Combat.

[DaAudiophile]

NO combat and just fleeing works well only if the game is designed for it, like Clocktower 3. I personally want combat, but the game can have a balance between combat and running. One idea I have is to have a couple of recurring bosses that come out at different points during the game, like an expansion on the Mr. X and Nemesis from Resident Evil 2 and 3. Those menacing recurring creatures would require you to stun them long enough to escape, or stall them until you can lead them to a place where you can use the environment to fight them or something like that. The rest could be normal creatures, but with good AI so you can escape them, but they are still persistent and present a threat.

[crucifix]

i hope the game sticks to the formula it has in nearly every other game. shattered memories was an absolute mess. there's a right and a wrong way to do no-combat.

[Silent One]

i hope the game sticks to the formula it has in nearly every other game. shattered memories was an absolute mess. there's a right and a wrong way to do no-combat.

I liked SHSM, though it could have been tweeked a little yes.

Combat for the most part is ingrained in the series and should probably stay for the most part. I think taking where SH2 and SH3 were and attempting to improve the mechanics and game play would be the best idea for combat.

Homecoming was interesting, and like most others (save 4) I found something I really liked about it, but I did become rather frustrated when I kept screwing up the timing on the vagina head spider monsters.

[crucifix]

well, what i've liked about the series' combat (save for origins and homecoming) is that it's been extremely simple. it exists, but there isn't much emphasis on it. you can skip it a lot of the time, and it's often beneficial to just run in many situations. that, plus the arsenal you're allowed is essentially limited and uncomplicated. there's nothing to be gained from killing more enemies: no kill counter, no items dropped. it's fairly "realistic" without being frustrating.

what i hated concerning shattered memories was the combined no combat + the wii controller was difficult for me to use, which resulted in me attempting the maze runs over and over. this was not fun. this was not scary. it was fucking frustrating and made me not want to play the game, which i haven't in a long time. i doubt i'll ever finish it.

[NanayaShiki]

I'm a little sick of the Shattered Memories haters bringing up their hate for it nonstop. It's like every conversation turns into how bad that game was. A lot of people loved it, but you don't see us bringing it up on a daily basis.

[crucifix]

i don't care if you're sick of it. this is a forum where people are allowed to voice their opinions on the series, negative or positive. i have as much right to complain about what i didn't like as you do to discuss what you liked.

[VIVIsect]

A lot of people loved it, but you don't see us bringing it up on a daily basis.

No, we just have to listen to the people who did like it bitch and complain about those who didn't, on a daily basis.

[NanayaShiki]

There is a Shattered Memories section for a reason, though.

Here in this topic, there was no real reason to go beyond "i hope the game sticks to the formula it has in nearly every other game." or have the other post focus on how much you hate Shattered Memories. It's been long enough that we should be able to talk about the series moving forward without Shattered Memories debates popping up all over the place.

You don't see me turning conversations here into how much I hate the Silent Hill movie.

[clips]

But if we're talking about combat...it's only natural that at some point SM is going to come up...and if folks have legitimate reasons for not likin' it, you shouldn't really get upset over it....it's just opinions afterall.

[AnimalMother]

Shsm was pretty atrocious in the dealing with enemies aspect of the game. I enjoyed it less than homecomings combat and I didn't quite enjoy that.

[Falconv1.0]

This place is just so facepalm worthy at times I swear.

[Skele]

A lot of people loved it, but you don't see us bringing it up on a daily basis.

No, we just have to listen to the people who did like it bitch and complain about those who didn't, on a daily basis.

haha, quoted for truth.

[Emerion]

I think if Murphy is fleeing from humans, it would be interesting to know how he is going to handle a situation where he encounters a monster.

Maybe this time we have a character that feels fear.

[Yuki]

There is a Shattered Memories section for a reason, though.

Here in this topic, there was no real reason to go beyond "i hope the game sticks to the formula it has in nearly every other game." or have the other post focus on how much you hate Shattered Memories. It's been long enough that we should be able to talk about the series moving forward without Shattered Memories debates popping up all over the place.

You don't see me turning conversations here into how much I hate the Silent Hill movie.

This. So much this.

quote="clips"]But if we're talking about combat...it's only natural that at some point SM is going to come up...and if folks have legitimate reasons for not likin' it, you shouldn't really get upset over it....it's just opinions afterall.[/quote]

It is. However, there's a difference between saying "I didn't like the way it worked and I hope they return to classic combat" and "THIS GAME WAS A SHITTY TERRIBLE MESS AND THEY BETTER NEVER DO THAT AGAIN".

[Tillerman]

Shattered Memories seems relevant to bring up in a thread about how combat should be handled. Especially since it stands out as the major SH game to break the pattern of how combat is usually handled. It seems like, even among SM fans, people almost universally agree that nightmare scenes were not implemented well. That seems relevant.

Now, I wouldn't say that a SH game with no combat can't work. But considering the bad taste SM left in some people's mouths, I think it's wise to head in a different direction for the next game. There was another trend, started in SH3, and realized in SH5, of more and more powerful weapons. I think that's also the wrong approach.

I personally feel that combat should be very limited in a SH game, even more so than 1 and 2. In SH1, you could get away with just using the ER hammer all the time, and the game became a little too easy. I'd like to see melee weapons strongly de-emphasized in future games. I think they should be last resort weapons, like the knife from RE, and never a stronger option than guns. If there is more emphasis on firearms, then ammo is more important, and if there is not enough of it then it forces the player to pick and choose there battles. This was something that RE1 did very well, actually. That's the direction I'd like to see the next SH game take.

[clips]

^^^I actually thought SH3 handled the balance of combat pefectly....you had to choose your battles wisely...the creatures, even the minor creatures were tough to kill and could eat up alot of ammo if you're not careful. I even liked the block feature that it had for a particular boss battle later in the game...

I just feel the melee combat should be simple...and execution with firearms should be simple as well....point and shoot with no big-ass crosshairs target symbol (that aspect in homecoming made the game feel like an arcade game)....I kinda don't really want the over the shoulder cam anymore either....i'd like to see the camera handled in the way it was handled in the older games....(where you see the full body of the character all the time, even in combat)..

[Skele]

^ I wish there would have been an option to remove the crosshairs in Homecoming, however folks would've just complained about aiming being too difficult. i guess DH could've gone the Alan Wake route, and wherever your flashlight shines, is where the bullets go (i would've enjoyed this more, actually).

Anyway, i really enjoyed HC's combat, i just would like some of the combos taken out to make things feel more realistic. as i've said before, i'd like to see the next game incorporate hiding from monsters as an option, along with combat. i know not everyone digs killing monsters, so allowing folks to hide would be a good option. basically, have the game play similar to Siren blood curse (but with better controls) and i'm happy.

[Tillerman]

One thing about melee combat I don't like is that it encourages you to get close to enemies, and thus conquer your fear of them. Especially if you are beating the Hell out of them with your golf club or badass emergency hammer. I don't think this is a good route for horror games to take... instead, it should encourage the "cowardly" option of firing at enemies at a distance. This way, getting close to enemies is something that players will try to avoid, so it is something that will seem scarier.

[Harrys_Girl]

If some of the enemies are stronger though, it keeps you on your toes. I remember playing a game (can't for the life of me remember the title) where you were give mostly melee weapons and all the enemies looked about the same but their health could range from 3 to 168. The character would charge the enemy but I was never sure if it would be easy or I'd die.

My problem is the opposite of your's on melee. If I can hang 20 yd.s away from the enemies and just fire down on them w/ a gun, there is no fear of having to get close enough for them to attack me back.

[Yuki]

Honestly, combat in the games for me usually made me think "ugh, I need to be careful because I'm low on health" or things like that. It was usually simply the fact that the monsters were there that made me think "SHITSHITSHITSHIT". That's why I preferred Shattered Memories' non-combat to the combat of the other games (minus Homecoming; I've not played it yet). Hopefully 8 can at least have less-clunky combat.