Multiplayer/Co-Op & Frictional Games? NO!!!

[Yuhaney]

No.

[maarten12100]

Indeed NO, use the search option next time.
For junk games like Survivor it is fine but for Amnesia it is poop.

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

use the search option next time.

To be fair, the search option is buggy as crap. I typed in "co-op" just to count how many times we've already discussed it, and it returned no results whatsoever.

Yeah, anyway, we've had that discussion about co-op and multiplayer in general a few times... and if I recall correctly, most of us did indeed come to the overall conclusion that the only way co-op could ever add to the horror experience instead of diminishing it, was pretty much what that guy said in the Cracked article.
Using the co-op as contrast to being alone, separating the players against their will, letting them search for each other... that were kinda the ideas that cropped up.

I still believe that communication is the main problem with the concept. If you let people talk to each other, even if they can't see the other person in-game they immediately will feel more comforted. Thus, my idea in the last thread was some sort of Journey-like multiplayer with no verbal communication at all. It wasn't really co-op though, more some sort of confusing nightmare world where you never know if it's another player you're running into or an enemy...

[Tesseract]

Co-op would ruin it completely.

[Gharren]

I want to see a game where both of the players will start at two distant points and will finish the game/round when they finally meet.

A game like this already exists, even though it's not horror. But I can't remember it's name right now.

[Deep One]

http://www.frictionalgames.com/forum/sea...order=desc

[Wapez]

I've given much thought into this too. I think that it actually could become good. You could start as two people playing, walking beside each other, and the game could have a concept like Amnesia. But some features needs to be added, here is what I came up with.

- You have to split up numerous times to solve puzzles, or to find the right path.

- You can talk in an in-game voice chat, but the voices have a range. If you move too far away from each other, you won't be able to hear each other's voices anymore. Maybe you could have a "scream" option too, where the player could scream for a longer chat range, but it would have to be with care, cause this might alert monsters or other creatures.

- The players can "save" each other, which means that when one of them gets hurt, he becomes disabled and will need his friend's help. They may also help each other by pulling the other up after falling, and as he's hanging on the edge. This will add some strategy into it - let one of them go first to check if it's clear. If it is, then the other one can come too. If it isn't, the second guy can help the first one. However, being torn up by a monster should result in immediate death. You'll have to find a balance which actions will only disable, not kill.

- Multiple monsters at once, dangers from different angles at the same time and having to split up to keep each other safe would be crucial for this to work.

Does anyone think that this doesn't sound too bad or am I just crazy?

[PutraenusAlivius]

Nope. Amnesia is meant to in strike fear to your hearts. Co-op definately ruins it. Why? It depends on the idea of a isolated and alone man. If you had somebody beside you (or in this case, you know there is there is someone else.), you won't be terrified knowing that somebody is freeing you or something.

[failedALIAS]

Like everybody else is saying, it wouldn't work. Valve even used the method of Co-Op on Portal 2 for the express purpose of making it goofier. People were more likely to take it easy and laugh with another person beside them.

[Tetrafish]

Some people might like it if it's done the right way. I think I'd like it. Maybe something P1 does would release a monster on P2. This wouldn't be to hinder P2 but ultimately to help them... Like removing something, maybe a metal bar that can be used to open a chest to get a key. But removing the bar releases a chain that holds the gate closed to where a monster is. I feel like a kid rambling off these scenarios, but yeah... There's potential here. There could be added pressure to make sure you don't screw up, and you can also wonder if the other player is going to do well or not.

As for communicating... I don't like the idea of 'radios/walkie-talkies' or whatever (if we are indeed thinking of implementing such a thing in a game like Amnesia / pre20th Century). Maybe tubes where 'voice chat' can be used. Once away from the tubes you couldn't communicate any longer. If you don't have 'voice' capability on your end - then you could send capsules with typed messages.