How do you feel during a chase?

[AlexCarlson]

I usually panic a tiny bit and try to throw stuff at the monsters and fucks up.

[Unearthlybrutal]

In my opinion, the music does make it scarier, because whenever I play a mod were they have a grunt or brute without the sounds, it just doesn't scare me as much. Then again it also depends on how long the sound plays for. If I am running for about 10 minutes or so, then it just starts to irritate me.

Too many people just listens to the music and waits until it ends (music stops -> there's no monsters).

[Diz]

Too many people just listens to the music and waits until it ends (music stops -> there's no monsters).

As far as I am concerned, sometimes the music would keep playing until the player investigated themselves. However, perhaps this only went on for so long, as well. If this is a problem, we need a mechanism that simulates the way of thinking and perception.

If a monster approaches, have its theme play in the background. If/when it decides to go elsewhere (or technically despawn), leave the music on until you investigate some more, having it fade away slowly once you have experienced it yourself and are aware that the monster is nowhere in the immediate near, and go back to the area's creepy atmosphere soundtrack.

You can make it so that after a period of no encounters, hearing the monster in the distance will not start any monster track, but you lightly picking up on it, and once you definitely can hear it good and clear, have the music start.

My point is to remove predictability and analysis of the monster soundtrack system and rather configure it as much as possible according to what the player and character is picking up and should be thinking and feeling. Is the monster still out there? Who knows? Keep the track playing until you find out then, perhaps. Either that or make up a system where monsters do not simply up and vanish and that the music goes away when you can no longer actually hear them, then reappear when you do hear them again.

The reason for my paragraphs is that the soundtrack does potentially make the game scarier, if anything. Music will impose feelings and terror if done right, something Mikko Tarmia (and I am more than confident the composer of A Machine For Pigs will too) pull of extremely well. Of course, if you play custom stories and the like, the soundtrack may not play as important a role and may more serve as tool for analysis and all of that, but I am mostly refering to one's first playthrough of The Dark Descent here. For most players, music will enhance emotion and terror. If the problem is that players use it too much to their advantage, it is better to come up with a system that better implements it and makes it behave less to an advantage, even if that might be very hard to implement, as I still feel removing monster tracks would have potential intensified atmosphere and additional horror go to waste. =)

[maarten12100]

Run Forest Run!

In my opinion, the music does make it scarier, because whenever I play a mod were they have a grunt or brute without the sounds, it just doesn't scare me as much. Then again it also depends on how long the sound plays for. If I am running for about 10 minutes or so, then it just starts to irritate me.

Too many people just listens to the music and waits until it ends (music stops -> there's no monsters).

The monster won't disappear in Penumbra gotta deal with it.

[PutraenusAlivius]

Too many people just listens to the music and waits until it ends (music stops -> there's no monsters).

As far as I am concerned, sometimes the music would keep playing until the player investigated themselves. However, perhaps this only went on for so long, as well. If this is a problem, we need a mechanism that simulates the way of thinking and perception.

If a monster approaches, have its theme play in the background. If/when it decides to go elsewhere (or technically despawn), leave the music on until you investigate some more, having it fade away slowly once you have experienced it yourself and are aware that the monster is nowhere in the immediate near, and go back to the area's creepy atmosphere soundtrack.

You can make it so that after a period of no encounters, hearing the monster in the distance will not start any monster track, but you lightly picking up on it, and once you definitely can hear it good and clear, have the music start.

My point is to remove predictability and analysis of the monster soundtrack system and rather configure it as much as possible according to what the player and character is picking up and should be thinking and feeling. Is the monster still out there? Who knows? Keep the track playing until you find out then, perhaps. Either that or make up a system where monsters do not simply up and vanish and that the music goes away when you can no longer actually hear them, then reappear when you do hear them again.

The reason for my paragraphs is that the soundtrack does potentially make the game scarier, if anything. Music will impose feelings and terror if done right, something Mikko Tarmia (and I am more than confident the composer of A Machine For Pigs will too) pull of extremely well. Of course, if you play custom stories and the like, the soundtrack may not play as important a role and may more serve as tool for analysis and all of that, but I am mostly refering to one's first playthrough of The Dark Descent here. For most players, music will enhance emotion and terror. If the problem is that players use it too much to their advantage, it is better to come up with a system that better implements it and makes it behave less to an advantage, even if that might be very hard to implement, as I still feel removing monster tracks would have potential intensified atmosphere and additional horror go to waste. =)

Mikko Tarmia won't be the composer as the developer is thechineseroom. And thechineseroom have Jessica Curry. Ever played Dear Esther? She composed the music. Ahhhhh. It's so soothing.
----
Maybe, when you're done being chased, have the music fade out. But, if the monster is in the area, it will fade back in.

[Tiger]

Run Forest Run!

"Run Forrest, run!"*

[wubwub]

when chased i scared

[WALP]

As for that big discussion about monster music, I would suggest not having the it scripted into the monsters themselfes, but the maps. this way you cant rely on the music, but having a soundtrack play often in parts of the game where monsters are will freak you out anyway.

[felixmole]

The reason for my paragraphs is that the soundtrack does potentially make the game scarier, if anything. Music will impose feelings and terror if done right, something Mikko Tarmia (and I am more than confident the composer of A Machine For Pigs will too) pull of extremely well. Of course, if you play custom stories and the like, the soundtrack may not play as important a role and may more serve as tool for analysis and all of that, but I am mostly refering to one's first playthrough of The Dark Descent here. For most players, music will enhance emotion and terror. If the problem is that players use it too much to their advantage, it is better to come up with a system that better implements it and makes it behave less to an advantage, even if that might be very hard to implement, as I still feel removing monster tracks would have potential intensified atmosphere and additional horror go to waste. =)

What I think is that nothing should be changed with respect to the music system. Instead, each encounter should be well scripted and make it so the player will not always have to "sit-n-wait". This has nothing to do with the AI of the monsters but with the scripting of the levels.

For example,

• Depending on the corner you are sitting by, make the monster slowly but surely head to said corner.
  
• If there are multiple rooms during a "monster roaming" sequence, make the monster break into each of them, but make it so that the last room it breaks into is the one you are occupying.
  
• And of course, a few encounters where the player only has to hide behind a pile of boxes and wait.
  

Of course, I am certainly biaised, I may be liking Mikko Tarmia's music too much

[Brosive]

In my opinion, the music does make it scarier, because whenever I play a mod were they have a grunt or brute without the sounds, it just doesn't scare me as much. Then again it also depends on how long the sound plays for. If I am running for about 10 minutes or so, then it just starts to irritate me.

Too many people just listens to the music and waits until it ends (music stops -> there's no monsters).

I'm talking about the screeching music you hear when being chased, with the other music, I would have to agree that normally people wait till they don't hear the music and then continue the game. The only time I feel the music could be useful, is if the creator made the monster never despawn.