{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Rainbow Dash Network","provider_url":"http:\/\/rainbowdash.net\/","type":"link","title":"Narwhal (narwhal)'s status on Tuesday, 23-Feb-16 21:32:40 UTC","author_name":"Narwhal (narwhal)","author_url":"http:\/\/rainbowdash.net\/narwhal","url":"http:\/\/rainbowdash.net\/notice\/4090322","html":"@scribus<\/span><\/a><\/span> @tiffany<\/span><\/a><\/span> I think what makes the dialogue regarding the role of narrative in games interesting is how especially contextual it is, given how unique of a medium games are. I still stand by the general media principle "good writing can save anything" but I understand the difficulty of engaging with a game (or any piece of media) that rests solely on the laurels of its writing. I certainly think you can still be critical of a game's mechanical choices while praising its writing (which is basically how I feel about the first Mother game) but in that regard I think it comes down to audience priority. I personally value great stories, characters, themes, etc. and they often elevate the media I engage with from functionally interesting to actively compelling. Because of that, I guess I'm more forgiving if a game has writing I love but gameplay I'm lukewarm on or dislike, because in spite of its mechanical flaws it's being carried by components that facilitate emotional engagement."}