Identification in Videogames

Oblivion and NeverWinter Nights 2

As Bob Rehak rightfully states, “The video game avatar, presented as a human player’s double, merges spectatorship and participation in ways that fundamentally transform both activities.” This I experienced in the creation of my avatar in both Oblivion and the NeverWinter Nights 2.

When designing my character in Oblivion, I chose to be a Redguard, mainly for the reason that they have a natural resistance to disease and poison. This factor also influences the skin choice which is very pale because of that special ability, which brings in humor to the character creation through my personality were based on the consumption of too much poison the hair and skin color have with time reacted to the disease and poison, yet immunity is the bonus. Being the most naturally talented warriors with cultural affinities for many weapons and armour styles would come in handy during play, especially considering the fact that play begins in a prison cell. I would naturally want to be prepared if and when I escape my confinement.

Whereas in the character creation of NeverWinter Nights 2, which I found to be more liberating in terms of variety in character choice, from race, to gender, to appearance in built and costume. I chose to be a Half-Elf first and foremost because of the romantic historic background of the humans and elves (which kind of reminds me of Lord of the Ring), while in relation to my personality, I relate more to this character being raised by an odd numeric factor in the parental system, be it elves or humans. My Half-Elf side is a bit of a rogue were if being highly skilled cannot pay off in combat, the rogue hits where it hurts the most with sneak attacks and having a sixth sense when it comes to avoiding danger is a bonus.

I chose Chaotic Good because it relates more to my personality traits, which with reference to Weber’s reading of Lacan talks about the ego of a child’s identification with an image whose otherness is precisely overlooked in the observation of similarity. Being a Wild Child in the past will allow my play in the game to have intermediary of another, making or allowing the background application to work in my favor or against me later, which doesn’t necessarily matter because there is a judgment all the same. As Half-Elf I choose to have no deity to worship in the game, because of the insignificance and impact on my character during the game as a rogue, which also could be consciously or unconsciously influenced by my person belief which comes from the Ten Commandments.

When it came to the character’s voice and name creation, I gave Daldo Le’les(character name) having a Male Dramatic voice because I, placed in the right atmosphere can be a drama queen(female), which is contradictory in my choice of male characters in both games. I choose to play a male in both games because it’s empowering in both physical appearance and strength, which also gives me the opportunity to look into my subconscious and see what kind of male I could be, or maybe the male I envision as a role model, which oddly enough Daldo’s character reminds me of my father who hasn’t really been in the picture, though we are in touch once in a blue moon. Daldo being Half-Elf is 72 years, which when read backwards is my current age, 27 that’s why though old, age hasn’t caught up with him and being part elf youth is prolonged.