Sympathy for Taloon
Jeremy Parish over at Gamespite seems to have discovered one of DragonQuest IV’s most magical moments: Playing as Taloon the merchant.
(Or as Parish labeled the chubby little moneymaker, “The Merchant of Menace.” But he isn’t, really.)
Parish doth say:
“You probably already know this, but Torneko’s chapter isn’t about saving the world or anything, although he does eventually become caught up in the game’s bigger plotline, which does indeed involve saving the world from grim and certain disaster. But he starts out as a simple, unassuming merchant, a modest family man seeking to make his fortune in the world by traveling the deadly wastes to find somewhere to set up his shop. Much of his story, I’ve found, involves going to work every day and trading with a steady stream of customers, slowly building up his earnings until he can afford to buy the gear necessary to strike out on his own and find success. Every once in a while, you’ll get lucky and someone will come trade a phenomenally expensive item which nets Torneko a huge commission… but mostly slow and steady does it.
“It’s not very exciting, and I feel like I should hate the repetitive randomness of the whole process, but I’m really enjoying it. Torneko’s nine-to-five is a welcome counterpoint to the usual monster-slaying and level-grinding of console RPGs, and Torneko himself is incredibly likable despite having no dialogue whatsoever. He’s a stout fellow with a loving family and a hometown rife with Cockney accents, for some reason, and such is the nature of Dragon Quest’s minimalist style that these minor attributes are sufficient to make him thoroughly endearing. I’m starting to understand why this series is such a monster in its native land.”
I played DragonQuest IV when it was all up on my NES and known as Dragon Warrior IV. Many years have passed and I have put many RPGs under my belt (as well as pies) but my affinity for Torneko/Taloon/Torneko Taloon never left me.
It’s true that you begin Taloon’s quest behind a shop counter. For once you learn what it’s like to deal with the jerkface heroes whose roles you fill in most RPGs.
“I’ll take the leather armour and the bamboo stick…no, you know what, I want the club and the clothes. Can you give me ten percent off? I know the manager.”
It might say something about fantasy RPGs when we say it’s refreshing to play as a portly merchant who goes off to work every day after his wife packs him a lunch. I mean, nobody plays Final Fantasy VII because they want to take on the role of a Shinra salaryman, but change is a good thing once in a while.
Consider that Taloon’s role remains memorable even after so many years. C’mon Squeenix, let’s get some glory-destined toilet scrubbers in your hero roster.
