Would you prefer a silent MC or a pre-written personality for your MC?

[Leonex]

I can't really decide on which would be better as both have their advantages and disadvantages. For one, a silent MC allows you to project yourself onto the character and story a lot easier as this is supposed to be a role playing game after all. Additionally, it can be considered a "safe" option as you couldn't possibly create a horrible character if the character is literally blank. On the other hand, a character written by the writer could potentially be better for the plot and overall story itself if done well. It might also be good to note that the silent MC is quite honestly overdone at this point and I'd love to see a fresh take. I remember playing Pokemon Red Adventures a long time ago and although I haven't played the recent updates, I remember liking Red pretty well, so I think it definitely can work. What do you guys think?

[GenEric]

what i like is if a pre-written mc still gives player input on how to act and what decisions to make, like the ones from telltale games, just have to give them a strong motive and likeable characteristics

[Leonex]

4 hours ago, GenEric said:

what i like is if a pre-written mc still gives player input on how to act and what decisions to make, like the ones from telltale games, just have to give them a strong motive and likeable characteristics

Oh yea for sure. However you wouldn't be able to "project" yourself onto the character, so that's one down side. Some people would probably like it if they felt like it's them going through the adventure and not a character that was already written.

[Egzample]

A silent protagonist didnt bother me much before, as you said you can project your choices on it anyway. What I noticed though, there is a little too many dialogue references in E19 to the fact that the protagonist is silent. In my eyes it doesnt fit the narrative too well and breaks the immersion a little bit.

[Leonex]

17 hours ago, Egzample said:

A silent protagonist didnt bother me much before, as you said you can project your choices on it anyway. What I noticed though, there is a little too many dialogue references in E19 to the fact that the protagonist is silent. In my eyes it doesnt fit the narrative too well and breaks the immersion a little bit.

I'd actually say that was quite fun and decent comic relief but I definitely see your point if it gets overdone

[rem]

In my opinion, both can work. In games like SMT and Persona I feel like they do the silent protag thing correctly. I would love for a Pokemon game to have an established protagonist. Games like the Final Fantasy series show how far an established protagonist can take a game. Look at Zidane in IX. With a silent protagonist, the story feels much more hollow.

Edited April 29, 2022 by rem

[rtjondrowiguno]

A silent MC works best if the dev's intention is to let players insert their own personality. A pre-written personality, on the other hand, needs strong writing to really shine. Personally, I prefer pre-written but realized characters (e.g. Trails series), but I also realize pre-written characters can also have irregularities like unclear motivation, inconsistent story, etc.

[Black Hoof]

I also tend towards preferring a character who talks, with the player being able to pick between 2 or 3 choices. I, too, believe a character who stays silent and doesn't seem to say anything risks disrupting immersion in a story.