Research on "who" you felt like in Amnesia

[Thomas]

We are very interested in hearing on who you felt like when playing Amnesia.

1) Did you feel like YOU were in castle Brennenburg and that you acted in a way that you yourself would do.
Or
2) Did you feel like you were Daniel and throughout the game acted as you thought Daniel would acted (not meaning that this was a conscious process perhaps, but more that you put yourself in Daniel's shoes and then acted out of instinct).

Also, some extra questions: Amnesia starts out pretty vague on who Daniel is, did your "relationship" with Daniel and your thoughts on who were change during the game? When you learned about the horrible things Daniel had done, did you feel personally responsible for that, did you put yourself in the role of Daniel (taking partial responsibility), or did you feel personally unaffected and just put the blame on Daniel.

The reason why we are interested is because we are in the process of building the main character for the next game and are very interested in how player's bonded with the character. So please answer the poll and if you have the time, add more details in a reply.

Thanks in advance!

[A Luna]

The way I felt throughout the game was different all the time. At first I felt like I was walking in the tunnels but once I know more about Daniel, it turned out to be 50-50 me-Daniel who was playing. I knew I was walking on Prussian grounds but I didn't really know much about where the game was going until I came to the cells and morgue.
Somehow, I always felt scared when the monster showed up or when scary effects happened because I hardly knew anything about the story/game and who I was or what I was dealing with. Later that changed because I got to know how the game worked and I knew more of the story (thus more about Daniel). After that, I was hardly scared again.
So that's kind of my deal in the game. I felt like myself inside the game, but later I knew it really was Daniel who had done everything.

[Tanshaydar]

Another question from Thomas!

1) Yes, I felt like I was really in that murky castle. In fact, I was once lost in a prison under a castle (in a school trip), and feeling was quite similar.

2) To be honest, I couldn't feel empathy for Daniel much. At first, maybe, but after a while my sympathy for Alexander grew bigger and Daniel become a distant character in story, who was weak.

I'm not saying those like they are bad. It was thank to great opening: where character 'literally' remembers nothing; so do I! That gave my the perfect chance so replace myself into the character from the very start. As I learned what happened, I was learning (not remembering); and I was the one who should face what Daniel has done and again, I was the one who should face Alexander.

Since I myself became the player, dangers in the castle were directly unto me; I had to protect myself, hide myself, keep sober myself, etc...

On a side note, I'm more of an antagonist person. Only games I was fond of protagonists was Penumbra series and some of the Silent Hill games (not all of them).

[Gasjockey]

I have yet to finish the game, but from what I've played thus far I must say it sort of depends upon how Daniel acts. There are moments where I feel like I am Daniel, and moments where I just completely fail to identify myself with him at all ("Are there more dead people here?" IN THE MORGUE )

[EDIT] I chose the "slowly acting more like him" option because that was the closest to how I felt, still not completely true though, should have more options maybe?

[Xanatos]

I started off as myself being a blank slate (as is typically the case when one has amnesia) but as the game progressed I gradually came to understand who I used to be and why I was doing what I was. As I mentioned in my review a while ago, I began to question who the real monster stalking around Brennenburg was and whether I was still in the shoes of that same monster.

Focusing on player-character bonding, eh? Now I'm really curious to see what your next diabolical scheme is...

[Fomzo]

Hmmm that's interesting. I'd like to feel like myself in the game
I chose the third option...

[Vasyenka]

At first, I felt as myself. My character hardly knew much since the beginning, and that blank slate allowed me to fill myself in those shoes. I explored much of the castle as I could, seeing as how I was interested in its history and perhaps the what/why of my character's state. The decline in sanity and hearing extra voices/noises/seeing images made me feel as though -I- was losing it a couple of times.

As the game progressed, I started to feel "Daniel" emerge. It may have been the constant use of his name, referring to the main character (ie, "you") as "Daniel", to the point of "Daniel" trying to justify himself. It didn't leave much room for me to feel as though ~I~ committed such acts, or as though ~I~ was trying to justify ~my~ actions. I wouldn't say I was placing the blame on Daniel, but rather as I got to know Daniel, the more familiar it became that I was playing a different character.

On the other hand, while playing "Justine", I felt as if it was myself from beginning to finish.

Spoiler below!

I had learned of how terrible this "Justine" woman was, and thought perhaps I had to kill her at the end as Daniel had to kill Alexander. I played through it rather quickly my first time around, so by the time I reached the end and learned that you ~are~ playing as Justine, it took me by surprise! Throughout the game, I felt as if I ~had~ to save the prisoners, but by the last Suitor, the only thing I felt was the end to look out for ~myself~. I felt my priorities shift as I learned how difficult it was to save everyone - sounds horrible, but it's the total truth! LOL

I hope that helped! You guys are amazing, and I can't wait to learn of your next project! <3

[kailip]

1 & 2: I played being myself but at Daniel's shoes, as you described on the 2nd question. I mean, as Daniel, I would do anything to live, even if I was the "bad guy", no matter how many evil acts I've done. If I had played with Alexander I would pretty much do the same. But this is story related. While actually playing the game, I was myself. I kept thinking 'I can't die, I must survive'.

Yes, the relationship did change. You suppose Daniel is a 'good guy', just trying to survive, but he has done evil things and some players may act different after knowing this.
I took partial responsibility, but I didn't actually care, as I said, If I were Daniel I would do anything to survive, including every evil act he has done. And if I were Alexander, I would do the same, too.

In justine this moral part of the game was really well made, too. I personally really liked the ending.

Like Tanshaydar, I'm more of an antagonist person. The only thing that kept me away from having sympathy for Alexander is
1: the fact that the immersion of the game wouldn't let me: I was playing Daniel's role, and
2: the fact that Daniel did evil things as well.

A suggestion: Amnesia and Justine have heavy influences on the player's thought during the game as you give more details about the character.
That could be used to make this next game with some focus on this: More moral choices through the game that may change the game's ending.
I know amnesia and justine had multiple choices and endings, but I didn't feel like the game had any type of focus on this characteristic.

[Your Computer]

I was myself throughout the game.

did your "relationship" with Daniel and your thoughts on who were change during the game?

Nope.

When you learned about the horrible things Daniel had done, did you feel personally responsible for that, did you put yourself in the role of Daniel (taking partial responsibility), or did you feel personally unaffected and just put the blame on Daniel.

Consider it for me as like watching a movie: you could get into the whole story and get immersed but never placing yourself in the place of the main character.

The moment you provide something about the main character that blatantly differentiates between me and the character is the moment you've lost your chance in making me assume that i am indeed the player. This can be as simple as giving the player a name other than my own (note, allowing me to give the player a name won't help either, but it is a nice idea to consider for us CS makers!). The fact that you never see the face of the main character is a good step towards reaching your goal of placing the player into the shoes of the main character, but you're going to need more anonymity and my actions being what makes the story flow rather than setting a stage or linear story that i have to follow or act in.

Believe it or not, i'm an introvert. So you'd figure it'd be a lot easier to get me immersed into the story than those who aren't, especially getting me to believe that i am indeed the main character. However, as mentioned, the more specific you are on the character i'm supposed to assume, the less you'll get me to believe that i am indeed that character. (This would also imply no voice acting.) I know being less specific or being completely anonymous while having events that flow with each other that i nevertheless drive is a very difficult task, but if you want the highest chance of me assuming that i am the character, i'm going to need the steering wheel.

[A Tricky Carnie]

My experience with Amensia started out playing as myself (and I guess Daniel) just looking around, just trying to figure out whats was what, as I learned more about Daniel, I feel as I started to distance myself from him, while still playing his role (pretty much, I acted as I feel Daniel would have, but I rejected his former self for the things he had done).