Re: The Security Room Concept

I recently created a concept sketch for the Security Room for "Night Security". I have since started to refine the concept as well as beginning to add some colour and lighting to the drawing to create a better sense of atmosphere.

Below is the Original Concept as followed by the in-progress Development Sketch.

When the two are overlaid, you can get a better idea as to the final product which will then be modelled in-engine.

I have also attempted to make subtle references to gameplay...

And environmental story-telling within the Concept...

As well as some joke references that may or may not won't make it into the final product.

"Night Security": The Security Room

The other day I made a concept sketch for how I imagined the Security Room would look. This is a room the Player would get very familiar with through out the game, serving almost as a safe space to breathe; kind of like a rest stop. 

It was inspired by this Image of the Monitor Room of Valley View Centre Shopping Centre in Dallas, Texas, the USA. It was taken by an Anonymous user of Imgur.com and can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/DhiZv9b

Notes on Designing an Effective Horror Environment

 Today I have been looking at Create Horror and Bring Fear in Level Design - Part 1. Cliches (worldofleveldesign.com) to learn what goes into making an effective Horror Environment to help me how to bring my Game Proposal, "Night Security", to life. 

Here are my notes:

• "Everything must happen for a reason"; No random unexplained events.
• Slow build up of story and narrative.
• Keep the Environment interesting; avoid repetitive environments.
• The Player should "Witness the events".
• If the Environment (i.e. the Shopping Centre) had previous use, it could be textured several times to match the Environment's appearance at different time periods.

Clichés:

• The Dark Room with Flickering Lights
• The Abandoned Building
• The Ringing Telephone
• Sounds in a Dark Room

Clichés

 V 

Reaction and Anticipation 

 V 

Psychological Triggers  

 V

 "Why am I feeling like that?"

Three Elements Important To Horror Environments In Games:

• Anticipation and Pacing
• Relationships
• Story and the Environment

Anticipation and Pacing:

• Pacing = Tempo; the speed of the reveals.
• Anticipation = Waiting for things to happen.
• It is like an arc or rollercoaster, starting at a slow ascent of Rising Conflict before reaching a point of no return or the "Calm Before The Storm". This then is released for a powerful release in the form of a Climax or Final Showdown.
• Build anticipation around a focal point/s in the environment so there is something to draw the Player's eyes towards.
• Slow burn; Don't give away everything at the beginning.
• Be unpredictable.
• Pacing should be slow and meticulous.
• Introduce antagonists at relevant points, such as at the end.
• Use hints; Sound and noise can be used to build anticipation.
• DON'T GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY!
• Create enough space between events so the Player has time to breathe before the next one to make it more effective.
• Introduce events slowly in a meticulous and well-thought-out manner.
• Use Environmental Story-Telling where possible.
• Create a "Calm Before The Storm"...
• "...THEN ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE!"

Relationships:

• Shared Experience, e.g. Sadness .etc., helps create a connection.
• Some of the strongest bonds come from highly emotional circumstances.
• Try to create emotional connection; do it early and effectively.
• Consider the Emotional Consequences of engineering certain scenarios; "How will this make the Player feel?"
• Losing people is more impactful than losing material or "stuff"; ("What if the Player doesn't know who the missing person is?").
• Using a recurring "something" (leitmotif) to elicit an emotional response will typically elicit that same response if it is used in the same way later.
• If something happens in a specific location, the Player will associate that location, and possibly similar locations, with that event/experience.
• Music can be used to add to highly impactful emotional moments.
• If the Player has a relationship to an area, this can be played off; The Player has been here before, but now it is different somehow.

Story-Telling and the Environment:

• "STORY IS KING"; This is what people will remember after the action is done and they have left the proverbial Cinema.
• What is important is the story of; The Environment, The Player Character and the relationship with each other.
• Level design requires a depth of story-telling that is powerful enough to come through in the visuals. If there is a story to something, the Player might not be told it directly, but may be able to figure it out through context clues or should otherwise be able to feel it has a story to it.
• Old locations are a Horror Cliché/Staple as they are a place with human history. A Past.
• The Environment has to complement the Story and the purpose in mind.
• Collect reference images to help get a feel for the desired mood/atmosphere.
• Familiarity breeds the uncanny when things start to change out of the norm.
• Make the Player relate to the location to create a physiological relationship, an emotional connection and identification with the Environment.
• The Player MUST relate to the Environment.

Important Questions: 

(Answers are in regards to the Environment of my Game Proposal; "Night Security")

1. What is the Location? A shopping centre/complex.
2. What is the Setting? Modern Day.
3. What is the Time of Day? Night (Unspecified time after it initially being 10PM at the start).
4. What is the Season (If applicable)? Autumn.
5. What is the Mood I'm trying to communicate? Melancholy, Dread, Discomfort, Perturbation, Fright, Distress, Pleasure, Enjoyment.
6. What was the Environment Used For? Retail and other purposes yet to be decided.
7. Why and How did it get like this? Tragic Happenings. Anymore would be Spoilers.
8. Where is everyone?  The location is deserted as it is under partial renovation and it is night. It is also severely rundown, so is not as popular, hence the renovation work and redevelopment of certain areas.
9. How was the Environment created? It was built and rebuilt and modified and remodified over many years. As such, it has a storied past.
10. What happened to it in the past? SPOILERS

• Think of emotional impact and how the story and location can be used to create more depth in my Environment and relate back to the Player and the Player Character.

Horror Tropes and where to find them.

Previously, I have identified a variety of Horror Tropes and suggested how I could use them in 'Night Security'. With but a few exceptions, I completely neglected to identify horror games or games that use them for horror. As such, below will be a catalogue of a few potential sources I could draw from to learn more about these particular tropes.

Analog Horror:

- Anatomy by Kitty Horrorshow on Itch.io (2016)

- Assessment Examination by Wenderly Games on Itch.io (2022)

- Discover The Ocean by Warkus on Itch.io (2021)

- Do Not Take Your Eyes Away From The Red Fridge by CO5MONAUT (2020)

- Group-864 Training Program by Joe Capo on Itch.io (?)

- Home Invasion by Darkos on Itch.io (?)

- Lethal Omen by Alpine Arts on Itch.io (2020)

- Maple County by Thorne Baker on Itch.io (2021)

- Iron Lung by David Szymanski (2022)

- The Convenience Store by Chilla's Art (2020)

Always Night:

- BioShock by 2K Games (2007)

- Bloodborne by FromSoftware Inc. (2015)

- Burger and Frights by Donitz on Itch.io (2021)

- Dead County by Blake McKinnon on Itch.io (2012)

- The Convenience Store by Chilla's Art (2020)

- The Radio Station by Chilla's Art (2021)

Can't Move Whilst Being Watched:

- Don't Starve by Klei Entertainment (2013)

- Eldritch by Minor Key Games (2013)

- Five Nights At Freddy's by Scott Cawthon (2014)

- Lobotomy Corporation by Project Moon (2016)

- SCP - Containment Breach by Joonas Rikkonen, Undertow Games (2012)

- Slender: The Eight Pages by Parsec Productions (2012)

- Statues by Room710Games (2015)

- Stay Close by Blind Bird (2016)

Casts No Shadow:

N/A

Empty Room Psych:

- Clock Tower by Capcom (1995)

- Fatal Frame by Koei Tecmo, Nintendo, Microsoft (2001)

- Resident Evil 2 by Capcom (1998)

- Silent Hill by Konami (1999)

- Silent Hill 3 by Konami (2003)

- Silent Hill: Shattered Memories by Konami (2009)

- Spooky's House Of Jumpscares/Spooky's Jumpscare Mansion by Lag Studios (2015)

- The Last Of Us by Naughty Dog (2013)

Evil Tainted The Place:

- DOOM by ID Software (1993)

- Song Of Horror by Raiser Games (2020)

- The Suffering by Midway Games (2004)

Footprints Of Muck:

- DOOM 3 by Activision (2004)

- F.E.A.R by Havok (2005)

- Silent Hill 3 by Konami (2003)

- Yume Nikki by Kikiyama (2004)

I Can See You:

N/A

Mundane Horror:

- Cleaning Redville by DopplerGhost on Itch.io (2022)

- Missing Children by Chilla's Art (2020)

- Night Of The Consumer by Germfood on Itch.io (2020)

- P.T. by Konami (2014)

- Sanitarium by Dotemu (1998)

- The Convenience Store by Chilla's Art (2020)

- The Ghost Train by Chilla's Art (2020)

Monster Delay:

- Amnesia: The Dark Descent by Frictional Games (2010)

- Alien: Isolation by Sega (2014)

- Cold Fear by Ubisoft (2005)

- From Next Door by SpaceZeta on Itch.io (2016)

- Halo: Combat Evolved by Microsoft Corporation (2001)

- Resident Evil 2 by Capcom (1998)

- The Witch's House by Fummy (2012)

Murderous Mannequin:

- Fatal Frame 4 by Koie Tecmo, Nintendo (2008)

- Little Nightmares 2 by Tarsier Studios, Bandai Namco Entertainment (2021)

- World Of Horror by Ysbryd Games (2020)

Nothing Here But Us Statues:

- BioShock by 2K Games (2007)

- Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard by Bethesda (2011)

- Five Nights At Freddy's by Scott Cawthon (2014)

Nothing Is Scarier ("Wait For It..."):

- Anatomy by Kitty Horrorshow on Itch.io (2016)

- Aoi Oni by Noprops (2004)

- Amnesia: The Dark Descent by Frictional Games (2010)

- Alien: Isolation by Sega (2014)

- Aliens TC (DOOM Conversion) by Justin Fischer (1995)

- Among The Sleep by Krillbite Studio (2014)

- Black Snow (Half-Life 2 Mod) by MONOTHETIC (2012)

- Batman: Arkham Asylum by Rocksteady Studios (2009)

- Cold Fear by Ubisoft (2005)

- Dead Space by Visceral Games, Motive (2008)

- Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem by Silicon Knights (2002)

- Five Nights At Freddy's by Scott Cawthon (2014)

- Fallout: New Vegas - Dead Money by Obsidian, Bethedsa (2010/2011)

- Fallout 4 by Bethesda (2015)

- F.E.A.R by Havok (2005)

- From Next Door  by SpaceZeta on Itch.io (2016)

- Left 4 Dead by Valve (2008)

- Left 4 Dead 2 by Valve (2009)

- Minecraft by Mojang (2011)

- Mr Hopp's Playhouse by Moonbit (2019)

- Neverending Nightmares by Infinitap Games (2014)

- Phobia: The Fear Of The Darkness by Jonez Games (2010)

- P.T. by Konami (2014)

- Power Drill Massacre by Puppet Combo (2015)

- Resident Evil by Capcom (1996)

- Silent Hill by Konami (1999)

- Silent Hill: Shattered Memories by Konami (2009)

- System Shock 2 by Nightdive Studios (1999)

- Siren (or Forbidden Siren) by Sony Entertainment (2003)

- STALKER by GSC Game World, THQ (2007)

- Slender: The Eight Pages by Parsec Productions (2012)

- Spooky's House Of Jumpscares/Spooky's Jumpscare Mansion by Lag Studios (2015)

- The 7th Guest by Virgin Interactive Entertainment (1993)

- Terraria by Re-Logic (2011)

- The Dark Eye by Inscape (1995)

- The Last Of Us by Naughty Dog (2013)

- The Suffering by Midway Games (2004)

- Until Dawn by Supermassive Games (2015)

- Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines by Activision, Activision Blizzard (2004)

Nothing Is Scarier ("Nothing At All"):

- Amnesia: The Dark Descent by Frictional Games (2010)

- Aliens TC (DOOM Conversion) by Justin Fischer (1995)

- BioShock by 2K Games (2007)

- Batman: Arkham Asylum by Rocksteady Studios (2009)

- Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem by Silicon Knights (2002)

- Fallout by ID (1993)

- Five Nights At Freddy's by Scott Cawthon (2014)

- Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins Of The Moon by ID (1993)

- Layers of Fear by ID (1993)

- Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask by ID (1993)

- Little Nightmares by ID (1993)

- Penumbra by ID (1993)

- Scratches by ID (1993)

- Shadow Of The Colossus by ID (1993)

- Silent Hill by ID (1993)

- Tattletail by ID (1993)

- The Evil Within by ID (1993)

Nothing Is Scarier ("There All Along!"):

- Control by ID (1993)

- Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim by Bethesda (2011)

- I See You by ID (1993)

- Until Dawn by Supermassive Games (2015)

Obscured Special Effects:

- BioShock by 2K Games (2007)

- Five Nights At Freddy's: Security Breach by Scott Cawthon (2021)

- Resident Evil by Capcom (1996)

Ominous Music Box Tone:

- Bloodborne by FromSoftware Inc. (2015)

- Don't Starve by Klei Entertainment (2013)

- F.E.A.R by Havok (2005)

- Five Nights At Freddy's by Scott Cawthon (2014)

- Ib by Kouri (2012)

- Resident Evil by Capcom (1996)

- Scratches by Got Game Entertainment (2006)

- Silent Hill 2 by Konami (2001)

- Song Of Horror by Raiser Games (2019)

- The 7th Guest by Virgin Interactive Entertainment (1993)

- The Rake: Hostel by Mark R. (2012)

Phone Call From The Dead:

- Five Nights At Freddy's by Scott Cawthon (2014)

- Silent Hill 2 by Konami (2001)

Reality Has No Soundtrack:

All Horror Games with no music or with it muted by the Player.

Realism Induced Horror:

- Baldi's Basics In Education And Learning by Micah McGonigal (Mystman12), Basically Games (2007)

- The Closing Shift by Chilla's Art (2022)

- Resident Evil by Capcom (1996)

- When The Darkness Comes by Sirhaian (2019)

Silence Is Golden:

- Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins Of The Moon by ID (1993)

- The Path by Tale Of Tales (2009)

- Poppy Playtime by MOB Games (2021)

- When The Darkness Comes by Sirhaian (2019)

The Faceless:

- Bendy And The Ink Machine by Joey Drew Studios (2017)

- BioShock by 2K (2007)

- Dead Space by Visceral Games, Motive (2008)

The Voice:

- Bendy And The Dark Revival by Joey Drew Studios (2022)

- Five Nights At Freddy's by Scott Cawthon (2014)

Uncanny Valley:

- Alien: Isolation by Sega (2014)

- BioShock by 2K (2007)

- Fallout 4 by Bethesda (2015)

- Five Nights At Freddy's by Scott Cawthon (2014)

Horror Trope Research: Doom Approaching and Hidden Horrors

 This research is split into two self-titled tropes that aim to explore how Horror Games use a threat approaching the Player, affectionately named 'Doom Approaches', and how obstacles can be used to hide threats, named 'Hidden Horrors'.

On the Left is the research for 'Doom Approaches', whilst 'Hidden Horrors' research is on the Right. In each scenario, the Player is represented by a large Green Spot whereas monsters are represented by small Red Dots.

'Doom Approaches'

This research is meant to illustrate how a monster approaching the Player can be made more effective through obstacle placement. In this situation, the Player cannot move and knows something is coming for them, but has to predict from which direction the threat is coming from. Later experiments could test this with the Player having some form of self-defence to test how that impacts the horror of each scenario.

In Scenario A, a monster approaches the Player from across an otherwise empty room. Scenario 1 is the same as Scenario A, only it takes place in the dark. 

In Scenario B, a monster approaches the Player from across a room with a wall or long bookcase, meaning there are two potential paths the monster could take that lead to the Player. Scenario 2 is the same as Scenario B, only it takes place in the dark. 

In Scenario C, a monster approaches the Player from across a room with several smaller walls or  bookcases, meaning there are several paths the monster could take, but three potential entry points from which to get to the Player. Scenario 3 is the same as Scenario C, only it takes place in the dark. 

In Scenario D, a monster approaches the Player from across a room with several smaller and uniformly positioned walls or  bookcases, meaning there are several paths the monster could take, but five potential entry points from which to get to the Player. Additionally, the Player can narrow down what paths are available to the monster as they can see which direction it goes in. Scenario 4 is the same as Scenario D, only it takes place in the dark. 

In Scenario E, a monster approaches the Player from across a room with several smaller and scattered objects; they could be walls, bookcases or even rubble. This means that there are numerous paths the monster could take, but five potential entry points from which to get to the Player. In this case, the Player cannot narrow down what paths are available to the monster as they cannot see which direction it goes in and the path it takes could be long or short. Scenario 5 is the same as Scenario E, only it takes place in the dark. 

'Hidden Horrors'

This research is meant to illustrate how the number of obstacles blocking sightlines to monsters can make a situation scarier. In this example the Player, marked by the Green Spot, has to navigate to a door indicated by a large Blue Circle; a simple goal if there wasn't the threat of hidden monsters indicated by the Red Dots.

In Scenario F, the Player can see where the monsters are and can easily navigate past them as they are easy to avoid. Scenario 6 is the same as Scenario F, only now it is set in low light, so it is harder to avoid the monsters, but by travelling in a straight line, the Player can get to the door without issue. This could be explored further by having more enemies and have them positioned to be more in the way.

Scenario G follows the same logic as above, only now there are a few columns that the Player will have to navigate around and which obscure the threat of the monsters. If the Player gets too close to a column with a monster behind, they become dinner, meaning they have to carefully make there way to the door. Due to the limited number of columns and openness off the space in this scenario, it isn't too difficult for the Player to guess which columns have a monster behind them and navigate past them. Scenario 7 is the same as Scenario G, only the low light now makes it more challenging to proceed through to the door.

Scenario H has the Player attempt to navigate through a room full of columns, a few of which hide a monster. Unless they want to be a tasty snack, they will have to choose their path carefully to avoid the monsters. It will now be harder for the Player to do this as the number of pillars make sightlines very limited and increase the threat of the monsters as any column could potentially hide one. Scenario 8 is the same as Scenario H, only the low light will further heighten the apprehension felt by the Player as it will now be very difficult to see which columns have a monster behind them. As such, the Player will be forced to proceed with caution as they make there way through the maze of columns...

Or they could just hug the wall for a straight run to the door, avoiding all potential threats.  

Horror Trope Research: Watching The Cameras; Closing The Door

 

One trope used in some horror, such as Five Nights at Freddy's, is the monitoring of cameras to watch where a threat is coming from. To test this, I have designed a series of spaces with the goal of seeing how each scenario's fear-factor (level of scariness) is affected by the room layout.

In Figure. A, the Player is in a small room, facing a monitor and a door (Room 1). The monitor enables the watching of a camera feed to Room 2, which allows the Player to watch a monster's approach to the room they are in. When they know the monster is getting closer, they can lean to the side and bush a button to close the door, resetting the monster's progress.

In Figure. B, the room layout is the same, but now they are facing away from the door and must manually swivel to see it and push the door button.

Figure. C improves upon Figure. A by providing more rooms. This means more camera feeds to check and more routes for the monster to travel through, increasing the risk that the monster could take a shortcut. The Player still has to lean to the side to push the door button.

Figure D. copies the layout of Figure. C, but incorporates the mechanics of Figure. B by forcing the Player to keep track of the camera feeds whilst having to turn around to shut the door, increasing the need for a rapid reaction to the monster's progress.

Figure. E is a copy of Figure. A, only Room 2 is now in low light to make it more challenging to see the monster. The Player must lean to the side to activate the door close button.

Figure. F is a copy of Figure. B, only Room 2 is now in low light to make it more challenging to see the monster. The Player must swivel to activate the door close button.

Figure. G is a copy of Figure. C, only all rooms but Room 1 are now in low light to make it more challenging to see the monster. The Player must lean to the side to activate the door close button.

Figure. H is a copy of Figure. C, only all rooms but Room 1 are now in low light to make it more challenging to see the monster. The Player must swivel to activate the door close button.

'Night Security' Trope Research

'Night Security', as a form of media, will make use of or touch upon various tropes. This document shows the tropes that I intend to make use of within the game; some will be more utilised than others. As a full game may be too ambitious to create in such a short deadline at this time, I intend to research some of these tropes in an attempt to see what the very best way to use them is. This is so that I can make 'Night Security' a very effective psychological horror game that makes the best of the tropes it plays upon to intensify the player's experience. The end goal is to identify how each of these twenty-five tropes can be best utilised, where applicable, should I decide to make use of them. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15RU7jA91XGV9QCfmgHI53R-2uJpGiKtX/view?usp=sharing.