Plot - what is it good for?

Turns out - story is an essential part of every game. Or - is it?? Do you really need a plot (even a bad one) to play a game? Would it change your game experience if one never existed? Or, if it was simply awful or boring? And besides - what do stories and games have in common? Why mix them at all?

Let's start at the beginning: what constitutes a story and what constitutes a good one?

According to Wiki, a narrative (story) is "any account that presents connected events". Well, sounds simple enough. And then it continues: "Narrative is found in all forms of human creativity and art, including speech, writing, songs, film, television, video games, photography, theater, and visual arts such as painting".

Now that we know what a story is, can we recognize a good one? Obviously, "good" and "bad" are subjective feelings, and so it's harder to mark a story as either one. Sure, there are some rules (like structure, character, plot, them style and so on) that help make a story better, but none of them are definitive. Following all the rules won't necessarily make your story a good one. Someone may still not like it.

So, how do we define a good story?

In my opinion - you can't define a globally good story. A story may be good in your eyes, and bad in mine. You may like it - I may not. But it's not just you and me that are different. I may like a story today, and hate it tomorrow. Your feelings toward a story may change with time.

So, we can't. A story can't be defined as good or bad, as an absolute thing. Same as art. Probably because stories ARE art.

Now that we know what stories are, let's talk about their role in video games.

Humanity always had a thing with story-telling. It's almost a burning need we humans have, to tell a story. And we'll use every new piece of technology to do it. Cavemen used paint and color to draw on walls, while Egyptians carved them in stone. The moment we learned to speak - we invented the theater. Later, we drew on canvas. And as technology advanced we used books, paper and photography to tell stories (comics are part of this stage). Then it was radio, TV and the internet. So, given all those forms of story-telling, why not one more? It seems gaming is - at the very least - a valid platform for story-telling.

But, do stories make games better? Let's compare some popular games: Pong and Tetris vs. Mass Effect and To The Moon. It's obvious two of those games are story-oriented and wouldn't survive without it. To The Moon, for example, has almost no game-play, except for following a sad story. But it's still a great game. On the other hand - Pong and Tetris have no story in them - and they're very popular (still are). So, how can that be? Is the plot of a game good for it, or bad for it?

in my opinion, video games stand on various legs. The more legs a game has - the better. The stronger the legs - the better. These legs are graphics, music, game-play, UI, design and so on. The story is just one more leg. If it's good - it will help lift the game. If it's bad - it will harm the game. If it's missing - other elements may cover for it.
In conclusion - stories add to the game experience, but they are not a must if the game is good and compelling enough without them. Done right - they do add a lot to the game.

That dilemma came up when working on my own games.

One of the games is an interactive story, so of course story is an important part of it. Actually, it's the MOST important part. Everything else is just there to serve the story, so not only does the game need a story - it needs a GOOD one. A very good, compelling story. Otherwise - the game will crash and burn. Being an interactive story, the other elements of the game, aren't good enough without a good story. It's a good thing I'm working hard on providing one!

As for the other one - that was a real dilemma. You're flying in space, shooting bad guys, doing missions. Do you really need a background story for that? My personal advice - yes, you do. At the very least - it can't hurt. At it's best - it will make your game better, more memorable, and most important - more fun! It's a lot more fun if you have a reason to shoot the bad guys. Not just "because they're there", but because you hate them, and want them dead. Once you have that - a feeling inside you that relates to the game - you're more connected to it. And the more connected you are to the game - the more you enjoy it.
And how do you get someone to feel something towards a video game? You add a good story to it!

Till next time, have a good night.
-Shay