I'd just as soon not read another novel, but if one was written, I feel like the story is more male-centered.
Imoen seems to be portrayed as the more innocent, carefree, and friendly sibling to Charname's more narrowly-focused and determined personality. This is evidenced by the relative amounts of Bhaal's essence between the two characters, and by the fact that, while Charname and Imoen are both Bhaalspawn, this is Charname's story in which Imoen is a supporting character.
I hope I can say this without sounding sexist, but given the fact that the two sibs were raised together, the discrepancy between personality and motivations makes more sense to me if Charname is male, in terms of classic gender roles.
Please don't ban me. =(
Edit: And I'm already backpedaling in my head. To clarify:
It's possible to create a female protagonist for the BG saga that serves as the more masculine and serious counterpart to Imoen. However, such a character would require a writer with some skill to pull off a strong female character, and given the track record of Forgotten Realms books I don't see them doing justice to a female Charname. The personality traits that Charname must have for the saga to progress are more easily attributed to a male character, and easier is better when not dealing with professionals.
I don't know about identification... it seems to me that male heroes nowadays too strongly tend towards the cooler-than-you full-time bodybuilder elite-soldier no flaws (you get the idea) type. Personally, I'm more able to identify with characters like Han Solo, John McClane, or Dwayne Hicks, heck even some the old Schwarzenegger characters that have *some* of these aspects, but also have some humble traits that make them possible to relate to.
As far as fantasy games are concerned, I'd be a passionate supporter of female warrior hero - as long as she wears realistic armour and not some skimpy boob plate.
Just an FYI, there is a BIG difference between "Would be" and "Should be" in the poll.
I think it "Would be" male. As for what it "Should be", that is a different poll entirely, although I would really like someone write a decent romance sub-plot with Vicky. Then it would have to be male (or would it?).
It's ultimately not that important. A great protagonist would still be great were their gender to hypothetically change. I think about my favorite novels and their protagonists, and honestly would not see them any differently were they to suddenly be re-cast as the opposite sex. I would consider it a silly and an irrelevant change on part of the author, but the character would still shine as brightly and as intensely.
We tend to think that it would be easier to "connect" with a protagonist or an integral character of the same gender, because in the real world men and women find it easier to relate to same sex individuals more often than not. That's just how it is. The genders tend to think a little differently, prioritize different goals and pursue different interests. Nevertheless, in the realm of books, video games and to a lesser degree television (where we have less say in the depiction of a character and their actions) the gender of a character is one of the least impactful foundations. It's way down the pecking order behind the likes of whether a character is brave, honorable, intelligent, wise, charismatic, independent, morally just (as oppose to corrupt) and so on, and so forth.
Gender holds sway over romantic interests being male or female, and likelihood that the character may face a traumatic sexual experience. The latter is an odd one, but probably a true reflection. I can think of a few female lead characters who have either a) went through a traumatic sexual experience, or b) narrowly escaped the attempt. I had to think long and hard to recall a male character having experienced such, and was at a loss to find another. I don't doubt there are more, but the point is that they are far more obscure than that of the female protagonist.
As a member of the male species I dare say we react the same to that of our female counterparts when reading through an experience such as the above. I can only speak for myself, of course. But I am urging the protagonist to fight, to escape, to overcome. When they do it is a surge of relief and ecstasy. It's little to do with it being a woman facing sexual abuse, and more to do with it being a human being facing abuse of any sort, although this is a rather heinous variation. If they succumb to it, that is demoralizing and exhausting. That then becomes determination for them to remain strong and see justice, if not revenge.
Romance on the other hand. That tends to lead to a real disconnect, at least for me, especially if it is a female protagonist pursuing a male love interest. That is a severe loss of traction to the point where I may put the book down. I don't want them to succeed. I don't want them to fail. I just want them to hurry up. The longer it goes on, the less interesting the character becomes. If it is a male protagonist pursuing a female love interest. That holds a tad more sway, but not by a great amount. The reason it garners a little more patience is because it is easier to relate to what they (the protagonist) may see in their love interest, if that love interest is of the gender you are interested in. It may, or may not make a difference, but my wife would refer to me as more romantically inclined than most, and yet I still care not for it in my novels.
It depends on the gender ratio of Baldur's Gate fans, and whether romance would be a cornerstone of the novel. If it is, I would urge opting for the majority ratio, which I assume would be male. If romance takes a back seat, then it could be anything under the sun.
I don't think a romance with Anomen means an automatic reject for a female to take the lead. After all, this is a novel format we're talking about; the writer could very well create his or her own character to add a new romance for the female character if Anomen is so despised. Even then, there's the new NPCs to consider to, since both Rasaad and Dorn are viable for female protagonists. Or better yet, the writer could simply not include romance at all. Yes, it is a rather important part of the human experience, but romance isn't absolutely necessary in every story. It might be a little difficult to make a well-written story without romance, but by no means is it impossible.
That being said, I'd probably still choose a male protagonist (heck, I already have in my fanfic :P). I can't really pinpoint why, but the story definitely feels more male-centric, and not just in the way of romances. Plus, I think a male protagonist serves as a good foil to the female sidekick Imoen.
If the writer creates a new character who functions as party member, it would - at least for me - feel strange, regardless if this new character is the love interest or just a group member. Especially BG1 has tons of NPCs, and BG2 is getting there with 4 new ones (counting the new thief). In a novel, the main character is not restricted by quests or banter lines. Nothing stops a female protagonist from having a romance with Xan or Valygar, or a male protagonist from romancing Alora or Nalia. Just because it's no option in the games, it doesn't mean it's impossible for a novel. Imagine a novel was limited to banter lines that are in the game. There would be no friendships, no rivalries, and most of all - barely any conversation between the main character and the party members, who spend the entire novel repeating the same 10 lines.
@Eudaemonium beat me to it. The standard of "pink for females, blue for males" has been around for less than a hundred years. Before that, pink was actually considered the "manlier" color due to its association with the strong, fiery red.
Why limit it to one protagonist? I'd have two protagonists, one male and one female. (Though probably only one from Candlekeep) This would allow you to have two parties simultaneously, maybe one heroic group and the other dodgy. It would also let you bring in more of the romance plotlines as well as more subquests into the story.
But if I was to choose one or the other I'd go with a female protagonist. Just because I'ver always thought of Imoen and Charname as giggling girls growing up together. Also, if Charname was a guy, I'm sure he and Imoen, being teenagers after all, would have messed around with each other at some stage which, considering what we find out later on in the story, would be a little gross.
More romance plotlines? Why? This is about an adventure, not a soap. A love interest for the protagonist is a given in most stories, though not always neccessary and in some cases completely misplaced, but I can live with it. Adding more romance plots to more people gives it a pretty soapy touch.
Actually, I've always thought of the romance subplot as being part of the Bhaalspawn's dilemma at the very end of the story. Whether Good or Evil, there's no shortage of justification for becoming a god: heroic characters can use that power to help more people and make real changes in the world, while villainous characters are content to seize ultimate power for themselves (and besides, if you give the essence up there's no guarantee someone like Cyric won't eventually steal it anyway).
There's no real downside to the scenario... unless you take into account the fact that you'd be giving up the person you love. It's the difference between being Viconia's patron deity and fathering a son with her, etc. So do you become immortal and lose someone you care for, or stay with them and surrender any claim you'll ever have to divinity?
@Eudaemonium beat me to it. The standard of "pink for females, blue for males" has been around for less than a hundred years. Before that, pink was actually considered the "manlier" color due to its association with the strong, fiery red.
My childhood hero growing up was a professional wrestler by the name of Bret 'The Hitman' Hart. He wore pink and black, with pink being the predominant of the two colours for the majority of his career. As a result, I was a boy who did not dislike pink, as was common with most.
Perhaps my Charname shall incorporate pink into their colour scheme as tribute!
I'm pretty sure the protagonist is male, because the book by Philip Athans says so. Of course, that book was so terrible that I make all of my main characters female just to spite it.
I'm pretty sure the protagonist is male, because the book by Philip Athans says so. Of course, that book was so terrible that I make all of my main characters female just to spite it.
In most western games I'll usually play a female char because all male characters invariably have bulging biceps, which are ugh...
Before BG2, the wife and I always assumed female, simply because of the Daughters of Mystra references and what we thought was going to be a plot point to come. Too much Zelda influences no doubt, but Saverok/Ganon needed to be countered by a feminine/Sophia element with Minsc and giant space hamster along for courage. But BG 2 sort of quashed all that.
I'm pretty sure the protagonist is male, because the book by Philip Athans says so. Of course, that book was so terrible that I make all of my main characters female just to spite it.
In most western games I'll usually play a female char because all male characters invariably have bulging biceps, which are ugh...
I play whatever seems to make the most sense, or has better voice acting, or just looks better.
Comments
Imoen seems to be portrayed as the more innocent, carefree, and friendly sibling to Charname's more narrowly-focused and determined personality. This is evidenced by the relative amounts of Bhaal's essence between the two characters, and by the fact that, while Charname and Imoen are both Bhaalspawn, this is Charname's story in which Imoen is a supporting character.
I hope I can say this without sounding sexist, but given the fact that the two sibs were raised together, the discrepancy between personality and motivations makes more sense to me if Charname is male, in terms of classic gender roles.
Please don't ban me. =(
Edit: And I'm already backpedaling in my head. To clarify:
It's possible to create a female protagonist for the BG saga that serves as the more masculine and serious counterpart to Imoen. However, such a character would require a writer with some skill to pull off a strong female character, and given the track record of Forgotten Realms books I don't see them doing justice to a female Charname. The personality traits that Charname must have for the saga to progress are more easily attributed to a male character, and easier is better when not dealing with professionals.
As far as fantasy games are concerned, I'd be a passionate supporter of female warrior hero - as long as she wears realistic armour and not some skimpy boob plate.
I think it "Would be" male. As for what it "Should be", that is a different poll entirely, although I would really like someone write a decent romance sub-plot with Vicky. Then it would have to be male (or would it?).
We tend to think that it would be easier to "connect" with a protagonist or an integral character of the same gender, because in the real world men and women find it easier to relate to same sex individuals more often than not. That's just how it is. The genders tend to think a little differently, prioritize different goals and pursue different interests. Nevertheless, in the realm of books, video games and to a lesser degree television (where we have less say in the depiction of a character and their actions) the gender of a character is one of the least impactful foundations. It's way down the pecking order behind the likes of whether a character is brave, honorable, intelligent, wise, charismatic, independent, morally just (as oppose to corrupt) and so on, and so forth.
Gender holds sway over romantic interests being male or female, and likelihood that the character may face a traumatic sexual experience. The latter is an odd one, but probably a true reflection. I can think of a few female lead characters who have either a) went through a traumatic sexual experience, or b) narrowly escaped the attempt. I had to think long and hard to recall a male character having experienced such, and was at a loss to find another. I don't doubt there are more, but the point is that they are far more obscure than that of the female protagonist.
As a member of the male species I dare say we react the same to that of our female counterparts when reading through an experience such as the above. I can only speak for myself, of course. But I am urging the protagonist to fight, to escape, to overcome. When they do it is a surge of relief and ecstasy. It's little to do with it being a woman facing sexual abuse, and more to do with it being a human being facing abuse of any sort, although this is a rather heinous variation. If they succumb to it, that is demoralizing and exhausting. That then becomes determination for them to remain strong and see justice, if not revenge.
Romance on the other hand. That tends to lead to a real disconnect, at least for me, especially if it is a female protagonist pursuing a male love interest. That is a severe loss of traction to the point where I may put the book down. I don't want them to succeed. I don't want them to fail. I just want them to hurry up. The longer it goes on, the less interesting the character becomes. If it is a male protagonist pursuing a female love interest. That holds a tad more sway, but not by a great amount. The reason it garners a little more patience is because it is easier to relate to what they (the protagonist) may see in their love interest, if that love interest is of the gender you are interested in. It may, or may not make a difference, but my wife would refer to me as more romantically inclined than most, and yet I still care not for it in my novels.
It depends on the gender ratio of Baldur's Gate fans, and whether romance would be a cornerstone of the novel. If it is, I would urge opting for the majority ratio, which I assume would be male. If romance takes a back seat, then it could be anything under the sun.
That being said, I'd probably still choose a male protagonist (heck, I already have in my fanfic :P). I can't really pinpoint why, but the story definitely feels more male-centric, and not just in the way of romances. Plus, I think a male protagonist serves as a good foil to the female sidekick Imoen.
Imagine a novel was limited to banter lines that are in the game. There would be no friendships, no rivalries, and most of all - barely any conversation between the main character and the party members, who spend the entire novel repeating the same 10 lines.
You can read some of the history here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2009/dec/12/pinkstinks-the-power-of-pink
But if I was to choose one or the other I'd go with a female protagonist. Just because I'ver always thought of Imoen and Charname as giggling girls growing up together. Also, if Charname was a guy, I'm sure he and Imoen, being teenagers after all, would have messed around with each other at some stage which, considering what we find out later on in the story, would be a little gross.
There's no real downside to the scenario... unless you take into account the fact that you'd be giving up the person you love. It's the difference between being Viconia's patron deity and fathering a son with her, etc. So do you become immortal and lose someone you care for, or stay with them and surrender any claim you'll ever have to divinity?
Perhaps my Charname shall incorporate pink into their colour scheme as tribute!
It's one of my favourite colours
In most western games I'll usually play a female char because all male characters invariably have bulging biceps, which are ugh...