Hello /v/
I'm an aspiring writer who would like to design worlds and stories for vidya.
I would like to ask you if you think that :
1) Story can be the core of a classic game (not a walk sim or a VN), or it's always something more, a bonus to the gameplay ?
2) What is the most important to you : world-building, characterisation, or the story itself ?
Could you provide me with a good and/or a bad example of the above.
My own opinions (feel free to criticize/skip that part) :
>World-building
The Elder Scrolls series is probably one of best example that I have in mind. Skyrim in particular manages to still be interesting, even with a boring gameplay, a shitty "Radiant" system and a disappointing main quest. Reading the little books, listening to the conversations and discovering the world is the main reason to play skyrim IMO.
>Characterisation
ME2 is to me the best example ever of characterisation, both for the PC and the NPC. (almost) every companion has his flaws, his interesting story and so on. Shepard can also be your own Shepard and every option is interesting and valid.
>Story
I think it's the most complicated thing to do. My favourites stories are, I think, Portal 2 : fun, tragic, mysterious and very touching. Bastion also tells a beautiful story with interesting themes.
Thank you for taking the time to read all that and to answer.
none.
gameplay >>>>>>>>> all
No, you can't go to page 10 little thread, I put too much effort
Always a bonus
World Building
Dwarf Fortress, Mount and Blade, Kenshi, Starsector, Dragon's Dogma
>>331583556
But why ? I'm open to ideas, but to me a single-player video game is mainly about telling a story with interactions and challenge.
With, of course, the exceptions of grand strategy.
Pic related does it for me because of the story more than because of the top-tier gameplay.
>>331583819
>Dwarf Fortress
(pseudo)-Random world building is not my thing, but I can see why you like it
>>331582961
Look at Morrowind. That world is fucking ALIVE. The world is built almost entirely "from the imagination up". It's alien, it's foreign, it's unique and the developers have made it come alive with so much attention to detail and story.
Morrowind is a world of its own that drags you in and really makes you feel like you're in there. The world is not tailored to you, no convenient shortcuts, almost no leveled shit. There is so much to it, bandits aren't called "Bandit Archer" or "Bandit Mage", they all have names and in a lot of cases, there are specific quests to take out specific bandits, with their own stories and backgrounds linking into the local population and so on and so forth.
No quest markers, you have to go entirely by the directions they give you in the quest, you have to read the landscape, pay attention to which direction you're going in. There is so much attention to detail that gives the entire landscape and all the interiors so much character.
The story has so much lore and 80% of the experience is talking to people, different factions, different viewpoints, learning customs on how to deal with certain types of natives. You don't become THE HERO OF KVATCH or THE DRAGONBORN within 20 minutes of playing the game, you're just dropped into this political landscape. The factions are REALLY alive in Morrowind, so much interplay, so many overlapping quests, etc.
Gameplay isn't that good, but that game is a fucking Mozart, a Van Gogh of the gaming world
>>331583556
I mean, this is pretty much it. I could go on about how world building would make a game go from good -> exceptional (e.g., Dark Souls), but a bare minimum for any sustained playtime is interesting gameplay.
Just think about KOTOR 2. It nails world building, story and even includes some genuinely interesting characters, and I had immense fun on my first playthrough. But despite my love for the game, I have never been able to complete a second playthrough because of the absolute shit combat. It's the same reason why I'd love to try Witcher 3, but the Batman-tiered, uninspired, insipid, utterly shit combat is keeping me from enjoying what may well be one of the best games of post-2010.
Gameplay > all else
>>331584793
Interesting point of view, but even to me (who shamefully like walk sim), Morrowind uses the medium imperfectly. There should always be an obvious story with deeper meanings and analysis.
I didn't play Morrowind, but I really like your explanation. Thank you !
>>331582961
>Characterisation
>ME2 is to me the best example ever of characterisation, both for the PC and the NPC. (almost) every companion has his flaws, his interesting story and so on.
>>331585149
>Morrowind uses the medium imperfectly.
>I didn't play Morrowind
>>331585392
>>331585534
What anon described is very hostile to newcomers and can be frustrating.
Maybe I didn't use the right word.
A bit more opinions, if you will ?
>>331586609
just fill your game with necromancers and skeletons man
>>331582961
Listen buddy, you seem to have a different impression of what game writing is compared to the actual process.
This is what the job is like:
>"Hey, we need you to write dialogue for a bar fight in the tutorial"
>"Can you write thirty different congratulations for catching a fish in this minigame."
>"We programmed a quest where you settle a marital dispute between couple over their dead son, write the dialogue."
>"We finished the tutorial for flight combat, can you write the instructions for the VA."
>"This character is humorous, write some funny lines for him to say in battle."
Unless you become the creative director, you'll be doing jackshit for worldbuilding/plot/characters. Writers pretty up everyone else's choices, you won't be making anything that you could call your own.
>>331587408
Actually, I might end up writing for my friends indie game, so I guess I will be less controlled.
But writing to me is more a passion than a way of living, I study engineering myself.
>>331582961
1.) gameplay is always more important element in a game, but if your game has an interesting story and characters and places it is always good bonus. a great story and world of the game or characters can sometimes even make flaws in gameplay design look like are irrelevant
but all of this would depend on the kind of game it is, sometimes the story is just there to fill in the void
good example: the witcher 3, story and characterisation and the world, everything is pretty great, but the game is full of glitches and quest organisation is pretty stupid imo, but the story and the world is what makes it enjoyable
bad example: i've recently played styx and i thought it would be a nice stealth game, but some gameplay mechanics are really bad and the story is mediocre/generic so it doesn't draw a person to play it. idk if i'll even finish it
2.) everything is important, it depends on a game. in some games a story would be more important, while in others, characters are important and story is generic, and in some the world, i think world building and characterisation should go hand in hand because player interacts with the characters and the environment and that's how he learns about the world
>>331582961
story is great for the attachment
the gameplay for the fun of the game
the gaphics and the way the wolrd is set is for the immersion
there's no thing such as "this one is the best"
it's just about personal taste
if only one of these point is decent/good it will appeal to a few amount of people
if you have more it will obviously appeal to more people
>>331582961
I think the point to video games is that anything is possible. You're not limited to gameplay, story and/or graphics taking priority.
I enjoy well crafted stories, but I grow attached to characters and continue for them.
Good luck OP. Personal advice is to read the classic books related to your idea.
