The Mute Protagonist...

[Bastrophian]

Ok...so, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, LOZ, Secret of Mana....lots of others...all had silent protagonist, and relied on the supporting characters to carry the story and help imply your characters personality (or something like that).

BUT....i was just thinking....what if the protagonist you play as REALLY was mute. As in, he/she has the physical or psychological inability to speak. The supporting characters couldn't "put words in the players mouth" (or,i suppose they could, but that would probably lead the protagonist into some hairy scenarios...) and the protagonist would have only gestures and facial expressions to communicate with (unless, in the setting, there was some kind of commonly used sign language and the character knew it) How well do you think this would work in a game (would this really change the normal concept of having a silent protagonist), and what do you think about this idea, and can you think of anything to add to this?      

 

[Kes]

You could have this as a two track thing.  There's what the supporting characters reckon is going on with the protagonist, their assumptions etc.  For a good idea of how this might work, think of how a lot of people treat the disabled, almost like they're not there.  There is a program on the radio in the UK for the blind with a title "Does he take sugar?" which sums up the basic attitude.  However, in a game you have the ability to show the thoughts of a character (using dim background) and could use this to show what's really going on, any dissonance, the protagonist's running comments on the ways that the other characters consistently get it wrong (if that is the case), and so on.  The player will know things that the characters cannot know, and this can be a powerful way to tell a story.

I think to have a 100% silent protagonist where the other characters can't even put words into his mouth would be extremely difficult to pull off in a game.  In a movie you've got the infinite range of facial expressions and bodily gestures to convey speech equivalent.  You don't have that in a game.

 

[Nirwanda]

Remnants of Isolation (the winner of IGMC) had a mute protagonist, and it worked quite well. Why don't you check it out?

I really don't have much too add, except to echo ksjp: it would be pretty interesting, especially if you use inner monologues correcftly; then your character and their relation to the world would become all the more relatable and interesting.

 

[Tsukihime]

Add lots and lots of smilies to emphasize body language.


Even better, have them use sign lanuguage.

 

[hiromu656]

Jak was mute in the original Jak and Daxter, I actually preferred him that way than him talking in the later games. He presented his thoughts well though, so if you can pull it off it can be interesting.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if he was physically mute, but I remember Daxter saying that he was. Considering he grunts and stuff and also can talk in the later games, maybe he wasn't really mute? Either way I liked him when he didn't talk.

 

[Heretic86]

Actually, that is a very interesting idea to allow for a Mute as a result of a Physical Handicap!

How many times to we play the overpowered hero, or even the average joe?  How many times do we play a character that has less than average abilities?  Books and Novels have many such stories of people in wheelchairs or a bad leg, yet, it seems like anyone with a Disability is ostracized in video games?

Ninety Percent of human communication occurs through Body Language.

This is an exceptional opportunity to use Animations to communicate with both the Player and other characters what information they are trying to convey, as well as how difficult it is for people with such Disabilities.  In real life, most actual mutes would communicate the same way as Deaf People do, Sign Language.  Or literally putting word associations with physical gesutres instead of sounds.  Alternatively, they carry writing utensils around because not that many people can speak Sign Language, and this would probably hold true even in a fictional game enviornment.  It could also be as easily interpreted as a "Game of Charades".  Novels do have an ability that as game makers, we lack, and that is the internalization of the literal thoughts that go through the minds of the characters since games, even RPG games are much less wordy than real paperback novels.  Games are a closer medium to movies and tv where the internalization of what characters think is almost never included.  It is exposed through expositional dialogue and only when it is necessary.  Or it is achieved through Narration.  Reflecting some of the internalized pain of a main character who is a mute may reveal to players what these people that lack the ability to physically speak have to deal with in their lives. 

All I can really add to this is that Psychology will play heavily in the thoughts of such a character.  Being a Mute will cause many emotional reactions, and a storyteller needs to be aware of all of these things in order to make the character as real as possible.  Mutes will deal with Five Stages of Grief, so it is important that if a character has been Mute their entire lives, they wont be stuck at Stage One.  Stage One would be where most authors would imagine the character is at, but a real person would have moved well beyond Stage One.  Stage One is Anger, so yes, we as both the Audience and Writers would easily connect with Anger, but characters would have moved well beyond this stage, so each Stage could be addressed.  That is, if the mind of the Mute Character is a part of the story to be told. 

Another approach could be to completely dehumanize the main character, where by the Main Character is unable to speak because they are not human.  For example, playing the role of a Pet, like a Dog.  They can communicate, but only to the extent of barking or gestures.  But if we wanted the protagonist to retain their Human form, other Disabilities could be applied.  Wheelchairs.  Perhaps a Military Veteran that has lost a Limb.  Perhaps they were born with a Disability.  We see the world the way that we see ourselves, not the way the world really is.  Most people that dont have any disabilities think the whole world is healthy, well fed, and have unlimited potential, and only an exceptional few suffer the consequences of disabilities.  Good storytelling can help otherwise healthy people to connect with a character that has some disability.

It is something exceptionally rare to see in the Storytelling of a Video Game, and is a welcome addition to how such a character would deal with their problems in their world.  People with Disabilities are people too.

 

[Bastrophian]

@Heretic- I'm taking down notes, lol.

I'm also thinking up ideas on how it could be used as a plot device too. Like maybe someone entrusts him with a 'terrible secret', who whispered it to him (that way the player wouldn't know it just yet and create a sort of suspence.) And he can't tell anyone because he's mute, so he has to do something about it himself.

 

[mogwai]

Opens it up to a loud mouth side kick who the hero rolls eyes at / makes "no no don't say that" gestures...

a regular Silent Bob and Jay duo.

 

[Heretic86]

@Heretic- I'm taking down notes, lol.

I'm also thinking up ideas on how it could be used as a plot device too. Like maybe someone entrusts him with a 'terrible secret', who whispered it to him (that way the player wouldn't know it just yet and create a sort of suspence.) And he can't tell anyone because he's mute, so he has to do something about it himself.

Thanks!  Youve got a very interesting idea there!  But just to add a bit more, some "disabilities" may be temporary as well.  Its kinda sorta where the idea of "Restrict Magic Usage" comes from, or some of the States that put restrictions on Battlers.  Another concept might be the Protagonist visits the Dentist.  Ever try to talk after getting wisdom teeth pulled?  You cant talk, just grunt and drool, but it is temporary...  It is a clever idea as to why the Protagonist takes the responsibility on themselves to do something that gets them involved in the story instead of just leaving it to someone else.

 

[harmonic]

There's an important distinction between the way Remnants of Isolation and Chrono Trigger handle mute protagonists. CT is a legendary game no doubt, but Remnants handles it better.

Her muteness is actually tied into the narrative. It is both part of her character, and an important component of how she interacts with others. In CT, Chrono's interactions with others seemed to be as though he was telepathically communicating exactly what he needed to say - his muteness did not weave into the narrative. This is fine - it was merely a design decision, but I come from the school of narrative supremacy. All things are better when they have a truly compelling reason to exist in the game world.

So, I don't think mute protagonists are an inherent advantage or disadvantage in and of themselves - it depends largely on how their muteness is relevant to the game world.