Poll: Attention RPG Fans! Do You Favor Gameplay Or Story?
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Let's put it this way, I've never put down a game because it had bad gameplay.
For open-world RPGs I think gameplay is very important as that is a constant feature, whereas story is only present when doing the actual story so is less prominent in the game
For other RPGs, I think they balance out in usefulness but I find the game more enjoyable with good gameplay. This is why I prefer Mass Effect 3 over 2 although 2 has a better story.
For open-world RPGs I think gameplay is very important as that is a constant feature, whereas story is only present when doing the actual story so is less prominent in the game
For other RPGs, I think they balance out in usefulness but I find the game more enjoyable with good gameplay. This is why I prefer Mass Effect 3 over 2 although 2 has a better story.
I wouldn't say the story of Dark Souls is bad, it's very good imo just minimalistic. It doesn't need tons of exposition when the gameplay and world does the talking.Mikeyfell said:
I'm only 2 days into Dragons Dogma and that game has a similar feel. The monsters and gameplay is epic while the story so far isn't and it doesn't need to be.
I love the Tales games since they have an excellent mix of both
If you want a game for the story,you can always look it up in youtube,unless it's the story is interactive,in that case,you're slightly fucked
I tend to replay games whose gameplay i like,if i like the story,i don't skip the cutscenes,if i don't,i skip them
If you want a game for the story,you can always look it up in youtube,unless it's the story is interactive,in that case,you're slightly fucked
I tend to replay games whose gameplay i like,if i like the story,i don't skip the cutscenes,if i don't,i skip them
I think both are important for a great game, but story is still the most important for me. Since I have played quite a lot of games now, gameplay doesn't often seem to be drastically different from anything I've experienced before, so it is unlikely I will be drawn into a game based only on the gameplay aspects. It mostly comes down to the story side of things for me. This includes that characters and the world that the game is set in. If the story is boring, I don't like the characters and the game world is unimaginative, then I will probably leave it alone.
The Mass Effect series is an example of a game that I thought was pretty boring in terms of gameplay, but the story and world was interesting enough that I kept playing just to find out what happened.
I don't know if many of you have played Valkyria Chronicles, but that is an example of a game that has such a bad story and characters, that I could no longer force my way through the game, even though the actual battles were quite fun. Those main characters...good God, they were annoying. I just wanted to watch them burn. Anyway...
I guess there are exceptions, such as Assassin's Creed series and Dead Island. I wanted to know what happened, but those games just got too repetitive and dull.
The Mass Effect series is an example of a game that I thought was pretty boring in terms of gameplay, but the story and world was interesting enough that I kept playing just to find out what happened.
I don't know if many of you have played Valkyria Chronicles, but that is an example of a game that has such a bad story and characters, that I could no longer force my way through the game, even though the actual battles were quite fun. Those main characters...good God, they were annoying. I just wanted to watch them burn. Anyway...
I guess there are exceptions, such as Assassin's Creed series and Dead Island. I wanted to know what happened, but those games just got too repetitive and dull.
I would probably break "story" into "plot" and "characters" and all 3 are necessary for a truly great game, but a still pretty damn good game can get by by just exceeding in one area. Some examples I would use:
FF7 - Awesome plot/overall story and interesting world it's set in but incredibly unchallenging gameplay and a lot of the characters were a little generic, though still likeable.
FF9 - Great characters made this game, the gameplay was good but only a rehash of previous titles and class systems and the plot were exactly the plot of FF4. So while 9 borrowed VERY heavily from 4 I prefer 9 over 4 because I liked those characters better.
Persona4 - The gameplay/combat/fetch quests got tedious very quickly and the main plot was a little silly, but the characters were all so well done that none of that mattered and it was a damn good game. Although the characters were the point of the game and the plot was just something for them to do I guess.
FF7 - Awesome plot/overall story and interesting world it's set in but incredibly unchallenging gameplay and a lot of the characters were a little generic, though still likeable.
FF9 - Great characters made this game, the gameplay was good but only a rehash of previous titles and class systems and the plot were exactly the plot of FF4. So while 9 borrowed VERY heavily from 4 I prefer 9 over 4 because I liked those characters better.
Persona4 - The gameplay/combat/fetch quests got tedious very quickly and the main plot was a little silly, but the characters were all so well done that none of that mattered and it was a damn good game. Although the characters were the point of the game and the plot was just something for them to do I guess.
The majority of games I play and engage with I continue to play because of the storyline and oftentimes in spite of the gameplay. I recently completed a second run through of the Mass Effect Trilogy to see how badly I could screw things up and survive and even after turning the difficulty to casual, the fighting was still not over quickly enough. I'm currently stalling out on another Dragon Age run for the same reason.
On the other hand, Final Fantasy XIII I completed twice because at no point did it feel like the gameplay was getting in the way of the storytelling. This, by the way, is why I'm a big fan of JRPGs. The fact that it is often relatively simple to overlevel and just brute force your way through the story means I'm more likely to replay it.
On the other hand, Final Fantasy XIII I completed twice because at no point did it feel like the gameplay was getting in the way of the storytelling. This, by the way, is why I'm a big fan of JRPGs. The fact that it is often relatively simple to overlevel and just brute force your way through the story means I'm more likely to replay it.
I came in here thinking Story, but then realized it's probably a fair bit of both. Less than perfect gameplay can certainly be overlooked, but in some cases, such as TOR, I really liked the story and wanted to continue to experience it, yet found the gameplay to just be too much of a pain in the ass to bother.
But yeah, amazing gameplay is pointless without a story, so story still wins.
But yeah, amazing gameplay is pointless without a story, so story still wins.
As far as RPGs go, if they're sandbox, then I couldn't care less about the story, but good for them if they have one.
If it's linear, like a JRPG or something, then it better have a damn good story because I abhor turn based and active time combat. More action-y ones like Kingdom Hearts I'm totally fine with though.
If it's linear, like a JRPG or something, then it better have a damn good story because I abhor turn based and active time combat. More action-y ones like Kingdom Hearts I'm totally fine with though.
I guess I'll go against the grain here.
I can overlook plot holes. I can overlook bad characters. I can overlook an average plot.
I absolutely cannot and will not overlook glaring gameplay flaws. This is a video game. It's goal, first and foremost, is to be fun to play. Even the best story can't save a boring, buggy, or clunky game.
The best RPGs are always a mixture of both though. The Mass Effect Trilogy is the best example of the perfect hybrid of story and gameplay.
I can overlook plot holes. I can overlook bad characters. I can overlook an average plot.
I absolutely cannot and will not overlook glaring gameplay flaws. This is a video game. It's goal, first and foremost, is to be fun to play. Even the best story can't save a boring, buggy, or clunky game.
The best RPGs are always a mixture of both though. The Mass Effect Trilogy is the best example of the perfect hybrid of story and gameplay.
well i am on both sides of the fence i can over look gameplay gaffes if the story elements are good and i can overlook story blunders if game play is up to or above standard and the ultimate game would have both to an excellent standard
however it goes without saying if either element is truly awful it will kill my interest in a game
however it goes without saying if either element is truly awful it will kill my interest in a game
I think there needs to be a balance. Final Fantasy 13 for example, too much story, you never get to play. Vagrant Story for the PS1, barely any story, got kind of disinteresting. Chrono Trigger, FF7, Lost Odyssey, so on, there are tons of games that get it right.
I would prefer story all the way because rpg means role playing games and if you dont want to be in a "role" which is baddly written and has no porpuse of being in the story then nothing could save you from repetative gameplay(no matter the quality) and boredom... Also Mass effect 3 is THE BEST GAME and i liked its story... so yeah ...
Gameplay, without a doubt. Why would I play a game that handled terribly, even if the story was gold? No matter how you attempt that game, you're always not going to be having fun. If the story is all that concerns me, then I could watch a Let's Play and then not have to bear the gameplay.
If a game has a terrible story but gameplay to die for, then you can set yourself a goal other than "finish the story". Right now I'm playing Skyrim again, and whilst the story is a big pile of shit that's not the least bit engaging (in my opinion anyway, I'm sure there are some nutjobs who think it's an absolutely magical journey), I'm perfectly fine with random cave crawling, exploration and the side quests.
If a game has a terrible story but gameplay to die for, then you can set yourself a goal other than "finish the story". Right now I'm playing Skyrim again, and whilst the story is a big pile of shit that's not the least bit engaging (in my opinion anyway, I'm sure there are some nutjobs who think it's an absolutely magical journey), I'm perfectly fine with random cave crawling, exploration and the side quests.
Roleplay is really not about a story, it's about making your own story. Take Dwarf Fortress or Minecraft for instance; there's no trace of a story, but that blank canvas creates an experience that cannot be found in games with a guided story.
Just like how you (well I did) feel more in tune with your character in Fallout 3 than in Fallout NV; You've seen their past, and projected your own character upon them. It makes you emotionally invested in their progress.
Like when you've just slain 3 dragons and die because the river you're crossing suddenly freezes over. Dwarf Fortress just murdered my hero, but that only makes my memory of him all the more precious. Now let's make a new adventurer and go loot all his stuff.
Just like how you (well I did) feel more in tune with your character in Fallout 3 than in Fallout NV; You've seen their past, and projected your own character upon them. It makes you emotionally invested in their progress.
Like when you've just slain 3 dragons and die because the river you're crossing suddenly freezes over. Dwarf Fortress just murdered my hero, but that only makes my memory of him all the more precious. Now let's make a new adventurer and go loot all his stuff.
The problem is when the game tells the story like a book or a movie, then many feel it just gets in the way.
However, they should be trying to get both done well. It shouldn't even be a choice to pick one or the other. And not only that, but there are many other important pieces that make a game that people always seem to forget, like the challenges/narrative. If the story and the game play are good, but you're just doing the same thing over and over, then it will detract from the experience once again. Another thing is the dialogue, imagine a game with a great story and really boring or shitty dialogue. People will hope every one dies since they all suck.
However, they should be trying to get both done well. It shouldn't even be a choice to pick one or the other. And not only that, but there are many other important pieces that make a game that people always seem to forget, like the challenges/narrative. If the story and the game play are good, but you're just doing the same thing over and over, then it will detract from the experience once again. Another thing is the dialogue, imagine a game with a great story and really boring or shitty dialogue. People will hope every one dies since they all suck.
For any game, the gameplay should be fun. This applies for ANY game, not just RPGs.
I personally want better stories out of games these days, but there great are great games like the Binding of Isaac, Hotline Miami (which both have fun gameplay with minimalistic stories), and the Touhou series (which has decent gameplay with story and characters that are only intensely elaborated upon outside the main games).
But of interest. There are RPG-Maker Adventure games like Yume Nikki, Ib, Mad Father, Misao (all of which are not RPGs) that sort of really on visuals and sounds to create an experience, there is gameplay (bring Object A to Point B), and sometimes story. But they rely on atmospheric more than anything else. Only goes to show how scores are meaningless.
Visual Novels are most often only story with music and sound (there are many exceptions to this however), they shouldn't be really shouldn't be considered games as much as stories.
I personally want better stories out of games these days, but there great are great games like the Binding of Isaac, Hotline Miami (which both have fun gameplay with minimalistic stories), and the Touhou series (which has decent gameplay with story and characters that are only intensely elaborated upon outside the main games).
But of interest. There are RPG-Maker Adventure games like Yume Nikki, Ib, Mad Father, Misao (all of which are not RPGs) that sort of really on visuals and sounds to create an experience, there is gameplay (bring Object A to Point B), and sometimes story. But they rely on atmospheric more than anything else. Only goes to show how scores are meaningless.
Visual Novels are most often only story with music and sound (there are many exceptions to this however), they shouldn't be really shouldn't be considered games as much as stories.