Is a good plot important?
- Thread starter Siraff
- Start date
- Nov 3, 2017
- 8,170
- 6,911
What's important is that the characters are well-written. The plot/story may not matter much except in the more ambitious types of games (full RPGs), but the quality of the writing absolutely matters, even if the plot is just there to facilitate the porn.
There's two kinds of lewd games that I enjoy:
A) Those with well-written characters and a compelling story that is the core of the game. Give me that and I won't care if the art sucks.
B) The ones that don't take themselves seriously and even make fun of it (eg; a character may make a remark about their unnecessarily revealing armor or wonder why every other character looks like a model). These games usually make up for the lack of character development and plot by having good gameplay.
The first are more like reading a book or watching a good movie. The latter are for some quick release. Both have a place.
I don't like it when they fall in-between: when a game is meant to be plot-driven, but it feels like if it was written by a 12 years old, or when there's unnecessary dialogue or story descriptions in a game where the gameplay and the art would suffice.
A) Those with well-written characters and a compelling story that is the core of the game. Give me that and I won't care if the art sucks.
B) The ones that don't take themselves seriously and even make fun of it (eg; a character may make a remark about their unnecessarily revealing armor or wonder why every other character looks like a model). These games usually make up for the lack of character development and plot by having good gameplay.
The first are more like reading a book or watching a good movie. The latter are for some quick release. Both have a place.
I don't like it when they fall in-between: when a game is meant to be plot-driven, but it feels like if it was written by a 12 years old, or when there's unnecessary dialogue or story descriptions in a game where the gameplay and the art would suffice.
An AVN (or any other pornographic product, really) can be highly arousing with a bad plot or even no plot whatsoever (think gonzo porn Vs plot based porn). However, and it's a huge however, a good plot is a relatively cheap ingredient (no need for expensive hardware or long rendering time) which can increase the erotic factor of an AVN by an order of magnitude.
I also wrote this article about what make a pornographic creation hot.
I also wrote this article about what make a pornographic creation hot.
Last edited:
it's more about having a story than a plot, they're not the same thing. like you can have a maddeningly complex plot about a legal fight, but that's still gonna be super boring bureaucracy until you make it about people and emotions. a good story is always about the people, not the plot.
personally I've found that in sex stories I really only care whether it's about the kinks I like. like 99%. when I have a milf I can corrupt, who I can push and overcome the resistance of, then it doesn't matter if it was drawn with stick figures, written in engrish or being the most cliche mom/son incest home story.
but it must have a story, random sex scenes don't do it for me. the story just must be about the right thrilling things (for me) rather than be well executed or original. plot is irrelevant in that regard.
personally I've found that in sex stories I really only care whether it's about the kinks I like. like 99%. when I have a milf I can corrupt, who I can push and overcome the resistance of, then it doesn't matter if it was drawn with stick figures, written in engrish or being the most cliche mom/son incest home story.
but it must have a story, random sex scenes don't do it for me. the story just must be about the right thrilling things (for me) rather than be well executed or original. plot is irrelevant in that regard.
- Jun 7, 2018
- 647
- 1,622
I'm waiting for something extra. It can be a good story, which as mentioned above means good characters moreso than plot specifically. But it can be someting else too, like engaging gameplay.
Just the scenes though? Absolutely not enough. I've got a million of juicy scenes avalable to me already. It's called regular porn.
- Jan 13, 2019
- 607
- 1,291
I believe it is a personal preference, reflecting an individual's values. I prefer the story more than anything else, unless there are the gameplay or "juicy scenes" that interfering too much with me, enjoying the story.
- Jun 26, 2017
- 632
- 1,106
I'd be lying if I said sex scenes weren't important. However, I think what many people fail to realize is that if you've played one game, chances are you've played numerous games. How do you entertain someone who's played dozens, or even hundreds of other games? Do you really expect a game developer to be able to create a unique and engaging scene that we've never seen before?
So, to answer the initial question, story is important. More important than sex scenes. However, it isn't the only factor at play. I believe there are three major components which make a good adult game. The first two being plot and characters, as this is fairly obvious for any form of entertainment. However, I could also argue that characters are more important to adult games than other mediums.
The final factor is "concept". On a basic fundamental level, adult games are effectively "fantasy". If plot refers to the story, than "concept" refers to the general idea of the fantasy. What makes a good concept is extremely subjective, arguably more-so than plot and characters. While the majority of people have a general idea of what makes a good character or story, it comes down to the individual on what makes a good "concept".
So, while I believe plot to be extremely important, it isn't the only factor. You can have a game with a shitty or nonexistent story, but have great characters and a decent concept and still make a great game. If you have boring characters but great plot, it's the same thing. It all comes down to having at least one of the three. As long as you have this, I believe a game will find it's audience.
So, to answer the initial question, story is important. More important than sex scenes. However, it isn't the only factor at play. I believe there are three major components which make a good adult game. The first two being plot and characters, as this is fairly obvious for any form of entertainment. However, I could also argue that characters are more important to adult games than other mediums.
The final factor is "concept". On a basic fundamental level, adult games are effectively "fantasy". If plot refers to the story, than "concept" refers to the general idea of the fantasy. What makes a good concept is extremely subjective, arguably more-so than plot and characters. While the majority of people have a general idea of what makes a good character or story, it comes down to the individual on what makes a good "concept".
So, while I believe plot to be extremely important, it isn't the only factor. You can have a game with a shitty or nonexistent story, but have great characters and a decent concept and still make a great game. If you have boring characters but great plot, it's the same thing. It all comes down to having at least one of the three. As long as you have this, I believe a game will find it's audience.
- Mar 21, 2023
- 109
- 47
I have voted "yes" to the importance of the plot but, more specifically........
Well, I feel like I'll just be repeating what the others have said, so I shan't bother.
I will say that the "juicy bits" aren't necessarily the end goal that I want to reach. If it was then I wouldn't be speaking so highly of "Our Fate - A New Family" to begin with. That's a currently abandoned (I'd like to think more like "on a hiatus") VN where there's barely any "porn" content in its current format, and yet has still managed to hit me emotionally via its storyline.
So, YES, story is important. At least to me, anyway.
Well, I feel like I'll just be repeating what the others have said, so I shan't bother.
I will say that the "juicy bits" aren't necessarily the end goal that I want to reach. If it was then I wouldn't be speaking so highly of "Our Fate - A New Family" to begin with. That's a currently abandoned (I'd like to think more like "on a hiatus") VN where there's barely any "porn" content in its current format, and yet has still managed to hit me emotionally via its storyline.
So, YES, story is important. At least to me, anyway.
Having both is an S tier achievement. That said, I usually will take a good story with decent scenes over great scenes with no/crap story. Actually, I wish the Terminius Reach series didn't have (or at least cut back) the sex scenes. You can't skip them easy, and sometimes I'm really wanting to see the next plot point.
I know this isn't an option on the poll, but gameplay is far more important than story. Having some actual fun while you're playing is much more important than if the story is good. Many normal games, even AAA games, have relatively bad stories compared to the gameplay.
At the end of the day, gameplay is just a bigger part of the media (unless it's one of those vile VNs).
At the end of the day, gameplay is just a bigger part of the media (unless it's one of those vile VNs).