1.0 link Rainbow Dash Network http://rainbowdash.net/ Narwhal (narwhal) http://rainbowdash.net/narwhal http://rainbowdash.net/notice/4090322 @<span class="vcard"><a href="http://rainbowdash.net/user/60" class="url" title="Scribus Caballus"><span class="fn nickname mention">scribus</span></a></span> @<span class="vcard"><a href="http://rainbowdash.net/user/4526" class="url" title="Tiffany"><span class="fn nickname mention">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 &quot;good writing can save anything&quot; 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.