Poll: Silent Protaginist?

[ComradeJim270]

ever since I cracked Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, and Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon, I have loved the ability to give a smartass response to everything just to see how the game reacts.

But some games I say if silence works for the character, fine. Though I think it will be a dying trend.

Now you made me miss Tex Murphy.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

ever since I cracked Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, and Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon, I have loved the ability to give a smartass response to everything just to see how the game reacts.

But some games I say if silence works for the character, fine. Though I think it will be a dying trend.

Now you made me miss Tex Murphy.

Haha I know. I haven't played any of them in years, and STILL quote the darn games. UKM was a very well scripted game... hmmmm I still have the discs around here somewhere...

 

[Misterian]

I'm fine with silent protagonists, but only if there's a cannon reason for them being mute, and a good reason at that.

 

[ComradeJim270]

I think Killing Moon is the only one I completed, though, because I never actually owned any of them, I had to borrow them from a friend.

 

[War Penguin]

I like to choose what to say. If the game doesn't include that I like to add my own little Freeman's Mind comments while playing. That's always fun.

 

[The Warden]

Basically? Shit like Mass Affect.
You chose what you wanted to say and an actor said it, it worked.
The one thing these games need to work on IS GETTING THEM TO NOT BE SO FUCKING BLAND.
Srsly, it's REALLY sad to hear such a blank slate of a man in games, especially in games like godfather were you just get sad at hearing him not use any fucking personality.

 

[Zing]

Well I prefer both option 1 and 2. Ala Mass Effect, I think Dragon Age would've been even better if they'd done the voice acting for the main characters, the silent deal was meh.

 

[Zeromaeus]

Well considering I was raised on Legend of Zelda...

 

[Good morning blues]

If it's a linear game, I prefer that the character talks. If it's an RPG or some other sort of non-linear game, I want them to say what I tell them to; the best way to do this that I've come across is to click on a simple subject ("Investigation," "Daughter") and have the character say a different line ("Where were you at dusk four nights ago?" "I hear your daughter is missing, are there any leads?").

 

[maddawg IAJI]

I prefer talking. The silent protaginist is suppose to give the idea of immersion, but all it does it make it seem like there some lifeless robot. I liked games like Condemned because the protaginist could talk and you could get a sense as to what kinda person he actually is.

 

[Jekken6]

It depends on the game. HL-style silent protagonist works incredibly well, others have copied that formula to varying sucess.

I don't mind either, it just depends on the type of game and the type of story that wants to be told

 

[VinnyKings]

Silent protangonist makes me feel like a total douchebag especially in any type of war game. I'm looking at you HALO!

Example:
Soldier:JESUS, FUCKING BOMBS ARE FALLING EVERYWHERE!!! JIMMY GOT HIS ARM FUCKING BLOWN OFF MAN YOU GOTTA HELP US!
Protagonist:..........
Soldier:WELL AREN'T YOU GONNA DO ANYTHING?!?!!??!!!!
Protagonist:.............

 

[Americana12]

I like picking what they say so I can decide what kind of person they are.

 

[Unknower]

I think silent protagonists are silly.

Silent protangonist makes me feel like a total douchebag especially in any type of war game. I'm looking at you HALO!

Master Chief talked.

It depends on the game. HL-style silent protagonist works incredibly well, others have copied that formula to varying sucess.

I don't mind either, it just depends on the type of game and the type of story that wants to be told

I disagree. To me Half-Life 2 felt silly and awkward at some points.

Half-Life and it's expansions felt less silly because (if I remember correctly) it was kinda obvious that Gordon/Shepard/Barney probably did speak when they interacted with NPCs (Shepard probably didn't use Morse code when he used radios) but Valve let you imagine what was said.

 

[Souplex]

The only time a silent protagonist has ever worked was in the older games and the Metroid Prime games.

 

[TheZapper]

It's always better to be able to choose what they say. I was slightly disapointed that the protagonist of Dragon Age didn't speak(the stupid things they say in combat don't count) even though you choose a voice for them.

 

[ComradeJim270]

It depends on the game. HL-style silent protagonist works incredibly well, others have copied that formula to varying sucess.

I don't mind either, it just depends on the type of game and the type of story that wants to be told

I find Half-Life to be a good example, but in Half-Life 2 I started to hate Gordon Freeman, along with any character who made a joke about how he never speaks. Someone would joke about it and I'd become upset that I could not shoot them.

 

[Shock and Awe]

I enjoy choosing their words, makes me feel much more involved.

 

[Vimbert]

This is largely dependent on how well it's handled. Persona 3, Soul Nomad and the World Eaters, Super Mario RPG, and Persona 4 all have terrific silent main characters, but other times silent MCs tick me off. I think the key is having a great supporting cast/dialogue options to keep things engaging.

 

[LogicNProportion]

Oddly enough, I always felt Zleda did this wrong.

No matter what bullshit they were going to make you do, you couldn't say "Er, no, fuck you."

The same could be said with pre-written dialogue, which makes you have your decisions made for you by your own character, though if the story or character is enough, it's acceptable.

I think that choosing your dialogue options are definitely the way to go in gaming, or at least if you shake your head in FPS's that people will go "Okay, we'll make someone else do it. Here's something else you can do."