LE [Gameplay enrichment] Scarier skyrim, darker dungeons, shock events, c

[Derethim]

Hey folks...

So i got this idea while playing Skyrim few months ago:

The dungeons in the game eventually get boring, it's just hack 'n' slash and maybe few traps

Plain bore. :down:

[skip this part if you want]

So this is how the concept could look like:

You enter a dungeon, except for being rather dark (Torches would finnaly be useful, thought they would burn down rather fast) and having a bit more decorations that would add to the scary atmosphere, it looks normal. As you continue on you can hear footsteps behind you. These would be played occasionaly (wouldn't be too hard to script) and sometimes an enemy would spawn instead, making the same footstep sound. That would make your turn your back more than once - the better if the thing would look really scary, like the ones from Amnesia horror game. You approach a closet, which doesen't show it's inventory, but would open normally like a door. These could contain some good loot, better than chests - money, armor and stuff you would keep in closets and small storage rooms, maybe even unique items.

BUT occasionaly one of those new creatures would jumpscare you when you wouldn't expect it. The good loot in the container would make you go over it again and again :biggrin: .

And so on...

So the point of it is to make Skyrim have scary atmosphere and make dungeons less predictable and less boring :biggrin:

So the things to add would be:

-Shock events with various creatures, ingame or new ... bandits could also jumpscare you :cool:

-(a lot) Darker dungeons

-Decorations that would bring in scarier athmosphere

-Darker nights with new ambient sounds

-New scripted or ambient sounds (the footsteps, sudden loud unhuman screams and so on)

-Blurred vision or paralysis (few secs) when fighting some deformed or something scary/hearing some scripted sounds

-New creatures (No cliché ones like slendermen, that wouldn't fit)

-Harmless jumpscares

-Some new/overhauled containers (like the closet i mentioned, storage rooms usually have doors in the dungeons)

-Effects on NPC's (paralyzed for 3-5 seconds after hearing a loud scream or seeing some creepy creature)

-Messages of someone/something stalking you

So that's it, probably, hope it wasn't TL:DR and someone would be interested in it. If more people will like the idea i could give you more details ;D

Thanks for reading! :happy:

-Dereth

Edited March 29, 2013 by Derethim

[cyr0]

for darker dungeons get creepy dungeons, it takes away ALL ambient light

i do love the idea your going for i hope someone makes a mod for this

[Ensrick]

I like the idea of adding abient sounds to dungeons. A backround howl or scream, rattling chains, creaky door hinges. There are already mods that make dungeons darker. I don't know how someone might go about shock events. The closest thing I could imagine is a creature that works like a jack in-the-box jumping out and in all speed attempting to tear you limb from limb.

[Tehandyman]

LOLOL I'm just imagining bandits trying to jump scare you:

 

*just walking around the dungeon minding my own business*

 

"OOGAH BOOGAH BOOGAH BOOGAH! START RUNNING SO I COULD STAB YOU IN THE BACK! OOGAH BOOGAH BOOGAH"

 

*awkward silence*

 

*voice in the distance* "Godamn it, Borknar I told you to stop trying to scare people, now you've made things weird."

[Derethim]

LOLOL I'm just imagining bandits trying to jump scare you:

 

*just walking around the dungeon minding my own business*

 

"OOGAH BOOGAH BOOGAH BOOGAH! START RUNNING SO I COULD STAB YOU IN THE BACK! OOGAH BOOGAH BOOGAH"

 

*awkward silence*

 

*voice in the distance* "Godamn it, Borknar I told you to stop trying to scare people, now you've made things weird."

So imagine suddenly hearing footsteps behind you and as you turn around, the last thing you see is Borknar right before you swinging his ... axe :biggrin:

[Relativelybest]

Personally, I'm not a fan of jump-scares. They're not actually scary, in the sense of establishing a true emotional response, but rather take advantage of your natural startle reflex for a momentary reaction. They are the horror equivalent of bad puns and popculture references - essentially cheap shots without lasting value.

 

You mention Amnesia, a very scary game that actually doesn't have a lot of jump-scares. Quite the contrary, it's designed entirely around knowing that the monster is coming and the fact that your best survival strategy is hiding and avoiding to look at it. (Which is utterly brilliant, because things you don't see are always scarier than things you do see.)

 

Horror, real horror, is all about establishing an atmosphere. I'm all in favour of that because so far, Skyrim has been somewhat lacking good atmospheric quest mods in general. Oblivion had a few - Dungeons of Ivellon was absolutely brilliant in terms of establishing a spooky atmosphere, using only lighting, sound, some creepy backstory and a few scripted enemies. Gates to Aesgard was another one, though I found it more disturbing than scary. (There are actually different types of horror.)

 

Would love to see something like that for Skyrim, though I've heard making good quests for Skyrim is a lot harder for some reason. :confused:

[Derethim]

Personally, I'm not a fan of jump-scares. They're not actually scary, in the sense of establishing a true emotional response, but rather take advantage of your natural startle reflex for a momentary reaction. They are the horror equivalent of bad puns and popculture references - essentially cheap shots without lasting value.

 

You mention Amnesia, a very scary game that actually doesn't have a lot of jump-scares. Quite the contrary, it's designed entirely around knowing that the monster is coming and the fact that your best survival strategy is hiding and avoiding to look at it. (Which is utterly brilliant, because things you don't see are always scarier than things you do see.)

 

Horror, real horror, is all about establishing an atmosphere. I'm all in favour of that because so far, Skyrim has been somewhat lacking good atmospheric quest mods in general. Oblivion had a few - Dungeons of Ivellon was absolutely brilliant in terms of establishing a spooky atmosphere, using only lighting, sound, some creepy backstory and a few scripted enemies. Gates to Aesgard was another one, though I found it more disturbing than scary. (There are actually different types of horror.)

 

Would love to see something like that for Skyrim, though I've heard making good quests for Skyrim is a lot harder for some reason. :confused:

Good point, how about an invincible hideous monster that would sometimes appear after the dungeon is cleared?