The Main Character

[MintyFreshBreathGuy]

I've always wondered why most game characters are either half naked women doing things that normally include killing everyone, and if not that then men who are sarcastic and tough mother ****ers... and apparently all have brown hair and forgot to shave this morning. Not to mention both normally have cheesy romances in the game. It's only been a few times I haven't seen this. So I was wondering what your take on what makes a good main character.

 

[KendayTheAbsolute]

I see your point.
I never cared if master chief of marcus died(unless i died alot then i stopped playing for a while)
i sometimes wonder if i should.
i hoped i helped.(i dont think i did)

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

I really liked Jack (Naked Snake) in MGS3, a hardass soldier betrayed by his mentor on a psuedo quest for redemption. Also didn't have that whole Otacon Man Love thingy holding him back. However I also found him fairly human, almost more so than Snake proper, and the ending of MGS 3 really hammers home his humanity.

 

[MintyFreshBreathGuy]

I see your point.
I never cared if master chief of marcus died(unless i died alot then i stopped playing for a while)
i sometimes wonder if i should.
i hoped i helped.(i dont think i did)

I never played either of those games but it's not hard to tell. Do they have an interesting past that has shaped them to become who they are now, and I don't mean military training. Military training was made to break you, so that can't be their past. I hope I helped a little.

 

[JMeganSnow]

So I was wondering what your take on what makes a good main character.

In what kind of game? In FPS's I usually prefer ones that don't talk or make frequent noises that sound like they're having a painful bowel movement. In RPG's, I usually prefer The One I Make Myself with a hope that the writer gave them Some Interesting Dialog Options.

The Prince of Persia games are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head that had a genuine "Main Character".

 

[MintyFreshBreathGuy]

I really liked Jack (Naked Snake) in MGS3, a hardass soldier betrayed by his mentor on a psuedo quest for redemption. Also didn't have that whole Otacon Man Love thingy holding him back. However I also found him fairly human, almost more so than Snake proper, and the ending of MGS 3 really hammers home his humanity.

I never liked MGS:3, but I will say at least the characters were well made. What was the ending anyway, I had rented it.

 

[KendayTheAbsolute]

i think master chief does but im not gonna be fucked to read the books.
not sure 'bout marcus(dont care really)

 

[MintyFreshBreathGuy]

So I was wondering what your take on what makes a good main character.

In what kind of game? In FPS's I usually prefer ones that don't talk or make frequent noises that sound like they're having a painful bowel movement. In RPG's, I usually prefer The One I Make Myself with a hope that the writer gave them Some Interesting Dialog Options.

The Prince of Persia games are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head that had a genuine "Main Character".

In an action game or any sort of game that relies on story a lot.

 

[JMeganSnow]

So I was wondering what your take on what makes a good main character.

In what kind of game? In FPS's I usually prefer ones that don't talk or make frequent noises that sound like they're having a painful bowel movement. In RPG's, I usually prefer The One I Make Myself with a hope that the writer gave them Some Interesting Dialog Options.

The Prince of Persia games are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head that had a genuine "Main Character".

In an action game or any sort of game that relies on story a lot.

I thought action games relied on killing things a lot. The story is just there to keep your brain from turning to swiss cheese.

 

[LordCraigus]

For me, ideally a character that is realistic and 'normal'. A character that (assuming they are human) seems human. This doesn't necessarily mean they can't be a soldier, space marine, viking or whatever, just someone I can idenitfy with like I would with a character in a really good film.

 

[MGG=REVIEWS]

I'll be honest i never got the whole Chinese art crap! it doesn't make sense, girls that look 6 with long purple hair

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

It's hard to say exactly what I like out of a main character in an RPG, I never really EMPATHIZED with a Self Created Character until Commander Shepard, because he/she was actually scripted and voiced and felt like an actual character instead of a window.

My favorite RPG leads I can think of are as follows...

Yuri Volt Hyuga (Shadow Hearts 2): Snarky Badass with some of the best lines in the game.

Shion Uzuki (Xenosaga 1 and 3): Mousy scientist trying to save the universe, definately a good twist on characters.

Kaim Argonar (Lost Odyssey): He was remarkable empathetic despite being so very emo.

 

[MintyFreshBreathGuy]

I'll be honest i never got the whole Chinese art crap! it doesn't make sense, girls that look 6 with long purple hair

A. That's Japanese
B. Does that have anything to do with this?

 

[beddo]

I've always wondered why most game characters are either half naked women doing things that normally include killing everyone, and if not that then men who are sarcastic and tough mother ****ers... and apparently all have brown hair and forgot to shave this morning. Not to mention both normally have cheesy romances in the game. It's only been a few times I haven't seen this. So I was wondering what your take on what makes a good main character.

I think the classic best game player character is Guybrush Threepwood.

I also like the Prince from Katamari.

 

[Reversed Insanity]

Its all to do with how you perceive yourself to be. The best game characters are the ones you can relate to. Like in action games I prefer the quieter ones more than wise cracking morons as I'm nothing like that in real life. For me a good main character should be inventive, observant and resourceful. But thats just me.

 

[this_was_a_mistake]

I like games where you can make your own main character, so I usually make up a story about him/her.

 

[Aiden Rebirth]

so seen ZP lately? cause yahtzee has said pretty much the same thing several time, sorry.
in response to your questions videogame heroes are usually modeled to be an every man (with the ability to shoot lasers) not every game is looking to create an endearing main character, (valve) For the ladies boobs make money. (eidos, tecmo) and the romance thing is still to try and inject some proper story elements, like romance, etc. so basically since you are working with generic characters you get generic story, and the like.

 

[alwaysrockon]

I'll be honest i never got the whole Chinese art crap! it doesn't make sense, girls that look 6 with long purple hair

umm you mean japanese?
personaly just KILLER 7!! and maybe a little VOLDO! yeah thats about that.

 

[Aardvark]

The main character is meant to fit the story. Sure, it would be awesome if instead of Marcus fighting the war on Sera, you could have Killerz McSplosion, the descendant of survivors of a nuclear apocalypse who hid in an underground vault, who was forced to emerge to deal with a water crisis, picking himself up power armour and a plasma rifle along the way, when he wasn't busy saving small towns and stealing people's stuff, then somehow teleporting to a distant planet, where the Morlocks were attacking, to save that world too. But you're then stretching things a little too far and the story would fall apart.

 

[GyroCaptain]

Kaim Argonar (Lost Odyssey): He was remarkable empathetic despite being so very emo.

Yep, very emo. However, he acts like a dick now and again and is astoundingly masculine for a JRPG lead, so he gets a pass.
Other main characters...
I think it would be easier to identify with Frank West from Dead Rising if he weren't a relentless Idiot Hero with MGS style demands for clarification after everything anyone says. Master Chief's surprisingly subtle, really, you get the sense he's quiet for a reason.
Inspector Tequila from Stranglehold has a good start, being from a movie.
Lucas Kane from Indigo Prophecy was easier to identify with than everybody else until the story went bonkers.