Poll: Voice Overs for RPG Main Characters

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

If it's a text-based game without voiceovers or with limited voiceovers (such as Penny Arcade 1+2 games), I'm fine with that.

But I think silent protagonists are just stupid. Yes it worked for one game in 1998. It doesn't work today.

Fallout,Elder Scrolls,Legend of Zelda and many more say otherwise.

Those games were certainly successful, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they were better for it.

How so?Would giving a voice to someone like Link who is supposed to be the player's avatar into the world of Hyrule make the Legend of Zelda games better?Would giving the player characters of Fallout and Elder Scrolls voices make the experience better?

Imo it would'nt and if Link becomes voiced then it would be weird considering there are different incarnations of him throughout the series and not all of them can have the same voice so it means extra work that could be used for other things

Voice acting is counter intuitive in games where the character is supposed to be the player's avatar because it limits the character so to speak.

Link is hardly an empty avatar, a blank slate. He has pretty much a pre-defined look, pre-defined outfit, pre-defined weapons and pre-defined accessoires. And you can't influence the world and how the story unfolds that much either. But a pre-defined voice, really, that's where you draw the line?

The Shin Megami Tensei series has pre-defined appearances for characters too, but they aren't voiced because they were meant to be an avatar for the player. You would be surprised at the amount of ownership fans have of silent characters. Look at the uproar over Other M (though a big part of that was the story being garbage and the voice acting sucked).

 

[Dandark]

Just look at dragon age and dragon age 2. In dragon age you usually had four different things to say in response to everything and could direct the conversation almost freely, these responses could be anything and were not limited into good, evil or neutral . In dragon age 2 you were usually limited to three saying three things. The first was good, the second was sarcastic or neutral and the third was being a dick.
Conversations were much more limited and I never enjoyed talking to party members as much as I did in the first game despite liking some of the characters in dragon age 2.

If I compare Dragon Age 1 and 2, the first thing that comes in my mind with regards to voice acting is how incredibly awkward dramatic dialogue cut scenes are where the main protagonist doesn't ever say anything.

You could have a fully voice acted RPG with a satisfying choice of dialogue options as well. It just costs a little bit more money.

I'd say it depends on the game. I'll admit that dragon age had its moments when it was supposed to be a dramatic moment and the PC just stood there all dopey not saying anything and looking silly. Dragons dogma did this as well.
I think it can work but it depends on the game. If everyone else in the game can is voiced and its full of cutscenes revolving around the main character then them not talking doesn't work as well.

However if it doesn't use normal cutscenes then I prefer it. Games I really enjoy such as STALKER, Mount and blade or even Half life don't use a voiced PC and they work well enough.
I'll admit though that a voiced PC is preferable sometimes though.

 

[CloudAtlas]

The Shin Megami Tensei series has pre-defined appearances for characters too, but they aren't voiced because they were meant to be an avatar for the player. You would be surprised at the amount of ownership fans have of silent characters. Look at the uproar over Other M (though a big part of that was the story being garbage and the voice acting sucked).

You didn't answer my question. Do you think pre-defining a character in all these ways is fine, but through his/her voice is not? Pre-defining a character in all these ways doesn't prevent people from self-insertion, but a pre-defined voice does?

Edit: I don't play Japanese games so I'm afraid I can't say much about any specifics of these games that go beyond "educated general gaming knowledge".

 

[bluegate]

I much prefer they have a voice, even though I will only hear half the dialogue and skip to the next part when i finish reading.

While we are on the subject though..

No, no, no, no, no... Bad person, bad person, off to the naughty bin with you, leave poor Tidus out of this.
That laugh is meant to sound weird and awkward and well.. kinda bad.

OT: I quite enjoy voice acting in RPGs, my prime example is Final Fantasy X, the lips might be out of sync and some parts are awkwardly translated ( eg Auron's: "It comes!" ), but the voice acting in that game surely increased my enjoyment of it, it made the world and the characters more lively.

On the subject of bad quality voices

Spoiler: Baten Kaitos

 

[conmag9]

I usually prefer non-voiced. Allows more flexibility of tone, WAY more potential lines, and avoids the possibility that I just don't like the voice actors. Case in point: the first time I played Mass Effect as male Shepard, I did a double take. "What terrible space monster ate your soul, man?!". Sure, devs try to get voices that most people will like and many of the games I play do at least decently in that aspect, but it takes away more than it gives in my opinion.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

The Shin Megami Tensei series has pre-defined appearances for characters too, but they aren't voiced because they were meant to be an avatar for the player. You would be surprised at the amount of ownership fans have of silent characters. Look at the uproar over Other M (though a big part of that was the story being garbage and the voice acting sucked).

You didn't answer my question. Do you think pre-defining a character in all these ways is fine, but through his/her voice is not? Pre-defining a character in all these ways doesn't prevent people from self-insertion, but a pre-defined voice does?

Edit: I don't play Japanese games so I'm afraid I can't say much about any specifics of these games that go beyond "educated general gaming knowledge".

Yep. A voice adds definitive character. Each line is a voice actor's take on it, not your own. Fine for characters with some established background (Jensen, Shepard), but not for blank slates.