Poll: Voiced protagonist or silent protagonist?

Recommended Videos

Anezay

New member
Apr 1, 2010
330
0
0
meticadpa said:
It depends on the game for me.

For Mass Effect, Shepard is supposed to be an incredibly charismatic and enchanting character, whereas Freeman is supposed to be a quiet scientist.

So both work.
Thank you, good sir, you just saved me the time of typing up that post myself, using the same examples and everything. When I rule the universe, remind me not to put you in a dungeon.
 

CrustyOatmeal

New member
Jul 4, 2010
428
0
0
it depends on the game. if its a game like god of war, gears of war, or something that drives you through the story of a character its better to have a voiced actor because you arent playing as a character you made but a character the developers made. in games like fallout and fable its nice to have silent/ dialogue selected characters because in those type of games you create your character and so you need to either have your actions do the talking for you or you need to choose what you say yourself

i guess shooters and action games play better with a talking protagonist while RPG's and fantasy games work better when the player gets to choose
 

FalloutJack

Bah weep grah nah neep ninny bom
Nov 20, 2008
15,489
0
0
I'd like to voice my opinions, personally. Silent partners don't get to say much and the games don't psychically pick up my jokes.
 

HellspawnCandy

New member
Oct 29, 2009
541
0
0
Yeah, it does depend on the game, but games these days just seem to be going with the flow of silent characters and I'm a little tired of it, also those that make the characters silent but then make them seen and talk is kinda silly I think(cough dead space 2 cough) so this topic isn't purely on RPG's, games in general.
 

AVATAR_RAGE

New member
May 28, 2009
1,120
0
0
Don't care really, it depands on the game.

Though one character I don't like is Master Chief, throwing in the odd one liner but remaining completely silent for 99.9999999999% of the time.

I don't like it when characters go half way.
 

Wayward Man

New member
Oct 24, 2010
52
0
0
I think until the technology arrives where believable synthetic voices can be generated, and names inserted, than this will be a problem.
If such technology existed, you could simply design your character and input your name in phonetic characters so it could be pronounced by the game.
Then silent characters wouldn't really need to exist at all, you put yourself there, and I'm all for voiced character, but I honestly prefer the silent type.
I was especially ignorant of Isaac Clarke.
 

Tdc2182

New member
May 21, 2009
3,623
0
0
Depends on the game and how well you can pull it off.

In Halo: Reach, there was no need for a talking protagonist. In fact, I was very surprised when I heard him speak. I think the most words he strung together was about "Yes Sir". I didnt actually think he was the one talking until I saw him do it again. Him as a mute would have been so much more appealing.
 

Savagezion

New member
Mar 28, 2010
2,455
0
0
Honestly, either one is fine if done well. But if I had to choose between 2 games where each are done well, I would ake the Voiced Protagonist. Give me Mass Effect style all the time and I will be happy.
 

necromanzer52

New member
Mar 19, 2009
1,464
0
0
AVATAR_RAGE said:
Don't care really, it depands on the game.

Though one character I don't like is Master Chief, throwing in the odd one liner but remaining completely silent for 99.9999999999% of the time.

I don't like it when characters go half way.
I think that's preferable to completely silent protagonists.
It kind of makes sense as master chief is characterized as a quiet guy who only speaks when it's really nescesary.

CoD 4 is the only game I've played where I didn't mind the protagonist being silent as a situation for him to say something never really came up.
Compare this to half life in which there are many points when people have one-sided conversations with Gordon Freeman and even ask him direct questions and yet he still doesn't talk. That annoys me.
 

LarenzoAOG

New member
Apr 28, 2010
1,683
0
0
Both are fine, Shepard in Mass Effect could talk and it made the conversation more streamlined, plus voiced charecters are easier to like because they (usually) have personalities and whatnot, silent protagonists are less relatable but let you define your charecter through actions rather than words, "walking your talk" as it were, you decide what your charecter will be like and act accordingly.
 

duchaked

New member
Dec 25, 2008
4,451
0
0
it really depends
sometimes silence lends towards immersion
sometimes a voice brings about characterization

as long as it's done well...

but with bad games
the silence only echoes the void of life in the game
or the blabbering is bloody annoying haha
 

Truth Cake

New member
Aug 27, 2010
205
0
0
oplinger said:
Don't care. As long as it's done well.
Agreed, non-silent protagonists should have something to add, or to put it another way, there should be a reason they can speak; like to characterise them in a particular way or something like that; whereas silent protagonists should give you more choice over their actions, like in Bioware games.

AVATAR_RAGE said:
Don't care really, it depands on the game.

Though one character I don't like is Master Chief, throwing in the odd one liner but remaining completely silent for 99.9999999999% of the time.

I don't like it when characters go half way.
agreed^2, though I never cared much for Halo (no flame please)- there should be no semi-silent protagonists, only lesser minor sub-characters that have little to do with the overall plot like Longshot from Avatar: The Last Airbender are ok for that, at least in my opinion.
 

Jon Shannow

New member
Oct 11, 2010
258
0
0
I don't like FPS' with a silent protagonist, i mean your in a war i'd expect you to answer your sergeant when he is giving you orders rather than stare at him intensely.
 

Knuckx117

New member
Aug 6, 2008
12
0
0
satanic kitty said:
silent protagonist. lets you make up what he is thinking. example: (half-life-gonarch battle)WHY THE FUCK DOES AN ALIEN HAVE A GIANT TESTICLE?
I direct you to the machinima "Mind of Freeman" or "Freeman's Mind" (can't remember which one)

Hilarious stuff...
 

Aulleas123

New member
Aug 12, 2009
365
0
0
I'm sorry but having the options 'Either one is fine' and 'Don't care' is a bit redundant.