Pre-existing Characters and Player Created Characters

[zaiggs]

I recently had a discussion with a few of my friends about how more and more games now are letting the player create the character. This is all well and good as I enjoy these types of games, however after discussing this with more people I've found that many have become more than just enamored with this type of game. Many people I've spoken with have said that if they aren't given the option to create the character they play as, either they will not play the game or they do not like it as much if at all. When the player gets to create the character the things that are happening to the character are happening to the player in a manner of speaking.

Perhaps this makes it feel more personal, but it removes most if not all empathy in terms of feeling for the main character, as empathy directly relates to feeling for someone else. You can't feel empathy for yourself after all. Certain games can still retain empathy with relations between the main character and characters in supporting roles, but I feel it's not the same.

While movies are a completely different type of medium, I feel they have something right in terms of not using, or rather not being able to use, the viewers personal perspective. When the player creates a character, the goal is for that character to represent the player, or a facsimile of such. In a game where you effectively play yourself, everything happens to you and because of this everything can become personal. In a game where you play a character you don't create, the goal is for the player to experience the story through that characters filter and hopefully have some sense of empathy for them.

I know this subject has been talked about before, but I don't want to approach this in a "which do you prefer" manner. Despite what I've been told by friends and acquaintances and experienced myself, I don't often find games with a player created character to be any better in terms of player relation or immersion.

Do you think a player created character makes a game more immersive? Do you find it easier to identify with a character you've created instead of one that's written for you? Or do you feel that non-player-created characters can have just as strong of an impact on the player?

 

[PixelKing]

I'd rather have a character I can identify as me than a built in character.
Its why I loved new vegas.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

It's all about the world and atmosphere when it comes to my immersion.

I get incredibly immersed in Demon's Souls (custom), Dead Space 1/2 (non custom) and GTA IV (non custom), but can't get immersed for even a second in Mass Effect 2 (semi-custom, since you've always got the same voice) or Fallout 3 (custom) for some reason. I actually find that lore ruins my immersion more than it helps, often.

 

[Jordi]

I don't really think you can make blanket statements about games that do or don't let you create the main character. It depends on the game, how it's meant to be played and how the story is told. I wouldn't say one type is overall better than the other.

I will say this though: just because a game let's you create the character doesn't mean that that character is you. I know many people who will create a character that isn't even remotely like them.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Not unless I can build the game around the hcaracter I build.

I like the Persona 3 model. You get to pick your clothes, your weapon, your direction of personae use, your team. They all have backstories, but you're a "mute" character who chooses actions you can relate to, letting you build a character from one with very little background.

 

[tjs09]

I like Pre-Created Characters because they allow for easier discussion when talking about the game. Another pro of PCCs is that most of the plot points and cutscenes are tailored to match their personality. It's also easier to get excited about a sequel if you're attached to a certain character. Theyre better overall in terms of plot.

Online is a different story, I prefer Custom characters for an online game.

 

[BreakfastMan]

I think a player created character can make the world more immersive at times (see: Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3), but is not required. For example, Deus Ex was a very immersive game, but it did not give the player the option to create their own character (in the usual meaning of the phrase, anyway).

To me, it does not matter if the character is one created by me or the developer. As long as they are well written, they can be just as easy to identify with as a PC. How else do you think people identify themselves with characters from other story-telling mediums, hmm?

 

[Grabbin Keelz]

It kinda seems weird how in a lot of games when you get to make all the physical attributes in your character, you rarely ever get to see it because your either in first person or the camera is stuck behind you. The development of said character is still a pretty nice feature though.

 

[zaiggs]

By "not remotely like them" do you mean in terms of looks or behavior"

When only looks are different, the player is still "themself". Though the character may look different, it's still personal to the player.

Even if the player were to change thier mindset and behavior for the game, the action that happens to the player character is still effectively happening to the player. An example of this is one of my favorites, GTA4. When the player is shot and killed, Niko dies. When my player created persona in Oblivion, Rutherford the Knightly Knight, is killed, I die. Though you make them look crazy and name them something strange, that player created character is closer to the player than Niko is.

I think it would take some serious schizophrenia to relate to a player created character in the same way you relate to a pre-existing character.

 

[Zantos]

Depends on the game. RPGs require some character creation, or at least some tweaking. For things like RTS and FPS though you need pre-made characters to have any hope of backstory.

 

[Odbarc]

I create a character when I have the choice to. When the option is not present, I choose the one whom looks most like the type of character I would create.
Given no options, it better be a fun game.

 

[Arisato-kun]

I personally don't think one is better than the other. Creating a character doesn't immerse me any more than a pre-established character because I find myself playing characters that aren't like me anyways.

I'll play a game regardless of the main character I use, pre-existing or otherwise. You can empathize with both types of characters well to some extent. Unless, of course, the character is just poorly written. I felt just as bad for what troubles befell my character in Fallout 3 as I did for what happened to Luke fon Fabre in Tales of the Abyss.