#story vs gameplay

[autumnslance]

So one thing I tend to do with my WoL’s story is decide, usually late in the patches, when side content happens and who handles it; sometimes I determine a story happens all at once, sometimes spaced out. Like in Stormblood, WoL handles all of Omega while still in Gyr Abania before heading back to the Far East for 4.2 and 4.3, which is then when Ivalice, Four Lords, and Hildibrand happens while waiting on the MSQ between those patches. In Shadowbringers, Eden happened more or less as released, Bozja started in an early patch but got lumped together later on, same with Weapons.

I’m debating what to do about Pandaemonium and Aglaia now (and whatever our trials and relic content are), and some of it will ultimately depend on where those stories go and how we get there for the “when” but I was struck by an idea late at night and it sort of hinges on how I see gameplay versus story.

There are definitely some story elements that are given game mechanics; teleportation is one. The aetheric net is a thing in story, teleportation is a magic field of study and figures in to troop logistics, character travel, who can and cannot go places. It’s given space in the story as integral to the setting, as well as handy mechanically.

Then there are game mechanics that are given a story lampshade, a bandage to cover up a shaky transition or element that doesn’t really have a story reason, but there are other stories attached to it. The Ragnarok being “two places at once” post-Endwalker feels like this as it’s briefly mentioned then handwaved away and the point is really “we can’t cut off or stop using an entire endgame zone even though logically the characters would only be able to get there once so we’ll say ‘dynamis did it’ and have leveling and endgame content there.”

Same thing with a lot of Fates, dungeons, daily quests, side quests. It’s blatantly there as game content, sometimes has neat lore or ideas, but a lot of it is also just pretending to have story to excuse that gameplay element in the actual setting and story.

And Ultima Thule gets a better travel explanation than Elpis; there’s really no reason the WoL should be able to keep traveling there, either, except again, the devs aren’t going to cutoff an entire zone. But there’s really no mention of it, in the fishing quests, in the clan hunts, in the Panda quests—it’s just taken for granted WoL can go to this one very specific place and time still, whenever they want.

I love those zones and their content, but from a story angle, that bothers me. Not in a major way, but just enough to leave me dissatisfied and wondering how to handle it with my WoL. Hunts I can ignore; Fishing I can say she happened to grab a sample while there and brought it back or something if I really gotta, but Panda? I’m just not sure.

Then I remembered the scene with Cid’s goggles in ARR, and before that the back-and-forth in the 1.0 city intros, and the whole thing in Bozja’s opening where they solidified that as the Echo interacting with and affecting memories. The Panda quests are triggered by finding one of the Ancient memory crystals, sending a warning about a disaster that must be averted, in Pandaemonium. So what if, to study this crystal, the WoL is there to interact with it as someone who can understand those Ancient memories and the Echo lets her relive that person’s experiences? The disaster was handled in the past, by people already there—maybe even Azem and their allies, IDK. Elidibus’ memory of WoL in Elpis is easily sorted out as he was also there at the time, visiting or working on his own projects while shenanigans occurred, before he got into the mess at Pandaemonium. And in the present, WoL is trying to use the crystal and the Echo to learn what happened, reliving it in memory, rather than physically going back again by an undefined method. Maybe even learning something about Azem, Elidibus, and Lahabrea in the process.

I dunno. It’s a random 2am thought that won’t leave me alone. We’ll see where the raid story leads by the time the 6.4 patch rolls around sometime next year and how I feel about this then.

#final fantasy xiv #endwalker #lyn meta #msq #pandaemonium #elpis #ultima thule #gameplay #story #story vs gameplay #late night musings #queuing to see how unhinged this 2am thought sounds when I see it in the daytime

[tidewhims]

“ The REAL Big 3”

Tundra , Forrest , Haeju.

#ts4 simblr #ts4 gameplay #black simmer #ts4 story #thesims4 #black simblr #showyoursims #simstory #aesthetic sims #sims community #blacksimscommunity #simtok #drake vs kendrick #Drake vs Kendrick vs Jcole

[eosofspades]

okay i meant to make this post forever ago but my personal opinion on why so many people were so dissatisfied with lightfalll (disclaimer: i am not one of these people, i love lightfall SO much), is that lightfall was kind of subjected to a really aggressive marketing campaign.

like, stick with me here, i feel like almost all the lightfall release content (the trailers especially) were so focused on battling the witness, how this battle has been centuries in the making and this is the Second Collapse Finally Finding Us, only for there to be,,, no real resolution. the end was left on such a severe cliffhanger, but not only that, there was NO battle with the witness. the witness didn't even seem to be having a hard time at all with what we WERE throwing at it.

and for narrative reasons *i* am obsessed with this ending; in terms of storytelling i adore practically every creative decision that was made in lightfall, but i think the reason that so many people were so upset about it is because lightfall had such intense marketing and was rooted in the implication that this was the End of Days, only for us to get almost no closure, and instead so many more questions.

(there's also something to be said, i think, about the fact that the people who ARE most upset about this are like, the youtube gamer dudebros who's content is very very often rooted in the aggressive, violence-and-warfare, pvp-centric, no-interest-in-lore approach to destiny, and that the people i've seen primarily ENJOYING the narrative decisions (or at least being understanding about it) are the artists and writers and loremasters of the fandom, but i'm not quite sure,,, how to expand on that point.)

#like. something something yt dudebros who are like 'uhhh destiny is about violence and war and the lore is only for people who suck at pvp #and destiny is a shitty evil game i hate it sooooo much hashtag 26871435 hours recorded gameplay' asshats #being the ones complaining MOST about the narrative in. a narrative driven game. and refusing to engage with ANY lore in a LORE HEAVY GAME #vs. the community on here thats full of artists and writers and people who actually like to analyze the story and characters #and engage with the lore and have any emotional attachment at all to the characters and world and themes #being the ones who are like. appreciative of the narrative decisions made and looking forward to where the story will take us and #looking at the game with LOVE instead of hatred and malice #and even if you didn't like lightfall!!! people in the latter category are still the people who i keep seeing be like #'yeah even if i didn't personally like it i can understand the significance of this narrative decision.' #'i acknowledge that bungie put so much time and effort and passion into making this even if it wasnt satisfying to me personally.' #'i have the critical thinking skills to understand that bungie is not a sentient malicious entity trying to ruin my life; me; specifically' #like. do you get what im saying. gamer dudebros who think the world revolves around them vs the fandom members who actually understand art #bc. thats what destiny is. its art. the whole thing is a massive art project made by a group of people that are very passionate about it. #do you hear what im saying at ALL its like two separate fandoms for the same piece of media the difference is so stark #mine #destiny 2 #lightfall #destiny 2 lightfall #eos destiny essays

[bridgeportbritt]

Exploring | Puerto Llamante, Selvadorada

The couple decided to stay in a part of Selvadorada they haven't been together before. The last time Grayson had been to this part of the country, he was a teen on vacation with his bio dad and grandparent. While they love Belomisia, there was so much to see in the country. The visted the Puerto Llamante Marketplace, the spa and even did some fishing before retreating back to their rental for alone time.

#simdonia #simdonia extras #so i'm saying where grayson visited as a teen #is where they are now #vs where they both lived as adults #just to make things more interesting lol #sims of color #sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 story #ts4 #royal sims #royal simblr #sim: grayson #sim: olivia

[frootbyethefoot]

actually sick to my stomach i love half life so much

#hl1 gameplay vs hl2 gameplay is maybe my favorite piece of storytelling in half life and its so unintentional #and is clearly just me digging too deep but i love it anyways #hl1 gameplay is so unforgiving and cruel because the game wants you to know you're some scientist with almost zero gun training #going against armed soldiers and it does not want you to forget #you have to play hl1 so differently compared to hl2 or even just a lot of fps games at the time #its a game about strategy and problem solving first and foremost #by hl2 gordon has reached the status of an old legend #a story resistance members tell in order to inspire hope and change #hl2 is so kind and forgiving combat wise compared to hl1 #and i can't help but wonder if its because the narrative has shifted around gordon so much #hes not just 'some theoretical physicist' now hes humanitys savior and final hope #sorry. what was i saying. oh yeah half life is a good series and hl2 is gonna be 20 this year. #half life

[triangle-strategy-notes]

[Image id for the two images above: The first image is a scan of the first page of Medina's concept art. There are two versions of Medina's canon portrait, one colored, one uncolored. There is an illustrator's note at the bottom in Japanese. The second image is a translation of that note, which reads, "The face on the bottom of the next page came from the first draft. It didn't look quite right, so I was grumbling to Ikushima about it, and he redrew the whole thing, giving it the look it has now (laughs). Sorry about that, I was pretty busy at the time. In my opinion, she's become the most beautiful woman thanks to you! (Tatsuaki Urushihara)" /End id]

[Image id for the three images above: The first image is a scan of the second page of Medina's concept art. It has several drawings of Medina, including a full-body portrait that shows some details of the belt and pouch she wears, and has an additional illustrator's note at the bottom. The second image is a translation of the title, which reads, "Buff, Debuff Character," and translations for the captions. One points to a feather decoration on her hat and reads, "Feather ornament that resembles a leaf." Another points to her uniform and reads, "Well-made uniform, since they're provided by a medical institution in a rich country." Another caption points to a version of her without her hat, and says, "No hat version." The third image is a translation of the illustrator's note at the bottom of the second page, which reads, "I put this together based off a concept for an apothecary costume in 'Various Daylife' that I was given. (Tatsuaki Urushihara)." /end id]

Translation notes under the cut.

"I put this together based off a concept for an apothecary costume" might have been making a reference to a specific job class in Various Daylife. I looked it up a little and found one called "Herbalist" that might match, but I'm not super familiar with the game myself, so I wasn't 100% sure about it.

#triangle strategy #triangle strategy artbook #ts artbook character ref sheets #medina alliam #I didn't wait for the poll to end lol but hopefully this is easier to read! #I went back and forth on whether or not to include a full version of the translated page #but eventually opted against it because it just felt like extra clutter #feel free to leave tags/reply if you have any thoughts! #but yeah! seems like opposed to other characters Medina's development was a little more gameplay-driven vs story-driven #it's a little sad! I was kinda hoping for more of her backstory #just based off skin tone I kept kinda wondering if she might not be from Aesfrost/Glenbrook originally. but alas #sometimes I go a little nuts about how most of the PCs from Hyzante don't seem to have actually been designed to be ethnically Hyzantian #after looking it up seems like you've got medina geela corentin ezana quahaug archibald and (probably?) narve #which of those only two have a darker skin tone #I'm not calling square enix cowards BUT

[modwyr]

saw another attempt to set gameplay and story as dichotomies instead of acknowledging that they are intrinsically tied to one another and that's what makes video games as a medium unique

#gameplay vs story? how do you think you experience the story? what motivates you to play the game? #text

[epicwin64]

Here’s (roughly) what I think the storyline of FF7 Rebirth will be like

Kalm/Nibelheim flashback scene

*After the flashback Cloud will be taunted by Sephiroth. When he wakes up, realizing it was a nightmare, he doesn’t have a shirt on. I just threw this in here because of Cloud’s *ahem* female audience ;)

Midgarsormr/Catching a Chocobo

Mythril Mines/Elena boss fight

Yuffie joins

Junon/Cloud saves Priscilla’s life

Junon parade

Ship to Costa del Sol

First Jenova boss fight

Costa del Sol

Corel Foothills

First visit to Gold Saucer

Cait Sith joins

Corel Prison

Barret vs Dyne boss fight

Chocobo race

Gongaga

Red XIII leaves (but not really)

*From this point onward everyone refers to him as Nanaki

Bugenhagen/Lifestream projection

Gi Nattak boss fight

First encounter with Sephiroth clones

*Intermission 1*: Zack searches for Aerith

DISC 2

Nibelheim Manor

Vincent joins

Vincent flashback

*There should be a scene where he sees Hojo again. Just imagining him scream “HOJOOOOOOOOOO!” angrily paints a faint picture in my head.

*You know how Vincent’s right arm looks like it’s prosthetic? I think they should explain how he got that. My theory is that it was a “freak accident” on Hojo’s part.

Mt. Nibel

Rocket Town

Cid joins

*The party will call out Cid for the way he talks to Shera, because domestic abuse is not cool

Tiny Bronco

Search for Zack

Cloud and Zack reunite

Sephiroth attacks Midgar (again)

Cloud and Zack vs. Jenova

Second visit to Gold Saucer

Cloud dates….not Cait Sith (derogatory)

Cait Sith’s secret gets revealed

Flashback scene showing Sephiroth attacking Tseng

Temple of the Ancients

Cait Sith’s “sacrifice”

Sephiroth attempts to kill everyone (and fails)

Cloud gives “Sephiroth” the black materia

*Sephiroth also tricks Cloud into attacking Aerith, foreshadowing that he’s possessing him into giving Sephiroth what he wants

Aerith leaves and goes after Sephiroth herself

The party heads to Gongaga

Cloud wakes up

Forgotten City

Aerith’s death

*Everyone is affected by her death emotionally, even Vincent, who is usually portrayed as being stoic

Third Jenova boss fight (Cloud solo)

The party continues their journey in spite of Aerith being dead

Reeve calls Elmyra about Aerith’s death

*Intermission 2*: Zack heads home to Gongaga

*When Zack finally does get home, he begins suffering symptoms of mako poisoning

The party heads north to Icicle Inn

Credits

Epilogue (Shows Aerith waking up in the Lifestream, when she wakes up she says “Zack?”)

#ff7 rebirth #speculation #me gongaga #yes aerith will still die #like it’s the most important part of the game #and they’re not going to kill off tifa #she’s a lot more important to the story than you all think #rambling #final fantasy vii rebirth #cloud and zack vs sephiroth would be SIIIIICK #they said it’s about 100 hours of gameplay #yeah I know I said they fight jenova but she’s taking on the form of sephiroth #ffvii #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #barret wallace #aerith gainsborough #yuffie kisaragi #red xiii #nanaki #cait sith #vincent valentine #cid highwind #zack fair #sephiroth #I have no idea what I’m doing #all my homies hate hojo #cloud fighting jenova himself is some artsy statement about his grief #midgarsormr is more accurate imo #also it’s not aeris that was a translation error

[nailtagyuri]

when i was 12 this was the coolest most mindblowing shit ever i was genuinely so obsessed with it I'd read it very day like the bible. I would die for a version of this with the post 3D world content over my country

#i hve vs super mario bros on my switch bc i wanted to chronologically play through the storied hero timeline and i couldnt find a rom #I think it has the same appeal as spid.erverse kinda except instead of multiple different people filling the same role as sp.iderman its #the same guy it's still mario but the changes come from things going differently at certain points in his life do you GET ME!! #LIKE!!!!!!!! MOST OF IT'S DETERMINED BY WHAT HAPPENS IN YOSHIS ISLAND AND THERES ALTERNATIVE PATHS IF HE WINS OR FAILS!!! GAME OVERS HAVE #CONSEQUENCES THAT BRANCH INTO THEIR OWN TIMELINES MARIO CAN END UP WITH DIFFERENT PARENTS ITS SO COOLLLLLL #and i love how each of the major branches has their own theme like “action hero” is the one with all the gameplay-focused #mainline titles “storied hero” is the one with all the M&L rpgs and more plot-heavier stuff and “blue collar hero” is this third one #with all the donkey kong titles and wackier/arcade titles WHERE i might add his design had a blue shirt and red overalls #and the tl builds off of those games into nsmb so i like to hc that he kept his early 80s design well into the later games <-autistic sorry #AND how thetimelines represent how their different backstories have influenced their personalities and thought processes a little like #what happened to mario in the blue collar branch like he either becomes EVILL!!!! and kidnaps donkey kong leading to dkjr or #divorces peach and has a self isolation arc after nsmb2 whats going on w him... #and i LOVE how all of them have a sort of common event where bowser invades the mushroom kingdom and in each timeline its #represented by a different variation of the original super mario bros game with action hero's event being represented by smb itself #which is fitting since thats the branch where mario and luigi ended up with their intended parents and everything went as planned #and i think a general theme here is that the more things go against intention the sillier it gets dont even get me STARTED on the time #travel shenanigans in bottom right which lead into the handheld remakes i love this so much its unreal #i do wish paper mario wasnt explained away as a dream but like thats its whole other world and art style and itd be difficult #to fit it into one of the major branches so i get why it was done. i probably wouldve just given it its own isolated bubble in the corner #at that rate i probably wouldve added so much more shit to the main tl im talking game&watch games i look at this and i see a pitch #for a full feature length autism production you understand

[prototypelq]

Gaming awards are weird this year. We have TGA, which has never made sensible nominations, and has publicly offended both the game developers, and the audience, by cutting the award winner speeches early and exists only for the hype and ads money, and to contrast we have GDC, which, well, Games Developer Conference, that consists of developers, is supposed to have critical merit behind it.

Yet, TGA gives Alan Wake 2 the Best Direction, Best Story and Best Visuals, while GDC gives AW2 Best Visuals only, while best Narrative goes to BG3. Also Tears of the Kingdom somehow got best technology???

Obv, I am a biased AW2 fan, and awards are generally meaningless, the normal disclaimer when discussing these things, y'know. Still, to me this is like an inverse of what should have happened, cause it's weird for TGA to NOT go for the obvious trendy game BG3, and for the GDC to follow said popular trend.

I don't doubt BG3 is good, not at all. I just doubt a 100+++ hour game can tell the story with the same impact that the 20-30 smth hour one can. Also, the hundred-hours game is rpg, so you have multiple choices, which normally leads to content cuts of the consequences of said choices, cause they are just not viable, for developers OR for players. And again, AW2 is a linear story with fixed characters, plus they make heavy use of the extended lore of the remedyverse. And it's a story about stories inside a story. Written by a writer, about a writer and for writers. Again, I don't mean to down BG3 and Larian - they are a great studio, a dying breed these days in the industry, I just don't think you can meaningfully tell a story over such a long period of time, pacing exists the chat in these cases.

Also, I am just. What Technology is GDC referring to when they award Tears of the Kingdom??? Specifically technology, not design, design went to BG3 there is no question about that. Like??? Switch is a not a new platform, the hardware has been the same for...more than 7 years I think, at this point? What kind of technology are they talking about here?

update: looked it up and apparently the tech award goes to TOK for the multi-leveled seamless open world and physics engine, again, on a Switch hardware. Yeah, I get behind this choice now.

I am a bit mad now that the GDC Innovation award didn't go to Viewfinder. Like, that game is LITERAL innovation, no other game did something like Viewfinder before...

Another great reminder that everything is subjective, and awards especially.

#okay okay i can get the bg3 vs aw2 story award debate that one is honestly hard to answer #but INNOVATION award didn't go to viewfinder? COME ON #that is just offensive in my opinion #i am a remedy fanboy sorry not sorry #aw 2 is a tech award nominee so there's some justice still #aw2 is literally one of the only games that can give you a feeling of new highend tech #which ill probably never experience but im okay with that i am not a graphics obsessed maniac #can't deny that no game looks like aw2 though and it also HAD to work to make those transitions between gameplay and cutscenes work #gdc #games developers choice awards #aw2 #alan wake 2 #bg3 #tga #the game awards 2023 #zelda totk #viewfinder

[spring-lxcked]

rip to everyone who hated it but ruin still has a chokehold on me. started a new playthrough to look for secrets. gave william a self-indulgent SB verse. added ca.ssie and roxy to my multi. fighting every day to not add gla.mrock chi.ca. thinking abt it always and forever say i love you ruin!!

#—— ✧ ooc » #.tbd. #'but you said you hated the ending and the mim—' the what i don't know what you're talking abt #you mean the ending where we found out that van.essa escaped glitch and left his ass down there #and he was luring cas.sie to get him out/brainwash her but then roxy and/or greg.ory saved her? that ending? i love that ending #i've never heard of a mim.ic i don't know it i don't see it it's not canon to me the same way i pretend burnt.rap doesn't exist #no but in all seriousness ruin would've been amazing imo if the ending didn't suck #er well the endo part and mini music m.en are annoying as fuck but that's a gameplay gripe VS a story gripe #i could talk for hours abt how ruin proved that SB should've been more linear and less open #give me scripted linear horror or give me death. or something.

[dreamsy990]

i think its so fucked up that theres no fandom for plvspw. like its this beautifully written story about grief and how we cope with loss and try to move on despite how hopeless it may seem. it's about love and how much you would do to help the people you love. it's a story where it feels like it's leading up to a sad ending, because there is no way for this to end happily, but in the end it's okay, because as long as you keep moving forward things will be okay. its this beautiful story and theres no fanbase for it and that is so fucked up

#professor layton vs phoenix wright #that game is so overpriced for a reason #i cried while playing it #its so good like the whole game is up on youtube if you have the time just. go appreciate it #also the soundtracks great #also it has better writing than dual destinies #there i fucking said it #i think its tied with aa4 for my favorite ace attorney game and yes i know thats a controversial take #but i havent been the same since i played #like the story is just. so good #if this post persuades ONE PERSON to experience the game ill be happy #you dont need to spend the money to play it #just look up a playthough the gameplay is the weakest part #also the cutscenes are really good #go play it maya hits phoenix with a pipe #nick gets a job as a baker #also he tackles a guy in a full suit of armor

[bridgeportbritt]

Willington Palace | Sage, SimDonia

Margaret: Spencer, this is not the appropriate time to disucss this.

{TW This post mentions infertility, pregnancy loss and death. Please read at your own risk. The rest of the post is under the cut.}

Spencer: Mother, we just buried our father. There is no better time to discuss what ailed him! What if it’s something that’s passed on to myself or Diana or to our children? This is something we should know. A man of his age and health should be here with us!

Margaret: There is nothing more to tell, son. As the doctor stated, your father had heart failure. There was nothing more to be done or to discuss.

Spencer: I can sense that there is more you, the doctors, this whole... institution is not telling us! You’re not an expert at lying, Mother.

Margaret: This is the time to mourn your father. We are all sad that he has gone so soon, but we mustn’t dwell on the details. Your father would want us to be strong and move forward. Especially you... King Spencer.

Spencer: And what if what plagued father, plagues us? What if... it already has?

Margaret: What do you mean, son?

Spencer holding back tears: I mean, Elizabeth and I are having the same struggles you and dad had with... producing an heir.

Margaret surprised: R-Really?

Spencer: Yes. Elizabeth was pregnant, but- but...

Elizabeth: It’s alright, dear. Maybe your mother is right. We shouldn’t discuss this now. Would you like some more tea?

Margaret: Yes, Elizabeth is right. Diana, why don’t you head upstairs and finish packing? We have an early start to get you back to school in the morning. Spencer, Elizabeth, would you care for more tea?

Diana’s Voice Echos: Yes, Mother.

Butler: Your Majesty? Your Majesty?

Diana startled: Yes?

Butler: The Grand Duchess of Umbrage is here. 

Diana: Great. Thank you, Lionel. Please send her in.

#simdonia #chap 10 #sims of color #sims 4 story #sims 4 gameplay #ts4 #royal sims #royal simblr #bria vs diana #in the thunderdome #get your tickets lol #tw infertility #tw pregnancy loss #tw death #sim: diana #sim: spencer #sim: elizabeth #sim: queen margaret #sim: king parker

[selenophilesims]

Wedding video of the butterfly legacy😍

#the butterfly legacy #gen 1 #sims 4 #ts4 #the sims 4 #simblr #ts4 simblr #the sims community #sims 4 screenshots #sims 4 gameplay #sims community #ts4 gameplay #ts4 video #ts4 legacy #ts4 challenge #ts4 edit #ts4 story #star vs the forces of evil #Youtube

[tvrningout]

the way deadman holds bb like a baby despite being in a pod 😭 and the lil heart bubbles bb blows at you 😭 the music and scenery and story 😭 i just love d.eath s.tranding y’all 😭

#also merry christmas eve hehe 💜 or christmas depending on your time zone!! #i’m relaxing before i gotta get into baking and whatnot and i gotta say that this game might be a favorite of mine #and it’s not so much about the gameplay vs all the other factors #the heart of the game is what gets me i guess — gameplay is fun too! but the story and care #put into the details really makes this game imo #anyway!! pls stay safe and warm! i might be around properly at one point but no promises! #get ready to ramble | ooc

[stinkrascal]

some sim styles just dont look good with gameplay animations and my sim style is one of them

#this is why i love posing over gameplay. whenever my sims use gameplay animations they just look scary #see the pictures of klaus using gameplay animations vs klaus when i have him posed like a little barbie doll. the difference is horrifying #also i just like telling stories more its more fun. IF ONLY I COULD TELL STORIES #WITHOUT MY STORY POSTS BEING FLAGGED........ TUMBLR..................... #one day tumblr will reply to my email and all will be well in the stinkrascal ecosystem i just know it. i just KNOW it