Guild Wars 2

Just my personal perspective, but the living world is after Zhaitan’s defeat, therefore we should be firmly established as Commander of the Pact. So why doesn’t Destiny Edge 2.0 just call us Commander instead of “friend” or “boss”? Sounds awkward and unnatural at certain times, that’s all I’m saying.

Because they are not part of the Pact and as such calling us Commander would be a bit weird and make no sense? ^^

lordkrall.7241:

Because they are not part of the Pact and as such calling us Commander would be a bit weird and make no sense? ^^

Sorry if I’m using Mass Effect for a counter example, but the guys he/she recruited weren’t technically all alliance military, yet they still called him/she commander by friend or subordinate. Besides, I bet even if you weren’t in the respected organization, I’m sure you’d still call them by their title in respect. For example, I’d still call someone Doctor, Commander, or Lieutenant in respect to their position even if I knew their name. I guess Boss could work if only one or two of the companions used it, it would display their personality. But when all of them use it, it just sounds awkward and forced.

Whats the problem of being called boss?

Everything someone call me boss i feel like that guy
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/You-see-im-not-like-a-boss-i-am-the-boss.jpg

Gaile Gray.6029:

I think it might be confusing to call someone “Commander” when there is the Commander rank in the game. It seems that the team chose more generic terms to avoid confusion with actual game-achieved attainments.

Personal opinion here. ‘Boss’ sounds really silly. Imho it’s better to avoid ‘names’ altogether, e.g. ‘hi there’ instead of ‘hi, boss’ or go with something different. After hearing ‘boss’ for the first time in a scene today I imagined ‘commander’ instead everytime I heard it and that was a lot better. Again, just my opinion.

edit: to clarify: the ‘boss’ sounds really shoehorned in because it’s obvious the npcs call me that since, obviously, the player name can’t be done in spoken dialogue.
Maybe have a look at how the ‘persona’ games handle that.

From my personal experience, when you call someone “boss”, it’s usually tongue in cheek out of slight disrespect. I will say however that it doesn’t bother me much in this game because I know why it has to be done. Crovax’s suggestion above is actually a good alternative.

Crovax.7854:

Personal opinion here. ‘Boss’ sounds really silly. Imho it’s better to avoid ‘names’ altogether, e.g. ‘hi there’ instead of ‘hi, boss’ or go with something different. After hearing ‘boss’ for the first time in a scene today I imagined ‘commander’ instead everytime I heard it and that was a lot better. Again, just my opinion.

edit: to clarify: the ‘boss’ sounds really shoehorned in because it’s obvious the npcs call me that since, obviously, the player name can’t be done in spoken dialogue.
Maybe have a look at how the ‘persona’ games handle that.

Just saying “hi there” doesn’t solve the problem though. They almost always refer to the PC as “boss” when he is addressed in third person. The problem is they can’t even use personal prounouns such as he/she because they would to record 2 times for every line that mentions the PC’s gender (which also would need to be checked by the game before). As far as I’m aware they never do this with spoken lines. Probably time and budget constrains.

I’m going to shamelessly self-refer here to a great conversation we had a few months ago in this thread.

If the story team ever wants to give dialogue a personalized, natural feeling one option would be to record versions of phrases based on current title, with generic ones for race/gender and class for folks who don’t have a title selected.

I know there’s a cost associated with that, and probably some collaborative challenges too (the writers would have to know future titles, so those could be included). But how cool would that be? “Greetings, Mistwalker.” “Good morning, Chef.” “Well met, Dark Traveler.”

Although just for the record, I love it when Charr call me “boss”, because that fits consistently into the background dialog you hear with them all the time. So Charr are allowed to do that. For them it seems to be a sign of earned respect.

Everytime they call me boss I feel like I’m in the maffia lmao

Would like them all to call me senpai.

SEEEENPAAI.

Maybe not.

I like to pretend my character is a cartoon gangster and the biconics are my loyal, but idiotic henchmen.

Just call him “PC”. You know, short for “Pact Commander”.

perilisk.1874:

Just call him “PC”. You know, short for “Pact Commander”.

+50 points, sir.

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

Everytime they call me boss I feel like I’m in the maffia lmao

Yeah, especially if Jory is the one saying this. There is something about her voice…

When they first started the boss thing, it took an awkwardly long time to figure out they meant me. Thankfully they aren’t real people so standing around and waiting for “the boss” to do something wasn’t too embarrassing.

I cringe everytime they call me boss.

Please make it stop.

Majory just yelling Boss in the library to warn me, was really weird.

I voiced my opinion before. There are several games, in which the hero was never called by name. (Like Final Fantasy X for example)

I liked it. p-p

Boss is bad.

I prefer Your Royal Highness.

The reason we’re not called Commander anymore is because we’re no longer in active duty in the Pact. As Trahearne or one of the other NPCs stated in one of the earlier episodes, we were the first Pact Commander (and recognized for our contributions), but after we stepped down post Zhaitan campaign and went adventuring and pursuing Scarlet, other Commanders have risen to take our spot in the the Pact’s military hierarchy to keep it running. Any reason that any NPC is calling us Commander anymore is because of respect for our past accomplishments which they witnessed firsthand (like Trahearne and Destiny’s Edge), but the Biconics weren’t part of the invasion of Orr and thus have no such excuse.

It does feel weird being called boss, though, but I haven’t been able to think of a better nickname/title yet, so I let my team call me that for now even if it makes me roll my eyes at times.

And while we’re on the subject, I would like to have a stern talk with my successor Commanders in the Pact someday and ask them how a bunch of Aetherblades managed to steal some airships from our fleet seemingly with no effort. I doubt they would have the excuse of being “mesmerized” by Labwan the Deceiver’s little sister or some such…

perilisk.1874:

Just call him “PC”. You know, short for “Pact Commander”.

or player character XD

I really don’t have an issue with the NPCs calling me ‘Boss.’

Of course, I’m sort of used to it lol. I had a guildie in GW1 that called me “boss” since the first day she joined my guild. Even when I asked her to call me Lan or Eve (what everyone else called me), the best she ever managed was ‘Boss Eve’

shrug

Doesn’t bother me.

Generally, people use boss in the third person. Calling someone boss to their face is not something most people would consider respectful, unless you’ve got a joking sort of relationship with your boss. It also holds a connotation of rule by force or the overt display of power. Still, I think they should call us El Jefe.

Gaile Gray.6029:

I think it might be confusing to call someone “Commander” when there is the Commander rank in the game. It seems that the team chose more generic terms to avoid confusion with actual game-achieved attainments.

Really, Gaile? The personal story has the player referred to as Commander for the later half of the personal story, and the LS is an extension of said story. I fail to see how it would be confusing.

The commander feature isn’t a ‘rank’. A rank implies authority over others, and player commanders have no such thing. It is a feature to allow players to stand out to help organize events such as Tequatl (spam cleanse on that dorito icon) or with the new daily system (there is an event happening here, come to this dorito icon to participate as well). When I’m exploring the zone that is for the daily events and I come across an event I turn on my tag to let others know where to go if they are so inclined. I have no authority over any other player and don’t pretend to. Please forward this thread to the LS writing team so they can at least consider writing in ‘commander’ instead of ‘boss’ for the voice acting.

You could have at least said something funny like “We pay our voice actors per letter, commander costs more than boss.”

It’s just a nickname? I don’t see the problem. Commander would sound really horribly formal, coming from the Biconics. Boss is more lighthearted and affectionate.

Look at it this way…who is usually giving the orders or instructions to Jory, Kas, Rox, et al? We, the PC are, and we get our orders or instructions/hints from E, sometimes through Jory sometimes directly, but we still essentially are always giving instructions to our team…henceforth we’re the Boss.(I work with a guy that calls everyone ‘boss’, even coworkers…reminds of a certain time in US history).

I want voice/sound tech. that allows the game to pronounce (audibly) my character’s actual name during all voice-acted scenes, in the voice-actor’s voice.
(even if I have to dictate the pronunciation initially at character creation time)

Gabby.3205:

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

Everytime they call me boss I feel like I’m in the maffia lmao

Yeah, especially if Jory is the one saying this. There is something about her voice…

Feels ok if Marjory is calling me boss, not so much when Taimi or Rox is doing it.

Maybe we can have a nice touching moment with Taimi in which she gives us a nickname or something… Although I think that’s sort of where the problem lies. So far the biconics have been fairly well characterized (more or less Braham still feels a bit thin), and they’ve had a number of interactions with each other but (probably due to the lack of the necessary in game mechanics) I don’t particularly feel as if there is much of a relationship between the PC and the biconics. I’m literally just the silent protagonist they drag around who gets to kill all the big scary monsters. I know there were technical issues preventing the PC from talking, but I do feel as though a lot of those character interaction moments aren’t there. Most of the dialog is rather to the point, and the dialog options are somewhat limited. So there were no moments in which we could develop nicknames.

Kossage.9072:

but after we stepped down post Zhaitan campaign

Which was never actually explained though, but no that’s a completely different conversation.

Gaile Gray.6029:

I think it might be confusing to call someone “Commander” when there is the Commander rank in the game. It seems that the team chose more generic terms to avoid confusion with actual game-achieved attainments.

You say that, yet everyone in the pact calls you commander.

As a forward, this is in no way shaming the writers. They did an excellent job. This was just a matter of personal opinion, and that opinion being that I’d ironically prefer to be just another person in the LS that is helping the cause. I personally think stories where you play as some “rookie” who solves problems are more engaging than stories where you’re given the lead role which inadvertently gives you a major plot shield, in my case it’s my sylvari main being unaffected, even slightly, by the corruption going on.

Now to be fair we didn’t get to the next episode yet, I get that, and you cannot turn a mass amount of player’s characters evil, I understand and agree with that. But maybe even some slight dialogue changes such as your characters struggling to get some thoughts out if they are sylvari?

Back to the major point, my main is also a thief. I find it hard to believe a large group of individuals would just accept I am commander but it is what it is. I personally believe that I feel more comfortable when I’m not the lead role, which allows me to make an underdog story.

But as the preface said, Anet, keep doing what you’re doing. The writing is great. I just personally feel uneasy with so much on my shoulders.

BrotherBelial.3094:

Gaile Gray.6029:

I think it might be confusing to call someone “Commander” when there is the Commander rank in the game. It seems that the team chose more generic terms to avoid confusion with actual game-achieved attainments.

You say that, yet everyone in the pact calls you commander.

This is true, everyone in the Pact calls you that because that’s what they know you as. DE2.0 aren’t in the pact though. They don’t have that background with you. They are civilians, they aren’t necessarily going to refer to you by your military rank. Its very similar in the real world typically speaking. I have 3 brothers in the military (not to mention a couple of cousins, several friends from high school, etc etc), I don’t refer to them as Drill Sargent, or Corporal, or Private or whatever their rank is because I’m a civilian.

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

BrotherBelial.3094:

Gaile Gray.6029:

I think it might be confusing to call someone “Commander” when there is the Commander rank in the game. It seems that the team chose more generic terms to avoid confusion with actual game-achieved attainments.

You say that, yet everyone in the pact calls you commander.

This is true, everyone in the Pact calls you that because that’s what they know you as. DE2.0 aren’t in the pact though. They don’t have that background with you. They are civilians, they aren’t necessarily going to refer to you by your military rank. Its very similar in the real world typically speaking. I have 3 brothers in the military (not to mention a couple of cousins, several friends from high school, etc etc), I don’t refer to them as Drill Sargent, or Corporal, or Private or whatever their rank is because I’m a civilian.

And yet if I where to introduce my self in this game it would Be Commander Brother Belial of the Pact, Vigel Warmaster, Slayer of Zhitan and the hero of Shaymore, could go on and tell you about what my great grandfather did. But that’s a well know legend.

Gaile Gray.6029:

I think it might be confusing to call someone “Commander” when there is the Commander rank in the game. It seems that the team chose more generic terms to avoid confusion with actual game-achieved attainments.

Living Story and WvW…

I don’t see how the two would cross and remotely cause this kind of confusion?

Yeah, boss sounds terrible.

I don’t care about them. I don’t feel responsible for what happens to them.
Actually, I would kill Braham instantly if it was an option. I’m not his boss, otherwise I would fire him (with an off-hand pistol in the head).

I don’t even pay them. And I wouldn’t do so. They do terrible damage. They must be the worst traited characters with all starter weapons.

They are just a bunch of losers trying to get credit for what I achieve.

Kaiyanwan.8521:

Yeah, boss sounds terrible.

+1

Was a bit disconcerting, being called boss constantly. Was expecting The Grand Poobah.

Boss sounds like a bad 70’s movie or tv-series. And right before I am called commander, why change this?

Gaile Gray.6029:

I think it might be confusing to call someone “Commander” when there is the Commander rank in the game. It seems that the team chose more generic terms to avoid confusion with actual game-achieved attainments.

you really think i care about that, i am a commander by rank, not by showing of a tag that tells nothing of said skill. (the tag should be called point leader, i never listen to them anyway because more often then not they are the one dying the fastest)

I don’t know, commander is too formal, I think, for people you’re hanging out with that you happen to be friendly with.

Boss, as used by them, I never took to be literal. I took it as more of an acknowledgement that they’ve chosen to follow my lead.

Astral Projections.7320:

Boss is bad.

I prefer Your Royal Highness.

This is good but we are not all royalty so Your Highness suites.

To point though commander is a military term, our team did not serve in the military with us so would be completely wrong.

they call me chef at work but i barely know how to cook, it’s more a calling name to appoint a rank even if your profession isn’t the same.

The best possible solution is obviously to use a text-to-speech parser for the character’s name: “Oh no – WEED-KING-FOUR-TWO-ZERO-BLAZE-IT-EXCLAMATION-EXCLAMATION-ONE-ONE-ONE-ONE -watch out!”

I too resent the “boss” thing. I’m guessing all the Trahearne haters got to Anet with their complaints about not feeling important and that’s the result? To me it’s completely immersion breaking. It sounds out of place and forced and make me wanna play the game muted.

“BAAAAWSS!”

Yes, yes, I heard you the first time, Braham. :P

I’d like the Biconics to call me “Great Lord and Master”, but I guess I can settle for “Boss”.

Zaxares.5419:

“BAAAAWSS!”

Yes, yes, I heard you the first time, Braham. :P

I can relate to this so much. During that whole encounter and hearing Braham shout at me repeatedly, the entire time I was thinking “Really? It’s me we’re talking about, quit worrying. There is too much fear and concern in your voice. Stop that.”

I don’t know how to put this but I’m Kind Of A Big Deal. People Know Me. I’m Very Important. I Have Many Leather-Bound Books and my Guild Hall… oh wait.
Sad Panda.
But still… I am like a God Walking Amongst Mere Mortals.

Thaia.5146:

I don’t know how to put this but I’m Kind Of A Big Deal. People Know Me. I’m Very Important. I Have Many Leather-Bound Books and my Guild Hall… oh wait.
Sad Panda.
But still… I am like a God Walking Amongst Mere Mortals.

Although it’s probably not practical they could have the VO guys record each one of the possible titles and use that as our name. Or they could just give us a option somewhere: what would you like to be called: boss, sir, that guy etc.

Call me Senpai.