POLL: Most important part of a game

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Hey everybody! This is my first post, so apologies if I screw something up
I'm writing a research paper on the current state of computer role-playing games, and I'm curious what everyone here thinks is most important in a crpg.
Feel free to post any comments!

Poll Information
This poll contains 1 question(s). 32 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: Most important part of a game (32 votes.)

Most important part of a game (Choose 1)
* Involving storyline and characters - 53% (17)
* Fun gameplay - 47% (15)
* Pretty graphics - 0% (0)

 

I say gameplay. Graphics are cool and all, but I could watch movies instead. Story is also important, but a broken or impossible game is no fun, even with a great story, and once you've played through a story, you'll have a very similar experience next time.
Gameplay though, can have millions of character and party possibilities, and multiplayer too, and that's what makes me keep playing a game.

 

Story and characters, as they are, after all, what hooks you to the game. Sure, good mechanics are almost as important, but what is the point if there is no goal or object? For example: the chocobo races in Final Fantasy 7. Totally pointless and irrevelant to the story, thus not really fun either. Pretty graphics are a good thing too, but not nearly as important as the other two. Several SNES games quite likely look rather bad by today's standards, but still people play them.

 

Storyline and characters. Even nice gameplay alone doesn't make it. For example, Might and Magic series has great gameplay, but no in-party character interaction and very limited NPC interaction, and the lack is felt. Pretty graphics makes a game fun to play, but it's not like roleplayers typically have high-end machines. And, anyway, graphics doesn't make the game.

 

Graphics and gamplay can be good, but to reallly become engrossed in a game requires a compeling story.

That is why I prefer BG2 to IWD2

 

I voted for story. PS:T was good, but BG was slightly better gameplay wise. However, it was the story and characters that lifted it into realms BG couldnt touch.

 

Welcome to the boards!

The current states of today's crpgs? I think there's too much emphasis on graphics. Having too good graphics just creates lag, and that takes away from the game's appeal. There's nothing wrong with using text to describe a sequence of events. And I mean just plain text, voice overs aren't really needed.

 

Don't listen him, he does not know what he is doing! I would take spoken text any day, especially if it were done at the same quality as in animes. Even better: anime-games!

 

Story, every time. It is what makes a game worth playing, even if there are little stickmen moving around.

Not to put down every thing else mind you. Each component does have its place.

 

Story and gameplay first time through.

After that, gameplay (unless the story would change significantly based on different characters, actions, etc.)

 

I completely agree with you, Takara. I think that the story and characters are most important, because that is always what I remember about a game. I can't be bothered playing a game like Torment anymore because the gameplay and graphics are a too dated, but I will never, ever forget its incredibly involving story.

On the other hand, I still go back to play Super Mario's RPG on the SNES just because its so darn fun.

I think that graphics are the least important when a game is looking for devoted fans, but most important as far as making a name for itself in today's market.

So even though I'd prefer storyline and character, I think everything has its place.

 

Except if you're looking for replayability (not an absolute requirement, but for me it's still important), then the gameplay is what ends up mattering more.

The story draws me in at first, but the gameplay keeps me coming back.

 

Well I voted for storyline but even it requires a decent gameplay since unplayable games are just, well, unplayable. Feeling is also needed though. It was not just the story and character what made torment so great, it was also the general feeling in the game and by that I mean music, general mood in the game, its ability to invoke personal feelings etc. A story can be great in itself but unless it manages to touch you it is just a great story and nothing more. The story in Planescape is something so beyoned great that I really can't even describe it.

 

Agrees with Splunge's last post. Unless the game has multiple storylines, it's almost always the gameplay that makes me replay games. Of course you could forget what was the story in a game, but not likely.

 

Gameplay.
A truly great story evolves over the course of the game. And to get there you need good gameplay. If you get stuck with an unkillable monster, a +1000 sword or any kind of game fatal bug the only thing left in your memeory is the time you wasted on 'that piece of thrash'.
IMO a game is a failure if it does not excite you enough to play it again. Thus replayability is very important to any game, more so for CRPGs.

Ofcourse seeing we are talking about CRPGs it would be insane to ask one to choose between gameplay and story, for the story is the heart of the game.

Considering that people still prefer BGII to NWN, you can predict where people would rate graphics.

 

This is a tougher question than it sounds. People complain about the story in NWN and IWDII. But it's not that big a leap from a CRPG to a Strategy game like Age of Empires or Civilization which are great games but have no story at all (except one you might make up in your head) and not much in the way of graphics.

So a game has to be exciting, challenging, and not boring. It helps if you don't really know what's going to happen next (but this doesn't explain how people can keep replaying BGII even after they know the story inside out).

Sometimes it is hard to describe why something is fun.

 

Story and characters, especially those which branch out with choices that affect the gameworld. It's the story that makes you go 'whoa, what a great amazing experience and stuff' that was after killing that final bastard who's been making your life hell for the last 30 hours or so. Gameplay is nice, but without a good story or choices, having good gameplay seems slightly pointless.

 

graphics aren't really important for me (probably because i've got a crappy video card ) and while i find gameplay important, i think that the story and characters are the most important.

 

Well obviously a certain level of quality is required from everything. But the most important of those three choices is characters & story.

It all amounts to immersion, though.

Improving graphics improves the convincing looks of the world (though in this case I consider functionality more important than mere looks). It's obviously important since humans are a visual species, we get the most information through what we see.

Improving the gameplay means erasing control problems and bugs and such that usually act against the immersion by making it obvious you're playing a game. One of the worst enemies a roleplaying game could have. This is something I consider obvious, gameplay HAS to work. There might be some small individual differences with each game and style, of course. But basically a good gameplay is only expected and doesn't make a game 'good', whereas a bad gameplay can destroy it completely.

The story however. As PnP roleplaying games have proven, the player has to have a sort of open mind and a good imagination to really be immersed in a roleplaying game. Story is the most essential part of this.

When I think of a roleplaying game, I think of reading a book. Graphics mean the writer's ability to describe the details and environments. Gameplay means the text is written by a professional who doesn't make obvious mistakes in language and grammar. Both of those are obvious to a certain point. But the story itself, and the characters in it.. those are the things that separate that book from all the others. Those are the essential factors that decide wether that book will be remembered years later, or not.

Forgive me any mistakes in grammar and thought again. A busy day at work, so I gotta go.

Edit: Fixed a few of those mistakes.

[ November 24, 2004, 07:58: Message edited by: Foradasthar ]

 

Voted gameplay. It is a game after all. If I wanted great characters and storyline, I'd read a book. Gameplay is central. Everything else merely adds to how much *better* the game will be. When it comes to replayability, it is the gameplay alone that will keep me going. Look at how many of you skip Irenicus' dungeon in BG2. There is even a mod for that. Are you re-playing BG2 just to hear Aerie complain about her wings, see Minsc bend bars with his beserker strength, or find out Bodhi is actually a vampire? No, you re-play BG2 because the gameplay is stellar. Thus gameplay is the most important aspect for a game, for me at least.