Story vs. Gameplay

[Depression Moon]

Story is what pulled me into the series in the first place, so that's what I value most from this series.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

For me, the gameplay between most all the games is pretty equivalent with each other. Some are better than others (X-2 is the best), but they are generally pretty close with each other. That makes the story and characters the driving factor for my enjoyment of the games for the most part. Both are important for me though, and having really strong gameplay/story can help me overlook the other aspect a bit.

That's not to say I can't enjoy the game if I don't like or really think about the story. In FFI, the story was mostly something I didn't think about, but I had a lot of fun with it. The XIII trilogy has a story that doesn't quite grip me (although I've come to appreciate it more the more I think about it), but I grew obsessed with capturing monsters in XIII-2 and trying to get all of the endings. XIII is the point where gameplay and story both fall short for me. I'm okay with the battle system, but other aspects of the gameplay (linearity in practically every aspect of the game) kind of killed it for me. The story also didn't grip me really.

[Vyk]

I'm kind of in the category of both. I want to say story, but I've enjoyed fun games with no story, and I've enjoyed story games with little gameplay. I think the synergy that was mentioned is important. They don't necessarily have to have good components of both, but they have to mix well for what they are trying to deliver. The games I've enjoyed the most have had enjoyable gameplay and a compelling story. The gameplay doesn't have to be revolutionary or anything. But it has to be fun, as opposed to mindnumbingly repetitive. And as good as the gameplay is, if there is a story, it'll have to be done competently, otherwise there's a ratio of how good the gamplay has to be to make up for it, and there comes a point where no amount of awesome gameplay can convince me to finish some tripe like FFX/XIII with their ridiculous stories and characters. The only way that works is with satire, like Magicka or something

[Mirage]

A good story might make me play a game once (or not even that much if the gameplay is really horrid). Good gameplay will make me play it dozens of times.

[Forsaken Lover]

My criteria for games I like:
Story = Characters > Music > Gameplay.

I wouldn't endure the horror that is the Tower of Babel if I didn't value writing over gameplay.