Gameplay vs. Story

September 4, 2007, 3:06 AM

so guys which of these factors do you look forward to on your FF games more? no in-between choices. this is pretty tough I guess.

let's see your answers.

September 4, 2007, 3:14 AM

Definitely story. I can play mediocre playing game if it has a great story, but I can't play a great playing game with an awful story. I need something to back up all the action. A great story keeps me motivated.

September 4, 2007, 3:14 AM

Story. I for one can't stand it when someone says Final Fantasy 7 sucks and then they say: "OMG, the graffix suk." I think you all do too.

It's always about story, no matter what, even in movies, and any other form of entertainment. Also, in the end it's all about finding fun in what you do that counts. The older FF's had these grand storylines, which made them vastly appealing to many people. The newer FF's seems to have sacrifice epic feel and plotline for breath-taking eye candy and all that other jazz. I think they're headed the wrong way.

September 4, 2007, 4:05 AM

Both really. I like the games to have a good story and be fun to play.

A game could have the greatest story ever told, but if it's no fun to play, meaning the battle system really sucks, I'll probably lose interest. Some things that can annoy me about game play can include:
-Little actual game play, meaning that the game is really an interactive movie.
-Battle systems that very difficult to get the hang of and even when you do, they're no fun.
-Little exp given during battles that it takes ages to level up.
-Story mode spaced so far apart that when you reach that point you forget what happened last.
-several glitches and not the good kind
-endless pointless task after endless pointless
-battle systems where you don't even actually have to play the game
-The controls randomly switch during the middle of the game for no reason because it was an unchecked programming error.

Likewise, a game could have a really great battle system, but if the story sucks, meaning it's boring or just plain stupid, I will definently not finish it.
Bad things for a story:
-Little to no character development for any of the characters for a game that takes at least 40 hours to complete.
-Characters 16 bit era and beyond that don't have their own personality.
-Silly romances that are rushed or over dramatic
-Cliche after Cliche
-No developement for long periods of time
-Important things happening that are never followed up upon.
-Trying to be subtle but not
-Trying to make the villian sympathetic villians. (They're trying to destroy the world and murder millions of people. Don't try to make me feel sorry for them by showing me how harsh their childhood was or how awful their entire life has been)
-Main characters that have no purpose to the story.
-A story that is so complicated and confusing that you lose track of whats going on halfway through since you spend sometime leveling up.

There's many more but it would take forever to list them.

Good story+Good game play= Great Game

September 4, 2007, 4:14 AM

Story all the way. Good gameplay is just a bonus for me. If the story sucks, there's really no reason to keep playing.

September 4, 2007, 4:17 AM

I would have to say story. I have to be engrossed with the story in order to be fascinated with the gameplay itself. If the story is not in good standing, I'm usually tempted to turn off the console and quit right then and there...but I don't. I always try to find some good points in a storyline, despite how bad I may think it is naturally.

Gameplay is important too, but not as much as the story. I know that fun tends to revolve around gameplay, and that's understandable. It perfectly makes sense...but I see the storyline as the overall quality of a game. Period.

September 4, 2007, 4:17 AM

Um...story i guess? I'm kinda with Rydia on this one, they're both equally important.

People play RPGs for the story, but if the gameplay is crap no one is going to endure it just to hear a story. Likewise, if the story is crap but the gameplay is good...well i'll probably play it anyway just because it's fun.

Like with VII, it's pretty weak in story (in my opinion, anyway), but it's alot of fun and i love the materia system so i still enjoy the game. Same can be said for Dragon Quest VIII, there's not much to its story but the gameplay is so fun i play it anyway.

My Character Profiles · September 4, 2007, 4:23 AM

Well the gameplay and the story both play a significant roll in making the game what it is. If the gameplay is too dull and repetitive, I get bored and tend to stray away from the game. On the other hand, if the story is out of this world amazing, I'll play it no matter how cruddy the gameplay is. XD

If any of you have ever played Star Ocean II, then you know what good game play is. Even if you didn't like the story, you'd play the game just on account of how fun it is. ^.^

If any of you have ever played Legend of Dragoon, then you know what it means to play a "meh" game with a great story. ^.^

September 4, 2007, 6:41 AM

Quote:

Some things that can annoy me about game play can include:
-Little actual game play, meaning that the game is really an interactive movie.

The first two hours of Final Fantasy X, anyone? Anyone?

Quote:

-Battle systems that very difficult to get the hang of and even when you do, they're no fun.

Sniff...I smell XII...

Quote:

-Little exp given during battles that it takes ages to level up.

Hey! Go XII yourself!

Quote:

-Story mode spaced so far apart that when you reach that point you forget what happened last.

I was so sick last night, I nearly XII'd myself.

Quote:

-several glitches and not the good kind

I VIII and I VIII and I got sick on the floor...you know the rest.

[quote] -endless pointless task after endless pointless[quote]

That...sounds like XII. Could be talking about the Harry Potter books, too, though.

Quote:

-battle systems where you don't even actually have to play the game

Dude, I just XII'd my name in the snow! Ha!

Quote:

Bad things for a story:
-Little to no character development for any of the characters for a game that takes at least 40 hours to complete.

On the XIIth day of Enix, my true love gave to me: NOOOO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT...

Quote:

-Characters 16 bit era and beyond that don't have their own personality.

...VIII is the lonliest number...

Quote:

-Silly romances that are rushed or over dramatic

I think I just got X'd. No, Jamie Kennedy wasn't there.

Quote:

-Cliche after Cliche

8. Just to mix it up a little.

Quote:

-No developement for long periods of time

Heyyyyy! How ya been? It's been like, what, XII hours? Wow, Plot Line, I never thought I'd see you again!

Quote:

-Important things happening that are never followed up upon.

Sadly, I must say VII.

Quote:

Trying to make the villian sympathetic villians. (They're trying to destroy the world and murder millions of people. Don't try to make me feel sorry for them by showing me how harsh their childhood was or how awful their entire life has been)

"Vayne Solidor, you stand accused of High Treason...and of being way too much of a puss. How do you plead?"

"Well...if you knew how hard I had it, what with my father being the Emperor and all...he never hugged me, so I had to kill my brothers. But you understand, don't you? Of course you do, because I'm not really all that threatening."

"GUILTY!"

Quote:

-Main characters that have no purpose to the story.

"This just in from Japan...Nintendo is reporting that their newest game in their trademark franchise will be called "Party Mario 3-D Sunshine Paper Cuts" and will have a NEW character in the lead! The new character's name is...Vaan? What?"

Quote:

A story that is so complicated and confusing that you lose track of whats going on halfway through since you spend sometime leveling up.

Two Soldiers stand outside of the Stillshrine of Miriam...

Archadian Soldier One: "Oi, mate. What's the good word today?"
Archadian Soldier Two: "Nuttin much, mate. How about that attack on Bur-Omisace? Sure was fun, eh?"
Soldier One: "...wha?"
Soldier Two: "Bur-Omisace. We attacked it. You were there. We roasted marshmallows on the corpses of those priests. 'Member?"
Soldier One: "Can't say that I do. When was that, exactly?"
Soldier Two: "Hmm...I'd say level 37? Yeah, sounds about roit."
Soldier One: "Aw, mate, that was 20 levels ago!"
Soldier Two: "20 levels?? I ain't even gone up a level since then!"
Soldier One: "Well, I wouldn't reccomend going in there then."