Thank you Hero! But our plot is in another direction!

[Vermachtnis]

Now I like to explore. I can put the plot on hold to go see what's down that hole. I find it fun to go off in other directions looking for stuff. But I hate it when all I find are landslides, broken bridges, and guards. Like it'd really kill them to let go off and explore. In fact it'd probably kill me, cause knowing me I'd accidentally wonder into the final area at LV3.

Of course this is mainly a problem in JRPGs. Not like over here, where they'd give you a rusty letter opener and dieing donkey and set you off.

So what about you? Do you like to go off exploring or do you just go where the plot tells you?

[Rantz]

I love exploring If that chance is given, I'll most likely take it!

[theundeadhero]

I love exploring too. AND I love dieting donkeys!
Exploring is one of my favorite parts of video games, especially if you get rewarded for being so adventurous.

[Markus. D]

I adore exploring! But I also don't mind linear till nearing post-game either. Idk.

[~*~Celes~*~]

I love exploring, especially when I come across abandoned shipwrecks and such. Lots of treasures to be found

[Raistlin]

Exploring is awesome. There are some JRPGs which encourage exploration and sidequests, and the ones that do it well are fantastic (see: Suikoden series).

[Kyros]

Whenever I'm playing a game around my friends I say outloud "this seems like its the right direction so instead I'm going this way," and I head down a side path. ^_^

[Slothy]

I like exploring, but without a compelling plot to tie everything together I'll lose interest before too long. I also like more linear storytelling, particularly when the type of story being told benefits from it (Uncharted 2 wouldn't be the same game if it were non-linear for example).

I'll take either I suppose, but if a game leans too heavily towards exploration over story telling I'll generally get bored before I ever finish it, so I prefer that exploration never come at the expense of telling an interesting story.

[blackmage_nuke]

I like to explore each nook and cranny of a dungeon for treasures, I dislike it when the correct path isnt clearly outlined and I go the wrong way (that is to say the right way) and I have to back track if i want all the treasures.

I especially dislike it in games such as suikoden where there is an anti grinding system so I dont even get to say atleast im getting extra levels.

[NorthernChaosGod]

I like exploring, but without a compelling plot to tie everything together I'll lose interest before too long. I also like more linear storytelling, particularly when the type of story being told benefits from it (Uncharted 2 wouldn't be the same game if it were non-linear for example).

I'll take either I suppose, but if a game leans too heavily towards exploration over story telling I'll generally get bored before I ever finish it, so I prefer that exploration never come at the expense of telling an interesting story.

[KentaRawr!]

Once, I was playing Dragon Warrior III with a friend of mine. It was still in the intro, and I let him answer all the personality questions. On the final question, a sign read: "Go west". So, I then said to myself:

If west is the right way, then what's the wrong way?

It's funny because right when I finished that sentence, I walked east and fell down a hole.

[ljkkjlcm9]

I usually like to explore. Most of the time I've been the type of person that wants to do every possible optional thing before progressing the story anymore. However, this has changed recently as the number of games have increased. I know it's also because while the number of good games have increased, the number of awesome don't want to put down games has actually declined. So what ends up happening is that I want to finish, but I don't care about the optional stuff anymore.

This actually plagued me with Zelda: Spirit Tracks. The game was... fun... but nothing spectacular and certainly not a couldn't put it down thing. I ran through most of the game in a day or two, you can see that with the "stamps" you collect. Suddenly, there will be a gap of a few days, then a week, then 2 weeks... and that's when I forced myself to finally beat it. I didn't bother with any of the sidequests for the first time in a Zelda game. I have the default size bomb bags and arrows... and only like half of the bottom row of hearts. That's unheard of for me... but it's just what's going on these days!

THE JACKEL

[Skyblade]

I usually like to explore. Most of the time I've been the type of person that wants to do every possible optional thing before progressing the story anymore. However, this has changed recently as the number of games have increased. I know it's also because while the number of good games have increased, the number of awesome don't want to put down games has actually declined. So what ends up happening is that I want to finish, but I don't care about the optional stuff anymore.

This actually plagued me with Zelda: Spirit Tracks. The game was... fun... but nothing spectacular and certainly not a couldn't put it down thing. I ran through most of the game in a day or two, you can see that with the "stamps" you collect. Suddenly, there will be a gap of a few days, then a week, then 2 weeks... and that's when I forced myself to finally beat it. I didn't bother with any of the sidequests for the first time in a Zelda game. I have the default size bomb bags and arrows... and only like half of the bottom row of hearts. That's unheard of for me... but it's just what's going on these days!

THE JACKAL

Perhaps if Spirit Tracks (or Phantom Hourglass, for that matter) was near the quality of the other LoZ games...

[The Man]

I like to explore each nook and cranny of a dungeon for treasures, I dislike it when the correct path isnt clearly outlined and I go the wrong way (that is to say the right way) and I have to back track if i want all the treasures.

I especially dislike it in games such as suikoden where there is an anti grinding system so I dont even get to say atleast im getting extra levels.

yep. At least Suikoden makes up for it in other ways with all the extra characters you can recruit and such. I really need to play those games again.

My biggest pet peeve is timed dungeons that don't give you enough time to explore the whole thing. That was one of the most irritating elements of FFV for me; it's infuriating to my OC gaming tendencies.

[Madame Adequate]

Exploration is sublime. It's why I love Morrowind.