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Original character or a player created one?

cantona222

cantona222

Member
I believe that developers are risking a lot if the main character is the creation of the player. They will lose the impact of having a uniquely designed character that has a name and a personality. Compare the nameless player created main character of Sunset overdrive with Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider serious. Also compare the player generated main character from Saints Row 3 with Niko Bellic from GTA IV.

In my opinion, Players are not gaining much from creating and designing the main character (I personally don't find it very interesting). However, developers and players both are losing a potential character that can have a franchise built around him/her. What do you guys think?
 
I always prefer original character created by the developers, with exception of MMORPGs.

When you create your own character it's really hard to get a proper cutscenes in the game imo.
 
I really like customizing characters, love when games have a lot of options for that. Just through that it lets me feel attached to my Souls character, or my Monster Hunter character. Dragon Age Origins did well with this because the lack of a voiced character allowed for more speech options, I felt like I was role playing.
Saints Row is also an amazing hybrid of the 2.
 
I feel like Saints Row did a good job fleshing out The Boss as the franchise mascot regardless how formless he/she is.
 
I'd disagree with you. I don't feel that having a custom character detracts from creating a franchised based on that character. Look at Mass Effect. There's a default model can pick, or you can make a character to your liking, which may enhance the player's enjoyment of the game (it sure does for me). The default character goes into marketing (and can be merchandised), while the option for a user-created creates a more personal experience, attaching them to the game, and possibly investing them for future entries into a franchise.
 
Depends. If the story is Narrative driven I prefer they create the character that fits it. If the story is designed for player agency( a good example is elder scrolls, there is a story but it's just a side to your adventures, doing what you want comes first) then I prefer my own.

Also major Kudos to Bioware for mass effect, regardless of anything else they nailed character where it's a hybrid, we were ALL Commander Shepard, but we were still our own version of Shepard.
 
I prefer original characters. I also prefer characters who are original and not player created, to stay that way and to not become customizable, especially if they're highly iconic and three decades old.
 
cantona222 said:
Also compare the player generated main character from Saints Row 3 with Niko Bellic from GTA IV.
Click to expand...

Saint's Row is a bad example: I'd argue that there are up to eight well-defined characters for the player in that series, based on which voice set you pick. And they all have bags more personality than Niko.

Okay, possibly except for the zombie.
 
I wish games that have character creators offers you options to change your character later. Dragons Dogma, Soul Sacrifice and Freedom Wars allows this and is much better for it even if the characters are fairly blank slates and offers little to no differences.

Story driven games can have either really but I think a well crafted original character is often better than anything I can create any way.
 
It really depends on the game.

Like, I spent all weekend with the Witcher 3, and Geralt being Geralt is much better, I suspect, than the game would be with just some random male or female character I might make.

But a game like say, Skyrim, is all about that freeform roleplaying in a massive world, and I think always being a particular person would take a lot away from that.

I think Fallout 4 could actually work quite well with a voiced and pre-written character, though. It might provide a better anchor to the world and mean more good personal quest interactions.
 
Well, I can actually play as a women with created characters. Only once in a blue moon to we get a female lead to a major game.
 
If there's a notable story then I want a proper pre-defined character. If the story doesn't really matter (i.e. Dragon's Dogma or Destiny) then I'm quite happy with making my own character.
 
if the character is actually going to have their own foibles and personality, then definitely an original character.

if the character is in a silly/popcorn game (ie saints row series) and the experience of the character themselves will be generally linear then it makes sense to give the player lots of freedom with how they look/sound.

however, mass effect really made character creation work for me in a dynamic game. i had two very different looking shepards with two very different personalities, but i very much enjoyed playing as both of them.

i think the key is in recognising what will work best within your game.
 
If world is sandbox in which player can actually affect how to play, player created character is the way to go.
If game is like GTA, it's better for character to look like the idiot developers designed him/her to be.
 
Its pretty useless to give an answer about all games in general. It depends on the game. Sandbox games like Skyrim or Fallout would absolutely be inferior to their current state if they wouldtn have character customization. Those games are all about individualism and creating your own story.
 
I like creating my own characters because I always make them look as fucking stupid as possible and it makes cutscenes hilarious.

I can't imagine the laughs I would get out of something like Final Fantasy or any other jrpg, or something like The Last of Us if I could create my own characters.
 
I love to make my own, makes it more immersive.

When I don't like the main protagonist it can completely ruin a game for me. Most notably the Witcher series.

I just can't stand Geralt.
 
The best of both worlds is possible. For example in Dragon Age Inquisition where you get to create your own character, but the story is heavily driven by "The Inquisitor". Or Mass Effect where the story is driven by "Shepard", but you can decide to use the standard character or create your own.
 
CRPGs pull off story driven player-created narratives better than any other genre out there. I don't think that recent titles like Dragonfall or Pillars would be stronger if they had an original character rather than a PC... In fact, quite the opposite.

So yeah, it depends on the game.
 
Original characters that can talk are the best for me.

Playing out a player created character loses its luster for me about 5 minutes into the game but playing as an original character rarely ever does.
 
I'm a boring person with a shitty imagination. I don't want to play myself, a caricature of myself, nor a monstrosity of my own creation, nor do I want to play adventures I come up with.

That said, different strokes for different folks.

The Mango Sentinel said:
I can't imagine the laughs I would get out of something like Final Fantasy or any other jrpg, or something like The Last of Us if I could create my own characters.
Click to expand...

JRPGs with cosmetics customization are already hilarious enough. Lightning in Lightning Returns having a heart-to-heart talk with Snow... while virtually naked. And a Moogle on her head because why not.
 
Depends on the game and how the game's narrative is constructed. Both approaches are valid if done right. That said, I do have a slight preference for creating my own character.
 
Original Character every time. My imagination is great, but the narrative of the story has been significantly better when the devs just made the whole thing.
 
Player character all the way, preferably without voice acting. Your game-world is my sandbox; let me tell whatever story I want to tell and I'm happy. The more customization, the better.
 
Prefer original characters made by the developers because more times that character will have voice acting compared to created characters which normally don't.

There are exceptions like Persona 4 though
 
I used to enjoy having a customised avatar, and still do in some games (the Souls series and Bloodborne pop straight into my mind) but I think that overall I prefer simply being allowed to select attire and hairstyles for existing characters in a big, narrative driven game.
 
I prefer original characters in single player campaigns/story modes, except in open world RPGs/MMORPGs. The player should be able to customize their character in those types of games.

Online = player created all the way. And the more options, the better. I think most developers have a long way to go there. Rockstar is a good example. GTA Online is cool, but the characters are terrible.
 
I like original characters but can't really remember the last time I actually played as an original character. The originality (or lack thereof) in video game player characters is astoundingly pathetic.
 
90% of the time I prefer creating my own character. A great deal of studios create bland protagonists and don't take enough risks.

I can't deny the Nathan Drake's, Geralt's, and such of the gaming world as they have charisma and are interesting to play as. But looking at my collection of games overwhelmingly shows that I prefer creating my own adventure within the worlds that developers provide. I think it stems from playing make believe as a kid,and not often copying from TV and film.

It's one of the first things I'll check about a game whether it's an rpg, sandbox, or even sports
 
Original characters, for sure. It's not even close. I don't really like making player created characters unless it's done in a way like the Mass Effect series did where the character still has their own identity and isn't some mute irrelevant person in the story.
 
NoblesseOblige said:
I like original characters but can't really remember the last time I actually played as an original character. The originality (or lack thereof) in video game player characters is astoundingly pathetic.
Click to expand...
It's not quite about having the player character be a unique snowflake. The charm of an original character is that they're well integrated into the gameworld, they give the player a good basis of how they should tackle the game's obstacles, and they grow alongside the narrative.

At least, they should be doing that.
 
If there is a chance to play a female character, I would always want to create my own. No exceptions. Thats true of males too, but to a lesser extent because most of the games I play are Western and have a "tough guy" male of one sort or another anyway (my male character preference).
Created characters should always have spoken dialogue though. I hate silent protagonists.
 
Original, but with a bit of aesthetic customization, is by far my favourite. More personality and characterization, usually, but still retains the ability to tailor their look to your liking. Perfect!
 
Cartoons said:
Original, but with a bit of aesthetic customization, is by far my favourite. More personality and characterization, usually, but still retains the ability to tailor their look to your liking. Perfect!
Click to expand...

Yeah. I like that W3 has the option for beard/hair changes, along with Geralt's armors changing his look, so you can make him "yours", but he's still a character that is well integrated into the world.
 
Not all games need to focus a lot of attention on main character. Just look at how many silent protagonists there are. Even when you do, there are plenty of games like Mass Effect and Saint's Row where the main character is prominent and memorable while still entirely being player-made.
 
Jedi Link said:
Not all games need to focus a lot of attention on main character. Just look at how many silent protagonists there are. Even when you do, there are plenty of games like Mass Effect and Saint's Row where the main character is prominent and memorable while still entirely being player-made.
Click to expand...

Not all silent protags are irrelevant to the plot either though, just look at Samus in Metroid Prime for example. Plus, even if they're silent, not all of them would benefit from customization.
 
Depends on the game really. I like character-creators in online and/or RPGs. I love it in games like Sunset Overdrive where it encourages ridiculousness and doesn't detract from the story unless it's in a funny way, which seems fitting anyway.

In story-driven, single-player experiences and such I prefer a set character.
 
I think never should there be any customization whatsoever, give us the original vision of the creators, so definitely only original characters. If there must be customization, do not annoy me with it but offer me a standard character that is pre-designed by the developers and offer me the option to change the character once or less.
 
Created one because a good story will only depend of the writer skills.
So even with a default MC a story can still be bad.
 
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