“Us”? No. You? Maybe. But I’m sure it must be nice to be so confident that everyone else in the world is exactly like you.
I can’t say that I’ve ever related much to any COG villain. Granted, I haven’t played dozens of them like some of the more dedicated forum-goers, but all the same.
Besides which, I play games for characters that I like or am interested in, not characters I relate to. That part, at least, is purely subjective.
Morality is dependent on a subject’s perspective, and, what does the collective thinking/egoism had considered for what called the morally good or correct and vice versa in communities really is, so I don’t really like labeling of good and bad or hero and villain, because at the core of it, they’re just a same person with a difference of idealism and motivation and their very own ways to achieve it and that’s what make them interesting.
Besides, it should be really fun if I can represent what my personality really are in real life into a game/book which would make me feel super-powerful being be-like, of course, just admiring something I couldn’t be and I shouldn’t be and I wouldn’t be is very interesting too (also, that’s the reason why I like GTA in the first place). 
I do know some COG games featuring protagonists unrelatable to me,and it’s really hard to go on reading.So I prefer the author giving a wide range of personalities to choose from.For example,Guenevere.Because apparently everyone has their own kind of personalities unrelatable.And when I say unrelatable I mean the kind of person I can’t stand and can’t imagine myself become into in this or any other lives
Usually,I choose the protagonist I’d like to be,not what I’m like.Anyway,I’m not fun enough to be playing as especially considering I’m being myself everyday.Most of the time I like protagonists who are a little antisaint,cunning,sarcastic,even a little manipulative is okay.But still holds their principles,morally an okay person at least.
Hm…I’m not a saint,and I don’t want to be one,in games or IRL.But even when I’m playing as a villian,I tried to be a cool villian,not an A-hole.
i find this issue in too many games. and, no matter how well written the experience, it breaks it for me. too many are too clean cut, your either the good or bad, bad-ass or timid, (now even with the second one, you tend to be forced into some degree of coolness™. which, just by how i word that need i say more? forced, in a choose your adventure game) too few games give you real choice when it comes to your character. too few let you hit that morally grey jackpot, with the main character tending to be the blandest and least developed out of anything. which sure, main character is a blank slate, thats fair enough, the problem lies when the writer doesn’t let you paint on this blank canvas, the entire point of leaving them a blank slate and for it to be a game in the first place! if the writer railroads a main character via how they act, they may as well of just written a book.
I’ve never understood the concept of good guys being boring or unrelatable. First, there’s nothing stopping a genuinely Lawful Good hero from having interesting motivation, personal struggles, or personality flaws. Example: Spider-Man. He’s driven to help people with his powers by guilt over the one time he didn’t. He struggles with balancing his personal, professional, and heroic lives without getting anyone hurt. He’s prone to crippling himself with self-doubt. I don’t see how, with all of that, he becomes boring just because he’s a genuinely good person.
On another note, I think relatability is overrated, or at least misinterpreted. If I only wanted to watch or read about characters that were like me, I’d have a camera follow me around and watch the footage. The whole point of fiction, for me, is to enjoy something different. And ideally, that difference is something I can aspire to.
Most “Good vs Evil” stories are allegory for “Humanity’s Ideals and Beliefs overcoming their base desires”. So yes, Villains are relatable (they represent us when we give in to desires without thought to others) but that’s not a good thing. Heroes aren’t relatable because they are meant to be inspirational (Those that overcame their pettiness so they could live up to their ideals) and that’s not a bad thing. “Hero vs Villain” is the story of choice, follow your impossible ideals in hopes that you make the world a better place or give in to your desires and make the world a bit darker along the way.
Well said.
I suppose, the problem lies in how writers write an interesting difference, ey?
I think it should be pointed out there is usually a reason why writers tend towards all-loving heroes.
There are quite a few games where they try to subvert this by making the character, standoffish and abrasive. Sera from Inquisition, Lightning from Final Fantasy, Jaheria from Baldur’s Gate. All “cool” and “edgy” characters that fly in the face of conventional good characters.
Know what else they have all in common? The majority of fans could not stand them. They didn’t find their attitudes to be refreshing or edgy, they found it just rude and unpleasant. And honestly, I agree.
Remember, https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TropesAreTools?from=Main.TropesAreNotBad
It’s always dependent on the writing. There are examples of characters who do they kind of a jerkass but still on the side of good thing well. Magus from Chrono Trigger. Shadow the hedgehog from sonic. Those two are adored in their franchises.
People eat up darkhorse characters. They don’t digest jerkass heroes very well.
Not sure Jaheira is the best example. If you want “cool” and “edgy” characters in Baldur’s Gate, Viconia or Sarevok fit the bill much better, and from what I know, the two of them are among fan-favourites.
That being said, the game also gives us characters like Imoen, who basically managed to stay in the story by the power of her popularity alone, Minsc who is crazy-awesome incarnate or Keldorn who is the perfect example of “paladin done right”, and each of these characters are both Good and among the most popular of the franchise.
I would never have even remembered Viconia existed, if you didn’t bring it up.
But also, that’s not completely the point. Minsc and Imoen were good characters, but they weren’t complete asses.
I’d point out that characters like Morrigan or Sten are definitely not “goody”, yet very loved with DAO fan. Same for characters like Jack, Grunt, Zaeed and Aria in ME.
The actual “problem” is in the balance between good qualities and bad qualities.
Lighting and Sera, for example, rub in the wrong way with many people (me first) because: A) never actually evolve in their attitude and in general have no character evolution whatsoever.
B) their character is too much based on a one-note personality trait.
Good characters have many traits. Trey are not just evil, good, grumpy, serious, sarcastic, etch. But can be many of those traits.
I’m not saying characters MUST be good to be liked.
I’m just saying often it has a lot to do with their attitude and personality more than what their actual alignment would be labeled.
Much like that episode of American Dad where Roger basically tells Stan “People will forgive you, if you’re likeable. And I’m the most likeable SOB I know.”
Well yeah, that was my point. Basically, that “evil” and “good” characters can be well-loved, depending of how they’re written.
I can’t really relate with most villains either, especially the ones who like being evil just for fun (since I’d never be evil for no reason like that)
As for being good, I can actually relate with it unless you go to the extreme and become too lawful, help people who harmed you and things like that
I never knew that Lightning or Sera were so disliked. I really liked them both. A lot. I’ve played Inquisition at least half a dozen times, and I don’t think I’ve ever romanced anyone other than Sera. And, Lightning. I think I’d have to go all the way back to FF6 before I found a Final Fantasy character I liked more.
Sera was hated mostly the magic and elf hating to what people saw as unreasonable (people liked her more in trespasser), and Lightning was moreso because of all the attention her series got. I mean nowadays Cloud’s always emo but people like him and Tidus is one of the happier protagonist but isn’t as liked.
And as far as I’m concerned, that’s proof that people have no taste. 
X was my first (that I played through) so Tidus has a special place in my heart, plus he has better reception nowadays. I couldn’t stand starting up 7 though, though that might just be playstation 1 games giving me nausea.
As a person who has been on the receiving end of villainy, I don’t relate a whole lot to villains. If a person is starving and steals from someone, why would it be more OK for another person to go without and starve instead of the original person? I don’t relate to heroic sacrifices either because I don’t think my death would accomplish anything good or bad, but they still make for good gameplay.
I have not been able to complete some evil routes in games because I couldn’t be mean to the nice characters.
I don’t relate to the characters who were the scum of society and bullied who go hero when they suddenly get super powers.
As long as the game doesn’t make me feel like all the choices suck and the MC is stupid or insane in a not fun way, it shouldn’t matter if the MC is a little unrelatable.
Umm, I guess what you say here it reeeeeeally depends on every person. I have play many many games, and read even more books. I don’t relate to almost any of them, but that doesn’t stop me from getting really emotionally invested on them.
For example, in the Last of Us, I can’t relate to Joel, but oh my god, I love him with all my heart. I can’t relate with Geralt, but I love him too. I can’t relate with Hermione, or Harry Potter, but again, I love them and I love their stories. And I know Geralt or Joel are not precisely altruistic characters, but it was just an example of protagonists I don’t relate with at all.
So, I guess it simply goes on each individual and what they enjoy and don’t when reading, playing, or watching something.