I don't hate mute characters

S

ShockingAlberto

Member
I've been seeing a lot of people recently say they hate mute characters - it destroys the immersion for them, they think it's lazy presentation, etc.

Am I the only one that doesn't really mind it?

Even in stuff like DA:O, I felt no real loss of immersion choosing what my character would say and presuming that he or she actually said it. It provided me no more characterization to hear Shepard's voice than to choose an option for my Grey Warden.
 
Full voice acting is preferred, but it isn't something I'm going to use as a factor when purchasing a game.
 
I actually don't really care either way.
Although... I actually think it's a bit weird when your character is totally mute but you're choosing from lines that are like 3+ sentences. Clearly they're not actually mute, you just don't get to hear them. Pretty different from games that just have yes/no, at least to me.

But yeah, I don't really have a preference or anything in the end.
 
You got that wrong, Alberto. Mute characters *increase* immersion, because the potential unfitting voice actor doesn´t break it for the player.

Also, I like mute main character in games where it fits. I don´t like mute main characters in games that tell a story that heavily involves the main character.
 
ShockingAlberto said:
I've been seeing a lot of people recently say they hate mute characters - it destroys the immersion for them, they think it's lazy presentation, etc.

Am I the only one that doesn't really mind it?

Even in stuff like DA:O, I felt no real loss of immersion choosing what my character would say and presuming that he or she actually said it. It provided me no more characterization to hear Shepard's voice than to choose an option for my Grey Warden.
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I don't mind mute characters, but I think different games would benefit more from a character with a voice than a mute.

Shadows of the Damned would be pretty boring if Garcia was a mute.
 
I got no problem with mute characters inherently, there are just certain things that come off as jarring when applied to mute, personality-less characters(see. the protagonist of Chrono Cross having 4 love interests).
 
I have come to drastically prefer mute characters due to how hammy voice acting has a tendency to be in videogames. Bad voice acting takes me out of the immersion instantly.

Baldur's Gate 2 did this well; the large majority of the dialog was not spoken, but important lines were, and they were done well.
 
ShockingAlberto said:
Am I the only one that doesn't really mind it?
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Growing up with JRPGs, I'm going to have to say no. More to the fact given the situations I like having a character that talks with their actions.
 
Busaiku said:
I like gibberish talk the most.
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you should plau Vampires Masquerade Bloodlines as a Malkavian.

Best mute characters who talk gibberish ever.
 
Fimbulvetr said:
I got no problem with mute characters inherently, there are just certain things that come off as jarring when applied to mute, personality-less characters(see. the protagonist of Chrono Cross having 4 love interests).
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I personal favorite was Isaac Clarke's facepalm.
 
When I'm playing a FPS and my character talks all immersion is killed for me. I much prefer them not to say anything other than a grunt here or there.
 
I normally don't but I'm currently playing Glory of Heracles and the hero not speaking bugs the hell out of me. Especially since he talks in battle.
 
Depends on the way it's presented I guess.

In Zelda games I really don't care (I think I prefer it, a voiced Link would annoy me and I can't think of any use for his voice) for some reason.

But in some other games with heavy interactions between the main character and voiced protagonist, it can get really jarring. For example, God Eater has "a lot" of voiced cutscenes, where the protagonist is apparently assumed to say pretty long sentences, but of course he's not voiced, so it feels awkward. (I explained badly, pretty tired sorry :/)
 
I like them. Specially when your teammates says stuff like "what did you say [insertname]? we should head to the cave now?"
 
mute characters are awfull

well except alcatraz in crysis 2 since they actualy bothered to give a decend explanation why he is mute
 
I want a genuinely mute character. You know, someone who's actually legitimately unable to speak in the story. That would be kinda interesting.

I don't hate mute characters. When they're doing right (Dragon Age: Origins is a good example) I don't even notice it.
 
Marrshu said:
I want a genuinely mute character. You know, someone who's actually legitimately unable to speak in the story. That would be kinda interesting.
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like said, crysis 2, but doesn't matter beyond some 2 lines of dialog
 
Books suck! The dialogues are not fully voiced and the narrator is always mute.

Someone said that the best is the worst enemy of the good or something like that. Voice overs are great, but games without them are not in any way inferior and it is silly to suggest that.
 
It really depends on the casting and script. I would much rather have a mute protagonist than a poorly voiced and/or written one. The number one example of this: Samus. One look at the fan's hate towards Other M can prove this point.

For characters that are established mute (or make relatively few noises), I would prefer they stay mute. But I think by now, most if not all new characters should be given voices.
 
The only acceptably mute character is Gordon Freeman.

Everything else is lazy or a throwback to simpler days.
 
I don't mind.
When I hate it, is when other characters start talking to the "mute character" and answer themselves, while the mute is just there staring or nodding.


Fimbulvetr said:
What's this about? I haven't played DS2.
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End of DS1. :p
 
Themselves I don't care, but when there're people talking to you it's lame. The big one is HL2. Alyx is infatuated with Gordon, he's yet to speak to the woman, I can't help but imagine this creepy guy with dead eyes staring at this young woman all the time. And she even addresses it at times with things like "you don't speak much do you?" etc.

With Chell it never bothered me at all. She could smack talk Glados, but it'd seem redundant anyway. Even though she too has addressed Chell's silence too.
 
It's better a character not speaking than it is for them to say something with a terrible voice actor or with poorly directed lines. I still think a lot of the reason people liked older games like Final Fantasy VII (apart from being younger and nostalgia and all that crap) was because not hearing the characters say some of the poorly written lines created somewhat of a mental gap, allowing them to suspend their disbelief more easily.

Also, people wanting characters like Link to speak are insane. Better a mute than to be spouting lines like "I'll save you princess!".
 
Marrshu said:
I want a genuinely mute character. You know, someone who's actually legitimately unable to speak in the story. That would be kinda interesting.
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Gordon Freeman then?
 
Fimbulvetr said:
What's this about? I haven't played DS2.
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No it's from Dead Space 1.

When he finds out his girlfriend was dead all along, he just facepalms and goes about his day.
 
Anyone that thinks Pokemon Trainers/Gordon Freeman/Link/Etc shouldn't be mute... really misses the point.

You aren't alone, dude.
 
I like it more. I don't need to hear things I've just read it my head. I can hear myself read. As a result of a silent protagonist I get much more interesting dialogue with other people, and thats a much better trade.
 
I hate when my main character doesn't talk AT ALL. That's the reason I gave up on Dragon Quest IX.

Although I had no problems with the Portal series. Maybe it's because you actually (almost) never saw Chell and story didn't play a big role.
 
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