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"Am I missing the point of games? Playing them..."

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Wed 17/04/02 at 20:02
Regular
Posts: 787
When most people play games I would guess they have a desire to prove how good they are at a game, some people spend hour upon hours practicing beat em up games just so they can trounce their friends in a versus game, people spend a load of their money on arcade shoot em ups to try and get a high score, and some people play a game over and over once they've completed it and found every secret, just to be able to say they can the complete the game in a faster time, my question is why?

When I play a game, the first and pretty much the only thing that attracts me to it and keeps me playing until its completed is the story, if the story cant keep me hooked then I simply lose interest, the fact that the story is interactive seems to be more of a formality that has to be overcome as opposed to an enjoyable task in itself, lets take for example Final Fantasy VII, an immensely enjoyable experience, an excellent story sans ending with well developed characters and relationships, but lets face it the actual gameplay isn't half boring. Click, Read, Click, Read, Click, fight, Click, Click, Move, Click, Read, Click, Read, Click..... the story keeps you attatched and wanting to see more, but the fights and travelling are boring, the only reason you suffer through them is to gain experience, items, summons etc that allow you to progress in the game and enhance the story.

But Final Fantasy is a text based RPG, its main feature is the story, but even games that are sold as survival horror, are more attractive for their story than for their gameplay, Resident Evil 2, probably the best of the Resi games, blowing the heads off zomies was fun at first, as was jumping the first time you have a zombie break through a window or wall, but the puzzles although sometimes quite clever, seemed only to delay the story from progressing. But then again there are those who thanks to hundreds of gameplay hours can proudly brag that they can complete the game in x ammount of minutes, but really what are you taking from the game - the story, the story that I experienced in playing it through once.

ok, ok, thats 2 examples, but lets take the last bastion of pick up and play gameplaying action - the beat em up, how much of an effect does the story have on these? In my opinion a huge one, why do people choose one games series over another, often its not because of them prefering the gameplay style, but prefering the games characters and their stories, they form an attatchment to the games characters, not their style of parrying, or how they throw an uppercut.

So am I taking games the wrong way? Am I missing out on the main point of playing games - playing them? Am I too much of a movie and tv buff demanding plot evolution and character development. Come to think of it playing wwf games I often come up with my own scenarios and reasons for the match, and try to end the matches in a certain way - its not about winning its about making the story progress your way - whether the game tells the story or if you have to make it up yourself.

Are there many of us who think that stories are the main attraction - the event rather than the experience? Or am I that lone loonie who thinks he knows why Crash Holly has suddenly become the number one contender in SmackDown:JBI?

Gamesplaying - its just a formality in experiencing the story.
Wed 17/04/02 at 20:11
"MMMMM, Chicken"
Posts: 307
Pehaps thats why I dont like super smash brothers that much, it seems too lightweight... worms on the other hand....
Wed 17/04/02 at 20:09
"Mimmargh!"
Posts: 2,929
Most peole play Super Smash Bros. for its gameplay.
It's the same with Allied Assault.
Gameplay is the main attraction my friend.
Wed 17/04/02 at 20:02
"MMMMM, Chicken"
Posts: 307
When most people play games I would guess they have a desire to prove how good they are at a game, some people spend hour upon hours practicing beat em up games just so they can trounce their friends in a versus game, people spend a load of their money on arcade shoot em ups to try and get a high score, and some people play a game over and over once they've completed it and found every secret, just to be able to say they can the complete the game in a faster time, my question is why?

When I play a game, the first and pretty much the only thing that attracts me to it and keeps me playing until its completed is the story, if the story cant keep me hooked then I simply lose interest, the fact that the story is interactive seems to be more of a formality that has to be overcome as opposed to an enjoyable task in itself, lets take for example Final Fantasy VII, an immensely enjoyable experience, an excellent story sans ending with well developed characters and relationships, but lets face it the actual gameplay isn't half boring. Click, Read, Click, Read, Click, fight, Click, Click, Move, Click, Read, Click, Read, Click..... the story keeps you attatched and wanting to see more, but the fights and travelling are boring, the only reason you suffer through them is to gain experience, items, summons etc that allow you to progress in the game and enhance the story.

But Final Fantasy is a text based RPG, its main feature is the story, but even games that are sold as survival horror, are more attractive for their story than for their gameplay, Resident Evil 2, probably the best of the Resi games, blowing the heads off zomies was fun at first, as was jumping the first time you have a zombie break through a window or wall, but the puzzles although sometimes quite clever, seemed only to delay the story from progressing. But then again there are those who thanks to hundreds of gameplay hours can proudly brag that they can complete the game in x ammount of minutes, but really what are you taking from the game - the story, the story that I experienced in playing it through once.

ok, ok, thats 2 examples, but lets take the last bastion of pick up and play gameplaying action - the beat em up, how much of an effect does the story have on these? In my opinion a huge one, why do people choose one games series over another, often its not because of them prefering the gameplay style, but prefering the games characters and their stories, they form an attatchment to the games characters, not their style of parrying, or how they throw an uppercut.

So am I taking games the wrong way? Am I missing out on the main point of playing games - playing them? Am I too much of a movie and tv buff demanding plot evolution and character development. Come to think of it playing wwf games I often come up with my own scenarios and reasons for the match, and try to end the matches in a certain way - its not about winning its about making the story progress your way - whether the game tells the story or if you have to make it up yourself.

Are there many of us who think that stories are the main attraction - the event rather than the experience? Or am I that lone loonie who thinks he knows why Crash Holly has suddenly become the number one contender in SmackDown:JBI?

Gamesplaying - its just a formality in experiencing the story.

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