What new features would you add in a non-Amnesia Frictional Games Adventure?

[The Rock Worm]

Let's say you had the honor of making the new game series after Amnesia, what would you add? Until Amnesia 2 is out, let's assume your new feature(s) isn't in Amnesia 2.

To get things rolling, I will set up the story area: You are a student of a university (Lovecraft's Miskatonic University, though we need a Frictional Games version of the name) and you have special night duties. However, upon arriving the doors seal themselves shut, and a bloody mess is everywhere and monsters lurk around! You have no idea who is left alive (that you knew) but you are completely alone!

Feature 1--Varying Sanity Drop: Depending on what monster you see should determine how fast or slow your sanity drops. Say you see a giant spider, double the ones in Penumbra, and even freakier in appearance. Your sanity would drop. However, when you see a human with disturbing disfigures (like the face of the Brute to give an example), your sanity would drop faster than seeing the large spider. Now if you see an Eldritch Horror, a creature/entity with such a worst-nightmarish appearance and abilities that your sanity quickly speeds towards insanity.

Feature 2--Fewer/No Lights: Things like glowsticks or tinderboxes to light up those ever-burning candles adds too much comfort for the player. Now a flashlight/lantern that provides light but eats fuel like crazy is good. Now refills would be extremely few to non existant (so you'd really have to save)!

Feature 3--No NPCs/Short-lived Hope: Seeing Agrippa in Amnesia provided comfort and hope, while leaving him meant leaving that comfort. Having no NPCs/Short-lived Hope would be better. Here's an example: you hear the voice of your friend coming from somewhere around the corner in this university. Hope building, you run towards the voice, only to see/hear that person be killed and the corpse flung through the closed-curtained large office window. Admittedly, having another person adds hope and encouragement to the player, so the described situation should be added.

Feature 4--Smarter Monsters: You as the player can outsmart/outrun monsters you encounter. Even the Brutes/Grunts, while physically tough, are a bit stupid. Now imagine a few monsters smart enough to set traps for you! Even mimicking a person's voice to draw you in! You moving objects to hide you or barricade a door is a smart move for you, so imagine if a monster could lock you in where it wanted you! Now not all of them would be very smart, only a few. We don't want you to expect a trap coming.

Feature 5--Dropping items: As soon as you get an item for your inventory in Penumbra/Amnesia, it tends to remain there. Keys/beef jerky are examples of exceptions. Having anything you grab can be dropped would add to the realism. Some could be dropped when a monster hits you!

Feature 6--Taking Injuries into account: When I played Dino Crisis 1, I was impressed when you were injured the character had its mobility affected. Injured leg, bruised arm, and slower movements are the main examples. Having these in the game would add to the realism of the game. If you take a big fall, you could brake your leg and thus move slower. You could be bruised, run out of breath and need to stop, or even sneeze in a dust wall (which would get the monster's attention).

So, what other feature(s) would you add? Any thoughts on these features I've thought up? If you're working for Frictional Games, I hope you take these ideas into account for your next adventure.

[Gaviao]

awesome ideias!!! the feature number 4 is the best!,

[Deep One]

Feature 7: No visible "sanity meter". Seeing something disturbing would rise character's heartbeat, cause blurry vision and another insanity effects. Losing too much sanity would cause serious hallucinations or even death. Like in CotC: Dark corners of the Earth.

[The Rock Worm]

awesome ideias!!! the feature number 4 is the best!,

Thank you very much . Trap-planning monsters would certainly scare most players, probably even me!

Feature 7: No visible "sanity meter". Seeing something disturbing would rise character's heartbeat, cause blurry vision and another insanity effects. Losing too much sanity would cause serious hallucinations or even death. Like in CotC: Dark corners of the Earth.

Great idea! I hadn't thought of that! That would certainly be one to have!

[Robby]

Feature 8: No visible health meter. As your health drops, the character's breathing becomes more and more labored and heavy, the screen would lose color or get blurry, and the sounds would slow down as your health starts to reach zero.

Feature 9: Sprint system. Nuff said.

[Damascus Rose]

"non-Amnesia Frictional Games Adventure"

Amnesia: The Dark Descent>General Discussion


But asshole-ing aside, I think feature 3 would be better if you met an npc and were able to become good friends with him and develop a relationship, only to see him brutally murdered from what you are mutually running from. Kind of like Red

[Macgyverthehero]

One feature I'd like to see is guns.

I know weapons would ruin the atmosphere of horror but I think someone should at least try making and testing to see if firearms are possible in a game that uses the current version of the HPL engine.

It would probably work like in Jurassic Park Trespasser, you have a gun that is loaded with a certain amount of ammo and once you waste all the bullets you can no longer use the gun.

I'm not asking to include any guns in any of Frictional Games's future games (except maybe as a prop), I'm just asking if such a thing can be done.

The script for the hold-able torch you see in some Amnesia Custom Stories could be used for as a base for the guns, and right clicking would be to fire the gun instead of right clicking to throw it.

[Adny]

I disagree with features 2 and 3. This "hope" you're referring to is contrast, something very necessary to make the scary parts seem scarier. If the entire game is nonstop-scary and the player doesn't feel safe for 1 second, it all becomes homogenized and much less scary. Having safe areas makes the player feel that much worse when they know they have to leave it and go into a dark corridor.

The contrast between the Back Hall and Storage. Need I say more?

[The Rock Worm]

Feature 8: No visible health meter. As your health drops, the character's breathing becomes more and more labored and heavy, the screen would lose color or get blurry, and the sounds would slow down as your health starts to reach zero.

Feature 9: Sprint system. Nuff said.

Feature 8 Makes sense and is a great idea.

I like Feature 9, it reminds me when I played Monster Hunter Freedom. It too had a sprint system that, if it ran out, you slowed and had to stop to breath.

"non-Amnesia Frictional Games Adventure"

Amnesia: The Dark Descent>General Discussion


But asshole-ing aside, I think feature 3 would be better if you met an npc and were able to become good friends with him and develop a relationship, only to see him brutally murdered from what you are mutually running from. Kind of like Red

This thread started with a new Amnesia engine, hence placing it here, but then the idea evolved into new features for a new adventure.

I did not appreciate you calling me an 'asshole'. Misplacing a thread shouldn't deserve that.

That aside, I hadn't thought of the 'Red' scenario. Maybe hearing him/her (like Red) to start with and then when you would meet the person 'only to see him killed' is a good idea.

I disagree with features 2 and 3. This "hope" you're referring to is contrast, something very necessary to make the scary parts seem scarier. If the entire game is nonstop-scary and the player doesn't feel safe for 1 second, it all becomes homogenized and much less scary. Having safe areas makes the player feel that much worse when they know they have to leave it and go into a dark corridor.

The contrast between the Back Hall and Storage. Need I say more?

I'm not saying 'no hope at all', simply less hope/comfort. Make it seem like you're entering the unknown.

[Damascus Rose]

I did not appreciate you calling me an 'asshole'. Misplacing a thread shouldn't deserve that.

I was referring to myself.