2013-02 Tuesday 19th, Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs Status Update

[crisosphinx]

I guess their is one thing I might be a little sad over, the more popular Frictional Games get. The more the forums will be targeted by trolling assholes. (Nothing wrong with new fresh faces around and more talent. But just those damn trolls!)

That and people who just join because they found this place and then try to work their way into getting into contests and stuff, then create jumpscare infested crap, because PDP said it'd be good to put barrels everywhere (i guess that can be labeled as trolls?).

[Alex Ros]

...Originally we thought it would be a short, experimental game set in the universe of Amnesia, but thechineseroom had a vision that was bigger than that. As their work progressed, the potential for a much greater project emerged. What we ended up with is no longer what we had first imagined, but a fully fledged Amnesia game. A different kind of Amnesia, but definitely not a short experiment...

As for me that's the most interesting part of the announcement. Amnesia was strictly classical horror game in a cliche haunted house. Frictional do know it by themselves if you played Amnesia with a commentary mode. They knew it's a just horror horror and horror and a only little bit of philosophy, subtext, undertones... etc. And that "hole" is exactly what I presume is now filled. At least thechineseroom are exactly those guys who do games... not even a games, but subconscious stories with twisted experimental game-mechanics. If Frictional made their experiment with throwing away weapons system, I do believe collaboration with thechineseroom made the Amnesia universe even more unpredictable, game mechanics even more unexpected, storyline choices a lot more less-clear and they will torture your mind "did I make a right choice?", etc... I do believe they digged with experimenting with primal fear, helplessness and moral duality of everything you do and just see a lot deeper. Now it will be a lot less like Edgar Poe with haunted houses and a lot more like... I do not know like what. Something a lot more unique and self-contained.

As for immersion. The presence or absence of voice or text is NOT that thing that sucks you into a fearful fantasy world. Of course voice or text do matters, but they aren't critical. Critical are storyline, level-design and characters (including enemies). No less, no more. There's nothing to even talk about.

[felixmole]

It would be great if a few more trailers like this one were released. No spoilers, not a place you can find in the game, and no monsters you can clearly see.

[Minecrawler]

As for me that's the most interesting part of the announcement. Amnesia was strictly classical horror game in a cliche haunted house. Frictional do know it by themselves if you played Amnesia with a commentary mode. They knew it's a just horror horror and horror and a only little bit of philosophy, subtext, undertones... etc. And that "hole" is exactly what I presume is now filled. At least thechineseroom are exactly those guys who do games...

Amnesia is not only horror, horror and horror. Amnesia has a background story and some interesting exploration out of the storyline. For example the notes of the builder of bridge machinery in control room, or some other parts of prussia kingdom. Amnesia is very intellectual and presents high-level story telling. It's not only about the horror. There are also some very nice melancholic parts in the game. For example the Back Hall. It's a place that feels like to be in heaven - the very contrary of horror. But that makes a very impressively contrast between cozy and the dark side of human evil.

After all, thechineseroom aren't those guys who filled a hole. I think there is no hole to fill. They show how to make an intellectual game with Dear Esther, but a game like that, where the player absolutely can't do anything, is not that kind of game I want. I very like to explore the world and thinking about puzzles how to get forward. I want to be involved, build my own way out and want to think what to do as next.
In combination with good story and atmosphere, that all makes a good game. Not only one of that things alone!

As for immersion. The presence or absence of voice or text is NOT that thing that sucks you into a fearful fantasy world. Of course voice or text do matters, but they aren't critical. Critical are storyline, level-design and characters (including enemies). No less, no more. There's nothing to even talk about.

Well, but that doesn't mutually exclusive each other. Story and level-design actually is nearly perfect, so why not make the texts also perfect? And I think the text wise takes a very big affect to immersion. It makes a big difference if the player says "I" or "You" to himself. This little text change will influence the immersion!

And where they're working on translations now, I don't see anything why not making it correct from the beginning.

[PutraenusAlivius]

Well, but that doesn't mutually exclusive each other. Story and level-design actually is nearly perfect, so why not make the texts also perfect? And I think the text wise takes a very big affect to immersion. It makes a big difference if the player says "I" or "You" to himself. This little text change will influence the immersion!

And where they're working on translations now, I don't see anything why not making it correct from the beginning.

I half-agree and half-disagree. If you wrote something like an assignment or something, you wrote
"To-do: Ask friend for any kind of homework."
OR
"Gotta do something!"

So the Journal doesn't need any improvements. The text however, do need it. It does show that a third person wrote that.

[Tesseract]

This is really really painful, can we just set the ramblings of Minecrawler aside and talk about something that relates to our thoughts on the news, or our excitement to play this new game?

[Kman]

This is really really painful, can we just set the ramblings of Minecrawler aside and talk about something that relates to our thoughts on the news, or our excitement to play this new game?

every googolplex/dark side thread ever in a nutshell

[sasaluvsamnesia7]

So excited for this game! I am looking forward to it so much. Not a huge gamer , and it is the only game I'm buying this year. Have my money saved up. Glad for the update, glad to know it's just about done, and that it's coming soon, even if soon is Q2, I am happy to know how big it's become, and am certain it will be a great horror game with a great plot.

[Minecrawler]

"To-do: Ask friend for any kind of homework."
OR
"Gotta do something!"

So the Journal doesn't need any improvements.

In english probably not, but when you translate to german, the understanding of the text is difference so that it looks like a third person wrote that to you. Also in a To-do list.

The text however, do need it. It does show that a third person wrote that.

That's it.

This is really really painful, can we just set the ramblings of Minecrawler aside and talk about something that relates to our thoughts on the news, or our excitement to play this new game?

My friend, then do it. I can't see any AMFP related stuff in your post.

[Tesseract]

This is really really painful, can we just set the ramblings of Minecrawler aside and talk about something that relates to our thoughts on the news, or our excitement to play this new game?

My friend, then do it. I can't see any AMFP related stuff in your post.

Maybe because I'm trying to change the topic back to what it's supposed to be about, I don't know whether you're a troll or not but you're the one who isn't on topic. You're complaining about something that is so diminutive that it does not matter at all.
Besides my comment pertains to this thread more than your comments do. Can we just discuss something that relates to the original post and quit trying to justify your extraneous complaints?