Ambient horror effects - what would you say?

MinkurMinkur Join Date: 2002-04-16 Member: 455Members
I have indeed read the mapping guidelines that follow the nstr 2.0, but yet I'd like to get an opinion from you...

In my map, I'm going for a rather standardized research station/military station for a first map.

As I understood it, the aliens are more of the predators, while the marines have to be cautious not to get seperated from the rest of their squad, lest they be molested alone and someplace dark...

So, are flickering lights, low ambient sounds and such effects really a big no-no in the maps? Or would the players tire too quickly of them?

-Minkur

Comments

  • MoleculorMoleculor Namer-of-Bob Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 9Members
    Flickering lights and ambient sounds and sudden bursts of steam and doors opening and closing when no one is there and sudden power failures and other creepy stuff are all fine.

    Basically, if you've seen it used in a movie to heighten 'the experience' and it ain't gore, use it.
  • doctopepadoctopepa Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 99Members
    why can't there be gore?
    i wanted to make a ghostcolony with bloody beds and bloodtracks into ventilation systems. <!--emo&:angry:--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':angry:'><!--endemo-->
  • MoleculorMoleculor Namer-of-Bob Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 9Members
    Mostly 'cause that'll get it banned in places like Germany.  They took the blood out of C&C. That's how 'anti-gore' they are. Plus to keep it family friendly.
  • Relic25Relic25 Pixel Punk Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 39Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    <!--QuoteBegin--Minkur+April 16 2002,08:27--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> (Minkur @ April 16 2002,08:27)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteEBegin-->So, are flickering lights, low ambient sounds and such effects really a big no-no in the maps? Or would the players tire too quickly of them?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Exactly the opposite is true.

    Constantly flickering lights may get a little old after a while, but other than that, the more ambient effects you can afford to put in, the better.
  • FlayraFlayra Game Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment San Francisco Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 3Super Administrators, NS2 Developer, Subnautica Developer
    Quoted, from the Mapping Guidelines:

    <b>Terror and Gore</b>
    Natural Selection is about lush atmospheric sci-fi environments, social strategy and intense battles. It isn't about scaring the player or horror. That doesn't mean the aliens won't be scary, but very dark environments, flickering florescent lights, bodies slumped on rafters and horror don't help Natural Selection achieve it's goals. Additionally, the game avoid excessive gore. Don't place dead colonists anywhere (slumped against walls, in piles, etc.). Pools of blood and dimemberment is also to be avoided. The game doesn't avoid blood and gore completely, but avoids lingering dead bodies and excessive alien flesh. In particular, NS is less gory than Half-life. This may seem like a senseless guideline, but it will help the game appeal to more people and will hopefully mean fuller servers, more add-ons and a broader community.
  • JedisarJedisar Join Date: 2002-03-03 Member: 264Awaiting Authorization
    in otherwords, don't do it until NS is already released, and don't expect your map to be considered an offical map <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->
  • realityisdeadrealityisdead Employed by Raven Software after making ns_nothing Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 94Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    <!--c1--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Code Sample</b> </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE"><!--ec1-->
    main()
    {
      double _guts;
      double _gore;

      _guts = 0;
      _gore = 0;
    }
    <!--c2--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--ec2-->

    OR

    <!--c1--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Code Sample</b> </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE"><!--ec1-->
    main()
    {
      _guts + _gore != NS;
    }
    <!--c2--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--ec2-->

    <i>(There, my <b>doubles</b> will roX0rz your proposed <b>floats</b> any day, Molec! )</i>  <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->

    But back onto the topic, Flickering and otherwise tension inducing lighting is defintely good. I just wouldn't overdo it. Flickering isn't scary if it's all over the place.



    <!--EDIT|ken20banks|April 16 2002,11:48-->
  • Kry0MekKry0Mek Join Date: 2002-04-14 Member: 438Members
    How far does the anti gor thing go?
    I ask because i am thinking of putting a set of cryo-sleeper things, with one open and a skeleton in. This isnt going to include blood and you see tacky skeletons and ghouls on daytime tv so the kiddies wont get scared.
    cheers.
  • YamazakiYamazaki Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 21Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    For example, the only gore in my map will consist of a blood-soaked operating table in the medlab, and that's it.

    Truthfully, there'd be pools of blood everywhere if the original inhabitants were slaughtered by the aliens... sort've like System Shock 1 and 2... but the Flayra has spoken.
  • MoleculorMoleculor Namer-of-Bob Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 9Members
    The trick is to think of the aliens as being 'conservation minded'. They go for EVERY scrap of human 'material' they can find.. which includes even the droplets of blood made by newly opened wounds. That's why everything is so clean.
  • Black_WolfBlack_Wolf Join Date: 2002-03-13 Member: 310Members
    so does that mean no in-game blood either? as in no marine or alien bleeding?

    (because the aliens erm, drink all the blood as soon as they create it and erm, aliens dont bleed =D)
  • doctopepadoctopepa Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 99Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Flayra+April 16 2002,14:52--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> (Flayra @ April 16 2002,14:52)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteEBegin-->Quoted, from the Mapping Guidelines:

    <b>Terror and Gore</b>
    Natural Selection is about lush atmospheric sci-fi environments, social strategy and intense battles. It isn't about scaring the player or horror. That doesn't mean the aliens won't be scary, but very dark environments, flickering florescent lights, bodies slumped on rafters and horror don't help Natural Selection achieve it's goals. Additionally, the game avoid excessive gore. Don't place dead colonists anywhere (slumped against walls, in piles, etc.). Pools of blood and dimemberment is also to be avoided. The game doesn't avoid blood and gore completely, but avoids lingering dead bodies and excessive alien flesh. In particular, NS is less gory than Half-life. This may seem like a senseless guideline, but it will help the game appeal to more people and will hopefully mean fuller servers, more add-ons and a broader community.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    As someone said ~ "There would be blood everywhere"
    I didn't mean i was going for a splatter-blood2-ripof-map.
    I don't know how you define horror but I would definitly call cluastrophobic-environments and flesh-eating-aliens-that-climb-walls-in-the-dark horror.

    Besides. A LITTLE blood never hurt anyone!
    p-p-pp-pllleaase?
  • SlycasterSlycaster Limited Edition Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 24Members, NS1 Playtester
    currently blackwolf, the marines don't bleed when attacked, and i REALLY hope flat changes that.
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