Choices and Characters Dying
So I've previously agreed with people (and come to think myself) that choices don't matter. The big example is Carley and Doug. But the new season raises a question: what is the criterion for 'not mattering?' With Carley and Doug people say it doesn't matter because no matter who you save, the other one dies, and they die in the exact same spot.
Seaon 2 you could save Pete, and depending on your choice he dies at the end of episode 1 or at the beginning of episode 2. Does this mean it didn't matter?
Moreover, I got Alvin killed. I didn't get Nick killed. Suppose one of them is scripted to live past the beginning of episode 3 (even onto further episodes, or hypothetically the end of the season). But what if they both (or whoever is remaining) dies in the beginning of episode 3? Does that mean the choice didn't matter?
What I'm trying to get at, are what are the criteria for a choice affecting the life or death of a character to truly matter? Do they have to die in a different spot (or in, the case of a choice, their substitute not die in the same spot)? Or, the strictest one, do they have to make it all the way to the end of the season?
Comments
Take it this way.
The story is like a journey, say, to the airport. The choices you make in the game are like your choice of transport to go to the airport. You can walk, ride a bicycle, drive a car, take a bus, a taxi or crawl there on your knees, but in the end, the final destination will always be the airport.
So what if the choices didn't matter? Its the damn journey that is important in the end.
If they live longer, it will matter. In real life, you can't know when someone will die. So, if you fight, even to make that person live two extra minutes, it matters.
The Nick, Alvin and Pete choices do matter for me. Why? Cause I like all of them and get to see more of their character when saving them. Same's with Carley and Doug. For me, the game's about the characters and their development, even if it is minimal. By saving Pete, I had him go out like a hero, saving Clem's life. By saving Nick and Alvin, I hope to see more of them in the next episode, even if they are both killed off.
I'm confused by your analogy. "the final destination will always be the airport" would suggest that it doesn't matter "it's the damn journey that is important in the end" would suggest the opposite.
Returning to Doug and Carley, I see what you mean by you get to know each of them a bit more (replaying having saved Doug, I'm so glad I saved Carley my first time - she's just so much more interesting of a character... ironic because I'm personally much more like Doug... meaning I wouldn't have saved myself I guess) my biggest pet peeve is that they die in exactly the same spot... Everybody dies in the apocalypse but, as a gamer, I feel like it's point A) save Carley or Doug, point
Carley or Doug dies.
The other thing is, I'm (unfairly) comparing the game to Fallout, where you can keep replaying because both the individual quest play out differently and the end is different because of the choices you make.