RPG Maker Forums

I had a rather interesting discussion with the ChatTardis the other day, about what the most important aspect of stories were.

Some people thought it was the characters - in whether you could relate to them, and whether they were likable, specifically.

Others however, thought it was the storyline - was it enjoyable?

But some refuted this point with the necessity of building the world around the story and characters. - If it is not believable or imaginable, the story can fall apart. (Even if the game is set in modern times in our world, it has to be portrayed in such a way that the reader can imagine it being real - for example, no iPads in the 1800s. Unless the story is about a time-traveler or something.)

I brought in the aspect of desirable objects. Think Harry Potter's wands, the Rememberall, the Time Turner... everything can be used to bring the world to life. Harry Potter World's exhibition actually showed that they all existed and were not products of CGI, making them brilliant keepsakes!

However, I wonder what the wider RM community thinks?

In the poll above, you can only vote for one option. Use this to decide what you most desire in stories. Is i

t likable characters, an enjoyable story, or the world within which the story is set?

Personally, I have always focused on delivering an enjoyable main plot and building the world around that plot, paying little attention to the characters. However, I realize that is probably where my greatest flaw lies! Maybe people actually prefer stories about characters that they like, rather than the grumpy ones? (FF13, FF8, Beyond Reality) - Further considering the result of the previous discussion, I would be interested to know what the result of this is...