Execution / Game

[Kreekakon]

Huff, well I seem awfully late

There are no good stories, only good execution

Looking back on my favourite books, films, and games, I can honestly say that their plots weren't really that good. Take Amnesia for example: "Naive Britishman chased by malicious otherworldly entity seeks to save himself by performing immoral occult experiments." Or just look at any really popular film: "Crime-ridden city terrorized by insane clown is saved by hero who only presents himself in a bat costume." What made all of these stories actually interesting was how they are executed. Amnesia was a good game because the immersion and the notes made us feel that we were Daniel, and thus we felt sympathy for him when we learned the truth behind his story.

Which leads me to believe that "good" stories don't exist - only good communication. I'd argue that all stories fit one of two categories: a personal experience, or an imitation of another's personal experience. The only thing that makes one story stand out from another is how they are communicated to its audience, but there is no such thing as an inherently "better" story. Do you agree or not?

I can tell you from personal experience that this I believe is completely, and utterly untrue. I think it is definitely possible for a mediocre plot which was mediocre to begin with to still end up just that even with masterful execution.

The main game that came to my mind when you brought this up is actually one of my favorite games of all time: Fire Emblem Awakening, which you can listen to me ramble about in full length here (First bracket): http://www.frictionalgames.com/forum/thread-23144.html

The story I feel was definitely the weakest part of that game, but as I mentioned in my thoughts I thought it was masterfully executed. It was able to take mundane moments, and bring a sense of urgency, and emotion to the scenes through pacing, and sound design. However even with all that when you peel it back, I still cannot shake off the idea that the foundation of which the plot is based on was still a bit uninspired, boring, and cliche.

So basically what I think is that if you had to weigh the two (Execution, and actual story foundation) I would still say that execution is the more important one, because it can convey what a creator wants us to feel from a scene, and affects our suspension of disbelief.

However even with that being said, as with the example of Fire Emblem Awakening I pointed out above, you need a respectable enough story foundation to begin with to achieve a stage where execution will be able to carry your whole thing through. Without one, you'd basically have an idiotic plot which is too hammy for its own good.