Selecting which narrative track to follow isn't what I mean by meaningful.
and how am i supposed to know that? it's a "meaningful choice" in the context of the game it exists in. it's not an interesting choice from a mechanical standpoint ofc.
One, from the context that I was talking about it as a dexterity challenge and not a ~narrative fork~, and two, because this is the design forum, and the assumption should be that we are talking about game design, not narrative.
Well, I do think narrative intersects with design, particularly when you're attempting to meld mechanics and story-telling together. The time travel aspect of Chrono Trigger was inseparable from how the narrative unfolded.
yeah heavy rain is bad. it's bad as a choose your own adventure novel (shouldnt that be movie?)
Selecting which narrative track to follow isn't what I mean by meaningful.
and how am i supposed to know that? it's a "meaningful choice" in the context of the game it exists in. it's not an interesting choice from a mechanical standpoint ofc.
I think QTE's fail the "interesting mechanic" sniff test real hard.
A good execution challenge requires a few things.
1) That it provides the player with interesting choices. The mechanic should have a context that fits within the overall system of the game. For instance, last hitting in a MOBA makes sense as an execution challenge because it ties into the economy of the game and opens up strategic opportunities for the players (Using a skill to last puts that skill on cooldown and might consume a resource, last hitting with an attack forces you to stand still and leaves you open to retaliation, etc).
2) That it be consensual. A good execution challenge is going to demand concentration and focus from its player, and it is very jarring when the game sneaks up behind you and suddenly demands you press some random buttons. It would be like replacing the Olympic games with a squad of cameramen that go around randomly waylaying world class athletes in their daily lives and demanding they do their routine on the spot, right there. Sitting at the coffee shop having a latte and suddenly, "HOLY CRAP YOU'RE ON CAMERA CLEAN AND JERK THIS 350 POUND BARBELL RIGHT NOW DO IT DO IT DO IT". It would not beget a world class performance. By denying the player the opportunity to get into the mindset of concentration and performance, and the environment to experiment with different strategies for success, you are doing them a disservice.
I would argue that Shenmue is a good game
in spite of its reliance on QTE's. I don't think they're endemic to the telling of the story, and I think it could have been a more successful franchise had there been more weight behind the mechanics. Imagine if it didn't have a compelling narrative, it would have been a complete bomb.
The point about RE4 subverting convention in cutscenes is an interesting one, but I'm still rather dubious about their inclusion in the game. For instance, the portion where you're chased by El Gigante through the canyon is not a QTE. You have to actually run, shoot locks off of doors, drop the boulder on him, etc. Had the entire thing been an QTE sequence, I don't think it would have been as engaging.
I think once the initial shock wore off, it returned to business as per usual. I see a cutscene, I'm on the guard for a QTE to pop up. I do it, I proceed through the game, I fail it, I have to try again until I succeed. At that point, they're no longer shocking since the game has established "Cutscenes are not safe." Afterward, they return the being an annoying and pointless Simon Says game mechanic. I would rather they have replaced those scenes with something that leverages the game's current mechanics.
Regardless, cutscenes have been successful subverted and we can move out. We've had our "Ceci n'est pas une custscene" moment and it's passed. Personally I find giving the player freedom during otherwise scripted sequences/plot dumps is more interesting, and less intrusive into the flow of the game.
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