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[worldrunover]

I'm not talking about dubbing vs subbing, or voice acting or anything. I'm talking about giving the main character lines. Nintendo seems to hate doing this; Link, Mario, Samus, none of them ever talk (except a few quips out of Mario like "let'sa go!").

I guess I thought about this from playing games like Paper Mario; Mario's thoughts are always implied, but he doesn't have one dialog of text. Another good example would be GTA; the first GTA3, your main character didn't speak once, he didn't even have a name. He was basically you, and however you wanted to act. Whereas Tommy Vercetti and CJ have distinct personalities that add to the storytelling, but detract a bit from the "you make him how you want" kind of mentality.

What do you think? You wanna see Link and Mario actually say stuff in their games or what?

 

[dark10x]

Whether it's good or not should be judged on a per game basis, I'd say.

 

[darscot]

Depends on the character. Link has no need to speak, I know what he is thinking cause he really is me. Duke Nukem needs to talk, it helps you play the role.

 

[ArcadeStickMonk]

 

[mrkapawutzis]

I hate non-speaking characters. The developers think that the player will try to inject their own persona into the character if they don't speak but the character just comes across as dull and lifeless. Non-speaking characters in an rpg is probably the worst idea ever.

 

[Laurent]

Speaking is better... When you play a game, you want to act as a new character, someone different than yourself...

 

[sammy]

Whether it's good or not should be judged on a per game basis, I'd say.

^^^ agreed.... It threw me for a MEGA loop when Samus had dialogue in Metroid Fusion .... moreso than I would've thought, it was just plain aukward.
Maybe it wouldn't have had the same effect had she been talking from the start.

Either way, storytelling in games is NOT storytelling in movies, books, music videos, etc.... it is very diverse, and we're just starting to realize it.

 

[belgurdo]

I am not a 12 year old elf-boy, nor am I Goku with red hair. I prefer my characters to talk so I can see -their- experiences

 

[worldrunover]

I am not a 12 year old elf-boy, nor am I Goku with red hair. I prefer my characters to talk so I can see -their- experiences

But isn't that the point, the fact you're NOT those things, you can become them?

 

[EekTheKat]

I'd like to see option 3 : Have the player actively give the main character dialogue choices(a la KOTOR).

Not having the main character speak or say anything at all detaches me more often than not from the experience, especially if all the other characters in game keep talking about you to each other in front of your face and you can't do or say anything.

Granted in most cases this would require an army of writers and tens of billions of lines of dialogue written depending on the game, but it still feels like the best compromise for immersiveness, without having the story compromised too much.

 

[aoi tsuki]

When the characters do speak, it becomes a question of how good the voice actors are, at which point i usually wish they didn't speak at all.

 

[Unison]

http://www.wellexcusemeprincess.com/

 

[etiolate]

Too much speaking draws you out of the character. I enjoy how Nintendo has done their characters so far. No need to hear Link say "I accept this quest!". Samus works well as silent and deadly. A new character like Olimario has lines, journals.

 

[radioheadrule83]

http://www.wellexcusemeprincess.com/

Precisely.

I think with Nintendo, it's really important. Their games can be colorful & wacky, and still appeal to all ages. But I think once you start throwing baby giggles, rattles in there, patronising dialogue, anything as monotonous as FLUDD, or give Bowser anything other than a well placed "Bwa ha ha" - you're teetering on the brink of fuckups the entire time.
Mario Sunshine only has a little bit of voice acting and it's very hit and miss. And miss again.

This applies to other Japanimation / retro-roots / cutesy games. Sonic Adventure.. dear god, words can't convey how I feel.

There again - there are more serious games with bad voice acting as well. Even well trained movie actors sometimes sound wooden/bad in videogames. True Crime? Spiderman? (Bruce Campbell shoulda got more than the tutorials!)

I know David Hater is quite well engrained now among Metal Gear fans... even myself. I love the Metal Gear Solid games, but the actual sound of the voices reminds me of saturday morning cartoons. Only in those - you don't hear all that genome diatribe. In spite of how it sounds -- being a video game, its more than acceptable. And there are some great moments, and other great voice actors in the games...

Personally I prefer the main character to not have a voice. Or at least not have a voice while you are in control of him. Sorry spidey, I don't give a fuck about how you feel about Mary Jane. I'm not interested in hearing CJ cuss his ass off in GTA:SA all that much either. Where it progresses a story-driven game, voice acting seems to work. Where its thrown in arbitrarily... I dunno. It sucks most of the time.

Just my two cents.

Thom

 

[M3wThr33]

Jak's silent. Ratchet isn't.
I like both of them. It all depends on how much the sidekick contributes.

 

[SpoonyBard]

Both are good.

 

[u_neek]

Jak's silent. Ratchet isn't.

No....?

 

[iapetus]

I hate non-speaking characters. The developers think that the player will try to inject their own persona into the character if they don't speak

the character just comes across as dull and lifeless.

I think you're being a little harsh on yourself there.

 

[Warm Machine]

When the developers have gone to the efforts to visualize a character that looks unique, acts unique, and lives in a unique world, it is a cop out to not make them speak. If it is up to the player to supply their own responses it makes even less sense.

If a character comes up to me and says "Is that ok with you?"

and I personally say "Fuck you!"

and then he says "Then we'll start."

it isn't helping the interactivity. In fact it just shot a hole right the believablility.

 

[SiegfriedFM]

Jak spoke up in game #2, and instantly became 50029 times more interesting (if a bit annoying). Jak 1 has NO personality, he was just a smiling moving seat for Daxter.

 

[etiolate]

Plus Jak has a soul patch!