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Does anyone here have an idea on how to expand this with more explanation and tropes? The Fire Emblem Archetype Pages do that. This is pretty close to Bioware Archetype pages.
The page needs serious trimming. Almost all examples draw from one single trait and try to shoe-horn in somewhat similar personalities.
The Sensitive Guy: The only prerequisite, judging from the list, is "not a jackass" (and even then...). The description lists a guy who has problems, but isn't terribly troubled or broody. "Has issues" is a trait literally all Bio Ware characters share. All of them. The characters listed are either relatively brood-less (Kaidan, Vega, Jacob), or pretty damn broody (Carth, Anders), or else probably the correct mix for this example (Alistair, Sky).
Probably what the trope is trying to link between many of this characters is more less a charming male lead. Male leads in Bio Ware games tend to be sort of flirtatious, charming, heroic, handsome gentlemen. This fits Kaidan, Alistair, Sky, Carth, Anders, and (from what I remember) Corso. It doesn't really fit Jacob, Vega, or Garrus. Also Anomen.
The Perky Thief: There's only three characters that follow the pattern as described: Leliana, Imoen, and Mission Vao. The rest are either roguish and a bit amoral (Isabela, Varric, Kasumi) or not particularly perky and optimistic (Wild Flower).
I think the trait we're looking for is "The Sweetheart", who is a good-natured, most likely optimistic and cheerful, female character who has a kind heart. This patterns Imoen, Aerie, Leliana, Mission, Merrill, Liara, and Dawn Star. She's probably the Betty to someone else's Veronica.
The Troubled Special One: I actually see a lot of merit with this one, the only problem is the actual trope is so broad it just means "this character has a lot of issues". Zevran might have a lot of issues, but he's utterly different in how he handles them and how he acts than Silk Fox. Silk Fox is utterly different than Fenris. Same with Jack and Juhani. None of these characters share meaningful traits.
I do not think there's an actual link between these to constitute a Bio Ware trope.
The Arrogant Magic User: With only four characters between them, this barely counts. And I don't think that Morrigan is particularly arrogant, just snide. Merrill barely shares a personality with Miranda and Morrigan. I think someone drew a strong connection between those two and wanted a trope out of it. I do think there's a trope in that Bio Ware almost always as a Betty and Veronica, no matter what their personalities are.
The Expositing Magic User: Uh, Aribeth? Is not really a nice, gentle person. Anyway, I think this is just a subset of a proposed "Sweetheart".
The Proud Warrior and No-Nonsense Soldier could probably be merged into "The Proud Soldier" or just "Proud Warrior". Jacob should probably be cut.
Starts out opposed to the party but later joins: Probably should be cut. It's a small list, and one of them doesn't even count.
Ax Crazy Yet Strangely Humorous: Good one—maybe better called "Bloodthirsty Comic-Relief". Grunt is a bit too introspective to be included, though.
LOCATIONS
A Higher Organization: It needs to be specified. Almost every piece of fiction out there has some sort of higher authority—that's just a government. Rather, it should be limited to one the player is inducted in. Not that it doesn't represent that, but it needs a title and description lift.
VILLAINS
I actually feel like almost all of those tropes are pretty much the same. One might say all of the villains are very powerful (or they wouldn't be a threat), amoral (or they wouldn't be villains), and influential (or they would be the main villain). It's not noteworthy to say Bio Ware specifically does this. Almost every game does.
crazy and proud of it
I realize that Neverwinter Nights 2 has been kicked off the page, but I would like to include its characters once again because:
- It is a sequel to a Bioware game, and therefore Bioware made at least some money off of it.
- It fits into the Bioware formula extremely closely (although not necessarily as well-written, I will admit)
- Back when Obsidian made it, it was still closely tied to Bioware
Hmm... Do characters from Baldur's Gate III follow any of these archetypes?