[quote=@Zarkun]
I'd like to take a moment to point out that some of the things you list about Ruben aren't entirely true, such as no personality. If you take the time to watch your troops in the barracks, and the bar in Xcom 2, they have plenty of personality. The needs direction is something of a game mechanic, which is moot in this RP because you ARE the character, otherwise you would see all of us with that same weakness. For example, James, one of my characters, would just stand there without input from a control, but he moves, he aims, he thinks, he talks, all without outside influence.

So I guess I'm saying that while your sheet was good, there are some unfair judgements made on the character of the character.

Now, more in line with the question, I'm fine with that, though it's, again, just a game mechanic. We kinda like to see some autonomy without express permission from a, honestly, outside force here.
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It has actually been a while since playing XCOM, and I don't recall ever watching the troops (and I don't have XCOM 2). So ya got me there.

The need for direction spawns more from him just straight up being a soldier than a video game character. The idea is not for him to maintain a lack of autonomy. I'm going to RP him as an actual character, just as a character who is used to being given instructions on a battlefield rather than making them, as opposed to an FPS hero/protagonist (i.e. James). In some turn-based games, the turns are being determined by the characters (like Invisible Inc, for example), but in XCOM, you as the player are specifically the Commander. Ruben doesn't decide where to go and what to do on a battlefield. He is given orders on where to go and what to do.

I can give him a handful of personality traits, but ultimately the concept is that a character who is not autonomous (especially in combat) develops autonomy. Maybe even leadership skills. Rather than be an existing hero with an existing story and existing personality/mannerisms/preferences, I'd like to sort of be below that status and build up to that. There are no "heroes" in XCOM. If Squaddie Ruben dies, XCOM can pay some credits and get a brand new Squaddie almost immediately, unlike, you know, the Heavy or Cloud Strife. Personalities in general are irrelevant to the XCOM initiative. That's why this RP is so interesting. He's getting sucked out of the world of XCOM and put into a totally different situation, where he has to make his own choices and isn't expendable.

It's easy to jump in as X hero from X game and build on that. I want to try someone who isn't quite there yet.