Hello everyone, I am new to these forums so if I'm posting in the wrong section please forgive me. I would like to start out by saying that I'm looking for inspiration for creating my characters for certain fighting styles. The premise is that it is a horror themed fighting game with horror themed monster/slasher character tropes fighting in a brutal tournament. I wanted to know what kind of fighting styles or combat skills would suit best for these characters. An example would be a character that uses razor claws, a machete character, butcher knives or meat cleavers, a hook type weapon and so forth. I know these are some weapons based on brute killer tropes but I would like them to have fighting moves to match their slasher tools. Does anyone have any good inspiration or advice that could fit well and make sense for these slasher weapon styles for these killers?

I appreciate any help and feedback, thanks.

terrordrome game

This game can greatly help as a guide.

There was another game about sinners that fought in hell, for  freedom from hell.  

It was never published (the developer refused to publish, at the end of the development.). But it became very popular on the net in its time. Maybe someone remembers its name.

Thanks. Do you or anyone else know though where I can get martial arts, combat fighting skill ideas that would fit those slasher killer trope weapons?

6 hours ago, Stryder1234 said:

Thanks. Do you or anyone else know though where I can get martial arts, combat fighting skill ideas that would fit those slasher killer trope weapons?

Try Google: "martial arts with weapons"

Thanks for the help. Now I understand searching for weapons that fit certain styles for each characters mechanic isn't really my problem. I think what I'm having trouble with is being able to make sense for certain characters on how they could make sense in the story and be capable of fighting. For example some of my characters like a scarecrow, a doctor, a killer clown, a butcher and prisoner are supposed to be scary and are horror based but how would it make sense for them to know how to fight and use weapons? Example, a warrior with a battle axe or vampire is easy cause they come from a background with fighting abilities. But a scarecrow, clown or surgeon doctor, how could I make it more within reason so they could be trained and more of a threat?

4 hours ago, Stryder1234 said:

some of my characters like a scarecrow, a doctor, a killer clown, a butcher and prisoner are supposed to be scary and are horror based but how would it make sense for them to know how to fight and use weapons?

You are already asking a player to suspend his/her disbelief by making a scarecrow that can move as if it was human. How realistic does your game have to be when you have unrealistic characters in the first place?

Well it's really depending on how I write the storyline. Sure a supernatural scarecrow that moves as if alive or a previous human that now takes the form of a scarecrow are two different things. Yes they're both fictional but one would still have more realism than the other.

One of the most terrifying things for me were these bastards from a PS2 game called "The Suffering". I think a character like this would be a perfect fit for a "slasher" character.

Anchoring all of your characters to a back story is the best way to solve this sort of thing. When you limit the reach of what each character can do, then the answers to each thing will become more clear. 

For an easy example, Write the types of characters you want on one side of a piece of paper and horror movies on the other side. Then draw lines. (IE, a Clown connected to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So, a clown who was responsible for that sort of horror narrative would move like so, etc.) Try and use that inspiration to 'answer' how these people would fight rather than 'make up' how they do.

Hopefully that's helpful.

On November 6, 2017 at 6:36 PM, Novadude987 said:

One of the most terrifying things for me were these bastards from a PS2 game called "The Suffering". I think a character like this would be a perfect fit for a "slasher" character.

It's something I could consider, thanks for the advise.

10 hours ago, MichaelElmquist said:

Anchoring all of your characters to a back story is the best way to solve this sort of thing. When you limit the reach of what each character can do, then the answers to each thing will become more clear. 

For an easy example, Write the types of characters you want on one side of a piece of paper and horror movies on the other side. Then draw lines. (IE, a Clown connected to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So, a clown who was responsible for that sort of horror narrative would move like so, etc.) Try and use that inspiration to 'answer' how these people would fight rather than 'make up' how they do.

Hopefully that's helpful.

So what you mean is list my character ideas down then the movies and try to connect each character to that type of movie narrative backstory? I appreciate your help, thanks.