Humans need contact with others and find comfort when in the presence of other people. Having nobody to rely on for aid can have a psychological effect on the player as nobody has their back. Its leaves the player relying on their senses. Sound effects, music, and the design of the environment heightens the player’s awareness to all these parts.

http://www.gamesradar.com/ways-horror-games-use-psychology-scare-crap-out-us/

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2014/09/16/the-rise-of-emotional-decision-making-in-games

Vast open world games take advantage of this type of gameplay. Recent games such as Fallout 4 (2015) allow the player to choose between factions, companions and even various side quests depending on character traits. This happens very early on in the game, forcing the user to make decisions promptly. An example of this would be an increase in the charisma trait, allowing the player to convince or even intimidate other characters to do as they say or reveal important information, which changes the experience for every user. Companions within the game are also a big part of the playing experience. Every player will have a favorite, but each will feel like they have a duty to protect them. The companion could be covered in armor with an assembly of powerful weapons or just a loyal dog. Each player will feel as if they have a responsibility to care for and protect them.

Purely story driven games such as the Telltale Game series offer an alternative to open world games. The Telltale series based on the popular TV Show, The Walking Dead (2012) is a great example of this. Playing as the protagonist, the player must make difficult decisions throughout whilst trying to look after and be a good role-model for a lost child. The decisions have to be quick as the player is timed on their response each time the dialog shows on screen. Trying to keep each member happy is a challenge in itself and its certain that some characters will be less welcoming.

Layout Plan

Strong story lines in computer games are becoming increasingly popular in the games industry. A game without a strong story can be fun, but it is not something that will be remembered for a long time. Strong stories connect to the player making them feel guilt, betrayal, happiness and other forms of human emotion. They can also connect with the player on a personal level and even teach new experiences.

Decision making in story driven games has made a big impact on the way players play through the game and players will pay more attention to their actions. The consequences of making a decision early on can greatly affect the experience of the gameplay later in the game. This encourages the user to think before they act as it could change the whole experience from then on out. Whether it is by choosing certain character traits (Charisma, Weapon Skills etc.), exploring the map in an alternative way or even killing off a character early on, these can all have a huge effect on the final outcome of the playing experience.

 

decal tutorial

using this tutorial for my environment i have created decals for blood and grime to be used in my environment. Also I have created typography in blood to be used in the point of interest for the area.

Gore Moodboard

Ideas for gore within the environment. I will be using decals in Unreal Engine 4 to easily apply them to areas of the environment.

I've been looking at tutorials by a youtuber:

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3QBWg9pMnaFF-q0qjXPDEg

He provides easy to follow demonstrations on how to do certain things in ue4. From applying decals to creating cutscenes.

Research- Horror Atmosphere.

Humans need contact with others and find comfort when in the presence of other people. Having nobody to rely on for aid can have a psychological effect on the player as nobody has their back. Its leaves the player relying on their senses. Sound effects, music, and the design of the environment heightens the player’s awareness to all these parts.

Environments likewise have an effect on the decisions a player makes as they feel under more pressure being in an uncomfortable atmosphere. An example of this would be in horror games. The gameplay is usually dimly lit with a sense of the unknown, which triggers a human’s fear mechanisms as they are unable to detect what is nearby. The scale of an environment can also create tension from the user such as being alone in a vast environment with no other human contact.

           Outlast (2013)

Games such as outlast capture the feel of terror very well. The vibrant red of the blood against the dirty, dusty browns allows it to stand out and emphasises the gore.

Within my environment i want to have a contrast like this, by using lighting and vibrant reds against the darkness of the old prison.