Topic: Eternal Love for Fluff

[Bill Aurion]

There have been two instances where I've popped into random threads today (one for Super Paper Mario and another for Golden Sun) and found random posts from people talking about how they hate the exorbitant amount of dialogue...In both cases I just sort of scowled at my monitor, wondering just what the hell was wrong with them...

Then I realized that perhaps it's ME who's abnormal in loving lots of pointless conversation...There's nothing more that I love to do in a really good adventure like Zelda or Okami, or in an RPG like Golden Sun than wander around towns talking to the villagers...

I mean, hey, there's nothing more interesting to me than finding out that someone is out walking their dog, or a sake brewer is out harvesting rice, or any other random subject that has absolutely nothing to do with the plot of the game...

Yeah, that sounds like sarcasm, but I really do love pointless dialogue...It gives a game a wide variety of flavor and personality...Also, games with extra dialogue don't feel like they are forcing the plot on you, instead giving you a break from the action to mingle with the NPCs and feel like a part of the game...

Anyone feel the same?  I can't be the only dialogue freak around!

[Deguello]

Well there's always the idea of finding hamburgers in garbage cans like in Earthbound.

Or that toad in Mario and Luigi 2 that said he "cried a little" when he got lost in the castle.

[IceCold]

I like pointless dialogue too! Well, at least if it's somewhat insightful/entertaining/quirky.

In Phoenix Wright games, I present every piece of evidence and examine every inch of the room even if I know I don't need to, just to see what they say about it. I've stumbled across some incredible dialogue that way. Same as in trials - even when I know what I need to do to push it forward, I make sure I've pressed the witness fully to squeeze all the dialogue and interaction from the game.

[Nick DiMola]

I thought this thread was going to be about Marshmallow Fluff, I was disappointed

[EasyCure]

You are not alone my friend. Icecold, I've done the very same thing in every Ace Attourney game to date. I can't explain why i like talking to EVERY NPC but i just have to... sometimes i even get mad at ones you can't talk to

Even in a game like Zelda II where dialogue is so limited, i'd hunt out every bit i could from those damn villagers. Then theres this obsession with revisiting areas to see if dialouge has changed!!! It's some form of OCD, it has to be, right?

Earthbound has by far my favorite text of any game, ever. Even the Pheonix Wright games, which were all well written, cant touch Earthbound on its massive and quirky text.

[Armak88]

Earthbound ftw. I read every bit of text that I can find in RPG's and in adventure games as well. but I have just recently been playing through metal gear solid 2 for the first time and have been pissed at the long cutscenes full of pointless dialogue. I have to agree, I like dialogue that is funny or unexpectedly revealing. Golden sun is another game where the most random villager could give you a clue to a secret passage, and then there was the added text from reading their minds...

[Bill Aurion]

Well the dialogue in Metal Gear is forced on you, which is why it's horrible...

[decoyman]

I have to say, in Okami, I saved at the first point I could after the intro, and the game clock read 18 minutes. Keep in mind that I HADN'T DONE ANYTHING YET, OTHER THAN READ.

That's a little much. Plus, a lot of the dialogue is repeated. Like when a little triangle appears above someone's head, sometimes I'm not fully convinced that it's even a new conversation. Three text bubbles worth of text, and 50% of it is just recycled from the previous conversation. That seems a little silly to me.

I even like so-called "fluff" too - I scanned like everything in every Prime game, and I've spelunked into Brawl's depths to read about history and trophies and all that. It's just that, when it feels like my time/efforts are being wasted, it bugs me.

[Ceric]

I enjoyed the "fluff" in Prime.   Especially Lore Entries which is why I kept going a lot of the times.  Thats what kept the destroyed ship in Prime 3  from being one of the most interesting levels to something they just threw in because they already had the assets from the other storyline they were working on.

Though I am playing Rune Factory right now and the games fluff is somewhat horrible.  The fluff itself is good.  Just that people keep saying the same thing over and over and over.  Right now the only line I really get is the one about Carmite Cave because I haven't beaten it yet.  I'm suppose to find a Wife and socialize.  Come on folks.  Games that do that annoy me.  I wish I could have played Earthbound.  Actually I settle for reading a full game transcript.

[EasyCure]

I'd let you borrow my copy if you promised to:

A. keep it out of your kids mouths
B. don't lend it to someone else
C. give it back
D. Enjoy it to the fullest
E. Drink the kool-aid....

[ReverendNoahWhateley]

I usually talk to all the villagers I can in an RPG, because you never know when someone's going to give you a health potion or a +1 Something of Something.  That said, how much I enjoy sitting through conversations and imposed lore depends on how well it's done.  If a villager doesn't contribute anything besides iksome observations like "It will be dark soon..." or "Things were better before the dragon arrived," then I'd rather not bother with it.  A prime example of badly done lore is that of Culdcept Saga for the 360, which I am currently slogging through.  "I dreamt of stars last night...(five second pause)...is my destiny among them?  (10 second pause)  Who's to say?"

And then there's Animal Crossing, which is often so clever and charming that I'll speak to the same character multiple times just to read the minute variations in their dialogue. 

[IceCold]

You know, I never played Earthbound. I also have never played any Pokemon game before.

Is Earthbound good enough to make me overcome my dislike of turn based RPGs?

[Smoke39]

Is Earthbound good enough to make me overcome my dislike of turn based RPGs?

It works for me. (:  You'll probably dig if it you like weirdness.  Also it helps that you can see enemies wandering around and try to avoid them if you want.

[Bill Aurion]

You know, I never played Earthbound. I also have never played any Pokemon game before.

Is Earthbound good enough to make me overcome my dislike of turn based RPGs?

Well, I don't know if it means anything or not, but I hate most turn-based RPGs and love Earthbound and Pokemon...

[KDR_11k]

I bet you're loving TWEWY, eh, Bill?

[Plugabugz]

Optional fluff in Metroid Prime is great. I read what i wanted and everything added to the universe a little bit more.
Compulsory fluff in Super Paper Mario is too much. I just wanted about 2 hours in to skip past it because its just talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk. It's not talk talk talk talk talk going anywhere talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk just endless talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk until you stop talk talk talk talk talk talk paying attention.


OR useless fluff....

1000 RUPEES! But you don't have enough space, so lets just put it back.

[Bill Aurion]

I bet you're loving TWEWY, eh, Bill?

I don't have it yet, unfortunately, thanks to Okami and Mario Kart...I hope to get it sometime next month...

[UltimatePartyBear]

I've loved this kind of thing every since Dragon Warrior (or Quest) 1's tomato girl drove me crazy.  She never had any tomatoes when I talked to her, but there was always the promise of tomorrow.  I would talk to her every time I played the game just to see if she ever had tomatoes.

In Golden Sun, I once found myself saving before talking to people just so I could reload and explore any teensy, insignificant branches in the dialog.  Then, of course, there's Zelos's special ability in Tales of Symphonia that gave my desire to talk to every NPC over and over again a purpose.  I was in  heaven.

[vudu]

God I hope Earthbound comes to the VC.  It's one of the few games that I really, really want to play that I'm somewhat skeptical will make it.

[EasyCure]

You know, I never played Earthbound. I also have never played any Pokemon game before.

Is Earthbound good enough to make me overcome my dislike of turn based RPGs?

see my last post

Oh and it might not change your feelings towards other turn based RPGs, but it'll make you LOVE earthbound

[vudu]

If no one else is going to take up EasyCure on his generous offer, I'm up for the challenge!

[IceCold]

Well, he'd have to change "kid" to "dog" for you.

[Ian Sane]

My problem with Golden Sun was that it was so much blather talk.  Think about what it's like having a conversation in real life.  I love talking with someone if it's about something interesting.  I get a real conversation going with someone and it can last hours and it'll all be enjoyable.  Same with videogames.

Golden Sun however is like a ditzy girl going on and on about her makeup and clothes.  I just don't care so shut the f*ck up!  But in most games I seek out every NPC and really want to know what they say.  Just don't fill it full of boring sh!t.

Golden Sun even asks you yes or no questions for rhetorical stuff like "Don't you think that's awful?"

Or any game with this type of conversation irritates me:

"I have an idea!"
"An idea?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"

Four lines of dialogue for something that in real life would be two or perhaps the person would just state their idea outright without the little back and forth.

Most of the time though I love little touches and optional extra backstory stuff.  But don't make it boring.

Also make sure I spend a fair amount of time PLAYING a game instead of WATCHING it.  But I think that's a different topic altogether.

[EasyCure]

If no one else is going to take up EasyCure on his generous offer, I'm up for the challenge!

First PM gets to borrow the game, as long as you follow the rules i stated above.

I just love the game that much. My friend Joe let me borrow it way back when and i fell in love with it. I kept it till i beat it, then i borrowed the players guide/instruction manual it came with cuz it was awesome! (It was written like a newspaper with 'articles' about the game as quirky as the game itself). Whenever i was bored of my games i'd beg him to let me borrow it again and i'd play it thru all over again, from beginning to end. This continued for a few years until i found myself a used copy.

I haven't played it since Highschool (about 4 years ago?) since i dont have the kind of time to play, let alone dust off the SNES and find all the connections to hook it up. Thats why i wish it would come to VC already, so i can play it even if only for a few mins a day. If I can help someone discover this game like my friend did with me, i'll be happy. Its like a legacy or something.

[ReverendNoahWhateley]

If I can help someone discover this game like my friend did with me, i'll be happy. Its like a legacy or something.

I have the very same relationship with an old game called Star Control 2.  I preach its gospel whenever I get the chance.  Remember folks, you can dowload it free and legally off the interenet, although it's called "The Ur-Quan Masters" to avoid any legal entanglements.  Seriously, it's perfectly okay to download it, the game's creators WANT you to download it to create enough buzz for them to create a proper sequel.

EDIT: And if you DO download it, and you enjoy it, be sure to send a letter or email to Activision asking them to make a sequel.  There's instructions on how to do so on the Ur-Quan Masters site.