in dark, unlit caverns."

Horatio: "Darn tootin'!  Heh, those old tales would have us thinking warriors would be swingin' claymores two-handed and drinking potions at the same time with their third hands!"

Ser Ronaldo: "Those bitter, sorry fools.  Though I'd pay good coin for an invisible backpack with no weight or bulk into which I could stuff dozens of halberds."

Horatio: "Fancy yourself a halberd thief?"

Ser Ronaldo: "I'll drink to that!  Of course, it was better in those sorry days when merchants flung their money at any scrap you dragged to them, instead of being all selective and such like they are now."

Horatio: "Maybe a weaponsmith could melt them down and forge a dagger or something.  Ah, but the names back then!  Pinkbunny Aeducan?  Whoever called him 'Pinkbunny'?  Shawrickshaw Hawke?  No wonder they are buried in the annals of sad history!"

Ser Ronaldo: "'Horatio Nugplucker'?"

Horatio: "My name and I'm darn proud of it, plus, look."  (to the rest of the tavern)  "Hey, everyone!"

Assorted patrons: "Hey, Horatio!"  "Wassup, Nugplucker!"  "THE Horatio Nugplucker, here?"  "Hey, Horatio, is that some sort of brothel metri—THWUMP!"

Horatio (returns to seat, plucking teeth from fist): "I'm really getting tired of that joke.  But see?  Everybody knows MY name."

Ser Ronaldo: "Good point.  Hmm, that's funny."

Horatio: "Hmm?"

Ser Ronaldo: "I meant to say, 'You're right,' but the words came out 'Good point.'"

Horatio: "Ah, yes, they do need to fix that.  Maybe next patch!"

(boisterous guffaws fill the tavern)

Ser Ronaldo: "'Next patch!'  Priceless, Bettina—priceless!"

(Dragon Age III credits roll)

[Vaegrin]

Alodar wrote...

I certainly hope not.

The last thing I want is for BioWare to create a greater disconnect from the main character.


Alodar

I feel the same way about myself. I have always had such a great disconnect from myself since my developers--I mean parents--basically just thrust a name not of my choosing on me. My life would be so much more immersive if I could have chosen a name up front according to the role I wanted to play.



I'm messing around, of course, but I really don't think my character's name has anything to do with how connected I am to him. Anything at all. In fact, I would say that every time I hear my closest friends call me "Champion" or "Hawke" it creates a disconnect between me and the character because it makes it seem less real. It is a sudden reminder that yes, I am playing a game, and yes, my influence on this character is completely scripted and artificial.

Modifié par Vaegrin, 25 mars 2011 - 01:23 .

[Sathwater]

Vaegrin wrote...

What's in a name? The name has nothing to do with the personality. I say give the main character a name. I can roleplay Garrett Hawke as easily as I can roleplay _____ Hawke. The fact that a set name means NPCs can actually address me by first name, rather than by surname, race, or title means the game will be all the more immersive and personal.

QFT. Oh my god I could not agree more. Thumbs up, like, retweet, whatever, this statement is exactly in line with my own thoughts on the matter. How many times must the party members who supposedly know and like Hawke refer to him/her by title or last name? It's silly.

And as for "I would rather roleplay my own character than Bioware's," get real. It's a name on the save and nothing more; the name is completely and totally irrelevant. Great post, OP

Modifié par Sathwater, 26 mars 2011 - 03:22 .

[Sathwater]

ishmaeltheforsaken wrote...

I can't say "No" loudly enough.

Names are important. Three-fourths of the thought I put into a character goes into the name.

But once you write the name, its entire purpose is finished. It is a fancy label for your saved game. If naming the character is THAT important, then let's just do the middle name so that the game devs aren't forced to use awkward workarounds to saying the main character's name.

Even Alistair pokes fun at the convention! "He has a name you know." Come on! The benefits hugely outweigh the minute loss in customization.

[Cyradis314]

No!! I like naming my characters. At release I didn't realize that Hawke was a last name, and that turned me off of the game for a while. Last name given is alright, but I must control the first name.
Viridiana, Syrenya, Frunckle, Triefla, Kiera, and Melissandre so far. I couldn't tolerate not naming my characters for a game like this.
In Warcraft 3 it was fine, because you essentially know the story you are playing. These games you in a way make your own story and attitude, and personalize what you are in the world.

[Lurq]

The way I see it, if you remove the ability to give your character a name, you might as well remove the ability to reconfigure the face and gender to. Because all those features are about personalize your character, make it your own. And then I might as well just play some FPS for roleplaying purposes.

[Malevolence65]

Yes, yes, yes, yes. I have always wanted this. It's ridiculous that your friends in ME/DA2 call you "Hawke" or "Shepard". Having a set first name would be much better.

>BAWWWWW I DONT WANT 2 PLAY BIOWARE'S CHARACTER I WANT 2 PLAY MINE!!!!
The only place that you see your character's first name is in the stat screen, so this argument is just pathetic.

Modifié par Malevolence65, 27 mars 2011 - 10:30 .

[Carol L S]

It's just one more bit of customization, and I like choosing my own name. I would hate to get stuck with Marian.

[Alelsa]

No, but not because of wanting to feel I've customised the character or for creative freedom or anything like that.

Its that its the only way to tell my characters apart in my game saves!

[Nukenin]

Carol L S wrote...

It's just one more bit of customization, and I like choosing my own name. I would hate to get stuck with Marian.

Hey, Marian can be gender-neutral!

Now just make Marian always a slender blonde with one green and one blue eye, and a slight mustache w/ face stubble, and a limp due to the clubfoot, and of course a modest hunchback.  Point one ear to cover the elf, knock a foot off height to cover the dwarf, and of course slap a facial tattoo on that bad boy/girl of mixed Dalish/noble dwarf design.  Marian will of course never wear form-fitting armor, even if the midriff is frequently left exposed.

Not only does this allow NPCs to refer to the protagonist by name, height, hair color, and nose shape*, but it also solves the romance problem!



*Oddly enough, Marian's gender is never referenced, neither directly nor through gender-specific pronouns.

[Vaegrin]

Cyradis314 wrote...

No!! I like naming my characters. At release I didn't realize that Hawke was a last name, and that turned me off of the game for a while. Last name given is alright, but I must control the first name.
Viridiana, Syrenya, Frunckle, Triefla, Kiera, and Melissandre so far. I couldn't tolerate not naming my characters for a game like this.
In Warcraft 3 it was fine, because you essentially know the story you are playing. These games you in a way make your own story and attitude, and personalize what you are in the world.

You realize that the game would have been exactly the same if Hawke was a first name instead of a last name, right? The first name you choose has no impact whatsoever on dialogue or anything else.

I can respect that some people just like choosing names, but it's hard for me to understand why it could ever be a game breaker. To me, it's almost like saying I could never a tolerate a game that didn't let me choose the color of my character's underwear. Underwear color might be really important to me, but I'm never actually going to see it in game and it's never going to be relevant. So what's the point of letting me choose?

Although ultimately, the analogy actually breaks down. Because if anything, the name you choose actually has less impact on the game than underwear color would. And there are all kinds of huge benefits of having an established first name in a voice acted game.

[Vaegrin]

Lurq wrote...

The way I see it, if you remove the ability to give your character a name, you might as well remove the ability to reconfigure the face and gender to.

That's just not true. When you customize your face, your face actually looks that way in the game. There is an actual point to it. Customizing your name does nothing.

If the game allowed you to customize your face at character creation, but then made you use Default Hawke when you actually played the game, well, you might as well remove the ability to customize the face because it doesn't actually do anything. Sort of like naming your character.

[sphinxess]

Maybe - if they gave a choice between like 6 different names

[Hammer_Of_God]

Although I enjoy choosing a name, I'd happily do away with that option if we were provided with a short list of names to choose from.
There's little worse than being stuck with a name you cant stand - atm its not a problem because once chosen, we never really see our names again. But should a preselected name become common practice, I can see it becoming an issue & an uproar with those fans who don't click with the predetermined name.
That being said however, I think anything still beats being called Warden or Shepard ALL the time by those close to you.
It wasn't so bad with Hawke, simply because I began to associate Hawke as his nickname rather than surname - even when Isabella (my LI) called him by that name.
It only became annoying, breaking immersion for me, when my siblings never referred to me by name (real or "nickname" Hawke) whilst doing so with one another, that it became apparent that something was amiss.

A short list of names would be perfect.

Modifié par Hammer_Of_God, 30 mars 2011 - 12:33 .

[Maria Caliban]

If you have multiple characters, it's much easier to navigate them with different first names.

[richz]

rayvioletta wrote...

PPR223 wrote...

The only use I see is  being able to tell the difference between the saves.

well that alone is a pretty huge reason to keep the ability

If all you worry about is the name of your different saves, then let's just let players choose a "Playthrough Name" instead for each of their characters.  Give the main character a first name so everyone in the game can use.

[Starling2105]

I could go either way. I don't think having a designated first name would bother me, and I've been fine without one with all the other Bioware games.

Maybe I didn't mind it because Hawke is such a fantastic last name to go by. Hell, I'd have everyone just calling me by my last name if it was Hawke

[Starling2105]

I could go either way. I don't think having a designated first name would bother me, and I've been fine without one with all the other Bioware games.

Maybe I didn't mind it because Hawke is such a fantastic last name to go by. Hell, I'd have everyone just calling me by my last name if it was Hawke

[sphinxess]

I have names I have been using for years depending on class/gender - horrible idea.