One problem is directly in regards to Honours, the other is about designing characters in industry.
Firstly, it's Eastern Fantasy again. I'm having doubts about even doing this. A while ago, I had problems distinguishing between East and West fantasy. I've been clawing my way through it slowly, and today I decided to look into what exactly inspired Final Fantasy - one of the most Eastern fantasy titles out there - to see if I could find anything I may have overlooked that is a big part of the genre.
What do I find?
It was inspired by
three
Western
fantasy
games.
NGGHGHGNNNNGGHG
Any time I feel like I'm getting somewhere with distinguishing the two, something gets thrown in my way that glues them together again.
The next problem is just characters in general. This course challenges us to be creative and really make something intelligently enjoyable rather than just a flashy cheap thrill.
For example, if I were to do a character for this project that was just a hot girl in a tiny bikini, I don't think it would get me a good grade.
For the most part, this is fantastic. I love good characters and I struggle to enjoy a game without them.
However.
When we look at the big titles out there, what kind of characters do we see?
Compare and contrast Rochelle, who a lot - a LOT - of gamers hate. Some say it's because she's boring, annoying, loud, goofy, sombre or "not black enough", but some have the slightest shred of decency to at least admit they don't like her because she isn't "hot" enough.
The horrible thing is, it's not just the fault of immature, sleazy designers. Why? Because the people lapping this tragic garbage up - and requesting more - are the ones buying the games.
This is what people want.
And what do I do about that?! Surely the best plan is, course be damned, to be part of a company that does nothing but these sorts of characters. I wouldn't enjoy it, but I guess it beats being unemployed. They even probably make a lot of money.
It gets me down sometimes because it makes me debate what a good character really is. I generally think it's someone who is believable, riles an appropriate emotion (such as really rooting for them, or loving to hate them) and is a joy to watch. But if what people want is someone pretty, thin and barely dressed, who am I to judge? If anyone is going to be right, it's the majority - and they are the majority, not me.
EDIT: I also wanted to say that male characters get this sort of treatment too in the form of being huge hulking muscle-men, but if I wrote about them too this post would be even more unbearably long.
Sometimes I think a writer wrote me, I'm a pure example of hulky muscle man.
ReplyDeleteI know right. I remember when I first met you I thought you were doing some sort of amazing Marcus Fenix cosplay, but then I realised that was just what you looked like normally.
ReplyDeleteOh wait
Actually it's because Rochelle doesn't have anything interesting to say, and when she does she's being a bitch. Like when Coach dies, instead of mourning, she'll say "Do you think Coach was his first or last name", or if she angers the witch in The Passing she'll say "I pissed off another bride!"
ReplyDeleteAlso nice one all those games you listed with shitty female characters are by Japanese companies.
ReplyDeleteThen why do people like Nick? He's way more horrible than Rochelle, but a lot of people like him because it's just his personality. I don't think making a joke equates to her being a bitch, because as people have told me before, the game is meant to be a little light-hearted and silly. The things she says aren't over the top and obviously gimmicky, but I like that. She speaks normally, sometimes she's sarcastic and sometimes she's trying to put a good spin on things, which fits her. I can imagine seeing Rochelle in real life. I can't imagine Ellis or Nick ever existing, and Coach's "candyfloss is the food of kings" monologue is just silly IMO.
ReplyDeleteAs for slutty Western characters, as much as I love the second game, Timesplitters has them by the truckload. I get it's meant to be ridiculous and OTT, but when the female characters in the third game have to say something sexy, it's an eye-roll moment. I thought Gretel mk 2 was awesome. I did not feel that way about mk 3.
ReplyDeleteNick is more horrible than Rochelle, but he's honest about it. Rochelle is always sarcastic, passive agressive, or just straight up says things behind people's back (or after they're dead). Besides, Nick develops, he starts off as a drifter prick, but he's nice to Ellis when the Jimmy Gibbs-mobile breaks down. You say that Rochelle is the only character you can imagine in real life, but would you like her as a person in real life?
ReplyDeleteAlso that's one game against 6, Western companies are a lot better about it than Japanese, and it's only improving.
"Rochelle is always sarcastic, passive agressive, or just straight up says things behind people's back"
ReplyDelete"Gonna miss you Coach..."
"Aw, Ellis, I'm going to miss you..."
"I'll miss you, Nick. You were good to me."
"Nick is more horrible than Rochelle, but he's honest about it."
"I can think of two other people I would have rather seen go first."
And I should add that I think Rochelle would be nice in real life. People can't always be chipper and optimistic during an apocalypse.
ReplyDeleteOk maybe I was wrong to say that she's always sarcastic, but it's pretty consistent.
ReplyDeleteI don't see what the problem is with the second comment though, he's being honest about it. He's just lost a friend and is admitting it. If he was saying "Oh geeze we just lost Ellis. Whaaat a shaaame" then you might have more of a point.
He's sniping about the people still on his team. Added to the fact that he's already always putting Ellis down, it shows that he doesn't really care about him at all. The only time he says he's just kidding about all the nasty things he says to him is when both Ro and Coach are dead. It's more about trying to protect himself than offering friendship.
ReplyDeleteSarcasm isn't necessarily a horrible thing. A lot of people are sarcastic without being terrible monsters.
They're all terrible. None of them are good characters. Why do people always debate this. People hate rochelle. There is no reason to. She has as much personality as any other of them. They all have as much personality as pacman. The kind of personality you have to make up yourself or guess based on little snippets of things they say.
ReplyDeleteRochelle is not a bitch, she's saying things that would be said in a zombie film. And to complain about what they say is stupid. The L4D1 cast are apparently better but they don't even say anything to each other. There is nothing there. So they're even worse because they don't say anything. The only reason I can think people dislike her is because she's black or not hot. Personally I don't care at all. None of the characters appeal to me.
Ok whatever I'm done
ReplyDelete