Poll: Which is more important to you in a storyline.

[DuctTapeJedi]

World, no question.

When I play sandbox games, I have a tendency to just just let the ADD out of the box, so to speak, and spend hours wandering around aimlessly.

 

[000Ronald]

It depends on what form of media you're talking about.

In a game, the world is the more important aspect, because it's going to be the world you're playing in, and the biggest part of the game itself. If the world is believable, then other, more mundane flaws can be overlooked more easily.

If you're watching a movie, than the plot itself takes front and center stage; again, because that's the main attraction. What the people are doing is more important than why they're doing it or even who those people are.

Novels, on the other hand, need to have believable characters, because they tend to be the main attraction; while you aren't always seeing the world through their eyes, you tend to see it with them. If they don't come alive, their actions and the world they live in will fail to come alive as well.

That being said, any flaw in any one point, no matter how small, tends to take away from the experience as a whole. Bear that in mind.

'pologies.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

I generally like them all to be in equal measure, but the emphasis in the end is more on the plot. Without good characters you can still have an exciting action romp, and without a brilliant world you can still have a simple romantic drama, but without a plot all you have is a series of events which happen, and that's not a story to me, that's a series of random events which happen.

Plot is integral to a story, and I think the world comes next, because without the world your characters and plot had better be really really good to hold the story together, whereas a beautiful world and good plot can hold a story together without the need for much characterisation, as is the event in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

 

[gjendemsjo]

Mass Effect 2's plot was somewhat shallow, but what made that game awesome(and my favorite game of all-time) was it's well-constructed, badass and memorable characters.

 

[JenXXXJen]

All of them are important, but I'd say characters are most important to me. The characters having a good banter now and them really makes a game for me.

 

[Nouw]

The World-Genre-Setting is the most important as if that doesn't suit my taste, I won't bother watching/playing/reading the piece of media.

 

[Nimcha]

The universe; the "canon".

I think I agree with this. That's why, even though there's so much stupid stuff being done with it, I still love the Star Wars universe.

 

[scar_47]

Ideally their all of equal importance but if I had to rank them character, then plot, then world. If its got good characters I can put up with a halfway decent plot just to see more of the characters. Plot over world every time i"d rather have an interesting tale where I fill in questions about the world. Having a detailed world is cool but one of the few parts of a book I can flesh out myself so if the writer doesn't I can.

 

[Spygon]

I say the plot being a writer myself yes the characters are a close second but if there really not doing anything intresting it is hard for a character to show off their own personality.While if you can kinda get away with rather bland characters if there doing something intresting all the time.

 

[are.you.the.god.its.me.vader]

The plot could be terrible, but its up the characters to really do their jobs. A very nice poll actually, very thought provoking.

Sorry, but your avatar is fucking awesome.


OT, it's a mixture of all three for me, maybe the world just a bit more than the rest.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

Characters defiantly.

 

[ramboondiea]

see now i think there should have been the option for all of the above, i hate reading a book where one of these fails, it ruins the entire story for me, to be good there has to be a good balance between them all, a decently rounded character, a subtle plot thats not to forced and a world that can be picture, there all essential,

but in answering the poll il go with world, if its submersive enough, i can right the characters details myself when reading/watching

 

[Rubashov]

I'd say it's a tie between the world and the characters. Because I subscribe to the notion that the set of basic plots is quite limited, the world and the characters seem to be the key factors in differentiating one story from another and, therefore, to be the key factors in making a story good.

 

[C95J]

You can't have any of these without other two.

basically this, all three have to be equally good.

 

[revolutionaification]

Hmm, quite a tough choice really. I'd have to say the world, simply because without it neither the plot or characters could exist! Not to mention the insane depth of some of what's been created. I mean, much as I love well developed characters and plotlines, no matter how much backstory they have they just can't compete with a whole world.

 

[Wintermoot]

the world, its alway interesting to see how stuff works in a alternate universe

 

[KefkaCultist]

voted characters but like others have said all three really are equally important

 

[ComicsAreWeird]

The most important to me are the characters. Second most important is plot and world takes 3rd place. If the characters are compelling, the game/book/film is making me care about them. I´ll be interested in knowing their fate and follow the plot.Take LOST for example. In the end they screwed up the mythology a bit, but the characters made it all worth it IMHO. Dexter is awesome first and foremost because the characterization is so good.

As for the world, if it´s complex and detailed, it can add a lot of depth to the plot.My favourite books, the saga A Song of Ice and Fire have a world that feels alive, coherent and believable. George R.R. Martin created different landscapes where culture differs from place to place and that makes a huge difference in the way the events occur.

Plot is fundamental but it is ultimately served in a way by the world and characters. I guess it also works the other way around. It´s only a matter of perspective.

 

[Idiotastic]

Characters,because:even if the story and universe are awesome,if they are populated by bland and uninteresting characters you will have great difficulty to get emerged (or at least I get this)