Why is a good story such an important factor in games to this community?

[jtesauro]

Anyway take, oh, lets say Gears of War for example. When I played it for the first time I was absolutely taken aback by the architecture of the ruined cities I was playing through and just the gameworld in general, who were these people that lived here? [http://firsthour.net/screenshots/gears-of-war/gears-of-war-marcus-beautiful-architecture.jpg]

What was this world like? [http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/744/744356/gears-of-war-20061107035023862.jpg]

Adding in a decent and compelling story to go along with it should be a relatively easy task as compared to everything else that goes into making a game; put in some good characters, give them some coherent motivations, toss in a little exposition and the game would be greatly improved in my opinion. All of the players who didn't care about that crap could skip over it and people like me could actually experience the world, giving an improved sense of motivation for WHY I'm chain-saw bayonetting someone in the face. Instead we have "Hurr, locust bad kill, durr, lambent, BOOHOODEADWIFE."

It just gets to me that both kinds of players could be catered to in the same games, but instead we have Balkanized tribes sitting across internet borders from each other in mutual hatred of the others games-of-choices.

None of this is made any better by people like CliffyB, who upon seeing this post would probably tell me that none of this story bullshit matters, that the single-player campaign was mostly mean to train me for multiplayer and that only RPG loving fags care about story while I'm wasting time that could be spent pwning more n00bz.

Which is unfortunate because if Epic Games [http://www.epicgames.com/] actually hired a couple decent writers I might actually buy more of their games, and I don't think I'm the only one alone there.

Dude, 110% agreed. I've been saying for a long time that I can see a good story below the surface in Gears, I just wish Epic would deign to let us see it. And about the two tribes thing, Shamus' [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/experienced-points/7161-Experienced-Points-Gears-of-Mass-Effect] recent article hit the nail on the head with that, that it may be Mass Effect 2, of all games, trying to bridge that gap.

To be fair. Game design isn't a cheap process at the best of times, and it would be dismissive if not outright insulting for us here on the forums to say it's 'easy' to put together a story in games. We've brought up Bioware, but that's what they do, it's right there in the mission statement. Alot of other companies may not have full time writers so any work they do on crafting the narrative is a not insignificant investment in time and money.

I'm reminded of Batman Begins, where you had the writer ( David Goyer) , director (Christopher Nolan) , and production designer (Crowley I think his name was) all working together in a garage from the start of the project, so the writing and the set designs were all created together. Alot of games don't get that luxury of development.

 

[jtesauro]

This is a good point, but that's not just Portal, that's Valve in general. Half Life 2 the 2/3 parts of Half Life 3 didn't have cutscenes too, they just don't use them. I remember reading somewhere they didn't want to do anything that would even remotely take control of things away from the player, and I think the game definitely was stronger for it.

Note: To Ekonk's post about Portal. Sorry, forgot to hit Quote.

 

[bladeofdarkness]

its possibly because people in this "community" view videogames as an ART form in addition to being a hobby
and games with good stories in them go a long way towards promoting this agenda

don't get me wrong, you can have video games as well as other storytelling mediums becoming a success without having that much of a story in them (see avatar, the poster boy for flash over substance)
but a good story can never HURT

 

[Rolf]

The story is made to make you care about your character. in a game where you don't controll anyone you don't need much of a story. if they fail making you care about you character there is a good change you will yell "F*** this" long before the game is done

 

[Ace of Spades]

Story is what strings together the series of gunfights, or fistfights, or whatever kind of combat there is. A game feels rather soulless if there's nothing to explain why any of this is happening in the first place.

 

[Yopaz]

Yeah I enjoy a good story too but the main purpose of a game isn't to tell a story, sure it can but it isn't the primary function.

For most games gameplay is what's important, but if you play an RPG with bad story then that's clearly a bad thing. RPGs and especially JRPGs are games you're supposed to play for the story rather than gameplay, though it should help a little on enjoyment. Take Lufia II, it's a pretty old game with OK gameplay, but what makes it great is the story. Then take Super Mario Galaxy where they tried to make it the Mario game with most story (except for the Mario RPGs) and it was not needed at all.
It's simple, some games just have to have story, while some could do without, also if a game got cut-scenes you can't skip they better be great or you'll be sitting there hating the game until they're over.

 

[maninahat]

In some genres, specifically FPSs (currently the most ubiquitous), story is a very important element for helping the player become immersed in a game. A good story is conducive to creating the right atmosphere, provides the player with a reason for why they should be bothering to do what they are doing, and they give an oppurtunity for players to empaphise with the characters. People will invest more into a game with a captivating story.

Whilst a story can help, they are not always necessary. Meanwhile a bad story can detract from the experience. Nothing ruins the experience and excitment of playing a game like a shitty story which makes the characters unsympathetic, or damages your willing suspension of disbelief. Take the game Driver, a car chasing game with barely any real plot to speak of. Compare it to Driv3r, which has the shittest plot of all time. The former works perfectly well without a story. The plot in Driv3r barely makes sense and has a main character who I didn't give two shits about.

Sometimes, the story can be a total liability - in GTA4, the protagonist, Niko, was basically two characters. During cut scenes, he was an embittered war veteran and small time crook. He has to make a hard decision about whether or not to kill his old comrade, and the decision will leave him shattered. But then there is the second character - the player, who controls Nikos actions. Whilst Niko was trying to have a poignant moment one the way home, I was making him drive over civilians without a care in the world. One character discusses the hardships that come with contemplating the murder of another man, and Niko nods in silent agreement...but Niko had run over 40 or so people and shot a dozen police officers just to get to the seaside to have this conversation. Sometimes, the player can be at complete odds with a good story - but why should that be the player's fault?

 

[MrWhippeh]

A story in most games (whether it be a good story or bad) gives the player a purpose for their often repetative tasks. I honestly don't think the original Super Mario games would have been nearly as popular if there wasn't a reason to keep running towards the right side of the screen. It was that desire to reach that castle and hope that the dim-witted princess would be there to congratulate you on your efforts. It was an amazingly simple story but it was compelling nonetheless. Same goes for games like Pokemon, Sonic and even Jumpman.

RPG's need a story that presents overwhelming odds against you, or there isn't much reason to become stronger. FPS's need a reason to kill the opposition and progress or it's just one big ethical issue. Action games often need a story to keep you playing after you've fractured your thumb from button spamming for the last 4 hours.

Genres such as racing, fighting, sports and puzzles don't always need a story because they have well known short-term goals (eg get from A to B faster than the other guy or get more points before the time runs out). Even these games can use plots if the idea is to use those short-term goals to complete and long-term goal (eg getting rep to beat end guy in Need For Speed: Underground, winning a season with your franchise in Madden, gaining Soul Calibur in...well Soul Calibur)

 

[Alarien]

It all depends on what the nature of the game is. If you are playing an RPG, well, it damned well better have a good story, since that is pretty much the point of an RPG. If you are playing an action/adventure game, then a story helps greatly if you get to that "what's my motivation to keep playing" point that often comes when you realize that the game's action or gameplay could be... better.

Some games don't need stories at all, like racing, as said before. Some games don't need stories because their gameplay is just plain silly fun, so any level of story is simply backdrop for fun stuff... like Left 4 Dead.

 

[Creator1234]

I dont particually care about a good story, just decent enough to get by, BUT the one thing i need in a game is a DECENT FUCKING ENDING!! no games know how to finish their games anymore, for example: Prototype, Bionic Comando, Dark Void to name a few. Anyone else feel this way?

 

[Nomanslander]

Because there isn't a game that can't benefit from a well told story.

How are you suppose to care about what you're doing if the story didn't matter.

Even with games like Super Mario Bros that hardly have any story the whole mystery of wtf is a fat Italian plumber doing in this make believe land of shrooms and dinosaurs was enough to keep people interested.

I dont particually care about a good story, just decent enough to get by, BUT the one thing i need in a game is a DECENT FUCKING ENDING!! no games know how to finish their games anymore, for example: Prototype, Bionic Comando, Dark Void to name a few. Anyone else feel this way?

Umm...games use to just end showing nothing except a message saying "Good job, your winner," so I don't know what you mean?

 

[DoctorNick]

I dont particually care about a good story, just decent enough to get by, BUT the one thing i need in a game is a DECENT FUCKING ENDING!! no games know how to finish their games anymore, for example: Prototype, Bionic Comando, Dark Void to name a few. Anyone else feel this way?

But wouldn't the ending...[small]be part of the story?[/small]

 

[derelict]

etc.

While normally I'd say it's because my IQ reaches double digits, it got me thinking, some games don't need story, if they've got an interesting mechanic. The old Marble Madness was always fun to me, if frustrating, and ...well, you can't apply any sort of story to a moving marble.

Nowadays though, may games are based off of personal experience; if you tie your game into human lives, real or fictional, the story is a *must*.

 

[mikecoulter]

A good story adds to the sense of immersion. Which usually can increase the amount that people will play it.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

While normally I'd say it's because my IQ reaches double digits, it got me thinking, some games don't need story, if they've got an interesting mechanic. The old Marble Madness was always fun to me, if frustrating, and ...well, you can't apply any sort of story to a moving marble.

Nowadays though, may games are based off of personal experience; if you tie your game into human lives, real or fictional, the story is a *must*.

I sort of agree. If the game isn't especially good then creating some characters and adding a story can paper over the cracks, so to speak. The game isn't that great but hey, here is a story for you instead, sorry about the game.

Games that people actually want to play with little to no story still do very good business. More people are actually interested in them because they offer something that you can only get from games and they are often cheaper to make since they don't need as many animators or unionized voice actors.

 

[Neonic-Ink]

I agree that with the games likes driving, music, fpsing, and such, you really don't need a story to get put into the action.

See, while music and racing games don't need a story they're definitely enhanced by one. Guitar Hero 3's story (and it is a story) is very funny and well told for the medium, and Need For Speed's often hilariously bad dialogue enhances the game, just by giving you more of a motivation than "you want to be the best!"

I'll just disagree with you completely on FPS's though. Halo's storyline is excellent, as is Modern Warfare's and Borderlands'*, even Serious Sam is elevated to genius with a storyline that is literally "Here are enemies. Kill them all". Half Life 2 would be a series of balance puzzles and vehicles that handle like paraplegic llamas without a storyline. I can't think of a single FPS that didn't have a storyline, and I can't think how it would work without a reason why you're there.

* because it's not Gearbox's fault that you were too thick to see the ending coming a mile off.

Okay, true, Guitar Hero 3's story is funny... and I am not sure many people actually listen to the story in driving games but I agree with you

But, with FPSing, how much of the people playing the game are actually listening to the story line, or even in fact, how many people actually play the single player for the story line, instead of just to complete it? You seem to be one of them. I give you kudos to you on that.

And even though Half-Life games are a FPS, I wouldn't say that's all they are, so I wouldn't round them up with the such games as Halo games and Call of Duty games.
Those are FPS war games. You are a solider sent out to destroy the enemy and such.
In Half-Life games, you are just a man, who was at the wrong place at the wrong time and you have to try to survive by killing enemies and solving puzzles.


All I was merely saying though is that, war games, like the ones mentioned above, seemed to be made for the demographic of people who just care about the violence and shooting without really putting themselves in other element of the game, like the story.
I am not saying that everyone who plays those games are like that, just a large majority of the people playing FPS's such as Halo and such, just care about killing and fragging their friends online.

 

[Straz]

Snippppy

The Pokemon storyline is simplistic and without relateable characters.
Although the objective is clear, the objective is really quite petty and frivolous.
For all that, the pokémon games are really quite solid.
The same is not true of the anime, however.
Within the anime, shitness abounds.
But I digress.

 

[Anticitizen_Two]

Story is not necessary for all games. Of course not. But it makes certain games much better. For instance, if it weren't for the story and immersion I probably wouldn't have liked Bioshock because the gameplay was really nothing special.

 

[saintchristopher]

Having a game with no story seems like having a game with no point. WHY am i doing this thing (whatever it happens to be)?

Racing games: "Just race." Okay, why? Because I like cars? I don't like cars! I have panic attacks when i drive fast! Have you ever been in a head-on collision? That shit hurts! However, put me in the shoes of a someone who does like to drive fast, and needs to do so for (insert hopefully-compelling personal reason here), I'd be all about that.

Puzzle Games: "Solve this!" or "Match this!" or "Quick, fix this!" Ok... then what? Oh look! Do that same thing another THOUSAND times! At least if you gave me a reason for wasting my time on this brightly colored nonsense I'd be more inclined to give a shit about your mismatched jewels or your math problem.

Sports Games: "Just play (sport)." Fuck you! Do you think I would even play videogames if I was good at sports? If I was good at basketball, I would literally never stop playing basketball. I'd be all "look at how fucking good at basketball I am!" HOWEVER, put me in the shoes of the scrappy underdog, or the disgraced former superstar who's got something to prove to his fans, his critics, and even himself, well now you've got my attention.

Come to think of it, if you think sports games don't have stories to them, you're a god damned nitwit. Sports are loaded with inherent drama. Watching those dramas play out are half the reason people watch and play sports in the first place. If that aspect isn't important to you, then what the fuck are you into the sport for, anyway?

The story is what compels you. Don't tell me Pokemon didn't have a story. You wanted to catch all the little monsters to shove it in the face of that guy who was a jerk to you. See? Story.

If you don't think games need a story to be captivating, then congratulations; you're much more easily entertained than the rest of us. Have you heard about that new freeware title where you jingle your keys in front of your face?