Weapons (please read and discuss)

[Cranky Old Man]

Underpowered weapons can work just as well at promoting helplessness as having no weapon. It's all about implementation. There were times when I was frustrated that hitting an enemy had no effect in Amnesia, or that I didn't bring that huge fucking sledgehammer from the torture rooms with me. I did, however, understand the reasoning behind it; helplessness is scary.

There can be different levels of helplessness, though. It can be slightly reassuring to have something that you know is there to help you along. Just because it's a horror game doesn't mean positive reinforcement isn't allowed. Therefore, having a weapon at your disposal is a kindness and won't ruin the atmosphere, just so long as it's done right. The monster should still not be able to be killed (not without GREAT effort and risk), and running away should always be a better solution. But just in case, it's there.

This is the philosophy I am undertaking with my Standards of Hell story. It being a Diablo story, weapons are completely necessary, simply due to the lore of the game. However, that doesn't mean it'll be a hack n slash, seeing as you play as a simple villager; the damage you can do to monsters is nil compared to what they can do to you, but wouldn't you still try to pick up a weapon in that scenario?

Now, I just need to find a way to include the system in Penumbra; it was clunky and unwieldy, but there. This makes it perfect for my interpretation of weapons in an HPL2 engine game.

A desperate struggle is still a struggle. The substances for fight and flight are two separate substances. By being given the option to fight, you are given a shelter (no matter how small) against fear. "Can I take him on with X?" shouldn't even spring to mind.