RUNIC CIPHER'S PROFILE

Betcha your map count can't go OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAND.

Indeed. It's still in progress.

author=Dyhalto
Plot twists, character development, backstories, whatever; they're just tools in the toolbox.
What the player is going to remember is the emotions invoked during the game. When someone cites "good story", it's a euphemism for "I cried at the touching scenes ;-;". Rather than trying to ask fellow RMers what tools are most popular or best for the job, your goal should be to make the player laugh, cry, cheer, and get mad. This will be done differently for every single project, using a different set of tools, and using those tools very competently.
My advice is to do what you do and keep doing it. There is no substitute for experience, especially in something as abstract as storytelling.

This is one of the reasons I don't post often in design theory topics. Art comes from the soul. It's impossible to articulate what's right and what's not.

Seconding the emotion aspect. When you literally cry at the death of a character in any game or cheer the hell up when the hero makes it out alive on his own from a collapsing castle/underworld/planet/etc. at the very last second, you know something right was done here. A story that emphasizes in heavy emotions only makes the game more memorable in its own right.

Emotion matters more than how original or complex your story is. Basically, you have to feel the same way as the characters in the story to actually enjoy it; because it shows you have something in common with the game's cast, and you want to keep playing it further as a way of expressing feelings you normally wouldn't do elsewhere. The musical aspect only enhances it, if it fits.

author=Deacon Batista
Looks like trash... here's some more trash:

Hey, it's one of those Columbine Massacre dudes! Wussup?