Opinions on Roman

edited August 2013 in The Walking Dead
I'm really interested in the character of Roman from 400 days. A lot of people seem to hate him and think he's evil, but I just didn't get that from his interactions.

Before the attack, he seemed like a nice, jovial leader, encouraging Becca's guitar playing and thanking Boyd for his work on the garden. When talking to Shel, he seemed to be genuinely concerned for Becca but respected what Shel wanted for her sister. And when it came to dealing with the intruder, he makes the decision based on what the group wants, without adding any input of his own unless Shel freezes up.

Even though he became more strict after the attack, he still handles the Stephanie situation fairly delicately. He doesn't talk about Stephanie in front of Becca, he explained to each member of the group what was going on, and he gives Shel some time to "get her head together."

Most people probably get hung up on Becca's fear that Roman would hunt them down if they tried to leave, but that seems more like Becca's interpretation of an empty threat meant to keep people from leaving. Roman's main priority is protecting the group. Since Shel and Becca don't pose any threat to the group, it wouldn't make much sense to go after them.

So what do you guys think? Is Roman really that bad of a guy?
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Comments

  • edited July 2013
    I see a lot potential for Roman to be a main antagonist in season 2. I really liked his character in Shel's story, even if I didn't agree with him on killing Steph.

    Aside from Nate and Eddie, Roman's the one secondary character from 400 Days who I want to return in season 2.
  • edited July 2013
    I have feeling that Roman will appear in season 2 and he will follow the dark path of a leader like Lilly and either Shel or Becca would be killed by him .
  • edited July 2013
    "Niko, lets go bowling!" "Not now, Roman!"

    Damn it, you beat me to it.
  • edited July 2013
    No, because I killed Steph in my 1st playthrough. He seems to be a good, more or less democratic leader. I bet that if Steph asked to go without stealing all the supplies he would have let her go.
    In my second, I don't think that two girls in a RV are his main problem, he would quit after a bit.
  • edited July 2013
    i think if Shel escaped and that (in Romans eyes) led to the downfall of their group and new home, he may blame Shel and might want some revenge
  • edited July 2013
    That's a good point. I wonder how Shel and Becca left his group if you did kill Stephanie though. Since they didn't mention him in the epilogue, they must have either left on good terms or knew that he died.
  • edited July 2013
    I think he would be still hunting if he is still alive, which is kind of in question.
  • edited July 2013
    No. He wouldn't have gone to hunt down people from a speeding RV. It's a low chance that he may find them at all. Besides, it's only him and the cancer survivors(assuming Stephanie got killed by Roman) and only Clive and Roman seem to handle a gun.
  • edited July 2013
    I don't think Roman has a lot of potential to be a main antagonist, but hell, prove me wrong telltale.
  • edited July 2013
    TTaing987 wrote: »
    I don't think Roman has a lot of potential to be a main antagonist, but hell, prove me wrong telltale.

    Joyce should be the main antagonist! :D
  • edited July 2013
    That1Guy wrote: »
    Joyce should be the main antagonist! :D

    Fear Joyce and her minions of evil . :D
  • edited July 2013
    If Joyce and Omid's cat team up it would be a new brand of evil.
  • edited July 2013
    TTaing987 wrote: »
    If Joyce and Omid's cat team up it would be a new brand of evil.

    Yes a team so evil , that not even Lee , Rick and Joel can defeat if they joined forces .
  • edited July 2013
    Yes a team so evil , that not even Lee , Rick and Joel can defeat if they joined forces .

    Don't forget Booker and Kenny! :D
  • edited July 2013
    I think Roman would have tried to hunt them down if they stole supplies. Shel just took off in the RV with Becca. I don't think we have to worry about Roman in the near future. If by the 400th day they haven't seen anything of him, he's probably gone.
  • edited July 2013
    I think Roman would have tried to hunt them down if they stole supplies. Shel just took off in the RV with Becca. I don't think we have to worry about Roman in the near future. If by the 400th day they haven't seen anything of him, he's probably gone.

    Ha ! How ironic , back in episode 2 , we all thought that there is no way that the owner will come back and later bite us in the ass , it would amazing if they would pull the same thing with Roman .
  • edited July 2013
    Don't forget Booker and Kenny! :D

    I agree with this statement, hell why don't you throw in Ellie and Elizabeth, it won't tip the balance but why not.
  • edited July 2013
    "Fuck you Roman."

    Something made me uncomfortable with the way Shel's story went down. Why did Stephanie want to leave? Can I talk to her? she's my friend. No I can't? But you still want me to kill her, right?

    I wonder what he would do if he caught Becca sneaking out through that hole. I chose to get out of there, but it looks like they end up leaving anyways.
  • edited July 2013
    Roman seemed like a cool dude at first. I still kinda like him, even if he went overboard a little. He was just trying to protect the group, and he went a little overboard. I get the feeling that he genuinely cares about them, but that he just kind of snapped after the break in.
  • edited July 2013
    Dildor wrote: »
    "Fuck you Roman."

    Something made me uncomfortable with the way Shel's story went down. Why did Stephanie want to leave? Can I talk to her? she's my friend. No I can't? But you still want me to kill her, right?

    I wonder what he would do if he caught Becca sneaking out through that hole I chose to get out of there, but it looks like they end up leaving anyways.

    Agreed to all, particularly the bolded which I've mentioned here before because it's unnerving as hell. Let's just say given Roman's behaviour, it wouldn't have been good.

    Not knowing all the details of what went down, Roman's 'paranoia' and with Stephanie probably being Shel's 'best mate', I couldn't blow her brains out.

    I'm pretty sure Roman does say that no one can leave - anyone who leaves could reveal their location, therefore they are a liability.

    Thinking more on it, and having replayed it again, Roman unsettles me more than Nate, good intentions or not. Slippery slope, dude, you are well on it.
  • edited July 2013
    I doubt Roman would just kill Becca even if he saw her sneaking out. Especially not with Shel around. And if you're silent during your conversation with him, he says that the reason he wants to expose Becca to the harsher things in the world is because he doesn't want to see her get hurt. So he does seem to genuinely care for Becca.

    That being said, he would discipline her a hell of a lot more than Shel's gentle reprimand. Maybe lock her up for a few days or something. Might do her some good...

    And sure he says that no one can leave but that's not his main reason for wanting to kill Stephanie. When you mention the possibility of talking sense to Stephanie, he brings up the stealing as the reason they can't do that, not the running away. He's mostly pissed off about that and I would be too. The thing is, we haven't actually seen anything from Roman to suggest that he would track people down just for leaving, only for stealing supplies. Roman seems like the kind of guy you can reason with so long as you don't screw him and his group over before you try to talk.
  • edited July 2013
    If Roman were to follow Shel I would think it would only be for a little. I mean look at when they chased Dee, Leeland, and Bonnie, they pursued them into a cornfield across the road then stopped, because they couldn't find them. Along with that At the end the group seems to think if Roman was searching for them he stopped after the truck stop was abandoned, never really implying that he actually did for long periods of time.

    Also honestly even though roman wouldn't let you talk to Stephanie, Shel would still probably talk to her off screen, because she has to confront Stephanie to shoot her, though if this did happen it was off camera.

    Overall I liked Roman he had a cool head looking out for his group, even letting them act as a democracy on whether to kill the spanish guy, he only seems to get more tense after that, which I mean honestly leading is not an easy thing, and leading in a zombie apocalypse would probably be even more stressful, so I can see why he was like he was later in Shel's story
  • edited July 2013
    I wouldn't put anything past him. The martinet act was only going to get worse. I can't see Shel being down with having her little sister disciplined, locked up or otherwise, and something would have ultimately gone down there. Incidentally, I thoroughly dislike Becca and I think her actions are dimwitted, 12 year old or not.

    I would have liked to talk to Stephanie first. I didn't wholly trust Roman's story.

    And saying that no-one can leave. It is an absolute. Creepy as fuck.

    It's amazing how quickly I change my opinions about people in this game.
  • Omid's catOmid's cat Banned
    edited July 2013
    The only game character I really don't like. Most dangerous type of guy. Acts as a friendly leader but builds a cage for you. Obey or die. No chance to defend yourself. Worst thing - people are buying his crap. He reminds me a nazi.
    If only I could turn back the RV and run him over.
  • edited July 2013
    Omid's cat wrote: »
    The only game character I really don't like. Most dangerous type of guy. Acts as a friendly leader but builds a cage for you. Obey or die. No chance to defend yourself. Worst thing - people are buying his crap. He reminds me a nazi.
    If only I could turn back the RV and run him over.

    I'm guessing you're an outdoor cat...
  • edited July 2013
    That went a few days without food, Omid is right, that cat is pissed.
  • edited August 2013
    Romans alright... a little obsessive about secruity but hardly the biggest problem in the world right now. Compared to all the psychos you meet in season 1 he's a saint...

    He's certainly not evil he dosn't relish at the thought of killing someone like Becca. He looks pretty sad if Shel agrees to kill Steph
  • edited August 2013
    he will show up in s2 for my opinion,he seemed like a good leader even if I didnt agree on killing steph he seemed like the a guy looking out for his group and doing whats best for them "whatever you say to becca I will back you up).
    Shel was so desperate to stay human that im sure she will have to kill Roman and it will change her. a lot.
  • edited August 2013
    So here's an interesting thing I realized about the Roman and Stephanie thing. People often talk about how Shel and Stephanie seemed to be such good friends and how hard it must be for Shel to kill her friend. But it's actually implied that Roman knew Stephanie the longest out of any of them. If you examine the blood where the old man and woman were, Shel will mention that "Roman said it was like this when he and Stephanie found the place." So I guess he and Stephanie were the first ones there, while Shel, Becca, and the cancer patients must have found them afterwards. And who knows how long they knew each other before that?

    Anyway, the idea that he and Stephanie knew each other for so long is interesting. On one hand, it explains why he seemed so upset at her betrayal. On the other hand, the fact that he is still willing to have a person so close to him executed demonstrates how cold and impersonal he's become. So with this in mind, if Shel ends up betraying him just like Stephanie did, I could see him breaking and going on full revengeance mode.
  • edited August 2013
    he's a tough one... a guy like that I think would make a good leader in that type of situation... he's brutal when he has to be but only to preserve the group.

    He doesn't seem like the bandits from Season 1 who would kill just for the fuck of it. His reasoning was sound too imo

    and do we know why Stephanie tried to escape? I don't remember that being explained...
  • edited August 2013
    and do we know why Stephanie tried to escape? I don't remember that being explained...

    It's probably because she accidentally broke his guitar.
  • edited August 2013
    Hey Ben, what instrument did you play in the band, the tuba, you like someone who'd play the tuba.
  • edited August 2013
    Why would you think that?
  • edited August 2013
    Ben Paul wrote: »
    It's probably because she accidentally broke his guitar.

    Haha, that or she rebuked his advances and he got all pissy.
  • edited August 2013
    Hey Ben, what instrument did you play in the band, the tuba, you like someone who'd play the tuba.

    Or maybe he played triangle
  • edited August 2013
    Ben Paul wrote: »
    Why would you think that?

    i saw that Winslow. you can't hide it from my memory.:D
  • edited August 2013
    What Winslow? :confused:
  • edited August 2013
    Ben Paul wrote: »
    Why would you think that?

    I believe Jake Rodkin once said that he played the Trombone.
  • edited August 2013
    Well, it involves blowing.
  • edited August 2013
    Ben Paul wrote: »
    Why would you think that?

    *blinks* cause.... Cause you like someone who played the tuba.
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