[ SECRET POST #2707 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2707 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 066 secrets from Secret Submission Post #387.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 1 (also a repeat x 3) - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

The changing nature of games & what people look for in them

[(Anonymous)]

The first video games I played, some 25 years ago, were very light on story (kind of by necessity). A good game was one that was fun to play and/or challenging. The story could be non-existent or absolute crap, and it didn't really matter.

That isn't to say that there weren't any story-heavy games at all. For example, there were some really fantastic RPGs in the '90s (sadly, I haven't played all of the ones that I know I really should, but I figure I'll get around to it someday). However, again, if a game didn't have a good narrative, then that was okay.

I've kind of realized that I still have the old mindset of "if it's fun to play, who cares?" But a lot of people I come across don't seem to approach the medium that way anymore. If a game has great gameplay but a bad story, then there's a tendency for people to deride it as being dull or pointless. I find this really interesting. I really like story-heavy games, and I like that games have gotten to the point where they can be evaluated on things like characterization and narrative structure and the quality of the voice acting. But I also still like games that are just, well, games.

What are your thoughts, FS? Have you noticed the same kind of shift in what people look for? And do care more about story or more about gameplay?

Re: The changing nature of games & what people look for in them

[feotakahari]

If your game has good gameplay and no story, that's good. If your game has good gameplay and a good story, that's great. If your game has good gameplay and a bad story, and you keep throwing boring cutscenes at your players to try to get them invested, that's a bit of a nuisance, to say the least. Devs recognize that story is something players are interested in, but a lot of them bring the story guys into the project fairly late in development, making it difficult to change the gameplay or major events in order to suit the story. That can result in some really bland messes that you're better off just skipping.

Re: The changing nature of games & what people look for in them

[ariakas]

I know people gripe but I'm not sure it translates into actual sales. The "stories" of things like CoD and BF are usually awful, and they top charts. Or you have something like Far Cry 3, which was not only stupid but abjectly offensive, but ridiculously fun to play, and sold a ton.

People griping online does not actually translate into how people buy/play/enjoy games at all.

(That said a story element is why I'm not buying Watch Dogs, because I'm so fucking sick of said element that I refuse to support any game/movie/book with it ever again, no matter how good it is otherwise.)

Re: The changing nature of games & what people look for in them

[(Anonymous)]

What story element are you referring to?

Re: The changing nature of games & what people look for in them

[ariakas]

Fridged female relative/love interest as motivation for revenge. If we could put that particular flayed horse to bed for the next several decades, I'm not sure it would be long enough. Particular when combined with (yet another) grim 30-something dark-haired white dude protagonist. I know I'm not the only one to see the character design and become dubious, then hear about his backstory and immediately cancel their pre-order.