No flame intended, but you obviously don''t play many video games (or at least look at them in depth). There might be a major difference between games and books, but a game would be nothing without a killer storyline (the exceptions to the rule being DooM & pong of course).

The visuals and voice are dictated by the story, and the story are used in great detail to make the player wonder what the hell is around the next corner. Half-life was given the award of best storyline - and it did at the time too. Silent Hill 2 freaks the hell out of me, not just for the visuals but the actual story and how it is presented.

Games need good story writers, it keeps the games from being repetative and makes them intreuiging. Of course the artwork & audio is what the player experiences, but who is in charge of specifying what is made? The story writer of course.

Visuals can help enhance a story, and you're right that you need multimedia to back up the story, but only to a certain point.

You could have the best story in the world, but if you put it in a Final fantasy 1 clone, then yeah, no one will care.

But if you can do something on the order of Secret of Mana's graphics, you can get away with having an awesome story to compensate. At that point though, the challenge is to get people interested in actually playing the game, which comes down to marketing and word of mouth.

[edited by - penance on September 14, 2003 9:43:23 PM]

quote: Original post by Exorcist
No flame intended, but you obviously don''t play many video games (or at least look at them in depth). There might be a major difference between games and books, but a game would be nothing without a killer storyline (the exceptions to the rule being DooM & pong of course).

I think you missed the point that TechnoGoth was trying to make. If I read it correctly, he was highlighting the fact that writers of straight fiction have complete control over the way the story is presented to the reader, whereas writers for videogames have to rely on artists and voice artists. A well-written movie is nothing if the actors are crap.

I also want to challenge your statement that games would be nothing without a killer storyline; for some games a story just isn''t necessary—Doom and Pong aren''t the only exceptions. For some games, of course, a story is absolutely essential, and there are others where the story isn''t needed, but its inclusion adds a lot to the experience. There are also varying degrees of importance to which the story is given in games that do have them. Some games have an in-depth plot which is designed to draw the player in and evoke powerful emotions (you cited Silent Hill 2), while others feature a meagre backstory that is just there to give the player their motivation (for instance, something like a 2D shooter).

I think it''s important to tie the story and the gameplay together. I''ve never been a fan of FMV-intensive games. I find that a lot of movies and cut-scenes ruin my immersion. What I like is when the "cutscenes" consist of scripted animation in the course of the game.

I think that the visuals and voice acting are important, but only the shallowest, most visceral of players would condemn a well-written, well-executed game on account of its lack of movie elements. Bad movie elements are another matter. Square leads the field in cutscene animation, with incredible resources and skill. But fun games can be made, and thrilling stories told, with nothing but 2D sprites and text boxes. Nowadays, the trend is toward stunning visuals, but I don''t think that''s a law for all games. The Gameboy Advance is a good example of this. Not much more than a Super Nintendo, it''s popularity is incredible, and its games are hotly anticipated. I''m thinking about getting one just for the Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics games, and those will undoubtedly be largely plot-driven. They''ll also have an excellent, little-used combat system and fun RPG elements that will make them worthwhile.

A good story isn''t enough to make a good game, but it isn''t a simple dichotomy between story and graphics. gameplay itself can affect a player''s feeling toward a character. You can turn palom and Porum into mounds of dung for all I care, but if you hypnotize Kain and turn him against me, you''re in a world of shit. Not because of the great story or character development, but because he''s a great asset to my team, and he got me through some tough levels. Also, he''s wearing armor that I spent a whole lot of money on.