#Possible need for a kind of 'panic mode' in the game

12 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

woven needle
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Hello dear developers...
This post does not concern me personally. However, I thought it appropriate to share something with you that we moderators have just found out about. I cannot say for sure whether this has happened before and to what extent it requires action. I simply want to keep my word and take our players' problems seriously.
Also, @quiet vault told me that this wasn't the first time this problem with the caves had come up.

A member of our community apparently suffered a panic attack while working on the quest in Oxbow, which takes place in the cave system under the castellan's house. It was a case of claustrophobia, and this was the first time I had ever encountered this possibility in a game.
Therefore, I am asking the general question of whether it is possible to take certain precautions for such a case and to what extent you as developers consider this feasible or necessary.
We came up with the idea of a similar function to the “Free me” option in the game menu. This is actually there to unblock you if you get stuck somewhere. It only changes your position slightly, so it's useless in such cases. Maybe you have some good ideas on this topic. As I said, we were thinking of a kind of additional button that could free the player from caves and other oppressive images and place them at a neutral point.
For example, people in normal caves are simply placed in front of the entrance. Or, as in the case of quests, they are brought back to the castellan's house.

vapid storm
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So wallmasters are our friends now.

quiet vault
# vapid storm So wallmasters are our friends now.

I am not sure if you are aware mate, but several members have anxiety disorders that make the "cave" quest sections of this game impossible to complete
This thread is about providing a way for them to "exit" out of the cave areas without inducing a panic attack or worse aye
I get you are making a joke @vapid storm, but this might not be the most super appropriate thread (why do I need to even tell you this...) for this aye (this is quite a srs issue mate)
We are asking for this after repeated requests from members (who are, as expected, not comfortable posting here for various reasons)
I am not asking you to desist as Moderation, but plz keep what I have mentioned in mind mate for future posts in this thread
Thankyou for understanding mate, we are not taking this matter (the entire thread aye) lightly as Moderation, as it impacts the well-being of members in our current userbase
Cheers mate 😉

vapid storm
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Wow…

So yeah, it was a joke, but it was also an anecdote from my own childhood… where a wallmaster saved me from a panic attack in a dungeon.

There was no offense intended. Sorry.

quiet vault
velvet apex
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I’m not easily creeped out, but the spooky noises and narrow spaces in the castellan’s “basement” did put my nerves on edge. I can only imagine what it’s like if you have claustrophobia, nyctophobia or similar. 😬

woven needle
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Personally, I can only begin to explain it using another example – my fear of spiders.
And even though this, or other fears, are often ridiculed with jokes, there is absolutely nothing funny about them. The fun clearly stops when a person is seriously afraid and when it causes them suffering that no joker could ever comprehend. That's why I take something like this extremely seriously, and it would weigh heavily on me personally to simply brush it aside and not at least try to initiate a solution for these people.

vapid storm
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I’d be interested in the UXR for this particular pain point.

A wallmaster option seems like a fairly easy feature to implement codewise; but are there other refinements (for the castellan catacombs) that could be made to make the experience endurable?

Better lighting? Decorate/paint the walls? Custom soundtrack?

worn sorrel
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At the very least, there should be a content/trigger warning that the game story-line for Oxbox does include such an adventure. But a way to make it easier for those who suffer from those struggles to be able to play the game fully (esp since it is a main part of the story) would be great.

woven needle
# vapid storm I’d be interested in the UXR for this particular pain point. A wallmaster optio...

Well, I don't really know if it's worth rebuilding the whole quest and changing its actual meaning, or rather the effect that is intended down there. thinking It's not supposed to look like the nice and cozy room of a normal older gentleman – it's supposed to have the dark charm of a hidden prison, because his son is trying to protect him there in secret. Therefore, regardless of the problems that individuals might have down there, I think it's pretty disadvantageous to the general public, who are definitely enjoying this special and mysterious aspect.

vapid storm
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I’m not suggesting painting it like CandyLand or anything. That would be going from one extreme to another. joy