Question of the Day, July 30, 2010

[The Escapist Staff]

Question of the Day, July 30, 2010



Our new web video series, Extra Credit [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/1887-Video-Games-Bad-Writing] discusses bad videogame writing. What do you hate most about bad videogame writing?

Permalink

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Confusing instructions.

If the game doesn't make it clear where you're going...you'll waste a lot of time wandering. That has a VERY direct impact on the gameplay...

 

[uppitycracker]

Unnecessary information, most certainly. There are far too many times where the dialogue just needs to stop. Then again, I've always cared far more about gameplay than storyline, so I think a lot of it has to do with that.

 

[Kapol]

For me, it's games like FF13, where your expected to read so much outside of gameplay for it to make any sense. Oblivion did this too, and I never even bothered getting past the mission where you had to read the books and figure out where the place was. Mass Effect was slightly better in that you don't NEED that information, and you can learn most things from conversations anyways.

 

[0p3rati0n]

Edited due to poor reading skills in apology to spreading that failure here is a cookie for you all.


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_53oMB4-fxXM/SVZZdJntnPI/AAAAAAAAAAM/vXEtrdBFtqI/s1600-R/cookie.gif

 

[Proteus214]

Awful dialog is the one thing that really catapults me out of the experience. Be it what is written or how it is delivered.

 

[Veret]

I wanted to say poor characterization, because that's what actually bugs me the most. But those of us who were paying attention during that EC video will know that characterization is part of the narrative, not the writing. So...dialog, then.

 

[Jared]

Plotholes in stories really do make me quite upset with the quality...and, its compounded when they use some Deus Ex Machina, or Retcon to try and cover it up...

 

[Fallen-Angel Risen-Demon]

Bad characterization destroys the immersion for me. I can accept a plot hole but what truly makes a game immersive is it's characters, if they are not believable neither is the plot.

 

[craddoke]

I went with poor characterization - since really this could encompass dialogue (breaking character in tone) and plot holes (why the hell did he/I just do that? Just because it looks cool or moves the game to the next section?). If writing really means narrative (as that new series asserts convincingly), then narrative really means character development.

 

[HK_01]

The first three mainly. I can't decide which is the worst.

 

[Cherry Cola]

Wait... what?

I get that you want to ask what we hate most about bad story writing, but... that's a pretty awkward segway.

Yeah, they discussed bad videogame writing, but the ultimate point of the episode was that we shouldn't blame writing, but blame the fact that developers put writing before narrative. Bad writing wasn't discussed as much as it was mentioned.

Oh well, I'm probably just nitpicking.

As for the question itself, what I hate most is poor characterization. Especially when I'm meant to feel for them.

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

Videogames should have the "I have played the prequel/I am new to this series option" One thing I've always hated about books (that decided to cross over into videogames), is when they all repeat the same information over and over and over.

like in god of war. "I killed my wife and kids thing" was made sure to remind us in the narrative, as well as other facts. Each game made sure you were 100% recapped, but for those that remembered the games, we all knew what happened, and it was just time absorbing.

 

[ninja555]

All of the above but the one I really hate would definetly by confusing instructions.

 

[Deviltongue]

Plot holes are often inevitable, but awful dialogue can be avoided...

 

[ultimateownage]

I demand an all of the above option! Because I hate them all equally! Also, demanding extra options in polls is sort of my thing now.

 

[Rarhnor]

My opinion:

Bad characterization destroys the immersion for me. I can accept a plot hole but what truly makes a game immersive is it's characters, if they are not believable neither is the plot.

Probably, why I didn't like Half Life.