ive hit 30 and became a storyfag/normie/pleb, confessions of a munchkin

[JarlFrank]

As you get older it gets harder and harder to ignore how shit this medium is. Imagine reading a bunch of gibberish in a book (grinding) just to get to the fun parts which are 10% of the whole book?

Now that I'm in my 30s, I really put my priority on good encounter design. I don't like repetitive copypasta or randomly generated content. I like good and varied content, and really can't stand grind.

I'd rather play a 10 hour game that's enjoyable from start to finish than a 60 hour game where 70% of the content is copypasted filler.

 

[Ol' Willy]

Imagine literally playing chess LMAO

Also games like:

- Worms series
- Hogs of War
- Panzer General and its likes
- a lot of tacticools, like Graviteam Tactics
- Simulators, like Il-2 or Steel Fury
- entire package of Paradox games: EU, Vicky, HoI
- almost every 4x game

 

[cretin]

And so it is with games too. Yes the gameplay is of primary importance. But a game consisting entirely of mechanics is a dull thing. Storyfaggotry and everything else is what provides inspiration to master the mechanics. The story/world design doesn't need to take front and center, but it does need to give you a reason to keep going.

Imagine literally playing chess LMAO

Go on then, tell us how many hours you've spent playing chess in the past year alone, nevermind your entire life.

In the past year, probably upwards of 500. In my entire life, I have no idea.

uh huh, sure you have pal

 

[Daedalos]

I've always been a story/exploration fag, even as a kid I guess, but moreso in adult life.

Without a good engaging hook and story/writing, then I most times won't bother with the game, unless the game itself doesnt warrant one (hearthstone for instance)

But games that do require a story to even get going, yeah, make it as fucking as possible please.

 

[ferratilis]

I used to care about stories in games until Dark Souls came out. It's the single most influential game that made me care about combat mechanics, world design, art style, itemization and atmosphere over narrative. Actually, I'd place narrative last on the list of priorities when looking for a good game to play.

Spoiler

 

[Verylittlefishes]

You can always start drinking.

 

[oldmanpaco]

You can always start drinking.

The patrician's choice.

 

[Konjad]

I have thought that when I hit 30s I stopped being storyfag and just focused on the gameplay. I always focused on the gameplay, but also on stories, however nowadays I stopped caring.

Then I replayed some old games, like Gothic, and realized I did not stop being a storyfag. I realized modern writers are worth jack shit and can't write anything legible.

Then I realized even gameplay tends to be much inferior to what used to be.

Games are no longer my escapism as they are just too shit. Now I'm an alcoholic replaying oldies.

 

[0sacred]

I'm worn out on how simplistic NPC interactions are. always. Even in the best of cases.

 

[laclongquan]

Dark Souls does have a story. Most importantly, its writings are serviceable and not grating on their audience.

Like I said, the threshold is low.

Two more examples :

Fallout 3 barely make the jump. Its idea and story "did you see my father the middleaged man" is too juvenile but does strike some chords within certain group of audience.

Mass Effect Andromeda doesnt make it. Its writing department's agenda in enforcing black idealism spill over into game design (default face skin has black tinge) thus make people cringe on first reaction. We dont even want to know anything more about story and writings after that shit.

 

[Feyd Rautha]

im looking at screenshots of atom dlc and feel nothing really, im actually dreading having to start the game and
move my mouse to create a character, cause im afraid i wont care enough to get out of the menu...

ATOM is played for the story and the general atmosphere, not for the mechanics.

 

[V_K]

See, Lilura, playing adventures is not the worst thing that could happen.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

The OP made me think about a similar issue I have with movies.

In my case, I am so old that, usually, I watch movies with the audio off, or using music from other media instead of the original audio track. Why? Because, the plots are so boring and repetitive that I already know them all. They also are bad. Really, really bad. In particular those from recent movies. At least by watching the images only, I can create mentally more interesting plots and twists than those bad ones that are effectively found in the movie.

The next step will be to deliberately downscale the video part (ironic since we are in a age of obligatory hyper or ultra resolutions), in order to make the images fuzzy. Why? Not only the plot and story of movies are boring and repetitive, but also the visuals have the same problem. Nowadays each single movie shot or scene looks like it has been mass produced from a standardized factory. It has the same color saturation, angle of shooting, movement composition, CGI effects, AI actors expressions, etc., in every movie. If the images are less distinct, I can reconstruct them mentally with my inner visualization, letting my imagination to fill the gaps, so to speak. And the results are usually better, at least more interesting, and, to be fair, it does not take much.

 

[Grauken]

See, Lilura, playing adventures is not the worst thing that could happen.

What's the worst that could happen?

 

[Oberon]

One of the best examples of writing and story being important is Arcanum, because it remains a classic despite being a mechanical trainwreck of a game.

 

[barghwata]

Imagine playing RPGs for mechanics lol, one of the most mechanically weak and shallow gaming genres, right up there behind visual novels and clickers , go play tactical games, grand strategy, competitive multiplayer games etc.... any of these are bound to have infinitely more mechanical depth then your average RPG.

Personally i mostly play them for atmosphere, story, exploration etc... but when i am in the mood for something more mechanically complex, rpgs are the last thing i think of.

 

[Darth Canoli]

What's the worst that could happen?

Still writing about BGs and NWN 20 years later?

 

[Ismaul]

im looking at screenshots of atom dlc and feel nothing really, im actually dreading having to start the game and
move my mouse to create a character, cause im afraid i wont care enough to get out of the menu...

ATOM is played for the story and the general atmosphere, not for the mechanics.

I disagree. The mechanics are part of the enjoyment, in some parts more so than the story. It's the whole package man.

 

[Hag]

I think we're a good lot with gaming ennui. Spend many hours and years playing and one day you sit back and realize you've seen all those wonderful worlds and took part in all these awesome stories (as well as several not-so-awesome), but it is in the end just games to waste time away (in a very efficient way). I also used to read a lot, and now mostly stopped. Life's bigger than that.
Then it gets kinda pointless to carry on playing. I was going to carry on for a while but supper is ready, so yeah, you get the point, just try different shit or accept you're no longer a 17 years old, and doing the same activity over decades does get old sometimes.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

literally didnt make it out of the character creator

i had phases like this before and always came back to this mindless childrens entertainment

alt f4 and just browsed interwebs funny pics and then porn

Major depression is a mood disorder that affects the way you feel about life in general. Having a hopeless or helpless outlook on your life is the most common symptom of depression.

Other feelings may be worthlessness, self-hate, or inappropriate guilt. Common, recurring thoughts of depression may be vocalized as, “It’s all my fault,” or “What’s the point?”

Depression can take the pleasure or enjoyment out of the things you love. A loss of interest or withdrawal from activities that you once looked forward to — sports, hobbies, or going out with friends — is yet another telltale sign of major depression.

 

[Brujoloco]

The OP made me think about a similar issue I have with movies.

In my case, I am so old that, usually, I watch movies with the audio off, or using music from other media instead of the original audio track. Why? Because, the plots are so boring and repetitive that I already know them all. They also are bad. Really, really bad. In particular those from recent movies. At least by watching the images only, I can create mentally more interesting plots and twists than those bad ones that are effectively found in the movie.

And the results are usually better, at least more interesting, and, to be fair, it does not take much.

This hit a deep chord with me.

I have been watching movies since I was a small kid and rented from the local Betamax rental club. After almost 5 decades of that, I used to have a a game when I watchd movies with others where by the first 10 minutes of the movie I will know how it will end, what classical tropes the plot will go along and more or less who the bad guy, suspect or red herrings are located or where they will appear.

I usually win 80% of the time, to the point that I have had fights with people for it, they get annoyed at me, they argue with me, then watch the movie, only to see my theory unfold in the correct path and then they either stop talking to me or I have to apologize for being who I am blah blah blah.

I stopped doing it after it wrecked my whole weekend with family and realized being right out of ennui and jadedness is worthless and all the prizes I was going to win was social isolation and medals of stupidity.

Now I watch movies in silence for the social aspect of it, but like you I too make much better plots in my mind, and the end result is the same, I win nothing but at least I keep the peace.

One of the things I enjoy sometimes is watching old black and white movies as background noise as I do stuff on the puter.

As I am not paying attention the movies usually unravel themselves half as they are and another half as I interpret them to be.

The best for that are the old French and Italian movies of the 50s and 60s.

I think I am just too old and jaded to be honest.

 

[Verylittlefishes]

by the first 10 minutes of the movie I will know how it will end, what classical tropes the plot will go along and more or less who the bad guy, suspect or red herrings are located or where they will appear.

Did you tried to watch interesting movies instead?

 

[Ol' Willy]

After almost 5 decades of that, I used to have a a game when I watchd movies with others where by the first 10 minutes of the movie I will know how it will end, what classical tropes the plot will go along and more or less who the bad guy, suspect or red herrings are located or where they will appear.

Have you seen Memento? Bet you didn't guess that movie ending

 

[Ol' Willy]

Did you tried to watch interesting movies instead?

Something like Green Elephant, heh

 

[Kainan]

I think we're a good lot with gaming ennui. Spend many hours and years playing and one day you sit back and realize you've seen all those wonderful worlds and took part in all these awesome stories (as well as several not-so-awesome), but it is in the end just games to waste time away (in a very efficient way). I also used to read a lot, and now mostly stopped. Life's bigger than that.
Then it gets kinda pointless to carry on playing. I was going to carry on for a while but supper is ready, so yeah, you get the point, just try different shit or accept you're no longer a 17 years old, and doing the same activity over decades does get old sometimes.

If a game is good, its not wasted time. And if its good of course you will play it several times. Then of course after awhile you need a break or logically a new and better game. The problem is new games cant outdo the old ones, and also movies and even books are in the same situation.

 

[Ismaul]

I watch movies in silence for the social aspect of it

I know the feeling.