Why do people care so much about storylines?

[Velocity Eleven]

Would you be willing to play a game about an androgynous thing that does stuff to other androgynous things for... we don't know.

it depends how the game is played

I guess it all comes down to opinion? How hard is it to figure out that people like a story? Shit.

I've played pretty much every single genre in depth, and gameplay mechanics no longer surprise or challenge me. If I want to play Mindless Shooter 1137561387, why not just play Mindless Shooter 82526572? I mean, they're both mindless shooters with the same gameplay.

So I play for the story, where there's differentiation between games.

Seriously, this is like asking why Transformers 2 isn't considered better than Citizen Kane.

well i generally dont like shooters, which is why i dont play them

Out of all the things you could've said, you mentions me picking the wrong genre... Jesus. Point missed. I understand that you enjoy the gameplay elements in video games. This isn't a groundbreaking stance. You're on a video game forum. But my point is that gameplay elements don't change that much over time. Yes, you get small innovations, but for the most part, video games are set into clearly defined genres with their own conventions and whatnot. What sets games apart is their story mostly.

well I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree

 

[TheFacelessOne]

-snip-

What if by beating up the pillar, it was so easy, so pointless, and you didn't even get a reward.

Would you do it? There's no point to it.

But if there was an intimiate story, you'd probably do it because it's apart of the story.

 

[RidleyValiant]

Fair enough.

For me I wouldn't bother playing any game where I just walked from one fight to the next (Peggle excluded). I want a reason to be doing it, something to drive me to beat the dude in front of me besides the rather boring thought that theres another 300 waiting in line.

As for expansive non linear stories I enjoy the thought that my actions and choices, though limited by game mechanics, effect how the story turns out. Characters by extension are a part of that, I loved my team on ME2 and I worked damn hard to make sure I got every single one of them out of it alive

One of the things that bothers me about some games is that no matter what I choose or how I do things it always ends the same so once I've done it, there is no real desire to do it again.

 

[Velocity Eleven]

-snip-

What if by beating up the pillar, it was so easy, so pointless, and you didn't even get a reward.

Would you do it? There's no point to it.

But if there was an intimiate story, you'd probably do it because it's apart of the story.

well that's a different question. in the case that there was no reward for it, it didn't open up any other elements of gameplay and it was very easy to do, then probably not... though if I knew the larger context of the game I'd be able to give a more definite answer

a "full gaming experience" is subjective

Arrogance, however, is not.

Games are a lot more than just gameplay these days, they're an experience. Even the best game can be partially ruined when the storyline is bad, or the music is awful, it's an entire experience meant to immerse you into the entire game.

Some games have amazing stories, while certainly never better than gameplay, it does make a good game better. It's like graphics, no one will deny gameplay>graphics, but no one wants to play a game with terrible graphics.

i agree with that

Then why say earlier that a full gaming expierence is subjective when you clearly agree with it here?

You confuse me.

I agree with it from my subjective view, I agree that good graphics are better than good graphics and such

 

[WorldCritic]

Honestly, the gameplay has to be really good for me to play through a game that doesn't have a good story. Look at Jet Set Radio Future, the storyline is hardly there, but the game is just so freaking fun. It really should come down to good gameplay and a good story, in my opinion.

 

[laikenf]

I guess it all comes down to opinion? How hard is it to figure out that people like a story? Shit.

I've played pretty much every single genre in depth, and gameplay mechanics no longer surprise or challenge me. If I want to play Mindless Shooter 1137561387, why not just play Mindless Shooter 82526572? I mean, they're both mindless shooters with the same gameplay.

So I play for the story, where there's differentiation between games.

Seriously, this is like asking why Transformers 2 isn't considered better than Citizen Kane.

well i generally dont like shooters, which is why i dont play them

Out of all the things you could've said, you mentions me picking the wrong genre... Jesus. Point missed. I understand that you enjoy the gameplay elements in video games. This isn't a groundbreaking stance. You're on a video game forum. But my point is that gameplay elements don't change that much over time. Yes, you get small innovations, but for the most part, video games are set into clearly defined genres with their own conventions and whatnot. What sets games apart is their story mostly.

Not really, the industry is PLAGUED with generic story lines, even the good ones usually follow a predictable pattern. Could it be that video games in general need a renaissance?

 

[Velocity Eleven]

I guess it all comes down to opinion? How hard is it to figure out that people like a story? Shit.

I've played pretty much every single genre in depth, and gameplay mechanics no longer surprise or challenge me. If I want to play Mindless Shooter 1137561387, why not just play Mindless Shooter 82526572? I mean, they're both mindless shooters with the same gameplay.

So I play for the story, where there's differentiation between games.

Seriously, this is like asking why Transformers 2 isn't considered better than Citizen Kane.

well i generally dont like shooters, which is why i dont play them

Out of all the things you could've said, you mentions me picking the wrong genre... Jesus. Point missed. I understand that you enjoy the gameplay elements in video games. This isn't a groundbreaking stance. You're on a video game forum. But my point is that gameplay elements don't change that much over time. Yes, you get small innovations, but for the most part, video games are set into clearly defined genres with their own conventions and whatnot. What sets games apart is their story mostly.

Not really, the industry is PLAGUED with generic story lines, even the good ones usually follow a predictable pattern. Could it be that video games in general need a renaissance?

i can't say I've noticed

 

[snow]

you PLAY GAMES for the GAMEPLAY.

You do know that quote only works against people who think graphics matter over gameplay right? It just matters on what the game is we're trying to play.. If the game is meant to be storyline heavy, and it's something that we're looking for in said game... Then it better be a good story or it's not going to hold our interests.

A lot of the time the gameplay is fine and right where it should be for some games, but if they sell us a game that is said to have a good story that we can follow and get us pumped up for what's going to happen next, and fail to deliver with it, you lose some motivation in wanting to push forward on that story.

That doesn't mean that not all of us will just finish the game just to get through it, but it does alter the way you look at that game.

Sure there are games out there that are light on the story telling and are still fun, but sometimes you want to get involved with the world you're entering when you first pop that disk into your console/pc.

If you want to insist on using your pure pwnage quote here though. If a developer's trying to sell us a grand ol story with riveting action and the what not. The story then becomes part of the gamePLAY.

 

[Trifixion]

I'm just going to take a quote from an otherwise very stupid movie called From Dusk Til Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money which seems oddly appropriate...

Jesus: This movie is very low quality.
Ray Bob: Don't look that bad to me.
Jesus: There's no story.
Bucky: It's a fuck movie. I don't watch a fuck movie for the story. I watch a fuck movie to see fuckin'.
C.W.: I got to side with Jesus on this one. I personally appreciate an attempt at telling a story. When I care more about the characters, I care more about the fuckin'.

 

[Velocity Eleven]

ok, I think I need to make something clear... I'm not saying that stories make a game bad, I'm not saying that a story even makes a game worse

 

[BlackndEclipse]

well the gameplay is usually something that makes you like the game...The storyline usually aims to keep you enthralled for the game...i mean im not gonna read a book cause i like turning the pages, or watch a movie coz my dvd player is all dusty

 

[ThePostalGamer]

The most important thing to me is the gameplay. I completely understand how other people can be immersed into the game by a good storyline or make it a better experience for them and things such as that, but in my case, storyline is irrelevant to how much I enjoy playing a game.

Call me crazy, but my honest opinion is that storyline is a very minor factor for me.

 

[Muffinthraka]

Would you be willing to play a game about an androgynous thing that does stuff to other androgynous things for... we don't know.

it depends how the game is played

I guess it all comes down to opinion? How hard is it to figure out that people like a story? Shit.

I've played pretty much every single genre in depth, and gameplay mechanics no longer surprise or challenge me. If I want to play Mindless Shooter 1137561387, why not just play Mindless Shooter 82526572? I mean, they're both mindless shooters with the same gameplay.

So I play for the story, where there's differentiation between games.

Seriously, this is like asking why Transformers 2 isn't considered better than Citizen Kane.

well i generally dont like shooters, which is why i dont play them

Out of all the things you could've said, you mentions me picking the wrong genre... Jesus. Point missed. I understand that you enjoy the gameplay elements in video games. This isn't a groundbreaking stance. You're on a video game forum. But my point is that gameplay elements don't change that much over time. Yes, you get small innovations, but for the most part, video games are set into clearly defined genres with their own conventions and whatnot. What sets games apart is their story mostly.

well I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree

I disagree

 

[Velocity Eleven]

well the gameplay is usually something that makes you like the game...The storyline usually aims to keep you enthralled for the game...i mean im not gonna read a book cause i like turning the pages, or watch a movie coz my dvd player is all dusty

books and movies in the cases of fiction exist for the purpose of telling a story, games exist for the purpose of overcoming challenges and learning skill sets. The purpose of turning pages in a book is that it's supposed to not be challenging, its made to be as easy as possible... games however purposefully try to make it difficult

I really dont see the link here

 

[Angerwing]

I guess it all comes down to opinion? How hard is it to figure out that people like a story? Shit.

I've played pretty much every single genre in depth, and gameplay mechanics no longer surprise or challenge me. If I want to play Mindless Shooter 1137561387, why not just play Mindless Shooter 82526572? I mean, they're both mindless shooters with the same gameplay.

So I play for the story, where there's differentiation between games.

Seriously, this is like asking why Transformers 2 isn't considered better than Citizen Kane.

well i generally dont like shooters, which is why i dont play them

Out of all the things you could've said, you mentions me picking the wrong genre... Jesus. Point missed. I understand that you enjoy the gameplay elements in video games. This isn't a groundbreaking stance. You're on a video game forum. But my point is that gameplay elements don't change that much over time. Yes, you get small innovations, but for the most part, video games are set into clearly defined genres with their own conventions and whatnot. What sets games apart is their story mostly.

Not really, the industry is PLAGUED with generic story lines, even the good ones usually follow a predictable pattern. Could it be that video games in general need a renaissance?

I believe it sort of went through one around the late PS2 era to now, and the Nintendo 64 era. Perhaps to no avail. I agree with the generic storylines point though, but as someone already mentioned, take Mass Effect for example. The shooting elements are basic and plain. But the story is exemplary, which is what makes the game stand out. Those games with generic stories tend to not hit the mainstream (or in some cases, hit the mainstream like the Hammer of Thor).

 

[boholikeu]

you PLAY GAMES for the GAMEPLAY.

I've heard people say that people play JRPGs for the storylines cause their gameplay is limited. To me this was a huge "wtf?" moment, cause I always played JRPGs for their expansive gameplay elements and not their stories.

I just dont get it

I have to admit I'm a little surprised that you like JRPGs so much for their gameplay. While it's true that they are usually quite expansive, the mechanics always seem to become rote and boring for me about halfway through the game...

 

[BlackndEclipse]

well the gameplay is usually something that makes you like the game...The storyline usually aims to keep you enthralled for the game...i mean im not gonna read a book cause i like turning the pages, or watch a movie coz my dvd player is all dusty

books and movies in the cases of fiction exist for the purpose of telling a story, games exist for the purpose of overcoming challenges and learning skill sets. The purpose of turning pages in a book is that it's supposed to not be challenging, its made to be as easy as possible... games however purposefully try to make it difficult

I really dont see the link here

yes but theres no point in reading a book if its boring, no real reason for playing a game if it doesnt have an interesting story

btw im an extremly biased JRPG fan

 

[BlackndEclipse]

ok, I think I need to make something clear... I'm not saying that stories make a game bad, I'm not saying that a story even makes a game worse

I am....lolololol

 

[Velocity Eleven]

well the gameplay is usually something that makes you like the game...The storyline usually aims to keep you enthralled for the game...i mean im not gonna read a book cause i like turning the pages, or watch a movie coz my dvd player is all dusty

books and movies in the cases of fiction exist for the purpose of telling a story, games exist for the purpose of overcoming challenges and learning skill sets. The purpose of turning pages in a book is that it's supposed to not be challenging, its made to be as easy as possible... games however purposefully try to make it difficult

I really dont see the link here

yes but theres no point in reading a book if its boring, no real reason for playing a game if it doesnt have an interesting story

btw im an extremly biased JRPG fan

but books (fictional) are there for the sole purpose of teeling a story, they are printed and formatted in such a way that there is as little challenge as possible when trying to read it... same with movies there is no human interaction involved other than taking in the story

games are designed for the purpose of presenting challenges, obstacles and give rewards for doing so

I really shouldn't have to repeat myself