U WOT M8? Story plays a huge role in what makes games enjoyable.
Planescape torment, Arcanum, baldurs gate 2, etc. Gameplay is fine in some of those games but the story is what makes those games awesome... Imagine baldurs gate 2 without Irenicus or fallout without the master.
Hell... Bloodlines gameplay was Horrible but the story was the only thing that keep me going,
First of all none of those games, baring Planescape torment, had a good story. They had a competent story (if that) backed up by good
atmosphere and good/decent/challenging gameplay.
You will notice something interesting as well about all the title's you mentioned, none of them have a standard fantasy setting. Even the D&D title BG2 was bloated with ilithids, machinery, bizarre experiments by Irenicus in labs that suit sci fi, planar creatures and drow. It was so over the top that it more or less escaped fantasy cliches. More importantly though you miss the point, combat is not the only form of gameplay in any of the games you mentioned except for BG2.
BG2 - I highly doubt anyone could play through this 80 hour adventure if it wasn't for the diverse and entertaining magic system and loaded with monsters with unique effects. I for one couldn't care less about Irenicus, Imoen, the drow or thief guild (especially not for 80 hours with side trips). I just wanted to find the loot and to fight tougher demons and dragons.
Planescape: Torment - Amazing setting with unique GAMEPLAY mechanics backing up a unique story i.e. the dialog, character building ,equipment decisions ,party composition were the gameplay. The combat was crap sure but it's not the only thing you were doing.
Arcanum - Amazing setting, where once again what made it fun was not the fucking story
the story had a twist, that's about all you can say about it. It was a fun game because you got to make choices about how to handle any situation i.e. use my skills to sneak in, fight, cast magic, build traps, diplomacy, a mixture of all of the above etc. The gameplay was in making decisions about your character that changed what he could or could not do, what items he could or could not use, the combat is not the main feature.
Vampire the Masquerade - See Arcanum
Fallout - See Arcanum
Notice as well that no one ever really says, if only the story was better this game would be awesome. The main complaint is always with the combat. The goddamned combat that everyone is desperate to dumb down and 'balance' while focusing on stories. FFS.
Point is games like Dragon Age have shitty gameplay and thus are shitty games. In Dragon Age all your choices only improve one thing, your ability to kill things, everything else is static. You know the outcome of everything that will happen. You will a.) kill it b.) sleep with it c.) walk away that's it, that's the gameplay. Being force fed a story suited for 14 year old girls (no matter how good) doesn't improve this.
people like you is why we can't have nice things.
