Should Soma be more like Penumbra or The Walking Dead?

[SeanieTheMan]

I definitely don't want too many puzzles as I feel like they take you out of the immersion. But, what would be a good use of puzzles (IMO) is if the enemy is chasing after you, and you have a puzzle a front of you and you have to solve it in order to get pass and get away from the enemy. I feel like that would really increase the tension and make the player panic knowing that the enemy is somewhere behind them and not knowing when it will strike, so they have to frantically try to solve the puzzle. Much better compared to having infinite amount of time trying to solve a puzzle.

[Ghieri]

The last thing you want is complex puzzles under duress. It just frustrates the player because they are easy to fail.

There was interaction in the kaernk level but was kept incredibly simple:

1. Pull lever, race to door, and
2. Throw meat to distract Kaernk, turn crank, run like hell.

The goal and the actions were obvious, no puzzle needed, but it was still one of the more stressful parts of the game.

[Cuyir]

Experimenting would be a welcome gesture.

Everyone and their dog is now aping FG because of ATDD.

I would be overjoyed if they went back to their exploration and puzzle focused past. I felt like I was experiencing a horror adventure game in Penumbra. With ATDD the setpieces and ''puzzles'' were excuses to take players from scare area A to scare area B.

what.
the fuck did I just read.

'exploration and puzzle focused past'
Amnesia is the same design as penumbra but improved upon, the 'excuses to take players from scare area A to scare area B' is not only how most horror games work but it was way worse in penumbra, why are you bitching about it in amnesia? even thomas says the puzzles in penumbra were bad.. wtf..

I'm actually not sure if you're trolling with that post or not..

Penumbra was a horror adventure game where the exploration and puzzles went hand in hand. I felt like I was exploring a world and discovering stuff. And the puzzles were enjoyable I thought.

In ATDD (and AMFP but with a different focus) I felt I was just being taken along for a ride. The sensation of exploring wasn't as good. The puzzles were barely puzzles and it was just...eh.

I'd rather have them experiment with the formula a bit in SOMA, because of said aping of FG's ATDD, or at least have SOMA be more like Penumbra than ATDD with a sci fi skin.

[GiggleBlizzard]

The problem with Macgyverthehero's anagram is that those 4 factors alone do not make up the game, you must take so much else into consideration, and even if you do you can't just put percentages on which one should be focused on the most - that's just silly and doesn't mean anything...

Look, to put the post in a nutshell; I simply hope that I will enjoy SOMA as I did with Frictional Games's previous games and that it will be an experience that I might never forget.

I didn't think what you said was stupid, but the others trying to argue with it saying "oh no this is how it should be instead" and changing the percentage values as if it meant something heh

[Nice]

Do you want a game with a lot of good and satisfying puzzles to solve, or one that is just a story on rails with some scares?

none of it

[GrAVit]

Should have proper, interesting puzzles that somehow matter in some way. The ones in AAMFP felt bland and pointless, too easy as well. Puzzles should be relatively difficult, but not too hard either.

[Damascus Rose]

Experimenting would be a welcome gesture.

Everyone and their dog is now aping FG because of ATDD.

I would be overjoyed if they went back to their exploration and puzzle focused past. I felt like I was experiencing a horror adventure game in Penumbra. With ATDD the setpieces and ''puzzles'' were excuses to take players from scare area A to scare area B.

what.
the fuck did I just read.

'exploration and puzzle focused past'
Amnesia is the same design as penumbra but improved upon, the 'excuses to take players from scare area A to scare area B' is not only how most horror games work but it was way worse in penumbra, why are you bitching about it in amnesia? even thomas says the puzzles in penumbra were bad.. wtf..

I'm actually not sure if you're trolling with that post or not..

Penumbra was a horror adventure game where the exploration and puzzles went hand in hand. I felt like I was exploring a world and discovering stuff. And the puzzles were enjoyable I thought.

In ATDD (and AMFP but with a different focus) I felt I was just being taken along for a ride. The sensation of exploring wasn't as good. The puzzles were barely puzzles and it was just...eh.

I'd rather have them experiment with the formula a bit in SOMA, because of said aping of FG's ATDD, or at least have SOMA be more like Penumbra than ATDD with a sci fi skin.

I've never seen anyone 'aping' fg for ATDD, and if they do, they say penumbra's worse for those reasons. They both use the same formula anyway except Amnesia doesn't use the huge hubs penumbra has

[Cuyir]

Errr...aping, as in imitating.

Devs are now getting on the FG bandwagon because of ATDD.

Which is why I want them to play around with the formula. Have them do something fresh, seeing how there's a lot of wannabes nowadays.

[Damascus Rose]

oh LOL. ok. i'm retarded

yeah there'll prob be some new stuff that new horror devs can copy. they changed stuff up from penumbra>amnesia so there will definitely be improvements from what they learned from amnesia

[daortir]

Too many complicated puzzles is one thing I hate in atmospheric games. It just ruin everything for me, but it's most likely because I suck at solving them I guess x). I can see why they are necessary when it comes to the gameplay experience, but too many make me frustrated and annoyed.
I'd prefer SOMA to be focused on the themes they want to explore -what is it that defines mankind if I am not mistaken, on the atmosphere and maps than it being puzzle-based. It would be a complete disappointment for me to see that SOMA is a puzzle game. 

I am not afraid though, because I know that FG will know the right amount of puzzles to solve, and I really don't think they will fail to build up an amazing atmosphere and a fascinating universe.