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Old 03-29-2005, 06:15 AM   #16
Wormsie
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plattyaj
b) The title of this thread is really wrong! What it really should say is "Today I understood that story matters". Because what we're really saying is that what many amateur adventures lack is true story. If you start from the story you can add the puzzles in so they fit. If you start from the puzzles you end up with, well, the puzzles.
Hmm. I admit that my starting point was a bit off - as I stated myself: "I now realise that of course anything you do in the game is a part of the story, but maybe the story in Cirque de Zale just isn't worth anything."

However, I still think the problem is that the creators start with the story. Then they add puzzles that addvance the story, but not in small enough segments, but big chunks. The puzzles should tell the story. That's what I meant about puzzles mattering. You can have a very good story, but only tell it through cutscenes, and in between cutscenes the player is occupied by little side quests (learning more about Centaur Races, for example).

It is unfair to compare Apprentice II and Grim Fandango, but amateur games will always stay bad if nobody is willing to criticise them and say "that is not good enough".
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