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Gameplay, graphics, storyline or soundtrack? You decide.

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Topic Starter
Silent Wolf_old
What do you think is the most important factor in games that makes them great. Feel free to comment on the latest games and consoles and even the really old ones...
lukewarmholiday
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awp
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Tapdancingmetroid
In order from importance to least importance:
1: Gameplay
2: Soundtrack
3: Storyline
4: Graphics
Though they're all pretty important.

In some cases though, it really depends on the genre (for example, I'd personally say that the storyline is more important than the soundtrack in RPG's and turn-based strategy games (because I never pay attention to the soundtrack in turn-based strategy games :P)).
YoshiKart
Tapdancingmetroid just told my full perspective in a better way than I would say it.
lukewarmholiday
(because I never pay attention to the soundtrack in turn-based strategy games :P)
2 of my favorite soundtracks of all time come from turned based strategy games, how dare you.(well they aren't completely turned based because the battles are slightly interactive but still.)
Aeris_old
Gameplay, above everything...Since it's a game, it should be playable - and enjoyable.
The storyline comes next. It helps the immersion. The soundtrack is important, too...but only for some genres.
Graphics are the least important...but it doesn't means that it isn't important at all...
Loginer
If a game has bad gameplay, it's a bad game.
If a game has a bad soundtrack, it's a pain to listen too.
If a game has bad graphics, it's a pain to watch.
These three things are all very important parts of video games. Storylines are a bit different, though, as they're only important in an RPG/adventure game. A good storyline is what makes a game memorable, though.
Topic Starter
Silent Wolf_old
I'd agree with you, Loginer but I think that graphics is good, but not necessary. Take the Suikoden series for example. It may not be the most graphically advanced series out there, but any Suiko fan would say that it's storyline, characters and music do more than just make up for the not-so hardcore graphics from say, an installation of the Final Fantasy series.

Anyway, an opinion is an opinion and I suppose we shouldn't be duking it out over a discussion should we?
Loginer

Silent Wolf wrote:

I'd agree with you, Loginer but I think that graphics is good, but not necessary. Take the Suikoden series for example. It may not be the most graphically advanced series out there, but any Suiko fan would say that it's storyline, characters and music do more than just make up for the not-so hardcore graphics from say, an installation of the Final Fantasy series.
There's a difference between technically good graphics and artistically good graphics. A game doesn't need 50 different shaders to look good.
Here are two examples of bad graphics:

Notice the low-poly meshes, extremely low-res textures, awful texture seams and horrible camera.

Notice the extremely dull art direction.

Silent Wolf wrote:

Anyway, an opinion is an opinion and I suppose we shouldn't be duking it out over a discussion should we?
This is the Internet. Of course we should.
awp
Disgaea 3 uses the same prinny sprites that Disgaea 1 used. The graphics are by no means "good" from an artistic standpoint and the sprites are pixelly when zoomed in (I guess they didn't want iterative sprites based on zoom level) but apart from looking like a PSOne game the graphics get the job done. Gameplay, Storyline and music are all top-notch though.
lukewarmholiday

awp wrote:

Disgaea 3 uses the same prinny sprites that Disgaea 1 used. The graphics are by no means "good" from an artistic standpoint and the sprites are pixelly when zoomed in (I guess they didn't want iterative sprites based on zoom level) but apart from looking like a PSOne game the graphics get the job done. Gameplay, Storyline and music are all top-notch though.
What many people don't know is, sprite animation takes like 5 times longer and is 5 times as expensive, and personally I like the sprite look of disgaea and cheap small 3d models would probably look like utter trash. So expect some rehash and low quality.
awp
NI's actually made a comment on that, stating that with 3D models, you often see them as loops of animation in a limited set of expressions. But with sprites, they would be totally free to do what they wanted - if they wanted a character's expression to stretch proportion, that was no problem. Adding more emotion was easier to do as well via sprites.

Also the way they're handled is pretty smooth.
lukewarmholiday

awp wrote:

NI's actually made a comment on that, stating that with 3D models, you often see them as loops of animation in a limited set of expressions. But with sprites, they would be totally free to do what they wanted - if they wanted a character's expression to stretch proportion, that was no problem. Adding more emotion was easier to do as well via sprites.

Also the way they're handled is pretty smooth.

FE11 looked horrid transitioning from sprites to sprite like 3d models. It just doesn't work.


Personally I love the way disgaea 3 looks. It's just... good looking in my eyes...
Atmey
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lukewarmholiday

Atmey wrote:

Gameplay in most games, but sometimes graphics can turn me off (Persona4) why wasn't it on PS3?

$$$
Sinistro
Gameplay first.
Music second.
The last two are kind of equal for me and depend on the genre, I guess.
eee
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Starrodkirby86
For RPGs I would actually go for Storyline more, but in a general aspect I think Gameplay rules the school. I remember doing a thread like on another forum, Gameplay and Storyline were really high factors. Graphics and Soundtracks aren't really that important and just enhance the game more...I suppose.
Pokebis

Starrodkirby86 wrote:

For RPGs I would actually go for Storyline more, but in a general aspect I think Gameplay rules the school. I remember doing a thread like on another forum, Gameplay and Storyline were really high factors. Graphics and Soundtracks aren't really that important and just enhance the game more...I suppose.
At least change that to JRPG. RPGs are really supposed to put you in charge of the story.
awp
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lukewarmholiday

Pokebis wrote:

Starrodkirby86 wrote:

For RPGs I would actually go for Storyline more, but in a general aspect I think Gameplay rules the school. I remember doing a thread like on another forum, Gameplay and Storyline were really high factors. Graphics and Soundtracks aren't really that important and just enhance the game more...I suppose.
At least change that to JRPG. RPGs are really supposed to put you in charge of the story.
But pen and paper with a group of friends is always going to be more involved than any console RPG, period. I kinda just enjoy set in stone stories with some deviation with ending choices and such.
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