Do you play more for the story or the combat?

[LostSoul]

Combat is story, or at the very least, makes some of the best stories, if you're doing it right.

Talking is not story. It's, at best, one form of exposition of the story. More often it's a soft, directionless period of floundering that takes away from the better means of conveying the story, that is, by action.

Combat is not story the same way talking is not story.

Conflict is story. All stories need to have conflict or else they suck. Combat is one way to get conflict into the story, and so is talking; though if the conflict is meaningless then the story will probably still suck.

 

[howandwhy99]

Combat is not story the same way talking is not story.

Conflict is story. All stories need to have conflict or else they suck. Combat is one way to get conflict into the story, and so is talking; though if the conflict is meaningless then the story will probably still suck.

Actually a story is just the relating of events. If you need conflict in a story to enjoy it, that's a personal preference.

 

[The Little Raven]

I don't see why you have to choose one or the other. I like a good story, and I like a good brawl, and I don't really see the need to favor one over the other. It's like asking me whether I like the crust, cheese, or sauce better... I don't care, because I just like pizza for its whole, not its individual components.

As el-remmen said, it's a false dichotomy.

 

[LostSoul]

Actually a story is just the relating of events. If you need conflict in a story to enjoy it, that's a personal preference.

I wouldn't say it's a personal preference.

 

[avin]

Story works better for me.

 

[Scribble]

Actually a story is just the relating of events. If you need conflict in a story to enjoy it, that's a personal preference.

I'm not sure it's a personal preference so much as a "rule" of storytelling.

 

[fanboy2000]

I'm not sure it's a personal preference so much as a "rule" of storytelling.

You know, it's weird I've always been told that a story needs conflict to be a story. I first remember this coming from Freshman english in high school. But now that I heard an alternative definition, a story is a retelling of past events, the conflict requirement doesn't stand-up to scrutiny. If I'm sitting in a library and a metor falls through the roof into a stack of books in front of me, that's a story. I'm going to tell people that story. But there is no conflict.

In fact, it seems like the definition of conflict is sometimes expanded so a good story can meet the requirement.

I think this why I approach D&D the way I do, I set-up and situation and let the players do what they want. The story comes after whatever problem or challenge they were faced with is resolved. So my players will often tells stories about the game like "hey remember that time when...." but it's doesn't feel like a story has it's happening. (At least not to me.)

 

[The Human Target]

Story (and character development (both kinds)), but combat is also fun and as such a close second.

A game with only combat and no story whatsoever would be pretty boring.
A game with only story would far better, but would still be lacking something.

Bye
Thanee

This.

I like action/adventure games.

But give me Firefly over a Michael Bay movie any day of the week.

Also, action and combat are not synonyms.

 

[Scribble]

You know, it's weird I've always been told that a story needs conflict to be a story. I first remember this coming from Freshman english in high school. But now that I heard an alternative definition, a story is a retelling of past events, the conflict requirement doesn't stand-up to scrutiny. If I'm sitting in a library and a metor falls through the roof into a stack of books in front of me, that's a story. I'm going to tell people that story. But there is no conflict.

That's news.

Or an example of possibly the begining of a story. It's just an event you are recounting.

The story comes out in the rest. what happened next? How did you survive? How did you get out of the damaged library? Did you wrestle with an inner desire to flee without helping anyone else?

In fact, it seems like the definition of conflict is sometimes expanded so a good story can meet the requirement.

Conflict will come in 6 forms:

Man vrs Himself
Man vrs Man
Man vrs Society
Man vrs Nature
Man vrs Supernatural
Man vrs Technology

I think this why I approach D&D the way I do, I set-up and situation and let the players do what they want. The story comes after whatever problem or challenge they were faced with is resolved. So my players will often tells stories about the game like "hey remember that time when...." but it's doesn't feel like a story has it's happening. (At least not to me.)

Yes. Challenge = conflict- Conflict does not have to equal fighting. The story is in how your protagonist either manages to overcome, or fails to overcome the challenge he is faced with.

 

[LostSoul]

You know, it's weird I've always been told that a story needs conflict to be a story. I first remember this coming from Freshman english in high school. But now that I heard an alternative definition, a story is a retelling of past events, the conflict requirement doesn't stand-up to scrutiny. If I'm sitting in a library and a metor falls through the roof into a stack of books in front of me, that's a story. I'm going to tell people that story. But there is no conflict.

That sounds like a conflict to me. Without conflict the story would be:

I went to the library to read some books. I did.