Which is better in an RPG?

Personally I think gameplay matters most in an RPG. RPGs, like all games ever made, are designed to be played for fun. Put too much story in an RPG and you might wind up with having to watch long pointless boing cutscenes. I like my RPGs to have plenty of dungeons, lots of places to explore, a large world to romp around in, tons of things to do, lots of spells and skills to learn, etc etc etc. All the story an RPG really needs is 'There's a bad guy, go kill him to save the world' STORY END! I don't care about the relationship the characters have with eachother, I don't care about what Chatty McNonplayable is afraid of, I don't care who wants to stick who's hoo-hoo dilly in whoever's cha cha, I don't care about who wants to do what with his life after the big bad boss is defeated, I just don't care.

I say story. While I won't keep playing an RPG if its gameplay sucks, decent gameplay is enough if its a good story.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Erdrick Holmes

Personally I think gameplay matters most in an RPG. RPGs, like all games ever made, are designed to be played for fun. Put too much story in an RPG and you might wind up with having to watch long pointless boing cutscenes. I like my RPGs to have plenty of dungeons, lots of places to explore, a large world to romp around in, tons of things to do, lots of spells and skills to learn, etc etc etc. All the story an RPG really needs is 'There's a bad guy, go kill him to save the world' STORY END! I don't care about the relationship the characters have with eachother, I don't care about what Chatty McNonplayable is afraid of, I don't care who wants to stick who's hoo-hoo dilly in whoever's cha cha, I don't care about who wants to do what with his life after the big bad boss is defeated, I just don't care.

---

My thoughts exactly.

Gameplay is more important in almost any game. There are a few exceptions, such as Metal Gear Solid or Killer 7, but unless the story is a wonderful work of art like in those two, it's not important. (I know those examples aren't RPGs. :P)

Story is more important

Depends how it is set up. Most of the Final Fantasies and other traditional turn based games have incredibly dull gameplay, but they are remembered for their stories. Some other games may have a decent story, but have much more engaging gameplay--a recent example is Grandia 3.

'Video Games' are meant to have interesting gameplay, but RPGs and Adventure games like the Dreamfall series have always been an exception.

More and more games have been breaking from the traditional 'RPG' genre, like the 'action-RPG', and even more games are including 'RPG elements'. The 'ADD generation' of gamers need more than selecting commands from a menu in order to enjoy a game.

So, for an RPG in the traditional sense, Story is most important. If it has lame and uninspired Menu-based battles but a pretty interesting story, I can deal with it. If both the story and gameplay are equally lame, it's a drop in the bin.

On the other hand, if it is actually fun to play--regardless of the story--I would play it.

Gameplay is the answer for every genre.

well the original FF didn't have much story, the original Dragon Warrior didn't have much story...

I think gameplay is more important, because there are some games that I'll keep playing for hours doing nothing to do with the story, just because it's a fun game. FFV, I love the jobs and mastering them to get new abilities. It's my favorite part of the game, by far. FFVI however, is more for the story, but without that tons of characters with different abilities adding to the gameplay, I doubt it'd be as popular as it is.

THE JACKEL

Story will not save a game that has horrendous gameplay. If the gameplay is extremely lacking, you will not give the game enough of a chance to see most of the story.

Gameplay wins.

The only thing I can't deal with is when a game has neither good gameplay or good story. I can deal with a shoddy story if the gameplay is challenging and appeals to my tastes--I'm a sucker for collecting and stat-building for example, and also love experimenting to find the most efficient way of accomplishing the same goals. And I can deal with pedestrian gameplay if the story is colorful and engaging.

I think gameplay matters the most, but a too ridiculous storyline can actually make an RPG pretty boring.

"Let's travel all the way back home with my super-duper wheelchair!
It won't last for too long up here."

This game has great gameplay?
Who cares?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ender

The only thing I can't deal with is when a game has neither good gameplay or good story.

---

So, what you're saying is that you don't like games that have absolutley nothing going for them?

That's um, quite an interesting viewpoint.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Craig

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ender

The only thing I can't deal with is when a game has neither good gameplay or good story.

---

So, what you're saying is that you don't like games that have absolutley nothing going for them?

That's um, quite an interesting viewpoint.

---

A game with sucky gameplay and a sucky story could still have a legendary soundtrack, wonderful characters and great graphics. :)

Traditionally in RPGs, gameplay takes second fiddle to storyline, and I feel that this is how it should be.

Good gameplay is important, but RPGs are known for not having the most entertaining gameplay around. The story is what makes the games compelling and makes people want to play them (at least in theory). My standards for RPGs are generally a bit skewed because outside of the Tales of series, I generally expect a storyline to supersede gameplay in importance.

I'm not saying that gameplay isn't important, and its easily possible to have an RPG with a system that's too crappy to struggle through, but generally I'm far more forgiving with RPGs because the story is what is suppose to make the game. I tend to regard really fun gameplay as a plus in an RPG, not necessarily something requisite to enjoy the game.

And for the record, I enjoy long cutscenes so long as they aid in the telling of the plot. Because, you know, that's why I play RPGs. Plot.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Peter_20

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Craig

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ender

The only thing I can't deal with is when a game has neither good gameplay or good story.

---

So, what you're saying is that you don't like games that have absolutley nothing going for them?

That's um, quite an interesting viewpoint.

---

A game with sucky gameplay and a sucky story could still have a legendary soundtrack and wonderful characters. :)

---

And don't forget the graphics!!!

I'd prefer to have both fleshed out. The whole genre has been done so many times, I don't think there's an excuse to have a crappy plot or a lame battle system anymore.

But I own RPGs that have awesome stories but only mediocre battle systems, and I still love them a lot. I guess the plot tilts me more than anything in a role-playing game.

Many people did not like FFX's amount of cutscenes, but if you sucked all those out of the game and only gave one at the beginning as a general set-up, you'd be left with...running down a road and sometimes clicking things from a menu. That isn't fun at all. The battle system is interesting, but can't carry all the weight of the game. Xenosaga Episode I has a very deep battle system, hugely deep, but it still has flaws (namely ridiculously long tech animations), and Episode II's is also very original. I would describe both as fun and I have fun playing it as a game...However, the great Jubbah sure knows that after so many hours I wasn't playing Xenosaga Episode I or II coz I like to stock AP.

The traditional turn-based RPG formula is only interesting to me as an entire package. Taking away an involving plot leaves only repetitive combat where you choose "this option for this monster" over and over. I would run out of motivation to bother finishing it.

>>> Both are important..
Personally when I play RPGs Im more interested in the story, with a good story you wont get bored anyways..

I prefer gameplay over story. If a game doesn't have a good story however, I probably won't enjoy it, especially if it also has horrendous gameplay as well as aesthetics (e.g. FFXII, SIV).

I said story. Unless a game has the most amazingly fun, original, and addicting gameplay I've ever seen then I'll lose interest quickly without a good story. It's true of any genre for me, and the reason I've never been able to get through games like Devil May Cry, and had to force myself through RE4. Gameplay only holds my interest for so long in general, and this makes story even more important in RPG's since they're not known for being short. That said, if the story's amazing and the gameplay utter crap I won't play it either, but I have gone through some games with average gameplay just because the story is amazing.

Gameplay is the most important, in my opinion. After that's taken care of, a really good story is what lifts the game to really great heights.

story is more important to me.

while is ee them as both very important when i talk about the greatness of a game im talking about the story not the gameplay. but then agian i guess it kinda depends in the games im playing.

i love the armored core series yet dont care for there story board because the gameplay is incredibly fun.

yet I love FFIX story but thought the battle system being so slow hurt its gameplay.

Kingdom hearts 2 i loved the story and thought the gamreplay made it one of the funnest games ive ever played.

so when the 2 are combined they make an amazeing game but for me as long as it has a good story i see it as haveing a good replay value.

it's an rpg...sometimes the gameplay is boring but the story is good enough to hold my interest. for that reason i choose story.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dreddz

Gameplay is the answer for every genre.

---

Pretty much my thoughts exactly. Sure a great story in an RPG is appreciated, but I'd rather have a game with a wonderful and engaging gameplay and a "Kill the bad guy because" story as opposed to one with terrible gameplay and an excellent story. In the latter example I'd just go online and read the story rather than struggle through the gameplay, while in the former I'd be having too much fun to care about the bare-bones story.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by corncracker

I say story. While I won't keep playing an RPG if its gameplay sucks, decent gameplay is enough if its a good story.

---

Right on man, right on.

I can play a game just for its story, but if the gameplay sucks, I will never return to the game after beating it once. This is the case for FFIX. FFX-2, on the other hand, while the story is rather lacking, the good gameplay has made me complete the game 4 times.

Gameplay, please.

Story. I love FFIX thanks to the story. same reason that I dragged through K:COM. The only reason I went through the ****hole that was FFX-2 was to learn as much as possibal aout the greatness that was FFX :).

Story is more important.

that and.

why the smurf do you still hate FFX-2 Holmes, its like a game 100% made for ~YOU~

I'm really not picky at all (like, whatsoever, like, I actually enjoyed Grandia III's storyline) when it comes to storyline in games. Gameplay is where it's at for me. Not that I don't mind a nice storyline every now and then of course, but it's not usually a priority to me.

It depends. If I'm in the mood for a dungeon crawl, then gameplay, if I'm in the mood for something crazy epic, then the story.

Nethack, for example, has no story but is unbelievably fun to play when I'm in a dungeoncrawly mood.

The Spirit Engine, on the other hand, has gameplay and an interesting story...so...

both?

Both are equally important. Now I believe that you can have one without the other. Grandia has a pretty weak story but quite possibly the greatest battle system ever conceived in an RPG. Star Ocean falls into this category (though I would argue that their plots are good if a little unorthodox) Hell even Pokemon has a rather addicting gameplay style.

On the other hand, I've played RPGs with less than tolerable gameplay because of the stories. Thousand Arms has quite possibly the worse combat system ever in a game, and I had a hell of a time finishing it. But it's story and characters were just too intriguing for me to abandon it. Vagrant Story is another example of excellent plot and ill received gameplay.

Now when both are actually combined, you get an unbelievable experience. Now to be honest, if I had to have a greater emphasis on one over the other... I would say gameplay cause it is an RPG. Though when it comes down to it, it's story that brings me back to a game. I still replay FFVI, FFT, and Xenogears on a regular basis cause I love their storylines and characters. Sure I know all of it, but it's like rereading a good book, each time you walk away with something different.

yar yar RPGs need to be fun to play in between the story parts, but saying you only like the gameplay to spite people who like Xenosaga or don't like Dragon Quest is pretty sad.