History Main / PlayerAndProtagonistIntegration

* ''VideoGame/DeadInVinland'' nominally has a central character in Eirik, but the player is more of an assistant omniscient narrator. Much of the gameplay is a management sim where you direct all the various members of your PlayerParty to do different tasks in your camp. In various dialogues, you temporarily make choices in the role of any one of the four central characters (Eirik, Blodeuwedd, Kari, and Moira), or sometimes even one of the fourteen optional recruitable companions.

* Toyed with in ''VideoGame/DrawnToLife''. [[AGodAmI You're acknowledged as the Creator]] and then control a Featureless Protagonist mannequin, whom you almost immediately customize to how you wish it to look. The rest of the characters repeatedly acknowledge the player as a higher power, while also considering the mannequin as a separate character, who they also know is the player. [[spoiler: This is revealed in the ending to be AllJustADream of a coma patient, making the player not only an advisor, a Featureless Protagonist, but also part of an entirely separate character.]]

* ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'' is all about sneaky fourth wall breaking, with one of its key components being the relationship between [[PlayingThePlayer the player and the game's protagonist Captain Walker]]. At the start the player is The Controller, but as the game goes on and [[FromBadToWorse things go wrong]] several characters have lines with double meanings that could address the player or Walker or ''both''. One notable instance has a character saying "you didn't give us a choice" and "you made us do this" to Walker, but the camera angle makes it look like he's looking out of the screen at you. [[spoiler: By the end of the game [[ProtagonistJourneyToVillain Walker's gone off the deep end]]. It's all down to personal interpretation whether you just watched like you would with any other story, he's an extension of you and [[HeroicWannabe you messed up]], you [[JustFollowingOrders followed him on his journey]] to try to fix things, or you ''forced'' him to press on and [[YouBastard do those awful things]].]]

* Both ''Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo no Koi'' and ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' mess with this trope in similar ways. [[spoiler: Both games start out with controller-type protagonists, until eventually one of the girls turns out to be a {{Yandere}} with MediumAwareness and begins addressing the player directly. In the former, the player character continues to be their own character at this point, wondering who the girl is talking to, while in the latter the player character, already continuously failing to notice various glitching and out-of-character actions occurring around him because they're not supposed to be part of the narrative, basically ceases to exist as a character once the girl starts addressing the player directly.]]

** In the old lore back from 2004, it is mentioned that the fires on the then-login page is a magical barrier known a the "flames of Lloigh-enn" which requires a precise spell to pass through, that is different for every person, implying the "spell" is your account name and password you type in to go from the real world to the ''VideoGame/{{RuneScape}}'' multiverse.

* ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}'' has AnAdventurerIsYou, but the adventurer takes some personality during some quests and other activities. Later on, they gradually gain a personality, albeit in a generally non-linear order due to quests unrelated to ongoing questlines and not being requirements for some future quests or questlines. They also have a significant difference in personality between ''Runescape 3'' or ''Old School''. ''[=RS3's=]'' Adventurer, now known as the World Guardian, is more world-weary and in line with what you'd expect of someone with such a title, due to them feeling the full force of the beginning of the Sixth Age and return of the gods. ''[=OSRS'=]'' Adventurer isn't as fleshed out due to the lack of quests[[note]]''OSRS'' went seven years without a quest due to its nature[[/note]], but they're generally more down to earth. They also absolutely cannot stand King Lathas of the Elf questline, as shown by Dragon Slayer 2.
** In the old lore back from 2004, it is mentioned that the fires on the then-login page is a magical barrier known a the "flames of Lloigh-enn" which requires a precise spell to pass through, that is different for every person, implying the "spell" is your account name and password you type in to go from the real world to the RuneScape multiverse.

* The interactive WebComic ''WebComic/AwfulHospital'' starts out with the "Advisor" model, where the "players" are an in-universe HiveMind called "Buzzers" that link branchinations (transdimensional threads of ego that may or may not create another body at their ends) to certain people (of which this has a very fluid definition of person; [[PunyEarthlings in fact a human being is, in-universe,]] ''[[PunyEarthlings less]]'' [[PunyEarthlings of a person than the higher-conceptoid beings]]) they take a liking to and give them advice on what to do. However, after a certain ammount of "layers" (time measured in webcomic pages), they develop to a "Controller" stage and begin to intergrate almost seamlessly with their host, turning it into an extension of the buzzer collective's will only dimly aware they have their own mind to use. Buzzers are a kind of Reverberator, a trans/multi-dimensional PuppeteerParasite that needs to link their cores with another's to exist properly. It also uses "You are You," in that Buzzers communicate to Fern from all over the [[TheMultiverse Perception Range,]] including from a reality where her quest is just a webcomic by one Johnathan "Bogleech" Wojick.

* '''You Are You''': The player explicitly ''is'' the protagonist. At its purest level, this involves the implication that the 'game' is actually some form of communication software, controlling actual events elsewhere in the world in real time--''VideoGame/{{Uplink}}'' being a prime example. The NonEntityGeneral will often fall into this, as in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer''. Less extreme examples might include a number of puzzle games where you're given a cursor to influence the game world, but there's no actual character you're interacting with.

* ''VideoGame/LimboOfTheLost'' takes the Advisor path: you're [[MainCharacter Briggs']] "spiritual guide". Annoyingly, Briggs sometimes knocks on the screen to deliver condescending advice to you.

* The interactive WebComic ''WebComic/AwfulHospital'' starts out with the "Advisor" model, where the "players" are an in-universe HiveMind called "Buzzers" that link branchinations (transdimensional threads of ego that may or may not create another body at their ends) to certain people (of which this has a very fluid definition of person; [[PunyEarthlings in fact a human being is, in-universe,]] ''[[PunyEarthlings less]]'' [[PunyEarthlings of a person than the higher-conceptoid beings]]) they take a liking to and give them advice on what to do. However, after a certain ammount of "layers" (time measured in webcomic pages), they develop to a "Controller" stage and begin to intergrate almost seamlessly with their host, turning it into an extension of the buzzer collective's will only dimly aware they have their own mind to use. Buzzers are a kind of Reverberator, a trans/multi-dimensional PuppeteerParasite that needs to link their cores with another's to exist properly. It also uses "You are You," in that Buzzers communicate to Fern from all over the [[TheMultiverse Perception Range,]] including from a reality where her quest are just a webcomic by one Johnathan "Bogleech" Wojick.

* The interactive WebComic ''WebComic/AwfulHospital'' starts out with the "Advisor" model, where the "players" are an in-universe HiveMind called "Buzzers" that link branchinations (transdimensional threads of ego that may or may not create another body at their ends) to certain people (of which this has a very fluid definition of person; [[PunyEarthlings in fact a human being is, in-universe,]] ''[[PunyEarthlings less]]'' [[PunyEarthlings of a person than the higher-conceptoid beings]]) they take a liking to and give them advice on what to do. However, after a certain ammount of "layers" (time measured in webcomic pages), they begin to intergrate almost seamlessly with their host, turning it into an extension of the buzzer collective's will only dimly aware they have their own mind to use. Buzzers are a kind of Reverberator, a trans/multi-dimensional PuppeteerParasite that needs to link its core with anothers to exist properly. It also uses "You are You," in that Buzzers communicate to Fern from all over the [[TheMultiverse Perception Range,]] including from a reality where the events are just a webcomic by one Johnathan "Bogleech" Wojick.

* The interactive WebComic ''WebComic/AwfulHospital'' starts out with the "Advisor" model, where the "players" are an in-universe HiveMind called "Buzzers" that link branchinations (transdimensional threads of ego that may or may not create another body at their ends) to certain people (of which this has a very fluid definition of person; [[PunyEarthlings in fact a human being is, in-universe,]] ''[[PunyEarthlings less]]'' [[PunyEarthlings of a person than the higher-conceptoid beings]]) they take a liking to and give them advice on what to do. However, after a certain ammount of "layers" (time measured in webcomic pages), they begin to intergrate almost seamlessly with their host, turning it into an extension of the buzzer collective's will only dimly aware they have their own mind to use. Buzzers are a kind of Reverberator, a trans/multi-dimensional PuppeteerParasite that needs to link its core with anothers to exist properly.

* The interactive WebComic ''WebComic/AwfulHospital'' starts out with the "Advisor" model, where the "players" are an in-universe HiveMind called "Buzzers" that link branchinations (transdimensional threads of ego that may or may not create another body at their ends) to certain people (of which this has a very fluid definition of person; [[PunyEarthlings in fact a human being is, in-universe,]] ''[[PunyEarthlings less]]'' [[PunyEarthlings of a person than the higher-conceptoid beings]]) they take a liking to and give them advice on what to do. However, after a certain ammount of "layers" (time measured in webcomic pages), they begin to intergrate almost seamlessly with their host, turning it into an extension of the buzzer collective's will only dimly aware they have their own mind to use.

* The interactive WebComic ''WebComic/AwfulHospital'' starts out with the "Advisor" model, where the "players" are an in-universe HiveMind called "Buzzers" that link branchinations (transdimensional threads of ego) to certain people (of which this has a very fluid definition of person; [[PunyEarthlings in fact a human being is, in-universe,]] ''[[PunyEarthlings less]]'' [[PunyEarthlings of a person than the higher-conceptoid beings]]) they take a liking to and give them advice on what to do. However, after a certain ammount of "layers" (time measured in webcomic pages), they begin to intergrate almost seamlessly with their host, turning it into an extension of the buzzer collective's will only dimly aware they have their own mind to use.

* ''VideoGame/RockManEXE45RealOperation'' uses a combination of Advisor and Controller. Contrasting the mainline ''Battle Network'' games where you have full control of [=MegaMan=] (and other Navis in parts of the [[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork5TeamColonelAndTeamProtoMan fifth]] and [[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork6CybeastGregarAndCybeastFalzar sixth]] games), you only have full control of your current [=NetNavi=] on the overworld. During combat, you give them commands to use basic attacks or Battle Chips against and get closer to or farther away from enemies while they move of their own accord and attempt to avoid attacks, which approximates the mutual trust required between a [=NetOp=] and their Navi in-universe.

* ''VideoGame/RockManEXE45RealOperation'' uses a combination of Advisor and Controller. Contrasting the mainline ''Battle Network'' games where you have full control of [=MegaMan=] (and other Navis in parts of the fifth and sixth games), you only have full control of your current [=NetNavi=] on the overworld. During combat, you give them commands to use basic attacks or Battle Chips against and get closer to or farther away from enemies while they move of their own accord and attempt to avoid attacks, which approximates the mutual trust required between a [=NetOp=] and their Navi in-universe.

* ''[[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork Rockman.EXE 4.5: Real Operation]]'' uses a combination of Advisor and Controller. Contrasting the mainline ''Battle Network'' games where you have full control of [=MegaMan=] (and other Navis in parts of the fifth and sixth games), you only have full control of your current [=NetNavi=] on the overworld. During combat, you give them commands to use basic attacks or Battle Chips against and get closer to or farther away from enemies while they move of their own accord and attempt to avoid attacks, which approximates the mutual trust required between a [=NetOp=] and their Navi in-universe.

* ''[[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork Rockman.EXE 4.5: Real Operation]]'' uses a combination of Advisor and Controller. Contrasting the mainline ''Battle Network'' games where you have full control of [=MegaMan=] (and other Navis in parts of the fifth and sixth games), you only have full control of your current [=NetNavi=] on the overworld. During combat, you give them commands to use basic attacks or Battle Chips against and get closer to or farther away from enemies while they move of their own accord and attempt to avoid attacks, requiring a level of mutual trust between you and your Navi to be successful.

* The player character in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' borders between HeroicMime and AnAdventurerIsYou. The player character is created and their backgrounds aren't acknowledged by the story so that the player can fill in the blanks themselves. The player can have their character react accordingly when prompted, but the character will always act on their own in the story. Certain quests has the player character react to certain scenes strongly to give them a bit of a personality. [[spoiler: If the Dark Knight quests are anything to go by, the player character has a ''very'' grim outlook on the people they protect while also feeling guilty about the blood they spill.]]

''/VideoGame/PacMan2TheNewAdventures'' has an extreme Advisor example. You can advise Pac-man of things you want him to interact with, but you can never ''make'' him do it, and he can and will ignore your advice depending on his mood. At best, you can use your slingshot for that and to impact the environment around him to change his mood, for better or worse. Anything else is purely up to him.

* In the main ''Roleplay/DestroyTheGodmodder'' games, the players are by default controlling their real-life VideoGame/{{Minecraft}} accounts, unless they create their own in-universe main characters, in which case the players play as 'those' character's Minecraft avatars. This also applies to spinoff [=DTG=] games taking place in other video game or forum-based universes such as VideoGame/{{Terraria}} and Wiki/TVTropes. The two notable exceptions are the original MSPA session and its upcoming reboot, in which the players usually are hapless [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} Sburb players]] or multiversal travelers, with no distinction between avatar and controller.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'' series, thanks a generous helping of the LiteraryAgentHypothesis, is all over the place. The series started off as You Are You, but later retconned the original games to be hundreds of years ago and based on the true stories of a Featureless Protagonist. This led to the MMO spinoff ''Uru'', which went back to You Are You with the players acting as modern day Myst fans who find themselves drawn to the ruins of D'ni.

* ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' starts with TheVoice helping you create an avatar [[BaitAndSwitch that immediately get discarded]] [[spoiler: and you take the role of the SOUL.]]