148 réponses à ce sujet

[dragonflight288]

How was the Inquisitor poorly done?

 

I loved my relatively sarcastic Qunari Inquisitor, and I felt he had developed a personality all his own. 

[Mdizzletr0n]

Are you calling me a racist?

Against batarians, maybe... Or not. Lol

[Mdizzletr0n]

To return to the topic, I think the main problem is 'whether or not the Mass Effect series remains with a set Protagonist'. Do we go the Dragon Age, which features a new character each game, or even the Resident Evil route, which cycles through a relatively set main cast?

• If we are going for a set Protagonist (IE A Shepard, A Nathan Drake, A Bomberman ETC) Then how wildly different do we want this character to be while also being able to properly support all those choices going forward? If we want a more developed character and continue their story and see the consequences of their and thus our actions this is the way to go. If we want to maintain the same level of companion interaction and camaraderie that we got in the Shepard Trilogy this is also the way to go.
  
  In Dragon Age, we may get giddy when we see Morrigan or Human Liara* make another appearance, but our character doesn't really think much of them because they aren't the same character we were. There is a difference in player reaction and character reaction that reduces the level of intimacy that can occur between the player and this character they've known across a prior game since their mediator does not share the player's views.
• If, however, we go the varied Protagonist (Warden, Inquisitor, ETC) route, how many choices of that character move on to the next one? How much customization really matters in the end? If we want more diversity in what our characters look like and in how they act, this is the way to go. The protagonist doesn't have to be as important or well-written as they will not be used in a starring role later on. Perhaps their companions might appear again, but this character will only see a limited role in future entries and may not even appear at all! (Warden). Not being so defined or well-written lets the wonderfully chaotic world of 'Head Canon' spring forth. with reckless abandon, and that is, again, a wonderful world.

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We know we are playing a human in the next game, but will the game after Andromeda feature this very same human, or will we move on to a new character who may be a Turian, or a Krogan, or perhaps we see the galaxy from the eyes of a domestic race**? I'm curious as to which approach they go for, though I'd rather prefer former protagonist type, leaving the 'Story of the World***' to Dragon Age and the 'Story of One' to a series of Mass Effect games, even if it means jumping to a new protagonist every three games.

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* Leliana.

** English is a wonderful thing. Did you know that 'Bromance' is now officially a word according to Merriam-Webster? It's true, look it up! In fact, here's a link! Languages evolve and change and not everything means the same thing every time when used, especially as time marches every onwards. After all, Legal Insanity and Medical Insanity are two drastically different things that only have one small similarity that keeps them locked together, however detached that may be. What's more, there was a time when the primary definition for the word gay was 'to be rather happy' which is not entirely the case now, the same can be said for the word 'awesome' which meant something wholesomely different from what it is thought of now. In matters of fiction writing versus maters of biology, the term 'race' is used to refer to any sentient/sapient species of that particular universe (EX. Tolkien's 'Race of Men', High Fantasy's Elven races ETC)

*** Let's face it, people: Dragon Age is really just the high fantasy version of The Gods Must be Crazy, co-starring Morrigan, Leliana, Flemeth, and whatever sub-protagonist they can dig up who is probably voiced by Tory Baker or something I dunno.

To be honest, I'm all for multiple protagonists as long as we don't have someone as dull as Shepard for 3 games.

[Broganisity]

To be honest, I'm all for multiple protagonists as long as we don't have someone as dull as Shepard for 3 games.

Shepard could have been done better (but alas that's the problem of player choice in a narrative, it makes matters difficult), but what's important is that consistent character-character dynamic.

Would players have felt as attached to Garrus if he had to keep reintroducing himself to the player AKA a new protagonist? And likewise, the player character would just react with 'Oh, my name is 'blah blah' rather than 'Garrus! Old buddy it's good to see you let's go save the Galaxy one last time!'. This would have been the case if Shepard had stayed dead in ME2 and we played as someone else instead: As far as the Council is concerned, only Shepard saved the Citadel from Saren; they don't care about whoever else was aboard the Normandy. Heck, this would be more noted if Garrus wasn't even recruited in ME1 (they played with this a bit in ME2, but you go on to being fast friends anyways which is a problem in and of itself).

You couldn't have that same dynamic; "There's no Shepard without Vakarian" and it goes the other way around: there's no Vakarian without Shepard. We couldn't have had the same attachment even if they went for the same story progression of the Garrus character just as we couldn't have the same connections with Wrex, Tali, Miranda, Jack, Grunt, Ashley/Kaidan. . .

. . .that confrontation in ME3 with the Virmire survivor? Pffft. A new player character, not to mention a new player entirely, wouldn't have felt anything about shooting them down without that prolonged affiliation: I never played ME1 until recently, and I just shrugged and gunned Ashley down as she was just some face I saw once in ME2 and then later in ME3; Now I wouldn't make that choice as lightly. Shepard and the Virmire survivor went through hell together, perhaps they even fell in love along the way, there was betrayal, there was camaraderie, conflicts and agreement; there was a restoration of affiliation- even if Shepard shot the survivor, there was still an emotional connection as friends were forced to turn on one other for the sake of duty.

You can't have that type of thing with a new protagonist each game, and its that consistent character attachment that draws people into the Mass Effect World, and other such worlds where the protagonist is the same person each iteration. The player may have a connection to, say, Leliana in Inquisition, but the player character does not have that prolonged attachment. And vice versa, as I mentioned with the Virmire Survivor conflict in ME3: The player might have no connection while the player character does, and thus there is a disconnect here as well.

The former is the problem with Narrative choice, the later is the problem with sequels and the assumption that people who play it have played all the ones before.

[Deebo305]

To be honest, I'm all for multiple protagonists as long as we don't have someone as dull as Shepard for 3 games.

I also find post like this odd? Did you play the same game?

 

When was Shepard ever dull?

[KaiserShep]

The whole idea of a protagonist being boring simply because s/he's human is, frankly, pretty dumb. 

[Mdizzletr0n]

I also find post like this odd? Did you play the same game?

When was Shepard ever dull?

Shepard was dull to me because he/she was too military for my liking. For me, the supporting cast, world and the events around him/her was what made me enjoy the game. The only time She had any semblance of a personality was when you went renegade. Shepard didn't have to a an exaggerated protagonist or anything, just... more interesting. Shep did slowly get a little more of a personality as the series went by though.

[Mdizzletr0n]

The whole idea of a protagonist being boring simply because s/he's human is, frankly, pretty dumb.

Being human IS boring in a game full of aliens. However, my thing as stated above was more about the personality.

[KaiserShep]

But that's the thing. The personality would be the same, and reactivity would be minimal. Basically, it'd be a "human" in an alien body model, and because most of the aliens are not really workable as actual protagonists in a game with a customizable PC, it'd likely just be between the three main races, being human, asari and turian. 

[Red Panda]

Being human IS boring in a game full of aliens. However, my thing as stated above was more about the personality.

But wouldn't forcing aliens on someone alienate the casual gamer that we are trying to reach?

 

The average person wants to see Grizzleface McAlienkiller and not gleep gloop, the prober of doom.

 

It's way more relatable and familiar. I'm just not seeing how playing as an alien would do anything good for the franchise.

[Mdizzletr0n]

But that's the thing. The personality would be the same, and reactivity would be minimal. Basically, it'd be a "human" in an alien body model, and because most of the aliens are not really workable as actual protagonists in a game with a customizable PC, it'd likely just be between the three main races, being human, asari and turian.

I agree even if we COULD play as another race, I still wouldn't want a boring protagonist. Since we are playing human again I just hope that this on has more...life.

[Mdizzletr0n]

But wouldn't forcing aliens on someone alienate the casual gamer that we are trying to reach?

The average person wants to see Grizzleface McAlienkiller and not gleep gloop, the prober of doom.

It's way more relatable and familiar. I'm just not seeing how playing as an alien would do anything good for the franchise.

Yea... Thats pretty much every other game. Boring. Lol. I kind of get it though. Not playing as an another race isn't going to kill the entire game for me. I still enjoyed DA2 even though I didn't have any other options. There's bigger things to worry about than racial options.
.

[Sartoz]

                                                                         <<<<<<<<<<()>>>>>>>>>>

 

No, it would not be.

 

The theme, from the leaked poll is all about humanity's struggle for survival in a new hostile environment. Two, the VO cost of doing what your'e asking is astronomical.

 

Example:

Where h = 1 human, a = 1 alien and n = number of alien species you want to play. Both can have two genders (ie: male and female)

 

Human only..................... $ = 2h = 2 x cost per voice

Human + 1 alien.............. $ = 2h + 2a = 2(h + a) = 2(1 + 1) = 4 x cost per voice

Human + n aliens............ $ = 2h + 2n = 2(h + n). If n = 5 possible alien species then substitute n for 5 which then make the cost  2(1 + 5) = 12 x cost per voice.

 

I suppose a DLC whose main character represents the POV of an alien fighting the humans would be different, possibly amusing, possibly how it feels to get your butt kicked.

[Mdizzletr0n]

I meant the fact of being a human protagonist is in every other game. Not story wise. Also, VO would depend on the aliens they used and I'm sure there will be new species introduced. But it matters not, being anything other than a ****** sapien ain't happening. I can deal with it. Lol

[Seboist]

Being human IS boring in a game full of aliens. However, my thing as stated above was more about the personality.

 

That's funny, seeing as how the majority of the alien species in ME are just glorified humans in costumes with an assigned gimmick per species. They could've changed Garrus to a human and nothing would've changed.

 

There are more interesting differences between human cultures/nationalities IRL than there are between "aliens" in this franchise.

 

I also find post like this odd? Did you play the same game?

 

When was Shepard ever dull?

 

Shepard's always been an emotional brick and dullard, who has never displayed any kind of legit leadership or even basic military knowledge. He became even more dull after ME1 after they removed all the dialogue where he can state his political views and was reduced to just being about smashing reapers.

 

His most '"interesting" qualities are the dumb things he says, from asking Tali if she's royalty to acting surprised that Asari can reproduce with each other.

[Hanako Ikezawa]

The theme, from the leaked poll is all about humanity's struggle for survival in a new hostile environment.

Ugh, that leaked poll. 

[Steelcan]

Ugh, that leaked poll. 

what other lovely tidbits were there?

[PresidentVorchaMasterBaits]

GRRAAAGGHH!! WE ARE DISSAPPOINTED!!!! OF COURSE STUPID HUMANS ARE MAIN HERO IN NEXT GAME!! WHEN WILL VORCHA BE ABLE TO SAVE GALAXY?!?! DISCRIMINATION!! GRRAAAAAAGGHH!!! WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS! BEEN TOLD THIS IS WHAT IT IS THOUGH!! STUPID COMPLICATED, SQUISHY HUMANS!! WE'D RATHER SEE A PILE OF VARREN DUNG COVERED IN PUKE FROM A DRUNK KROGAN SET ON FIRE BE THE MAIN HERO IN NEXT GAME INSTEAD OF HUMAN!! OUR FEELINGS ARE HURT! WE LEAVE AND BURN SOMETHING NOW!! PROBABLY POOP!! GRRAAAAAAAAGHH!!!

[KaiserShep]

His most '"interesting" qualities are the dumb things he says, from asking Tali if she's royalty to acting surprised that Asari can reproduce with each other.

 

I totally forgot about that royalty question. Yeah, that was pretty dumb. I typically avoided it in subsequent playthroughs by simply not talking to Tali that often. I could just read a codex on the quarians or something, without the burden of hearing her narrate it.

[Kabooooom]

Locking the player out of significant game content because of a race they chose is stupid design. If they want to add divergent content, they have no end of choices to build such content from that stems from a meaningful and narratively powerful choice instead of "You're a dwarf, you don't get to go here."

It's also dumb to have significant choices in the game depend on race.

Seldom do I agree with David, but in this case I actually do. It's a bad idea.

[Iakus]

I don't understand the huge desire to play aliens.  The aliens are pretty much all Rubber Forehead aliens anyway, 

[Metalfros]

I don't understand the huge desire to play aliens.  The aliens are pretty much all Rubber Forehead aliens anyway, 

 

But you like to always play the generic human that is already featured as protagonist in like, litterally all games. People don't really want to play them because of their design, but more or less of how awesome Turians and Krogan for example were in the original trilogy.

[Mdizzletr0n]

That's funny, seeing as how the majority of the alien species in ME are just glorified humans in costumes with an assigned gimmick per species. They could've changed Garrus to a human and nothing would've changed.

There are more interesting differences between human cultures/nationalities IRL than there are between "aliens" in this franchise.


Shepard's always been an emotional brick and dullard, who has never displayed any kind of legit leadership or even basic military knowledge. He became even more dull after ME1 after they removed all the dialogue where he can state his political views and was reduced to just being about smashing reapers.

His most '"interesting" qualities are the dumb things he says, from asking Tali if she's royalty to acting surprised that Asari can reproduce with each other.

To the first, not in ME it isn't. I'd love for them to be able to implement that w/o just being a stereotype.It'd be a fine line. It's almost like we were (or maybe just to me) looking in from the aliens' possible POV of "all humans are the same."

To the second, I ferociously concur.

[Galbrant]

I wanna play a Krogan and kill off the other colonist to make room for more Krogan because of raisins. Also Krogans are awesome.

[Broganisity]

I wanna play a Krogan and kill off the other colonist to make room for more Krogan because of raisins. Also Krogans are awesome.