As for_BAD_: it's a lost cause. I do enjoy bringing it up on this thread from time to time just to troll jufot. He suffers from a chronic condition, similar to herpes simplex, known as Notorious Anti-College Game Bias. It's untreatable, sadly.
Doctors and Devs are currently looking for a cure, but there's not much hope unfortunately.
I'm not going to list specific titles because I don't see a point in arguing this game by game. However, I've noticed that a mistake that some writers (devs) make is that the hero(es) receive the "call to adventure" but the writer hasn't given them a stake in the outcome. It's more of a "these are clearly the good guys so surely you want to give up everything and risk your life for them, right?" The hero has to have something to gain by going on the perilous mission into the unknown.
Not necessarily. I have games - in one the "hero" definitely has a stake in the outcome. In the other, it's more that he's along for the ride. I think what you said is applicable when the story is *about* the hero's journey - but sometimes it's not.
I like to think of stories as falling into a few neat little categories (and this is extremely a superficial look at things, but still).
#1 - the Heroes Journey. In this case, yeah what you said is applicable.
#2 - The Comedy. Definitely not necessary, although sometimes it can be done to add to the comedic aspect of it.
#3 - The "Looking Glass". This one can be a mixed bag - it's not so much about telling a story, as providing a window into a life. Sometimes this definitely requires stakes - sometimes it doesn't, it just... depends.
#4 - The Misdirect. To me my 1st game falls into this. You follow the "Hero" - but he's not the one with the journey, the story is about a different character entirely. So there is a "Heroes Journey" involved - it's just not who you would think.
#5 - The Tragedy. People love a happy ending, but not ever story has one. One might argue you need stakes to "fail" - but I don't believe so. Sometimes the source of the tragedy can be unexpected. Some people hate that - I only hate it when its poorly done.
#6 - The Wish Fulfillment. I'd wager most of the games you're complaining about fall into this category. There aren't "Stakes" because there aren't supposed to be - what the "hero" has to gain is.... lots and lots of sex. Or outside of AVN, love, or money, or whatever. But for AVNs - it's just lots and lots of sex. These stories aren't really meant to serve any purpose other than what's on the tin - wish fulfillment. As much as we love a good struggle in a story now and then - most people don't actually want to ever face that in their life - and I think a lot of the things you're talking about are in this category. They don't have "stakes" because people don't want stakes - they want power, or whatever else they want - and they don't want to "fight" for it.
Okay I'll stop now before I end up putting together a semi-coherent treatise. I'm just saying - it's not necessarily a "mistake" in writing - sometimes it just isn't the point.
