Why do people care so much about storylines?

[CriticalGriffin]

Because story is good and Sean Malstrom sucks at reasoning why it isn't.

 

[Sampsa]

Story gives you the reason to play the game. Why would I play some game just because its gameplay is nice? Good gameplay can't save bad storyline but good story can save game that sucks otherwise.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Let's put it this way...I would never play Indigo Prophecy for its gameplay.

The reverse holds true for Pokemon. Which has shit for a story.

Gameplay and story can balance each other out.

 

[Velocity Eleven]

I don't get why the story would be a motivational point, especially why it would be moreso that the statistical rewards

Stories motivate by giving characters an emotional significance. Because you care about the characters, you want to see them win. Or see them lose, if they're the baddie. Because you're now rooting for one side, any situations or confrontations they are involved in become more significant and more tense because you now have a reason to care if they live or die.

They are more important than statistical rewards because statistical rewards themselves are pointless without context. You've got 20,000 points. So what?

Yes there are games in which there is no story. Pac-man, Tetris, Pong, Various flash games, etc... and they are all addictive because of their simple gameplay. But tell me, do you play them again once you've exhausted every gameplay option? Found every star? Garnered every point?

I don't. I'm sure most people don't unless they have time to kill. I will, however, replay a game to experience a good story again, or to experience aspects of the same story that I had not noticed before.

Of course a good story is pointless without the gameplay, and visa versa. Take books: the most amazing story can be ruined by shoddy use language, and pure eloquence can't make up for a lack of plot. You need both.

20,000 points I can't assign a value to it without a context... for example if you said 20,000HP is Final Fantasy IX, I would be happy... 20,000 points in James Pond II however holds little value

I generally rather not replay games, I like to hope that everything can be accomplished in a single playthrough, unless of course there's a self-imposed challenge for me to do

You will find that nobody wants to spend hours talking about gameplay, but story? I have known people who talk for hours and hours discussing a good story.

Also thats like saying you read books to learn new words or watch movies to test your sight, i would definitely say you are one of about 3 people in the world who don't care about story at all.
For most people the story is the reason to go on, who cares if you pass the game. It isn't much of an achievement really considering that a lot of games these days have very similar gameplay and so many people complete them that it can't be called an achievement to pass them.

I can (and do) talk about gameplay elements all the time, its what i enjoy

where did you get the impression that i like shooters and Madden? I already said that I dont really like shooters and Madden I find flat out boring, along with all sports games of that kind

And why, pray tell, do you find Madden and the like boring? I would have thought it would appeal to your theory you're preaching, as they have little to no story and are just gameplay.

Likewise, stories give much more depth and meaning to a game.

Playing a game without the story is like watching Black Hawk Down without any dialogue. You have no idea what's going on, why they're there, why they're doing what they're doing, and no reason to want them to continue. You're just being amused by the pretty explosions and tense action. Action which is significantly less tense due to lack of significance.

This is is a pretty good analogy to describe it.

you're assuming I quantify quality with a high gameplay:story ratio, when in fact i quantify quality by the gameplay elements... I can play games with long stories if the gameplay's good

 

[Velocity Eleven]

I don't get why the story would be a motivational point, especially why it would be moreso that the statistical rewards

I have a hypothetical position for you:

Just say you're playing a random JRPG that, in hindsight was not appropriately designed or you decided to grind a lot before you hit the end of the game.

This game had good enough/great gameplay, but you've completely maxed your characters (You have the best weapons, accessories, etc and cannot in anyway improve your characters) and you're only 2/3rds of the way through!

Will you still keep playing to finish the storyline, or will you consider the game finished and stop playing?

I would be very annoyed that I've maxed out my characters with no room for improvement (I despise maxing out in general), if the rest of the gameplay was enjoyable I'd probably keep playing it though

 

[Danny Ocean]

you're assuming I quantify quality with a high gameplay:story ratio, when in fact i quantify quality by the gameplay elements... I can play games with long stories if the gameplay's good

Why are you asking the question if you're just going to denounce the answer?

 

[Velocity Eleven]

you're assuming I quantify quality with a high gameplay:story ratio, when in fact i quantify quality by the gameplay elements... I can play games with long stories if the gameplay's good

Why are you asking the question if you're just going to denounce the answer?

you're confusing me again

 

[Ubermetalhed]

Games are a form of escapism and a good story and involving plot is integral for achieving that means.

I mean you could say why do people care if films have bad actors and a bad story if there's enough explosions and action going on instead. The fact is you can have the best special effects/ gameplay ever but if you havn't got a good plot or some way of drawing you into that world you'll find many people will complain or just boycott it altogether.

 

[Josdeb]

I don't get why the story would be a motivational point, especially why it would be moreso that the statistical rewards

I have a hypothetical position for you:

Just say you're playing a random JRPG that, in hindsight was not appropriately designed or you decided to grind a lot before you hit the end of the game.

This game had good enough/great gameplay, but you've completely maxed your characters (You have the best weapons, accessories, etc and cannot in anyway improve your characters) and you're only 2/3rds of the way through!

Will you still keep playing to finish the storyline, or will you consider the game finished and stop playing?

I would be very annoyed that I've maxed out my characters with no room for improvement (I despise maxing out in general), if the rest of the gameplay was enjoyable I'd probably keep playing it though

Okay, another what-if statement:

What if the gameplay had now become unbalanced and boring? Knowing you had hours and hours left of the game would you stop playing because the gameplay had worsened, even though you'd sat through already 20-30 hours of the story?

Would plot-line resolution propell you at all to get to the end?

 

[Velocity Eleven]

Games are a form of escapism and a good story and involving plot is integral for achieving that means.

I mean you could say why do people care if films have bad actors and a bad story if there's enough explosions and action going on instead. The fact is you can have the best special effects/ gameplay ever but if you havn't got a good plot or some way of drawing you into that world you'll find many people will complain or just boycott it altogether.

I have addressed this point many times already

I don't get why the story would be a motivational point, especially why it would be moreso that the statistical rewards

I have a hypothetical position for you:

Just say you're playing a random JRPG that, in hindsight was not appropriately designed or you decided to grind a lot before you hit the end of the game.

This game had good enough/great gameplay, but you've completely maxed your characters (You have the best weapons, accessories, etc and cannot in anyway improve your characters) and you're only 2/3rds of the way through!

Will you still keep playing to finish the storyline, or will you consider the game finished and stop playing?

I would be very annoyed that I've maxed out my characters with no room for improvement (I despise maxing out in general), if the rest of the gameplay was enjoyable I'd probably keep playing it though

Okay, another what-if statement:

What if the gameplay had now become unbalanced and boring? Knowing you had hours and hours left of the game would you stop playing because the gameplay had worsened, even though you'd sat through already 20-30 hours of the story?

Would plot-line resolution propell you at all to get to the end?

it would be a very annoying situation. I tend to hold a belief (whether it's rational or not) that the difference between completing a game and only just missing the end is greater than the same amount of time at another part. This is because the act of completion is a milestone where the effort:reward ratio increases as time increases. Of course this is also lessened by the level limit that I would have hit and would be very hard to calculate it's value. I could not come to such an easy conclusion

 

[boholikeu]

I don't get why the story would be a motivational point, especially why it would be moreso that the statistical rewards

Lemme put it this way: To other people statistical rewards are nothing. A maxxed out character in Final Fantasy means nothing more to them than a colossal waste of time. Yes, it was a challenge to do so, but for what? To make a number on a screen increase, or gain an imaginary weapon? To these people those rewards are ephemeral, and provides them no more sense of accomplishment than, say, building a house of cards.

Now, completing a game with a story is a totally different matter. The player got involved in the drama much as they would've with a book or movie, and what's more they actually had an affect on the outcome as well.

Edit: This is also why story-based games are often less challenging. The player doesn't care about "winning" so much as feeling like they are a part of the story experience.

 

[djpose]

The story is very important in games, at least for me. Without story, there's little difference between a game like FFX (my personal favorite) and a game like UNO. Both have fun gameplay elements and can be mindless fun. What sets them apart is the story.

Take a look at shooters without talking about the storyline. They all boil down to:

Equip [weapon X] run around on [map Y] and try to kill [enemy Z]. They're basically indistinguishable. But throw in story elements and suddenly you're equipping the new government-issues laser rifle and transporting to a distant planet to stop the robot overlord who has just taken your wife hostage.

PS how badass would that game be haha.

 

[Velocity Eleven]

I don't get why the story would be a motivational point, especially why it would be moreso that the statistical rewards

Lemme put it this way: To other people statistical rewards are nothing. A maxxed out character in Final Fantasy means nothing more to them than a colossal waste of time. Yes, it was a challenge to do so, but for what? To make a number on a screen increase, or gain an imaginary weapon? To these people those rewards are ephemeral, and provides them no more sense of accomplishment than, say, building a house of cards.

Now, completing a game with a story is a totally different matter. The player got involved in the drama much as they would've with a book or movie, and what's more they actually had an affect on the outcome as well.

Edit: This is also why story-based games are often less challenging. The player doesn't care about "winning" so much as feeling like they are a part of the story experience.

a maxed out character would annoy me, because it ceases the task/reward cycle

 

[Josdeb]

Throw in story elements and suddenly you're equipping the new government-issues laser rifle and transporting to a distant planet to stop the robot overlord who has just taken your wife hostage.

PS how badass would that game be haha.

Actually, that does sound good! Throw in a subtle self-satirical kind of humor and I'd play it (Even though I own, out of about 70 games, no shooters apart from Redisdent Evil 5 and Ratchet and Clank games)

 

[RagingScottsman]

To state that people play games only for game-play is an incredibly ignorant and misguided statement. Story telling is a tradition as old as story themselves. Man has always tried to expand it's means of conducting a narrative to all mediums possible. This does not dis-include gaming by any means. I myself am a rather avid writer/bookworm and whereas I don't hate all games with bad stories, a good one will always win me over. I can't speak for everyone, but I myself am hardly there to just press buttons that make pretty colors appear on the magic picture frame in my room. I'm also going to throw out there that I am not a big fan of plots with multiple endings and the like. It allows for what should feel like a bit more interactivity, but like even the best done "choose your own adventure" novel, the outcomes always end up feeling a bit forced or gimmicky. "You go down the left path. The world explodes. Turn back to page 48 to try again."

 

[Acidwell]

You will find that nobody wants to spend hours talking about gameplay, but story? I have known people who talk for hours and hours discussing a good story.

Also thats like saying you read books to learn new words or watch movies to test your sight, i would definitely say you are one of about 3 people in the world who don't care about story at all.
For most people the story is the reason to go on, who cares if you pass the game. It isn't much of an achievement really considering that a lot of games these days have very similar gameplay and so many people complete them that it can't be called an achievement to pass them.

I can (and do) talk about gameplay elements all the time, its what i enjoy

Fair enough all i'm saying is that the majority of people only mention the gameplay as part of the overall game.
A better question is why do you not care about the story. Do you read books or watch films at all?

 

[TheRealGoochman]

Stories are a HUGE part of my video game experience. To me playing a video game is controlling the main character in a movie/booktype environment. A good story creates the ability to bring what you are imagining out into view through the TV or monitor.......It is the the feeling you get when you read a book and have that bond to the character, and the experience of seeing the actions play out on the screen.
Sure I love deathmatches and such with online play, but at the end of the day I will always find myself back behind the controller selecting "Story mode" or "campaign" to pick up my virtual book and immerse myself in the virtual story as the pro/antagonist and watch it play out....always eagerly looking forward to what happens next (unless it is a crappy game...with a crappy story).
Examples of games that captivated me with their story:

Mass Effect 1&2 (A I am a bioware fan boy I wont lie, but that is mainly because story is key in their games, they don't sacrifice it for more explosions and gunshots.....also Mass Effect was my science fiction lover's wet dream )

Modern Warfare 2 (was able to mix action with the feel of being in a Tom Clancy novel.....it gave a chance to create emotional attachments with your team and had enough to keep the plot moving that I wanted to keep playing and see what would happen next)

Dragon Age (again fanboy o'Biowars, but also was able to place your self in the shoes of the Grey Warden and go off on your Lord of the Rings esqe adventure, creating relationships with your party, making choices that had major effects on the outcome of the story, and making you feel like a true hero of that world......Wil Wheaton best described this experience at PaxEast)

More examples are: Oblivion, KOTR, Half Life, Fable 1&2, etc.....etc

so yeah for me story in a video game is a BIG factor. I dont want to always just be looking for the best ways to headshot someone (though it is quite fun) but I want to be the main character, I want to place my mind inside the one I am controlling and be the one who saves the day (or destroys the world).

 

[Josdeb]

a maxed out character would annoy me, because it ceases the task/reward cycle

But isn't that the purpose of your constant gameplaying? I thought you would consider that to be your main goal and maxing your game would be considered achieving your goal in the same way others consider understanding 100% of the story their goal?

Anyway, wouldn't maxing be a good thing? That way you can move onto the next game with good gameplay to etc, etc?

 

[Velocity Eleven]

You will find that nobody wants to spend hours talking about gameplay, but story? I have known people who talk for hours and hours discussing a good story.

Also thats like saying you read books to learn new words or watch movies to test your sight, i would definitely say you are one of about 3 people in the world who don't care about story at all.
For most people the story is the reason to go on, who cares if you pass the game. It isn't much of an achievement really considering that a lot of games these days have very similar gameplay and so many people complete them that it can't be called an achievement to pass them.

I can (and do) talk about gameplay elements all the time, its what i enjoy

Fair enough all i'm saying is that the majority of people only mention the gameplay as part of the overall game.
A better question is why do you not care about the story. Do you read books or watch films at all?

its not that I don't care about the story, its just that I prefer gameplay a lot more as a key feature.

No, i don't read books or watch films, I find them boring most of the time

I mostly like comedy shows when it comes to stories

 

[Velocity Eleven]

a maxed out character would annoy me, because it ceases the task/reward cycle

But isn't that the purpose of your constant gameplaying? I thought you would consider that to be your main goal and maxing your game would be considered achieving your goal in the same way others consider understanding 100% of the story their goal?

Anyway, wouldn't maxing be a good thing? That way you can move onto the next game with good gameplay to etc, etc?

No really, I like to know that I can keep going, where perfection is always a possibility but never a probability, that way I have more options as to what games i play.

say for example I have FF6 and FF7, I play FF6 and max out everything... all of a sudden my gameplay option has been limited to just FF7