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[niilokin]

I was thinking about what really makes a "roleplaying" game while having played both Baldur's Gate3 and AC Valhalla. I grew up with isometric computer roleplaying games, where your character had no voice, no facial features, or emotional feedback whatsoever, and wasn't part of cinematics or cutscenes. This left me filling in the blanks during conversations, battles, exploring, etc... I always felt more connected to my toon. This is one of the main charms of Elder Scrolls games for me still today.

These days we have more and more cutscene-heavy games where your character is actively participating and often voiced which IMO cuts a short path through the true roleplaying experience. Many times during BG3 I see my evil fighter make a scared face like a bitch or act squeamish, and it's too out of place. Games like AC Valhalla, Witcher and upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 have protagonists that have an already established personality and background, which is why I don't feel like I'm playing a proper RPG. Sure I'm in control of these characters and build them through their skill trees and choices but the connection is not there.

The excellent middle ground for me was SW Old Republic the MMORPG. I always wanted to play a proper sith and I think the game did a great job giving me that experience. There's a wide variety of classes to choose from which suits your play style and the dialogue and choices are really well built into delivering that particular class and faction fantasy. The personalities and archetypes are already pre-set in this case. But it is this very specific archetype and, in essence, it is the same character I've built with love over the years to wreak havoc in different universes (games).

I also strongly believe the old low resolution characters with limited animations, featureless faces, and no proper voice acting helped to develop my own imaginative "muscles" like Xena helped to kickstart my puberty .

 

[Sethbacca]

Kind of depends on the story. I do think the old amnesiac protagonist who has forgotten his name and you fill in the blanks along the way trope has long outworn it's welcome though. Actually as I type this and think more about it, I'd probably prefer the established character and story so that I already have a base to work with.

 

[Barnabot]

I just prefer a well established character with no retcon in any subsequent games

 

[Bakkus]

I do think the old amnesiac protagonist who has forgotten his name and you fill in the blanks along the way trope

How many examples are there really of this?

 

[Danjin44]

Established character all the way.

 

[mcjmetroid]

Depends. A game like Mass effect it was fun to change your backstory etc.

Buuut overall I prepare a character with a name and who speaks themselves.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

I prefer games to define their characters and not for developers to leave it to players.

That said, exceptions exist.

 

[Fbh]

I usually prefer a well established character. I guess it's true it makes it less for a "role playing game" in the original sense but I generally end up liking these characters more.

I've never really been a fan of playing as that character that just awkwardly stands there in silence during every important Story moment.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

Depends on the game. I could go either ways. I don't need my player character (or even party) if the characters are interesting that they encounter.

 

[Ozzie666]

I think my first JRPG experience, well strategy, but close enough, was Shining Force on Genesis/Mega Drive. After playing Ultima's, SSI Gold Box edition games and other Western RPGS, I was shocked. I can't even remember if you see your characters face in the whole game, but he also had no voice. It was really well done, for the time. But it always struck me as a different approach to telling a story.

All I know is, I wouldn't trade in a character like Commander Sheppard for any silent character. I think both approaches are fine, if it helps tell the story that needs to be told. I would suspect, one might take more skill than the other.

 

[Sethbacca]

How many examples are there really of this?

Common enough it’s considered a trope. Half of anything made by old squenix, up to as recent as Fallout NV. I’m too lazy to look up much else but a quick google search will reveal its overused.

Amnesiac Hero

Wherein the hero has amnesia. He can't remember a thing, except oddly his own name. Sometimes, although rarely, the hero cannot remember his name. Then an someone has to say "Well, we have to call you something!" and they have to make up a name for themselves. Usually, the Amnesiac Hero: Has...

allthetropes.fandom.com

 

[RavageX]

I think games that give you the choice to build it yourself are best, customizing where you are from and having it mentioned and playing a part of the story like it did in mass effect was great.

Amnesia struck teens that are powerful yet look as if they have never worked out, born from royalty, and have people willing to follow them out of the blue is super old.

 

[Guilty_AI]

Kinda depends honestly. For RPGs heavier on the story side i suppose established background helps.
For those RPGs more focused on gameplay and "adventure", a blank character does just fine.

 

[Teslerum]

Common enough it’s considered a trope. Half of anything made by old squenix, up to as recent as Fallout NV. I’m too lazy to look up much else but a quick google search will reveal its overused.

Amnesiac Hero

Wherein the hero has amnesia. He can't remember a thing, except oddly his own name. Sometimes, although rarely, the hero cannot remember his name. Then an someone has to say "Well, we have to call you something!" and they have to make up a name for themselves. Usually, the Amnesiac Hero: Has...

allthetropes.fandom.com

New Vegas didn't have an anmesiac protagonist. What are you talking about?

And it doesn't happen as frequent as one might think in jrpg's either. It's more common that there is stuff they've forgotten about in their backstory or never knew about (Orphan), but rarely full amnesia. It's a trope, yes. But as with all tropes completly overstated.

 

[Bakkus]

Common enough it’s considered a trope. Half of anything made by old squenix, up to as recent as Fallout NV. I’m too lazy to look up much else but a quick google search will reveal its overused.

Amnesiac Hero

Wherein the hero has amnesia. He can't remember a thing, except oddly his own name. Sometimes, although rarely, the hero cannot remember his name. Then an someone has to say "Well, we have to call you something!" and they have to make up a name for themselves. Usually, the Amnesiac Hero: Has...

allthetropes.fandom.com

Pretty much none of the highest acclaimed JRPGs uses this trope.

 

[John Day]

A game like Elder Scrolls, a blank is A OK for me. Any other RPG, where the narrative path leads one way, i’d prefer a fleshed out character.

 

[mrabott]

I prefer characters with their own personality and a previous history. I interpret myself and make the moral decisions that I would make, always tending to "loyal and good".
So either one or the other, at least one pre-existing character has a voice actor.

 

[Teslerum]

Pretty much none of the highest acclaimed JRPGs uses this trope.

Only ones I can think of quick is Terra in FF6 and the player (not the main charachter) in Baten Kaitos.

Memory fuckery in general is pretty common though so I guess that's where the confusion comes from.