156 réponses à ce sujet

[Enigmatick]

Yeah I can't stress how much I don't want this and think it would be a bad idea to even try and implement it.

[CrutchCricket]

Ultimately, I don't care how awkward it might make the dialogue sound (I concede nothing). I want to name my character. I want no part of the character's name chosen for me.

I'm going to read the dialogue rather than listen to it in any event.

If that's the case, get a mod that changes the subtitles for you. I'm sure someone will oblige

 

The rest of us would like a more naturalized conversation experience over the ability to fill out a text field.

[Enigmatick]

If that's the case, get a mod that changes the subtitles for you. I'm sure someone will oblige

 

The rest of us would like a more naturalized conversation experience over the ability to fill out a text field.

Ok, better idea. We start using text dialogue in Mass Effect.

[CrutchCricket]

Ok, better idea. We start using text dialogue in Mass Effect.

The 90s/early 2000s are gone.

 

Time to move on.

[Sylvius the Mad]

I can't quite imagine doing multiple playthroughs of a game with a PC that always has the same name. And I tend to do multiple plays of most every game I buy.

I can't even bring myself to do multiple playthroughs with the same voice.

[Enigmatick]

I can't even bring myself to do multiple playthroughs with the same voice.

Serious question, does that mean you did 4 playthroughs of DAI?

[Sylvius the Mad]

Won't work like that. In NwN people had no option to turn the subtitles off, remember?

Why does it matter? If people want to see the name used, they can turn the subtitles on.

We don't need to protect people from options. They're free to play how they like.

Never stopped me from loving KOTOR (hehe) and enjoying Jedi Academy (probably, the first 'open pc' action-rpg ever).

KotOR assigned only a former name, from a past we need not remember. KotOR restricted character design less than any BioWare game aside from NWN.

[sjsharp2011]

tbh picking the characters name for ourselves ids part of the fun of RP'ing it so for me I'd say leave it as it is.

[Stormy]

For the amount of hours it would take to record, twice, every line of every scene in every intonation in the game, it would get translated into cost which would reflect in how much we would have to pay for the game.  Actors have to get paid.  I don't think I'd want to pay $200+ for a game no matter how much I love it so, logically, just being able to voice a last name seems fair.  I consider the first names like a "silent" letter. 

[Sylvius the Mad]

Serious question, does that mean you did 4 playthroughs of DAI?

I've completed only 1, but I do have 4 characters. That conclusion doesn't follow from what I said, however, but I suspect that's not what you meant to ask.

Sylvius the Mad - English male (Human)
Ivid - American male (Qunari)
Anris - English female (Elf)
Thrúd - American female (Dwarf)

[Sylvius the Mad]

If that's the case, get a mod that changes the subtitles for you. I'm sure someone will oblige

The rest of us would like a more naturalized conversation experience over the ability to fill out a text field.

You have far too much confidence in the prevalence of your opinion.

[NRieh]

 

KotOR assigned only a former name, from a past we need not remember.

KotOR was genius. It had a premade PC that is not really  a premade PC (and not even technically a PC, if you think of it).  By no means it was 'not restricted', but it was satisfying nonetheless. Probably the best BW PC ever made, for me at least. 

 

 

Why does it matter? If people want to see the name used, they can turn the subtitles on.

It does matter, especially for people who have problems with eyes. Also those who normally play with subs off ( a huge majority of native speakers) might miss the feature just because they had been unaware about it.  

[MstrJedi Kyle]

It's not that weird. From grades 7 to 12 everyone called me by my last name, even my close friends. Sometimes last names fit better than first names

[Markus]

I'm personally against a preset name.  As several other posters have said, it limits our ability to role-play our characters.

 

A name is more than just a means of personal address; it carries with it a person's history and personality, not to mention a legacy if the person shares a name with more-famous individuals.  For me, the minute I name my characters is the minute that their personality is set in stone, and I only have a small bit of leeway when it comes to varying the personality (and orientation) of the character given said name.  I mean, most of the things associated with the name are nothing more than flavor headcanon (like how my Markus Shepard is actually fairly introverted, and has just learned how to act like more of an extravert for duty reasons), but it's these kind of headcanons that make our characters ours.

 

Removing the ability to choose a name means that, for some of us, the ability to choose who our characters are as people has also been removed.

 

I can understand the issues with last names being used in intimate situations.  It's never bothered me, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a real issue for many players.  For many fans.  People have suggested a wider use of nicknames, both friendly and intimate, and I think that would work out great.  Either each party member (and lover), has an individual nickname for the PC when their relationship values get high enough, or we pick one of several nicknames to be called by friends, and then lovers, at the CC screen.  Costs less time and money for Bioware, and we get more immersion-potential in the game.

[mickey111]

dao did it best imo. Dragon age origns suggested a character name, the name the player characters society/and or parents would have assinged them. thing about naming characters is that bsns concerns are at an optimistic estimate represenivie f he concerns of 1% of the players. about 10% more are likely to change the dao suggested name to some derp joke like i.c.u.p. still nobody here as attempted to argue how the inability to name your character save file that is never spoken I.C.U.P limits role-playing, and I still think DAOs default name was the correct method.

[Pasquale1234]

^^ I believe DA2 did that as well.

AFAIK, the default name is just there for players who can't be bothered to type in a name of their own choosing.

[The Night Haunter]

In KotOR and JE I recall some conversations where they actually used your name in the subtitles, but didn't have the character actually say it (obviously).

 

It went something like:

Subtitles: 'Hey you, Konrad. What are..."

Spoken: "Hey, you. What are..."

 

I didn't find anything really wrong with that approach, but I suppose it doesn't really work with Bioware's 'Cinematic' approach nowadays. 

 

Honestly I don't care if npc's always call you Herald or Inquisitor or Elf (although being called Herald by Cass 2 seconds after saying 'don't call me that' is irksome), but I do care if they force a name on you. As Bioware's last 10 games have proven, it hurts nothing.

[Indigenous]

bethesda recorded 1,000 common names so you could hear your character's name spoken at certain points in the game.

 

http://uk.ign.com/ar...d-story-details

 

I don't think you should expect too much extra effort from EA/Bioware.

[mickey111]

I don't think you should expect too much extra effort from EA/Bioware.

 

 

they aren't lazy, they're just expensive. They often continue selling bits of 6-12 month old games.

[Indigenous]

they aren't lazy, they're just expensive. They often continue selling bits of 6-12 month old games.

 

I don't think they are lazy. I just don't think their goal is to make 'The Best Game Ever' or be 'The Best Developer's Ever' so they aren't going to go the extra mile. I think they are pretty content with where they are. (Which isn't a bad place to be )

[CrutchCricket]

I'm personally against a preset name.  As several other posters have said, it limits our ability to role-play our characters.
 
A name is more than just a means of personal address; it carries with it a person's history and personality, not to mention a legacy if the person shares a name with more-famous individuals.

No it really doesn't.

 

A name is an arbitrary designation. It is a sound, or a string of symbols with no inherent meaning except what is given to it. What's your name? (this is rhetorical, I'm not calling you out). Does it "carry your history, personality and legacy"? No, it really doesn't. Your name, whatever it is means nothing to me or to others until we know you, hear of your experiences and judge for ourselves. After that, your name is only a convenient label to reference you and your legacy. It is not itself your legacy. Or take it the other way. Tell me your history, your experiences, your mentality, but not your name. I'll make up a name for you and it will be no more or less meaningful then the name you have right now.

 

The headcanon you talk about, the little details you put in are not dependent on the name at all. Or rather, you should have no problem assigning them, or details like them to any character, regardless of their name. You acknowledge you are already constrained by other game mechanics (plot, available backgrounds etc). Constraints which limit you far more than an arbitrary designation (which itself is never referenced). Why should that stop you? Besides, in any situation you need to create a character be it an RPG, acting or deception, you are never creating in a vacuum.

 

And I swear I'm not quoting this to sound pompous but:

 

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

 

I can understand the issues with last names being used in intimate situations.  It's never bothered me, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a real issue for many players.  For many fans.  People have suggested a wider use of nicknames, both friendly and intimate, and I think that would work out great.  Either each party member (and lover), has an individual nickname for the PC when their relationship values get high enough, or we pick one of several nicknames to be called by friends, and then lovers, at the CC screen.  Costs less time and money for Bioware, and we get more immersion-potential in the game.

The problem is context and custom. While I may have just argued names are arbitrary and meaningless, the context and customs of social situations give them meaning. An intimate moment with a loved one or even invoking a special relationship by having someone call you something different than the majority of people you encounter are such contexts- and places where nicknames may not suffice. To barrel over them is to break immersion far more than not having a label you'll never use at the start of your game.

[Computron2000]

The problem is context and custom. While I may have just argued names are arbitrary and meaningless, the context and customs of social situations give them meaning. An intimate moment with a loved one or even invoking a special relationship by having someone call you something different than the majority of people you encounter are such contexts- and places where nicknames may not suffice. To barrel over them is to break immersion far more than not having a label you'll never use at the start of your game.

 

Names may be simple sounds linked together but so is all language (barring non verbal ones). The importance is always in 2 areas

i) Projection of your own image into the game as the protaganist. If the name is already fixed, the game is similar to a book where you empathise with a character that is external from you (witcher 3 is the latest example)

 

ii) Sounds in each language has a certain link to it. For example, someone who only knows english will find a name called Osamu strange and vice versa. You can of course get used to it but the initial gap will always cause you to feel delinked from the character. If this is not a problem, then let ME4's protagnist's name be Ahmed bin Jumadin or Ouyang Huanye

[CrutchCricket]

Names may be simple sounds linked together but so is all language (barring non verbal ones). The importance is always in 2 areas

i) Projection of your own image into the game as the protaganist. If the name is already fixed, the game is similar to a book where you empathise with a character that is external from you (witcher 3 is the latest example)

 

ii) Sounds in each language has a certain link to it. For example, someone who only knows english will find a name called Osamu strange and vice versa. You can of course get used to it but the initial gap will always cause you to feel delinked from the character. If this is not a problem, then let ME4's protagnist's name be Ahmed bin Jumadin or Ouyang Huanye

True, but that's why I also said context and customs assign meaning.

 

i) Not true. You focus on only one aspect of character customization (and the least important one in my opinion, given that it's never actually used for anything). Do you get to choose the appearance and background of you book characters? Do you get to choose their morality? I would have no more problem projecting into John Shepard that I would into _____ Shepard, because I can still pick his background and personality, his appearance and once the game gets underway his response to situations. These elements are active parts of character creation and persistence, as opposed to a simple text field you use only once.

 

ii) Given that RPGs are often fantasy and sometimes sci-fi, strange sounding names are more common than you'd think. I would hope they would pick the name that would best fit the setting of the game, rather than picking one based on real-world regions.

[Computron2000]

True, but that's why I also said context and customs assign meaning.

 

i) Not true. You focus on only one aspect of character customization (and the least important one in my opinion, given that it's never actually used for anything). Do you get to choose the appearance and background of you book characters? Do you get to choose their morality? I would have no more problem projecting into John Shepard that I would into _____ Shepard, because I can still pick his background and personality, his appearance and once the game gets underway his response to situations. These elements are active parts of character creation and persistence, as opposed to a simple text field you use only once.

 

ii) Given that RPGs are often fantasy and sometimes sci-fi, strange sounding names are more common than you'd think. I would hope they would pick the name that would best fit the setting of the game, rather than picking one based on real-world regions.

 

i) You're basing it on the current situation where only a single last name, rank or nickname is used. Based on the thread, the entire reason for having a fixed first and last name is for verbalization. If you keep hearing, "Ahmed bin Jumadin" then it reinforces the delink. This gets magnified when you attempt to make your avatar look like you and everyone refers to you as Ahmed. 

 

ii) Most "human" names are based on the main region it is marketed to or the source material or chosen (as shepard was likely chosen) because it had a double meaning rather than a recognisable last name such as lopez or roberts. Even in the ME universe unless everyone of a different original nationality is dead long ago or were sterile and had no descendents or a single universal law forcing people to choose from a limited last name list was instituted, having Ouyang Huanye or Ahmed bin Jumadin should be perfectly acceptable

[CrutchCricket]

i) You're basing it on the current situation where only a single last name, rank or nickname is used. Based on the thread, the entire reason for having a fixed first and last name is for verbalization. If you keep hearing, "Ahmed bin Jumadin" then it reinforces the delink. This gets magnified when you attempt to make your avatar look like you and everyone refers to you as Ahmed. 

 

ii) Most "human" names are based on the main region it is marketed to or the source material or chosen (as shepard was likely chosen) because it had a double meaning rather than a recognisable last name such as lopez or roberts. Even in the ME universe unless everyone of a different original nationality is dead long ago or were sterile and had no descendents or a single universal law forcing people to choose from a limited last name list was instituted, having Ouyang Huanye or Ahmed bin Jumadin should be perfectly acceptable

i)There is no "delink". You can project all you like but the result won't be 100% you in space. It'll be whatever the PC is, but with your values, reasoning and personality. This doesn't change regardless of what the name is.

 

ii)Underlined is what I'm saying. Otherwise the ME series has been pretty good with characters of different races, even though humanity is treated as unified and we have aliens to deal with.