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Really though, Objectively, the MC is the most likable character.


ShadeStrider

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The MC is completely silent, and as a result, nobody knows us. No one knows what  we want. They don't even ask. They just assume that the MC wants to become the pokemon champion, even though the MC never says anything.

 

Despite never really being understood and never actually getting a genuine show of appreciation for our efforts, Instead getting the occasional reward that is usually just a tool for us to move on to our next task, we still try to help everyone. 

 

We've even put our own life in danger multiple times in order to help people.

 

Maybe I'm biased. We are supposed to be the MC, and like all silent protagonists, we are supposed to project ourselves onto the MC. But my points still stand.

 

 

Edit: Don't forget that we almost never sleep. We just get the occasional Nap and then it's back to helping people. Seriously, We should actually be dead, speaking realistically.

 

 

 

 

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  On 5/18/2018 at 12:35 AM, andracass said:

i find the mc kinda bland.

i like my characters with some....character.

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To be fair, you are supposed to be the MC. It's like the MC in the main pokemon games or even Legend of Zelda.

 

This is also kind of the Bias I've talked about.  You are technically the Main Character, so you are automatically biased towards Him/her/xyr. It seems that I have fallen victim to this type of Bias.

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I never count silent protagonists as actual characters because, as you said, they are supposed to project YOU. Thus it would not be fair to judge a character like that like all the others. And, believe it or not, I'm not the biggest fan of Silent Protags. if they're there it's fine, I will probably still enjoy your game, but I won't count them as the best character. That's one of the main reasons I dislike Red in any game that isn't Kanto based. Red is a Character with no character, so why project him in a way where his Silent Protagonist status adds nothing?

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I don't get how the MC is the best character when most of the complaints are centered around factors due to the MC not being able to talk. Titania mercifully killing: nobody is there to challenge her. Victoria: the player has no interaction with her and therefore shortens what little development she has to even less. The whole orphanage arc: you may as well not even be there. I get the idea but when it comes to customizeable MCs, I rarely see a good one done right.

 

Link from the Zelda series is an entirely different subject. The schematic design for LoZ series is exploration and puzzle solving so whether or not Link talked wouldn't make much of a difference. While I would point out how WW Link is one of the most expressive, I know most people refer to OoT Link when making comparisons. The plot is very simple and the characters aren't too involved in it merely serving as guides usually making you still feel in control of what's happening. Link's sound effects are tools of immersion as when he falls or gets hit he makes certain noises, but that game's environments are what make the experience so immersive. I mean I personally felt a dread of terror when climbing up Death Mountain with a bunch of falling rocks all around me...running and ducking for my life.

 

You really do not want to challenge me on silent protags because I've written A LOT here and there on my thoughts usually only scratching the mere surface of my full opinions. There's a very good reason most of the modern RPGs have stepped away from the silent protagonist due to the sheer number of drawbacks and issues that arise. But if you really want me to list all the great things the MC did here's what we have:

 

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well Ame actually gave us some little personalities of the MC on Tumblr

  • vero a little too confident, well intentioned but borders on cocky
  • alice very sweet, also very naive doesnt think about consequences
  • kuro strong sense of justice but a little absent minded, gets lost easy
  • lucia super energetic and headstrong and impulsive maybe clumsy
  • ari is good kind of swag, style and grace but also not the brightest
  • decibel prissy snowflake but not in a rude way just floats above everything

 

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  On 5/18/2018 at 9:20 AM, Wolfox said:

here's another thing. having a moral compass that points straight north can be extremely bland and boring. case in point:

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Don't remind me. I hate Corrin. With a passion.

 

 

This Topic was a mistake.

 

 

I can't tell if I made this as a Joke, or if I was being serious. Maybe a bit of both.

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I can see this for sure. I've honestly really enjoyed my Reborn MC every time. So far I've always chosen Vero simply because I like his looks haha, but also he sort of embodies a look and attitude I always projected myself as when I was a teenager. Those days may be long gone, but I still can't help but chose him. 

 

I can't really say I like him because I'm projecting myself onto him ( I don't really like myself, haha) but I like the idea of his character. Here's this well-intentioned, but cocky young adult who's thrown into this mess following a disastrous arrival in Reborn. Whether or not his goal is to be the Champion, he's able to dust himself off and go along with things as they happen, and seems to generally be trying to help folks and his friends and I find that admirable. I also play him as someone who likes to use less-used Pokémon. He's a bit over-confident, so I seem him as someone who wants to show that he can win with any Pokémon, no matter how "weak" they seem, which works well with Reborn's limited Poke-population! 

 

Maybe there's some projecting there, but who knows. I just know I dig Vero's character. 

 

Plus, as you've said, OP, the man never seems to need sleep! 

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There have been moments where the MC talks, we just never see any dialogue.

After all how does anyone figure out their name? 

Does the MC just pull out their trainer card?

 

Also there are moments like when Shelly says "No one's been hurt by reading a diary" and the MC faces the opposite direction for a second

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well i always choose Alice because of aesthetics but i never project myself into any blank character in any game so i always try to play the game with the characters almost non existence personality by looking for some info like tumblr and TV Tropes(Yes reborn also have one) its like playing the game at the same time thinking how i will write the scenario into a fanfiction (which will never exist because of my poor writing skills and i am too much of a pussy to post one and always expect to get lots of hate comments)(lll¬ω¬)

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The MC is bland. That's kind of undeniable. They are supposed to be bland, because they're just here for the player to project themselves blahblah everyone's made that point already.

However, claiming they didn't accomplish much of anything good is... unfair at best.

I'm borrowing Commander's list of story events because it's rather comprehensive as well as a good starting point to play "devil's advocate" (although the MC is far from a devil).

 

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Tl;dr

What the MC did wrong:

- being unlucky enough that their actions indirectly trigger tragic events (something they can't really be blamed for),

- potentially joining a street gang when they didn't have to,

- being reckless and naive several times,

- possibly killing members of endangered species,

- butterfingers.

What the MC did right:

- foiling a group of terrorists' plans on numerous occasions (saving lives and homes in the process),

- rescuing police officers,

- rescuing children from ill-intentioned characters several times,

- fetching medicine for Anna (and other tasks the MC handled in spite of stronger trainers being present),

- trusting the right people when necessary (Radomus and Titania),

- protecting a girl from a stalker,

- having a role in discovering the terrorists intentions,

- potentially helping the people of Reborn with menial tasks on numerous occasions,

- and as a bonus: contributing to free Adrienn, which caused a major improvement of Reborn City's overall situation.

I think the good things more than outweigh the bad. As bland as the MC is, they did more for Reborn than anyone else in years, in spite of some questionable choices and actions.

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  On 5/18/2018 at 1:38 PM, Alistair said:

The MC is bland. That's kind of undeniable. They are supposed to be bland, because they're just here for the player to project themselves blahblah everyone's made that point already.

However, claiming they didn't accomplish much of anything good is... unfair at best.

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That list was honestly me just being silly to give people a laugh. I tend to exaggerate stuff when I'm not being super serious. Anyways, projecting yourself onto a character and the simplicity of the plot go hand-and-hand. DQ IX is a good example of how to do it pretty well as while it's making you go a certain path, you have a lot of control and customization over your team and party. This made for some hilarious moments like Josdolf, the priest, earning his nickname for defeating a boss after the worst case scenario happened. Immersion happens from a player's experiences with a character with a void they can use their imagination to fill.

 

Now we could be dancing for hours on the topic of whether or not the MC in Reborn is good or not. I harp on Rejuv a lot due to this, but I do not think Reborn is an exception either. I just think the silent protag aspect is really taken away due to not only the character bloat, but because of how the plot is presented as well. Very, very few scenes consist of just the protag and possibly one other character often leaving the protag as nothing more than a third wheel. You have some exceptions like Fern who people talk about A LOT for that reason. That doesn't mean I think Reborn's plot is bad, but I just don't think it has a very good silent protag aspect. Actually, I'd say it's about average, but nothing to rave about.

 

Now to address that elephant in the room: Corrin from FE Fates (the real reason I'm making this post)

 

I'm just gonna answer the question first: would a silent protagonist talking and a talking protagonist becoming silent change the character? It's not a straightforward answer, but a character's personality would not change, but the likableness of the character could. I'm going to give an example of where a talking protag becoming silent would become a good thing. Chris from FE12 is one of the most hated custom avatar characters due to the sheer pandering they give to Marth. Them not talking would only alter the plot a little bit (making them play like Mark from FE7) but the overall story wouldn't change only possibly making for a jarring moment here and there. Though that'd make Marth the only protagonist again so...I'm not sure if that counts.

 

Now I get to talk about Corrin, which is actually more or less Conquest Corrin. And for those wondering, people would still absolutely despise Corrin even if they were a silent protag because they were pissed at their actions and not their personality or character. I'm not going to lie in that I don't see how Corrin acted making them a horrible character. In fact, I think they had potential to being one of the more interesting Fire Emblem lords and maybe even the best. They did something only one other FE Lord really has made: a terrible decision. Ironically, that character is also really hated. Corrin made some really bad decisions, but they either had 0 consequences or recieved praise for them. The game also contradicts itself a lot which left players just pure frustrated at the story. I don't think simply making Corrin not talk would automatically solve all those problems...but more like shove the blame on someone else instead. And believe me, there are were protagonist than Corrin...much worse.

 

I don't say these things to make people necessarily change their mind, but mostly as a "think about it." Some person could easily come in here and say that silent protags are a great thing and bring valid reasons and be right as well. But this is about the best character in Reborn being the MC, which honestly isn't true. While I'd definitely say my faves are Shelly and Julia, I'd have to give that medal to Titania because she has one of the best and most unique battles, is an interesting character, and has some pretty interesting character development and we aren't even done with her yet.

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  On 5/18/2018 at 6:15 AM, Angelkitsune said:

well Ame actually gave us some little personalities of the MC on Tumblr

  • vero a little too confident, well intentioned but borders on cocky
  • alice very sweet, also very naive doesnt think about consequences
  • kuro strong sense of justice but a little absent minded, gets lost easy
  • lucia super energetic and headstrong and impulsive maybe clumsy
  • ari is good kind of swag, style and grace but also not the brightest
  • decibel prissy snowflake but not in a rude way just floats above everything

 

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Aside from ari and Kuro slightly, this is exactly how I kind of imagined them lol. I think it says something about Ame's skills that she was able to convey their personalities through their sprites.

 

Also gave me a thread idea. Well more a redux.

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