Most important part of an adventure game
 

Hi everyone,

Time for my second poll.

What is the most important aspect of an adventure game to you?

This is a little weird - but please assume you have not played the game before, and you are seeing it for the first time - what are you most interested in?

I realise that a lot of the time it will be a combination of some (or all) of the elements below, but what would be number 1 on your list?

Regards,
Peter

Uhm... Maybe an actual poll will help... Amongst which elements are we supposed to choose?

Anyway, the precise answer to the question "What is the most important aspect of an adventure game to you?" is, for me, the WRITING :)

You're too fast!
The forum adds the question and then gets you to add the poll afterwards.
Feel free to add your answer now :)

I voted The story or Plot (Quality of the writing and Dialog). More precisely, though, the answer is a combination between this one and Genre, mainly because I don't usually like comedic adventures (unless, of course, they have a top-notch writing, hence my answer) :P

Yup, another vote for The story or Plot (Quality of the writing and Dialog).

If you haven't got that in an adventure, regardless of sub-genre, you haven't really got anything, IMHO. Regardless of how pretty-looking, great-sounding, etc. a game might be, if there isn't an actual half-decent plot to not only draw me in but then keep me there, then I'm bound to lose interest. (Should add it doesn't have to be a huge amount of actual writing, per se, visible in the game.)

All of the above doesn't apply to non-adventure-type games at all though - I can spend hours blasting away at abstract shapes in something like Geometry Wars, just admiring the pretty, pretty colours... :P

So yes, in adventures, good writing is key for me, preferably in a strong, original voice. Everything else is icing on the hypothetical game-cake.

Found it hard to pick just one. I chose storyline but graphics is a very close second followed by voice acting.

If I were to account for one factor standing out over another it would most likely be character. Telltale Game's numerous acquired franchises, LucasArts and Sierra classics, Discworld, not really a Myst fan, etc... there's a pattern here.

I have to say its the Characters. A story can be interesting, but without decent characters to tell the story, its nothing more than a text adventure with a narrator.

To be honest, I was mentally grouping characters in with story/dialogue.

No such thing as dialogue without characters to speak it, and dialogue is the most defining aspect of the vast majority of characters. It's how we know what the character's character (heh) really is. :)

The puzzles. But they should fit in to the story, and not be "add-ons" just to extend the game play.

I chose control scheme, because my attention is drawn to 3rd person games but my second choice is genre - cartoon and children-resembling boxes I avoid...

Another one for The story or Plot (Quality of the writing and Dialog). The characters come in second followed by the Voice acting.

Right now i'm currently playing through The Beast Within and although the graphics are dated by todays standards, they really don't affect my enjoyment of the game what-so-ever (and they didn't the first time i played it either). And this is all thanks to the fantastic, immersive story/plot and the quality of the writing. :)

I must admit that I was doing the same thing. I saw the "Characters" category, of course, but - at least to me - the two of them (plot/writing and characters) are closely interwoven, because it's hard that a quality writing doesn't produce memorable characters.

... And, to deepen my previous thoughts, some incredibly vivid characters, once again thanks to the writing.

Adventure games are all about story. That's basically the main difference between this particular genre and other genres and what makes it so unique to the fans.

It's the story for me. If it's not interesting than I'm just going through the motions to get it over with.

I've voted for the story and plot to be most important part of an adventure game; I do think, however, that characters, very well written, are also a must in a good adventure game.

If you don't have a decent plot of decent characters in an adventure game, you simply don't have anything to build your art and visual presentation around. (and by story and plot I also include the world setting) let alone the dialogue in the game.

It's bit of a chicken and egg scenario isn't it? Do good characters make a good story or does a good story bring life to good characters?

The most important thing for me are the puzzles - challenging, and lots of them.
The next would be control, as I only play mouse controlled games.

Come on, this poll is rigged. Where are the puzzles? I love puzzles most of all. And you should also add exploration, many people love games like Riven because they like to explore strange new places.

If Peter agrees, I can edit the poll and add puzzle and/or exploration.