I'm sick of games with lack of intro story...

I feel games lately don't even try to tell an intro story and think the player has already read previews and knows what's going on.

For example (SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T STARTED RAGE):

1- I came back from my friend's house who just purchased RAGE. You look at the intro video and you can sort of detect what's happening but I still needed to confirm this by going to Google.

2- You then leave the pod, start off and the first mission the guy gives you is to go and kill bandits, and you ACCEPT? WTF? So I've been asleep for 106 years, wake up...don't know what's going on but I will gladly grab this gun and go kill people.

Do devs even take these things into consideration?

(not the first game to do this either)

...don't know what's going on but I will gladly grab this gun and go kill people.FelipeInside

It is becoming quite frequent now. lack of intro results in a slow start which ultimately results in turning many impatient gamers off(i'm not one of them!).

It is becoming quite frequent now. lack of intro results in a slow start which ultimately results in turning many impatient gamers off(i'm not one of them!).

true_gamer007

Sadly this is like an epidemic taking over. Its like dev's think people don't care about stories anymore or don't have an attention span long enough to care about it. They seem to be more concerned about jamming as much pretty and complicated stuff on screen at once and neglect good story telling, or gameplay in some cases.

Remember when you entered Rapture for the first time and all it was, was introducing the game and location. We want games like these. Ones that fully immerse you in its world right from the get go. Not fill in the blanks or join the dots. Its possible to have mystery and immersion at the same time

Im sick of games with too much focus on their crappy stories.

Im sick of games with too much focus on their crappy stories.

TerrorRizzing

So you basically just want a game that you just start with no motivation or story driven mechanics at all. Just start and kill everything? Games need their stories. Nowadays more than ever. They are getting too caught up in their visuals

[QUOTE="TerrorRizzing"]

Im sick of games with too much focus on their crappy stories.

seanmcloughlin

So you basically just want a game that you just start with no motivation or story driven mechanics at all. Just start and kill everything? Games need their stories. Nowadays more than ever. They are getting too caught up in their visuals

The most popular FPS games had no stories. Quake and Counter Strike. They had GOOD GAMEPLAY which is actually what dev's mess up. They don't neglect it, I guess, they just seem unable to create gameplay that doesn't suck.

Im sick of games with too much focus on their crappy stories.

TerrorRizzing

About Rage...I agree the pacing definitely is a fault of the game...with that said one of the first things that happens is a bandit tries to kill you though. So it's not like you just decide to support one faction over the other for no reason. When one side tries to kill you (and the other saves you) it kind of makes that choice easy lol.

Dragon Age 2 definitely comes to mind. The game starts off with you and your family running away from those Darkspawn things and it sounds like something major happened beforehand. They really could've done a prologue segment which gives you a bit of background on what actually happened (maybe even give you some backstory about your character and his\her family).koospetoors

Sadly this is like an epidemic taking over. Its like dev's think people don't care about stories anymore or don't have an attention span long enough to care about it. They seem to be more concerned about jamming as much pretty and complicated stuff on screen at once and neglect good story telling, or gameplay in some cases.

Remember when you entered Rapture for the first time and all it was, was introducing the game and location. We want games like these. Ones that fully immerse you in its world right from the get go. Not fill in the blanks or join the dots. Its possible to have mystery and immersion at the same time

seanmcloughlin

you would be surprised to see how many people just want to go and shoot things. Complicated / in depth stories put some people off and ive seen it first hand.

[QUOTE="koospetoors"]Dragon Age 2 definitely comes to mind. The game starts off with you and your family running away from those Darkspawn things and it sounds like something major happened beforehand. They really could've done a prologue segment which gives you a bit of background on what actually happened (maybe even give you some backstory about your character and his\her family).skrat_01

Does every piece of entertainment, especially a sequel, really need origin stories and long-winded introductions?

I thought DA2 did a fine job setting up the premise of the game and the frame story. Even a newcomer to the franchise understands that Hawke's village is raided and his family is running away. I don't see how stealing Fable's introduction would have made it a better game.

Back in my day, I was handed a pistol and was thrown into some sort of mars station fighting hordes of enemies. Good enough.

[QUOTE="skrat_01"][QUOTE="koospetoors"]Dragon Age 2 definitely comes to mind. The game starts off with you and your family running away from those Darkspawn things and it sounds like something major happened beforehand. They really could've done a prologue segment which gives you a bit of background on what actually happened (maybe even give you some backstory about your character and his\her family).Baranga

Does every piece of entertainment, especially a sequel, really need origin stories and long-winded introductions?

I thought DA2 did a fine job setting up the premise of the game and the frame story. Even a newcomer to the franchise understands that Hawke's village is raided and his family is running away. I don't see how stealing Fable's introduction would have made it a better game.

[QUOTE="TerrorRizzing"]

Im sick of games with too much focus on their crappy stories.

seanmcloughlin

So you basically just want a game that you just start with no motivation or story driven mechanics at all. Just start and kill everything? Games need their stories. Nowadays more than ever. They are getting too caught up in their visuals

Back in my day, I was handed a pistol and was thrown into some sort of mars station fighting hordes of enemies. Good enough.

Wasdie

[QUOTE="seanmcloughlin"]

Sadly this is like an epidemic taking over. Its like dev's think people don't care about stories anymore or don't have an attention span long enough to care about it. They seem to be more concerned about jamming as much pretty and complicated stuff on screen at once and neglect good story telling, or gameplay in some cases.

Remember when you entered Rapture for the first time and all it was, was introducing the game and location. We want games like these. Ones that fully immerse you in its world right from the get go. Not fill in the blanks or join the dots. Its possible to have mystery and immersion at the same time

Gen007

you would be surprised to see how many people just want to go and shoot things. Complicated / in depth stories put some people off and ive seen it first hand.

Felipe, I completely agree. I hate being thrown into a scenario with no backstory. Unless it's one of those stories that pieces things together towards the end (actually my favorite), but I've noticed that games nowadays keep story in the backseat.

I think the best scenario is to enable gamers to skip the cutscenes and story even during first playthrough so for players who don't care about story can just skip while those who want to know the story can take it all in. Making a crappy story or no story by default is a poor choice IMO.

When I saw your thread title Felipe, I thought to myself - wait til he gets a hold of Rage!

I was thinking the same thing in the beginning. Wake up after 100 years of sleep. Get gun. Kill people. Makes sense.

After that beginning, I knew I was in for an astounding level of story telling I had never seen before.

"Wake up after 100 years of sleep. Get gun. Kill people. Makes sense."

More like wake up after 100 years of sleep, bandit tries to kill you, get saved by rebels, get gun, kill mutants to make those who saved you safer. Then of course the story expands further after that.

Rage is not epic story telling...I agree...but it's setup is certainly better than just "get gun kill people".

This is the developer that made the Quake games. Awesome games, like no story.

I don't need much of an intro story if the thing is well done. Look at Portal 2... you're dropped into the game and just start playing, but the minimal amount of dialogue and interactive storytelling does its job. What I really dislike is when the story/background is reliant on you reading insipid "notes" and books and such lying about. Really, it's not about how much or how little explicit storytelling is done, but how competently it is told.

the first mission the guy gives you is to go and kill bandits, and you ACCEPT? WTF? So I've been asleep for 106 years, wake up...don't know what's going on but I will gladly grab this gun and go kill people.

FelipeInside

I don't think it's that far fetched. He explains that he risked the safety of his village for the first time to save your life so to return the favor he asks if you can go kill the bandits as they will attack his town if they aren't taken care of. Makes sense to me

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"]

the first mission the guy gives you is to go and kill bandits, and you ACCEPT? WTF? So I've been asleep for 106 years, wake up...don't know what's going on but I will gladly grab this gun and go kill people.

Evz0rz

I don't think it's that far fetched. He explains that he risked the safety of his village for the first time to save your life so to return the favor he asks if you can go kill the bandits as they will attack his town if they aren't taken care of. Makes sense to me

[QUOTE="Treflis"]Look at it like this, you wake up, wonder outside and are attacked, A guy saves you and brings you to his town, then request that you do him the favor of getting rid of bandits as replaying him for saving your life aswell as information about where you are and what's going on. I'd say it's a crap deal but one most would atleast consider to do. But I will agree that sitting in a corner, rocking back and foth while repeating " It's all a dream" is more logical, though as a gameplay element...not so much.FelipeInside

You were nearly killed and a guy saved you...he mentions how dangerous the area is an if you want to live come with him. What exactly would YOU ask in that situation? Personally after being nearly killed in an unknown hostile land and the guy who just saved my life said "hey c'mon get in!" I would jump in the car in a hot minute. So would you...I don't think anyone would stand around and play 50 questions lol.

Then once you were back in his town, the guy tells you he risked his life (and the lives of the people in town) by saving you and they will in all certaintaty retaliate. He tells you the only way is to strike them first and asks you to do it since he saved your life. Remember...he is asking you to kill the people who TRIED TO KILL YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE too...so it's not like you are off killing people without causation.

It's nowhere as bad as people are making it out to be.

...skrat_01

Well then I guess I'm easily immersed, because I instantly bought into the fiction and really, really liked the presentation and storytelling of DA2. Especially compared to the massive turd that was DAO in this department.

Felipe, you should play DNF. After the tutorial, that game takes like a whole hour until you get to the action. Meanwhile there's a whole lot of, uh, story and character building going on. And it's really not that great, just odd.

Yes, in a Mad Max world I'd sure as hell grab a gun and start shooting people in the face. The hell am I supposed to do? End up on Lord Humungus' front bumper?

Yes, in a Mad Max world I'd sure as hell grab a gun and start shooting people in the face. The hell am I supposed to do? End up on Lord Humungus' front bumper?

Baranga

Well then I guess I'm easily immersed, because I instantly bought into the fiction and really, really liked the presentation and storytelling of DA2.

Baranga

It's a pretty great example of terrible writing in a game.

DA:O was massively hit and or miss, it's narrative was plodding but for most of the part it was very, very focused on grounding you in the games fiction and providing reason forbeing a Grey Warden (for most of the part depending on class and race). Certain introductions were roughly as stupid as DA2's introduction (The mage's for instance(though DA2's is a really special kind of bad in other respects, tone for instance)) some were damn good.

Probably a better RPG example of world building, grounding, telling us about the protagonist and then kicking off into the action is The Witcher 2, however even that has its problems. Nails the world building though, and it fitting with the protagonists character pretty damn well.

A game that was as bad as DA2, or rather a different brand of bad?

Fallout New Vegas. Wow that was a doozy, as wonderfully complex the game was.

Poor introductions are surprisingly common in RPGs, I suppose that has to do with designers and writers focusing on the meat of the game, and climax, then trying to link things back up during production.

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"][QUOTE="Treflis"]Look at it like this, you wake up, wonder outside and are attacked, A guy saves you and brings you to his town, then request that you do him the favor of getting rid of bandits as replaying him for saving your life aswell as information about where you are and what's going on. I'd say it's a crap deal but one most would atleast consider to do. But I will agree that sitting in a corner, rocking back and foth while repeating " It's all a dream" is more logical, though as a gameplay element...not so much.Renevent42

You were nearly killed and a guy saved you...he mentions how dangerous the area is an if you want to live come with him. What exactly would YOU ask in that situation? Personally after being nearly killed in an unknown hostile land and the guy who just saved my life said "hey c'mon get in!" I would jump in the car in a hot minute. So would you...I don't think anyone would stand around and play 50 questions lol.

Then once you were back in his town, the guy tells you he risked his life (and the lives of the people in town) by saving you and they will in all certaintaty retaliate. He tells you the only way is to strike them first and asks you to do it since he saved your life. Remember...he is asking you to kill the people who TRIED TO KILL YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE too...so it's not like you are off killing people without causation.

It's nowhere as bad as people are making it out to be.

Games are about gameplay. If I want a good story I'll read a book. I do actually read. Seriously.d-rtyboy

TECHNICAL ENQUIRY: My friend has an NVIDIA. Rage for him works perfectly, no lag and no graphics popping. What we did notice though is that some textures are really BLAND. For example some desks or walls they look BLURRED. Is this normal?

[QUOTE="Renevent42"]

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"] Yes, I understand u got attacked and all that, and this guy saved you. But as a very educated person, one who was CHOSEN to be selected for the Arc. You wake up 100years later, and don't even ask a single question? Just go out and kill and do things for some unknown guy? Really? I don't think any human would act like that....it's not realistic. As for being a shooter, yes....I'm not saying it has to have a complicated RPG-style story....but give it some correct pacing at least...FelipeInside

You were nearly killed and a guy saved you...he mentions how dangerous the area is an if you want to live come with him. What exactly would YOU ask in that situation? Personally after being nearly killed in an unknown hostile land and the guy who just saved my life said "hey c'mon get in!" I would jump in the car in a hot minute. So would you...I don't think anyone would stand around and play 50 questions lol.

Then once you were back in his town, the guy tells you he risked his life (and the lives of the people in town) by saving you and they will in all certaintaty retaliate. He tells you the only way is to strike them first and asks you to do it since he saved your life. Remember...he is asking you to kill the people who TRIED TO KILL YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE too...so it's not like you are off killing people without causation.

It's nowhere as bad as people are making it out to be.

Well...on the way to the town he does start explaining some of the questions you asked...and once you are there he goes into greater detail. Regarding just waking up and going rambo...it's explained (though not fully at that point) the people from the Arks are special people with special powers. That's actually a core theme through the entire game and *spoilers* is why the authority wants to capture you *end spoilers*.

About the bandits...yeah maybe they are just hungry...but honestly once someone tries to kill you does it really matter? And considering the other side saved you...what's there to really think about?

The person who brought up Mad Max is dead on...try to think of the game world through that filter. Have you seen Mad Max before? Maybe that's why the game world clicks for some people and not for others...that would actually explain a lot (if you haven't seen it) :P

Anyways I do agree the game suffers from pacing issues...I just think maybe folks aren't giving the story enough credit. When I say that I don't mean saying the story is brilliant or anything...just I see it boiled down to "get gun shoot people" when it's clearly done better than that.

crysis 2's intro and its failure to follow on from anything in crysis1 was underwelming to say the least. i spent the first few hours of crysis 2 bewildered :(

it was far cry2-esque in its lack of connection with the previous game

[QUOTE="Wasdie"]

Back in my day, I was handed a pistol and was thrown into some sort of mars station fighting hordes of enemies. Good enough.

TerrorRizzing

Agreed. It's the worst when a games story has been told 50 times before....Oh you have amnesia? You don't know how you got here/there and you forgot all your "moves" leading up to a tutorial. Now that you have learned your basic moves...again track down that/those bad guy(s) who wronged you in some way. :roll:....

I'm currently playing Dark Souls. Hardly any story at all (or maybe I was texting while the intro was playing :P) and I can't put it down.

[QUOTE="FelipeInside"][QUOTE="Renevent42"]

You were nearly killed and a guy saved you...he mentions how dangerous the area is an if you want to live come with him. What exactly would YOU ask in that situation? Personally after being nearly killed in an unknown hostile land and the guy who just saved my life said "hey c'mon get in!" I would jump in the car in a hot minute. So would you...I don't think anyone would stand around and play 50 questions lol.

Then once you were back in his town, the guy tells you he risked his life (and the lives of the people in town) by saving you and they will in all certaintaty retaliate. He tells you the only way is to strike them first and asks you to do it since he saved your life. Remember...he is asking you to kill the people who TRIED TO KILL YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE too...so it's not like you are off killing people without causation.

It's nowhere as bad as people are making it out to be.

Renevent42

Well...on the way to the town he does start explaining some of the questions you asked...and once you are there he goes into greater detail. Regarding just waking up and going rambo...it's explained (though not fully at that point) the people from the Arks are special people with special powers. That's actually a core theme through the entire game and *spoilers* is why the authority wants to capture you *end spoilers*.

About the bandits...yeah maybe they are just hungry...but honestly once someone tries to kill you does it really matter? And considering the other side saved you...what's there to really think about?

The person who brought up Mad Max is dead on...try to think of the game world through that filter. Have you seen Mad Max before? Maybe that's why the game world clicks for some people and not for others...that would actually explain a lot (if you haven't seen it) :P

Anyways I do agree the game suffers from pacing issues...I just think maybe folks aren't giving the story enough credit. When I say that I don't mean saying the story is brilliant or anything...just I see it boiled down to "get gun shoot people" when it's clearly done better than that.

I don't need much of an intro story if the thing is well done. Look at Portal 2... you're dropped into the game and just start playing, but the minimal amount of dialogue and interactive storytelling does its job. What I really dislike is when the story/background is reliant on you reading insipid "notes" and books and such lying about. Really, it's not about how much or how little explicit storytelling is done, but how competently it is told.

jedinat

Actually, I agree. Even though I like story, I usually don't read the notes and books lying around. While the Witcher is well received on this board, I found myself getting bored fairly quickly because it seems to be more of a chat simulator than a game. Granted, I still am in the first few hours in the game. There is a balance that must be reached IMO.

[QUOTE="jedinat"]

I don't need much of an intro story if the thing is well done. Look at Portal 2... you're dropped into the game and just start playing, but the minimal amount of dialogue and interactive storytelling does its job. What I really dislike is when the story/background is reliant on you reading insipid "notes" and books and such lying about. Really, it's not about how much or how little explicit storytelling is done, but how competently it is told.

Cwagmire21

Actually, I agree. Even though I like story, I usually don't read the notes and books lying around. While the Witcher is well received on this board, I found myself getting bored fairly quickly because it seems to be more of a chat simulator than a game. Granted, I still am in the first few hours in the game. There is a balance that must be reached IMO.

I know bashing Rage has become all the rage, but what other examples do you have? Most games I've played have excellent opening stories. JKnaperek

[QUOTE="d-rtyboy"]Games are about gameplay. If I want a good story I'll read a book. I do actually read. Seriously.FelipeInside

[QUOTE="Cwagmire21"]

[QUOTE="jedinat"]

I don't need much of an intro story if the thing is well done. Look at Portal 2... you're dropped into the game and just start playing, but the minimal amount of dialogue and interactive storytelling does its job. What I really dislike is when the story/background is reliant on you reading insipid "notes" and books and such lying about. Really, it's not about how much or how little explicit storytelling is done, but how competently it is told.

FelipeInside

Actually, I agree. Even though I like story, I usually don't read the notes and books lying around. While the Witcher is well received on this board, I found myself getting bored fairly quickly because it seems to be more of a chat simulator than a game. Granted, I still am in the first few hours in the game. There is a balance that must be reached IMO.

Here's a bit of ridiculousness: At the VERY beginning of the game where you're just kind of thrown into things and have little idea what's going on, I was TRYING to read the newspaper and documents which explain things a bit; yet "Megan" was relentlessly telling me to hurry up--that I'm taking too long.... That set a precedent for the whole game, lol.

crysis 2's intro and its failure to follow on from anything in crysis1 was underwelming to say the least. i spent the first few hours of crysis 2 bewildered :(

it was far cry2-esque in its lack of connection with the previous game

Macutchi

The submarine section... that was OK. It was a nice nod to the first game's opening. However the Prophet cutscene - WTF was that? And it only got worse. I had no clue what the hell was going on until the final third of the game lol.

It's funny how Crysis 2, which attempts to tell an epic story, is more disjointed and makes less sense than the original Quake.