Poll: Are custom characters necessary?

[crimsonshrouds]

Ok i understand when a custom character is necessary in a game. Mostley mmos are where character customization is needed.

I hear and see the complaints of people when a game such as borderlands doesn't have character customization and hope that if their is a sequel that it will have custom character.

But i disagree i liked borderlands because it already had the precreated characters with their own traits.

Oblivion and fallout 3 were good games but the custom character creater was pointless and at best a waist of time.

Do you people at the escapist agree or disagree? tell which and why

 

[God's Clown]

It depends on the game. Like you said, MMO's it is required. Things like Oblivion it is nice, but I would like it either way. Borderlands I prefer the way it is, because you really never actually see your character, so customization would be pointless.

 

[TheSeventhLoneWolf]

Customs made fallout and oblivion more RPG-ey.

And everyone wants to see themselves punching a deathclaw/troll.

 

[Biosophilogical]

I like to be able to customise my character as long as it doesn't affect the story (like it would in FFX, after all, in that game you aren't ... your character (so to speak) you are just playing a character (does that make sense to anybody?).

 

[GreyWolf257]

I like customizable characters no matter what type of game it is. I suppose it is because I can separate myself from others, or maybe because it is just entertaining.

 

[Jamash]

I absolutely love customising my characters, since I usually try to make them look as much like myself as possible and it really helps with immersion (and comedy).

However I don't think character customisation is necessary, and often games without it are better if they've got a really strong, well developed protagonist, e.g The Witcher.

I think ultimately it depends on the type of game you're playing, and whether a custom character is actually adding anything to the game or whether it's just a cop out by lazy developers, who can't make up an interesting enough protagonist.

 

[funksobeefy]

I like it and I dont. ON one hand I love making myself and playing the game making the decsions that I think I would actually make, but I hate how they never call me by my name. Its always just "mercenary" or "that guy" or you called by our class or race.

I think that kind of talking really kills the immersion.

Mass Effect did this the best by just referring to the last name so I could still be Alex Shepherd without being called "soldier" or "human"

 

[Pyode]

It depends on the game. In games with a rigid storyline, you usually need a specific main character in order to tell the story. This is why I never understood the option to change your name in Final Fantasy X. All it did was make it so, throughout the entire game, the developer had to find a way for none of the charachters to ever say Tidus' name.

In freedom driven games like Mass Effect and Oblivion, I like to make a custom character because I like to play the game as though it was me actually making the decisions.