How can people just totally ignore the stories of a game?

[Daginni]

I was bored in the barracks and noticed another guy was playing Mass Effect 2. I thought that was neat, and bothered him. He said he played the first Mass Effect, and liked both games.

As I liked the games story, I got to talking to him and quickly realized he had hardly a clue of the games story. Afterwards he told me that he mainly played the game just to shoot things. To this, I was shocked, because Bioware games are known for their story, and he totally ignored it altogether, and skipped every conversation just to get back to shooting stuff quicker.

Overal however, I cannot say that I am totally surprised by this. There are (sadly) a lot of people who buy a game, but never played the single player Campaign, all they wanted to do was shoot things. But, I never quite understood how can people be so eager to just ignore a story, especially good ones. I personally hate the idea of just shooting stuff with no general idea why I am doing it, I quickly gain a thought of how pointless this is. But these guys seem to have no problem with it, why?

My hypothesis is they're idiots who never read a book. Prove me wrong, especially for Bioware games.

[perix]

these are the people that think war is like cod. ignore them

[Voolawl]

Well you answered the question yourself.

We just want to shoot stuff. I don't care why I'm shooting someone or something, I just know I need to shoot it. Same with WoW. I don't care for the lore at all. It's just fictional nonsense that has nothing to do with me slaying my virtual dragons.

I'll admit I may come across a quest line every once in a while that may peak my interest, but that's about it.

I'm more interested in the end, not the trip there.

[mitchimitch]

How can people just totally mind about everybody's business

[Kreeker]

Some people just don't have all day to sit around and play video games, sorry. I'm not saying that's the case for him.

[Jaqera]

You create too many threads imho (I have noticed two of yours within 20 minutes, both of which seem pointless). You also answered your own question in your first post, which makes this thread pointless.

[juzalol]

There is nothing i hate more than the freaking forced cut scenes...

I mean really... If i don't give a crap why the aliens are invading the planet why
can't i just skip to the getting rid of the aliens part?

When i buy a game, i buy a game to PLAY.
I have no interest to watch cut scenes for 30 minutes of the 2 hour gameplay the modern games offer.

Yes, i like to know why I'm doing stuff.
"Aliens have invaded Earth, kill them!" is enough for me tho.

I don't really need to know that my best friends dog was part of
the alien army and betrayed them and now the alien leader KlingKlongMungPung wants
to take out Earth as a revenge.

[Mortavius]

Before video games advanced to this point, we had (and still have) shooting ranges. A place where a person could go and shoot a gun at a target. The only thing that video games has done in this regard is increase the life-likness of the targets.

What's wrong with wanting to spend some time shooting (or stabbing, or what have you), some imaginary enemies? Not every game has to have this masterpiece of a story attached to it.

It's very simple. Here's a weapon, there's an enemy, here's a scenario, try and beat it. We don't have to spend time trying to puzzle out the why's and how's.

[Valid]

opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. I hate cutscenes, even the wow ones. I don't read quest, and i skip any type there is a cutscene...

[Vook]

It depends on the game, whether I pay attention to the story or not.

WoW? Yeah, I don't really pay attention to the storyline THAT much (I don't read quests, I just read 0/10 mobs remaining)

But a console or offline game, yeah I pay attention to the story...kinda hard to NOT pay attention to it in most games.

[Stevegasm]

I can never understand people who play video games for the stories. To quote the OP, "My hypothesis is they're idiots who never read a book." If you have ever read a good book, you would realize that stories in video games are typically very terrible, and will never be all that good simply because of the mechanics of video games. Though I wouldn't put it so harsh as calling people idiots. At one point, I figured pulp novels in the fantasy isle were considered great literature too, until I was about 17 or 18.

A great story doesn't make a great game, and a terrible story doesn't make game bad. It's great gameplay that makes a good game, no matter the story.

That is not to say I don't appreciate a good story. But similar to Juzalol, there is nothing I hate more than lengthy forced cut-scenes. I started playing RPGs because of the big worlds and because there was plenty to do. Ultima IV basically said, "become a good person, get some shit out of dungeons, and the last dungeon will open for you" and Dragon Warrior/Quest was just "rescue the princess, and kill the Dragonlord." Good enough for me. What annoys me most is when the RPG is more about story than it is about gameplay, as the Final Fantasy series has become. But if you want a great example of a company that does a great job in both areas, Bioware would be it. Innovative gameplay, and they get you involved in the story, which ends up affecting how the game turns out, and in the case of KOTOR affects your character's abilities. And to the OP, what is great about Mass Effect is that you can skip all the dialog and just check the quest tracker for what you need to do in a simple paragraph. Everybody wins when it comes to that game.

[bohapjut]

different people play games for different reasons to each their own

[Deleted]

Some people are just easier to entertain than others. Personally I get bored of any game that doesn't have a very good story. I wasn't always like that though, when I was a kid I played pretty much everything. Still, I was never completely oblivious to the storyline =/

Be that as it may, I don't care how others play a game. If they have fun, that's what it is for! But when I'm talking about a game with friends I like to get their views about the story too, not just how they shot that monster.

[Raziel-ca]

well i had someone tell me he doesnt play games for the story, if you want a story go read a book.

[drukai]

these are the people that think war is like cod. ignore them

CoD has a pretty bitchin story, I'll be honest.

[Alta87]

these are the people that think war is like cod. ignore them

But you think that war is like the cutscenes of CoD? ehh...

I usually never skip cutscenes, but some games just push it. Even as a hardcore fan on the MGS series, in MGS 4 the playing is kept to a minimum and the watching to a maximum /=

[BatteredRose]

mainly played the game just to shoot things.

My hypothesis is they're idiots who never read a book.

This about covers it.

[Unrully]

There's certain games where I'll pay attention to the story while I'm playing the game, but couldn't tell you much about it afterwards. Both the Dragon Age games had decent story lines, and I played along while I was playing.. couldn't hardly tell you much but general details now, and I jus played DA2 about a month ago. I play games for the gameplay, if I want a story I pick up a book or watch a movie.

[ashley2ashes]

i usually try start out trying really hard to pay attention to a game's story. but its never told very well in games. i got through the entire wotlk expansion without knowing the difference between the scourge and the burning legion. the problem isnt that people dont want to learn the story, its that video games do it so boringly. every time i start a new toon i try to commit myself to actually reading the quests so i know whats going on. but when 90% of the game's quests are "go kill 20 boars soz i can make a stew to supply our armyfolk" it doesnt take very long before you start scrolling down and clicking "accept quest" without reading them once again. and dont even get me started on the horrible cutscenes :\

a few weeks ago i bought a WoW novel though so now i know a bit more about wth is going on.

[trebor]

People generally have opinions. For instance I love a good story, but I dislike Bioware games.

i usually try start out trying really hard to pay attention to a game's story. but its never told very well in games. i got through the entire wotlk expansion without knowing the difference between the scourge and the burning legion. the problem isnt that people dont want to learn the story, its that video games do it so boringly. every time i start a new toon i try to commit myself to actually reading the quests so i know whats going on. but when 90% of the game's quests are "go kill 20 boars soz i can make a stew to supply our armyfolk" it doesnt take very long before you start scrolling down and clicking "accept quest" without reading them once again. and dont even get me started on the horrible cutscenes :\

a few weeks ago i bought a WoW novel though so now i know a bit more about wth is going on.

To be honest your example only works for MMOs