Characters Meant to Be Annoying

[Seldon2639]

I've been playing FFXIII.

I hate Hope. I hate him with a passion. He's whiny, annoying, angsty, and really pretty dumb. His "Operation Nora" crap is getting on my nerves, and I hope he eventually just gets his ass kicked by Snow.

Then I take a step back: maybe this is how I'm supposed to feel.

If we accept, and I do, that games can be art, then we must accept that part of that is to inspire in us emotions, and not always good ones. Yahtzee has once said that intentionally annoying aspects of a game are still bad, but I don't buy that. If a game can be art for making us truly afraid, or truly sad, or truly angry, can't it be art as well in making us truly annoyed?

Hope is annoying because he's real. His reactions are closer to what a normal person's reaction would be. He's the only character not to have taken a level in badass prior to the events of the game, and he acts like it. He acts like a kid who watched his mother die saving the life of someone else.

If games are art, must the only art made be of the "watching badasses be cool" variety? Is horror less artistic because it makes us scared? Drama because it makes us sad? Or is there a place in this medium for the art of making a character who really irks the player? I think there is.

But, what do you guys think? Can we defend annoying the player in the same way we defend trying to scare him or depress him or anger him?

 

[JaffaKira]

I have to agree on certain points. I think that Ashley from Resident Evil 4 follows this theory (mostly so that you don't forget the fact that your meant to be saving her)

 

[Daveman]

I'm pretty sure the little robot in Borderlands is supposed to be annoying. Didn't work on me though, I'm cool as a cucumber. Submerged in liquid nitrogen.

 

[JaffaKira]

I actually really love CL4P-TRPs despite the fact that everyone I ever played with was like

 

[Optimus Hagrid]

I'm pretty sure the little robot in Borderlands is supposed to be annoying. Didn't work on me though, I'm cool as a cucumber. Submerged in liquid nitrogen.

If that little retard is meant to be artistically irritating I'll eat my tits.

 

[epikAXE]

CL4P-TRP is helarious rather than annoying. .

And everyone lay off Hope! Jesus. he as a valid reason to be angsty, and we can relate to him trough that. and its not as if he is a whiny ***** all the time. Actually for the most part he is plotting Snow's painful death :s

 

[Latinidiot]

let's se......nope, can't think of any that were supposed to be annoying.

 

[Brandon237]

I believe that if there is a reason for a character to be really annoying then yea, but if they are annoying to the point where it is detrimental to the game then no.

The same applies to movie characters and real people. It makes me feel the desperate urge to rap about it... Even though I hate rap and suck at it.

<his first name is Jar-jar, his second is binks.
I don't know bout you but I think he really stinks.>

cue rotten projectile fruit from the four man audience.

But seriously, if an annoying character is around you all the time and is actually a viable reason to stop playing the game, then the dev team took the annoying just a bit too far. My problems are normally with tragically bad AI. So bad that I feel the compulsion to cut. If a character is that annoying just turn the dialogue volume to zero.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[Dakeyras-Way]

*Cue zelda music*
"Hey, Listen"

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

Navi: HEY!HEYHEYHEY!!!LISTEN!LISTEN!LISTEN!HEY!

Annoying as Navi is though, at least she doesn't have one of the most irritating voices in the history of gaming like someone else I could mention.

My eardrums...my poor eardrums.

 

[Dakeyras-Way]

Has anyone said Navi yet?

I call Navi.
I listened to the bastard saying "HEY! LISTEN!" for like 2h 40 mins.
Literally.

I'm not kidding.

Damn you beat me in the post

 

[BlindMessiah94]

I have to agree on certain points. I think that Ashley from Resident Evil 4 follows this theory (mostly so that you don't forget the fact that your meant to be saving her)

Yes, I agree, she was annoying. But at the same time I think stories can't all have likable characters.

I mean in real life, how many people do you know that aren't annoying in some way?
I can't name one...
But annoying people, or characters, all need to have redeeming qualities. If they don't have any, let's say for example, TIDUS, then people hate them. If they have some, or even only one, (Or in Ashley's case, 2 large ones ^_^) then people are okay with it.

Also there is something satisfying about shooting ashley in the face every time you get frustrated. It's cathartic. Does that make me a psycho?

 

[reg42]

Claptrap was VERY annoying. He was funny in the promo videos, but when I actually played the game I wanted to kill the little bugger.

 

[Therumancer]

I've been playing FFXIII.

I hate Hope. I hate him with a passion. He's whiny, annoying, angsty, and really pretty dumb. His "Operation Nora" crap is getting on my nerves, and I hope he eventually just gets his ass kicked by Snow.

Then I take a step back: maybe this is how I'm supposed to feel.

If we accept, and I do, that games can be art, then we must accept that part of that is to inspire in us emotions, and not always good ones. Yahtzee has once said that intentionally annoying aspects of a game are still bad, but I don't buy that. If a game can be art for making us truly afraid, or truly sad, or truly angry, can't it be art as well in making us truly annoyed?

Hope is annoying because he's real. His reactions are closer to what a normal person's reaction would be. He's the only character not to have taken a level in badass prior to the events of the game, and he acts like it. He acts like a kid who watched his mother die saving the life of someone else.

If games are art, must the only art made be of the "watching badasses be cool" variety? Is horror less artistic because it makes us scared? Drama because it makes us sad? Or is there a place in this medium for the art of making a character who really irks the player? I think there is.

But, what do you guys think? Can we defend annoying the player in the same way we defend trying to scare him or depress him or anger him?

Actually I will be blunt in saying that Hope's reaction is *NOT* realistic. People have a tendency to rise to challenges when pushed, and oddly enough to thrive in situations of adversity. The statement "that which doesn't kill me, makes me stronger" exists for reason. Our species would have been wiped out long ago if this was not the case.

I point this out because I think the whole "wet dishrag" and "reluctant hero who wants to be 'normal'" thing is overplayed and increasingly ridiculous.

This is not to say that everyone is a stoic badass, but it does mean that people are going to adapt a lot faster than writers give them credit for in many cases.

Ironically, the biggest problem with emergency situations is NOT people panicing or collapsing into inactive piles of quivering jello. The biggest problem is that nobody wants to feel like an idiot and does not want to be caught overreacting, thus people are reluctant to act until they actually see a threat. So basically if there is a fire or something, people will act unusually rationally if they can (being trapped in a room with no way out is an exception), but are going to be far slower and more cautious with reactions until they actually see it. This is a part of being trained for evacuations as they occur in most situations.

This incidently applies to situations of violence and such, people wanting to be heroe or see what is going on is the biggest problem. As ridiculous is the "OMG, terrorists are shooting people? I don't buy it, but let's go see!" is reality for example.

 

[Broady Brio]

Toad? It's always that the Princess is in another castle.

 

[Julianking93]

I guess I'm the only one who didn't think Navi was annoying.

OT, Ashley from RE4.

Jesus fucking christ, someone just kill her.

I shot her a few times myself because she was just so fucking annoying.

 

[Jaranja]

I like hope. In chapter 11, his bravery really shows. He's definitely my favourite character.

 

[Calobi]

Claptrap was VERY annoying. He was funny in the pomo videos, but when I actually played the game I wanted to kill the little bugger.

Wow I read that wrong. Might you please add the appropriate 'r'? I'm not trying to be a spelling Nazi, but now I have an image in my head I can't get out.

Also, I liked Claptrap. While he was about as smart as a bag of stones that had been hit by the stupid stick, him and his little friends all seemed to bring a smile to my face.

[small]Yea, that's right. Nothing on topic in this post. TAKE THAT![/small]

 

[reg42]

Claptrap was VERY annoying. He was funny in the pomo videos, but when I actually played the game I wanted to kill the little bugger.

Wow I read that wrong. Might you please add the appropriate 'r'? I'm not trying to be a spelling Nazi, but now I have an image in my head I can't get out.

Also, I liked Claptrap. While he was about as smart as a bag of stones that had been hit by the stupid stick, him and his little friends all seemed to bring a smile to my face.

[small]Yea, that's right. Nothing on topic in this post. TAKE THAT![/small]

Damn my bad spelling! Yeah, I better do that...