Do's and Don'ts of a Serious Custom Story

[ZRPT1]

3. Be Original!

Let's be honest, no one likes to see the same thing over and over again, it's just boring. So why should the same not apply for video games? Granted, scare points, locked doors, levers, traps, etc. are standards in an Amnesia custom map, if you are the one that stands out from the crowd and does something different, someone will notice and like it. Being original can be as simple as using custom skins/items/models, using items in creative ways, or even make the player do something they really don't want to, or that they don't expect.

Use custom skins, items or models. Sure, it's difficult and not everyone knows how. But if you have the skills, utilize them! It's not like someone's going to say that they disrespect your choice to be original. It will only ever get you praise for going that extra mile!

Use items in creative ways! Sure we all know that there are tinderboxes, lanterns, oil containers, hollow needles, keys, etc. But what if you were to use something weird. Like putting a book in front of a painting of a man holding a book to unlock a door behind the painting. People are creative. Letting go and just doing something creative like that will really put your map above the others.

Force the player to do something weird or unexpected. This is a horror game! Fuck with people's very thought process and mind rape them (Excuse my french)! If you make a player have to jump off of a tall building that would surely kill them (or so they think), then make them wake up safe and sound, that will knock their socks off! Chase them down a narrow hallway and force them into a room with 3 grunts (make them poofers for all I care), and put the door on the other side of the grunts. Hell! I'm the player, make me cry!

I think you're being a bit harsh on this one. Most of this stuff is really hard to implement for beginners, me being one of them. It's a lot easier to say then to do. I consider this first custom story my "Handling" for my first REAL project. Does it mean it's going to be half-assed? No. Does it mean that i'm not putting effort into it? No. Do i think it's going to be a good custom story? Hopefully. I'm just trying to say a lot of this stuff has to do with the fact that the community is expecting absolute perfect quality stories from it's newer scripters/modelers, but we need time and experience to do that. An example is that i'm trying to implement something somewhat complicated into my first map, but being a first time scripter it's hard to do that.

A lot of map makers give up after there first map because they hear negative stuff about their maps, etc. But what a lot of the community doesn't understand is that if it's a persons first time going and doing something, they need CONSTRUCTIVE feedback, not being harsh and saying "Everything was too bland, terrible map, worst map ever" etc. Just because YOU are good at doing some of the stuff that they're learning doesn't mean you have to flat out ruin their confidence. I'm not saying this is everyone on the forums but i see it often.....