Narrative is not a game mechanic

[auriond]

Some of us may already know this, either consciously or not, but I felt it was an interesting point to note and very relevant to adventure games.

www.raphkoster.com/2012/01/20/narrative-is-not-a-game-mechanic/

[Armageddon]

I respectfully disagree.

EDIT: Also I think this belongs in General Discussion.

[auriond]

I apologise if this is in the wrong forum. M0ds (or mods), please feel free to move it if so.

I'm halfway through the Penny Arcade link. I can see where their argument is going, but it seems to me to apply mostly to games with a simple narrative (e.g. my towns are being attacked, I must defend them). It sure works for games like Angry Birds (although even that had a bit of backstory), or Fruit Ninja.

However, in the link I posted, the author was pointing out that one way to see narrative is as feedback for the player. This works for complex storylines. I admit that I often play games just to work towards the next cutscene, even though I know this technically is horribly linear game design and that I'm more of watching an interactive movie than playing a game. This is a fault of many complex-story games, actually. MGS4 and FFXIII, anyone?

I think the point the author in the original link was trying to make is that there should be a balance between game mechanic and feedback (rewards) in the form of narrative. This is why I felt it was particularly relevant to adventure games.

Ok, enough stream of conciousness rambling and back to finishing the video.

edit: Finished it. My only response is that the way they're treating Missile Command is quite the way I see The Sims. How invested the player is in such a game's narrative really depends on the individual player. Some may read into the game the way they are in the video. Some might just see it as a strategy ("you just let all five cities die and concentrate on the 6th, that's the way to survive the longest"). Similarly, some may be invested in the stories their Sims are playing out, some just want to see how many different ways they can kill their Sim. Does this apply to all types of games, specifically story-driven adventure games? I personally don't think so.

[Armageddon]

You play games to get from cut-scene to cut-scene? I play games that have cut-scenes mixed in with the game, i.e. Half-Life, Mirror's Edge, Call Of Duty (yes), and of course, pretty much any adventure game ever made. Without a narrative I doubt people would play adventure games, adventure games would just be considered puzzle games without narrative.

[Victor6]

Without a narrative I doubt people would play adventure games, adventure games would just be considered puzzle games without narrative.

But people do play puzzle games. An adventure game without puzzles (or another gaming mechanic) would just be a very long cut-scene. Narrative is just the fluff that pads out the sharp edges and makes the actual game mechanics more appealing.

[Ali]

I think he's probably right in the case of the examples he mentions, and I found the diagrams nerdily interesting.

But it is certainly wrong in terms of the best adventure games, because a big part of adventure gameplay is gaining an understanding of the narrative so we can look into the future and decide what to do next.

[Igor Hardy]

Without a narrative I doubt people would play adventure games, adventure games would just be considered puzzle games without narrative.

Adventure game without a narrative does not make a puzzle game. There is lots of Flash adventure games like that.

Puzzle games and adventure games have different types of gameplay, even if on occasion adventure games do include certain amounts of puzzle-game-like puzzles.

[Chicky]

This is a fault of many complex-story games, actually. MGS4 and FFXIII, anyone?

Nope, nothing wrong with MGS4. Possibly the greatest action game to date, no video game that features shooting elements has come anywhere near close to it. The cutscenes really are the best of it's genre.

FFXIII on the other hand...

[blueskirt]

Nice links but I can't see how they disagree with each others.

[auriond]

You play games to get from cut-scene to cut-scene?

I do indeed. Or at least to get to the next story development.

MGS4 was an epic game experience, but it was 3+ hours of cutscenes and exposition. I mentioned it because I remember groaning more than once when a character launched into yet another long explanation.

[Armageddon]

So, I'd like to point to Indigo Prophecy. *points* This game wouldn't even be playable without a narrative, it is not an adventure game, the buttons it asks you to press are pressed because of what's happening in the narrative. The game itself is walking around, and then doing quick time sequences, there is absolutely nothing fun bout it, at all. But the narrative has an effect on the game mechanic which makes it fun to play, the same could be said for Heavy Rain, which was also made by Quantic Dream. I wouldn't entirely dismiss narrative as a game mechanic, it can be used, and it has been used to make some spectacular games. You just have to ask, does the narrative have an effect on the game mechanics? 8)

It seems to me that most people think that 'action' games will always be cheesy fighting followed by a cut-scene, games have so much more potential than what is being done with them now.

[ddq]

I love Metal Gear Solid because it is stupid and goddammit was MGS4 ever stupid.

[Igor Hardy]

games have so much more potential than what is being done with them now.

I agree and it's actually a wonderful opportunity for us indies to do things that will blow everyone's socks off.  8)

Well, "everyone's" who will actually grace our cheap production values with their attention.