@Quartz on the subject of "head canon", I totally agree that it's a kind of bizarre term (and one that I've only ever seen in relation to the Baldur's Gate series); more than anything, it's the imaginary lines your brain draws to connect elements of storytelling that seem disconnected or out of place. It's the "Irenicus must have done some crazy experiments and that's why Imoen is a mage" part of the story that isn't actually in the game, but players (some players, not all of them) like coming up with justifications for these little plot holes.
So Imoen and Neera and a few other characters use anachronistic phrasing; some players dwell on this as a flaw in the writing (which it very well might be, depending on your point of view). Other players see it as an opportunity to come up with a new interpretation of the world they've come to enjoy.
I think in the context of Baldur's Gate, "head canon" is a necessity simply because the core of the game is that no two players will experience the same story. You're building your own protagonist and making your own decisions, which means the story you're experiencing is different (sometimes very different) from what someone else did.
So you one player might see Neera's language as a slap in the face of the game's well-tuned narrative style, just like I used to get frustrated that Imoen was suddenly a mage after spending all of Baldur's Gate as a thief. "Head canon" is what allows us to continue enjoying a game that we love, despite its flaws and inconsistencies.
I don't think anyone's arguing that silly/lighthearted moments are bad in themselves. Just that they have to, you know, be good. Some of Neera's dialogue, especially the one in question, smacks of someone straining to be funny and quirky rather than someone who's naturally funny and quirky.
the problem is not silliness of characters or interactions, plenty of that in the original game. the real problem is that new writing is often out of the character for a specific NPC. i remember thinking "what? this NPC would never say this thing or deliver it in such way".
all of you can hide around the subjective judgements of quality, art, headcanon etc. but if writing breaks the character consistency (no matter how convoluted it it in the first place) with no explanation, that is bad.
and i agree with OP. this banter is eyeroll inducing.
@AWizardDidIt Yes sir. I do think your wording was a little harsh in a couple of places but I would rather overlook that than blow it way out of proportion. I word things more harsh than necessary myself so I'd be a real hypocrite to complain about that, hah!
So you see Neera's language as a slap in the face of the game's well-tuned narrative style,
Nit-picking I realize, but I was never one of the people who said this. I understand though that so many people complain about that, it's hard to keep track.
My only issue with Neera is the same as @Glam_Vrock states. Of course, she also has her naturally funny moments, but there are some downright cringe-worthy moments where she's trying so hard to be funny, and just isn't at all. The same goes for some of BioWare's NPCs mind you, it's just that BioWare tended to let one NPC look like an idiot, not have a bunch of other NPCs join in also looking like idiots a la this Neera dialogue in question.
I have nothing to say to the rest of your post, other than "cool" or "I agree."
(I'm also 100% with you on the Imoen thief thing. Frustrating!)
@Quartz on the subject of "head canon", I totally agree that it's a kind of bizarre term (and one that I've only ever seen in relation to the Baldur's Gate series);
A...are you serious? Head canon is a term that existed in every fandom I've ever dealt with. I don't even know where the term originated, but it goes far beyond just the BG series.
A little off topic, but I'm about to replay BG1:EE before Dragonspear comes out, I'm wondering if the latest game patch for II will allow the Neera romance to carry over with an import instead of me having to use the console to have Neera's 'BGI romance' conversation pop up in II. Thanks.
Comments
So Imoen and Neera and a few other characters use anachronistic phrasing; some players dwell on this as a flaw in the writing (which it very well might be, depending on your point of view). Other players see it as an opportunity to come up with a new interpretation of the world they've come to enjoy.
I think in the context of Baldur's Gate, "head canon" is a necessity simply because the core of the game is that no two players will experience the same story. You're building your own protagonist and making your own decisions, which means the story you're experiencing is different (sometimes very different) from what someone else did.
So you one player might see Neera's language as a slap in the face of the game's well-tuned narrative style, just like I used to get frustrated that Imoen was suddenly a mage after spending all of Baldur's Gate as a thief. "Head canon" is what allows us to continue enjoying a game that we love, despite its flaws and inconsistencies.
the problem is not silliness of characters or interactions, plenty of that in the original game. the real problem is that new writing is often out of the character for a specific NPC. i remember thinking "what? this NPC would never say this thing or deliver it in such way".
all of you can hide around the subjective judgements of quality, art, headcanon etc. but if writing breaks the character consistency (no matter how convoluted it it in the first place) with no explanation, that is bad.
and i agree with OP. this banter is eyeroll inducing.
My only issue with Neera is the same as @Glam_Vrock states. Of course, she also has her naturally funny moments, but there are some downright cringe-worthy moments where she's trying so hard to be funny, and just isn't at all. The same goes for some of BioWare's NPCs mind you, it's just that BioWare tended to let one NPC look like an idiot, not have a bunch of other NPCs join in also looking like idiots a la this Neera dialogue in question.
I have nothing to say to the rest of your post, other than "cool" or "I agree."
(I'm also 100% with you on the Imoen thief thing. Frustrating!)
Maybe that's a little different, it's things that are commonly assumed but not spelled out.