Fantastic horror experience + some suggestions!

[Shanodin]

So recently cleared the game with my friend and it was amazing.Couldn't do it alone because it was simply too scary, which is only positive. The fact that you couldn't fight the monsters made the horror that much more horrific

Frictional games, you have pulled off a masterpiece, and everyone I have suggested the game to agrees. However I believe there are a few things that could be used to improve your next game if there is going to be one.


1.) More variation in enemy types, behavior, animation and models.

2.) Even more variation in sounds. (not that there is much room for improvement in this area, because the way the game sounds is already stunning.)

*Minor spoiler below*




3). More things that your sanity has an effect on. Take for example the painting of Alexander that changes depending on your current sanity. These things are truly awsome.


*End of spoiler*


4.) More inventory management and a few more permanent tools would only add to things.

5.) Character progression? Maybe a some sort of point system to spend on slight improvements on your character. Examples:

- slightly increased movement
- ability to bash or pick locked doors open to some extent.
- Heightened senses
- Lore or language. If there were books or notes written in different language.
- improved sanity management

The goal would be not to make the game too easy but to add choices and
immersion.

6.) This one is tricky but I think would add to the horror. An optional choice for the player to put on a special filter that disables the usage of TAB, escape buttons for 2 - 5 seconds after an enemy appears on the players screen. Too often I would find my friend or myself panic and press esc instead of running away which breaks the immersion. To weaklings like us this would be a cool feature


Thats all. Thanks devs for making this piece of art. Share thoughts and stuff. Cya.

[Spooder Wekd]

i agree with all but the points system, that would INEVITABLY ruin the game completely, immersion gone while grinding or just when spending points. perhaps done behind the scenes. (making you run faster as the game goes on and stuff, with no notifications.) even that would be stupid and pointless. dont mean to sound too aggressive there... also with number 6. i would love NO PAUSE as at least an option. making inventory real time, and the esc menu would not pause either...
BTW if you instinctively press escape when an enemy shows up and you are playing with a friend. you are doing it soo horribly wrong!

[Sexbad]

I actually sort of do agree with the points system, but it shouldn't have any visible numbers to it. I have an idea for this:
Plenty of the puzzles and other situations in the game have multiple solutions, and how you get through them could lead to improvements on certain parts of your character. It probably wouldn't work with Amnesia because the game is about you going insane, but if something they made was built more like System Shock 2, there could be character building in categories such as lockpicking or linguistics, as OP mentioned.

[Shanodin]

After some thought the point system seems meaningless. character progression could simply be done by finding items such as:

- Shoes (should your character start without them): Would increase outoor movement speed but increase the amount of noise especially indoors.
- Glasses: allows your character to read smaller texts. It would also be nice if sanity affected your ability to concentrate and read clearly.
- Language and alchemy books
- a variety of needles or lockpicks of different quality and simulated lockpicking.
- Leather vest or similar clothes to absorb minor damage


Ofcourse finding items such as these would reguire some digging.

[Pojoman]

Having to read some sort of different language would just piss me off, I want to enjoy the story without having to break immersion with some lame lord of the rings stuff. However i do agree with the more monster sounds and more insanity things to mess with people ( that painting scared the shit out of me)

[Kein]

This is not an RPG...
If you want one - make your own Custom Story.

[Urrah]

(10-27-2010 07:00 PM)Shanodin Wrote:  1.) More variation in enemy types, behavior, animation and models.

Yes.

(10-27-2010 07:00 PM)Shanodin Wrote:  2.) Even more variation in sounds. (not that there is much room for improvement in this area, because the way the game sounds is already stunning.)

Yeah, maybe just a few more.

(10-27-2010 07:00 PM)Shanodin Wrote:  3). More things that your sanity has an effect on. Take for example the painting of Alexander that changes depending on your current sanity. These things are truly awsome.

Spoiler below!

I personally think FG they have this balanced pretty well, any more sanity triggers and Daniel would be taking amnesia potions every 5 minutes.

(10-27-2010 07:00 PM)Shanodin Wrote:  4.) More inventory management and a few more permanent tools would only add to things.

Maybe, I think the inventory is fine the way it is.

(10-27-2010 07:00 PM)Shanodin Wrote:  5.) Character progression? Maybe a some sort of point system to spend on slight improvements on your character. Examples:

- slightly increased movement
- ability to bash or pick locked doors open to some extent.
- Heightened senses
- Lore or language. If there were books or notes written in different language.
- improved sanity management

The goal would be not to make the game too easy but to add choices and
immersion.

God no, this isn't MW!!! This is exactly the kind of thing FG need to avoid doing, an upgrade system would wreck Amnesia's perfectly balanced gameplay.

(10-27-2010 07:00 PM)Shanodin Wrote:  6.) This one is tricky but I think would add to the horror. An optional choice for the player to put on a special filter that disables the usage of TAB, escape buttons for 2 - 5 seconds after an enemy appears on the players screen. Too often I would find my friend or myself panic and press esc instead of running away which breaks the immersion. To weaklings like us this would be a cool feature

Maybe, or you could just be brave and not tab out. Amnesia's all about immersion, imo if you pause the game every time something scary happens you're not playing it correctly.

[hollowleviathan]

I said elsewhere that some more convoluted puzzles would be welcome in the next game, but I think their relative simplicity in this one helps to avoid distraction from the issue at hand...namely being scared out of your mind and timidly, slowly, exploring into the depths of the castle.

[BeefJerky]

(10-28-2010 08:44 AM)hollowleviathan Wrote:  I said elsewhere that some more convoluted puzzles would be welcome in the next game, but I think their relative simplicity in this one helps to avoid distraction from the issue at hand...namely being scared out of your mind and timidly, slowly, exploring into the depths of the castle.

I would welcome puzzles that are more difficult, but not convoluted.

Adventure games tried the absurd Roberta Williams/Jane Jensen convoluted approach to puzzle solving and people hated it. Nobody wants the days back where you trick Roddy at the hotel front desk into turning around so you can steal the paperclip on his desk to assemble the rest of your pole made out of bubblegum, maple syrup, and cat hair to retrieve your credit card out of the sewer.

I'm not saying that's exactly what you meant of course, but it's just a fact that the more convoluted puzzles get in games the more the objects involved make no sense to the player and the immersion and enjoyment go down.

More difficulty would certainly be appreciated, though.

[hollowleviathan]

Obviously Adventure Game Logic™ is a big problem with those games and a snare to avoid. The puzzles in Penumbra were more difficult than Amnesia without being obtuse, although I did have to look up one because I simply did not know a pipe was breakable.

I think that Amnesia made the decision to sideline the puzzles somewhat to ensure that environment was front and center, which was successful and I enjoyed it. Now I'd like the puzzles back in the next one, hoping that they choose a new theme that isn't detracted by puzzles that are involving but not punishing or impossible.

It's good that they're playtesting their puzzles, as they mentioned in a commentary on Amnesia, to make sure something is as obvious/difficult to the player as they think it is. I expect and anticipate good gameplay from them in the future.