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The horror aspect of dbd
So I'm at least 97% sure that dbd is technically supposed to be a horror game, but there's really not much talk about it at all. It's definitely overshadowed by the competitive nature of the game and all the problems that brings, which leaves the actual horror experience kind of nonexistent. Does anybody actually get scared playing this game? How could it be made scarier?
Comments
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Well, fear of the unknown is the most powerful type of fear, but we all cancel that by playing repeatedly.
Paranoia and hope are our only other options. Camping, tunnelling and NoED all give a sense of dread, rather than fear.
Honestly, good stealth killers/builds playing "fair" is the scariest thing in this game.
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Can confirm, scratched mirror Myers still makes me piss my pants to this day.
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Fear of the unknown still exists within perks, add-ons, and the killer's decision-making, but overall I just think it's kind of weak.
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the horror nature is also overshadowed by game design itself: like, is a puking killer really scary? sounds like a childish joke; or even a pinball killer, it's funny rather than scary.
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Not always. Perks like Ruin are blatantly obvious, and even some of the more hidden ones are easy to figure out. Yellow generator aura? Probably Trail of Torment. Killer find you while you're healing? Probably Nurse's.
Even add-ons like Iridescent Queen or Flask of Bleach reveal themselves when applied.
It's not so much that the unknown is weak, but rather that it's easy to figure out.
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I think those are slight oversimplifications, those things could be scary because honestly they're kind of scary concepts, it's just the execution that's bad. If some 7'7" goliath started puking all over someone and saying prayers in a movie I guarantee it would probably be disturbing to watch. Also I think the blight's whole pinball mechanic is supposed to make it look like he can't control his power or something, which would also probably be disturbing to watch in a movie. Not to mention there's already Freddy, Michael, and Leatherface in the game. It's how they're incorporated into the game that kinda takes away the fear factor.
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Yeah that's what I meant, I was just saying that how it's used in the game is kinda weak
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Think of it as more of a horror theme. Even if they did manage to make the game scary, people would get used to it and then they'd need to do something else to make it scary again and the cycle repeats.
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The two main jump-scares (and they're not scary per-say, moreover startling) is when a pallet drops when you weren't expecting it or a Head On attack. Taking into account the killer receives these is somewhat annoying.
Rarer occasions feature the stealth killers mostly.
For me, it's more a sense of apprehension of knowing a killer is nearby, or a chase. But the horror aspect is not prevailent. Yet, to back the devs up, at the same time if you watched a movie that really scared you first time, watching it dozens more will make that movie non-scary. So it's very hard to maintain horror in the game. It comes mainly from how it is played, with the technical aspects eventually losing their potency.
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These are both good points, but the thing is it's an online multiplayer game. You won't be having the same exact game twice so the horror should be coming from player interaction. It just has to be backed up by the game in a stronger way. There's a reason you can come back to online games after hours of playing, so there should always be reasons to come back and get scared.
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That might come from adding the unexpected. The start of any game is a little unnerving, not knowing who the killer is. Yet once that aspect is discovered the game takes on familiarity and the sense of fear goes.
I agree interraction is important. In fact, it's key since no matter how scary any game is, the experience of the player is what's most important. You could have the best graphics ever, but if the player's not into it then it loses any sense of fear.
The game could benefit from various random game modes, more randomization of maps and map tiles, a more powerful killer and a sense of urgency. Probably more if I think of any. But the sense of immersion and the unexpected is certainly a big factor in bringing fear back.
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The game would've been way scarier if survivors couldn't see beyond certain range like 20-40 meters. Or if it was much darker for survivors
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The scariest part of this game is Meg prioritising a generator.
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Spot on! As soon as the match starts, if I hear a chainsaw, Static Blast or a tear in reality, I know EXACTLY who the killer is and how to counter them.
The scariest games for me are when I DON'T interract with the killer for the first 4 minutes and two generators pop with no indication to who it is.
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If you watch the same horror movie, show, game over and over again it's not scary anymore.
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The game could benefit from more risk-reward gameplay mechanics. Right now there's too many things survivors can get away with (with or without perks) and that really takes away from any sense of urgency.
For example, if you're in the endgame collapse and your teammate is on the hook, your teammates could go for a save and then take hits for each other to escape. Unless the killer has save the best for last or can insta-down everyone the survivors are pretty safe during this whole encounter.
I think a way they could make these plays more risky without everyone having to run certain perks of use certain killers is to make hook timers speed up when a survivor is nearby (and slowdown when the killer is nearby to balance it), and have this effect stack unless the survivor is injured, downed, or on another hook. That way only one survivor can go for a save at a time, or they'll have to risk their teammate dying before a save happens, or the killer can down them if they try to take hits.
It's all about forcing them into uncomfortable situations, it's what makes things scary
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