A good story is nothing if it does not surprise and innovate.
Familiar characters doing familiar activities leading to a comfortable resolution?
Why do that?
Life is uncertain. A writer’s life is more so.
Not to be rude, but what qualities does “story quality” have?
“Twilight” had a plot that a lot of people found compelling.
We could all name a story whose characters were likable, yet with an ending that fell flat.
For me, “innovation” means that past a good character, past a strong plot, there ought to be surprise. A new take on the genre, or on a magic system, or an extrapolation on a science that hadn’t been considered before.
There’s only so much that can be done within a culture or language, yes. But each of us as writers has a universe of unique experiences and interpretations which we can bring to bear on a work of art.