Silent Hills - online connected towns & experiences?

[jdnation]

An intriguing idea to the plural use of Silent Hill's' could be taking a page from the new trend of online connectivity and multiplayer within the single-player experience.

An example from a recent game is Watch Dogs.


To an extent this is also something Kojima is doing with MGSV


In both examples, players choose to infiltrate or be infiltrated by other players that takes place within the context of the single player.

"I was walking... I could do nothing but walk... and then I saw me, walking in front of myself..."

Could the pluralized title be hinting at a similar experience where there are multiple Silent Hills be that there is a connected online feature where you could in fact either be within your game, or without knowing it, walk into the game of another player, or have another player walking into your Silent Hill?

"The only me is me. Are you sure the only you is you?"

Much like what Watch Dogs and MGS: Peace Walker do, while each player sees himself as the main character, other players appear as random pedestrians/masked soldiers.

In Silent Hills, could other players wandering in look like monsters to you?

We've been discussing creature and enemy behavior, but what if Kojima intends as part of a dose of unpredictability and randomness to have other players intermittently suddenly find themselves facing one another, each one appearing as a foe to the other and having to either fight or escape from each other?

Imagine if hypothetically the ghost walking up and down the hallways in the P.T. demo might've actually been another player?

"Watch out, the gap in the door, it's... a separate reality!"

Will such interactions even have residual effects in each others' Silent Hills? For example Dark Souls is a game where players interact with the deaths and messages of other players.

Will solving a puzzle in one Silent Hill, open a door or change the puzzle of another Silent Hill? Will one player's dropped stash of ammunition and health kits be found and taken by another? If someone else clears out a room of enemies, will that same room be empty when another player reaches it? Or adversely could one's actions instead release a creature in anothers?

What if one player was James, and the other was Angela. Will their other worlds cross over in that meeting. If the enemies are customizable to the experience of the player shall we suddenly encounter totally unknown enemies when we draw close to one another? Will the environment change? Could a similar system like that of Shattered Memories be implemented to customize the experience of your Silent Hill that will carry over when you or another steps through the gap into each others' Silent Hill?

There are a great many possibilities that arise, and even if one chooses to play offline the game can still carry on as a single player experience.

[Typographenia]

It would certainly be an interesting mechanic to see implemented in SH, but it all depends on how much and in what way, as you mentioned.

As someone who is not traditionally a major enthusiast when it comes to online multiplayer games, scenarios that Demon/Dark Souls presented were much more palatable and enjoyable. I don't necessarily want to see white ghosts or red blood stains highlighting a death, but something like the note system could be used in fun ways. Perhaps you could create messages/ongoing elements in the environment that would persist and appear for others? As far as scares go, it would be a hard angle to work off of. Journey was able to elegantly weave players in and out, so it's not unreasonable to assume it is impossible to insert players into an environment while maintaining the atmosphere.

My biggest concern with a cooperative puzzle solving or progression system would be the means of communication.

[jdnation]

My biggest concern with a cooperative puzzle solving or progression system would be the means of communication.

For the most part I don't think they'll do anything in the single player that requires cooperation with anyone for the main story campaign.

But I think it's an intriguing idea that there might be some meta-game involved that is pieced together through one anothers' games that, much like the PT demo could see people collaborating worldwide to figure out and accomplish that may update things within the game.

An idea like this could be another reason why an open-world design can benefit a post-game playthrough.

[Typographenia]

But I think it's an intriguing idea that there might be some meta-game involved that is pieced together through one anothers' games that, much like the PT demo could see people collaborating worldwide to figure out and accomplish that may update things within the game.

An idea like this could be another reason why an open-world design can benefit a post-game playthrough.

Yeah, we have seen things like FEZ really take and run with that sort of idea, and SH definitely has elements in it that would lend itself to creating and facilitating an experience for it.

[unreadphilosophy]

Reading this makes me wonder if Kojima was teasing this during the game itself. Remember when the warning from the husband to the wife appears above the door that continues the loop? Perhaps he was using that to tell us that you'll be able to leave words of advice for other players.

[Matt S]

Something I would love: level builder tools

Interesting idea, OP - if done right, could be very cool

[Lostkitsune]

I've always thought this would be interesting, I'd rather have some sort of online feature where you can effect other player's experiences but not directly communicate.

[Leo Ho Tep]

that's an interesting theory, and indeed, leaving clues to other players could be both frightening and rewarding.

[unreadphilosophy]

Only problem I see with this are trolls who will exploit the idea in order to purposefully throw people off or lead them into situations that will unwillingly scare them half to death. You know it's going to happen at some point.

[KingCrimson]

Only problem I see with this are trolls who will exploit the idea in order to purposefully throw people off or lead them into situations that will unwillingly scare them half to death. You know it's going to happen at some point.

Bingo! I've just started playing Dark Souls II, and the number of people exploiting the limited words to choose from (when crafting a message) in order to make it say, ahem, "be wary of but hole" is starting to affect the sense of immersion. Online gaming communities are cool, but it doesn't take more than a few trolls to ruin everybody's day.

Apart from that, my other problem with the idea is that it leaves too much to chance. Horror as a genre works best when everything is meticulously placed to support the core concept. Where the elements are placed, how they react, how everything is presented, and stuff like that are very easy to screw up, and pull the player right out of the suspension of disbelief. Knowing that there were thousands of other people participating in the same experience and potentially changing it would constantly remind me that this is a game, unless it was handled in a very nuanced way.

[Maynard]

Sorry but I don't like it one bit.

What I want is masterfully crafted experiences. This requires knowing who when how what etc. And it is also needed so one can control the pace, which is so important. If you have players acting like monsters then where is the pace? The highs and the lows, the anticipation, the building up and the release? Will it also give me more ammo/weapons to handle them? Might as well play Resident Evil then? Or maybe it doesn't give me more and it's just frustrating.

I wouldn't want a player acting like the ghost in PT as you said for example. Being all over the place, doing whatever it wants to do. I want exactly what I got. Be presented at the right time in the game, with a certain way, to deliver a certain experience.

The only way I would want this would be if I knew before hand that the planned experience I would get otherwise, would suck. Then yes I'd take my chances and go for a maybe good, than certainly bad.

[Mephisto]

Some people need to understand that, in some games, online - doesn't matter the feature - just doesn't work. That's the case of SH.

What clues a player would be able to send to another? Nothing but a sentence of pre-definied words, more than likely. "Beware of the X ahead". That's like tossing the surprise factor, a thing important in the horror media, out of the window.

It worked on the Souls series but I don't think it would work for SH. Because the Souls series only has horror elements here and there. It's not an actual horror experience when you think about it.

Also, don't even say anything about online multiplayer. Don't give the developers unecessary ideas. We all know it's going to suck and, in the end of the day, the servers are going to be full of deathmatches. It's sad but it always happens with games with online multiplayer. There's 20+ different game modes but the only ones that manage to survive are the fucking deathmatches.

Then there's co-op. No, it wouldn't work. And, speaking of which, I kinda wish Capcom dropped co-op in the next RE. Ain't gonna happen though.

[dias17se]

Yeah would be interesting to see like 3 stories and each could cross each other path, size story would be smaller for each but sometimes quality>quantity, maybe Ryan Gosling can still join who knows there was some noise about Kojima wanting to work with him as i´ve read around here.

[Typographenia]

Sorry but I don't like it one bit.

What I want is masterfully crafted experiences. This requires knowing who when how what etc. And it is also needed so one can control the pace, which is so important. If you have players acting like monsters then where is the pace? The highs and the lows, the anticipation, the building up and the release? Will it also give me more ammo/weapons to handle them? Might as well play Resident Evil then? Or maybe it doesn't give me more and it's just frustrating.

I wouldn't want a player acting like the ghost in PT as you said for example. Being all over the place, doing whatever it wants to do. I want exactly what I got. Be presented at the right time in the game, with a certain way, to deliver a certain experience.

The only way I would want this would be if I knew before hand that the planned experience I would get otherwise, would suck. Then yes I'd take my chances and go for a maybe good, than certainly bad.

There can't be both? Why would you not want some sort of random seeded element in a horror title that would actually give you something new to surprise you on a second playthrough? It doesn't have to be 100% of the time, and it could be triggered by a variety of actions, or any number of things. Also, it could just as easily be a function that you opt out of through a menu choice.

I'm not advocating that these sorts of features should be a required part of the new game, but I can definitely see the benefits of considering their potential in the final product.

Some people need to understand that, in some games, online - doesn't matter the feature - just doesn't work. That's the case of SH.

What clues a player would be able to send to another? Nothing but a sentence of pre-definied words, more than likely. "Beware of the X ahead". That's like tossing the surprise factor, a thing important in the horror media, out of the window.

When you describe it that way, perhaps. Of course, they don't have to emulate the exact function of another game's systems. They can have original ideas and approaches too.
If done correctly, it could be a enhancement to both the problem solving and horror aspects of the game.
"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it." -Alfred Hitchcock

[unreadphilosophy]

Guys, I'm sure the option to connect with other players online will be optional. Kojima has never made online modes mandatory in his games, and I'm positive he wouldn't start such a trend with Silent Hill.

[Kenji]

Only problem I see with this are trolls who will exploit the idea in order to purposefully throw people off or lead them into situations that will unwillingly scare them half to death. You know it's going to happen at some point.

Wouldn't that be the most positive outcome? Y'know, emergent, community-facilitated horror?

[alone in the town]

I don't know if I care much for the idea of other players communicating with me.

However, if you used the online platform to exploit the concept of multiple realities, which has been one of the series' most fundamental elements since the beginning, it can open some very interesting doors.

Picture it as every player beingon their own level of a virtually infinite meta-Otherworld.

[dias17se]

Only problem I see with this are trolls who will exploit the idea in order to purposefully throw people off or lead them into situations that will unwillingly scare them half to death. You know it's going to happen at some point.

Wouldn't that be the most positive outcome? Y'know, emergent, community-facilitated horror?

That´s a joke.


Anyway imo not gonna happen .

[Kenji]

Only problem I see with this are trolls who will exploit the idea in order to purposefully throw people off or lead them into situations that will unwillingly scare them half to death. You know it's going to happen at some point.

Wouldn't that be the most positive outcome? Y'know, emergent, community-facilitated horror?

That´s a joke.


Anyway imo not gonna happen .

While you're probably right that it's not gonna happen, could you go into more detail about how it's a ridiculous idea?

Yes, there would be a ton of risk involved, but players leaving prefab messages for each other, to help or hinder, is not unlike what the series has already been doing with the not-so-cryptic scribblings left by what is presumably others trapped in the town.

[Lostkitsune]

I don't know if I care much for the idea of other players communicating with me.

However, if you used the online platform to exploit the concept of multiple realities, which has been one of the series' most fundamental elements since the beginning, it can open some very interesting doors.

Picture it as every player beingon their own level of a virtually infinite meta-Otherworld.

Bingo. Communication, even in a preset dictionary form like Dark Souls would kill the vibe of a horror game for me.
However using the online connectivity to possibly effect the look or difficulty of someone's Otherworld experience? That'd be pretty neat.