From my perspective, there are two ways of telling a story. The first way is through the plot itself. The main driving point of the narrative are the events that unfold through it, and how they all effect the final outcome.
The second way is through character development. The story might not be as clear as a plot driven tale, but it is made up for through the characterization of the people affected by the plot.
I will use the Mass Effect games as examples.
For a plot driven story, Mass Effect 1 is an excellent example. Much of the story is told through sweeping cinematic moments, with each revelation building towards the grand finale. The events that unfold throughout the game are well told, intriguing, and can carry the story on its own.
Interestingly, Mass Effect 2 was a far more character driven story than the first. While characterization played a strong role in the first game, in the sequel, these relationships were pushed to the forefront. The majority of the game isn't spent uncovering massive conspiracies or putting down tyrants, but building your team, learning what makes them tick, and earning their loyalty. As it is, the narrative of Mass Effect 2 is a lot more straightforward than the first, but the amount of effort that went into the characters and their roles again balances things out.
As you can guess, both forms of storytelling have their own advantages and disadvantages. Plot driven stories can often sacrifice characterization to tell the larger sum of events, whilst character driven stories can do the opposite.
Finding a proper balance between the two can happen, but I haven't found many that do.
So, since these threads often demand I pose a question: Describe a story you know that is either plot driven or character driven.
The second way is through character development. The story might not be as clear as a plot driven tale, but it is made up for through the characterization of the people affected by the plot.
I will use the Mass Effect games as examples.
For a plot driven story, Mass Effect 1 is an excellent example. Much of the story is told through sweeping cinematic moments, with each revelation building towards the grand finale. The events that unfold throughout the game are well told, intriguing, and can carry the story on its own.
Interestingly, Mass Effect 2 was a far more character driven story than the first. While characterization played a strong role in the first game, in the sequel, these relationships were pushed to the forefront. The majority of the game isn't spent uncovering massive conspiracies or putting down tyrants, but building your team, learning what makes them tick, and earning their loyalty. As it is, the narrative of Mass Effect 2 is a lot more straightforward than the first, but the amount of effort that went into the characters and their roles again balances things out.
As you can guess, both forms of storytelling have their own advantages and disadvantages. Plot driven stories can often sacrifice characterization to tell the larger sum of events, whilst character driven stories can do the opposite.
Finding a proper balance between the two can happen, but I haven't found many that do.
So, since these threads often demand I pose a question: Describe a story you know that is either plot driven or character driven.
