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Do spoilers ruin a story?
- Thread starter Vexii
- Start date
Absolutely not. If I don't want to experience the story a second time, it wasn't that good anyway. And that's not really possible to do spoiler-free.
I find that I actually enjoy stories more the more I know going in because I can appreciate foreshadowing and other details more than I could blind.
this just applies to stories. Having gameplay moments and solutions spoiled can actually ruin the fun if you'd have otherwise enjoyed finding a thing/answer on your own.
I find that I actually enjoy stories more the more I know going in because I can appreciate foreshadowing and other details more than I could blind.
this just applies to stories. Having gameplay moments and solutions spoiled can actually ruin the fun if you'd have otherwise enjoyed finding a thing/answer on your own.
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not getting this, at all. wouldn't you've been equally interested in this if you went in blind? with the bonus of not knowing where those beats would lead to?...
really not getting this. re-reading a book, or replaying a game, can be a very enjoyable experience. i do it all the time. but so can doing either for the first time, without knowing anything beforehand. they're distinctly different experiences, & the fact that the former is enjoyable doesn't somehow cancel out the unique experience that the other provides...
Yes, I usually lose interest in playing or watching stuff that I have spoiled for myself beforehand.
Nah spoilers mean literally nothing to me. If your games story can't hold up after being "spoiled" it simply wasn't worth me playing it in the first place.
I have a friend that's the complete opposite and takes things to such an extreme level is crazy. When we started playing Final Fantasy XIV (The MMO) he would rage and complain about how Summoners (A class in the game) pets were ruining the game and spoiling him because they're based off of bosses / summons that have existed in way older FF games. There was also a point playing that game where they left the discord for over a week because somebody said that there was a snow area in the game in chat.
They refuse to look at any kind of media or trailers for literally anything and complain about "spoilers" from things that released 10-20+ years ago.
I just can't grasp the thought process behind that really because it's actually just insane to me.
I have a friend that's the complete opposite and takes things to such an extreme level is crazy. When we started playing Final Fantasy XIV (The MMO) he would rage and complain about how Summoners (A class in the game) pets were ruining the game and spoiling him because they're based off of bosses / summons that have existed in way older FF games. There was also a point playing that game where they left the discord for over a week because somebody said that there was a snow area in the game in chat.
They refuse to look at any kind of media or trailers for literally anything and complain about "spoilers" from things that released 10-20+ years ago.
I just can't grasp the thought process behind that really because it's actually just insane to me.
YES!
Not even a debate why people feel entitled to ruin others experience? If the whole thing was intended to be out there before people have the opportunity to experience the way they are supposed to the director/studio/developer/production company/actors/writer/whole fucking crew would do it themselves.
Not even a debate why people feel entitled to ruin others experience? If the whole thing was intended to be out there before people have the opportunity to experience the way they are supposed to the director/studio/developer/production company/actors/writer/whole fucking crew would do it themselves.
Why not just let people experience things how they want? I can't personally get people that do want spoilers, but I also don't care if they do.
Focusing specifically on the first playthrough experience here:
In most cases, they will not outright "ruin" it, but for me, personally, the "wait, what?!" surprise of a plot twist is far more enjoyable than the knowing "ayyyy, there's that twist I've been waiting for!" so for me it definitely lessens the enjoyment and impact of the story.
I am not one of those people that is able to see big twists coming from a mile away, so it's generally easy for a game to surprise me, and I enjoy that.
Just thought of this analogy, and it may not be perfect, but for me it's kinda like this:
Say I really love horror games. The actual experience, adrenaline rush, etc. of being scared is, by itself, something I really enjoy.
Someone comes along and says "Would it really ruin the experience if we took out most of the scary stuff? The game's not only relying on this stuff to be fun, right? If the game is really only banking on scares to be fun then it must be a bad game?"
Well of course there's other stuff in the game - maybe some puzzles, maybe some action sequences, some story, etc, and if I'm not busy being scared then I can focus more on those parts of the game and still enjoy it. But if I love the feeling of being scared, then the game with the scary stuff removed will not hit the same highs that it would have with it included.
In most cases, they will not outright "ruin" it, but for me, personally, the "wait, what?!" surprise of a plot twist is far more enjoyable than the knowing "ayyyy, there's that twist I've been waiting for!" so for me it definitely lessens the enjoyment and impact of the story.
I am not one of those people that is able to see big twists coming from a mile away, so it's generally easy for a game to surprise me, and I enjoy that.
Just thought of this analogy, and it may not be perfect, but for me it's kinda like this:
Say I really love horror games. The actual experience, adrenaline rush, etc. of being scared is, by itself, something I really enjoy.
Someone comes along and says "Would it really ruin the experience if we took out most of the scary stuff? The game's not only relying on this stuff to be fun, right? If the game is really only banking on scares to be fun then it must be a bad game?"
Well of course there's other stuff in the game - maybe some puzzles, maybe some action sequences, some story, etc, and if I'm not busy being scared then I can focus more on those parts of the game and still enjoy it. But if I love the feeling of being scared, then the game with the scary stuff removed will not hit the same highs that it would have with it included.
I disagree, the scene is within a context of a game, movie, etc.
A personal example, i was really looking forward to watching Saw. i finally got the movie and as I went to my apt, I told a friend that I couldn't hang out because i was going to go watch Saw, and he straight up spoiled the big twist of that movie. I was extremely pissed. I watched the movie anyway, but knowing the twist, all the impact the scenes had was gone, the whole subplot with the guy they hinted as being Jigsaw, all that was moot.
Its not about one scene or one spoiler, but all the work the writers and director did to create a flow to get you to those moments and give it a punch.
That's a good example of a spoiler ruining the way someone would see it. Maybe it doesn't ruin the whole story overall, but a big appeal of the movie is the whole situation the two guys are in being so random and scary and claustrophobic. Knowing that ending just really would lessen it.
Great example.
I still love the first film and the way the story builds up throughout is still really enjoyable but I can still remember watching it at the cinema and that reveal at the end. If I had been spoiled then there is no way that film would have had the impact it does. Not because the film isn't good without the spoiler, but it adds to it and makes it that much more enjoyable.
I don't care about spoilers. I often spoil things for myself and it usually makes me more interested because I want to see how everything was executed. I understand that many people do care tho and I'd never purposefully spoil someone else.
Do spoilers ruin a good story? No.
Can spoilers ruin your experience of a story? Sure.
It really depends on the story and on the person. I'm a firm believer that if a story is good enough, you can jump in at any part of it and it will be a great story. You learn more after, you learn more before whatever. It's generally only stories that rely on check reveals that are ruined by spoilers. If a story is good enough all parts of it can grasp you so starting at any point is fine and anything that spoiled is only more interesting and enriching in context.
Doesn't work for everybody though and some people only enjoy stories certain ways, which is fair. It gets more complicated when experiencing the story means playing through a game. As what is motivating you to play that game might just be the story reveals so if you know them all, no motivation to play the game.
If its a movie I don't care I'll spoil the hell out of it, if its a game though that I'm going to be locked into for 30+ 60+ hours... yeah spoilers can really take away my motivation to play.
Can spoilers ruin your experience of a story? Sure.
It really depends on the story and on the person. I'm a firm believer that if a story is good enough, you can jump in at any part of it and it will be a great story. You learn more after, you learn more before whatever. It's generally only stories that rely on check reveals that are ruined by spoilers. If a story is good enough all parts of it can grasp you so starting at any point is fine and anything that spoiled is only more interesting and enriching in context.
Doesn't work for everybody though and some people only enjoy stories certain ways, which is fair. It gets more complicated when experiencing the story means playing through a game. As what is motivating you to play that game might just be the story reveals so if you know them all, no motivation to play the game.
If its a movie I don't care I'll spoil the hell out of it, if its a game though that I'm going to be locked into for 30+ 60+ hours... yeah spoilers can really take away my motivation to play.
This is completely subjective and depends on the person. For me the answer is yes, though "ruin" is going a bit far. Spoilers definitely significantly lessen my enjoyment, though.
Literally the only time that spoilers matter to me are in cases where a mystery/revelation is actually pivotal to the plot. Think The Sixth Sense for a typical example; the twist gives the entire rest of the movie a new perspective.
Otherwise, I pretty much never care. I feel like, in MOST cases, things don't lose their impact when you know the beats ahead of time, and if they do, then it's more of a case of bad writing that fails to get you invested in how the unfolding plot affects the in-universe characters and setting of the story.
And I have no shortage of loathing for spoiler culture that stifles discourse in general.
Otherwise, I pretty much never care. I feel like, in MOST cases, things don't lose their impact when you know the beats ahead of time, and if they do, then it's more of a case of bad writing that fails to get you invested in how the unfolding plot affects the in-universe characters and setting of the story.
And I have no shortage of loathing for spoiler culture that stifles discourse in general.
Yes, but some spoilers are worse than others.
Example
Someone watching GoT S3 and knowing what's coming in episode 9, is missing a huge emotional impact.
The episode is still great, but it isn't the same as experiencing it without knowing whats coming.
Got spoiled on the movies 6th Sense and Shutter Island. Still great movies, but watching them without knowing anything would have been SO MUCH BETTER.
Example
Someone watching GoT S3 and knowing what's coming in episode 9, is missing a huge emotional impact.
The episode is still great, but it isn't the same as experiencing it without knowing whats coming.
Got spoiled on the movies 6th Sense and Shutter Island. Still great movies, but watching them without knowing anything would have been SO MUCH BETTER.
Nah. I'd rather know going into something whether I'll like it or not then wasting my time just to hit a shitty ending or nosedive in story quality.
Knowing about the Red Wedding is what got me into Game of Thrones in the first place, and it still had a huge impact.
Knowing about the Red Wedding is what got me into Game of Thrones in the first place, and it still had a huge impact.
Yes, but some cases are worst than others. I can deal with twists or even definite conclusions but finding out that the ending of a game is a sequel hook can really tank my enjoyment of the game cause it feels like none of my actions in the game will amount to anything.
Manga reader would never touch anime if that's the case and of course they don't care about "spoilers".
Another basic example: Harry Potter book fans it's the same deal. Of course they went to watch the movie in the teather.
This discussion is pretty stupid imo. If you don't want spoilers just stay away from any media that can provide them.
The game will be far more than just a really good story.. ND always delivers man.. just wait and see.
And for the people who are reading this spoilers it's quite different to live the experience playing the entire game compared to some random spoilers that can only read ( some of them could be fake also ).
PS: ignoring this thread after the post.. people are overreacting so much just because they know how good this game can be. ERA dissapointing once again.
Another basic example: Harry Potter book fans it's the same deal. Of course they went to watch the movie in the teather.
This discussion is pretty stupid imo. If you don't want spoilers just stay away from any media that can provide them.
The game will be far more than just a really good story.. ND always delivers man.. just wait and see.
And for the people who are reading this spoilers it's quite different to live the experience playing the entire game compared to some random spoilers that can only read ( some of them could be fake also ).
PS: ignoring this thread after the post.. people are overreacting so much just because they know how good this game can be. ERA dissapointing once again.
Any good story is a ladder, one step leads into another to get you where they want to take you.
So imagine coming into TLOU 1 in the middle, I dont know maybe leaving Bill's Town, all that bonding between Ellie and Joel, and everything that happened so far, is lost. Sure you can read later about Tess or Ellie being immune, but all that flow is lost. You can still get engaged, but its less powerful.
Why not make sure that the first time you experience something is as strong as it can be, go in blind?
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i would never go out of my way to spoil a story i know someone is excited for, but i've just never personally been someone who cares about going into a story with no spoilers. a good story is a good story no matter how many times you've read, seen, or played it, and the literal play-by-play of what happens in a story is much less interesting to me than how it gets there and what it says imo. the critical story beats of a good RPG for example hit just as hard the second and third time for me even though i know what's coming, because there's so much else to a story to experience beyond the literal bullet points
There are some extraneous variables here, though. People get caught up in the concept of spoilers and the belief that they spoil things and that you are supposed to be upset about it and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just being spoiled made you angry at the concept of being spoiled and that killed your ability to enjoy the story.
but that's not how storytelling works. going into a story knowing a spoiler isn't starting halfway up the ladder. you still start at the beginning.
I would say yes... a who done it where you know who does it is not the same as going in blind... likewise if the ending to the 6th sense, the others, 12 Monkeys was known beforehand the whole sensation of watching and then realizing the twist would be gone. The experience would be less than sub par.
Once I see a movie/book and know it's ending, it is interesting to go back and see/read it again to see what I missed and whether I could have seen the twist coming. But going into it with known spoilers would not make the same impact nor the same experience.
Once I see a movie/book and know it's ending, it is interesting to go back and see/read it again to see what I missed and whether I could have seen the twist coming. But going into it with known spoilers would not make the same impact nor the same experience.
If someone spoiled that protagonist switch in MGS2 it would suck and take away some suprise but it wouldn't ruin the game. However if someone spoiled the original bioshocks twist it would ruin it big time.
Stop putting such high emphasis on surprise in the stories you experience and you'll never have something spoiled again. Good stories don't rely on just surprise.
I still enjoyed the story. The movie is great. But the feelings people had about the twist and how that made them revisit, and rethink the movie, etc all that was lost to me. I had a worse experience than people who didnt get spoiled.
yes you are right, I was responding to Cloud-Strife specifically, he said a god story you can go in at any time and still be enjoyable, I forgot to quote him, so I didnt mean that as being about spoilers.
It's impossible for spoilers to ruin a story. I think that's why many are so afraid of them, because they erroneously believe that.
Knowing what happens may lessen your experience the first time through, but if you read spoilers and don't like the thing, then it's because the thing is bad or not to your taste. Not because you read spoilers.
Knowing what happens may lessen your experience the first time through, but if you read spoilers and don't like the thing, then it's because the thing is bad or not to your taste. Not because you read spoilers.
Spoiler alert: spoilers make you enjoy stories more
Are we sure it's not just the fact that people are truly upset at people being dicks?
Also, video game stories? el oh el!
Are we sure it's not just the fact that people are truly upset at people being dicks?
Also, video game stories? el oh el!
There's no way The Red Wedding or Vipers death would have any where near the same impact, shock value, intensity or emotional weight if you knew what happened in each scene before hand.
That said, some stories are so predictable, or so timid in the way of surprises or shocks, that spoilers are less of an issue.
Ultimately I would say spoilers ruining a story depends on the story, but they can certainly detrimentally affect one's experience, enjoyment of or response to a story, sure.
That said, some stories are so predictable, or so timid in the way of surprises or shocks, that spoilers are less of an issue.
Ultimately I would say spoilers ruining a story depends on the story, but they can certainly detrimentally affect one's experience, enjoyment of or response to a story, sure.
Never bothered me personally to be honest, I've never gotten upset over being spoiled as far as I can think of.
It can be very bad for stories that hinge on suspense or mystery. If a story is designed to walk the player past a carefully crafted mix of hints and red herrings before arriving at an equally carefully crafted big reveal, then obviously a third party dropping a spoiler on the player would ruin that intended experience.
If story isn't a big priority for the game, then it's not as bad. For example, I don't really care about spoilers in Doom Eternal's story because it's just fluff anyway.
If story isn't a big priority for the game, then it's not as bad. For example, I don't really care about spoilers in Doom Eternal's story because it's just fluff anyway.
Holy shit THIS so much. Like, if you're telling me it has a twist ending, you've literally just spoiled it and any benefit of said twist is now out the window since I'm expecting a twist. Movie ads are notoriously terrible about this.
Obviously, hence they knew what to expect and the scenes didn't have the same surprise or shock value. But they'd have experienced that when they first read the books instead, unless of course they were spoiled on those scenes before reading the books.
For me absolutely, especially if its something I was really looking forward to. I couldn't watch the game of thrones final season because I didn't have the time during the original airing and had it completely spoiled, after watching every other season I will never go back and watch the final one.
If I had Last of Us 2 or any game I was really excited and waited a while for spoiled I wouldn't play it for a couple years.
If I had Last of Us 2 or any game I was really excited and waited a while for spoiled I wouldn't play it for a couple years.
Talking only about videogames but I was the type of guy that went blind on everything but honestly today I do not care anymore.
Games are more than story too, thanks god.
In other mediums I can see it being more problematic.
It cans change my interest in the game though. Talking about two recent examples. knowing the spoilers of FFVIIR I knew it would be a clusterfuck, Nomura mess. Reading the ones on TLOU2 made me more interested in the game (and I was already REALLY interested on it).
Games are more than story too, thanks god.
In other mediums I can see it being more problematic.
It cans change my interest in the game though. Talking about two recent examples. knowing the spoilers of FFVIIR I knew it would be a clusterfuck, Nomura mess. Reading the ones on TLOU2 made me more interested in the game (and I was already REALLY interested on it).