Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

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wonder's boy
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by wonder's boy »

I saw that pic Hydra posted and was like, "Yay!", and then like, "Boo..." when I realized that it was edited and all. The screen of Downpour Silent Hill a few posts above with what looks like that clock tower is probably my least favorite screen so far. I know that everyone sees the town differently and all, but it just looks visually boring, even if the fog does look more realistic in both form and density. That's just the thing about some past Silent Hill games, though. The fog was always surrealistically thick and ominous, like a constant enemy in the game, inhibiting your range of sight and making you fear what lurked about.

Now, in Downpour, it feels like I'll be able to see monsters a block ahead, and won't be caught off guard or surprised much. Hopefully it's got a different feel while actually holding the controller.
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stopped_clock
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by stopped_clock »

Shacknasty wrote:I really don't care if tank controls are used or not, but you can horror and suspense without the need of tank controls. Case in point: Fatal Frame
Fatal Frame uses tank controls.
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by Shacknasty »

stopped_clock wrote:
Shacknasty wrote:I really don't care if tank controls are used or not, but you can horror and suspense without the need of tank controls. Case in point: Fatal Frame
Fatal Frame uses tank controls.
No, they don't. When we say tank controls we mean stuff like Resident Evil in which moving up on the analog stick or d-pad is the only way to propel character forward. Fatal Frame characters don't have this problem as they use a 2D scheme which moves the player forward in whichever direction you tilt the stick towards on top of automatically running forward when the run button is held down. Fatal Frame's controls aren't tank controls.

They are a bit slower and less fluid than your usual 2D controls (especially compared to games like Metal Gear Solid) so in some odd way it can feel a bit sluggish like tank controls at time so I guess I can see where you're coming from.
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Hydra666
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by Hydra666 »

I agree with Shacknasty. Fatal Frame 3 is the scariest game I've ever played and the controls where on a 2D scheme.

The best gameplay IMO for a survival horror is 2D controls with a run button.

I've remaked 2 screens BTW.

The outworld church I made darker and added some noise effect
PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:
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And the streets
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by Tillerman »

Generally I prefer analog controls, but there are times when tank controls are nice, like when you're dealing with changing camera angles. I think it's always best to give people the option of using either. The way Fatal Frame does it is very nice, having analog control but also having a button for running straight forward.
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by stopped_clock »

Editing out my whole post because I'm completely doubting myself now. I'm still certain that Fatal Frame (at least FF1) uses tank controls, but I need to dust off the PS2 to confirm my suspicions.

EDIT playing it now, it uses tank controls for the most part, that is to say that the character turns in a circle when you press either left or right, however pressing down allows you to perform a quick 180, so it's a 3D control scheme but instead of walking backwards you do a quick turn.
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Shacknasty
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by Shacknasty »

No, Fatal Frame's controls are certainly not tank controls. With 2D controls basically whatever direction you push on the analog stick makes the character go in that direction. You push left they go towards the left and so on. Fatal Frame's controls definitely do this only the amount of time to perform the action compared to games like MGS takes longer which can give some that impression of "tank controls" since the reactions are much slower than they typically are for most 2D controls...probably intentional to avoid overpowering the player.

Basically it takes a second for the character to turn around to face whatever direction you pushed the stick towards and start moving in that direction but it still happens regardless.

If we were using tank controls you'd be only to propel your character forward by pressing up and that's not the case with Fatal Frame.

Hence, they're not tank controls. But FF's movement controls slow and clumsy enough that I can see where some people who played it a while back might get that idea.
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by stopped_clock »

I'm literally playing it now. Right now, I have the controller in my hand, if I push the stick to the left she turns in a circle to the left, and keeps on turning until I press forward or square. if I push right, she turns in a circle to the right and she'll keep turning forever until I press forward or square.

Those are tank controls. I'm not some confused kid who played it a while back, I'm playing it as I'm typing!
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by Yuki »

Soulless-Shadow wrote:
KiramidHead wrote:I was too distracted by crap controls to notice or care about the lighting. All forms of tank controls need to die a slow death.
I can't agree more. I hate tank controls. I find that the frustration they cause takes me out of the moment and ruins the atmosphere of the game to the point where all I'm thinking about are the crappy controls and not noticing the small details in the game. Personally, I don't think there's any need to use tank controls any more.
Shacknasty wrote:I really don't care if tank controls are used or not, but you can horror and suspense without the need of tank controls. Case in point: Fatal Frame
Tank controls aren't really something I associate with horror games. Like your example, horror games can be suspenseful without them.

As for the fog being bluish instead of white, personally I don't have a problem with it. From what I've seen so far, Downpour looks pretty good. As someone else already mentioned, SH4 didn't have much fog at all. I hardly noticed that, to be honest.
This entire post. Part of the reason I've not been able to actually beat SH1 is because of the awful tank controls.
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by Shacknasty »

stopped_clock wrote:I'm literally playing it now. Right now, I have the controller in my hand, if I push the stick to the left she turns in a circle to the left, and keeps on turning until I press forward or square. if I push right, she turns in a circle to the right and she'll keep turning forever until I press forward or square.

Those are tank controls. I'm not some confused kid who played it a while back, I'm playing it as I'm typing!
No, those sure as hell are not tank controls. I don't how you managed to get your definition of tank controls but when people are talking about tank controls they're talking about the kind of movement you see in Resident Evil and the first three Silent Hill games. Tank controls are controls where you have to push UP on the dpad and/or analog stick in all instances regardless of the camera angles in order to move the character forward. Left and right are limited to merely turning the character around. Down makes the character walk backwards.

And Fatal Frame have controls like these in any of the games.

I believe you were playing it, but for some odd reason you're not operating off the same idea of tank controls that the majority of gamers have in mind. >_____>

I really don't feel like having to dig up a Resident Evil/Silent Hill video and Fatal Frame video just to showcase what should be obvious to everybody who has played those games so I hope I'm not going to have to resort to that.
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by stopped_clock »

Just checked the controls menu, you can choose between objective and subjective, thus we are both right and both wrong and both look kinda like idiots.
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by Shacknasty »

Now you're falling back on ad hominem? *sigh* Okay, apparently I am going to have to dig up some videos to flat out demonstrate the differences since (for God knows what reason) you can't seem to get the picture yourself. And so far you're the only person I have ever come across to claim the controls in FF are tank controls.
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by Hydra666 »

Well... I've played Fatal Frame 3 and when you control the characters with the D-pad, they move with the tank controls while you use the stick, the character moves on a 2D scheme (just like SH Origins)
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by Shacknasty »

Hydra666 wrote:Well... I've played Fatal Frame 3 and when you control the characters with the D-pad, they move with the tank controls while you use the stick, the character moves on a 2D scheme (just like SH Origins)
Controlling the characters using the d-pad is nothing at all similar to how Travis moves in Origins so I don't see where you're getting this from.
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by ww_andi »

what stopped clock is referring to is tank controls if it is as he describes then it is tank
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by Yuki »

Shacknasty wrote:
stopped_clock wrote:I'm literally playing it now. Right now, I have the controller in my hand, if I push the stick to the left she turns in a circle to the left, and keeps on turning until I press forward or square. if I push right, she turns in a circle to the right and she'll keep turning forever until I press forward or square.

Those are tank controls. I'm not some confused kid who played it a while back, I'm playing it as I'm typing!
No, those sure as hell are not tank controls. I don't how you managed to get your definition of tank controls but when people are talking about tank controls they're talking about the kind of movement you see in Resident Evil and the first three Silent Hill games. Tank controls are controls where you have to push UP on the dpad and/or analog stick in all instances regardless of the camera angles in order to move the character forward. Left and right are limited to merely turning the character around. Down makes the character walk backwards.

And Fatal Frame have controls like these in any of the games.

I believe you were playing it, but for some odd reason you're not operating off the same idea of tank controls that the majority of gamers have in mind. >_____>

I really don't feel like having to dig up a Resident Evil/Silent Hill video and Fatal Frame video just to showcase what should be obvious to everybody who has played those games so I hope I'm not going to have to resort to that.
Dude, that's exactly what stopped said. In Fatal Frame--the one he's playing--turning left or right only makes them rotate.
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by alone in the town »

Yeah, what he described sounds like every tank-scheme I've ever used.

Though, I will remain the champion of tank controls, they are the best scheme for games which benefit from precise movement. 2D control schemes belong in games which feature a static perspective. In games with changing perspective (i,e, every Silent Hill game ever made), it makes movement erratic and sloppy. Which, for some reason, a lot of people like. *shrug*
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by stopped_clock »

*sigh* all you want shack, I checked the controller options in game, and felt like a moron for not doing it before, there are a ton of different controller set ups (8 to be precise, labelled A to H) and each set up has either objective or subjective controls. Objective gives the controls that you are referring to, subjective gives you tank controls. I'm guessing I set it to tank controls the moment I started playing it, many years ago, and never looked back because tank controls are better.

Look up all the videos you want, it won't change the facts.

Anyway, to get things back on topic, ish, does anybody know how downpour controls during those moments when cinematic camera angles are used? I only played the mine demo when I went up to Eurogamer and that didn't incorporate any cinematic angles, it'll be interesting to see how they deal with character movement in those situations, and whether or not the transitions from OTS to cinematic will end up being jarring.
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by Hydra666 »

Shacknasty wrote:
Hydra666 wrote:Well... I've played Fatal Frame 3 and when you control the characters with the D-pad, they move with the tank controls while you use the stick, the character moves on a 2D scheme (just like SH Origins)
Controlling the characters using the d-pad is nothing at all similar to how Travis moves in Origins so I don't see where you're getting this from.
I think you read too fast.

D-Pad > Tank controls

Analog stick > 2D controls like in Origins

Anyway, back on topic. I really think Vatra should give us some new screens.
Maybe it could boost up our interest in the game even more.
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Re: Silent Hill Downpour Appreciation Thread

Post by thy_butcher »

Well, we are in a different part of Silent Hill. I attribute that to the screens with tall buildings.
On that subject: I like the taller buildings. They make me feel kind of trapped. Like a maze with very tall walls.
I think variety in environments will be present in Downpour. We've seen the urban streets, forested areas, mines, and many others from the screens. It all looks decayed and cold. I really like the vibes I get from everything shown thus far.
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