Anyone can die - Good or Bad?
I would like to ask everyone, what do you think about the trope where anyone can die? Does that make the story appealing to you? Or does it ruin the story for you that characters that you have grown attached to can and will die during the story?
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It makes the story more intense and realistic, so I think it's a good thing.
I think that no matter the story characters you care about should die. But make it meaningful. The death has to put the story in a certain direction, or have it cause development for anonter character. I'm not a fan of the "It's Game of Thrones" argument, because I think it's bull.
I do like fearing for my favourite characters though.
Exactly, but unfortunately it's like all these fan fiction writers think that if they kill of character; that is enough to make it like Game of Thrones. They totally forget that when GRRM killed off his character, it was for plot reasons and the development of other characters. This then makes the people viewing or playing think more about who is going to die next than the actual story, because the deaths seem to have no reason.
While I don't like seeing characters I've grown attached to die, it is like @TheRightfulKing said, realistic. However that being said, character deaths have to be meaningful. Otherwise it will feel like that character has just been tossed in the bin, their death will end up feeling cheap. It is like at the beginning of a TV show or movie, when you see one or two people go to investigate a noise they have heard. We are already thinking to ourselves, yeah one or both of those guys are going to get killed. Then a few seconds later it happens. Nobody really cares that they have just died. 'sobs' why did the security guard with the red beard have to die, I can really relate to him you know; because I have red beard too. Maybe he died because he has red hair and the world hates red heads. While this death would not really effect us emotionally at least it moves the plot along.
So yeah, death in stories is ok as long as it has some meaning and is not just used for cheap shock factor; because honestly the audience will be more shocked if someone actually lives.
I agree. Personally, I don't mind characters dying, but if they have to die, then their deaths needs to serve a purpose and the plot.
No. Im sick of all the deaths. This is turning out like The Walking Dead where characters fall down like flies. Good writing beats dramatic deaths any day.
Its why I loved The Wolf Among Us the most. None of that shit was there. Only suspense and an interesting story and characters.
Oh yeah. The Walking Dead Season 2 didn't exactly used this one really well. There simply wasn't enough time for me to interact properly with the Cabin group before they all met a grisly fate.
Realistic?
If I´m given all the tools to progress despite not earning them, wouldn´t you consider the game is cheating you? Why does it have to be different when is the oppose thing and the game removes all your tools and fucks you over and over despite not earning such treatment?
A character could ended up beheaded because of that one conversation the game forces you to take, and no matter what you say, you always win the contract and start the events that lead to that "chopping pumpkin" moment.
I´ll agree that makes the experience more intense and as far as if it´s a good thing or a bad one that´s up to everyone´s interpretations and tastes. But realistic? There´s nothing realistic about the possibility of dead in the videogame when the videogame itself launch you into those moments no matter what. It´s not like you can fuck up and die, no, you WILL fuck it up because of the choices the game makes for you, and then you can say sorry to try and save some of them.
It's great when used correctly. There's always suspense in a story where anyone can go at anytime. But it shouldn't be used as a crutch to carry the entire plot.
Because, having heroes always fail and die is no more inspired or intelligent or interesting than having heroes always succeed and survive. They're equally unsatisfying and predictable, at least to me, and that's the direction the show takes the story, as well as the game. Doom and gloom is fine, but doom and gloom for the sake of it, or just to be edgy or live up to some bizarre notion of what Game of Thrones has to be, is quite frustrating. And not mention unimaginative.
It's a bit of a blight on the writing world today, to be honest, how trendy tragedy has become. Nowadays, nobody ever talks about the plot of a story, what will happen next, they only ever seem to talk about who will go next. And I don't know how I feel about that. Still, as long as the character deaths are well done (e.g. Robb Stark's death was well done. It was perfectly set up and foreshadowed. Served the plot immensely. Was wonderfully and horrifically memorable. And made sense as to why it happened) then I do think it's a good thing. Though I also think the overreliance on it--e.g. when deaths become more important than the actual plot--and deaths happen just for shock value, or to garner cheap emotional value, then that's not a good thing. And ultimately, that's how I feel on the whole matter.
TL;DR I believe "Anyone can die" is a good thing, so long as it's properly implemented into a story, and not misused.
I'll put up with, but am not fine with playable characters death choices, because of the complications it'll present for the next season. I'm good with other deaths though.
I've got no issue with the show. Although there are later seasons where I thought that certain deaths were for the sake of being edgy and gruesome. But the game takes it to a whole new level. I mean this is on my playthrough and choices but I doubt you can save anyone from dying, Except for Mira. You have five playable protagonists. and THREE of them die(Mira is a choice). your lord father dies. your peasant father and sister die. then your young brother, your mother, the brother of your spouse, then your other brother. then the traitor,(although thats a choice) and the friends you make a long the way also die (Finn and Cotter) most of the army you fight with in whatever character get slaughtered on regular basis. be it the pit fighters, the Forrester soldiers or whatever.
Its even worse than in the walking dead because there, there was an apocalypse and civilization wasnt there anymore. zombies everywhere.
I guess what im saying is, the game is too gloomy and sad. I've read the books and watch the show and they are not like that. They are balanced enough and you dont regularly feel like shit all the time when reading/watching them. If Telltale is into making games with complete mayhem and chaos then they should do a horror themed one. At least there you know what you signed up for.
Killing too much characters at this fast pace is also a sign that they simply dont know what to do with them writing wise. So they just kill them.
Let me give an example. Look at season 1 of GoT. Major death was only Ned Stark. yet it was strong and served the point of the "anyone can die" concept. The Red Wedding was the same. However, if in season 1 of the show. They killed, Ned, Sansa, Rob, Catelyn. then it would be fucking madness.
I just wish it wasn't either everyone dies or no one dies in games. It isn't emotional if we don't even care about the character. Maybe it was just me but I didn't give a shit about any of the deaths in the game of thrones game. At least make us care about a character before you kill them off, everyone expects deaths left and right so its not enough to shock/upset us. We have to care.
Its just you.
xD I wish I cared about the characters, truly, it would've made the game a lot more enjoyable.