More Complex Stories...

[triggrhappy94]

To put things shortly, I'm writing a persuasive essay and I'm using my fellow Escapists as a think tank.
So, what would you consider to be the benefits of a more complex story? Why should more stories be deep? Why should characters be better fleshed out?

 

[William MacKay]

if you have a fleshed out character, people can understand why they react in certain ways and why they do what they do. if you have a good, complex story, then people will be more immersed and more likely to play/read/watch the game/book/film based on the story, instead of for something to do.

 

[SonicKoala]

A "complex" story is only a good thing provided it's told in an intelligent and clever manner - if the writer manages to accomplish this, then it usually leads to a higher level of engagement and interest from the audience, since they'll constantly be evaluating what's going on.

As for "depth", that helps to make the story worthwhile. Telling a great story is one thing, but having a message or a theme(s) will have a much longer lasting impact on the audience - for one, it'll give them something to think about after they've finished reading/watching/playing through the story, as well as engaging them on an intellectual level while they're actually experiencing the story.

The character part of your question is quite simple, really - well-rounded characters are far more interesting, so once again you're generating interest in your story through these characters, as well as increasing the likelihood that your audience will relate to one of these particular characters. This, also, increases the level of engagement the audience has with the story.

 

[Joey Wonton]

Firstly, the concept of 'evil'.
Complex stories can help eradicate it from peoples judgements of characters.

If someone was able to predict how a person would think and react in a scenario in the story, based on previous encounters, then they would feel better connected to that character.

While if the character did something unlike their persona, it either leads the person to believe that the writer doesn't know their characters or are trying to go down a 'possessed by evil/something else' route.

Also, if you were to have someone react without specific type of guideline apart from being a simple personality that is based around most (western mostly) human beings, then they're considered empty characters.

 

[NickCaligo42]

Stories shouldn't be more complex, they should be more focused and bother to get the most out of the most interesting concepts they develop. They should strive to be less wasteful is what I think. As stupid and simple as a game like Ninja Gaiden is, for instance, I'll take it over the overblown, under-delivered monstrosity that is Dragon Age 2 any day of the bloody week.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy a well-executed complex narrative as much as anyone. A well-done anthology like Final Fantasy 7 or Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic can get you deep into a setting and give you a chance to explore the central ideas of a story from many different perspectives, making for a truly three-dimensional and memorable experience. Even those are focused, though, and it's so easy for their imitators to lose sight of that, often unable to make up their minds as to what they're about long enough to deliver a coherent thought, much less a compelling story arc.

 

[OManoghue]

It's always better to have a deeper story and better characters in a game for the play to get more invested. It's good to have things to talk about after that maybe non-gamers can grasp due to their lack of understanding of kill streaks or whatever other game jargen we spit out. Book worms, cinema snobs and we gamers can appreciate great stories and characters.

 

[kuyo]

complexity born out of necessity is good, but a simple story made superficially complex is not. It's best to write whatever seems like a good idea and then edit out the ones that don't serve the main concept. The rest depends on the goal of the author, for something persuasive or informational, a simple yet entertaining piece is preferable. In basic fantasy, the characters and author should try to think of the simplest path through a complex scenario.

 

[T.D.]

Let's see.

What do you mean by complex? Do you mean depth, e.g. 3D characters, plot etc.
Or do you mean stories that have a lot happening in them. e.g. Lost, A Series of Unfortunate Events

If the former, the story is more believable and the reader is more likely to empathize with the story/characters. These are also the kind of books people get lost in.
Other positives include, really good twists, the possiblility of expanding on that world later (Harry Potter, Star Wars).

If the latter, well that kind of book appeals to a certain type of audience generally. That's really all there is to say on the positive's of those.