It wouldn't bother me if they had done that from the beginning but now that I've played two games as Joshua Shepard, I wouldn't want them to change it for Mass Effect 3.
Poll: What if Bioware picked Shepard's first name for you?
- Thread starter dreadedcandiru99
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Maybe if they did something like what was done in Facade.
Record various character saying different names, and then list the available names when you create the character.
That way, only a little is needed on both the voice-actors part and the animators, and some of the dialog could flow a bit better.
Record various character saying different names, and then list the available names when you create the character.
That way, only a little is needed on both the voice-actors part and the animators, and some of the dialog could flow a bit better.
It definitely wouldn't bother me. It is kind of odd hearing your girlfriend call you by your last name. Like @AnythingOutstanding said, as long as you can label your save files without confusion, it would only make the narrative better.
Yeah, I'd like that, actually. As a general rule, I think Shepard would benefit from being treated either more like a blank slate, or more like an established personality.
I just came to think of it as Shepard wasn't only his last name but also a nickname for him. But I wouldn't mind terribly if they just gave him a first name.
Well they DID pick the name for you. It's the last name. It's Shepherd. The first name is there to give you that little trace of customization and individuality. The reason nobody says your name out loud is because that would be logistically impossible.
I wouldn't care - Its not like your first name is remotely important, and actual role playing is at a minimum anyway. Your only character choice in the series is whether or not Shepard is paragon or renegade, and who he/she romances, if anyone.
Hehehe, this.usmarine4160 said:I named my 1 Shepard Shepard and then had a smug feeling for the rest of the game because I outsmarted Bioware
I wouldn't have a problem, since I only give the character names simply so I know which save/campaign is which. Aside front hat very reason, there is no need to even have a first name in the games. It doesn't even appear in any random Codex articles in the first game, nor any e-mails in the second.
Honestly, yes. I'd be alright if Mass Effect, and hell every Bioware game started giving your character a default game.
As much as I like their RPGs, it gets a little unbelievable with the amount of people who refer to you by your rank, last name, or just "You". Even the people you sleep with, you'd think they would call you by name at least.
In Mass Effect in particular, I think it would hardly change anything. You still have full control over Shepard's class, gender, past and aspects of his/her personality. It'd help make conversations flow better too I think.
As much as I like their RPGs, it gets a little unbelievable with the amount of people who refer to you by your rank, last name, or just "You". Even the people you sleep with, you'd think they would call you by name at least.
In Mass Effect in particular, I think it would hardly change anything. You still have full control over Shepard's class, gender, past and aspects of his/her personality. It'd help make conversations flow better too I think.
I'd rather they not pick a surname or a first name, personally. I miss the days of playing your own character in a role-playing game.
I don't think it would add anything to the game, but I do feel like it would take something away. Though you hardly ever see your first name in print, it is satisfying to see the identity you chose every now and then. Shepard is supposed to be a more or less blank slate, wherein you choose how he/she interacts with the world. If that blank slate were given a full name, that would further solidify the identity of that character, getting in the way of the player's roleplaying. With every NPC simply saying "Shepard," the player can in their mind specify what that means to them. It can mean their badass renegade John Shepard, or maybe they're playing a more reserved paragon Paul Shepard. If both had to be named John, it would cause the player a bit of a mental itch as they try to reset the name "John Shepard" means to them if they are replaying in a different way.
So I guess to summarize, even though it's not really that significant on the surface, allowing the player to choose the first name gives them a more solid mental barrier between all of the Shepards they might make. Also, it prevents the player from being stuck with a name that they have reservations about, or a name that doesn't fit the character they are trying to bring out in the game.
So I guess to summarize, even though it's not really that significant on the surface, allowing the player to choose the first name gives them a more solid mental barrier between all of the Shepards they might make. Also, it prevents the player from being stuck with a name that they have reservations about, or a name that doesn't fit the character they are trying to bring out in the game.
I know plenty of people that go by only their last name. I had a friend in highschool that I knew for years before I even learned his first name.
I see nothing wrong with calling him/her by his/her last name... It's just what he/she likes to be called, as far as I'm concerned.
I see it as "Hey John." "Please, call me Shepard." Y'know?
Plus, I like naming my Shepard. Makes them a bit more personal.
I see nothing wrong with calling him/her by his/her last name... It's just what he/she likes to be called, as far as I'm concerned.
I see it as "Hey John." "Please, call me Shepard." Y'know?
Plus, I like naming my Shepard. Makes them a bit more personal.
Nope, it's a nickname.DeadSp8s said:
OT: I do kindof like being able to name my various Shepards, but I wouldn't have minded them to have been named by Bioware.
Mind you, it would bother me if they decided that regardless of the name you gave them in Mass Effect 1 & 2 [male]Shep is now "John" and [fem]Shep is now "Jane" or "Jessica" or "Jiowqruiejwhfakejrhia".
Edit: an idea; (at the start of the first game) Bioware lets us choose our Shapard/Protagonist's name from a medium list of possible names. That way, we can have the separation talked about previously, we avoid having Shepard being named "Commander [expletive] Shepard", and Bioware can have the occasional "using Shep's first name" situation.
Codemasters sort of did this with games like Dirt 2[ and F1: 2010 (and I assume the sequels, I haven't played them). You got to choose your name from a big list and all the in-game voice actors would use that name when talking to you. If your name wasn't on the list, you got to choose a nickname.spectrenihlus said:
It worked pretty well, but voice acting was pretty simplistic on those games too. I can imagine it getting almost unmanageable when we're talking about a game with the scope of Mass Effect. Plus it can detract from the experience when your name isn't one of the ones on the list - mine was for Dirt 2, but I had to settle for a nickname in F1:2010 for some reason.
