That's the fault of silly spell systems that have fireballs. 
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Can a RPG be scary?
- Thread starter Wyrmlord
- Start date
starfish
Novice
system shock has "rpg elements" (lol). scared the shit outta me until i turned on god mode to finish the game.
the first kotor had an underwater base that i found pretty unsettling. abandoned/dead locations where you have to go "investigate" always give me the creeps.
the first kotor had an underwater base that i found pretty unsettling. abandoned/dead locations where you have to go "investigate" always give me the creeps.
Hobo Elf said:
There is also a location (abandoned building behind the umm... how do u say it in English... barrier?) in Downtown, where the Pisha lives... that scared the shit out of me as well, I won't say more about it because I don't want to make any spoiler but if you didn't check out it... replay the game!
Hobo Elf
Arcane
True. I'd like to see a game with none of the staple magic spells.
Konjad said:
The hospital? Yeah, that was pretty creepy too. Loved Pisha, though, with her blood-stained mouth. Yum.
*ahem*
pipka
Savant
Every first-person RPG can be considered scary, if enemy appears behind you with very loud and annoying sound. (ssssssssssssssssssssss-)
Another case could be when you explore dungeon, open door, and find an enemy that clearly more powerful than you are, and you ran. But it's kinda brief scare. And with reloading it's not even the point.
Examples escape my mind.
Another case could be when you explore dungeon, open door, and find an enemy that clearly more powerful than you are, and you ran. But it's kinda brief scare. And with reloading it's not even the point.
Examples escape my mind.
Droog White Smile
Educated
Yeah, I once got shit scared in FO3 when I was sneaking around the wasteland at night and, suddenly, heard the heavy breathing of a Yao Guai right behind me. Those things are pretty fuckin' scary.pipka said:
Zomg said:
I had to restart due to a bad save spot thanks to radiation
I would argue those 'other' mechanics are integral to an RPG, after all, combat is not the core gameplay of any pnp rpg, from which crpgs are derived. Otherwise all you have is a combat and experience system.
coaster
Liturgist
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2007
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- 222
Demogorgon in Throne of Bhaal? That was a kind of "oh fuck" moment, especially when you cast Timestop and...the rest of your party freezes and he doesn't. Then he casts some unknown shitstorm spelll and everyone gets poisoned and diseased and stunned and cut to bits by the 10 mariliths he gates in.
But not really scary. I agree with Diablo, that was probably the creepiest isometric (A) RPG I've played, due to music/spooky lighting.
But not really scary. I agree with Diablo, that was probably the creepiest isometric (A) RPG I've played, due to music/spooky lighting.
Murk
Arcane
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2008
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- 13,459
With isometric RPGs, especially turn based ones, You would have to rely on scaring the player viscerally and not mechanically.
Most scenarios described above involve walking in on a closet troll or a lich or something, and while yeah that does make the player go "OHHH SHITTT" it is only because they are afraid they are going to lose, not that they are afraid of what is going on.
For such situations I think you would need effects that are somewhat of a one-trick pony, like those described in Bloodlines. That is, have things happen that mechanically serve no purpose but aesthetically set a mood, shock you, or are just plain creepy. But as many have said, that only works the first time (properly, anyway).
Otherwise have some nobody type enemy cast some kind of obfuscation spell that blinds the characters and player and have him summon an 'unknown' entity, then have the fog lift to see.... it's a fucking Pit Fiend, hope you saved before getting in the fight.
EDIT: A trick that I can think of off the top of my head is to limit character sight in certain situations that are not scripted. Imagine in Fallout that you traverse into the glow but instead of having everything in plain sight there is a Fog of War type of shrowd around you that limits your vision to only a few paces directly around you - lights working only in certain areas and darkness covering most.
A first Person game would work better in this case as you have a much greater visual representation of things you come across, like say a pit or a mutliated corpse, but also because it severly limits your field of view.
Most scenarios described above involve walking in on a closet troll or a lich or something, and while yeah that does make the player go "OHHH SHITTT" it is only because they are afraid they are going to lose, not that they are afraid of what is going on.
For such situations I think you would need effects that are somewhat of a one-trick pony, like those described in Bloodlines. That is, have things happen that mechanically serve no purpose but aesthetically set a mood, shock you, or are just plain creepy. But as many have said, that only works the first time (properly, anyway).
Otherwise have some nobody type enemy cast some kind of obfuscation spell that blinds the characters and player and have him summon an 'unknown' entity, then have the fog lift to see.... it's a fucking Pit Fiend, hope you saved before getting in the fight.
EDIT: A trick that I can think of off the top of my head is to limit character sight in certain situations that are not scripted. Imagine in Fallout that you traverse into the glow but instead of having everything in plain sight there is a Fog of War type of shrowd around you that limits your vision to only a few paces directly around you - lights working only in certain areas and darkness covering most.
A first Person game would work better in this case as you have a much greater visual representation of things you come across, like say a pit or a mutliated corpse, but also because it severly limits your field of view.
Wise Emperor
Arcane
Movie studio in Bloodlines. Some places in M&M VII like dwarf tombs. System shock .
NWN 1 HoU vampire village was pretty creepy.
And Mask of Betrayer wasn't scary at all but it got that disturbing felling.
Diablo's Butcher
.NWN 1 HoU vampire village was pretty creepy.
And Mask of Betrayer wasn't scary at all but it got that disturbing felling.
Diablo's Butcher
Murk
Arcane
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- Jan 17, 2008
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- 13,459
Oh wow, how did I forget this -- The crypt in Arx Fatalis, definitely creepy and unsettling. I mean, you had statues that would follow you with their gazes, doors shutting on you, undead getting up off the ground only AFTER you walk over them, a fog that obscures your sight, traps in corridors, powerful creatures that you have to run from and fight (that's a good one, IMO, having to run and gun in order to survive, gives you a sense of dread if they close in on you).
Serious_Business
Best Poster on the Codex
System Shock 2, most def, if you consider it a rpg. The tension this game can generate is over the top, just thinking about playing it exhausts me. You just don't get a moment to smell the flowers and feel good about yourself, there's always some horrible shit tentacles that are ready to rape you at every corner. As it should be. I recommend this game
Overall I'd say first person games have a better chance at being scary, because they are more atmospheric (yeah I used an empty buzz word). At the very least, it'd be hard to think of a scary isometric game. We'll have to see how that zombie game from Iron tower turns out.
Overall I'd say first person games have a better chance at being scary, because they are more atmospheric (yeah I used an empty buzz word). At the very least, it'd be hard to think of a scary isometric game. We'll have to see how that zombie game from Iron tower turns out.
Awor Szurkrarz
Arcane
- Joined
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- 21,899
Well, they really fucked it up in Fallout. There are at least two big underground facilities without light where for some weird reason, it's very easy to see without using flares.Mikayel said:
Marquess Cornwallis
Cipher
- Joined
- May 18, 2009
- Messages
- 513
Fear is fed by imagination. It's always easier to inspire it by hinting at things rather than showing them.
Text games actually have an advantage here -- no visual depiction can ever come close to what you imagine. Stephen King discusses this at length in Danse Macabre -- once you get to see the monster, it may scare you, but you cannot help but think "bad enough, but it could have been so much worse".
Also, once you know what to expect, it's nowhere near as scary. This applies not only to whole locations/situations (as Drog mentioned, Ocean House with its scripted events is only really frightening the first time you experience it), but also to individual threats. The tenth hammer haunt you encounter in Thief does not make quite the impression as the first one.
Another problem with visual representations of horror is in that they tend to age fast. King illustrates this with his response to Creature from the Black Lagoon. I remember how scary the C64 version of Friday the 13th felt (being about 11 years old at the time helped). So did Alone in the Dark later on the PC. Almost twenty years on, the game is still good, but the visuals make it much harder to suppress disbelief.
On the other hand, there are techniques that just work (in fact, they tend to work even when other elements of the game can't quite compare). Sound is extremely effective and, unlike visuals, doesn't age. Darkness is almost synonymous with fear. Suspense is much more effective when it's alternated with moments of relief; constant threat dulls sensitivity to danger.
I don't see why an RPG couldn't use these quite as effectively as the Penumbra series or others.
Text games actually have an advantage here -- no visual depiction can ever come close to what you imagine. Stephen King discusses this at length in Danse Macabre -- once you get to see the monster, it may scare you, but you cannot help but think "bad enough, but it could have been so much worse".
Also, once you know what to expect, it's nowhere near as scary. This applies not only to whole locations/situations (as Drog mentioned, Ocean House with its scripted events is only really frightening the first time you experience it), but also to individual threats. The tenth hammer haunt you encounter in Thief does not make quite the impression as the first one.
Another problem with visual representations of horror is in that they tend to age fast. King illustrates this with his response to Creature from the Black Lagoon. I remember how scary the C64 version of Friday the 13th felt (being about 11 years old at the time helped). So did Alone in the Dark later on the PC. Almost twenty years on, the game is still good, but the visuals make it much harder to suppress disbelief.
On the other hand, there are techniques that just work (in fact, they tend to work even when other elements of the game can't quite compare). Sound is extremely effective and, unlike visuals, doesn't age. Darkness is almost synonymous with fear. Suspense is much more effective when it's alternated with moments of relief; constant threat dulls sensitivity to danger.
I don't see why an RPG couldn't use these quite as effectively as the Penumbra series or others.
Luzur
Good Sir
Droog White Smile said:
...what? it wasnt scary, i had high enough sneak so i could walk around and pocket grenade ghouls, the only thing that kinda surprised me (not scared) was that milli-second flashback to before the war,didnt give me enough to time react even.
also i had that dog with me (and modded to essential) and he simply waded ina nd took most of the ghouls with him to the middle of the building, where they had a fist/fang fest.
also, Clive Barker's Undying.
JarlFrank said:
Not only that. The Malkavian Primogen's house was pretty scary too, and so was the snuff house.
While Ocean House was the most scary for me first time around, I find that the Malkavian Primogen's and the snuff house contain their serious atmosphere of fucked-upness on subsequent playthroughs while the scare is out from the Ocean House now. The hospital is also pretty creepy.
And even though people are going to hate on me for this, I found the last parts of The Derp Roads (tm)(c) pretty disturbing.
There are more examples of good scaryness in RPGs though, so yeah, of course they can be scary.
- Joined
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- 4,575
When I played Realms of Arkania 3: Shadows over Riva as a kid I was pretty scared. The whole game had a very scary creepy and unsettling atmosphere. I remember when I had to go to the Wizard tower in the swams (?) and me and my brother were like "Fuck, no we don't want to go there!". 
Then again, I was a kid...
Fallout at times could be scary. I remember when I visited Necropolis for the first time arriving there at night. Basicly you see those groups of ghouls standing there that seem totaly apathetic until they just randomly attack you. Mixed with the creepy necrobolis background music this created a really unnerving atmosphere.
Then again, I was a kid...
Fallout at times could be scary. I remember when I visited Necropolis for the first time arriving there at night. Basicly you see those groups of ghouls standing there that seem totaly apathetic until they just randomly attack you. Mixed with the creepy necrobolis background music this created a really unnerving atmosphere.
PorkaMorka
Arcane
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- 5,090
I'm told that some weeping pussies people find X-Com scary and X-Com's combat system is extremely similar to one you'd find in an RPG.
The problem would be that most RPGs are extremely carebear and would just let you resurrect your guys. But some RPGs do have perma death.
So yes, an isometric RPG with perma death could probably scare some people who are easily scared.
Also you could easily make a plot based RPG with graphic "torture porn" elements and that would scare people in the same way as those awful movies like Hostel do. But that's more disgust than fear to me.
The problem would be that most RPGs are extremely carebear and would just let you resurrect your guys. But some RPGs do have perma death.
So yes, an isometric RPG with perma death could probably scare some people who are easily scared.
Also you could easily make a plot based RPG with graphic "torture porn" elements and that would scare people in the same way as those awful movies like Hostel do. But that's more disgust than fear to me.
SCO
Arcane
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- Feb 3, 2009
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- 16,320
Most examples here seem to be of the atmosphere quality.
I mean the most intense/scary game i remember was probably thief 1 or clock tower, both of which make a policy to avoid combat with things that scare you.
Resident Evil never felt the slightest bit scary after the cheap initial scare when a monster appears, even if you only have knife.
Syndicate is never scary even when you are outnumbered 10 to one. Depressing, yes, scary no.
Nethack approaches scary but only reaches tense and cautious, that is a necessary condition for the best fear, but not enough.
When playing a rpg/wargame we are conditioned to think of combat as a viable solution - because it is. Why be scared by something i've dealt with thousand of times before?
Resuming both things would be necessary:
1) Sustained atmospheric fear. (requires tension).
2) A sense of inevitability and lack of (obvious) resources/abilities that are necessary and sufficient to "deal with it" if you fuck up.
I mean the most intense/scary game i remember was probably thief 1 or clock tower, both of which make a policy to avoid combat with things that scare you.
Resident Evil never felt the slightest bit scary after the cheap initial scare when a monster appears, even if you only have knife.
Syndicate is never scary even when you are outnumbered 10 to one. Depressing, yes, scary no.
Nethack approaches scary but only reaches tense and cautious, that is a necessary condition for the best fear, but not enough.
When playing a rpg/wargame we are conditioned to think of combat as a viable solution - because it is. Why be scared by something i've dealt with thousand of times before?
Resuming both things would be necessary:
1) Sustained atmospheric fear. (requires tension).
2) A sense of inevitability and lack of (obvious) resources/abilities that are necessary and sufficient to "deal with it" if you fuck up.
Paula Tormeson IV
Scholar
It's the only game that has consistently scared me beyond momentary startles and other fleeting occurrences. I may have had nightmares about it.SCO said:
P.S. It may have some of the best horror music in a game, ever.
Paula Tormeson IV
Scholar
The game itself is like a nightmare ... the awkward movements, everything a bit slow and foreboding, not being able to move when you try to kill something.
(Did I mention that the sound world is amazing?)
(Did I mention that the sound world is amazing?)
Clockwork Knight
Arcane
JarlFrank said:That's the fault of silly spell systems that have fireballs.
Yeah. It kind of annoys me that what should be the worst kind of monster is easy pickings for clerics or nukemages in general. Undead should be the scariest monsters there is. A dragon is at least supposed to be alive. A horde of skeletons should make even people used to live in a world with magic be scared shitless because they're just...wrong. I mean, it's dead but it's not, what the fuck
Murk
Arcane
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- Jan 17, 2008
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- 13,459
^ In reality, sure, but in a setting where people make fireballs fly out of their eyes after a proper night's sleep, no.
Also, you guys are using the basic 'skeleton' here as a yardstick for all undead - there are skeletal undead creatures that have heinous spell resistance, go around spreading terror with every step, and are so goddamn powerful that high level adventurers bump into them and go "ohhhh... fuck".
The fact that making a pile of bones (ideal setup for humanoid mobility in its construction!) get up and walk around is SIMPLE in the art of necromancy (or conjuration, depending on what game you're playing) means that the simple undead are weak and that the advanced undead are strong, and there is an entire scope fo undead that consist of "skeletal humanoids with fragments of armor" that vary from 1hd to dozens of hd in power.
Likewise, there are also goblins that go down with one hit from a level 1 wizard's quarterstaff just as there are goblins that can summon Horned Devils.
Most games just make the very frail looking skeletons be level 1 encounters.
Also, you guys are using the basic 'skeleton' here as a yardstick for all undead - there are skeletal undead creatures that have heinous spell resistance, go around spreading terror with every step, and are so goddamn powerful that high level adventurers bump into them and go "ohhhh... fuck".
The fact that making a pile of bones (ideal setup for humanoid mobility in its construction!) get up and walk around is SIMPLE in the art of necromancy (or conjuration, depending on what game you're playing) means that the simple undead are weak and that the advanced undead are strong, and there is an entire scope fo undead that consist of "skeletal humanoids with fragments of armor" that vary from 1hd to dozens of hd in power.
Likewise, there are also goblins that go down with one hit from a level 1 wizard's quarterstaff just as there are goblins that can summon Horned Devils.
Most games just make the very frail looking skeletons be level 1 encounters.
Clockwork Knight
Arcane
Mikayel said:
Yeah, that's why I quoted JF's point. The whole thing is wrong.
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