Coffee Talk #401: Heavy Characterization vs. Transparency

Do you prefer videogame protagonists with deep characterization or ones that are more transparent? The former allows for characters with richer backgrounds and back stories, while the latter allows you to slip into…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, mixers that go well with top-shelf tequila, your AL East Champion New York Yankees, or looking forward to a large birthday steak, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Do you prefer videogame protagonists with deep characterization or ones that are more transparent? The former allows for characters with richer backgrounds and back stories, while the latter allows you to slip into the hero’s armor, space battle suit, bell bottoms, etc. I’m sure you’ve enjoyed both styles in several games, but I’m also sure you have a preference. Which one is it?

Let’s use the Dragon Age games as an example. In Dragon Age: Origins, you could select from a variety of relatively transparent characters. Yes, they all had back stories, but for the most part you could transpose your personality on the lead character. In Dragon Age II, you played as an established character named Hawke. Yes, you could make him/her really good, really sarcastic, or somewhat evil, but the choice were much more limited. In terms of plot and characterization, it’s a huge difference (and one of the reasons the second game is so polarizing).

I enjoyed Origins tremendously. It was fun marching around Ferelden through different perspectives. Whether I was a human, dwarf, Dalish elf, or city elf, I enjoyed molding my hero to fit my personality. I also enjoyed Dragon Age II. It was fun learning about Hawke, his history, his family, etc. Instead of the enjoyment of transposing myself onto the hero, I enjoyed learning about a character’s background and taking his/her life in new directions.

For the most part, I enjoy characters that are heavily written. Don’t get me wrong; I definitely enjoy transparent characters too, but as a writer I prefer experiencing characters other people have written instead of ones I imagine myself to be. I suppose some of that stems from being a comic-book geek. I just love learning about and adventuring with other people’s characters (you down with O.P.C.?!?).

And you? Do you prefer characters with heavily scripted backgrounds and personalities? Or do you prefer transparent characters that let you imagine what it’s like to be the hero?

Author: RPadTV

https://rpad.tv

28 thoughts on “Coffee Talk #401: Heavy Characterization vs. Transparency”

  2. I love heavy characterization over transparency. Like Rpad and SG said it's why I buy games, watch movies, and read.

    I play RTS games for transparency and to "feel" like a hero with my imagination. Some RPGs allow that "feeling" as well but for me it doesn't get any more transparent than having an objective, building an army, and crushing my opponent the way I see fit.

  3. Wow, there's no variation here. I like heavy characterization better, since it takes less time for me to come up with stuff. And besides, I have little imagination to begin with. I'd rather experience something that a professional came up with.

  4. I guess I'm the oddball.

    No matter how heavy the characterization gets, my imagination stil takes it farther. I'm the kind of guy who watched Star Wars and tried to figure out how Vader goes to bathroom. Back in the SNES days when I spent MONTHS to years playing Street Fighter II against the computer, my imagination would not only make the feuds better, but I even imagined how Ryu made his travel arrangements and what gawkers at the airport thought of Dhalsim. I can't escape it no matter what.

    I then find that the more a story tries to fill in the blanks for me, the less fun I have. This holds true for all media. There are songs I swear are about one thing but the artist themself will say "No, but that's actually really clever thinking."

    I guess I'm just stuck outside the box so that's where I do my thinking.

    1. I just prefer to be told a story. Open ended games have no allure after playing an mmo for so long. I think that is where the real issue rests for me.

      1. That's cool, I'm not trying to convert anybody.

        My issue with the standard MMO formula is the "wash, rinse, repeat" aspect. You end up doing the same things over and over again where I'd rather sooner be done and move on to the next game.

        The other thing I don't like is how guild/league/team members try to belittle your life because they want you on and playing with them. And then there's raid greed and people getting seriously butthurt over a virtual object.

        But if I can mold a game into what I want within my own head, I can rewrite and play a game over and over again as I please.

        As for story… one of my favorite stories is the one Nick Nolte told Eddie Murphy in 48 Hours.

      3. That's cool, I'm not trying to convert anybody.

        My issue with the standard MMO formula is the "wash, rinse, repeat" aspect. You end up doing the same things over and over again where I'd rather sooner be done and move on to the next game.

        The other thing I don't like is how guild/league/team members try to belittle your life because they want you on and playing with them. And then there's raid greed and people getting seriously butthurt over a virtual object.

        EDIT: In case you're wondering, I'm trying to level up on RPad.tv

      4. My "thumbs up" should help you catch up to Big Blak.

        I mean, you have to beat him at SOMETHING, right?

        -M

      7. It'll be hard for me. He's in a better position than I am at the moment to be more gabby.

        Of course I'm gonna try my ass off, my best hope is blindsiding him when he moves coming up soon. But don't forget about Smartguy… he's still a contender.

        Ray doesn't count of course. He's destined to be on top unless he changes profiles.

  5. I like them both, just as I like linear JRPG and open world RPGs. I see the talent that goes into making a character people can get behind and the talent it takes to make a character people can make their own. To me, there is no preference, only Zuul.

      2. As Rick Moranis? That's an awesome idea.

        If I were going to pick a Rick Moranis character out of his repertoire to be for Halloween… it would either be Strange Brew (or the Great White North sketches from SCTV) or Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors.

        That dude is such a legend.

  7. So… was anybody here one of the people who at the beginning of the baseball season, told me the Pirates were going to break their under .500 streak this year? We even had first place in our division at one point. The first half of the season, we played twice as good as we did last year. Unfortunately for the second half of the season… we played twice as BAD as we did last year.

    I truly, sincerely hate to say I told you so since this is the only baseball team I care about… but I fell for this the first 9 years at the beginning of every summer, that was 10 years ago and I will not be fooled again.

      1. *angry face

        The only thing I see happening next year is that we will be at the even number 20.

        This means we are only one year away from Pitt students getting legally served and drunk at PNC Park who have never seen the Pirates have a winning season IN THEIR LIFE!

      1. HA! Oddly, neither the Marlins nor the Pirates have been good since either of them had Jim Leyland.

        But under .500 for 19 years straight? Is there any professional sports team that has lost more games than they won for 19 years straight?

        I honestly don't know.

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