Story vs Gameplay

[Arvaos]

Which do you like better?

[Phirestar]

Gameplay.

Story is completely unnecessary, and frankly I often prefer when it doesn't get involved.

[saranacX]

Obviously I like both but I'll take a less good story if it meant better, more comfortable controls. In any case, poor controls is unacceptable under any circumstances.

[s w e k]

This depends on the game.

[Radene]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Toast:

Always, always, always

Gameplay first, story second.

Never break this rule.

The story should be in service of the game. The game should not be in service of the story. Ever.

I disagree.

And I am quite happy they make games for both of us.

[Delia]

For me, gameplay ALWAYS comes first. I'd like a good story, but it's not a necessity for a good game.

[AustrAlien2010]

It may be rude to ask, but why do you want to know that?

[Arvaos]

Początkowo opublikowane przez AustrAlien2010:

It may be rude to ask, but why do you want to know that?

Information as I am interested gaming news, data and perhaps even starting a publication.

[Radene]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Toast:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Radene:

I disagree.

And I am quite happy they make games for both of us.

Keep in mind that video games and interactive storytelling are two different things. They're not synonymous. This is difficult for some people to grasp because games typically contain interactive storytelling, but that's just it. Games can have it, but they aren't it. It's an optional element, much the same way that shooter mechanics and health bars are optional elements.

A game is a game.

A story is a story.

Games can contain stories.

When you try to shoehorn a game into a story, you've probably screwed up somewhere. Or you are doing interactive storytelling as a primary focus, and at that point you don't really have a game. You have a story with interactive, game-like elements. But to call it a game would be a mistake, much the same way that you don't refer to Doom as a story. You refer to it as a game. It does have a story, but that is not how you would categorize it. You just say it is a video game.

Interactive stories are not video games. They're stories. There is another term which is often used to describe them.

Walking Simulators.

By all means, enjoy your walking simulators. Really.

They're not games though.

Is this a "real gamer" rant? It walks like a "real gamer" rant and it quacks like a "real gamer" rant.

[Incarnate]

Games are a medium about gameplay/interaction. Hence why we call them "games." Playing a video game should be more like playing chess or basketball than reading. You have freedom to decide and adapt.

Hell, even a lot of classic books and movies have horrible plots and thin characters (looking at you, Hobbit), so why would I demand that video games (already burdened with so many other technical limitations and mechanics) give me a story worthy of Kubrick or Hemingway?

[AustrAlien2010]

Początkowo opublikowane przez CalistriX:

Początkowo opublikowane przez AustrAlien2010:

It may be rude to ask, but why do you want to know that?

Information as I am interested gaming news, data and perhaps even starting a publication.

Aha. Alright. I rarely follow gaming news. So I dont really have an opinion. I simply hope they make something they like making.

[Duckilous]

Stories are meant to complement the gameplay, not the other way around.

[Gus the Crocodile]

"Gameplay" is a silly term that's far too vague to be useful. As it's typically used, I consider story to be part of gameplay, not separate from it.

The decisionmaking and input that tends to form the core of what people mean by gameplay is only meaningful because of the context provided by visuals, narrative, sounds etc. Pressing buttons in Super Mario Bros with the screen and sound turned off isn't "gameplay" because you aren't actually responding to anything, making predictions etc. The game needs to communicate to you in order for your choices to have any context, so that context is an integral part of your "gameplay".

[Crystal Sharrd]

Depends on the genre. Definitely story for RPGs, but gameplay usually for FPS's.

[trousers]

I could play a game with terrible gameplay as long as it had an interesting enough story. So story. But you won't catch me playing many purely story based games simply because what passes for good in the realm of vidya is usually 4-7 tiers below what passes for good in film or literature.

Example of bad gameplay but good story - The Witcher. The first one. The one with the ropey translation that even the re-release/directors cut/SPECIAL EDITION only partially fixed. it was still perfectly playable for me and enjoyable because the story and the themes and the narrative were great and interesting, despite the
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-egGn5WYrk

[trousers]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Miss Ann Thrope:

Początkowo opublikowane przez omg:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-egGn5WYrk

It wasn't until I played the sequels that I realised how utterly strange Geralt looked in the original game.

I'll show you a real man's Geralt