Horror Discussion Thread

[BioMechanical Dude]

how are you still supposed to lose in this situation? Because if you cannot lose, there's no need to make it a gameplay situation.

Well, the thing is taking place in Nancy's room. If the player acts instinctively and runs out the door, showing that they still fear Freddy, you can have him appearing on the other end and killing the player. And, yes, it won't be as interesting when you play the game again, but the entire game will be the same, anyway. It's just that the difficulty would increase. Unless you have almost everything randomized.

[DRW]

And, yes, it won't be as interesting when you play the game again, but the entire game will be the same, anyway.

But that's something different. A certain action game can still be a challenge even if you have played it in the past. The barrells in "Donkey Kong" can always get you if you don't pay attention. The mere knowledge of them doesn't invalidate their challenge. But stuff like "If you run out of the room, you die. If you touch Freddy, you win" presents a challenge exactly once. Afterward, you can't lose anymore unless you want to. Puzzles and riddles are just not suitable for an arcade-like highscore game.

[BioMechanical Dude]

Well, then there's no other way to make this work. You could make it a cutscene, but it wouldn't feel as climatic, in my opinion.

[zzo38]

A game that you cannot lose is not a game, but is an exercise in futility.

[tepples]

A game that you cannot lose is not a game, but is an exercise in futility.

Yet exercises in futility sell. See LucasArts adventure games or the more recent trend of "walking simulators".

[BioMechanical Dude]

A game that you cannot lose is not a game, but is an exercise in futility.

No one ever said you can't lose. I bet the whole game would be pretty hard, anyway. It's just this little part at the end, which really only works once... which DRW probably won't use anyway, just because of that reason.

Yet exercises in futility sell. See LucasArts adventure games or the more recent trend of "walking simulators".

How are LucasArts adventure games exercises in futility? If by this we mean games, that you cannot lose, then this is absolutely wrong. There are so many ways to die in these games. In fact, some become kinda frustrating, because you have to rely on trial and error.

As for the walking simulators, I suppose the word "game" doesn't really apply. It's more of a... I don't know... virtual experience? Something like that.

[tepples]

Yet exercises in futility sell. See LucasArts adventure games

How are LucasArts adventure games exercises in futility? If by this we mean games, that you cannot lose

Exactly. I was momentarily adopting zzo38's terminology to illustrate a point.

then this is absolutely wrong. There are so many ways to die in these games. In fact, some become kinda frustrating, because you have to rely on trial and error.

That's why I mentioned LucasArts in particular. Its adventure games had far less danger of death than those of its rival Sierra.

As for the walking simulators, I suppose the word "game" doesn't really apply. It's more of a... I don't know... virtual experience? Something like that.

Even if not games, such simulations share the practical drawbacks of games compared to home video, such as historically higher barriers to publishing a work as well as a wider variety of incompatible platforms.

[BioMechanical Dude]

Its adventure games had far less danger of death than those of its rival Sierra.

Well, Sierra was sometimes diabolical, when it comes to design choices (the classic "guess my name" puzzle in the first King's Quest). But that doesn't make the LucasArts games any less challenging, especially to the point, where you'll not consider them games anymore. To be honest, they seem to convey danger a bit better than Sierra games. There would be moments Sierra's adventures where, something will come out of nowhere and kill you. That can be very frustrating and is not a good design desision. With LucasArts, for the most part, you knew if something would be dangerous, which makes the game more fair. How you would deal with the danger, however, is all up to you.