what games are.

[bandicootbuddy]

i read pages on the internet that always hail games as " the greatest game ever made".
what makes a game great? quite simply, i dont
believe graphics, sound or design whether a game is great or not. i believe the deciding factor is gameplay.in my opinoin, spyro 3 and crash racing are the best games for the playstation 1. these games can be played for hours and hours. trying to collect all of the 150 eggs in spyro 3 or the multiplayer modes in crash racing is really fun. there is no end, only room to get better.

i am your master. i am fearless and powerful.
i will never leave you.

[Mr. Goku]

yeah, those are some fun games.

sorry, i saw an opening that seemed to scream out attack.

[smb allstars master]

yep, gameplay and storyline.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sors salutis
et virtutis
michi nunc contraria,
est affectus
et defectus
semper in angaria.
Hac in hora
sine mora
corde pulsum tangite;
quod per sortem
sternit fortem,
mecum omnes plangite!

I can get you the MARIO AND ZELDA CARTOONS!!!go to my "get the mario and zelda cartoons FREE!!!!" topic and request what episodes you want!!!

you really dont know, do you??

[Black Mage]

Gameplay is definitly a factor, but I feel the most important is Storyline.

If a game lacks a good story, what incentive is there to play it? Well, maybe I should back up a little.

I think it depends on what kind of game it is. Generally, I talk about RPGs, for they are mainly what I play, but, I guess in a game like Mario Party or Mario Golf, the story really doesn't matter all that much. Just to clarify, the remainder of my post will be concerning RPGs, unless noted elsewhere.

 Now, what is an RPG without a storyline? Not much. Sure, it can still be fun to play, with the many different styles of RPGs. However, many people, including myself like to get something out of a game instead of enjoyment alone. I like games that make me think about the storyline, or at least allow me to get something out of it. Games like Xenogears or Lunar (SSSC or EBC). Tales of Phantasia is another game that has an excelent story, although maybe not so much for kids, and I don't recommend Xenogears to many of you people here at the forums, excluding the few of you. It is a very good plot, although confusing at times, I think if you enjoy reading a good book (and I don't mean Harry Potter) you should enjoy it.

 But, I'm getting off topic. So, yes, I feel gameplay, music, graphics, all play a role, but still take a back seat to Storyline.

 I am Nobody
 Nobody is Perfect
 I am Perfect

Edited by - Black Mage on 6/6/2002 7:47:03 PM

[smb allstars master]

uuuuggghhh...I hate Harry Potter....yeah, THE most inportant factor is storyline, but I prefer the older games, like ff7 or SMRPG (not much of a storyline, but its still a decent game)....as for gameplay, i've got my good ol' Silent Service for my NES

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sors salutis
et virtutis
michi nunc contraria,
est affectus
et defectus
semper in angaria.
Hac in hora
sine mora
corde pulsum tangite;
quod per sortem
sternit fortem,
mecum omnes plangite!

I can get you the MARIO AND ZELDA CARTOONS!!!go to my "get the mario and zelda cartoons FREE!!!!" topic and request what episodes you want!!!

you really dont know, do you??

[Fifth]

I dunno...
Graphics and technology, of course, play a minute part in a game's greatness; about 90% of the titles on my "favorite games" list are 8- or 16-bit era.  But I've always favored gameplay over storyline.
Sure, a game seems pointless if you don't have any incentive behind finishing it, but I just don't think story weighs as hevily.
Take the Lunar series that you had mentioned, Black Mage:  Silver Star Story Complete and Eternal Blue (Complete?  I don't know what this C stands for,) both playstation remakes, correct?  I know that the story goes more in-depth, and you get a better feel for things (such as Ghaleon's intentions, etc.,) but I still prefer the original Sega CD versions for one main reason:  the random battles.
Sure, some games work well with battles where you can see the enemies, such as Paper Mario or Grandia II, which both add a "first strike" element, and Chrono Trigger wouldn't have been the same any other way, but it simply did nothing for the Lunar games.  Being able to see your opponents before the battle, avoid them if neccessary, and clear out an entire room of threat simply removed that element of fear, that "can I make it to the doorway?  Please no battles, PLEASE NO---  ....  can I run?  RUNRUNRUN!!" feel.  The areas are supposed to feel forboding, keeping the player alert for that chance of the unkown springing out.  Never will someone who's only played the playstation versions know the true ordeal of the Meribia sewers, or the trecherous climb up the Grindery.  This is gameplay over story.

Sorry if I dwelled too deeply on Lunar, but I grew up with a Sega CD, and I love those games.

Go Moon!

[Black Mage]

 Granted, I also prefere the random battles. However, look at it this way, without storyline what was there in the Lunar series? You would have a group of people running around fighting random (or not so random) battles for no reason, just running through with no incentive at all. However, it has been shown that the gameplay can be changed and leave the game in decent shape. As was done with the Lunar"C". Did the changes make the games bad? It added a, however un-needed, strategy to the game. I still feel that storyline is the most important, but that is only my opinion.

 On a side not, the "C" in "Lunar2:EBC" is for Complete, for I had not figured that many people here, if any, had played the origional. You have shown me otherwise.

[MadMario]

I liked FFX, but the battle system would have been better if you could use Trigger Commands from time to time in the random battles instead of just Boss Fights.

FF7 has one of the coolest battle systems: the Materia system. Not only does it have to do with battles, but THE ENTIRE GAME relys on Materia, such as Huge Materia, Yuffie stealing your Materia at Wutai, the Fort Condor battles, the Mako energy becoming Materia, Areis's orgin, the Black and White Materias (which are the most important), and...oh, crap! I said too much and spoiled the story for everyone here.

By the way, when you say "good book", do you mean Lord of the Rings?

Hey, does anyone know if Star Ocean: Until the End of Time has come out yet?

Mario, Mario, Mario! What happened to Mr. Andretti?

Edited by - MadMario on 7/12/2002 5:54:46 PM

[Black Mage]

 Hmmm, I wouldn't say FF7's plot relies on Materia, but it is incorperated, which I think is what you were trying to get across. Other games that have the magic system included with the plot would be Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger, although CT's system isn't as much involved. Both are very good games and in my opinion two of the best RPGs ever.

 And I guess LotR would qualify under "good book." However, you if you do decided to give Xenogears a spin, make sure you pay attention to the smallest of details, for it gets mighty confusing if you don't at the end.

[smb allstars master]

uhhhh.....Black Mage, I think you meant "all three are three of the best RPGs ever". atleast I hope you did, cuz then it would make me look like the ass I am. I dont know why im still rambling because this is com[pletely pointless, and im tired and lazy, so im not gonna continue this any longer. oh yeah, the point (if you HAVE to find one in my rambling) is I like FF7. Alot. everything else sucked. except for maybe 5 (I dont know about 4, I never played it) and 8. but 7 is better. everything after 8 was just plain un-squareish. they sucked.and im tired. why am  I still talking? oh yeah, FF9 IS THE WORST GAME EVER FRIGGIN MADE, and I havent played it, but im positive FFX SUCKS. Anyway im done.......after this last point: somebody actually agrees with me, the older RPGs are ALOT better than the now suckass new ones. There. I'm done. I doubt anyone's even still reading this. you guys probably quit as soon as I said something like pointless. My neck hurts. Is anybody actually reading this? STOP NOW!!!

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I'm sure you would have just ended up spending it ****WARNING THIS HAS BEEN EDITED OUT, BY SMB ALLSTARS MASTER, SO HE DOESNT KNOW WHY HE EVEN BOTHERED WITH IT****anyway.

and has anyone noticed how my name is horribly.....wrong? smb allstars master? what the hell is smb allstars? its sm allstars. so smas master would have been better. or better yet, SMASter. anywayz, I actually am done rambling now. dont even bother answering this. I just got REALLY REALLY bored. whoops, I'm rambling again. ok.....im done........................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... .............now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sors salutis
et virtutis
michi nunc contraria,
est affectus
et defectus
semper in angaria.
Hac in hora
sine mora
corde pulsum tangite;
quod per sortem
sternit fortem,
mecum omnes plangite!



you really dont know, do you??

[Yoshi_101]

OOOOOOOOO KKKKKKKKKK!


c
o
o
l
!

t
h
i
s

i
s

n
e
a
t
!

 

[Black Mage]

 Hmmm. Well, I do agree with you to some extent. I'm not too sure if I'd consider Final Fantasy 7 one of the best RPGs ever.
It was very good, the story and everything. Hmmm... yeah, I guess I would, but the only thing that makes me hesitate is that so many people like it. All I ever hear about it, rather all I ever heard about it was "Wow! Those Graphics Are AMAZING!" "Sephiroth is AWESOME!" That seems to be the majority's opinion, many of which haven't even played any of the older ones. But, I digress.

 One point of conflict between your ideas and mine is that I do not believe all of the other FF games "suck." Well, you excluded FF5. Final Fantasy 1 was a very good game. Although it lacks in story, it is there it's just not spoon fed to you like the new games, it is quite fun. FF2, I can't say I liked it. Although it was never brought over from Japan, it lacked the fun factor FF1 had. FF2 had character development and plot, surprising for a NES game, but it was just no fun to play. FF3 seemed like taking a step backwards in the Story and Character Development area, but it was very fun and made a base for the future FF5 and FF Tactics job systems. FF4, is one of my all time favorites. Very good character development, Very good plot, and it's loads of fun to play. FF6 is also very good. The whole Opera setting was very cool, I thought. There is plenty of character development, and there are a lot of characters to develop. The story was very good as well.
FF7, it was good, I've already mentioned my veiw beforehand.
Final Fantasy Tactics did not follow the traditional FF style. FFT is a strategy/RPG and one of my favorite games of all time. It's job system is amazing, and the plot blew me away.
FF8, it was alright for a game, but it didn't live up to my expectations of an FF game. Junctioning wasn't much fun. Innovative, I'll give it that. But you could max out your characters at low levels, personally I was maxed out at level 23. Those world Map Draw points made it simple. And Encounter-none made the last level quite simple as well. The story was alright, but I was getting sick of the main character who doesn't care about anything.
FF9, once you got past all of the references to the older FFs, and all the nostalgia, and there was plenty, it wasn't much. The plots been done, characters were nothing special.
FFX, not my cup of tea. Basically, my opinion is the same as FF8, only replace Junctioning with Sphere Grid, and Negative Main character with Sissy, whinny character.

 But, these are only my opinions.

[smb allstars master]

well, I really havent played the earlier FF's so I guess I cant really say they sucked. as for ff7, great graphics? you must have been told that when it first came oiut ;)as for Seph being AWESOME, who wouldnt like an insane baddy who kills an annoying, sucky character? and the new games suck. Even Guardians Crusade is better than FF9. I cant believe I bought that ****.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sors salutis
et virtutis
michi nunc contraria,
est affectus
et defectus
semper in angaria.
Hac in hora
sine mora
corde pulsum tangite;
quod per sortem
sternit fortem,
mecum omnes plangite!



you really dont know, do you??