Poll: Do you prefer emergent or linear storytelling?

[BloatedGuppy]

Do you prefer to be lead by the hand through a carefully constructed narrative, replete with twists and turns and emotional happenstances? (Think story based games like Mass Effect, Human Revolutions, Planescape Torment, etc.)

Or do you prefer random, complex game worlds where intriguing narratives can arise from chance? (Think Dwarf Fortress, Minecraft)

If you could only ever have one to play, which would you choose? What's your favorite example of either?

EDIT: There's meant to be a poll with this...

EDIT 2: Note that "story" doesn't necessarily need to be a 3 act narrative with a climax and an end. That's why I included Dwarf Fortress and Minecraft as examples of "emergent storytelling". The "story" is your exploits. Those of you who "prefer gameplay to story" are favoring emergent storytelling, at least to some degree.

 

[Da Orky Man]

Linear the whole way. Mass Effect was brilliant, and I'm replaying Half-life 2 now and loving it.
Annoying thing is that I usually prefer the emergent gameplay.

 

[CannibalCorpses]

I would prefer no story to be honest, it tends to stifle the gameplay which is all i play games for.

 

[Candidus]

"Emergent".

I loved Fable... *when* the rumour was that it had NO central narrative. You lived your life, very gradually aging, doing whatever you pleased, raising a family, embarking on quests across a vast continent, eventually dying and getting the story of your life before the credits rolled. Obviously, the reality was garbage compared to the rumour.

I loved Baldur's Gate and I like Mass Effect too, both linear story games. But the greatest games are ones with emergent story lines: op, you've already beat me to mentioning Dwarf Fortress. I wish there was a truly modern equivalent.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

But the greatest games are ones with emergent story lines: op, you've already beat me to mentioning Dwarf Fortress. I wish there was a truly modern equivalent.

Dwarf Fortress is actually pretty modern. It just LOOKS like it came from 1984.

Mount and Blade has fairly emergent storytelling too, although nothing on DF's level.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Linear.

I like a goal, and a clear end.

That said, story is rarely my motivation to play a game.

 

[dickywebster]

Tbh, dont care how its done, just as long as its understandable, isnt flimsy and is generally interesting

 

[GundamSentinel]

Definitely linear. I would rather avoid multiple endings as well. Games with a story that was written for a single definite ending tend to be so much more powerful.

 

[Klumpfot]

Conceptually, I love emergent storytelling. I've just never had a very profound experience with it. To answer honestly, I would therefore have to say that I prefer linear storytelling.

 

[Candidus]

Everything in the OP can be applied to movies. So why talk about games?

I play videogames to the exclusion of most other media. So do a lot of people. Plenty of us play videogames as a primary entertainment medium, and as such we need it to tick all the boxes.

That's why.

 

[Thaius]

The problem with emergent stories is I've yet to see one that's really a story. At least a detailed one. Emergent stories seem to be stories on the same level as a football game; there are certainly twists, turns, and a story progression, but it lacks the direction and design necessary for a truly compelling story, and that is what separates sports/games from art in the first place.

I love the idea of an emerging story, but it rarely amounts to a real "story" so much as simply a series of events that lead to an outcome depending on your actions. I'll take compelling characters, complex worlds, and intriguing stories over that any day.

 

[Vern5]

Emergent all the way.

Linear games are nice and all but I feel that, as the narrative becomes more influential on the game, the less invested I feel in the action. For example, I couldn't really get into Mass Effect because I, the player, felt that my role was excessively diminished. That is a scratch on my ego that I cannot ignore. Yes, that's a very specific and personal gripe but, frankly, I would have preferred Mass Effect more as a Movie (or a choose-your-own-adventure book) than a game. and honestly, who can argue that Mass Effect would be a bad (if somewhat drawn out) movie?

 

[Borghal]

If it's story you are after in a game, then linear is basically the only way to go.

I'm not saying the concept of emergent story is outright bad (though it's abilities to communicate a good story are lacking by definition and coincidental at best). The problem with emergent stories is that while I know plenty of all-round good games featuring a central linear story (after all, most mainstream games are like this), I have yet to play a game with an emergent story, wherein I would find the story itself compelling.

I have played both aforementioned games (DF and Minecraft) as well as other games where you could find emergent stories, and there is simply no way an emergent story can even be compared to a well-written and prepared linear story.

 

[Borghal]

However, I feel I should stress this - whether a good story is an important part of the gaming experience or whether it is only there to 'set up the stage', that is a different matter altogether and also genre-dependent... and not the subject of this topic, I think.

 

[Iron Lightning]

I prefer a story with both types.

By that I mean non-linear RPGs that have a basic framework for a linear story which you can choose to disregard or alter. Like Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura wherein you can choose to start with your given quest to find "the boy" or you can just dick around and go on your own adventures. Doing the later would be a form of emergent storytelling while doing the former would be more linear. However, even in the "linear" option one has almost total rein over the method of progression. This means that the "linear" story will never be the same for any two players.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

And honestly, who can argue that Mass Effect would be a bad (if somewhat drawn out) movie?

Certainly not Legendary Films...

http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Mass_Effect_%28film%29

 

[CleverCover]

Linear.

I need to have a clear goal and an end to my story driven games. I don't care much for the games that you can run around and do practically anything in them. Okay, I'll play it for a week, but then I get bored and never turn back.

I haven't played the Sims since I got it two years ago and Minecraft, while I'm sure loved by many people, isn't my cup of tea.

 

[GiantRaven]

who can argue that Mass Effect would be a bad (if somewhat drawn out) movie?

Plenty of people, I'd imagine. One of Mass Effect's big selling points is the way your choices can change the course of three huge games. Not something that could be replicated with a film franchise.