Plot vs Gameplay

Okay I've been hearing a debate amongst gamers these days. I'm not making this into a poll because I do not believe the public's opinion can be represented by numbers. Rather I want to know everyone's thoughts about this.

First side: Plot is the most important

Many gamers today ask game developers for interactive games with high levels of story telling. Atmosphere is important as well as the character and their development.

Second side: Gameplay is the most important

An equally large population believes that if they wanted a good story they would turn to books and instead they want an interactive fun with their environment not minding how retarded to background story is.

A piece of my mind:

As for me I believe a good plot is important and that the idea of gaming is "only for the sake of playing games" is immature. I believe that today's gaming community has evolved and producers along with authors have found it as a good way to communicate with society.

As a counter the opposite side usually tells me "we don't need a good story as long as we can flaunt our gaming skills to others we're satisfied". Although I respect that kind of thinking, in my defense I say that my life is competetive enough and I don't need more of that in my free time. What? I have to beat my batch mates in college and out perform my co-workers in jobs now you're asking me to beat strangers in donkey kong? Sure sending a nuke on top of your enemies, allies and yourself; cooking everyone to perfection including your eyes in a huge nuclear flare can be very rewarding but the moment only lasts for a second.

Games that concentrate on gameplay are good sources to spend our time with our friends, if they ever do visit us, but I do not in anyway believe that the gaming industry should revolve around it. I believe that the industry should evolve to a level where the gamers can trully feel immersed and enjoy a good plot and situation where they can relax in their genre and escape the harshness of life.

What's your opinion?

I say it depends on the type of game they're making.

For RPGs, naturally, the story is the core, so it is the most important element, hence priority should be to story 1st, then gameplay.

Action-adventure games & Platformers tend to have a nice balance of both. Example would be Uncharted.

Shooters/FPS titles, IMO, should be about gameplay 1st. Some people may want a proper story, but most ppl who play FPS games just wanna shoot/kill something/someone.

For FPS though, there is one that stands out. The Halo series has always had an awesome story, and the gameplay by Bungie seems very polished and smooth.

PLOT
i like having a simple plot in my games just to give a reason as the hero
to kill the final boss

Gameplay
it depends on the game but overall its on the controls setup
i do not like new gimmicks in my control schemes. they seem
like such a waste of time

Plot is nothing without gameplay.
Gameplay is something without plot, but not much.

They need to coexist peacefully and successfully to make a good game.

I favor Plot and Soundtrack over graphics and gameplay.

Gameplay comes last but it's still an important factor.

NieR is the perfect example.

I'd rather play a good game with a shit story than a shit game with a good story.

Games don't have to tell stories. Sure, it's nice when a good game does tell a good story, but there are an equal amount of great games that tell a sub-par story, very little story at all, or a story that that's simply available to the player without shoving it down the throats of those who don't care.

Conversely, if the gameplay is abysmal, how long are you gonna stick around with it, despite how good the story is? It's like reading a book with the text in eight different, jumbled fonts (Including Wingdings) and text two sizes two small. At some point, I no longer care about how the compelling story ends up and all I'm focused on is never reading that book again, possibly burning it.

Relative to all elements, it's all genre-dependent. RPGs will have more of a focus on storytelling. Visual Novels put storytelling right up there on the same level as gameplay.

However, genre-independent, no game has an excuse to have bad gameplay. Bad/nonexistent stories are excusable in certain genres, but there's simply no excuse for being a bad game.

I agree with this statement, but as archreaper990 mentioned, Halo is a great example that melds a great plot with good gameplay. That, should be the ideal for any FPS game or action/adventure.

Plot definitely helps the whole immersion what not, although every now and then a game like Serious Sam comes along and you can't really help but enjoy the plotless fun

I'll take great gameplay over story anyday. Especially since You tube has made it very easy for all of us. If I play a game that's got shitty gameplay/controls, then I say "fuck it".

If the story interested me, then I simply watch the videos on youtube. A lot of times, people will even create playlists for us, so it's like watching a movie. I've done this with RPG's I couldn't stand to finish, like suikoden 5

I'm firmly in the "gameplay" camp. The whole point of video games is that I interact with them. If I just want a good plot, there are quite a few very excellent films I could choose from. Furthermore, even the best video game plots aren't all that good(excepting something like a VN where the whole thing is a story and the plot is the gameplay). I can count the number of video game plots that I would rank equal to or better than the plot of an average movie on my fingers. So it's going to be the gameplay that makes the game worth playing, otherwise I would just watch movies. Not to mention, even if the story is amazing, if I have to slog through 3 hours of boring repetitive button mashing to make it to the next part of the story, I might give up, even knowing that the story is likely to be good.

Obviously, it's nice to have a good story and good gameplay. However, a game with an awful plot and excellent gameplay can be a good game, a game with an amazing plot and terrible gameplay is usually unplayable.

A balance is really what I like, but it comes down to genre for the most part.

Platformers - All about the gameplay really. The only part of story that matters is if I can understand where it's telling me to go next, or what to do. Of course, small story is useful, but not necessary.

FPS - Depends. Single-player, story definitely prioritizes. If I don't like what's going on, why shoot AI when I can go online and shoot other people? Same with multiplay, but reversed. If the gameplay sucks, why not put a story into it?

RPG - Definitely story. No matter how bad the gameplay may be (okay, there are a few exceptions), the story is what keeps me playing. And what will make me stop. Dungeon that doesn't relate to plot at all, but you're forced through it to get to a place where the story advances? No thanks. I like my dungeons with more meaning.

Action-Adventure. Both, really. You can't get into the action if it isn't very actiony, and the adventure is lost if the storytelling is bad.

Other - Wakarimasen lol, don't play much else.

For RPG's I usually look at the plot first but if it isn't a famous brand like Final Fantasy or Suikoden, I look at the gameplay. How the battle system and other stuff work.

Hmm. I really got to say I prefer gameplay over story. I definitely enjoy a good story in a game, but I still can't get over the fact that I'm playing a game.

Though it would be great if it was a good mix of both. Mass Effect 2 is a good example. The story is fucking amazing, and the gameplay is top notch as well.

Though I would make an exception for RPGs or more specifically JRPGs. I firmly believe what makes an RPG great is the story more so than gameplay. A good narrative can really suck you in, even if the gameplay is lacking a bit since it really makes you want to know what will happen next. One of the best example is the first Mass Effect. The gameplay is iffy and it's plagued by some horrendous issues, but since the story was so damn good, it was still a blast to play.

All in all, I would put both of them on the same level. Each is equally important in their own right, but certain genres might put more importance on one over the other.

So when you think competitive gaming you think ... Donkey Kong? There are gaming genres dedicated to competition such as fighters, racers, and even sport games. Competition, I guess, would be an extension of gameplay, although considering those types of games, the gameplay by itself is not that interesting (ex. playing only Blazblue story mode).



Are you one of those people who played Drakengard?

Anyway, gameplay over plot for me. (Unless you are Xenogears/saga or an SMT game.) So what if Mario or Link needs to rescue the Princess again? I know that from the get-go. Mario certainly doesn't need a huge embellishment on his character origins in the middle of a game. Also, gameplay tends to be more immersive than plot because gameplay is active while plot is passive in nature. Not to mention how hard it is to make any lengthy narrative meld well with the gameplay.

I choose solid gameplay over story any day. But that's not to say having a story is bad. It's one of those elements about a game that makes it memorable, just like a game's BGM

gameplay.
If you lookin for plot, you can search through media.
If you lookin for gameplay, you can't feel the 'UMPH' through media only.
Hell, i finished MGS 4 with skippin scene (except the funny scene)

I lean more towards game play. if the game is engaging and fun, it's easy to over look a lack of plot.

too much plot can lower the replay value. for example, rpgs that have a huge story are not realy worth playing again if i have to sit through long stroy parts i already know. that's only a problem with unskipable cut scenes.

it really depends on the type of game. rpg: plot > or = gameplay. fps: plot < or = gameplay. sports: no plot.

I be more for the Gameplay like how does it look, are the controls good?, does the player(s) in the game have to go somewhere, how much does it cost, etc.

I'm also for Plot cause I find a game boreing if it has no story to follow with it. Without plot you be just shooting and killing things left to right without reason and the game will die. It even has to follow the gameplay.

Exp: Slient hill(Plot find a way out, stop god from being born, save your child, slove the mistory)
Resident Evil( survival horror series; find a way out, stop unbralla, etc)

These 2 games could not have lived this long with out a plot and gameplay..So every game needs a Great plot and Gameplay or it's crap. >.>

It's relative for what the plot and gameplay apply to. For something like LittleBigPlanet, I would love to have gameplay over plot. But with RPGs/JRPGs, I would rather have a great story over great gameplay mainly because if the plot and characters aren't worth the time to even care about, I wouldn't care about the gameplay, mainly because it's not worth it then.

Gameplay first, with a tip of story. Of course, if the story kicks ass then the game will last in my mind forever.

I can't play a story based game if the gameplay sucks.