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Story discussion - The hero vs the nameless figure

Wandering MistWandering Mist Moderator, Member, Founder, Kickstarter, Alpha One
As a story narrative in an mmorpg, do you prefer your character to be the hero of the land, or a nameless figure who is part of the larger group?

Discuss :)
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Comments

  • DamoklesDamokles Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    nameless figure.
    A hero is someone who stands alone at the top, someone who is the strongest. That is pretty much impossible in an MMORPG ;D

    A nameless figure has to stand strong with his allies in the face of danger, band together if you know what i mean. That is way more fun in my honest opinion :D
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  • Wandering MistWandering Mist Moderator, Member, Founder, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Damokles wrote: »
    nameless figure.
    A hero is someone who stands alone at the top, someone who is the strongest. That is pretty much impossible in an MMORPG ;D

    A nameless figure has to stand strong with his allies in the face of danger, band together if you know what i mean. That is way more fun in my honest opinion :D

    That is how I feel about it too. I'm curious to hear if anyone has any reasons for wanting the hero storyline in an mmorpg.
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  • amuriaamuria Member, Intrepid Pack
    A nameless figure just gives more options for your character, it does feel very weird if you reguarly commit crimes and are also regarded as the great hero. Even if that itself could be a story line too.
  • VarkunVarkun Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Just a nameless figure who wanders the land with his companions trying to make his way in the world of Verra.
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    Close your eyes spread your arms and always trust your cape.
  • Totally nameless in an mmorpg.
    The story is made by guilds and alliances. Not by npcs
  • Nameless Hero.

    It is kind of awkward when you are standing around a NPC with like 30 other players and the NPC is all like "Your the hero, only you can do this quest that no one else is special/powerful/etc enough to handle." and your staring at all those other people.
  • Yeah, some people take 'hero of the people' a tad seriously for their character.

    Quests and content should aim for world / game immersion, ie, you are an ordinary person who has chosen to do something a little out of the ordinary. That doesn't make you comparable to the gods.
  • caedwyncaedwyn Member
    i dont want to be nameless. but i absolutely am not going to be the hero either.
    i want recognition for what i do with whom i do it.
    a reputation system which choices and consequences and storyline decision making is what i like.
  • KanisKanis Member
    Neither? A prominent character. Maybe not the top hero, but not a peasant.

    There should be reason to engage with the story. A chance for glory is important for protagonists and in games alike.
  • AzathothAzathoth Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I would like to be a well known character who has completed some heroic tasks, but I would prefer to not be a hero of the land. So, nameless hero whose name is somewhat known in their area...
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    +1 Skull & Crown metal coin
  • DamoklesDamokles Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    Something else i wanted to add!
    Did you play a Paladin in WoW Legion? No? Then one little thing: It was really awkward, when you recieved THE ASHBRINGER, and you just throught "Awwww yeah, i am the one!" And then you leave the cutscene and all around you are other people with THE ASHBRINGER and suddenly it just became meaningless. XD
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  • T ElfT Elf Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I just want to be a hero to certain people for small acts of kindness. Like @caedwyn a reputation system where they remember me (good or bad). I don't need to be the hero of the land, or The One unless I defeated a dragon all by myself (ain't gonna happen).

    I would like to see a very meaningful, in depth, reputation system in Ashes, that includes NPCs as well as societies. That way word can spread of your deeds/actions, but not be THE ONE, but perhaps any societies or professions you belong to will get residual accolades because you are a member; such as, "the Iron Lion is seen as a protector of the people because it has people like you."
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    Formerly T-Elf

  • NagashNagash Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Ironically Skyrim did this quite well. whenever you reached a point in a class the guards would start to comment on that as if your fame was spreading.
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    The dead do not squabble as this land’s rulers do. The dead have no desires, petty jealousies or ambitions. A world of the dead is a world at peace
  • TatianaTatiana Member, Founder, Kickstarter
    I don't wanna be a nameless figure, I like playing *A* hero, I don't have to be *THE* only hero.
  • AtamaAtama Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    edited May 2019
    “Excuse me... Ragnar the Elder?”

    “Yes Hero, how can I help you?”

    “Um, yeah, sorry to seem like I’m prying or anything but I could swear I just overheard you tell that bard that he is the Chosen One.”

    “That is correct! He rescued the Oracular Goose from the bandits hiding in the Cave of Doom, thus fulfilling the prophecy and proving that he is the Savior of All Men, the Chosen One of the Gods.”

    “How did that goose make its way back to the cave after I...? Never mind, so you’re saying we are both the ‘Chosen One’?”

    “Indeed, you are both the Great and Glorious Hero of Legend.”

    “Okay... So then how many ‘Chosen Ones’ are there exactly?”

    “Oh I lost count long ago. I would guess it is in the thousands by now. Please forgive me, I believe I see the Chosen One coming our way and she bears the Oracular Goose in her arms! Truly, we are saved!”

    “Whatever. Crazy old fart.”
     
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  • T ElfT Elf Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Where's that LOL button? Bueller, Bueller
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    Formerly T-Elf

  • DygzDygz Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I like to be well-known - like the protagonist(s) in a fantasy novel.
    That doesn't necessarily mean I'm a hero. I was the Charles Darwin of Wizard101 because I mapped out pet abilities and devised a reliable method for breeding their traits.

    Gaining recognition among NPCs helps with immersion.
    Doesn't necessarily have to be recognition as a hero.
  • AmistAmist Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I prefer somewhere in between. It often doesn't make sense storywise to be nameless if you have a big impact on the events happening in the world. On the other side of the coin you have games like WoW where everyone is the hero and that doesn't quite make sense either.

    I think a middle ground needs to be found in this case. I like the ground idea of those returning to Verra being a team of heroes rather than being an individual saving everything and everyone
  • DamoklesDamokles Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    atama wrote: »
    “Excuse me... Ragnar the Elder?”

    “Yes Hero, how can I help you?”

    “Um, yeah, sorry to seem like I’m prying or anything but I could swear I just overheard you tell that bard that he is the Chosen One.”

    “That is correct! He rescued the Oracular Goose from the bandits hiding in the Cave of Doom, thus fulfilling the prophecy and proving that he is the Savior of All Men, the Chosen One of the Gods.”

    “How did that goose make its way back to the cave after I...? Never mind, so you’re saying we are both the ‘Chosen One’?”

    “Indeed, you are both the Great and Glorious Hero of Legend.”

    “Okay... So then how many ‘Chosen Ones’ are there exactly?”

    “Oh I lost count long ago. I would guess it is in the thousands by now. Please forgive me, I believe I see the Chosen One coming our way and she bears the Oracular Goose in her arms! Truly, we are saved!”

    “Whatever. Crazy old fart.”

    What actually happens between the NPCs: The old man actually pays you to steal the goose from a vigilante group that tries to find a way to kill his dark lord. The vigilantes in turn wait hidden in the chicken coop, where the old man keeps the goose. The moment he turns his back on them, they steal the goose back.
    The important part here, the goose is in actuallity the dark master imprisoned in goose form!
    :)
    (Loved your ministory btw @atama ;D)
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  • AzryilAzryil Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I think if we're to be treated as a hero by the game world it should only be after doing some amazing feat such as protecting a node from a dragon or monster attack, and then we should only be treated as a hero in that node. And if that node happens to get destroyed down the road and reset we should no longer be treated like heroes since the citizens that knew us as heroes are gone.
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  • Alpha SoulAlpha Soul Member, Phoenix Initiative, Avatar of the Phoenix, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I'm of the opinion as we'll that we're all nameless.. until we make a name for ourselves in the world via in game actions.
  • Wandering MistWandering Mist Moderator, Member, Founder, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    dygz wrote: »
    I like to be well-known - like the protagonist(s) in a fantasy novel.
    That doesn't necessarily mean I'm a hero. I was the Charles Darwin of Wizard101 because I mapped out pet abilities and devised a reliable method for breeding their traits.

    Gaining recognition among NPCs helps with immersion.
    Doesn't necessarily have to be recognition as a hero.

    Being called the "Charles Darwin" of Wizard101 is recognition of your deeds from the other players on the server, not the NPCs. I think this means a lot more than being called a hero by NPCs. One thing that has always bothered me about hero stories is that many times, the heroic feats your character performs require very little effort from you as the player. Yes my character may have taken down a dragon that was plaguing the land, but all I did as the player was press 2 buttons. The title of hero doesn't feel justified or earned.

    On the other hand, if you become recognised by the other players for doing something, chances are what you did had a big impact on the server, and is something that not many others can do. Anyone who played WoW during Vanilla or TBC probably remembers the top guilds and/or players on their server. If you were part of only 1% of players who killed a certain boss, that meant something, and other players respected that.
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  • KarthosKarthos Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I'm a big fan of infamous rather than famous.

    I find the former much more true in MMOs. Everyone knows the name of the troll guild or Zerg Guild everyone loves to hate.
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  • AzryilAzryil Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Recognition from players whether it's for being the server first guild to take down some boss or for just being an asshole in the community is going to happen regardless. It's just a side effect of a multiplayer game. In this respect I think it's important that server communities remain important, meaning limit interaction with other servers within the game world, I think this was one of the biggest mistakes in WoW, starting with PvP battle groups and eventually moving to LFG and cross realm zones.
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  • AtamaAtama Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    dracdoc wrote: »
    I'm of the opinion as we'll that we're all nameless.. until we make a name for ourselves in the world via in game actions.

    Not really.

    I’m Atama.
     
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  • A huge cheer for all of the nameless non-heroes.
    Your actions fill up the auction houses with lumber and rock.
    Ner' a grumble for the lack of renown.
    You are the true heroes.
  • I love how runescape handles its questing.
    I don't feel like a nameless nor hero, but a strong and upright character.
    "You're seeking for perfection, but your disillusions are leading to destruction.
    You're bleeding for salvation, but you can't see that you are the damnation itself." -Norther
  • DygzDygz Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    One thing that has always bothered me about hero stories is that many times, the heroic feats your character performs require very little effort from you as the player. Yes my character may have taken down a dragon that was plaguing the land, but all I did as the player was press 2 buttons. The title of hero doesn't feel justified or earned.
    When I play D&D, I'm typically striving to just be a Gardner who happens to have levels of Druid. Or a Scribe who happens to have levels of Bard.
    Feeling like I've built up recognition and rep with the NPCs is great for story, but I'm not really interested in being thought of as a hero.
    The problem with themepark MMORPGs is that everyone does the exact same quests, so everyone is the hero, really.
    In Ashes, the devs have stated that we're heroes just for returning to Verra.
    And we were the best of the best on Sanctus.
    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  • T ElfT Elf Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Hmmm why couldn't we be the criminals, dregs of society, or paupers that got sent over because Sanctus wanted to get rid of us?
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    Formerly T-Elf

  • AzryilAzryil Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Sounds like corrupted players to me.
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