Well, I think the title says it all, but it seems like if someone could nail down what makes a story good, it would really help the world out. I'm saying it's how well it conveys a part of the human experience so that someone else can relate to it. Example: I liked Man on Fire, because I thought it was a good story about redemption, and that's something that interests me, especially when I'm shooting people.

usually, people have to relate to a story. that's how they get immersed. that's it.

oh, and I personally like unpredictability.

Quote: Original post by TheUmpteenth
usually, people have to relate to a story. that's how they get immersed. that's it.

oh, and I personally like unpredictability.

I have to disagree about the story has to relate bit. Just my opinion here, but I play games to escape. If I pick up an action title, I want to understand what is driving all this carnage and I want to either feel like a badass while I do it or I'm gonna question the morality of why this character is doing what they are doing (if thats how the game is written). I don't want to feel real life, I want to feel something new, maybe that I never thought of but have it be believable, not necessarily related.

I believe 'relate' here means sympathize. The world may be totally different from the real world, the character may have special powers, but it's still essential to be able to relate the the characters' personalities, desires, and worries.

Well, irony is always important. If there's no irony in the story, odds are the story isn't quite up to par. Where there's irony, there's sure to be conflict, and where there's conflict, there's a story to be told.

Honestly? I don't care as long as I cannot predict what is going to happen. If a player can take one look at the cover and figure out how the game will start, climax, and end, then why buy the game? Just a nice, deep story with surprises. It doesn't have to be full of insane twists, and the person behind all doesn't have to be the person you least expect.

The sense of danger is lessened if you know that the hero(es) will escape or survive. You have to remind the players that anything might happen. Don't come up with cheap story-driving events like prophecies/rumors/legends that always come true, don't always save the hero(es) with a magic amulet or something.

Just keep the player surprised.

Well, the importance of surprise is somewhat a matter of personal taste. The largest percentage of annual novel sales is in the romance genre where readers absolutely demand a happy ending where the hero and heroine get together and stay together. The readers buy the book knowing more or less what is going to happen, but they are interested in how it happens and going through the emotional rollercoaster ride along with the characters. I'm not saying surprise is bad, just that at the end what you want is a satisfied reader and sometimes the unsurprising choice will be more satisfying then the surprising one.

I'd have to agree. Such as with Harry Potter 7. I predicted that ending from a mile away, however, I read the book anyway with a desire to know exactly how they got to that point.

@Hobo
I don't think too many people buy games without having at least some clue as to what it's about. In all games you, know the storyline is going to play out in your favor regardless it's just how you get to that point that's fun. The story should be good enough to keep you from thinking about the ending until you get there.