So I just beat the Walking Dead... So about Ben... (SPOILERS)

[DudeistBelieve]

No man the people I fucking hated was Larry and Lilly. Good god. The fact they were always screaming at me was more then enough to Side with Kenny. And during the meat locker who did I side with? The good guy who was always with me and was easy to get along with, or the Old man who punched my in the face and left me to die, always fucking screamed at me and was an asshole in general. Kinda easy choice for that matter.

The only other character I did not like was that reporter in Episode 1. But that was because she was a fucking idiot. Asking me to look for batteries for a radio cause "She would not know what to look for". Lady. They were batteries. Kinda easy. Then when I got her some she could not get the radio to work still. Why? Cause she put the batteries in the wrong fucking way. Did I save her? FUCK NO. She was idiot and would have been a fucking burden in the long run.

So she made a mistake with batteries and...you let her die because of it?...o.....k.

To be fair... C'mon, how come she didn't think to switch the batteries around herself first?

It was a rare comic relief moment in a very dark series, and does it really warrant freaking death?

Dunno if it was comic relief. I get the feeling she wasn't very bright. Just saying.

She was one of the best shots of the group, stood up viciously to Lilly where as Doug just tried to play mediator, and she never lost her temper with Lee because he didn't support a really fucking stupid decision like a good chunk of the other characters. Again, did screwing up with batteries really warrant being killed?

1. No.

2. just follow this for a minute:

I am having trouble with a radio. Should I bother to check the power source of the radio? N'ahhhhhhhhhhh!

It was a dumb move on her part, and she even lampshades it. In a split decision like that, i don't blame the guy for not rescuing her because of it. Hell, I only rescued her because she had a gun and was good at using it.

also bare in mind, NO ONE DESERVES TO DIE. I believe in that*. Unfortunately we human beings do die, and it's the Zombie Apocalypse, and more importantly not only do I desire to keep myself alive but this little girl.... Now personally I rather have someone who's a good shot in my group, this guy rather have the guy who's an engineer.

*Ben didn't deserve to die. In a civilized society I wouldn't mind, but when it comes to survival the chance of Clem living increases with his death.

I seem to recall her pulling off more than a few head shots.

So what, you're blaming someone in the middle of a zombie infested town for making a mistake and possibly not thinking as clearly as she should be? Really is it a big freaking deal?

I don't see how that is. How does Clem's chances of living increase with one less pair of hands around?

To me? It wasn't. I loved Carly. She couldn't get the damn thing to work, so she ASKED FOR HELP and I helped her and together we figured it out. I couldn't of gotten the thing running had she not found it in the first place. But I could understand how that's a sticking point for someone. Doug was able to figure out machines and thus he'd be helpful in any problem solving situation. Not flipping around/checking for batteries is step one in problem solving with machines. It's common sense.

Yeah she was a really good shot, more importantly SHE HAD A GUN. I didn't want to loose another firearm let alone a good shot to the undead. Those two qualifications mattered more to me than problem solving.... and I lucked out because when it came to dealing with people, not surprising because she is a reporter, I followed her advice about coming clean as a convict.

As far as Ben goes... Dude. How many more chances must I give this guy? I really really tried. I gave him the task of watching Clem AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT and all I got in return was attitude and "She's in the backyard playing." He just had to keep tabs on a FUCKING 9 YEAR OLD. Had he done that, I would of gladly pulled him up instead he told me to "get off his back." So all I did was allow him to become the matrye he wanted to be, and I'm glad he saw it that way because I was going to drop him regardless... And I was up front about it, when we voted on him DESPITE Clem's vote for him I still voted for him out.

...
...
...
Suddenly realizing the only appeal to this game is folks own internal decision making process...

 

[Solo-Wing]

No man the people I fucking hated was Larry and Lilly. Good god. The fact they were always screaming at me was more then enough to Side with Kenny. And during the meat locker who did I side with? The good guy who was always with me and was easy to get along with, or the Old man who punched my in the face and left me to die, always fucking screamed at me and was an asshole in general. Kinda easy choice for that matter.

The only other character I did not like was that reporter in Episode 1. But that was because she was a fucking idiot. Asking me to look for batteries for a radio cause "She would not know what to look for". Lady. They were batteries. Kinda easy. Then when I got her some she could not get the radio to work still. Why? Cause she put the batteries in the wrong fucking way. Did I save her? FUCK NO. She was idiot and would have been a fucking burden in the long run.

So she made a mistake with batteries and...you let her die because of it?...o.....k.

To be fair... C'mon, how come she didn't think to switch the batteries around herself first?

It was a rare comic relief moment in a very dark series, and does it really warrant freaking death?

Dunno if it was comic relief. I get the feeling she wasn't very bright. Just saying.

She was one of the best shots of the group, stood up viciously to Lilly where as Doug just tried to play mediator, and she never lost her temper with Lee because he didn't support a really fucking stupid decision like a good chunk of the other characters. Again, did screwing up with batteries really warrant being killed?

1. No.

2. just follow this for a minute:

I am having trouble with a radio. Should I bother to check the power source of the radio? N'ahhhhhhhhhhh!

It was a dumb move on her part, and she even lampshades it. In a split decision like that, i don't blame the guy for not rescuing her because of it. Hell, I only rescued her because she had a gun and was good at using it.

also bare in mind, NO ONE DESERVES TO DIE. I believe in that*. Unfortunately we human beings do die, and it's the Zombie Apocalypse, and more importantly not only do I desire to keep myself alive but this little girl.... Now personally I rather have someone who's a good shot in my group, this guy rather have the guy who's an engineer.

*Ben didn't deserve to die. In a civilized society I wouldn't mind, but when it comes to survival the chance of Clem living increases with his death.

I seem to recall her pulling off more than a few head shots.

So what, you're blaming someone in the middle of a zombie infested town for making a mistake and possibly not thinking as clearly as she should be? Really is it a big freaking deal?

I don't see how that is. How does Clem's chances of living increase with one less pair of hands around?

Yes but I wanted the guy who was a thinker then a good shot. We already had people efficient with weapons. Plus I feared she would end up doing something stupid costing the rest of us. Doug is the kind who would think things through before doing it and it payed off greatly. Especially in Chapter 2 with the laser pointer. He saved us with it. Though he did get my eye with it but that was an accident. I forgive Accidents. Not ignorance.

Also I did not dislike Ben or anything but he proved himself untrustworthy and useless under pressure. He needed to go. So I of course had to let him go in the tower. I regretted it though cause it hurt Clementine.

 

[AntiChri5]

I have a sneaking suspicion that somehow, somewhere, in some way, Ben caused the fucking outbreak.

I don't require anyone in the group to be genius's or badasses or even particularly competant, but what i do require is that they be more capable then a fucking 8 year old girl.

When leaving him alone with Clem in a dangerous area, Clem gets scared because she is being left alone with Ben. He is a good guy, and she really likes him, but even she can tell he is the biggest fuckup alive. What do i say to reassure her? "Im not leaving you alone with Ben, im leaving Ben alone with you." And it made perfect fucking sense. Lee knows it, Clem knows it and Ben probably knows it too. The 8 year old girl is more sensible, mature, capable, intelligent, resourceful, brave and strong then him. And she fucking eats less.

 

[CAPTCHA]

No man the people I fucking hated was Larry and Lilly. Good god. The fact they were always screaming at me was more then enough to Side with Kenny. And during the meat locker who did I side with? The good guy who was always with me and was easy to get along with, or the Old man who punched my in the face and left me to die, always fucking screamed at me and was an asshole in general. Kinda easy choice for that matter.

The only other character I did not like was that reporter in Episode 1. But that was because she was a fucking idiot. Asking me to look for batteries for a radio cause "She would not know what to look for". Lady. They were batteries. Kinda easy. Then when I got her some she could not get the radio to work still. Why? Cause she put the batteries in the wrong fucking way. Did I save her? FUCK NO. She was idiot and would have been a fucking burden in the long run.

So she made a mistake with batteries and...you let her die because of it?...o.....k.

To be fair... C'mon, how come she didn't think to switch the batteries around herself first?

It was a rare comic relief moment in a very dark series, and does it really warrant freaking death?

Dunno if it was comic relief. I get the feeling she wasn't very bright. Just saying.

She was one of the best shots of the group, stood up viciously to Lilly where as Doug just tried to play mediator, and she never lost her temper with Lee because he didn't support a really fucking stupid decision like a good chunk of the other characters. Again, did screwing up with batteries really warrant being killed?

1. No.

2. just follow this for a minute:

I am having trouble with a radio. Should I bother to check the power source of the radio? N'ahhhhhhhhhhh!

It was a dumb move on her part, and she even lampshades it. In a split decision like that, i don't blame the guy for not rescuing her because of it. Hell, I only rescued her because she had a gun and was good at using it.

also bare in mind, NO ONE DESERVES TO DIE. I believe in that*. Unfortunately we human beings do die, and it's the Zombie Apocalypse, and more importantly not only do I desire to keep myself alive but this little girl.... Now personally I rather have someone who's a good shot in my group, this guy rather have the guy who's an engineer.

*Ben didn't deserve to die. In a civilized society I wouldn't mind, but when it comes to survival the chance of Clem living increases with his death.

I seem to recall her pulling off more than a few head shots.

So what, you're blaming someone in the middle of a zombie infested town for making a mistake and possibly not thinking as clearly as she should be? Really is it a big freaking deal?

I don't see how that is. How does Clem's chances of living increase with one less pair of hands around?

Yes but I wanted the guy who was a thinker then a good shot. We already had people efficient with weapons. Plus I feared she would end up doing something stupid costing the rest of us. Doug is the kind who would think things through before doing it and it payed off greatly. Especially in Chapter 2 with the laser pointer. He saved us with it. Though he did get my eye with it but that was an accident. I forgive Accidents. Not ignorance.

Also I did not dislike Ben or anything but he proved himself untrustworthy and useless under pressure. He needed to go. So I of course had to let him go in the tower. I regretted it though cause it hurt Clementine.

You guys were really thinking all that. The choice between the reporter chick and Doug was simple for me. Doug was getting full-nelsoned. The reporter had a gun and faced a prone zombie. Pretty easy to see who needed the help the most. Probably a bad choice for her to wear high heels in a zombie apocolypse though /jk

 

[Smeggs]

I suppose I didn't hate Ben because his intentions were good and at that point, I placed high value on a person that had good intentions. I just wanted everyone to live I guess, regardless of whether they were likable or fucked up.

How does the old saying go?

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

How long would you be willing to overlook such a fuckwit in a life or death situation because he had "good intentions"?

 

[Abomination]

He was responsible for the deaths of individuals in the group through inaction, cowardice, incompetence and general weakness.

When his legs broke before he was chewed to death I laughed maniacally. He was even more dangerous than the zombies, he wasn't the walking dead, he was the walking dead weight. Clem had more balls than him and she's a damn 9-ish year old.

When he first joined the group I thought "Alright, a rather nimble looking young fella, likely adaptable to new situations and potentially educated". Boy was I wrong.

I was totally going to bone that reporter chick too.

 

[Abomination]

I suppose I didn't hate Ben because his intentions were good and at that point, I placed high value on a person that had good intentions. I just wanted everyone to live I guess, regardless of whether they were likable or fucked up.

How does the old saying go?

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

How long would you be willing to overlook such a fuckwit in a life or death situation because he had "good intentions"?

I would say up to the point where you give him the most simple of instructions to keep an eye on a child and he fails to do that, resulting in her getting kidnapped.

I wanted to shoot him right there. If I didn't need the support of the group to get Clem back I damn well would have.

 

[Rack]

To be fair it's Lilly's fault Ben didn't tell anyone about the gang at the Motor Inn, I mean she threw such a hissy fit about him being let in for even a moment and was so insistent he be thrown to the zombies that there's no way he could be expected to go to the group with a problem, odds are she'd have shot him on the spot.

The rest of it, yeah he's a parody of a useless fuck-up, but the hatchet and leaving Clem felt more like him being the proud owner of the series idiot ball than being THAT incompetent.

 

[Reaper195]

Ben was just one of those guys that really wanted to help, but every time he did, he made things worse since he was more focused on helping and less focused on consequences. Personally, I defended the shit out of Ben when lily accused him since she was going off of next to nothing aside from "I know I'm right because I'm right! Fuck proof!". And then she shot Doug, who pushed Ben out of the way. Or she shot Carly. Either way, she was about to out right murder someone. But I liked Ben, and he really seemed cut up about the consequences of his actions. I'm also the kind of person that refuses to give up, so I was always telling Ben to harden up and keep going whenever I got the chance. I was also mad friends with Kenny, so it was hard to not just go along with Kenny's rage (While mostly justified) at him. I then raged so goddamn hard on the second episode where the fire escape thing collapses (Everyone in the group came with me). And then that whole scene happens.


ALso, to the people arguing over the differences in usefulness between Carly and Doug....for fuck sake, who plays a game like The Walking Dead and makes their choices based on their skills and abilities? I chose Doug because I found him a much more interesting character than Carly. I also let Carly die (Well, the 'official' play throughs, the ones where I'm not just mkaing the opposite of last time choices) because I blatantly her added simply as an early love interest for Lee. Which I'm incredibly glad never became a focus of the game as a whole.

 

[shwnbob]

I feel like being the screw-up was Ben's role in the group. Like, in the world of The Walking Dead, if a survivor group is doing to well then something has to happen that'll ruin it because that's just how that world works. He was a character made specifically to test your patience and to see whether after four games of making tough choices you still had enough humanity in you to save him even when he was begging for death. Killing him proves that you've kind of given into this new twisted world where it's alright to kill someone if their not pulling their weight in a group.
-I might just be over-thinking this though...

 

[King of Asgaard]

Seriously...

-Gets deep over his head with the bandits, doesn't bring it to the group attention and ask for help.
-Indirectly causes Carly to get murdered because he wouldn't own up to it in the first place.
-Removes the fucking cleaver Lee jammed in the door to keep the zombies out. FUCKING. MORON.
-Causes Kenny to go Bezerk at the worst possible time with Zombies breathing down our neck.
-"Clementine is playing in the backyard" while he's sitting inside drinking with Kenny.

Don't forget that, when shit hit the fan and he and Clementine got cornered by zombies, he fled like the cowardly fuck he was, leaving Clem to die. Luckily, we had a badass hobo for backup, but still.
Basically, yeah, the second the choice came up to drop his ass, I took it and never looked back.

 

[Nouw]

I suppose I didn't hate Ben because his intentions were good and at that point, I placed high value on a person that had good intentions. I just wanted everyone to live I guess, regardless of whether they were likable or fucked up.

How does the old saying go?

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

How long would you be willing to overlook such a fuckwit in a life or death situation because he had "good intentions"?

I hate to cop-out but once again, I just wanted people to live wherever they can. Call me stupid but I didn't really play the game with my head, but rather my heart. Eventually anyway.

 

[Kiatta]

Don't forget that, when shit hit the fan and he and Clementine got cornered by zombies, he fled like the cowardly fuck he was, leaving Clem to die. Luckily, we had a badass hobo for backup, but still.

This was a huge factor for me as well. I didn't expect much of him... just that he would, you know, not leave an 8-year-old to the mercy of zombies. I understand being afraid but when a child is involved, there's just no excuse that's acceptable in my opinion.

That, and he was willing. If he were begging to be saved I probably would have but he made the decision to sacrifice himself for the group, and I respect that choice. Who am I to take that away from him? The one helpful thing he did the entire game? He was selfless and brave in the end, and my Lee remembered him as such, but I don't regret that decision.

 

[bananafishtoday]

I fucking hated him for most of the game too. The Carly thing was almost unforgivable for me. From the way Ben was acting, it was obvious at the time that he was guilty, and had he said so, I would have stood up for him. But instead, he ended up getting Carly (by far the most competent person in the group and the only person I knew would be on my and Clem's side if it came down to factional bullshit) killed. I swore up and down that given the choice, I'd dump Ben or let him be killed.

But when the time came, I voted for him to stay. And I saved his life in that tower thing. Thing is... one of the big moments in the game for me was in Ep 2. I murdered that cannibal dude with the pitchfork, and Clem's reaction kind of changed the way I played from then on. Before, I was making decisions purely based on utility, basically trying to min/max my way to Clem's safety. I killed the dude because I didn't want to risk leaving him alive coming back to bite me in the ass. But when Clem witnessed that... I started thinking more about what kind of role model I was. (For the record, I told her killing the guy was the wrong decision, and I stood by her in not stealing from the car.) So yeah. As much as I wanted to just get rid of Ben, I didn't do it both chances I got. Wasn't the right thing to do.

And then his epic "Fuck you" speech to Kenny totally made me forgive Ben for everything he'd done wrong, and I liked him from there till the end.

 

[Zeraki]

I actually felt bad for Ben. Throughout the entire story all he ever does is try to help the group(however misguided) and it keeps blowing up in his face. The part where he begged me to drop him was a very sad for me. He got so tired of being a screw up that he just wanted to die so the group would be rid of him and his mistakes. I know what it feels like to hate yourself for being a fuck up... so Ben's plea really struck a nerve.

Kenny on the other hand I found annoying... he was a complete ass. Want to be a voice of reason? Well Kenny doesn't want you to. He just wants you to blindly go along with whatever he says and if you don't he treats you like garbage. In the long run Ben came with me to save Clem at the end of episode 4, while Kenny wanted to condemn her over a petty grudge.

 

[Abomination]

I started thinking more about what kind of role model I was.

That is exactly why I ADOPTED the pragmatic approach. I wanted her to be hardened enough that she would survive should I die.

I felt she needed to be eased into the idea that this world now sucks, things are not going to be the same and to survive she is going to need to do bad things to bad people. This did not mean she shouldn't be generous and kind when possible, but she better be able to throw down and take no prisoners when threats are revealed. Essentially I wanted her to be someone who is not perceived to be a threat but is possibly the most dangerous thing in the room when riled.

I did not want to kill Clemintine with kindness. I was going to treat her like the child she was but she was going to get the crash course in growing up. I realised the game is called "Season 1" - I hope it is because in Season 2 you play as Clemintine with all the lessons Lee imparted to determine your strengths and weaknesses. For if that is the case I didn't want to coddle Clem - she's gonna cut her hair short, know how to handle a gun, air for the head and never panic.

 

[Croc_Toynbee]

Overall I didn't really like Ben, he outright pissed me off most of the time, but I did feel a bond with him and cried when he died (which, btw, was NOT via letting him fall). A lot of people tend to forget that, while he was ridiculously incompetent with little to no common sense and always carrying the idiot ball in his back pocket, he was still a kid. He fucked up a lot, and that's just what kids do. Clem and Duck were under 10, and everyone else was near 30 or over. He was stuck between old enough to be self-reliant yet too young to have the skill and experience to make it count. I found him to be the most realistic character actually.

The bandit thing was stupid, but he was trying to save his friend's life. When he realized he was being tricked, it was already too late to go back on it. Yeah, he could have said something, but can anyone else here remember a time when they were younger when they were in some sort of trouble, but too scared of the consequences to fess up?

I had Carly too, and I know for a fact that calling a woman with a gun '*****' will not end well. Again, show of hands, who out of all of us is going to confess to a psycho ***** with a gun that's wanted you dead for a while now that you're the reason her mighty freaking kingdom came crashing down? He didn't know Lily would kill Carly. He knew that there was a high chance she would kill him, though.

I don't even for a second think he got Duck bitten. He's not a zombie, and he had no control over that. Things snowball sometimes, that's just how it is. You can't blame someone so far into future events, especially when at any time anyone can become something's snack.

Removing the hatchet blocking the doors? Yeah, okay. He was just a dumbass right there. Still, that woman really shouldn't have been standing next to a door with a dozen zombies clawing on it from the other side. And telling Kenny at the worst possible time...man, now it's getting hard to defend him.

And it's not like he's the only other person in the house. There's a small group of adults- one who has already lost a child of his own- that could have been watching Clem before she was kidnapped. Whoever thought it was a good idea to leave it to the unstable teenager was on the other side of the dumbass coin.

Really, the only time I ever outright wanted to murder the bastard with my own axe was when he left Clem to the zombies. Thank god, thank god, THANK GOD for Chuck. Seriously, I wanted my next options to be 'hack Ben's face in with a rusty spoon', 'trip Ben and leave him to the zombies', or 'tell Kenny what he did and let him go to work'.

But again, his determination to come and help me find Clem, listening to him own up to all he's done and beg for death, and later stand up to Kenny really got me to understand where he's coming from. My main objective was to take care of Clem. My second was to see Ben make it too. Well, one out of two ain't bad...

 

[Chemical Alia]

Ben was okay, I actually felt bad for him because he really didn't fit in in the zombie world. Even after the whole Doug thing, bless his little heart.

 

[Doclector]

Ben was interesting to me, especially now I'm seeing how others have dealt with him. He's a character who is just as helpless as he is useless. He has genuinely good intentions, and a natural kindness, but none of the brains, courage, or physical prowess to back that up in the world of the undead.

Personally, I went easy on him for a long fucking time. I forgave him for selling the drugs, I coped with his constant stupidity, I even made sure not to completely blow up when he abandoned clem when it would've been as easy as picking her up and running with her.

But the axe in the door was the final mistake. How, how on earth did he not figure that one out, and he had been a constant pain throughout the mission. Hell, I chose to take clem with me for that part, deciding even there, she was safer with me than alone, and she ended up being more useful, or at least, less harmful, than ben.

Then came the time to decide on his fate. And I told myself at the time, he asked me to do it. That was what I told clem, too. I told myself he was right, there was no time.

But deep down inside, I knew I'd had enough of him. If I saved him, it wouldn't be the first time I'd risked life and limb to save someone I could have left, but that time, I didn't.

And that's just a little disturbing, really.