Poll: The Hate Train: Desmond Miles

[ejrocksthisworld]

Desmond Miles, we all love to hate him... right?
I'm not sure if I'm weird or am simply blind, but I have found myself attached to the modern story in the Assassin's Creed franchise, as well as the fate of Desmond Miles, as opposed to being hateful towards it. To be honest, I'm not really sure WHY this is the case because, by all rights, after the ending of AC3 (which I will not spoil here) I should have every reason to hate the modern day story. And yet I don't.

So to my fellow gamers I ask you this, do you hate Desmond Miles? If so, tell us why he and the modern storyline deserve the hatred that they get so that others may better understand. If you don't hate Desmond Miles, tell us why he deserves better than what he is given, and why the modern story of Assassin's Creed should be taken more seriously than what it is.

 

[shrekfan246]

You mean Blandy McBland? I don't hate him. I nothing him.

And swish! The thread is done. Let's pack it up and go home, folks, there's nothing more to say or see here.

Okay, a little more seriously, I didn't muster up any feeling for Desmond until the final five minutes or so of Assassin's Creed III, when he suddenly managed to push me over into hating him by being completely stupid and out of character.

 

[Reven]

Wait, to hate someone, don't they need at least a personality to hate in the first place?

 

[JustPhil]

I quite like him, I think the problem stems from the generally boring gameplay in the majority of AC games when you do control him.
AC1 just had you snooping around a small area, AC2 had a small amount of combat and dialogue, Brotherhood improved it slightly with the freerunning sections and Revelations was unique but far removed from normal play (AC3 was excellent though in that regard.).

I think that all he needs is a game that elaborates on his story more.

Spoiler

Might be an issue though since he's apparently dead

 

[StormShaun]

Honestly ... I did not mind him at all.

- I had fun with him in AC1.
- I had fun with him in AC2.
- And I had more fun with him in AC3 ... even more so then Connor and the revolution setting. (The ship battles were the best part still)

I thought they were on of the best parts in the game. I liked how they mixed the past and present together.
Definitely thought that Desmond was more fun in the third game, like I said before ... even more so then Connor.

I wouldn't mind if they opened up on the modern end of AC.
Though I can see why people would disagree, I think it could be really good ... or really bad.
I just hope there is a modern dude in AC4.

 

[Casual Shinji]

There's was just no point to the modern day plot, except to create some dragged-in-by-the-hairs convoluted conspiracy bullcrap. It needlessly slowed the game down, and added absolutely zilch to the actual story. When you create a narrative framing that gets in the way of the narrative, that's bad.

And Ubisoft will likely pull the same crap with Watchdogs.

 

[Norithics]

If you took out the modern parts and Desmond, the entire game(s) would not have suffered one iota. What started out as an interesting idea quickly became pointless at best and laughably terrible at worst. It was so bizarre how all the storytelling in the Past was vibrant, rich and enjoyable, while the storytelling in the Present was like an inattentive child trying to retell the events of Blade Runner.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

I really don't like either. If the game was just about political intrigue and conspiracies in varying time periods with a loose thread connecting each of them, the games would probably be better.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

*Double Post Thanks Obama*

 

[idarkphoenixi]

I don't love to hate him, I just hate him.
He's simply an awful character, he has zero personality and his role in the games is absolutely minimal. Not only would you not lose anything by not having him appear in the AC games, they would actually be better off as a result, no more blinding white screens that literally tear you out of your game. (Seriously, fuck those white screens)

The only reason he's there is to be a flimsy excuse for having sequels.

As far as modern games go, I don't think I found a character with less personality than Desmond Miles. Master Chief is literally just a big faceless thing that goes around shooting aliens and even HE has more depth and charm.

 

[Trucken]

I have never been so unbelievably pissed at a games' ending as I was with AC3's ending. Why? Because I've been waiting to play as Desmond Miles since the first game and now that will never fucking happen. Sure, the time spent inside the Animus was fun, no doubt about it, and I enjoyed playing as both Altaïr, Ezio and Connor. But what really drew me in was the modern stuff, learning more about Abstergo and their plans, and I was just salivating at the chance to take control of Desmond and bring Abstergo down. I played 5 damn games only to have Ubisoft shove 2 fingers up my ass and say "haha, gotcha!"

I didn't love Desmond Miles, but I had absolutely nothing against him. Kinda liked him, I have to say. Loved the modern day story, it was what kept me coming back.

 

[Guy from the 80's]

Yes I hate him, I want to see him destroyed. I want him to fall.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

As a plot device he is pretty serviceable, however as a character alongside Altair and Ezio he is Mr Bland McBoringpants.

 

[Extra-Ordinary]

I don't hate Desmond.

He doesn't have much going for him, I'll admit, but that doesn't make me hate him.
And I'm okay with the modern-day storyline. It confuses me from time to time but I like it.
I remember looking at previews whenever a new Assassin's Creed would be coming out and thinking "Yeah, yeah, that's cool, got some good looking gameplay and settings and all that... But what's going on int the modern setting? What's happening there?"
I don't know, I just like it is all.

 

[Sansha]

You mean Blandy McBland? I don't hate him. I nothing him. He is utterly unremarkable in every way, which doesn't make for compelling storytelling.

Yep, exactly my words. He's uninteresting, unlikable, and just boring. The entire story in the present day is uninteresting and pointless - the game is better off without it. It should just be the stories of history, connected by the various artifacts and events, not using this soft-science shit to lasso it.

 

[Goofguy]

I don't hate him, I just found the modern day AC parts brought nothing to the games. I never felt any investment in Desmond's story/plight, he felt more like a nuisance that was keeping me from playing the more compelling Animus parts.

 

[endtherapture]

I started out as a really cool framing device but by the second game it was boring and annoying.

 

[Loonyyy]

I'm not a fan. He's got some sweet duds in the second game, but his story is overwrought and boring, he's boring, his segments are exposition dumps about a side-plot that takes second fiddle to the stories of his ancestors that they facilitate, and biggest crime for me, they're boring to play. You're constantly walking, and being told what to do, and doing linear shit. It's incredibly frustrating to slog through that to get to the open world. It's a clipping of the player's wings.

I'd like him more if his gameplay was better. And, to be fair, his gameplay gets better and better as he learns, but I've already done that shit with Ezio and Altair, and I don't want to learn it again, especially to participate in the horrible platforming sections.

 

[Karoshi]

I loved Desmond AND the modern story.

... I don't know what's wrong with you people. Who wouldn't want to watch a doofus climb crates and stuff?