Horror element

[RbtRvltin]

sounds kinda like Mind of Madness...

 

But Sheogorath isn't scary at all. It has absolutely no horror whatsoever.

 

Buut, you can't do anything but use the Wabbajack or your fists. Using the code was my implied suggestion, apologies for being unclear :P I simply meant this would be a good way to implement the limitations.

[Choisai]

sounds kinda like Mind of Madness...

 

But Sheogorath isn't scary at all. It has absolutely no horror whatsoever.

 

Buut, you can't do anything but use the Wabbajack or your fists. Using the code was my implied suggestion, apologies for being unclear :P I simply meant this would be a good way to implement the limitations.

 

Aah like that. Well i could expand the Sheogorath code to limit to the view to first person. it's a good way to start. Thanks!

[jsnider193]

Also don't forget fog .. one dungeon went in had a mist/fog like area that severly hindered vision there and with some encounters set to ambush in a fogging London town might make u startle a few times ... luv hoorrrror movies and anticipation does make the heart beat faster.

[metasyntactic]

Skyrim is about as horrific as you can get, it's just not scary because you are a bad-ass champion. You are dragonborn for crying out loud - they write songs about you saving the world. Nothing can be scary in that context.

 

I mean, objectively the monsters in Skyrim are much scarier and certainly much more powerful then in Amnesia. What makes Amnesia genuinely frightening is that you are totally pathetic and powerless. If you actually take yourself out of the game for a moment and LOOK at the monsters they really are pretty lame. They just use clever game mechanics to make sure you are too scared to look at them in the first place.

 

I guess what I am saying is I don't think you can successfully transplant survival/horror into the heart of an action/RPG without killing one or the other. They are kind of opposite ends of the gaming spectrum... survivors don't do quests, and heroes do not hide in wardrobes.

 

You can come up with some cool horror-based quests, but it's not going to be particularly scary.

Edited January 27, 2012 by metasyntactic

[Rennn]

My suggestions to make the sentences flow better :)

Cool idea :)

 

'Day 1

we've left for the Castle with 40 men. It's time to end the wickedness that's lurking to the east. We've even hired 5 (anything below 10 should be spelled out, so 'five') mages from the Mages Guild in Cyrodill to help us. We possess more then enough power. Let us see what we will encounter there.

 

Day 2

After half of a day walking, we have (not a mistake, but it seems that medieval people would not use contractions like we've) set up camp. We can see the bridge to the castle. On the walls of the bridge crouch gargoyle-like stone creatures. They seem to chill the soul. We saw two dragons circling around the tower. Dragons! Can you imagine the sight?

We have heard tales of the Dragonborn killing such beasts (repeated word lacks flair) in Skyrim. Our mages from the Guild have studied them and have provided us with excellent information. It turns out they are some sort of Lesser Dragons, as opposed to the Greater Dragons like the World-Eater, Alduin. Though we have more then enough power to slay these beasts, they still spread an aura of fear.'

 

I'd be happy to do some editing or writing. This sounds like an excellent idea. :)

[Choisai]

Skyrim is about as horrific as you can get, it's just not scary because you are a bad-ass champion. You are dragonborn for crying out loud - they write songs about you saving the world. Nothing can be scary in that context.

 

I mean, objectively the monsters in Skyrim are much scarier and certainly much more powerful then in Amnesia. What makes Amnesia genuinely frightening is that you are totally pathetic and powerless. If you actually take yourself out of the game for a moment and LOOK at the monsters they really are pretty lame. They just use clever game mechanics to make sure you are too scared to look at them in the first place.

 

I guess what I am saying is I don't think you can successfully transplant survival/horror into the heart of an action/RPG without killing one or the other. They are kind of opposite ends of the gaming spectrum... survivors don't do quests, and heroes do not hide in wardrobes.

 

You can come up with some cool horror-based quests, but it's not going to be particularly scary.

 

Well first of all, you are right. Heroes don't hide in wardrobes. I'd laughed when I saw it for the first time. You are completely right, survivors don't do epic quests and heroes don't run away at the first sign of danger.

 

Therefore, it's my goal to make the Dragonborn feel as weak and pathetic as possible. I will implant in the story something about a previous guy who could also shout because he studied with the Greybeards like Ulfric Stormcloak. But in here, he couldn't shout. I'm thinking about leaving a skeleton somewhere with his journal about how he tried to shout but in the end he just shouted in the normal way, without the magic and therefore calling every living thing in the castle towards him. Alright that seems funnier then scary, so he tried the Aura Whisper shout but he couldn't do it. Other shouts weren't possible as well. And so, he got killed.

 

But my main point is is to make the once so mighty and tough Dragonborn feel so tiny and fragile. Without his magic, without his shouting, without his weapons, he's weak and pathetic. He has been stripped from his equipment and within the castle he's isn't able to shout or use magic.

 

You will feel tiny and weak, and it doesn't matter if you were a powerful warrior, when you can't face your enemy with your full force it's best to hide and avoid conflict altogether. You will lose some of the RPG feeling but that doesn't matter. Think of Deadspace. Deadspace is not really a RPG, but it has the same way of playing as Skyrim has. Third person view, the ability to fire at your enemy, being way stronger and more powerful then your foes makes you a hero to. But Deadspace implants the horror via horror locations and that once a creature get's close, you are no more mightier then the weakest ant. Heroes have weaknesses too, especially if they are stripped from their power.

 

Just the new thrill will be exciting enough for people to like it.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Choisai

[Choisai]

My suggestions to make the sentences flow better :)

Cool idea :)

 

'Day 1

we've left for the Castle with 40 men. It's time to end the wickedness that's lurking to the east. We've even hired 5 (anything below 10 should be spelled out, so 'five') mages from the Mages Guild in Cyrodill to help us. We possess more then enough power. Let us see what we will encounter there.

 

Day 2

After half of a day walking, we have (not a mistake, but it seems that medieval people would not use contractions like we've) set up camp. We can see the bridge to the castle. On the walls of the bridge crouch gargoyle-like stone creatures. They seem to chill the soul. We saw two dragons circling around the tower. Dragons! Can you imagine the sight?

We have heard tales of the Dragonborn killing such beasts (repeated word lacks flair) in Skyrim. Our mages from the Guild have studied them and have provided us with excellent information. It turns out they are some sort of Lesser Dragons, as opposed to the Greater Dragons like the World-Eater, Alduin. Though we have more then enough power to slay these beasts, they still spread an aura of fear.'

 

I'd be happy to do some editing or writing. This sounds like an excellent idea. :)

 

 

Yes! after reading this it really does sound better!. I'm not used to write in English (I'm Dutch) so it happens often that I don't find the right words to express my thoughts. After a while, you get used to it but for now i'll have to cope with it.

 

The language you use seems good! No repeated words, more medieval and traditional English instead of the more modern American i'm using.

One thing though, about the Gargoyles. They are not really creatures, they're statues. I just wanted to emphasize the feeling that they were alive, though they are ofcourse not alive but anorganic and therefore lifeless (or are they?). so they're not some slow stone Golems walking over the bridge, they're just standing there, giving you the creeps.

I'm thinking about recreating the gargoyle devils from the Notre Dame. Not because they are the most creepy, it's just there's way more photo's to find on the internet containing these gargoyles. Still it's gonna be tough to create them.

 

And one more thing, the Mages Guild has been disbanded;). It has been followed up by the Synod. But if you'd like, rewrite me previous story, expand it or write your own story that's something similar to this one.

 

I am lazy, so i'm gonna copy lots of things. I'm gonna copy the castle from Sovngarde, the forests of falkreath and the interiors from the palace of Kings in Windhelm. Sure, I will edit these things, make them larger or more Gothic, but i'm not really that good with modding. It will be learning process for me so it's very well possible it's gonna take a while.

But still thanks for your support!

[RbtRvltin]

sounds kinda like Mind of Madness...

 

But Sheogorath isn't scary at all. It has absolutely no horror whatsoever.

 

Buut, you can't do anything but use the Wabbajack or your fists. Using the code was my implied suggestion, apologies for being unclear :P I simply meant this would be a good way to implement the limitations.

 

Aah like that. Well i could expand the Sheogorath code to limit to the view to first person. it's a good way to start. Thanks!

 

 

You're welcome. :)

 

Also, I have an idea. I'll post it soon :D

[Choisai]

sounds kinda like Mind of Madness...

 

But Sheogorath isn't scary at all. It has absolutely no horror whatsoever.

 

Buut, you can't do anything but use the Wabbajack or your fists. Using the code was my implied suggestion, apologies for being unclear :P I simply meant this would be a good way to implement the limitations.

 

Aah like that. Well i could expand the Sheogorath code to limit to the view to first person. it's a good way to start. Thanks!

 

 

You're welcome. :)

 

Also, I have an idea. I'll post it soon :D

 

I'm looking forward to it;)

[Choisai]

I have extended the lore for the story a bit, and i've also have some ideas on which I hope you will comment!

 

Well, after you have succesfully hide yourself from the satanic goat, you open the door of the office and look around. It's dark, grey (Remember, windhelm palace of kings interior architecture but bigger halls and rooms) with what is normally the minimum amount of lighting Skyrim has (with exception of Twilight Sepulcher, which has darkness i want to use for other areas). You look around and see that you're at the end of a hallway. To your right is a window, to your left is the hallway with some other doors and a occasional painting.

 

What I want to implant now is gonna be hard so some tips on the creating on this would be appreciated.

As you step outside you look through the window. The camera goes cinematic, You look left (through the window), see something quickly moving away, look right and the you realize you saw something moving. You look again to your left but you don't see anything. As the camera goes backwards for a complete view of the window, you don't see anything. as you turn around you swear you saw a tail going in a room.

 

For that last one i'm gonna use an Argonian whose tail can be seen which then just simply disappears. The door closes behind it. But for looking through a window and actually seeing something is going to be hard. pretty much al windows in skyrim are absolutely not clear. You can't look through them. So anyone has an idea?

 

Next thing I want to implant is also a technical challange. Anyone of you ever played the internet-horror game Stone Of Anamara? in this game, there's a part where you look at a copy of the Sistine Chapel of Michelangelo. Lightning strikes, and the Creation of Adam suddenly turns into two greenish demons who's fingers barely touch, and quickly turns back to normal. If you want to know what i'm talking about, look it up. i want to implant something similar but now scarier.

 

I want to use the painting from Romantic artist Turner: the boat in the snowstorm. The player looks at it, camera goes cinematic and you only see the painting. Lighting strikes and you vaguely two eyes hidden in the 'snow' of the painting. as the flash disappears, so do the eyes. Some grunting can be heard in the background.

 

But that's not the only one. I want to do one that's a classic, though done to death. The painting whose eyes follow you.

There's the painting of a nobleman, something similar to Pasquetti's 'Painting of a nobleman'. You look towards it, nothing happens. You lean a bit to your left to see it from a different perspective, as if your currently relaxing and forgetting the darkness, and want to appreciate the art. as you lean to your left, you notice that the eyes follow you. You quickly lean back to normal and the eyes are normal. As you walk to your right but with your eyes still focused on the painting nothing happens. You think it just has been your mind, and you want to focus your eyes in front of you. But just as your gaze moves away, the man on the painting laughs/blinks/smiles with demon teeth/breathes/moves it head as if it were following you. You look back and it's back to normal.

 

Though quite scary, I probably can't create this.

 

But I had some updates on the story. You walk through the hallway. If you look in the room in which you saw the tail disappear, you see nothing special. You continue. Most of the doors are locked, but some are open and have some skeletons lying on the ground or on the desks. All skeletons are the remains of the previous convoy that wanted to clear this castle and most of them are journals of warriors that have been separated from the group and write down their last thoughts. These are mainly to freak you out.

 

As the hallway continues and so does the music, yeah 'bout the music!

I was playing my piano this afternoon and I thought 'I can write my own music for the horror mod!'. about every 20 seconds i'd play A+e-flat or G+c-sharp, or the samething exactly one key lower or higher on the piano. I'll probably use a midi for this because I don't have proper recording equipment. Too bad though, I have an organ too with which i can create awesome sounds.

 

But yeah, you walk down the hallway, and it takes a turn. As you walk around the corner you could see the satanic goat from earlier on going around the corner just about 30 feet further. You hear grunting, but as you look around, there's nothing to be seen. You slowly walk further and you hear footsteps. as you look behind you can see a creature, the scarecrow creature i'm planning to create, coming around the corner. you quickly run into a room next to you and close the door behind you. can you can hear the grunting getting louder (Though not having the right equipment, I think i will have to record the grunting myself) and you seek a hiding place.

 

And i'm not quite done thinking about where the Dragonborn has to hide from the scarecrow. Creating a wardrobe to hide in will actually be quite difficult to create. I want the player to be able to look at the creature searching the room while in the wardrobe, but I guess this is way over my head. I mean í want to do hard stuff so i have to keep many things quite plain and simple so the project won't take years to complete. I'd like it to be finished before the next Elder Scrolls game comes out.

 

Hiding beneath a desk again is not original. You have to find something else this time. I've thought about hiding behind the door, behind a couch, underneath a table, underneath a bed, on top of a wardrobe etcetera. Let me know if you know a original hiding spot.

 

That's as far as i got this time, let me know what you think!

Edited January 28, 2012 by Choisai