Does the player get in the way of a good storyline?

[Menegrothx]

If there is a story being told in my game that is compelling enough to sit and listen to then I will do so.

Great point. In many games that have bland and boring storylines that force you sit through tedious cutscenes, I just yawn and hope that its soon over so I can actually play the damn game. But in games with great storylines, games like Half Life 2, Portal, Max Payne, Silent Hill, Bioshock, Final Fantasy 7, Alan Wake etc, I actually want go explore the world so I can get the most out of the story because its so intresting. Listening what the thugs talk to each other before jumping in and shooting them in Max Payne, watching through all the TV/radio shows, talking to every individual NPC, listening to what NPCs talk to each other before proceeding with the mission and so on. If the athmosphere is good and the storyline is intresting, the game doesnt have to force the player to enjoy its story.

The problem with many modern games is that they feel like cinematic train rides where the player is actually a burden to the game.

[Erik_Twice]

Take Shadow of the Colossus as an example. I consider it to be one of the better videogaming stories because the intro establishes your motivation (bring Mono back to life to save her from her cursed destiny) and your goals (find and kill Colossi for a magical bargain to bring Mono back).

Hardcore gaming argues that SotC has a very bad narrative because the designer puts the player in a contrived situation and then tries to blame the player for it. I haven't played SotC but I agree it's a very bad thing to do.

http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2012/ ... -jerk.html

[Opa Opa]

But in games with great storylines, games like Half Life 2

Can someone explain to me the thinking behind the Half Life games having a great story?
I've played HL 1, 2, and Episodes 1 and 2... There's nothing there that screams "great story telling"; it's more like "cryptic b.s."

I don't mean "cryptic b.s." to be offensive; that's just how I feel. They're fun games but there just isn't much story to go on.

[Menegrothx]

Can someone explain to me the thinking behind the Half Life games having a great story?
I've played HL 1, 2, and Episodes 1 and 2... There's nothing there that screams "great story telling"; it's more like "cryptic b.s."

I don't mean "cryptic b.s." to be offensive; that's just how I feel. They're fun games but there just isn't much story to go on.

Fair enough. Maybe its not the storyline, its more about the whole athmosphere the game has. The sound design and music, the underground rebel hideouts, unique mix of scifi stuff and normal technology etc . And the cryptic b.s from Gman. Its a unique experience in my books, no other game has come close to giving me the sort of feeling that I get from playing through Half Life 2, not even the first one for some odd reason. Its more about the the way you tell the story than how good the story itself is I guess. There are plenty of games that have complex and intelligent storylines that dont capture my attention and suck me inside of the gameworld the same way the games I mentioned do.

[J T]

I think the Half Life games have pretty good storylines. I like the whole plot of being swept up in a revolution to fight against an oppressive government. I think the opening to Half Life 2 is positively brilliant, the way they start you off with no weapons, in some dreary environment waiting in a line, with armed combine officers everywhere. You don't need to know all the backstory, just being in that scene makes you want to break free and that's really all you need to set the stage for a story about revolution. From then on it's a series of moments trying to work with the resistance and meet up at different check points. Plus along the way you develop relationships with people like Alyx Vance, Eli Vance, Dr. Kleiner, Barney Calhoun, and D0g. These are memorable characters. D0g is one of the best characters in the game and he doesn't have a line of dialogue (though that doesn't mean there wasn't writing for his part obviously). And you have to love the eccentricities of a scientist like DR. Kleiner who keeps a head crab as a pet and gives it a name like Lamaar.

The other thing that made Half-Life special was it was a major pioneer in continuing to tell the story without breaking the action. It's a game where you still control your character even when people are talking to you.

I do think Half Life has its storyline weaknesses too. It is cryptic at times and it always feels a bit strange that people like Gordon Freeman so much despite him never saying a word. There are also moments that aren't necessarily great for the plotline, but are wonderful for providing a context for battle. The Ravenholm level, for example, is one of the more entertaining levels of Half Life 2, but I always felt it seemed a little out of place for the story. I guess it says something about how bad things have gotten in some areas of City 17, but it was never very clear to me to begin with why there were so many head crabs, antlions, and other alien creatures in the Half Life gaems. I never was really clear if my main goal was fighting the combine or fighting the aliens, or if the two were somehow involved together.

I'll also never understand the G-Man, though I don't think I mind that. I kind of like the mystery and ambiguity of those scenes.

[Cronozilla]

I think in the context of the games, he does, in fact, speak. But the player doesn't hear it, because the "communication" is by player action. It's a design choice on Valve's part. It's like assuming Link doesn't communicate with people. Of course he does.

I think the issue here is defining what "story" means. Don't confuse plot details with story or narrative. Half-Life has a pretty strong narrative, but the plot can be weak.

Most of the Half-Life back story is something you have to gleam from newspapers and little notes scattered in the world. It's actually a pretty deep story if you pay attention and discuss the details everyone has found. It creates a meta-interaction that isn't found in most media.

[foxhound1022]

Hmm. Depends on your perspective. Essentially, if the story is compelling enough, then the player becomes engrossed and wants to play out the story, only to find out what happens next. If it is lackluster, then it becomes more of an obstacle or hindrance for the player to endure in order to get to the next segment of gameplay. I'm not really sure. I guess another question to ask would be whether or not the creator of said story performs the task of spinning a yarn interesting enough for the player to follow.