What if The Long Dark had more horror elements?

[frostyblizzard]

Long Dark can be a pretty intense game, but once you learn the rules, it's mostly predictable. What would happen if the scares were turned up...

What if...

a) It felt like you were being watched

Was that a moving figure I saw in the fog? Did something just move in those mountains over there? Did something just walk into my camp? Who knows...

b) There were dream sequences

Drift off to sleep and then wake up. Everything seems normal. Was that corpse there before? Is it moving?! You wake up again.

c) There were no safe havens

Something woke you up. You spot a hole in the wall. You grab a piece of Fir to patch it up... and then a wolf jumps you from behind.

Now clearly I have constructed an abomination, so this is just for a bit of fun rather than some serious wishes. Has anyone else thought of any horror elements that might be crazy enough to work?

[svisketyggeren]

I like the idea of something unpredictable happening. The game gets kinda one tracked after 100 days of surviving or so.

Ofc there is always Fluffy...but he too get predictable . And there is the way to frequent wrist/foot sprain accident.

But im thinking a avalanche would be cool. Maybe to much ask for...but it would add a major unpredictable element to the game. Or the chance of meeting NPC survivor that are hostile.

[selfless]

More cold for longer periods would be terrifying. Then add frostbite wounds.

Amputating your own fingers and toes to survive = greatest horror game ever.

[svisketyggeren]

we definitly need some snowblindness

[iSUGGESTthings]

I believe hinterland already said there will be nothing paranormal added to the game. Not that I wouldn't LOVE it. Hearing screams in the wind/scratching at the door and walls during a blizzard, for example.

[romerabr]

Sometimes, at night, looking around, at the top of the Mystery Lake Lookout, I thought it would be fantastix to see some strange creature moving in the ground, passing fast, and then you run inside and close the door...

But something strange happened to me, in my first visito the tail section, on Timberwolf Mountain... I set a fire to last all night, and woke up in the middle, I think about 3 hours from dawn, and I heard the bear sound close, I quickly equip the flare gun, and sneak peak outside, but didn't see anything.

It was a great moment...

[coryduran]

I've definitely thought about how the game could add more of a mentally unnerving edge to the gameplay, without going bizarre and paranormal, but more within the realms of a person losing their mind. I've even thought about how as you get tired you could be more prone to auditory hallucinations, or hearing wolf sounds when nothing is around, maybe particularly after an attack or some other issue is going on. So much could be done in this area though.

[Hotzn]

The TLD sandbox could be a great setting for a horror game. With the Wendigo sneaking around out there and sniffing at your cabin at night. But that would totally change the character of the game, so for TLD it's not gonna happen.

But it would be horrible enough if the game became less predictable. Currently we know exactly how all the game elements behave, especially animals. Over what distance they will smell/see us, how they will approach, what will stop them etc. If all this became more unpredictable, it would be horrible enough. Imagine a bear visiting your cabin at night, sniffing and breathing through the cracks, without you knowing whether it can get inside. Or you turn around in the woods and see wolves ducking behind cover that have been pursuing you... :twisted:

[jmraynor]

I for one hope they DO NOT add horror elements to the game. I chose this game because it was not a zombie game and not a horror based game, its a survival game that is based on the wilderness and I like that. I do agree that some more unpredictable events would be cool and I like the idea of additional weather based challenges such as:

Snow blindness

Avalanche

Frostbite

Extended cold periods or zones

Also I think the blizzards need to be more profound by changing the environment, downed trees, things covered in snow, I would like to see the WEATHER SYSTEM change the ENVIRONMENT, that would keep things fresh!

[gapshot11]

I for one hope they DO NOT add horror elements to the game. I chose this game because it was not a zombie game and not a horror based game, its a survival game that is based on the wilderness and I like that. I do agree that some more unpredictable events would be cool and I like the idea of additional weather based challenges such as:

Snow blindness

Avalanche

Frostbite

Extended cold periods or zones

Also I think the blizzards need to be more profound by changing the environment, downed trees, things covered in snow, I would like to see the WEATHER SYSTEM change the ENVIRONMENT, that would keep things fresh!

+1 to this. I also like the idea of hallucinations and hearing things as you get more tired. That would add another level of realism to the survival aspect while not deviating from the concept of the game