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Does graphic matter?


R_1

AVEN Census to Graphics v. Gameplay  

30 members have voted

  1. 1. Which matters more?

    • Gameplay
      24
    • More on gameplay, but graphics still matter
      62
    • Both matters
      25
    • More on graphics, but gameplay still matter
      1
    • Graphics
      1

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We all know this age-old debate, and some says they prefer being more focused gameplay and some say they prefer being focused on graphics. As for me, I think that graphics does matter to a extent, but I can be very forgiving of horrible graphics it it suits the content of the game and the mood of the game. Gameplay is in general far more important for me than graphics, but if neither of them goes well together, I might not well play that game whatever it is.

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Forest Spirit

Well, for me the story is on top of it all. And I prefer unrealistic but good graphics to realistic and bad ones :)

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I don't even need graphics - I love choose your own adventures and TTRPGs, for example - but I do think graphics can be even more than just an added bonus. There are some games where it's worth just stopping to stare at the beauty for a little while and marvel at how technology has advanced to provide this experience. And some games have put me off because the graphics/design is horrible and it becomes painful to play, so graphics can definitely spoil a game.

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I suck at games but Ill play them just to look at the pretty cutscenes and backdrops. :3 Gameplay has to be easy and smooth for me.

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Graphics need to be good enough not to make it hard to play the game or see what's going on.

Also, sometimes graphics will add to a game. Like, games with unique styles and stuff. Sometimes it's just another cool thing about a cool game.

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Skippy Squirrel

With a lot of games I feel like it's a case of "Come for the graphics, stay for the gameplay".

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Gameplay will definitely make me stay but it's the graphics that usually attract me ti a game. That being said, i've been playing a text-based browser game for months, so sometimes graphics don't matter. But crappy graphics are usually a turn-off.

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Both matters. But if the graphics look really old... would put me off a bit.

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Of first and foremost importance is gameplay--it doesn't matter how gorgeous the graphics are, if I don't like the gameplay/mechanics/genre, I'm not going to continue playing it. I've also played many great indie games whose poor graphics had no impact on my like of the game--BUT this was only because they made up for the graphics in other ways such as soundtrack or a completely original, in-depth storyline.

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game play is most important, thats my whole reason for playing, but graphics are important too since i cant play old games with bad graphics, they feel... clunky

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Graphics matter in the sense that I need to be able to tell what's going on and preferably not get my motion sickness triggered, but gameplay is infinitely more important to me.

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I can, and still do, play old NES and arcade games without batting an eye if the gameplay is still good.

On the other hand, nowadays I often find the opposite sort of problem -- a game where you can clearly tell it had all of its effort put into the visuals, at the expense of everything else.

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A game can't captivate me by graphics alone. It can be the best-looking photorealistic triple A title - if the gameplay isn't my cuppa, and doesn't hook me, I'll give it a pass - every time.

However, it's nearly as universally true that games with genius gameplay that look like they were made in the early 90s are things I can't bear playing, either. (Which is exactly why "Adventurer Manager" surprised me so much - the nicest way to describe its graphics would be "very consistently retro" :lol: - but damn, I find it as addictive to play as the best Diablo clone! Okay, just one more adventure before I go to bed... ;) )

In the end, I'd vote for "both matter about equally".

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Gameplay is more important to me but graphics count for a lot too. Whether it's retro graphics or realistic the visual style needs to be appealing. I find a lot of modern games go for realism and end up looking like shiny poop worlds. Everything is drab, dirty and weirdly shiny.

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Nailgun-mishap

I presume you're talking about current gen games? In this day and age, games should look good, but if a 2016 game has 2014 graphics, that's totally fine. The gameplay is what really matters. But if a 2016 game has 2006 graphics, I'd have a hard time getting into it.

When it comes to replaying old games, graphics are irrelevant because I know I'm playing an old game. To this day, my favorite game is still Silent Hill, which came out in 1999. The graphics are blocky and jaggy by today's standards, but they were mind-blowing when the game first came out.

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Hooded_Crow

Sure I like how pretty Skyrim but at the end of the day, I would totally still play any old game as long as the gameplay is good.

Also, while I'm a writer and enjoy stories a lot, to me they aren't the most important thing in a videogame. I mean it's important but... Here. An example. I love the old Tomb Raider games. You know, Tomb Raider 2 to 4. Now, the graphics are awful and the stories secondary. But man, what a comfortable gameplay! Whereas the new Tomb Raider is written by Rihanna Pratchett (is it Rihanna?) and has beautiful graphics, but it's just boring to play. Press Y. Now press B. Now press X. Man! Let me play! I don't want endless cinematic scenes! XD

Also, I've done quite a bit of forum RPG so yeah. I don't even need pictures.

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#1 is story

#2 is gameplay

#3 is graphics

... if a game is awesome, I can forgive awful graphics. If gameplay sucks and the story is awesome, I can forgive that and bad graphics. If it's pretty, but bad gameplay/story, I won't play it much. But...if the graphics are just too awful (like Dragon Age:I on the PS3) and the game isn't amazing, I won't play it either.

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Whether or not graphics matter depends on what type of game it is. I said only game play matters because while graphics may greatly enhance gameplay, theyre not always necessary.

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SylviaDragon

Well for me Story trumps everything. :D Give me a good story and I will keep coming back. Give me a good story and I will dive as deep into the lore and secrets of the game as I possibly can. I’ll spend months enjoying all the little story details.

After that comes gameplay. I love beautiful graphics but if there isn’t something engaging in there to keep me coming back then I won’t be looking at the graphics for long anyway.

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  • 1 month later...
SpaceShark

#1 is story

#2 is gameplay

#3 is graphics

... if a game is awesome, I can forgive awful graphics. If gameplay sucks and the story is awesome, I can forgive that and bad graphics. If it's pretty, but bad gameplay/story, I won't play it much. But...if the graphics are just too awful (like Dragon Age:I on the PS3) and the game isn't amazing, I won't play it either.

I agree. Gameplay and story can overrule bad graphics (like Saint's Row 2) But they are still a factor in how I decide... Granted part of my deciding factor is whether or not I can play a female.

(Xbox user here)

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  • 3 months later...
cavalier080854

I'm not an arcade/shooter game person. I prefer flight simulation, so accuracy and visual effects play an equal role. Graphics for orientation, gameplay for authentic plane handling.

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Gameplay over graphics (but story over both). It's cool if the game has great visuals, but I feel that good mechanics help with the immersion to make the game feel more complete. Otherwise, it'll feel like I should have just looked up artwork if the gameplay is that bad.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Even if the graphics are the latest and most beautiful that technology can offer you will get used to it fast. Creators need to focus on making gameplay unique and not repetitive. Everyone agreed that The Order 1886 was a beautiful game but it sucked because A) the story didn't appeal to some people and B) the gameplay was the most generic and boring some people have ever experienced.

I had a similar experience with Assassin's Creed Syndicate, what attracted me to it was the graphics and the ability to explore London of course. The creators knew they had an advantage so that's why they spent a lot of money advertising the game instead of polishing it up. The wow factor of the graphics faded less than halfway through the game. The only reason I played it till the end was because I found the characters likeable and I wanted to see where the story would go next. In the end I was still dissatisfied with the game. I felt they could have done so much more with the gameplay and story. The gameplay got old really fast and what it claims to be different is simply more decorated character models. Furthermore there was no real challenge in the combat, it was too easy and there weren't even any boss fights.

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It depends.

I could still enjoy Nation States on a flickering amber screen.

OTOH I'd love to buy graphic which isn't even released yet. AFAIK the current state of 4K gaming is: "sorry there are no seriously capable vid cards. - Wait for 1080Ti, maybe its finally good enough"

Between those extremes I'm more or less reacting to my mood swings. - I'll lower graphics to win scheduled fights, crank them up to enjoy scenery. And life is a compromise. - Its no fun to sink small fortunes in hardware upgrades that get you baby steps closer to your goal

Side note: tech independent graphics matter too. - According to Youtube footage I watched nothing in WoW looks appealing to me.

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Graphics, if any or any kind, is optional for me but I've 15+ Years of Wheel of Time MUD behind me.

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Sleepy Skeleton

Considering how many of the games I regularly play are over 10 years old, I really don't care about graphics anymore.

When I see people raving about how beautiful an upcoming game looks I'm just like..... ok.

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  • 4 months later...

To be most honest, I'd rather have no graphics (text-based) than really bad graphics. Not for all games, of course, since I still have a fondness for those early games.

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Gameplay is by far the most important for me, with story and proper character creation a close second and third if we're talking about RPGs (if we're not, it's just gameplay). Good graphics can be nice, but they're hardly necessary for my enjoyment of the game. Good gameplay is. Really, unless the graphics are so bad that it actually hurts my ability to play the game, I don't care that much about them.

 

There's also a large distinction between bad graphics and outdated graphics, even though people often use them interchangabely. An old game that had very nice graphics in its day will often, at least to me, still hold up pretty well; a newer game that just has sloppy graphics may well actually look worse.

 

On 10/5/2016 at 8:12 PM, Lacey. said:

Considering how many of the games I regularly play are over 10 years old, I really don't care about graphics anymore.

I still have a hard time thinking of games from ten years ago as being old. I'll admit that pre-2000 games are probably kinda old now, but when I think of "old games" I still think more like Zork or Rogue or such...

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