Hello all. I'm finally working on the last chapter of those silly Living Nightmare games I've made. I'm planning on putting some serious work into this one. I wanted to discuss a few things beforehand though. Please feel free to give me input. I appreciate everything.
The majority of the third game takes place entirely within a sort of coma/dream. The setting of this dream is a gigantic, old mansion. James (the main character, if you're unfamiliar with all this) will occasionally be pursued throughout the house by something, but whether the player knows what it is or can even see it is yet to be determined.
Here's a few things I've learned as well as a few things I'm curious about:
I've learned:
*The scariest things are generally those which cannot be seen or explained. I received a lot of constructive criticism that as soon as the player had seen what he or she was supposed to be afraid of, the game instantly became less frightening.
*Puzzles absolutely need to make sense, regardless of the context.
*I need to make sure that the story is as clear as possible. I can see that the story in the other games can look incredibly disjointed when it's not being read by...well, me.
What I'd like feedback on:
*Simple puzzles are boring. It would be wise to change my generic 4 verb interface entirely. Action sequences would be lovely. What do you all think of a text parser? I like the idea of giving the player tons of options as far as what to inspect and interact with, and even hiding a few easter eggs within the commands.
*What would you make this presence following James look like, if anything? I would like to make some chase sequences...but how can I do this without letting the presence be seen? Could I maybe imply that you're being chased but the pursuer is invisible? (ie. As you're running away, a lamp falls over behind you, perhaps you hear footsteps closing in on you...)
*What other types of action sequences might fit well into a horror game?
Sorry for the long post, but thank you in advance for any help! I look forward to talking about this one.
The majority of the third game takes place entirely within a sort of coma/dream. The setting of this dream is a gigantic, old mansion. James (the main character, if you're unfamiliar with all this) will occasionally be pursued throughout the house by something, but whether the player knows what it is or can even see it is yet to be determined.
Here's a few things I've learned as well as a few things I'm curious about:
I've learned:
*The scariest things are generally those which cannot be seen or explained. I received a lot of constructive criticism that as soon as the player had seen what he or she was supposed to be afraid of, the game instantly became less frightening.
*Puzzles absolutely need to make sense, regardless of the context.
*I need to make sure that the story is as clear as possible. I can see that the story in the other games can look incredibly disjointed when it's not being read by...well, me.
What I'd like feedback on:
*Simple puzzles are boring. It would be wise to change my generic 4 verb interface entirely. Action sequences would be lovely. What do you all think of a text parser? I like the idea of giving the player tons of options as far as what to inspect and interact with, and even hiding a few easter eggs within the commands.
*What would you make this presence following James look like, if anything? I would like to make some chase sequences...but how can I do this without letting the presence be seen? Could I maybe imply that you're being chased but the pursuer is invisible? (ie. As you're running away, a lamp falls over behind you, perhaps you hear footsteps closing in on you...)
*What other types of action sequences might fit well into a horror game?
Sorry for the long post, but thank you in advance for any help! I look forward to talking about this one.
