Sure, they are both important , but which is more important to you that they get "just right" , the gaming world itself or your character's avatar ? Assume that they will both be well done regardless .... which of the two would you like to see that little bit of extra attention in if you had to choose ?
POLL:
https://www.pantheonrotf.com/polls/view/219/avatar-vs-game-world
I was going to add sounds/music and gameplay to the choices, but thought I'd keep it simple.
For me it has to be game world, I would of course like both to be immersive and well done but I can handle a poor character as long as my entire world surroundings are of excellent quality and big enough to get lost in.
I can always go into first person mode to be even more immersed and then never have to see my character too. ;)
But I would always want both to be good quality.
I can't chose, i need both to be done well.
Avatar and the game world are the two things i constantly see on my screen, In VG I loved seeing hills and running over to see what was on the other side, my rogue and disciple in VG had such a great flow of moment in their combat actions, watching a Disciple with a bladed staff was just mesmerizing.
DONT' MAKE ME CHOSE
Well considering the fact that I tend to watch me avatar running away or with her back to me unless I am changing something on her person, I think I would go with environment. Game designers have an ability to create some of the most beautiful and breath taking scenes I have ever seen in games. With today's computers there is no telling what they can do with environment and avatars.
One point on avatars.... in the VG beta, at one point, Rangers had this absolutely flippin AMAZING double sword attack where they would cross their arms, swords pointed down and then swing both swords up simultaneously. I'd sit there in beta waiting for that ability to cool down just so I could use it and see it again. Then one day I logged in and the graphic had been changed. I was HUGELY disappointed.
If it hadn't changed - just that one attack animation would have had me playing a ranger at launch. Instead, I ended up on a sorcerer.
So - while my answer above was (and remains) environment for me - I still believe that how your avatar looks, and what its animations are - matters hugely in tying you to the game.
Easy question for me. I prefer, if possible, to play in first person view, so.......game world !