Facility Design
Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 8:18 pm
I was inspired by Hakkla and Irontaco into compiling all my ideas into one thread. I like this game, I really do. The work Regalis put into this is phenomenal. The following is (hopefully) constructive criticism to take this game into new heights.
SCPs. Coffee-rooms. Problem?
The foundation has billions of dollars in its posession. With this in mind, it is infuriating to see catwalks next to bathrooms which are next to 106's chamber. The facility looks like it was put in a huge blender and dished out with no rhyme or reason (a lockroom seperating 2 offices? Oh wow...).
To fix this, Regalis could set up floors or sections of the building, with increasing difficulty as the player went through them (chambers --> catwalks --> tunnels --> offices --> lobby --> outside). The iron doors could be replaced by easier to open hinge doors, so the player can't lock SCPs into rooms on the harder sections. Also, the facility should look more like a facility (see: Black Mesa).
Bi-winning?
When you go out at Gate A, the nukes magically disappear from the equation. Since the events at Gate B and Gate A happen at the same time, this makes no sense. The intercom should announce the escape of both 106 and 682. Also, why is it harder to open gate B than to open gate A? Gate B has the bad ending of the game, so there is a problem.
Gate B should be expanded and include a better ending than gate A to even things out. Or, make Gate A harder to open. Either way.
What? WHAT? WHAT?!?
The title of this section is what you probably say when the MTF shoots you 50 times in the legs and you die. The room design is spectacular in that it is 80% closed corridors. There are no open areas in the facility at all, so it's easy for an MTF to stand in a hallway and block your way, forcing you to use noclip. In my native language, this is called اشعل and it just sucks.
The MTF should spawn after a period of time to give a sense of urgency. A patrol path should be created around the entire facility so the MTF don't stand around and hump the wall all day. The doors should be more responsive to the MTF, and the MTF should go faster than the guards. In the later sections of the game (offices, lobby) open areas should be added to help sneak around the MTF. The closed corridors on the early parts should remain because you won't find the MTF there, and if you do, it's because you waited too long to get out of the facility.
Noise and its nonexistence
Ambience is the key to good horror. Why, then, is most of the ambience "The Dread" and spooky noises? The generator doesn't sound like a generator. The consoles in the electrical room dont make a humming noise when they are on. Imagine if, after you typed on your noiseless computer, you headed to the noiseless living room of your noiseless house and stepped outdoors, a place where wind makes no sound whatsoever- and you only had "The Dread" playing in your head. Imagine if that happened every day. اشعل, just اشعل.
You might think this is a minor complaint, but ambience is actually the key to a good horror game. Just look at Slender. It look like ground up anus dribble and plays at a snail's pace but it is more popular than SCPCB because of the scary ambience. The sound in this game needs an overhaul, and I think this is actually the way to make SCPCB feel "official" like Amnesia and other famous horror games.
SCPs. Coffee-rooms. Problem?
The foundation has billions of dollars in its posession. With this in mind, it is infuriating to see catwalks next to bathrooms which are next to 106's chamber. The facility looks like it was put in a huge blender and dished out with no rhyme or reason (a lockroom seperating 2 offices? Oh wow...).
To fix this, Regalis could set up floors or sections of the building, with increasing difficulty as the player went through them (chambers --> catwalks --> tunnels --> offices --> lobby --> outside). The iron doors could be replaced by easier to open hinge doors, so the player can't lock SCPs into rooms on the harder sections. Also, the facility should look more like a facility (see: Black Mesa).
Bi-winning?
When you go out at Gate A, the nukes magically disappear from the equation. Since the events at Gate B and Gate A happen at the same time, this makes no sense. The intercom should announce the escape of both 106 and 682. Also, why is it harder to open gate B than to open gate A? Gate B has the bad ending of the game, so there is a problem.
Gate B should be expanded and include a better ending than gate A to even things out. Or, make Gate A harder to open. Either way.
What? WHAT? WHAT?!?
The title of this section is what you probably say when the MTF shoots you 50 times in the legs and you die. The room design is spectacular in that it is 80% closed corridors. There are no open areas in the facility at all, so it's easy for an MTF to stand in a hallway and block your way, forcing you to use noclip. In my native language, this is called اشعل and it just sucks.
The MTF should spawn after a period of time to give a sense of urgency. A patrol path should be created around the entire facility so the MTF don't stand around and hump the wall all day. The doors should be more responsive to the MTF, and the MTF should go faster than the guards. In the later sections of the game (offices, lobby) open areas should be added to help sneak around the MTF. The closed corridors on the early parts should remain because you won't find the MTF there, and if you do, it's because you waited too long to get out of the facility.
Noise and its nonexistence
Ambience is the key to good horror. Why, then, is most of the ambience "The Dread" and spooky noises? The generator doesn't sound like a generator. The consoles in the electrical room dont make a humming noise when they are on. Imagine if, after you typed on your noiseless computer, you headed to the noiseless living room of your noiseless house and stepped outdoors, a place where wind makes no sound whatsoever- and you only had "The Dread" playing in your head. Imagine if that happened every day. اشعل, just اشعل.
You might think this is a minor complaint, but ambience is actually the key to a good horror game. Just look at Slender. It look like ground up anus dribble and plays at a snail's pace but it is more popular than SCPCB because of the scary ambience. The sound in this game needs an overhaul, and I think this is actually the way to make SCPCB feel "official" like Amnesia and other famous horror games.