That's not what I said, and obviously they need to be judged by different standards, but I was just pointing out that counting on games for well written and conveyed stories is a bit ridiculous...

:clap:

exactly!

What's ridiculous is that people still think like this. Whether it's published in print or published in media, a story is a story.

i like reading, sort of. i don't read as much as i used to. i do not want to be reading textbooks. i don't think twice about reading "romance" novels, horrors, and or anything dark(i have my reservations about those typed or reading, they are, hm, in disagreement with my faith).

Oh, well, I'm thinking mainly of fictional stuff. I know edgar allen poe's books got converted to graphic novel format, same with the first two Discworld books. I've also got one of Shakespear's plays in comic book form, and there was a comic adaptation of Roland (faithful to the book, not just stealing the setting) and part of the Illiad.

Arak: Son of Thunder was a 50 issue series, great story and dialog. I especially enjoy comic books that include internal narration as well as short pieces of regular narration (of the sort you'd actually expect to find in a novel. Maybe a few sentences, nothing huge).

I think video games can deliver strong stories. Look at the much-acclaimed Planescape Torment and Baldur's Gate series. I think there are definitely some things you can do in a game that you can't do in a book - like replay value by having dialog trees and branching quests with different endings and such. An example: Indigo Prophecy and, I assume, Heavy Rain. The interactive element is nice, because I feel like I am a part of making the story happen, even if it is just advancing to the next cut scene. I really like the Legacy of Kain games where the protagonists will speak (internal monolog) and comment on the surroundings or a recent event.

In my 17 years on this earth I have read about 5 or 6 novels all the way through (one I even read twice) I have quite a few books that I think look awesome then I get about halfway through and I lose interest. The last couple I have read were war novels the first being about Vietnam and the last one I just read was about the U.S. invasion of Iraq, I cant get into the sci-fi and fantasy stuff. I'm not a big book reader but I love reading magazines and comics I also read very well, I know a lot of people on these forums are pretty bright so it probably doesnt seem too impressive but last year I took the reading comprehension state test and scored above college level, and I was 16 when I took that, I thought it was cool B)

Not true. Regardless, that's sad that you use Wikipedia and consider just as good as actually reading the book. Not to judge you or anything, it's your choice after all, but... I feel sorry for you. You're really missing out. There's nothing better than writing so good that it brings you to tears/anger/laughter/etc.

Oh I can't stand them, nor that Tom Clancy stuff. My paternal Grandfather's bookshelf is a thing of horror.


My maternal grandfather, however, has all these awesome travel logs and old nautical stuff. But he refuses to read a novel, because it was "made up".



I think there's some truth to that, actually. Like Hawthorne. 200 pages about nothing at all.

Some people just prefer stuff that goes straight to the point. I don't mind some emotional filler, but as long as there isn't too much.

i read to much

No, you've misinterpreted my argument again. I'm not saying games can't have good stories, nor am I saying we shouldn't expect them too; I'm just saying that 99% of them - including in (supposedly) story driven genres like RPGs - don't.

Who are we to decide what a "good story" is? Even the most horrible story has a few fans out there. There is no such thing as a "bad story", they are only different.

Do you mean that the plot should be the only focus of the book? I have just finished reading the Iliad, which has a relatively simple plot (there is war) but it is told in a very complicated way: the start in media res, all the names of these warriors who die, all these mentions of mostly unrelated myths... I think that if the Iliad was stripped of all this, only keeping the plot, the thing would just be dead, it wouldn't be worth reading. I find some beauty in the way it is told.

If the plot was the only thing I wanted out of this I wouldn't even have bothered reading it in the first place, after all I already knew about the Trojan war. There is just something more than the plot and it is the reason why I keep reading books. The plot is important, but the best plot can be ruined by poor writing while the most simple story can become magical with the right words.


And I do think that video games, comic books and movies are all media that can deliver something amazing, not only story-wise but also in the way it can make you "feel". It all depends of the talent of the persons behind them.

That's exactly what you said. Maybe it's not what you meant to say, but it's what you said.

Why should games be held to different standards?

You just have to read the right book that will have an interresting story for you and will be written in a style that will make easy for you to play out the story in your head.

What you need is to get your hands on a thriller, a page-turner, a book you wont be able to put down because you want to know what'll happen next. What you need is pulp fiction! (the kind of books, not the movie) Schools tend to force students to read crappy and boring "intelligent" books with a message or some meaning that's not necessary at all.

My recommendation to you, or anybody who doesn't like reading: World War Z

Rather then a single story it's more a collection of short stories that when peiced together tells a worldwide event from many points of view. It's really interresting to read, even my old mother really liked it!

You could also read one of the shorter Stephen King novels, like my favorite: The Long Walk.

I prefer the newspaper and books on current affairs and history over novels and most fictional works. I only really sit down to read a novel if it's star wars, or if I have a particular interest in a series spanning multiple forms of media, like the Infernal City and it's upcoming sequel.

Well if we don't who does?

Things dont need to be as black and white as "good and bad" do they? We are all mature enough to decide for ourselves.

I'm not even going to get into that. Of course it's a matter of opinion, but opinion is what this thread is about, so there's no use flagging it up at every opporunity...

It's not what I said. I said it's ridiculous, given the current standard of stories in the gaming industry, to count on games for engaging and original storylines. That doesn't mean we shouldn't expect games to have good stories - and it's absolutely a matter of holding them to the same standards as other mediums - it just means that they very rarely meet those expectations.


EDIT:
So what you're saying is we should all just agree to disagree and not share our opinions on anything? In which case what's the point being on an internet forum at all?

You are completely misinterpreting what I said, no where did I say keep your opinions to yourself, if I did say that then I wouldnt be posting at all. I thought it was a clear post stating that we dont need others to decide for us, we should only rely on others to give insight...but like you said this is my opinion and what you said is your opinion.

Also I forsee a visit from the mods if we keep going off track like this...just saying :shrug:

He's not misinterpreting, he's taking your point to it's logical conclusion. If we're not allowed to make assertions about the evident quality of things, what is the point of even discussing it?

Oh yes, invoke the 'omg, this is offtopic so shut up!' line. Very mature.

You are wrong. Deal with it. Games have, in general, craptacular story lines. Worse than any half-baked fantasy or sci-fi hack writer could come up with. The only way in which video game storylines can actually hold its own is in the pulp magazine or modern comic book genre. Don't debase yourself into thinking games can hold their own. Please.

But don't you know, someone else might have an opinion on it, which means you can't have your own opinion on it! Nothing is black and white...well, apart from when I'm right!

The mods will most likely not be motivated into action by this.

I don't read books either. Don't have the attention span. Kthxbai.