Story or Gameplay?

what do you think is the MOST important element of an RPG? in my opinion, a stale story will drive gamers away.

If you don't like the story then it aint worth playing.

Gameplay. Using the makers, you can make any game you want. As long as the other 3 are at least sub-par, then you have an O.K. game.

Story always most important, but of course I like to have a game with his own unique elements...
Lot of games are more or less copies of other/older games in another outfit, try not to do that

Yeah, like be original. People might go to a game with a cliche story, but they probably wont.

Gameplay is most important. Story-wise, people want the cliche story, no matter how much they say they don't.

Well I know I don't.

I voted gameplay, because I get so sick of playing RPG Maker games that all play exactly the same way.  Turn-based battles annoy me like nobody's business.

THAT'S WHY EVERYONE NEEDS TO PLAY FUTAITEN!  

Gameplay. If you have a game with an awesome storyline, but horrible gameplay, why play? But if you have awesome gameplay and bad story, it can still be fun.

Gameplay.

A good story enchances the gameplay.
Without good gameplay one would never let the good story unfold.

The turn-based systems do get annoying.

:/.  Neither is better than the other.  Without a good story a game might still be good.  But if you have a truly bad story it drives gamers away.  However bad gameplay will drive gamrs away.  There are 3 different types of gamers that balance out the gaming world.  Theres the storyline gamers... they play games with good storylines.  Gameplay gamers... They don't care about stories as much but they truly want awesome stuff in the game.  Then theres multiplayer gamers.. this divides into 3 divisions.  Co-op gamers... Free for all / Team vs Team gamers.. and Online gamers.

If you can get a good storyline and good gameplay.  Hell if you could get really good graphics and a multiplayer mode... You'll have most of the gaming world on your game.

I find this thread humorous, because out of a group of people that use an RPG Maker that creates games all with the same exact gameplay engine, half of you say gameplay is more impoartant than the story. With these RPG maker programs, the battle systems and other such gameplay factors are already preset, and difficult to change, and the only thing you can really change are the characters, the scenery, the dialogue, and basically only the things related to the story.

But then again, maybe I don't realize just what the RPG maker programs are capable of, and just how much you can mess with the gameplay factors (using scripts and whatnot) since I haven't been using it for that long.

Then again, again, maybe half of you are voting gameplay because you've been using these RPG makers for so long, and you're sick of how monotonous they are.

Obviously I prefer a good story over good gameplay. I usually get bored with a game and stop playing it if the story isn't interesting enough, no matter how good the gameplay may be.


edit: I think too much. :O

Youe right on all accounts. THe reason XP is more popular than 2003 is because XP has scripts. Making it easy to write in practically anything you want. Army system?? You got it. Mini-games? You can do it. ANything.

Firstly, I think this topic is in the wrong section. Secondly, the story. Out of all the games Ive made (1 game) Its always boring in the parts where I just thought 'Oh, it would be cool if people could, like, shout at people' but good when It followed my ass-kicking story-line it ruled.

SOA is good becuase it has a good story and Aika. Also the idea of sailing the seven skies is a classic original masterpeice.

Story first and foremost. If the game makes no sense it ruins the gameplay.