Difference Between Lore, Plot, And Story

[Sitchrea]

During my time on the forums I have observed many discussions involving the Lore, Plot, and Story of the game. Unfortunately, many people do not know the differences in denotation each reference bring with it. As an author this bothers me greatly, and I feel that I should point out the dissimilarities these three terms share.

 

So, for clarification:

 

(NOTE this is objective, not subjective. Saying, "Well X means Y to me" will not counter these definitions. The internet says so.)

 

LORE

 

The characters, locations, and objects within a universe and the information regarding their history, locality, and functionality.

 

Example of Lore:

The Grakata is the basic firearm issued to every Grineer Lancer.

 

PLOT

 

Plot is the order of events which pertain to the Lore occur.

 

Example of Plot:

General Sargus Ruk invades the Gradivus Sector of Mars. Alad V responds with a counterattack on the opposite side of the Mars System. The Corpus retreat to hold the line at Martialis Sector. One week later, the Grineer break the siege and establish control over the Mars System.

 

STORY

 

Story is the ultimate overarching term for how the Lore and Plot relay information, whether through imagery, symbolism, emotionalism, metaphor, or direct storytelling.

 

Most of the time in gaming this is done through direct storytelling through gameplay, text, or cinematics.

 

Example of Story: 

The Tenno awaken from cryosleep to find the world they left behind in ashes. Working to rebuild their lost home and forgotten memories, they struggle to regain their technology and identity from the vile pit of scourge the Grineer and Corpus have reduced the once great and mighty Origin System. Though enduring agonizing losses, the Tenno work to create a society for themselves, desperate to rediscover their home and to answer the greatest of questions: Why are they here? Who are they? What are they? Is there a point to fighting anymore?

 

I hope this information is useful.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Sitchrea

[Mcl_Blue]

I don't know what anyone else means when they say they want more lore. But when I say it, this is what I mean anyway.

[Sitchrea]

I don't know what anyone else means when they say they want more lore. But when I say it, this is what I mean anyway.

 

What do you mean, "This"?

[MumblesMcphatty]

I don't know what anyone else means when they say they want more lore. But when I say it, this is what I mean anyway.

 

Most just demand "lore" because it sounds more grown up than asking to be told a story ... and it rhymes with "more" which I imagine is a very popular word around here. ;-)

 

OP - is pointing out - that we get little bits of lore with every new frame & weapon added to the game.

 

What people are actually asking for - is a story - something to tie together all the tiny little half done bits of plot that we currently have.

[Sitchrea]

 

 

What people are actually asking for - is a story - something to tie together all the tiny little half done bits of plot that we currently have.

 

^This^

[GinKenshin]

well, I know a different meaning of the word "Plot"...........

anyway, thank u very much for this info, I hope is actually helps someone instead of just saying "we want lore" all the time >_> 

[Phoenix86]

I think the "need more lore" everyone asks for  (me included) is because there could so much to talk live and play about warframe, their origins, their enemies, etc... that it is a shame that 90% of it is made in the fan zone from users and not given out by DE themselves

 

Just think about games like Diablo, Starcraft, Guild Wars, Elder Scrolls... you end up farming everywhere, like here in Warframe, but they also do have a huge Lore/Story/whatever_you_want_to_call_it behind

 

I think that is what people is asking for, at least that's what I am asking...

[Anatolius]

Oh I actually do want lore with respect to your definition. I am interesting in their history and the Orokin culture that once was.

(Hopefully I understand what you mean)

[(PSN)timbob90210]

When I ask for lore, I'm referring to more information on the event prior to the game (e.g. the old war and the sentients).

[(PSN)SancticuS]

Good points but sadly the thing that is priority one for this game is

 

GRIND

 

anything else is just icing on the cake

[DrBorris]

Yes, and what needs to be done is mashing them all up.https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/382328-progression-20-a-complete-rework-of-the-presentation-of-warframe-update-123-focus-and-serration/

Edited January 26, 2015 by DrBorris

[Mcl_Blue]

What do you mean, "This"?

 

LORE

 

The characters, locations, and objects within a universe and the information regarding their history, locality, and functionality.

 

Example of Lore:

The Grakata is the basic firearm issued to every Grineer Lancer.

 

Unless you want to tell me that this description doesn't cover stuff like Codex entries and the like, in which case I'll have to change my stance.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

I like lore. Flavor text is delicious.

[Sloan441]

They're all related, of course.

 

But..

 

Lore: background.

Plot: where you're going.

Story: how you get there.

[Niryco]

But Lore in warframe is so VAGUE!

 

Look almost all the weapons, there is nothing interesting about them but the comment box saying they are sharp, they have fast fire rate, etc etc. What can we learn from this is nothing.

 

Only recently they revamped some of the warframe description so that there is lore and story behind them.

 

But lore in this game is almost non-existent.

 

We know that the grakata is the grineers preferred weapon, but does it probably have stuff about who made it and why the grineer prefer the weapon? Or the Dera compared to all the corpus weapons.

 

Also stuff like the orokin weapons having rubedo based blades and that being it.

 

Then the infested, we do a story quest to find out they exist but nothing about their origin. Then there also isn't any intro to the corpus faction and what they do or who founded it.

 

We don't know the purpose of the grineer, it is stated that they want to rule the origin system but do most players know that? It just seems like the grineer are hungry for tenno power, similar to AladV of the corpus.

 

Also Alad V is such a sudden appearance without almost any back story, who is he in the whole corpus community before he went crazy? Why did he have so much access to stuff and black markets and jupiter bases?

 

We know there are many grineer leaders, but we don't know what each leaders are in concept. We just know they fight for power, some more corrupt then others and that is it. It is very general and basic, even the feudalistic empires had the same concept but with more interesting stories.

 

Vay Hek is ruthless in his recent attack is plot, but seriously why is he so desparate to kill the tenno when he was originally so power hungry and wanted to take power for himself, not destroy it. I expect Vay hek to be more smarts even though he is aggressive, we never get to know any of his past successes. The repeated failures by him makes him out to be uninteresting till his lore cannot be taken seriously.

 

I may just be me seeing all this but so far the lore in this game is still very vague, general, cliched and well what anyone can expect by a merchant VS an empire with zombies type of lore.

 

Merchant want to profit, goes out and profit by selling stuff and scavenging dead tenno. The Space empire is so evilz, they want to conquer the whole place and call their own for who knows what purpose. Then we have the zombies that just want to eat and kill, consume and assimilate and the super heros who band together to take down all these people who just don't seem to be related to each other.

 

Oh a side note, even past lore about stuff that the grineer's cloning equipment was confiscated by the Earth Federation government was is an easy to come by lore find. I found it once but can't see it anymore. During the period of the orokin war the grineers had their cloning equipment confiscated because they were a power hungry nuisance. The Earth Federation government sort of disappeared during the midst of the war and the grineer got back their equipment but since it was centuries away since they last used it their techniques become imperfect.

 

Hence they are experiencing their genetic defects now. I am not sure if you can find this lore entry anywhere but i remember reading it up somewhere and it sounded really interesting. Then the rest goes and it is quite boring after that, we don't even know why the queens are orokin hunting and the only assumption is space arms race with the corpus which isn't even supported lore.

 

There is so much that needs some back story, something that we can awe and think back about. It is quite sad that we as players have to make up our own theories about everything and the sadder fact is these theories can't in anyway have a nice twist because we have to think logically. Twist in lore and what not provides the attention, the climax and details, the points in warframe history that made warframe its own universe.

 

My 2 cents.

[Sitchrea]

 

Just think about games like Diablo, Starcraft, Guild Wars, Elder Scrolls... you end up farming everywhere, like here in Warframe, but they also do have a huge Lore/Story/whatever_you_want_to_call_it behind

 

Grind is fun so long as there is a story-based reason to do it. Diablo proves that very true.

[Morec0]

I link lore and plot a little more closely together, personally, with plot being it's own form of lore - one that progresses as we move through the game. Still, I DO agree that we need more history, and not just for the Tenno. A simple one or two sentence bit for the Grineer or Corpus bosses (and maybe even a few of the basic units) would be enough for me. Small snippets that we could link together to get a bigger picture of how they operate and what they are, at their core.

[WERElektro]

K...

I still want more lore. *shrug*