*sigh*
Okay, I know that not everyone's mother is an author (mine is), so not everyone understands the differences between plot and story or the differences between goal/objective and task.
The plot is the order in which the major events occur (everything else is what's called sideplot). The story is what happens during the plot points, in between the plot points, and why.
The goal/objective is what a character hopes to achieve. Every character has one. (This is also a basic in acting -- you must always know the goal and objective of your character, even if you are one for three seconds and have no lines.) The task is what you must do to achieve your objective.
What you described as the story, Baggins, are the objectives.
So, let's use these basics building blocks and apply them to King's Quest 1 and then King's Quest 2.
King's Quest 1
Plot:
-King Edward loses the three treasures (technically, if you read the manual, this is three separate plot points but if you are just going through the game, it is only one plot point.)
-Graham is sent to retrieve the treasures.
-Graham retrieves the Mirror
-Graham defeats Dahlia
-Graham retrieves the Chest
-Graham retrieves the Shield
-Graham returns to the Castle
-Edward dies
-Graham is crowned (which I believe is just assumed in the original, because that was Edward's last words

)
The storytelling of this is pretty good -- although certainly not the strongest in the series. Though, through the manual, you know how each treasure is stolen you don't ever get an explanation for how it ended up exactly where it ended up. Some you can assume -- the Mirror and the Chest, but the Shield is kind of like... "Uhm?"
Also, without the manual, it is not *entirely* clear that Dahlia is the villain who betrayed Edward and stole the chest. It is hinted at, certainly, and it makes it make sense that the note that gives you a clue to get to the chest is in her house. That's another weak spot -- but if you read the manual, this is how the game has you deal with the villain. (It might be better if you also dealt with the sorcerer and the dwarf, to be fair.)
So, all in all, it's pretty clear on what's going on.
Then we have....
King's Quest 2
Plot:
-Valanice is captured by Hagatha and locked away
-see Valanice in the mirror, depart for Kolyma
-find the door
-find the first key, unlock door
-find the second key, unlock door
-kill Dracula
-find the third key, unlock door
-catch and release fish, ride fish to island
-rescue Valanice
-marry Valanice
Now, the thing is... the first two things are only in the manual. There's no introduction *at all*. That's the first problem with the story. The second is, there's really zero explanation as to the door, the keys, or why the keys are where they are. Beside that, how does Dracula figure in to all of this, and why do you have to kill him instead of dealing with Hagatha? What about the enchanter? The dwarf? There's NO explanations, they just have you go through the tasks. You have to look for any explanation there might be, it doesn't come along with actually fulfilling any of the plot points. That's not just a failure in storytelling -- that's
not storytelling.
Yes, they are simple stories. That's part of why it's outrageous that the second one was barely told!