Do think people wouldn't like Roman...

[AceRay]

If Roman wasn't Niko's cousin, do you think people would still like him? I often hear people say that they hang out with Niko cause its important to stay close with family. What if he wasn't family, like Brucie or Dwayne isn't family? What if he was just Niko's long time friend? what would happen then?

 

 

[Morsaw]

if he wasnt I think he would still be a very funny and interesting character considering how much sh*t he gets in.

[Dwagginz]

I don't think he'd be "fatty Roman" if he wasn't Niko's cousin. To me, he's at his silliest (And arguably, his best) when Niko is around, as he seems to play everything up to "show off" to Niko.

 

With Niko's own beliefs and personality, I think he'd leave Roman in the dirt if he wasn't family. At the end of the day, Roman is a womanising, compulsive-gambler with a lot of debts and possibly a price on his head. He's been corrupted by money, as can be seen in the final few missions of GTA IV, where he advises Niko to take the money even though it can be argued that they don't need it now. If someone dangled a large enough bag of cash in front of him, I would wager he'd even leave Mallorie, or at least strongly consider it.

 

There are moments where he's seen to break free of that personality, like when Niko and Roman finally (re)meet Darko, but they're so few and far between, and I think Niko would honestly leave Roman to the hole he's dug himself into. All Roman does throughout the game is leech off Niko. Niko does a contract whilst Roman blows money on "beeg American teetees" and gambling. He shows no signs of wanting to earn that for himself, especially once his taxi firm and house burn down. He's more interested on increasing the size of his debts rather than decreasing, whether he's employed or not. Yes, he starts his firm up again and, I believe, he expands a bit, but his attitude never changes. He doesn't wake up and realise how big his issues are.

 

I believe that if Niko hadn't come to Liberty City, Roman would have been killed sooner or later. I think Mallorie would eventually have left him (if he hadn't been killed by that point) because nothing seems to sober him up from his addictions. Mallorie having a child with Roman, in my mind, would do nothing to stop him. If his apartment being burnt down, being beaten and shot a few times, and the other things that happen to him don't cause him to stop, then I don't see why a child would change anything

 

Edit: Corrections & Additions.

Edited October 30, 2010 by Dwagginz

[cidamelo]

I think Roman is annoying and idiot, but he truly likes Niko, and sometimes he's funny too.

[WF the Hobgoblin]

Roman is one charming, funny motherf*cker. He oozes awesomeness.

[AceRay]

Yeah, Roman was a bit irritating.

listen to the Dwagginz!! He speaks the truth

[cidamelo]

If Roman wasn't Niko's cousin, I would not be bothered if he died. I prefer Kate McReary, but anyway, if I were Niko, I'd choose Revenge, because I hate Dimitri Rascalov

[Barry Spock]

It's not so much the family connection but the history - they grew up together and went through the same tings -- if they were friends it'd still be the same.

Eventhough Niko is often down on 'the american dream' and life in LC, he is drawn to Roman's hopeless optomism about everything.

[AlexGTAGamer]

I would still like Roman as I admire his optimism. He's been through a hell load in the war (just like Niko only Niko went through worse) and now that Roman lives in America he wants to forget about his past, unlike Niko who always thinks about his past and doesn't move on.

 

Quote:

Niko:"With every day we live we pick up new baggage, baggage that we must carry with us for the rest of our lives, there's no dropping it and pretending that we're fresh and clean just because we get of a boat in a new place."

Roman:"Stop being so dramatic time is a healer we live and we forget the past and nothing helps a man forget more than ripe, round American titties, you have to learn to move on from the past and think about all of the chances there are, chances to make lots of money, chances to get college girls into bed."

Niko (In Serbian):"Chances to turn in to an idiot."

Roman:"I heard that, don't think I've forgotten our language completely."

[Dwagginz]

I've corrected and added to my mini-essay up there if anyone wants to read it. I forgot to mention what I felt would happen to Roman if Niko hadn't arrived.