: I'm thinking that audiences are maturing and expecting more. They don't want
: to spend $60 on a game starring a nameless, speechless, and emotionless
: lead that they themselves can't have explicit agency over with games like
: Mass Effect. Who wants to spend money on a story with a character that
: isn't fully realized? I personally have never bought into the sense of
: immersion that Bungie seems to have wanted for the Master Chief. I can't
: imagine myself doing these things because I'll never be a gargantuan
: supersoldier. I don't want the Master Chief to be me. Otherwise I'd be
: sitting in orbit aboard a starship, press a single button, and nuke a Halo
: ring. When I buy a $60 game I honestly expect some care put into the
: person you're putting front and center in your cover.

: Destiny soured me completely to the concept of a blank slate and I'm not too
: surprised that this let down came from Bungie. Our Guardians were
: unfulfilled entities in a universe that was supposed to be absolutely rich
: with amazing stories. Not only did we barely get that in the game's
: narrative itself, having to rely on some trading cards to make sense of
: the story, but we were given nothing to imagine how our Guardians felt
: overcoming these tremendous foes. Your guess is honestly as good as mine
: as to what my very own Guardian's personality, emotions, aspirations,
: fears, etc. are like. That's why I gave up on Destiny almost immediately
: after it came out. I buy games first and foremost to experience a rich new
: universe or an exciting new entry in an established franchise. Touting
: Destiny as exactly that then not even caring to put time or energy into
: fleshing the Guardians out felt like a waste of time.

: It can be done right, don't get me wrong, but sometimes a blank slate avatar
: just seems like a poor cop out for not wanting to fully realize them and
: bring your character to life. Headcanon is great but it doesn't leave you
: with the same since of fulfillment that something imbedded in the game can
: provide. When you decide to make these characters an avatar but don't
: offer players the tools to make them their own outside of appearance and
: gameplay style that doesn't sit well with me. Role playing only goes so
: far in a universe where you expect your character to have more of an
: impact outside of shooting a gun, swinging a sword, or casting a spell.

Definitely with you here on "blank" characters. I've never understood the point, really - I am, myself, not a blank slate, and therefore do not emphasise with moving pieces of wood. In the modern video game as a storytelling medium, "blank slate" translates for me into boring. It's part of why I have no inclination to play Destiny - if I know nothing about my player avatar, why should I care? It worked for ODST because the Rookie wasn't the real star of the game there - Buck and Dare were, and you were seeing their story through the eyes of another. Same with Reach - Noble Team were the stars, not Six. But when the story is happening to you, you want to know the personality and history informing the character's actions.