Since I finally gotten back online I can reask the question I did originally before my pc was damaged. Which kept me offline for about two months maybe more. Any ways heres my question. If you could go into any building or visit any area in a horror game, where would you go? What buildings would you go into? Now pay in mind that your in a city filled with tons of enemies all looking to kill you. Bascially I am asking the people at this forum where would they like to go in a horror game. And I really want to save the player from going to the same old- same old places that other horror games use. Such as the Police Station from a couple of Resident Evil games. And the amusement park in Silent Hill 1 and Silent Hill 2 I think it was. I know 2 of the silent hill games has an amusement park. But you get my point. Please reply when you can. I just want to break the repetive chain of going to the same places as in other horror games. I am sure you will agree when I say it makes it rather boring and useless.

Hm,there are many places u can use school,hospital,inside a pyramid,a spaceship,as long as it isnt used in every horror game it should fullfill your requirement. If you cant think of any,watch a film and look at the places.

Well I do have a list of places they could visit during the game if you would like to see it... But as for the police station, its been done time and again and i am trying to break the repetitive chain that most horror games has. Such as using the same old places. But if the people would like, I can post the list of places in a thread and see what happens. That way I can give them alot of places to pick from.

Hi,

If its a city there will only be so many realistic places you could visit.

• Office Buldings
  
• Homes
  
• Public Places
  
  
  
  • Police Stations
    
  • Fire Stations
    
  • Hospitals
    
  • Parks
    
  • Schools
    
  • Library
    
  • Train/Subway Stations
    
  • Shopping Complex
    
  
  

Depending on the actual size and your location in the city, many of these places probably wouldn't be avalible anyways. For example, the center of most large citys will just be buisness districts containing pretty much nothing but office buildings.

Most of these places will have been used before, about the only one that I don't recall seeing in any recent game would be the public library.

I think one of the main reasons a police station is a popular choice is down to realistic character reactions. If I was in a city full of monsters and what not I'd attempt to get to the safest place I could think of. Its the job of police to protect people (and hey, police have guns right!) so many people in such a situation would probably try and head for a police station under the hopes of being protected by the police or at least getting armed themselves.


Of course you could add any places you liked depending on what your story was.
For example (using some of Winterhells locations):
The reason for all the monsters is aliens, now you can have an alien spaceship as a location and it would fit the story.
Or, its all happening because of ancient ruins under the city, now you can use a pyramid as a location.
etc etc


- Chris

Neverland Ranch

Well to be honest the police station and the hospital has been done repeatedly and getting rather boring.. But like I said I can supply a list of places that I have thought of. I just want to break out of the same old cycle of using the same old places. Think about this. The Police Station is in Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, Silent Hill 1, Its also in Outbreak 1 and 2. Well the hospital part is. So I need them to venture some where new. I will post some places. And I will get the other members here some thing to choose from as well as to the people whose been replying to my posts. I still like seeing all the good ideas that I have been seeing. I thank you all for responding.

Well, you can go in one of two ways really you can build upon locations that already have an element of fear and mystery or you can turn the tables and choose places that people feel comfortable and safe in. Ask yourself where in the city you feel most comfortable and relaxed and try and distort it in to place of fear.

Clearly, the next major blockbuster horror game will be set in a restaurant and on a brightly lit highrise construction site.

Well, that, or some dank sewers and bathrooms with cracked tiles. I'm not really sure.

I guess it would help if you extrapolated on your game type -- I'm assuming survival horror in this case.

Either way, police-station is a staple because like everyone said...that's what rational human beings would probably do. Hospitals are done to death and don't really convey things all that well anymore I think.

That said, depending on the -theme- of the game, you could do some really interesting stuff. EG: PC is infected with some kinda bug -- bug lets them see bad things that happened in place X (scripted events...) a certain time ago or in the future(A la 'The Dead Zone' tv series). The second Legacy of Kain game had this interesting ability to shift between the living world and the dead world -- certain puzzles were impossible to solve in regular world so you had to enter the non-corporeal...either way, I know these aren't locations, but maybe some food for thought is all you need to get inspired.

Personally, I'd think about doing a survival horror game in a non-contemporary setting (future/past/alt dimension etc).

~Shiny.

Bridge over the Gorge of Eternal Peril....


A Computer Game Manufacturers Show....


A Reality Game Show gone bad .....


A movie location making a Horror movie....


A Starbucks Coffeeshop.....