If you must choose...

[Merricat]

I am wondering what most attracts players to various adventure games: outstanding characters (i.e., Sam & Max) or intriguing story (save the world with a teaspoon and other common household items). Ideally, of course, a game offers both, and that's when you have greatness like Grim Fandango. But what is more acceptable to you as a player--a game with nondescript characters, but a fabulous plot, or a game with a so-so storyline, but amazing characters that grab you and won't let go (metaphorically speaking, of course). I know, I know--curiosity killed the merricat. Humor me. :crazy:

[Harald B]

I'd go with good characters. For one thing, the 'screentime' for plot developments is almost by definition limited to cutscenes while the screentime for characters is almost all the time. The plot tends to be large-scale and distant and cannot offer the local minute-to-minute enjoyment good characters can.
For another, if I don't care for the characters I also won't care what happens to them. Good plots tend to involve the main characters in very personal ways (imo, anyway); you engage with the plot through the characters, which means the characters must come first in both senses of the word. Frankly, I can't properly imagine a superb plot without interesting characters.

[Erwin_Br]

I'll echo Harald and go for the characters.

Runaway (the first one - no. 2 is still on my to-play list) has an interesting story, nice locations, but the characters are empty shells and that pretty much ruined the entire game for me.

--Erwin

[Henke]

I'll go with the rest and say characters. When it comes to story in games it's not so much how good the story is but how good it's told that matters.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

A game that gives me an experience I've never had before - cutting edge concepts; beautifully complex, nuanced, and articulated writing and story and characters; intellectually, emotionally, philisophically challenging ideas or issues; refined quality, etc. - gets my vote anytime.

[Squinky]

It varies on a case-by-case basis.

[MadTricks]

For me it's not just characters or story. It depends on satisfaction I get for solving puzzles. If puzzles are accordant with story. Characters are less important for me.

[Fairygdmther]

I agree with Squinky that it is on a case by case basis. We buy a game as a package, not as 'the characters' or 'the story'. For me there are several components that can make or break a game.

Environment - The empty environment of the games like the Myst phenomena, is one I enjoy, not the story and certainly not the characters.

Navigation - The 3D environment of Mysterious Journey II, where the navigation was totally with a mouse, in a beautiful setting, was fun, though the characters were blah, and the story was pretty far fetched. On the bad side, for me was Grim Fandango, which had everything going for it, except for the horrible navigation, which was a show stopper. I tried this game 3 times and couldn't endure the spinning around and walking into walls.

Action scenes - Action does not, in my estimation, belong in an adventure game, so Dreamfall, which also had everything going for it, became for me a show stopper because of the fighting scenes that I couldn't get past.

Game bugs or dying in a game - I will toss any game where I'm forced to redo the last two hours of play, either because of unexpectedly dying or because of a bug that leaves you dead in the water. The last one I played in recent years that had excessive bugs and left me dead in the water was Journey to the Center of the Earth, which I did continue, and finish since it was such an enjoyable game otherwise.

Characters can certainly make you want to continue, to see what happened to them, as can a good story line.

Sometimes, however, a game can be decent, even with mediocre characters and a ho-hum story line. Secret Files: Tunguska was one for me that would fit into this. Why? This game had no show stoppers.

FGM

[Crapstorm]

Nowadays, I just want fun puzzles. I would rather sit down with a stack of sudokus than play most of the AGs released in the last 5 years. I'm not interested in interactive cartoons. I want a game to put my brain to the test. I don't want to hunt down a pile of inventory items and exhaustively combine them with every hotspot to see what happens.

[Terramax]

Runaway has an interesting story, nice locations, but the characters are empty shells and that pretty much ruined the entire game for me.

I'm with you there. I wanted to ask about the characters more often but there was barely anything to say. Then there was the fact that the game felt visually empty.

And I know I could get scorned for saying this but the graphics are really important also. This goes double for 1st person adventures. If I've got no one to speak to then can I at least have some original settings and a drawing atmospher to keep me entertained and feel as if my money was well worth it.

[Merricat]

Sometimes, however, a game can be decent, even with mediocre characters and a ho-hum story line. Secret Files: Tunguska was one for me that would fit into this. Why? This game had no show stoppers.

FGM[/QUOTE]

You are using the term "show stopper" to connote something negative; usually, it is meant as a positive moment in a theatrical production. Just to let you know. :)

[colpet]

I am wondering what most attracts players to various adventure games: outstanding characters (i.e., Sam & Max) or intriguing story (save the world with a teaspoon and other common household items).
Well, it's neither of those for me. The most important must have is a great environment to explore, preferably in a solitary manner.
Environment - The empty environment of the games like the Myst phenomena, is one I enjoy, not the story and certainly not the characters.

Navigation - The 3D environment of Mysterious Journey II, where the navigation was totally with a mouse, in a beautiful setting, was fun, though the characters were blah, and the story was pretty far fetched. On the bad side, for me was Grim Fandango, which had everything going for it, except for the horrible navigation, which was a show stopper. I tried this game 3 times and couldn't endure the spinning around and walking into walls.

Action scenes - Action does not, in my estimation, belong in an adventure game, so Dreamfall, which also had everything going for it, became for me a show stopper because of the fighting scenes that I couldn't get past

This quite sums it up for me too, but I would add must challenge the brain with non-inventory type puzzles. An interesting background story is a plus. One that unfolds as you explore and read notes, journals, etc.

[Venkman]

I care about puzzles and cool places to explore more than either of those things.

[Erwin_Br]

And I know I could get scorned for saying this but the graphics are really important also.

Why would you get scorned for that? Graphics are important! Don't let anyone fool you. Only ugly games say it doesn't matter ;)

--Erwin