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How do you guys handle it?
Datashocker Offline
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#41
RE: How do you guys handle it?

(09-28-2010, 06:13 AM)Mjarr Wrote: Short answer: I didn't need to.

Long answer: thanks to balls of steel (snarf snarf), I didn't have any issues playing the game even in middle of the night in pitch black room. There was few moments where heartbeat rate went up slightly, few genuine startles and atleast one scare to the point it chilled my spine even for a split second, but nothing too special.

The scare:
Spoiler below!
the iron maiden in the huge hall that leads to torture chambers. I didn't see that one coming at all Big Grin

(And yes, for some reason it takes seriously major effort\weird stuff to give me even a proper startle in a game, and those rare (horror) games that gave me some sort of startle - or even an actual brief scare - are limited down to five games in the past 10 years)


Expectations are key. If people go into this game thinking that they are going to be scared, and try to immerse themselves in the experience, they will be. I have a feeling you told yourself that this game, like all the other "horror" games in the past, wouldn't scare you. So, it didn't.

The girlish scream that Daniel puts forth as he sees a disturbing event is enough to make my day.
09-28-2010, 04:25 PM
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Mjarr Offline
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#42
RE: How do you guys handle it?

(09-28-2010, 04:25 PM)Datashocker Wrote: I have a feeling you told yourself that this game, like all the other "horror" games in the past, wouldn't scare you. So, it didn't.

Expectations may play relatively some role in it, but considering that your response for something that is startling or even truly scary\true scare is often uncontrollable even if you expect yourself to be scared to death, if nothing triggers such reaction you're still not going to get scared. Not expecting to be scared works also the opposite, as by thinking you're not going to scared but something triggers such response, well you've been proven false.

Amnesia is quite sublime game in its category as it does things right, but I don't see a reason to be that surprised if someone said they didn't really shit their pants and run out of the house while screaming something in complete state of paranoia when they heard the first "blergh" behind some corner.
09-28-2010, 04:46 PM
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Macil Offline
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#43
RE: How do you guys handle it?

(09-28-2010, 04:46 PM)Mjarr Wrote: Expectations may play relatively some role in it ... heard the first "blergh" behind some corner.

I think your argument would be valid were we talking about real life experience, but since playing a game is "not real", its a simple thing to refuse to suspend your disbelief. I think you're approaching the game with too much presence of mind.

I understand where you're coming from, because I used to (and still do) react the same way.

I'd suggest you relax a bit more and not think about what you're doing. For me, this is a learned skill, because I always want to over-analyze everything. Basically, zone out a bit (get "out" of your own head) and don't think about the fact you're playing a game.

When you approach the game critically, you're just sabotaging your immersion. This is especially hard for me, because I'm an aspiring game designer and frequently deconstruct various game elements and try to understand how the developers "did it".

Turn up the subwoofer (so you can "feel" the sounds), play in the dark, lock the door and turn off chat (these do make a huge difference -- its easy to say the game should scare you despite distractions, but the trick is "fooling" yourself into thinking you're somewhere you're not)-- focus on the game: the sounds, the sights, the interaction, and let your imagination run wild -- you might be surprised . Maybe have a couple of glasses of wine (if you're old enough). Tongue

I feel strongly this game can affect anyone on a primeval level, if the person can step aside themselves to let it.
09-28-2010, 06:31 PM
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Mjarr Offline
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#44
RE: How do you guys handle it?

(09-28-2010, 06:31 PM)Macil Wrote: play in the dark, lock the door and turn off chat (these do make a huge difference -- its easy to say the game should scare you despite distractions, but the trick is "fooling" yourself into thinking you're somewhere you're not)-- focus on the game: the sounds, the sights, the interaction, and let your imagination run wild -- you might be surprised . Maybe have a couple of glasses of wine (if you're old enough).

I did focus on the game quite alot, mostly played it in dark room during evening\nights, I re-read some of the memos and such to focus on the story and paid alot of attension to some things to form up some speculative thoughts and motivations for certain things, I spent quite some time looking decorations, sights, enviroments, paying attension to lightning and it certainly is genuine, authentic castle, I paid keen attension to the whole enviroment, I used steam chat probably twice during the 11h it took finishing the game (even though probably 2-3h total was spent on simply admiring the enviroments and taking things slowly rather than rush from point A to point B) but then comes the observation problem, once in a while the ambient sounds were distracting but most of the time you could tell it was ambient rather than genuine sound from something, and I could easily hear the enemies walking 20m+ away still before the sound truly faded among other things. The problem still is (unfortunately) I am not just the type to get scared (or startled) easily, and that is one reason why I like to play horror games in general: to find something that would actually scare me to the point that I - as a player - would basically weep IRL. Amnesia (and Penumbra series) atleast have got the balls to give me some genuine startles once in a while and maybe scare once or twice per game, even if it was just a very brief effect. So, any other thoughts how to do things 'right' besides making VI interface? x)

While I appreciate your 'concern' and points I don't see a reason why people try to tell me how to play the game, I did my part about that, I enjoyed Amnesia (despite the fact I didn't shit a brickhouse or mostly had things under control) and also I enjoyed the Penumbra series.

However, that "bleargh" comment was mostly about that somewhat silly (IMO) design issue that basically everytime there is an enemy around you can hear when it spawns and I could hear them walking most of the time if they were under 20-25m from my location, occasionally even further if the music or ambience wasn't being that loud. While occasionally it does give you good idea to consider what you should do (like that huge hall at the end with those chambers), they should be more subtle about their 'dramatic entrance' as while in certain moments it does add alot to the atmosphere, in many cases it's just really lame way to say "hello I am here please throw subtletly out of the window", also applies with some of the more 'obvious' (once you think the whole encounter after the enemy's gone) hiding places Tongue
09-28-2010, 07:48 PM
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dbfuru Offline
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#45
RE: How do you guys handle it?

It's really hard to explain, I love the atmosphere, the story, etc, but it scares the living daylights out of me.

I sometimes feel like I need to take a break, but usually power through with will. I think I finished it in three sittings coming in at a total of 7 hours.. good thing I'm away from College on break and I didn't have work! I had to take a break because it was getting really tense, I found myself clenching my jaw!

When I was getting chased by a grunt I could feel my heart pounding and could feel the adrenaline rush.. and when he finally caught up to me and I could see the slashes on the screen I felt a really odd feeling at the pit of my stomach, it made me think that it's what it feels like to be pursued and caught by something with actual malicious intent..

I just found it so easy to become immersed in Amnesia, all I did was play at night, lights off, door shut, headphones on. I read people talking about playing over teamspeak or ventrilo with a buddy.. To each their own, but to me it feels like a rare experience being wasted!

[spoiler] Early on, in the archives, when you hear the piano suddenly start playing; that freaked me out. I didn't know what to expect from the enemies so I thought there was something in the other room playing it.. and then on the way out you hear the metallic scraping and howling of what you later associate with the brutes.. chilling on the first playthrough and got me on the second.. I still don't know if an actual monster appears in those archives, I just hid!

I hope an immersive and available VR system becomes a reality in my liftetime.. Playing one of these games on something like that would be awesome and terrifying.
09-29-2010, 01:04 PM
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Mr. X Offline
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#46
RE: How do you guys handle it?

Sometimes i start singing that awebmawe song from the lion king when i play Amnesia, helps me relax my nerves LOL
09-30-2010, 09:48 PM
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john Offline
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#47
RE: How do you guys handle it?

i just pretend i am in the game and the word "quit" doesnt exist, and if your walking down a creepy hallway i just keep the W button pressed in and like pretend thats its a movie and i cant change anything :p and well it honestly stopped being that scary when you actually saw what the monsters looked like... not that they didnt look scary or anything but when you "know" that they "exist" it got alot easier to play through the scary parts. like in the beginning when you woke up and you crouched besides the 2 knight statues and the big hallway i freaked out, but i didnt mind the prison monsters that much...
10-02-2010, 11:53 AM
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Black Rabbit Offline
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#48
RE: How do you guys handle it?

dude IF I stop then it's difficult to start from last saved spot and am on verge of screaming like a girly "but I dun' wanna! :'( "
10-03-2010, 02:48 AM
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Zhobery Offline
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#49
RE: How do you guys handle it?

(09-09-2010, 12:18 AM)MooCowGal Wrote: actually the hall with the shell fountain is relaxing and I think is intended to be that way, at least at first... :3 muhahahahaha

Took me 2 days to leave that hall :S I couldn't enter any other room without a feeling of horror xD
10-03-2010, 07:23 PM
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Hannibal Offline
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#50
RE: How do you guys handle it?

(10-02-2010, 11:53 AM)john Wrote: the scary parts. like in the beginning when you woke up and you crouched besides the 2 knight statues and the big hallway i freaked out, but i didnt mind the prison monsters that much...

Yeah. After walking past the knights cautiously a couple times, I took off their helmets and half-expected something to attack me. And don't forget those broomsticks in the closets. Lovely opening...
10-03-2010, 08:39 PM
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