[Bioware] Comparing ME with KotOR - Narrative structure
I had an impression I couldn't shake off when playing the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series: they seem much more artificial than KotOR, for instance. They have a certain feel to them that reminds me of a construction site, with all the beams projecting in plain sight.
I believe this feeling of artificiality has to do with the games' narrative balance, which is too symmetrical, particularly when it comes to companions. Symmetrical balance is a quality that can be exploited for good in many works of art, and which the Greeks praised in sculpture and architecture. Generally, what it effects is harmony and regularity; in the case of Bioware's games, it is 'equal treatment' of the characters. I also think of it as a reaction to the players' expectations, because who wants to receive the short end of the stick? I shall clarify my point with a couple of examples and comparisons.
The Mass Effect 2 structure regarding companions can be adumbrated after one playthrough. With each of the companions you have from 3 to 5 dialogues: two previous to the loyalty mission; the post-loyalty-mission dialogue; two more dialogues if you pursue the romance. I haven't gone back to the game to check out whether these are the exact numbers, but the idea remains the same: you are entitled to this for each and every one of them. Additionally, there is no real interaction between the main story and the companions, a fact which is perceived by the player as further alienation between her story and that of the crew members. In KotOR what we had was a deep connection between Bastila and the main character's story, as well as Carth; both would have minor roles in KotOR 2 which showed their relation to the narrative. There were also minor characters that were not essential to the mission, but still had a role in it, and their dialogues were not impoverished by their secondary status. Still, you would have certain characters speaking more lines because they were either more talkative, or more central to the plot, or came into the ship earlier. The Mass Effect companions are almost completely devoid of agency in the main story: they accompany you, speak their lines, but do not interact with anything beyond their personal stories. They do not even hold any special relation with any other crew members, except for the nominal dispute between Jack and Miranda, and Tali and Legion. What we had in KotOR 2 was Kreia's blackmailing of Atton Rand, for instance; or Rand's jealousy of Mical, whom he would try to irritate at any given opportunity. There had even been some cut content which featured Rand fighting on his own (although you would be controlling him) a Sith, and the negative outcome of the fight would have him tortured and dismembered; or triumphant and cocky if you won. What I'm trying to show is that companions in KotOR had a particular role that often intersected with your story.
Regarding the structure, I'm not saying that KotOR didn't have one, that's preposterous. My point is that Mass Effect's was too evident for its symmetry, which added to the way I perceived my companions: dispensable, practically equivalent to each other. Some of them I found interesting and worth having around (Garrus and... well, that's about it), but I was never under the impression that my companions mattered in the story, or that their presence would change the course of the action in any way. If each companion had had a different amount of lines and quests, at least my impression that they were all the same would have been attenuated. Had they been granted a role in my story, I would have stopped thinking of them as followers, and more as companions.
Nevertheless, what would happen if Bioware did this, like every time they attempt something 'new', is that fans would outrage. They would all want their character of preference to have at least the same treatment as the others, notwithstanding the highly artificial result that comes from it.
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I’m not sure this holds for all recent Bioware titles. In particular, it may just be a failing of Mass Effect 2. For example, Dragon Age was all about Alistair. It’s quite arguable that he was the main character of that story, even more than the character you played.
Even in Mass Effect 1, you could say that Kaiden Alenko and Ashley Williams were meant to be the two main supporting characters. The execution may not have been as successful, but the intent was there.
Part of the problem is that the main character is so indistinct, it might be harder to “hook” other characters into here. In KotoR, you were Revan. You had a solid place in the universe (even if you didn’t know it) and that made Bastila your foil. Maybe giving so much choice in character creation leads to worse stories, as it makes it harder to have the stories intertwine.
Another part is that possible consequences make the rest of the story harder. For example, say in Mass Effect 1 Kaiden and Ashley were super-important, as important as Bastila was. But Kaiden or Ashley end up dying at one point, and that would drastically warp the rest of the story, especially for Mass Effect 2. But not including that death would have seriously hurt Mass Effect 1, as it was a pivotal event.
I do think you have a point about fan pressure to give all characters equal “air-time”. But I think there are other story pressures that push to making all characters equal.
Good point – Ashley and Alenko couldn’t really be so important to the plot precisely because they could end up dead, but what we had in the end was two characters that were interchangeable. I thought about them as MaleCompanion and FemaleCompanion. And then we had Liara. Their romantic stories were so dull and uninspired, and on top of that you could swap either of them for the other and there would be no difference. I think Bioware can do MUCH better. Also, why couldn’t they end up dead and keep being important? We’ll see how this carries to Mass Effect 3. Say, what if we killed off all of our crew in ME2? Would we be missing something crucial to the story (to the main story, not just to any secondary plots that those characters carry)? I hope so. But I think it won’t be the case, as we’ll be seeing a completely new squad (along with some of the companions from ME2). We’ll see.
Also, Alistair is the protagonist of his own story, along with that of the Warden. I don’t think he is more the protagonist than the Warden is precisely because his being the king doesn’t have any impact whatsoever on the game, not even further down the road, in DA:Awakening or DA II. The part of the plot that has to do with his crowning really has no bearing with the Darkspawn crisis, nor does he provide any betterment for the realm, if we choose him instead of Anora. The same thing happens with Morrigan; she does have another layer of story that other characters don’t, but it doesn’t really affect your story, the Darkspawn plot or anything. I believe there is a book in the making (or already written) on this Demon Child. That’s proof of how unrelated this was.
I’m not a big fan of this big “meaningful” choices that they’re pressing on us. Stories end up bleaker because there just isn’t enough budget to make the outcome of our decisions (to kill off one character, for instance) something more than anecdotal. Dammit, I killed Morrigan’s mother in DA:O, why wasn’t that reflected in DA II?
I would rather have a strong story with less decisions, the straightforward Light or Dark path, than this illusion of choice and depth.
Also, thanks for your insight, it’s really appreciated :)-
I’m glad I found this blog. Shame on you for hiding it. This was an interesting read and I wish there were more writers out there with your capability and intellectual approach. I enjoyed the exploration of this topic.
I don’t have much to add except to say that once you’ve played a “insert company name here” you’ve played all their games. It sucks if you’re a game veteran, in a way. In a way we expect our most seasoned developers to keep making breakthroughs and pushing the envelope. Usually they just push their brand and I try hard not to speak on how difficult it must be to develop a great game and then feel the pressure to do even better.
To give an example from my own experience, I finished DA:O before I finished Mass Effect (despite owning it long before then, for shame). That was my first finish of a Bioware game. DA blew me away with the story and character options (I had played plenty of Bethesda titles, just not Bioware). The game was rich with interesting stories and characters and I felt the way they handled dialogue and the players input on the outcomes of the total story was brilliant. The thing is, I was soooo unimpressed by DA2, though I still liked it and played it. As you pointed out, the design is very formulaic. There’s little room for really allowing player impact on the unfolding of events.
Now Bioware should be working on a new formula to really add that dynamism. Really allow for any given character on your team to die because of your decisions. Letting a romance take the story for a total diversion to some very new ending. This formula I’m sure has been years in the making, but as you say …budgets and time constraints keep the devs honest. They have to deliver what they do best for the time being.
I do look forward to a truly dynamic story that the player has firm impact on with every decision. This will be amazing. Bioware is really on track to do this and I hope they pull it off while I still have good dexterity in my hands :)
Sorry for the double post, but I wanted to ask if you could burn your comments RSS to feedburner or otherwise make al ink available. Thanks!
” I wanted to ask if you could burn your comments RSS to feedburner or otherwise make al ink available. Thanks!” I don’t know what you mean – I do have the RSS link at the sidebar, here it is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Hypercriticism
I’m a bit of a noob regarding websites, perhaps there is something I’m missing?
Thank you for your kind words, and I’m glad you found my posts interesting. I just started with this whole blogging thing, and although I have many ideas I want to discuss, I’m still learning, and getting some readers besides my father, hehe.
Also, I don’t know why I can’t post on your site under my nickname. If you see “Marta Tornero” around there, it’s me.
Nevermind, I understood what you meant and fixed it (hopefully). Thanks for the feedback!
Very interesting article. I never played KotOR 2 and it’s been years since KotOR for me. However, the characters in there never struck me as particularly interactive. Or maybe that’s because the German voice acting for both Carth and Bastila was not very good.
I have only just started to play Mass Effect 3 and was struck by a scene that I felt was powerful. I entered Liara’s room, and she was talking to Garrus via vid channel, trying to convince him to come see her instead of calibrating the guns. I have felt it quite poignant how all the characters interact with each other. There seems to be more of a connection between the various characters, especially the ones that go back to Mass Effect 1. What’s your view on this?
I’ll be soon doing a series of posts on Mass Effect 3, and this would be one of the topics I’d like to touch. Briefly, I thought the same about several of the interactions that Bioware added in this new title. I was very pleased that Bioware listened to the fans’ petitions for a less Shepard-centric NPC dialogue like the one you are describing. Once you get farther you’ll witness several instances of interaction between the Normandy crew and your followers, as well as between followers, who move around the ship into the common rooms and tell their own stories. It was a neat touch and really appreciated. Remember to check your map to look for the characters whenever you get back from a mission – Garrus will rarely be by the weapon’s system now. Oh, and if you are romancing one of the ‘main’ companions (Garrus, Ashley, Kaidan, Liara), the companions from ME2 who you will find again might have a line or two referencing it, usually a bit teasing ;).
I’ll be looking forward to the series! My FemShep has been pining for Liara all through ME2, as I really enjoyed their relationship in the first game, and found the romance options in ME2 somewhat lacking, especially in the same sex department. In that respect, ME3 is mindblowing because there are so many options now. But Liara forever! Which made Lair of the Shadow Broker a mandatory part of ME 2 for me.
Looking forward to running into more characters from ME 2. I like the focus on old characters.