Figured somebody here would get a kick out of this

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, I understand and agree with the notion of players being mute so you have to imagine what they said on your own. I believe I mentioned that before. Now, as to conversations becoming disjointed unless you go down the options in order... Yeah I've been there, and honestly it's usually not too bad but when it is, I wouldn't really want to blame the player. Allowing you to pick options is fine and all, but if they didn't program it so that it would allow for whatever plot holes or disjointedness one might make when picking options in the order they want, basically forcing you to go in order if you want it to be seamless, then the player really doesn't have a real choice... at least I'd say that... I would say it is the programmer's fault when such things arise.

That problem seems more common in older games (or games designed to be like older games)... some newer ones too, but more in older ones. Well, and ones where not only does your character not speak in sentences but, like in a Zelda game, they don't even have some speech-replacement method like verbs on a list... :) I know, it's another way of doing the same thing, but it's always weird in a game when you have one-sided conversations... they talk and talk about things and you can't say anything in response, except to ask another question! Annoying... (of course, what they say often is written just fine from a writing standpoint, but from a believability standpoint...)

For example, I'd say that most major graphical adventure games have good conversations. Not just one person talking (since usually in adventure games you are not playing a 'You' but a specific character designed for game game, so writing their lines out is the way to go. There are exceptions to this, of course (see the Zork series or adventure/RPG QFG)), writing that works, and a conversation system that works and makes the conversation sound as believable as it could... it's mostly in older or more simplistically designed RPGs and adventure games where you really have problems with conversation believability, I think. But really, despite the numerous variations, I'd say that most good PC adventure games and RPGs, no matter the age, do a decent job of it. Though you do sometimes have to suspend some disbelief.

The story isn't just original; it's crappy. Really, if it were in anything but a videogame people would make fun of it to no end. I think that just goes to show what a great method of storytelling it was that valve came up with.

I don't know, if it was a movie it wouldn't be regarded as a great movie story for sure but lots of action movies don't have great stories so would it matter much if it was interesting and well presented enough?