Appearance

[JackpotDen]

From the splash site, we see Tommy's jacket and probable appearance, and I think it ties well to his background and the story, as he has an important sybol, merely as a "cool design" and wears jeans.

[Spooger]

I've realized something. Tommy, Duke, and Max share a lot in common imo. They all seem like anti-heros to me. We don't know too much about Tommy, but I wouldn't be surprised if he maintained the same edge that Duke and Max have - they're just bad to the bone, gruff, and tough. I bet Tommy will have similar qualities. That kind of thing may seem like unoriginality, but it's not: these characters feel consistant in design (which could be miconstrued as unoriginality) but are drastically different thanks to the setting. It's really quite neat to look at it like that.

[Gryph]

Duke is an anti-hero? That's news to me. I always thought he was the stereotypical badass hero.

[Spooger]

GryphonKlaw said:
Duke is an anti-hero? That's news to me. I always thought he was the stereotypical badass hero.



Yeah, that might fly...if I didn't feel like such a damn bad guy when I played Duke Nukem 3D http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Yes, I'm saving the world - I'm also a track-talkin, stripper loving, killer http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Duke's out to save our chicks - I dunno if he cares much for the world.

Still, I could be wrong in that assumption - that's just representative of how I felt while playing DN3D. I'm probably not wording it right, but there's definately a certain "je ne sais quoi" that can be sensed in every single one of these characters. Or am I going crazy?

[JackpotDen]

GryphonKlaw said:
Duke is an anti-hero? That's news to me. I always thought he was the stereotypical badass hero.



Anti hero is when you cross the line and kill people.(at least in comic books it is)

[Gryph]

JackpotDen said:

GryphonKlaw said:
Duke is an anti-hero? That's news to me. I always thought he was the stereotypical badass hero.



Anti hero is when you cross the line and kill people.(at least in comic books it is)


What?

No. "In literature and film, an anti-hero is a central or supporting character that has some of the personality flaws and ultimate fortune traditionally assigned to villains but nonetheless also has enough heroic qualities or intentions to gain the sympathy of readers or viewers. Anti-heroes can be awkward, obnoxious, passive, pitiful, or obtuse—but they are always, in some fundamental way, flawed or failed heroes. In this use, the term tragic hero is sometimes used."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-hero

Calling Duke an anti-hero is really stretching it.

[Spooger]

I suppose that either my interpretation of Duke, my understanding of the word "hero" (and obviously, anti-hero) and the feelings I had while playing DN3D for the first time have all factored into my establishment of Duke as an anti-hero.

If a hero can be obnoxious and flawed, then I suppose I'd pick that lengthy description over calling him an anti-hero (despite them being the same thing - it just feels more accurate.) Duke is no defender of morality and he seems more inclined to revenge and kicking ass then, say, what many of us might consider "good." He has characteristics of both a hero and an anti-hero (which both blurs the distinction, and proves that these characters are more than skin-deep imo). The comedy elements of Duke Nukem help make what's going on in Duke's world seem a lot less dark and disturbing then they are.

Anyhow, I'm overanalyzing Duke. It's likely as far as the developers are concerned Duke's about kicking ass, looking great, and not much else (I think I've said as much in another topic). Regardless, I think my interpretation of him as an anti-hero - while certainly being a stretch - is nearly valid. Of course, one man's hero is another man's enemy, but I think most everyone here shares a lot of the same opinions about Duke: Duke kicks ass, and whether or not he's a "hero" is hardly as important in comparison with that.

[Kristian Joensen]

No Spooger you are not overanalysing Duke you are simply analysing, something wich is almost never done.

[Spooger]

Kristian Joensen said:
No Spooger you are not overanalysing Duke you are simply analysing, something wich is almost never done.



Which is probably why it's overanalyzing http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif If everyone was sitting around the forums speculating about Duke's behavior and mentality this kind of thing would fit right in. It's probably best if his image remains that of a "stereotypical badass hero" - because that's probably what's intended. Or is it?

[Kristian Joensen]

Maybe partly but I don't thing that is the only intended charchter feature of Duke. This is something only George and Scott know but I think George once said that they intended Duke to be more serious than he was preceived to be by the public and the media in Duke3D. I also think they have mentioned that they are striving to alter the publics perceptionof Duke a bit in the more serious direction in DNF.

But they certainly don't wan't him to be too serious.

[George Broussard]

Spooger said:
I've realized something. Tommy, Duke, and Max share a lot in common imo. They all seem like anti-heros to me.


They are actually quite different.

Duke is an ego maniac and embraces the spotlight and any chance to kick alien ass. He thrives on it.

Max was driven to action due to the death of his family.

Tommy is apathetic and wants nothing more than to be left alone. We doesn't want fame or fortune, or the responsibility of saving the Earth.

[John]

George Broussard said:

Spooger said:
I've realized something. Tommy, Duke, and Max share a lot in common imo. They all seem like anti-heros to me.


They are actually quite different.

Duke is an ego maniac and embraces the spotlight and any chance to kick alien ass. He thrives on it.

Max was driven to action due to the death of his family.

Tommy is apathetic and wants nothing more than to be left alone. We doesn't want fame or fortune, or the responsibility of saving the Earth.



But Max didn't really want any of that either, he was forced to fight back.

I guess theres going to be more to the storyline in Prey then we are reading into it.

[Parkar]

He was not forced, he could have just have given up pretty much any time. Max driving force is his own will while Tommy probably has little choice what to do. Both Tommy and Max wishes nothing of this happened in the first place though. Duke on the other hand likes being in the heroes shoes and since its his boots in duke's world that's just perfect. Duke getting annoyed by the aliens is more of an excuse for him to say witty comments and kick there ass.

[Spooger]

George Broussard said:

Spooger said:
I've realized something. Tommy, Duke, and Max share a lot in common imo. They all seem like anti-heros to me.


They are actually quite different.

Duke is an ego maniac and embraces the spotlight and any chance to kick alien ass. He thrives on it.

Max was driven to action due to the death of his family.

Tommy is apathetic and wants nothing more than to be left alone. We doesn't want fame or fortune, or the responsibility of saving the Earth.



Well, that does shed more light on these characters as anti-heros. They're driven to action for one reason or another (or else there wouldn't be a game for them http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif) and instead of maintaining a straight forward "hero" image, they seem to care more for their own ambitions than anything else. My first post in this thread was worded horribly, but I think this elaboration makes what I was trying to say a little clearer. I certainly don't mean to say that these characters are cookie-cutter action heros. As I said earlier, their setting (in other words, their situations - the cataylsts for bringing them to action) easily differentiates them, but they also feel quite similar because they share a common denominator of anti-hero.

None of these guys are forced to do what they do, and their situations are different (except for the fact that along the way they'll be killing many, many things. This is what I mean by saying they're all gruff and tough), but what I am certain of is that all three share the trait of being more complex than your typical action hero, and because of this, the title of anti-hero seems a lot more realistic for them.

Does that make any sense, or am I just completely wrong on this?

edit: I'd like to add that I think Tommy is going to be the most interesting character in a FPS game up to this point. If HH and 3DR's goal is as they say it is, then I think we can't expect development to a level that hasn't really been tried before. This is a complexity I've waited for some time to find in my FPS games, so here's hoping it's pulled off with flying colors.

[Ronald McDonald]

Tommy is apathetic and wants nothing more than to be left alone. We doesn't want fame or fortune, or the responsibility of saving the Earth.



Tommy just wants to do drugs, that's all http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[X-Vector]

Oh noes, Prey will make us play as an angsty emo kid!

[Vexed]

X-Vector said:
Oh noes, Prey will make us play as an angsty emo kid!


Hah that's the first thing I said (http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Number=828703&page=0&vc=1) when I read: "earth's saviour doesn't want the job".

[X-Vector]

Damn, I knew it was too easy.