77 réponses à ce sujet

[hoorayforicecream]

How "fixed" a protagonist do you prefer? There's clearly a sliding scale of how fixed a protagonist can be. Here's a list of protagonists from various games, ranked in order of how "fixed" I think they are. I basically chose based on the flexibility you have to choose the character's look, race, backstory, setting, etc.

Please choose a number or protagonist for the 'level' of fixed protagonist you prefer, and/or are comfortable with. If you disagree with the scale, please explain why.

LEAST FIXED
1. Pen and paper RPG character
2. The Bhaalspawn
3. The Warden
4. Shepard
5. Hawke
6. Revan
7. Spirit Monk
8. The Nameless One
9. Geralt of Rivia
10. Cloud Strife
MOST FIXED

The scale follows the following criteria:

- How fixed a backstory they have
- Racial choices available (Anything you want > lots of fantasy races > three races > fixed race)
- class choices available (Anything you want > lots of classes > a handful of classes > no choice at all)
- Character's physical appearance (anything you want > broad character creator > select from presets > fixed appearance)

[King Cousland]

 The Warden. 

[Ryenke]

2-3

[ManOfSteel]

I'm happy with anything from 9 to 3. A fixed protagonist doesn't bother me, but I welcome customization.

Modifié par DoomHK, 18 septembre 2012 - 03:13 .

[hexaligned]

All of my PC's are sarcastic asses, so as long as that's the forced PC personality, I'm fine with it.

[upsettingshorts]

6 and below. I'm curious where Michael Thorton would fit on that list. Probably right between Hawke and Revan.

[uzivatel]

If you put it that way, I am going with 4-9.

[grregg]

3 - 9. Never played Final Fantasy so I don't know if 10 would be acceptable. On the other end of the scale, didn't like Baldur's Gate much and never played a pen-and-paper RPG.

[Masha Potato]

i really like to choose the race so it's 1 to 3 i guess

[hoorayforicecream]

10 is basically a completely railroad plot. You not only get your appearance, backstory, class and personality chosen for you, but you don't even get to make any choices in the game itself. You just play for advancing the characters' story.

[eyesofastorm]

Before Origins I think I would have said "as "loose" as possible", but giving me just a little bit of biography with the Origin stories, I found that DA:O actually deepened my role playing experience rather than limiting it. I think it was because the Origin story really made clearer my motivations as a character and why I was doing a thing or why I was thinking a certain way than would have been the case if I had made a blank slate character. So I still have no argument with "as "loose" as possible", but I am ok with having a little bit of origin story as well. That comes with the caveat that there are multiple origin stories as DA:O had. If there is only one origin story, then my ability to role play multiple *different* characters really would be limited.

edit:  err... that's 3 and below on your scale and I'm not completely allergic to 4, but I definitely prefer more control over my character if anyone is asking... and h4i is asking.

Modifié par eyesofastorm, 18 septembre 2012 - 03:16 .

[SpunkyMonkey]

For a FRPG 1-3

Anything higher than The Warden at 3 doesn't belong in a FRPG, and trying to incorporate them into such-like totally defeats the purpose of such games in the first place IMO.

It may work in the odd case ala Geralt, but it's gotta be a special game to allow that to happen.

Modifié par SpunkyMonkey, 18 septembre 2012 - 03:18 .

[EricHVela]

One of Allan's statements suggests to me that BWE feels that imports are an important part of DA.

How about a static character that is customized only by previous events at the start of the game. (Given some of the import-gimmicks of some of the other games, this could easily put pressure on players to buy the previous games to get a character tailored how they wish or, else, they get one of a small set of possibilities.)

[scampermax]

1 - 4

[marshalleck]

I'm happy with anything on that scale, as long as the developers are competent and able to execute their intent for the game. If the RP mechanics are all mixed up, conflicting with each other and there is no clear direction what the game is supposed to be, that's when I have a problem.

[Gandalf-the-Fabulous]

Depends on the game and how close their backstory is tied to the story but generally I prefer the Mysterious Stranger blank slate characters that the player has more freedom to forge into their own character. Unless the characters backstory is closely tied to the story (like the Nameless one) I generally prefer a blank slate, where your character comes from before the events of the game are largely irrelevant when compared to the choices that he makes during the course of the game, it is the choices you make during the course of the game that defines your character not the backstory that takes place before it.

[berelinde]

1-5

[hoorayforicecream]

Gandalf-the-Fabulous wrote...

Depends on the game and how close their backstory is tied to the story but generally I prefer the Mysterious Stranger blank slate characters that the player has more freedom to forge into their own character. Unless the characters backstory is closely tied to the story (like the Nameless one) I generally prefer a blank slate, where your character comes from before the events of the game are largely irrelevant when compared to the choices that he makes during the course of the game, it is the choices you make during the course of the game that defines your character not the backstory that takes place before it.

That is the tradeoff with a more fixed protagonist. The more fixed a protagonist you have, the more the backstory, personality, etc. have an can have an effect on the game's story. The best example of this is the Cousland Warden vs Hawke. Both protagonists have families that are affected by the game's plot, but the effect of the Cousland Warden's family had to be minimal, while Hawke's family actually becomes a significant plot point. Discovering the Nameless One's backstory is the entire point of the game, and that just wouldn't be possible with a less fixed protagonist.

[Lenimph]

As long as I can pick gender and customize their appearance I'm good. So 5... 

6&7 are tolerable but don't allow the level of customization I prefer so they are not my ideal. 

Modifié par Lenimph, 18 septembre 2012 - 03:49 .

[LiquidGrape]

Upsettingshorts wrote...

6 and below. I'm curious where Michael Thorton would fit on that list. Probably right between Hawke and Revan.

He's an interesting case, because while his general appearance and role is very much fixed, he's probably got some of the most meaningful leeway in terms of personalised approach.

I think 3 through 8 is my general range of preference. There are exceptions, of course, but any farther on either side of that divide and I simply find I have a hard time caring. Naturally that depends on the narrative importance of predetermined qualities or lack thereof.

P.S
This thread gets quite confusing when people say, for example, "6 and below", because it is hard to determine whether that means 6 and everything below it in the chart, or 6 and below in mathematical terms.
Just an observation!
D.S

Modifié par LiquidGrape, 18 septembre 2012 - 03:32 .

[upsettingshorts]

LiquidGrape wrote...

P.S

Just an observation: this thread gets quite confusing when people say, for example, "6 and below", because it is hard to determine whether that means 6 and everything below it in the chart, or 6 and below in mathematical terms.

Ah, I meant 1-6.

7 was not a dealbreaker because I liked Jade Empire overall for a lot of reasons beyond the protagonist.  8-10 I have to luck into a character I like, otherwise no thanks.

[jwalker]

3

Choosing race, gender, background is the best for me.