CATERPILLAR SCRIPT FOR HORROR GAMES?

Posts

Pages: 1
I'm currently working on a plot-based RPG horror game with many playable characters. Hence, you can rack up a party, but not a huge one since perspective changes often. Still, I was wondering - would having a caterpillar in place in a horror game detract from the horror atmosphere because it looks silly? Should I scrap it? Or should I try to implement a caterpillar script where party members follow you, but not so closely that it looks silly?
Mmm well... a rather famous RPGmaker horror game (something with a school..? forgot the title) uses a caterpillar script (or lets the character follow via select move route, maybe), but then again, there are at most 2 characters on the screen I guess..
I could also imagine it with 3 characters tho, and I don't think it would take away too much from the horror atmosphere if the game's well made...
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
I don't care for caterpillar systems in general, so....
If it's a fairly small scale game I'd probably do it so that if you enter a room, the characters in your group will "split out" and look at things in the room by themselves (follow movement patterns or one might just stand around in front of a bookcase and if you talk to him he mentions something about the books). I think that creates the best horror atmosphere.
If a combat occurs all playable characters in the room will automatically participate.

In a bigger scale horror game that might be too much work, though.

Caterpillar doesn't seem to be a good idea to me. Then rather one sprite but the "split out" effect described above happens in the most important rooms.
Ah, I remember the game's name - it was "Corpse Party" .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2oxeXwH0gc
But I remembered it incorrectly... the characters do spawn out of the main character and don't caterpillar after all... ' 3 ' )
If I remember correctly, Sweet Home for Famicom had a caterpillar system.

Caterpillar parties are undeniably evocative of a certain era of RPG. I guess it just depends on the feel you're going for. Deliberately retro? Caterpillar may be a cute touch.

Really, it's tough to make an RPG Maker game that's 100% scary all the time. Corpse Party is pretty consistently terrifying, but at the same time it has cute graphics which tend to subvert the notion of horror a bit. Even SnowOwl's Rust and Blood has cute character graphics. That's the limitation of working in this type of engine.

I like Rya's idea personally, but go with what's in your heart :]
Pages: 1