Are you a "storyfag"?

[Kohno]

I was thinking... I've been away for a while and now that I've returned to watch a bit, I was reminded about the thought that "Fallout is all about the setting and story", which I disagree with the strongest of therms, but allow for those who think like that.

So with that out, I thought "What makes you remember a game?" Is it purely the story, or is the fun gameplay you had? Maybe both?

The reason I'm asking because I've come to a certain kind of conclusion myself. I do not care about the story. Well, that's a bit blunt, but let me explain.

Games are games for their gameplay, right? That's what I've been thinking my whole 39 years of life.
I've been not gaming for the past 4 years almos entirely. I did flop with Cyberpunk (what an awful experience), and did some rounds with Civ 6, but that's about it. I have forgotten the nitty gritty details of games that I played, and even enjoyed, all except for Fallout 2 (and the original Fallout for certain extent).

And for a final note, I do not judge anyone for liking one or the other. People are different. That's life.

Why? Why have I forgotten the games that I enjoyed even a lot? With a little thought I came to a conclusion: I did not have the sort of fun playing them as I did with Fallout 2. Because in the original games, the storyline intervowens with the gameplay, which is what a PnP emulation should be, and they don't make games like that anymore. The !clever! combination of gameplay and storytelling is what is lacking in games of today. You have swell writing like in Witcher and Cyberpunk, but you don't have the gameplay anymore to tie in with the story; it's just action sequences between the story bits, not "you unfolding a story with your characters faculties".

And because cinematics and storytelling are put so much in the forefront of a game at the cost of actually interesting gameplay, I rarely find any interest in games other than the likes of CIV where there is no storyline. It feels like a story is forced on me.

What's your opinion on this and have possible experienced something similiar.

 

[Ride For Crom]

I agree with everything you’ve said here, but I’d even go one step further and say that story isn’t even a necessary element of a fun and engaging game. Even when it comes to RPGs. A good story, and meaningful character development and choices definitely help make a game more engaging in many cases, but those things aren’t substitutes for good gameplay mechanics, and sometimes actually get in the way of what could have otherwise been a fun game.

 

[Risewild]

I never understood the whole "combatfag" and "storyfag" labels.

There are games I love playing for the gameplay and games I love playing for the story and games I love playing for both.

For example, I like playing RTS games, C&C and AoE for example. While I like playing the campaigns once, I then just play skirmish maps after it. I still have a lot of fun playing and there's exactly 0 story in skirmish.

A perfect example for me about gameplay and story preferences: RPG Maker games.
RPG Maker games have a very bad reputation because, honestly, the vast majority suck. But I find myself looking for new RPGM games from time to time, and sometimes I find some I enjoy playing.
The thing here is that I have found both types of RPGM games that are fun. Some are fun because the story is nice, even though it still uses the basic RPGM gameplay, but others are fun because they use custom build gameplay systems that are interesting, even if their stories suck.

Back when I was young, I loved playing Final Fantasy Tactics on the PSX. I loved it because of the turn-based tactical battles, the large choice of character classes, the huge variety of characters and skills (we can even recruit monsters or enemy NPCs to become part of our army) and I also loved the story. And to this day, FFT is one of my favourite games, it is definitely my favorite turn-based tactical jRPG. And I even like it more than "western" tactical RPG games like XCOM.

I don't know how people can just like gameplay or story in games. Because I can't do that. Stuff is fun one way or another or even both mixed together.

Sorry, I ended up rambling about nothing. I do that when I don't sleep enough...

 

[WiggyDiggyPoo]

Some of my fondest memories of games are on one's with no stories, those with a very detailed story and everything in between!

I do know I find it harder to compare story driven games with each other's story than comparing more gameplay orientated games. To me it's easier to say to myself "This game is better than X because the controls are more responsive than Y" than "This game is better than X as the lead character has a more tragic backstory than Y". Then again someone else may purely seek to play only the games with the most tragic characters, so who know's

Just something else, a bad story can't spoil a game for me if I enjoy the gameplay but poor gameplay can spoil a game I may have otherwise enjoyed if the story is strong enough.

Just as an example of that I enjoyed the first 2 Dragon Age games, but the 3rd changed some parts of the combat that I couldn't engage with so I stopped playing. Conversly the first 3 Mass Effect games have some very clunky gameplay at times but the story keeps me engaged, the 3rd game Andromeda is nonsense at times in its story but the gameplay (particularly the combat) is a lot better so I played it regardless.

 

[The_Proletarian]

Storyfag, that's why I like Fallout. And that's also the reason I'm angry at Bethesda, because they screwed up the story.

 

[Kohno]

I never understood the whole "combatfag" and "storyfag" labels.

Neither did I to be honest. But it kinda stuck with me for seeing it used so frequently; and furthermore seeing the attitude of people using it.

Even though I don’t really see myself fitting with either, I’ve noticed that with certain mindsets they are kinda depictive. ”Combatfags” craving for best possible combat simulatio, and combat only (to hell with the rest) and ”storyfags” don’t seem to care about gameplay, like at all, as long as you have a branching high level cinematic drama going on from start to finish.

I’m kinda in the middle of all that.
Too much combat makes Kohno a dull boy…
Too much storytelling makes Kohno a dull boy…

I am also in the sort of weird situation where I have very little respect for Bethesda, and yet I feel the underlying idea behind their games is kinda correct. You are part of the world there and you seek adventure and ”things” to do, bigger or smaller, at your own pace, finding and unraveling stories of the world you’re in, and that’s what you are offered. But systemically and mechanically their games are dull, repetitive and simplistic, and narratively simply inconsequential and free of any sort of motivation, care or real aftermath.

I suppose if they tried now to give their take on how they made Daggerfall by honoring its use of systems and mechanics (not necessarily the hands on mapsize), RNG checks galore, multiple actually different skills determining the character etc, they might be close to where I would prefer RPGs to be in this day and age. The game doesn’t need to work like a (realistic(tm)) first person shooter/stabber even if it was in first person.

Anyway, though…

 

[ironmask]

You could say I'm more of a combatfag. I play games for the gameplay. not the story. that isn't to say that I don't enjoy stories in games. To me a story should be treated like a bonus instead of the main focus. There are a few times when I can put up with weak gameplay if the story is very good like planescape torment and marathon. But overall games like uncharted or life is strange have absolutely no appeal to me.

 

[Post-War Tribal]

Well I still haven't touched GTA V, due to the story. So I guess I'm a storyfag.

 

[william dempsey]

You could say I'm more of a combatfag. I play games for the gameplay. not the story. that isn't to say that I don't enjoy stories in games. To me a story should be treated like a bonus instead of the main focus. There are a few times when I can put up with weak gameplay if the story is very good like planescape torment and marathon. But overall games like uncharted or life is strange have absolutely no appeal to me.

Yeah I bought life is strange for some unknown reason then after playing I had to have words with meself. Also Telltale Batman was crap. I've just re bought Deus Ex for £0.69 with a free revision. IMO Deus Ex was in my top to 10 games of alltime

 

[ResetRPG]

I was thinking... I've been away for a while and now that I've returned to watch a bit, I was reminded about the thought that "Fallout is all about the setting and story", which I disagree with the strongest of therms, but allow for those who think like that.

So with that out, I thought "What makes you remember a game?" Is it purely the story, or is the fun gameplay you had? Maybe both?

The reason I'm asking because I've come to a certain kind of conclusion myself. I do not care about the story. Well, that's a bit blunt, but let me explain.

Games are games for their gameplay, right? That's what I've been thinking my whole 39 years of life.
I've been not gaming for the past 4 years almos entirely. I did flop with Cyberpunk (what an awful experience), and did some rounds with Civ 6, but that's about it. I have forgotten the nitty gritty details of games that I played, and even enjoyed, all except for Fallout 2 (and the original Fallout for certain extent).

And for a final note, I do not judge anyone for liking one or the other. People are different. That's life.

Why? Why have I forgotten the games that I enjoyed even a lot? With a little thought I came to a conclusion: I did not have the sort of fun playing them as I did with Fallout 2. Because in the original games, the storyline intervowens with the gameplay, which is what a PnP emulation should be, and they don't make games like that anymore. The !clever! combination of gameplay and storytelling is what is lacking in games of today. You have swell writing like in Witcher and Cyberpunk, but you don't have the gameplay anymore to tie in with the story; it's just action sequences between the story bits, not "you unfolding a story with your characters faculties".

And because cinematics and storytelling are put so much in the forefront of a game at the cost of actually interesting gameplay, I rarely find any interest in games other than the likes of CIV where there is no storyline. It feels like a story is forced on me.

What's your opinion on this and have possible experienced something similiar.

I think I'm a mix of both honestly.

For example, I absolutely ADORE Planescape Torment and find it to be one of the greatest gaming experiences I have ever had. But the gameplay is pretty lackluster and underwhelming in many aspects/ However the story, characters, and writing is so utterly compelling that it makes me completely ignore the somewhat lackluster gameplay.

On the other hand I love Kingdom Come: Deliverance for the enrapturing world, quest design, and gameplay even though the story is riddled with problems.

Different things are better for different people, and RPGs are an especially wide genre of games filled with a plethora of really great narrative and gameplay experiences.

 

[TorontoReign]

I never understood the whole "combatfag" and "storyfag" labels.

There are games I love playing for the gameplay and games I love playing for the story and games I love playing for both.

For example, I like playing RTS games, C&C and AoE for example. While I like playing the campaigns once, I then just play skirmish maps after it. I still have a lot of fun playing and there's exactly 0 story in skirmish.

A perfect example for me about gameplay and story preferences: RPG Maker games.
RPG Maker games have a very bad reputation because, honestly, the vast majority suck. But I find myself looking for new RPGM games from time to time, and sometimes I find some I enjoy playing.
The thing here is that I have found both types of RPGM games that are fun. Some are fun because the story is nice, even though it still uses the basic RPGM gameplay, but others are fun because they use custom build gameplay systems that are interesting, even if their stories suck.

Back when I was young, I loved playing Final Fantasy Tactics on the PSX. I loved it because of the turn-based tactical battles, the large choice of character classes, the huge variety of characters and skills (we can even recruit monsters or enemy NPCs to become part of our army) and I also loved the story. And to this day, FFT is one of my favourite games, it is definitely my favorite turn-based tactical jRPG. And I even like it more than "western" tactical RPG games like XCOM.

I don't know how people can just like gameplay or story in games. Because I can't do that. Stuff is fun one way or another or even both mixed together.

Sorry, I ended up rambling about nothing. I do that when I don't sleep enough...

It's a false narrative created by RPG Codex to put people in certain boxes. I would be considered a storyfag and a combatfag so the label does not matter.

 

[william dempsey]

I think I'm a mix of both honestly.

For example, I absolutely ADORE Planescape Torment and find it to be one of the greatest gaming experiences I have ever had. But the gameplay is pretty lackluster and underwhelming in many aspects/ However the story, characters, and writing is so utterly compelling that it makes me completely ignore the somewhat lackluster gameplay.

On the other hand I love Kingdom Come: Deliverance for the enrapturing world, quest design, and gameplay even though the story is riddled with problems.

Different things are better for different people, and RPGs are an especially wide genre of games filled with a plethora of really great narrative and gameplay experiences.

Planescape yeah cool, that's why I bought Tides of Numenera which I liked , lot's don't. Kingdom C D i've got on this comp but only started it then it's been left. Too much choice makes me a bit spoilt in some ways lol

 

[TorontoReign]

Planescape is great but I have no desire to go back to it due to shit combat. Disco Elysium is ok but I have no desire to go back to it due to a tiny world with a few NPC's and no combat.

 

[william dempsey]

Planescape is great but I have no desire to go back to it due to shit combat. Disco Elysium is ok but I have no desire to go back to it due to a tiny world with a few NPC's and no combat.

I just saw Disco as an advanced point and click. The voice acting was good but it seemed a bit pretentious at times all those internal squabbles. Fuck it get pissed drive motor over some cunts roof then get hip with the groovers. On my profile I mention the scouse kid with a Kirkby accent lool Couno doesn't fuckin care. BTW original Deus Ex plus a revision update cost me £0.69. Well better than Invisible War. The writing in that is top notch if FEMA camps and deliberately created viruses is your ting

 

[TorontoReign]

I beat Deus Ex recently. Invisible War was a good console entry for the OG Xbox kids like me that got their PC taken away by daddy. Now it is unplayable.

 

[eissa]

Games are played for fun. It doesn't matter if you play an interactive movie like Uncharted or total sandbox like Minecraft.

However, a good gameplay can boost a game value despite having poor story. Most arcade shooter have the least coherent story and bad VA, yet those would not bother you while you having fun using the arcade gun.

 

[TorontoReign]

Disco Elysium could have been a mass shooter simulator but they just did not have the budget for it.

 

[william dempsey]

I beat Deus Ex recently. Invisible War was a good console entry for the OG Xbox kids like me that got their PC taken away by daddy. Now it is unplayable.

I must have misread one of your posts. I thought you said you had not played original Deus Ex. Also I did use the revision with the download I did today. I hope it does not change the difficulty to piss easy. I slipped up in a way when I got an updated modded version of System Shock 2 which did make that far easier than I remembered from playing it way back in the golden age of comp games.

 

[TorontoReign]

I must have misread one of your posts. I thought you said you had not played original Deus Ex. Also I did use the revision with the download I did today. I hope it does not change the difficulty to piss easy. I slipped up in a way when I got an updated modded version of System Shock 2 which did make that far easier than I remembered from playing it way back in the golden age of comp games.

I had not played it at the time when I was in high school back in 2000-2003. The uhhh what is it....

https://gmdxmod.com

Use this for Deus Ex.

 

[william dempsey]

I had not played it at the time when I was in high school back in 2000-2003. The uhhh what is it....

https://gmdxmod.com

Use this for Deus Ex.

Deus Ex is only a small install as yer know. The free revision updates I downloaded to save any fucking around. It was just short of 6gig it must up a fair bit. That site said it modifies behaviours and stuff so that's cool.