171 réponses à ce sujet

[YooperLaw]

After playing through Mass Effect 3 twice and listening to some of the conversations I've started thinking about a staple of (recent?) Bioware games. I only got into Bioware with KotoR and then the Mass Effect franchise (and later Dragon Age) so I don't know if previous titles used this system, but the key thing that, for some reason, keeps popping up in my mind recently is Bioware's use of the surname or title to address the player character.

In Mass Effect it's "Commander" or "Shepard", in Dragon Age: Origins it's "Warden", and in Dragon Age II it's "Hawke" or "Champion". Lore-wise it makes a lot of sense in most situations but after a while, particularly with companions/henchmen, it seems odd that they keep addressing you by your last name or title. These are people who know you very well and for them to use your title or last name seems a bit out of place at times.

Obviously this is due to game development limitations but I'm curious if people are so attached to naming their player character in Bioware games that they would care if Bioware picked a first name for you that could be used in conversations. I guess how much a person cares would largely depend on how much you roleplay your character but for me personally the first name is pretty much just a way to identify save files/careers (i.e. Jane Shepard I know is my Infiltrator in Mass Effect).

I'm just curious as to what other people would think about Bioware assigning a first name to the player character. This would allow more meaningful (and varied) conversations I would think but I can see how some people wouldn't like that bit of control taken away from them. As I said, I personally wouldn't care if they took that choice away from me but I could see how others would.

Alternatively, would people be opposed to a system where say Bioware provides a list of about a half dozen first names for each gender and then the game uses one of the names you pick? They obviously couldn't do a ton of first names due to budget/development reasons, but a small number could be feasible I would think. The vast majority of NPCs would still use the player's surname and/or title, but in some conversations (mostly with companions I'd imagine) the first name could be used to give more impact or immersion while using a minimum (?) amount of development resources.

Since Dragon Age III seems to be the next big Bioware project I figured I'd share my thoughts in this forum. Anyone else have some thoughts on this matter?

[Maria Caliban]

I wouldn't mind. Many people would.

I suspect you'd still get lots of 'Wardens' or 'Shepards' though because you don't have to rerecord the line for PC gender or race.

[Pzykozis]

Well my real name is particularly popular around my age group so I do get called by my second name by close friends quite often (well theres two of us with the same name within a close group of 4 people) so it doesn't bother me as much as some.

Personaly have no problem with bioware using a defined first name, heck they could have the whole name, I barely pay attention to it anyway, but we had this conversation awhile back and its not a popular thing with a lot of people. But then nothing ever is on BSN.

[esper]

I want a suikoden V method, where the first name was listed in the subtitles but the actors just paused when the characther said the name. It is artificial yes, but it worked well.
Of course that would mean obligatory subtitles which is a problem in itself for some.

Modifié par esper, 26 mars 2012 - 07:14 .

[Atakuma]

I'd prefer choosing a name from a list, even though that would probably be difficult to implement. With defaults like John/Jane, and Garrett/Marian, I'm not too confident Bioware would choose a name I liked.

[YooperLaw]

Maria Caliban wrote...

I wouldn't mind. Many people would.

I suspect you'd still get lots of 'Wardens' or 'Shepards' though because you don't have to rerecord the line for PC gender or race.

Oh of course. As I said the vast majority of NPCs would most likely still refer to you as "Warden" or whatnot because that's much easier, but NPCs like companions or NPCs with major roles who know the player character well would have the option of using the first name.

All a balance of resources I'd imagine.

[esper]

YooperLaw wrote...

Maria Caliban wrote...

I wouldn't mind. Many people would.

I suspect you'd still get lots of 'Wardens' or 'Shepards' though because you don't have to rerecord the line for PC gender or race.

Oh of course. As I said the vast majority of NPCs would most likely still refer to you as "Warden" or whatnot because that's much easier, but NPCs like companions or NPCs with major roles who know the player character well would have the option of using the first name.

All a balance of resources I'd imagine.

And Li's would use your goddamn name when you start going out.

[Wulfram]

I'd dislike it. Naming the character is part of making the character mine, and the character being mine is important to making me care about the game.

And it helps keep them seperate from each other.

[Unknown_Warrior]

Agree wholeheartedly. I always wondered what was the point in having a first name in the games in general. Especially jarring in one scene in Mass Effect 3 with someone naming their baby after you...

Though, no doubt, people will complain about it. However, the aforementioned 'last name basis in general and first name basis for a few, with first names selected from a list' is very reasonable compromise.

[Mark of the Dragon]

I dont like thiws idea either. I want to name MY character it makes me more attached and makes the story feel more personal. Besides I play through the game so much that having the same name everythime I play would be annoying.

[Siansonea]

I'll be glad when the technology catches up to the point where the first name can be seamlessly integrated into the dialog.

[Xeyska]

Siansonea II wrote...

I'll be glad when the technology catches up to the point where the first name can be seamlessly integrated into the dialog.

I look forward to that day.

[Melca36]

I support a contest where people can pick out of list the names they'd like.

Players get 3 names to choose from for each gender

[Chun Hei]

Maybe there could be a feature to record your first name with a microphone and then having it inserted horribly into the game dialog.

[syllogi]

Siansonea II wrote...

I'll be glad when the technology catches up to the point where the first name can be seamlessly integrated into the dialog.

And we will watch hilarious YouTube videos where earnest and passionate love interests whisper sweet nothings to protagonists named horrendously filthy things.

The future looks bright indeed.

[Direwolf0294]

I like being able to choose my characters first name and I don't really mind if my companions call me by my title or my last name. In ME for example even though I know my companions well and I'm friends with them I am still their superior so they should still be calling me Commander. WIth last names it sort of reminds me of Futurama. Everyone calls Fry and Leela by their last names even though they know them really well. Fry and Leela even call each other by their last names when they're dating. It's just what they know each other as.

Having said that I wouldn't mind if we were given a drop down list of 10 first names to choose from and then be called by that name in game.

[Blackout62]

As long as they can come up with better names then John and Jane.

[Unknown_Warrior]

Blackout62 wrote...

As long as they can come up with better names then John and Jane.

I couldn't.

I have three John Shepards.

[PsychoBlonde]

YooperLaw wrote...

Obviously this is due to game development limitations but I'm curious if people are so attached to naming their player character in Bioware games that they would care if Bioware picked a first name for you that could be used in conversations. I guess how much a person cares would largely depend on how much you roleplay your character but for me personally the first name is pretty much just a way to identify save files/careers (i.e. Jane Shepard I know is my Infiltrator in Mass Effect).

I'd rather they didn't completely name the protagonist.  I don't mind the last name thing, as it gives SOME kind of handle that can be used.  I found it a bit weird that people would call you "Hawke" when your brother or sister, who was also a Hawke, was RIGHT THERE.  That was a misstep, I think.  People almost never address by last name when someone with the same last name is RIGHT THERE, or at least generally around the place.  The only people I've ever met who get addressed consistently by last name tend to be solitary types. 

One possible option that occurred to me would be for them to create a *nickname* for your character that had to be in your name SOMEWHERE--something short and hopefully positive, maybe different for males and females.  You could even do this with racial options, implying that the nickname was created because everyone finds your "real" name impossible to pronounce.  For an example of how this would work, suppose they chose the nickname "Jeri" for females.  That "Jeri" would appear in the name box, you couldn't delete it, but you could move it around, add spaces, add letters before and after, maybe add some punctuation like hyphens and apostraphes.  Then they can just have a little explanatory scene where someone tries, and fails, to pronounce your name.  Now you have a familiar name that any NPC can call your character.  They can create new nicknames OUT of it.  And it'd be better than this situation where I'm tempted to name my character "Serah". 

I'd also rather they did a bit more with the *meaning* of direct address.  How you choose to address someone is significant and can add a lot of subtext to a given exchange.  It probably won't matter much unless they bring back race options, but if they do, I'd like to see a little more attention given to the matter.  Not that it's been bad so far, they did some nice stuff with the Arishok, for instance, calling you by name on your second meeting, and with the elves persistantly calling you "shemlen" etc.

[Maria Caliban]

PsychoBlonde wrote...

One possible option that occurred to me would be for them to create a *nickname* for your character that had to be in your name SOMEWHERE--something short and hopefully positive, maybe different for males and females.

In Fable, you could pick a title for your hero. In the beginning, everyone called you Chicken Chaser.

[Blastback]

Maria Caliban wrote...

PsychoBlonde wrote...

One possible option that occurred to me would be for them to create a *nickname* for your character that had to be in your name SOMEWHERE--something short and hopefully positive, maybe different for males and females.

In Fable, you could pick a title for your hero. In the beginning, everyone called you Chicken Chaser.

Ah, Fable one, good times.

Having a nickname for variety would be cool.  But I want to keep name custimisation.  It helps with the feeling that the character is mine, not the same one every other player has. 

Then again, if I had it my way, while the VO would say Warden, or Hawke or Shepard, the subtitles would at least sometimes say whatever name I picked.

[PsychoBlonde]

Maria Caliban wrote...

PsychoBlonde wrote...

One possible option that occurred to me would be for them to create a *nickname* for your character that had to be in your name SOMEWHERE--something short and hopefully positive, maybe different for males and females.

In Fable, you could pick a title for your hero. In the beginning, everyone called you Chicken Chaser.

I think this would probably be a bit too farcical for DA, and blending this in smoothly with the voice acting might be problematic. 

[Shadow of Light Dragon]

First names have become almost pointless with the prevalence of VO.

It would have been harder to notice, IMO, if NPCs referred to each other by their last names and titles instead of just the PC. Too late for that in Dragon Age, I guess. And it wouldn't make the first name any more/less pointless.

Anyway, I'd still hate to see that aspect of character creation taken away.

Modifié par Shadow of Light Dragon, 28 mars 2012 - 04:19 .

[Blastback]

Shadow of Light Dragon wrote...

First names have become almost pointless with the prevalence of VO.

It would have been harder to notice, IMO, if NPCs referred to each other by their last names and titles instead of just the PC. Too late for that in Dragon Age, I guess. And it wouldn't make the first name any more pointless.

Anyway, I'd still hate to see that aspect of character creation taken away.

If I remember correctly, the codex used your first name.  That was quite possibly my favorite realisation in the demo.

[Heather-Shepard]

I would not want to be given a first name. I like being able to choose my own first name, even though I'm not addressed by it directly. I think naming your character is an important part of character creation, however insignificant it might be to the actual game.