A good game needs many different aspects to be appealing. There have been some that I've forced myself to finish just to see the end. (That and I didn't want to admit I wasted $20.) Is the gameplay to fast enough to keep you playing or is it the graphics that keep you staring at the screen? Storylines don't have to be believable but if they are out and out stupid do you continue to the next level? Other than the challenge what's most important in a game?
Well, for me the most important thing in a game is the story. But there are not a whole lot of story driven causal games out there so I'll have to vote differently for that.
I voted for gameplay. The demo has to be exciting and fun or I won't continue, and never buy a game without playing the demo first. Not that much interested in the story line, in fact in order to get further in gameplay of the demo I sometimes skip over the story parts.
I will say though, that I really do enjoy the badges, medals, ribbons, etc. that can be earned with the PF games. They just add some extra incentive for better scores, etc. and we can go back anytime and see the results of our hard 'work', lol. But I really have to like the game to spend the $20 to get those features.
I voted for gameplay, too, although storyline came in second. Graphics & sound have to be either really good or really bad for me to notice them.
Trophies & ribbons are fun. They may influence when or where I buy a game, and earning them adds to replay value. But they aren't a major consideration when deciding whether or not to buy a game.
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Gameplay for me, but trophies and ribbons add to the value for me. I don't consider a game truly finished until I have earned all the awards available.
Graphics are fairly important too.
Sound and storyline are tied for last place for me. I usually play with the sound muted if possible - I'd rather listen to my music. As for storyline, I often skip the story parts, especially in TM style games. I really only pay attention to the storyline in mystery games.
This question was a little difficult because each one of those factors can really add to or take away from a game. But I went with gameplay also. If a game has really good gameplay, then I can most times get past a horrible storyline or carpy graphics to play the game.
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I tend to agree with Marty. All of those factors are nearly equally important to make a game good, though the sound might not be that important in all kind of games. Games like the MCF series strongly depend IMO on the sound, as a specific atmosphere simply adds so much value to this game, whereas I mostly turnout the sound in time management games, as the music in them is mostly just repeating and unimaginative.
Of course I voted for gameplay, because it's the only aspect that can really waste the potential of a game.
I just want to point out that the reward system must not be underestimated, and by "reward system" I dont mean medals, trophies or high scores which do not actively affect the game itself. I mean rewards inside the game. Just an example: Time Management games where you cant choose upgrades yourself or at least choose between different options of a new environment/furnitures/and so on are really demotivating for me. Rewards which enable the player to affect the game in the following levels are extremely important to make the game interesting in the long run.
Of course this aspect is connected with "gameplay" in general, but IMO gameplay consists of different aspects which are less or more important themselves depending on your own taste.
Sorry, did not want to write a novel.
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Gameplay is important, but the story is the most important one for me, since I prefer RPGs. And an RPG without a good story is a bad RPG (for me). I really like being caught in the story, and think about what I would have done in their place if the game were real.
I voted for gameplay. I agree with Orangeknickers that the upgrade "reward" system draws me in. I like being able to choose between "this and that" to see what difference it makes in the outcome. Of course I then go back and choose the other when I play it again!
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For me it's sound and graphics, because good sound and graphics can change the feeling and tempo of gamers, if they both things are not good, then we cant enjoy the game.
