135 réponses à ce sujet

[KaiserShep]

Badass normal. I want my character to be a lovable scoundrel that will charm or poke fun at some folks when the mood strikes, then turn into a literal food processor of people in the dark corners of terrible places, with no extraordinarily unique powers, just high dex/cunning and a badass set of daggers. Like Hawke! 

[sylvanaerie]

Badass normal who's in the right place at the right time.

[Duelist]

Badass normal. My favourite characters make up for a lack of magical abilities/superpowers by stabbing fools while they aren't looking.

[TeffexPope]

I prefer them all...I never play just one character, and I certainly don't play two characters exactly the same. Some will be renegade, some will be paragon.

[FeliciaM]

I like to be a bad ass normal in most games, because being regular is asking way too much, apparently. Not big on being the chosen one, especially if it was 'prophesied''.

 

I think this is why I like both the bounty hunter and smuggler story lines in SWTOR. I guess the imperial agent, and trooper qualify, too. They're non-force using classes. Neither Jedi or Sith. But they still get stuff done. Bounty hunter wins some big time Mandalorian hunting event, essentially as a nobody. And the smuggler is just a nobody who got their ship stolen! But they both rose up from nothing to achieve their goals, and became known later for their deeds. Good or bad.

[Darkly Tranquil]

Badass normal or in-between. The "Chosen One" shtick is way overused. One of the things I like about Geralt in the Witcher is that he's (mostly) just a guy doing his job (supernatural pest exterminator). Sure he has some cool tricks up his sleeve, but he doesn't have the power to drastically change the world, and he's far from the most powerful person around.

[QueenCrow]

Up until this point, I think the Dragon Age player characters have been badass normal.  The taint for the Warden or the anchor for the Inquisitor are "special" but we never get a taste of what it might be like to be in an Evanuris' shoes, or Flemeth's, or Solas'.

 

I'd like to face the test - what would I do if I had the power to change/conquer/destroy the world?

 

Special snowflake - just once - or tempted by special snowflakedom.

 

[abisha]

I like Badass Normal as gameplay.

it makes it so much more special to be that bad ass.

 

still i don't mind something unique over anything the anchor is just about right.

[AnUnculturedLittlePotato]

Can I be a literal special snowflake?

[Ieldra]

I'd like to face the test - what would I do if I had the power to change/conquer/destroy the world?

An interesting thought experiment. What kind of power exactly would you propose? As opposed to Tolkien, I don't think a kind of power exists that's intrinsically corrupting, but I can certainly see how even good intentions can place you on the road to hell, so to speak.

[QueenCrow]

An interesting thought experiment. What kind of power exactly would you propose? As opposed to Tolkien, I don't think a kind of power exists that's intrinsically corrupting, but I can certainly see how even good intentions can place you on the road to hell, so to speak.

 

I think it does exist in Dragon Age.  Apparently the Evanuris, with godlike powers, abused their powers by enslaving their own followers - as the story goes.  Tevinter Magisters have, on occasion in search of such godlike powers, created catastrophe - as the story goes.

 

But as an example, imagine the power that Solas is seeking - the power to bring down the Veil and then reshape reality with a thought.  What if you attained that power instead of Solas, or before Solas?

 

The kind of absolute power that corrupts absolutely was the theme in Lord of the Rings and that story was mesmerizing.  Several of the characters are tempted and I think that's the kind of story that would immerse Dragon Age players in a true moral choice.  Not just a little power, like the power brought by the taint, or the anchor....but godlike power.

[The Baconer]

Badass-Normal PCs can't exist in Dragon Age. It would have to be somewhere in between. 

[Iakus]

An interesting thought experiment. What kind of power exactly would you propose? As opposed to Tolkien, I don't think a kind of power exists that's intrinsically corrupting, but I can certainly see how even good intentions can place you on the road to hell, so to speak.

The thing about Tolkien, was:  it wasn't power specifically that was evil.  But the fact that the One RIng was an extension of Sauron, who was.  In using the One RIng you are exposing yourself to Sauron's evil.  And being such a powerful force, there really wasn't anyone who could stand up to it for long.

 

The Three, however, were made without Sauron's aid, and were not corrupt.  They had, in fact, been used to protect elven sanctuaries for thousands of years.  It was the fear that, should Sauron be reunited with the One, he'd be able to corrupt even that which in large part drove the need to destroy it.

 

So I guess the question would be:  if you could usurp your enemy's power, what would you do with it?  Do you think you could use it without becoming a monster yourself?  Could you control it, or limit yourself and avoid that fate?  Or if you did fall, would it be worth the price?  

[Uccio]

snip

 

So....where do you stand, what kind of protagonist do you prefer?

 

snip

 

(3) In this like in so much else, I like my Wardens best. They're exactly at that "in-between" position that makes them a believable critical plot element (really, heroic determination alone should NEVER be enough) but neither so important nor so uber-powerful that I can't imagine them to walk away intact after their task is done. Bonus points for an ending that actually makes them walk away intact with their LI depending on your choice. The normal people of Thedas - those who never knew them - may see the Warden and Morrigan as figures out of legend. I like being such a person. For the powers of the world, however, they're not very relevant unless they choose to involve themselves, and they're not powerful enough to be regarded as a threat by the powers that be - or by the writers for unbalancing future plots - by simply existing, unlike an intact Inquisitor would've been. The caveat of the previous paragraph still counts: if I play such a person and they acquire unique powers, I'd still hate to lose them for much the same reasons.

 

I have to agree, and pic this one too. Warden was a kind of special in terms that s/he made through the Joining. But the specialty was only on that level. s/he was still normal enough to work his way through the obstacles and being someone who had to rely on other people and their good will. And in the end the saving of the world did not necessarily fall on the Warden thus s/he did not have to be the one and only. Just one of the able enough ones. 

[nos_astra]

I want my character to have strengths and weaknesses.

Usually the games emphasize how powerful and special and important my character is. Weaknesses exist only insofar I intentionally gimp the character and carefully tiptoe around every dialogue option that will once again tell me how important and awesome my choices are.

Usually they'll have to fight on the front lines AND lead.

It's hilarious in Inquisition how Cassandra, extremely well suited to lead the Inquisition, hands off responsibility to an untrained stranger and suspect in a crime.
Later she will explain that she would accept becoming the head of the Chantry as she can't expect others to step up to the plate when she herself is unwilling.

What was the necessity again for being a leader? Oh, right. It's so you can make choices. Choices that will be unmade or ignored.

We are given a team we don't use.
We make decisions that become inconvenient.
We have an army that just sits around waiting while we slay thousands of enemies with a party of 4.
We have a team but we usually don't need them.

Why give the character that much barely justified power to begin with?

[trevelyan_shep]

I'd be down for a Warden type character again. Didn't like Hawke, and the Inquisitor was kind of forgettable. 

[Il Divo]

Being honest here, I don't think Bioware has ever employed the bad-ass normal protagonist properly. Even their "down to earth" stories, like ME1 and DA2, involve a protagonist able to slaughter armies at the blink of an eye. In general, I don't think bad-ass normal is all that conducive to the murder gameplay of your average video game. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with that.

[Il Divo]

http://tvtropes.org/...AtlasSuperpower

 

I found this link from tv tropes, I think this more accurately describes the murder style of Bioware games. ​

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[Toasted Llama]

I like all three, but if I had to choose, I'd prefer the in-betweener most.

 

Unlike a lot of people in this thread, I feel like the badass normal has been done to death actually. Though I am slightly biased because I lob the "underdog ends up on top" role together with the badass normal. And this role is the most liked because it's the easiest to relate to and (often) overcomes the biggest hurdles with limited tools. Also the idea that we, "normals" could possibly do the same things as the person on the screen gives us a bit of a confidence boost. Which is exactly why I feel this one is "meh". Too easy to do. I still like it of course, but it wouldn't impress me.

 

Special snowflake wouldn't impress me either, as it often blurs into a Mary Sue. The whole idea that they're "the only one who can stop x or y" really drives home that yes, this character is going to overcome all difficulties, make it to the end and defeat the evil, because there's nobody else who can and most stories have a happy ending. Kinda spoils the entire story before it's even started. So yeah, also meh for me. Again, I do like the role from time to time, but it's easy and spoils the story.

 

I feel the inbetweener has the positives but not the negatives from the other two.

[ShadowLordXII]

All three have their pluses and I'd say that how well they can be pulled off depends on the writer and the context of the character's journey.

 

Badass Normal is the most identifiable and vulnerable to me since they typically have to work much harder for their successes than a special snowflake or a chosen one whose destined to succeed. Their skills and abilities were also often harnessed via experience and actual hard work and training which makes their feats that much more impressive even if they don't succeed.

 

The thing about Guts from Berserk is that despite his superb strength and endurance, he's still just a normal human toughened up by years of abuse, fighting, training and survival who has to struggle in a world where powerful demons and monsters exist and screw with people's lives and destinies. So seeing Guts fight off and murder demons during the infamous Eclipse with nothing, but a broken sword is that much more impressive and engaging even if he's fighting a lost cause.

 

It's awesome and cool to kill elites, brutes and grunts as Master Chief in Halo. But he's essentially super-soldier, so he's already doing exactly what he was created and trained to do. Contrast that with with ODST troopers who are elite soldiers, but still just normal people who are up against heavily stacked odds. Yet, they are capable of killing Brute Zealots with gravity hammers; Hunters with Plasma Guns; and can even hack Phantoms...the difference between their feats and Chief's is that ODST has a harder job because they don't have the advantages that Chief has.

 

Someone whose in-between special and normal can also be just as engaging as a badass normal. But their struggles and efforts still have to be emphasized or else you'd might as well be honest about them being a special snowflake or a chosen one.

 

As for the Chosen One? I'm burned out on that one.

[Iakus]

http://tvtropes.org/...AtlasSuperpower

 

I found this link from tv tropes, I think this more accurately describes the murder style of Bioware games. ​

​

Either that or Empowered Baddass Normal.  Start out normal, but learn you have or develop over time superpowers (like the Bhaalspawn, Revan, the Spirit Monk) or gain a cool magical artifact like the Inquisitor

[Il Divo]

Either that or Empowered Baddass Normal.  Start out normal, but learn you have or develop over time superpowers (like the Bhaalspawn, Revan, the Spirit Monk) or gain a cool magical artifact like the Inquisitor

 

Exactly. To keep that Heroes comparison we had in that other thread, the first "bad-ass normal" a friend referred me to was HRG. I can't speak past Season 1, but his abilities could be considered definitively human, despite being awesome.

 

 I think calling Biowar​e characters bad-ass normal (excluding the above links) is a bit like calling Batman bad-ass normal, when the character's level of "preparation" has essentially become a super power all its own.
 

[LaughingWolf]

To quote Varric: "It's just... scrappy is better than flawless. I like heroes who try their damnedest, even if they fail a lot. It's easy to be valiant when you always win and everything goes your way. There's nothing great in that."

[Absafraginlootly]

I liked the wardens mix, the taint gave her that little bit of special to explain why she in particular has to do this as opposed to anyone else, but for the most part she's badass normal with no more superpowers then anyone else of her class.

[Vaseldwa]

Badass Normal all the way. I don't care for the special snow flake route, but I don't hate it. I like it when a my PC comes from humble surroundings or at the very least normal surroundings (for whatever race she may be).  My Casteless dwarf while being a warden came from a place that made her know real struggle and making really tough decisions. My hawk coming from the lower class and having a sister that was an apostate (she is a 2H warrior) made it to where she was had normal reasons for doing what she did, instead of being pre- destined or something of that nature. While I consider my Inquisitor to some where in between being a badass normal and a special snow flake I still like how her story started/ended (both for my dwarf and qunari). I am hoping to come from the most humble beginning possible, especially since we believe to be going to tevinter. Its an opportunity to come from the lowest of the low, like the lowest class, slave and or servant. Also I am really looking forward to being a Qunari in DA4.