Creating atmosphere?

[X4anco]

Hello peoples,
I am creating my custom story and have a great idea, but how can I create a tension building atmosphere?
This is a small demo I did for school:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13D0PJWQudg
But I don't think it creates that good of a atmosphere.
Please give me some advice on how to create the right tension building atmosphere.
-Thanks

[flamez3]

I think right audio cue's and excellent visuals do the job. Like an ambiance sound and then a scary scene followed by a calm, then add tense music or something

[Brute]

Have no idea. The atmosphere is good, I think. Would keep up the work!

[Rapture]

Depends on the player I suppose, I would try aiming to scare Cryaotic at the least. So that means alot of creepy little girls are needed, and events that happen where things will pop out where you least expect them to.

[Khyrpa]

You could try having new ambient sounds perhaps even a new soundtrack? Good example is White Night, it has a new soundtrack and that creates tension on first play. Those who have spent some time playing amnesia will find the original music almost comforting

Then you might test having cool lighting. Blue/Orange contrasts (...) or just torches that send shadows. A simple shadow can add a lot of depth to visuals. And visuals is one good way to create atmosphere.

Details everywhere... Your map doesn't seem to have any dim fogs, decals or details in general. More details give areas more personality that affects the atmosphere.

And spawning a monster right in the beginning of a story doesn't really give that much tension.

[Statyk]

One thing I noticed was that the ambiance played right in the beginning, then kept it throughout. I'd say let the ambiance play once you hear the first loud roar for a little more effect. Then tone it down/off after he disappears. Then bring it back up again, or a louder, worse ambiance when he's coming for you at the door near the end.

[RawkBandMan]

That was pretty good looking.

I say more like crying babies and like Rapture said, have some little girls

[SonOfLiberty796]

This actually was a pretty good atmosphere.

And as others already said: crying babies + little girls = scary. no one likes little girls when its a scary situation

[palistov]

The best advice I have for creating atmosphere is to pick an appropriate ambient sound. It sounds like you used a sewer ambient sound file for this map, but this place looks nothing like a sewer. If you wanted to have that drippy, damp watery feel, add some water drop particles and maybe some lower-level areas flooded with water.

There is a lot more to atmosphere than just sound. Lighting, the interplay between light and dark areas of the level, shadows, particles systems, billboards, fog, and even silence all work together to create the "atmosphere" in levels.

[Statyk]

I strongly oppose the little girl thing >> I don't think that's scary, I actually stop being scared when I see a little girl. Not to mention little girls don't really fit in this atmosphere... Stick to the unknown.