"Linearity": Why all the fuss?

[dunno001]

Xxain said:
btw ppl, in a JRPG open world and linear world have slightly different meanings Open world= DQ8, FFXlll Linaer = Grandia, Xenogears

I assume you meant FF12 for an open world, and not 13? Anyways...

I've always loved games that let you wander around aimlessly, even if the story itself is fairly linear. Both the original Dragon Warrior (or Quest) and Final Fantasy can be described as such. Sure, the story is A > B > C > D > E. But I like finding K off to the side. I'm not afraid of this. Hell, get me lost! I enjoy it even more then! And this isn't limited to RPGs. Take the early Zelda games- finding everything you needed to do in them was a pain. (This is especially true in Zelda 1's second quest.) I can wander around, wondering where that next thing was hidden. Or Metroid. I remember playing that when I was young, getting lost in Norfair. But I loved it. I could keep wondering, have I been here? Is there another item through this door? And this is what I miss about today's games. I like exploring. Take me off these damned rails, let me get lost! But no, they keep making things more and more linear, solely for the sake of story. Now, I'm not saying a good story is bad. But when you can't let the player wander because you need to tell the story, it's time to make a movie instead.