The Three States of the Video Game Protagonist

Welcome back everyone! Sorry about the lack of a post last week. I had this particular one all finished and then the file got corrupted. It's a damn shame but no worries, I've brought the post back for you!

So I've started playing the absolutely lovely Dragon Age: Origins again. I lost all of my previous save files and now need to ensure that I can adequately construct the world I want in Dragon Age: Inquisition. But as I've been playing through this and looking back on The Witcher, Dark Souls, Tales of Xillia, etc. I've started to think more and more about the general outline of the video game protagonist. And I've put this little article together about what I believe the three most commonly presented forms of the protagonist are. It's not just how the character is presented but also how the player is expected to interact with the world and deal with the obstacles in their way that influenced these categories. So, let's jump right in.

The Player as the Protagonist

Found in: Dragon Age: Origins, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Dark Souls, Knights of the Old Republic

This seems to be one of the most common trends from the last console generation. The player is given a protagonist to mold and construct as they see fit. They create their character's appearance, fighting style, voice package, etc. and are sent off on a grand adventure. Over the course of the adventure there are events that are out of the player's control yet they are given plenty of reign to act as they see fit. Maybe the player can kill NPCs and lock out certain parts of the game as a result. Maybe certain options are only available if the player has met certain requirements with how they built their character. Usually this protagonist is not actually referred to by name or referred to by a nickname. And the character is generally silent. This way generally allows the player to have greater influence on the story. But in many of these games the story has a high chance of suffering as a result. Making all of those branching pathways is time consuming and in order to allow that freedom there are times where the story can't be very tightly written. If someone is looking for freedom with little to no restrictions this will likely be their favorite option for a protagonist.

The Player Influences the Protagonist

Found in: The Witcher, Dragon Age 2,Mass Effect, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, The Walking Dead

A trend that has been emerging in games is the offering of limited choice to the player. The player is given a set protagonist with their own goals, dreams and motivations and the player gets to decide exactly how they will achieve those goals. Much of the story will likely be set in stone with a few areas here or there where the player can influence the outcome. The player will have some input regarding the players actions and interactions with the world but if the protagonist wouldn't do something, say slaughter a bunch of helpless villagers for example, then the player will be unable to carry out that action. Certain areas and options in the game may also be locked based on the player's actions, just like in the previous choice. This option tends to allow for a tighter story but less freedom. Players that are looking for a good balance of the two will likely favor this option.

The Protagonist Leads the Player

Found in: Tales of Vesperia, The Final Fantasy Series, Tomb Raider, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Metal Gear Solid

Called the "Linear Option" by some in this type of game there is no way for the player to influence the story or the attitude of their character. The protagonist is a fixed person with their own motivations and goals and the player has no input on what those are. The challenges that stand in the player's way will be solely gameplay related: combat, puzzle solving, etc. The story in this type of setup is fixed and its outcomes cannot be changed. There is little to no freedom in this kind of game but it tends to offer players the tightest and most well-written story telling experience. Players that don't care about having an impact on the story and simply want to sit down to a solid narrative and good gameplay will likely favor this option.

When it comes down to it I really don't have a preference. Each option has its pros and cons and can influence the gameplay and narrative in plenty of unique and interesting ways. But what do you guys think? Is there a certain style of protagonist that you find that you favor? How important is choice to you in a video game? Let me know in the comments and I'll see you next time.

Technical Difficulties

There is no post this week due to technical difficulties that caused me to lose the entire post. Such a shame! I'll be back next week and hopefully my luck will be better.

Hearthstone: Finally, a TCG to Call Home

I've been playing Hearthstone for a few months now and I've really been enjoying it. It seems like I finally have the collectible card game I have always wanted. I play a few collectible games in my spare time, most notably Magic: The Gathering and Heroclix. Hearthstone has given me the hope that high-level play would actually be able to be something I could do. I haven't had this feeling with Magic or any other collectible card game in the past. I'm here today to tell you all why I have this feeling and why Hearthstone has given me the enthusiasm that Magic, Yu-gi-oh! and other TCGs simply cannot.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy my time with Magic. I enjoy it so much that I looked into doing competitive play for it. Unfortunately my dreams of any competitive play were dashed. It wasn't a matter of player skill at that point. I didn't even have an opportunity to try to suck at competitive Magic play. Simply put, I couldn't pay the entry fee to try and be good.

See Magic has something that Hearthstone does not. That something is the opportunity to buy single cards. Rather than sifting through countless packs hoping that the thing you want is in there to make your deck that much better you can simply buy whatever card you need to beef up your deck. Now, this wouldn't be a problem is card prices didn't range from well that's a little steep all the way to that is absolutely outrageous. This paywall causes a huge problem for a lot of people. Many times it doesn't matter if someone is better than their opponent because that opponent paid more money to have stronger things than the player with higher skill. In the end it becomes pay to win in its purest form. Can't pay the hundreds of dollars to get in with the big dogs? Well no competitive play for you. Enjoy getting trounced again and again because you don't have as much money to devote to this hobby as the other guy.

Hearthstone doesn't really have this problem. You can't buy single cards. You can craft cards by giving up cards you don't need in hopes of something better. You can also pay money for packs like anyone else. But all buying packs does is give you more opportunities to get good cards than somebody else. It doesn't guarantee that a player that hasn't sunk as much money into the game as you will lose. You also have the option to not pay money at all. The game gives you so many opportunities to get cards for free. You can get packs just for winning games. You can get packs for playing a certain type of deck. Decks even get cards awarded to them just by the player choosing to use them. Hearthstone gives players a wonderful feeling as they play. It gives players the sense that the game is simply rewarding them for playing it. You get access to more content by simply playing the game. And that is something I feel every game should strive for.

So what do you guys think? Does the fact that Hearthstone won't let you buy single cards contribute to the game or hinder it? What are some of your experiences with collectible card games? Hit me up in the comments and I'll catch you next time.

No Post This Week

Hey guys there won't be a post this week because I'll be out of town. Have a happy 4th everyone!