Arachnophobia/Ophidiophobia mode?

[Beret]

This looks like my dream game: open world survival on a beautiful island chain, with an ancient mystery to solve to boot. BUT -and I'm sure I'm not the first here- there are certain animals that are a hardline deal breaker for me in games, and this game has one of them. I wouldn't be selfish enough to insist you remove any animal though. Instead, I'm wondering if you have any plans to follow in Grounded's excellent footsteps of including phobia modes?

In Grounded, the visual detail of spiders can be scaled all the way down to the point where they appear as floating blobs, making them basically unrecognisable next to their original animals. It does not change their behaviour. This allows players who have a phobia of them to still play the game and see/interact/fight with these animals, without getting the living daylights scared out of them. Could a similar *optional* feature be considered for Survival: Fountain of Youth so that those who fear snakes/scorpions/sharks/etc can still play the game? We would gladly sacrifice a bit of immersion if it guarantees these critters won't be giving us the fright of our lives!

[Owlie]

Grounded arachnophobia mode is just awful. It made them look like a floating grape. I have no particular phobia but I think there are way better solution than that.

Currently, all three of those isn't that much necessary to progress with so I think an option that just removes them from the game should do just fine

[EpimeTheAus]

I have a fear of open water and sharks.
I couldn't finish Far Cry 3 or play ARK properly.
I'm hoping the first island has enough to keep my busy at least lol

[HunterKiller]

If you're afraid of water, what do you drink? I hope it isn't Bud Light?

[psychedelic yeti]

Originally posted by Beret:

This looks like my dream game: open world survival on a beautiful island chain, with an ancient mystery to solve to boot. BUT -and I'm sure I'm not the first here- there are certain animals that are a hardline deal breaker for me in games, and this game has one of them. I wouldn't be selfish enough to insist you remove any animal though. Instead, I'm wondering if you have any plans to follow in Grounded's excellent footsteps of including phobia modes?

In Grounded, the visual detail of spiders can be scaled all the way down to the point where they appear as floating blobs, making them basically unrecognisable next to their original animals. It does not change their behaviour. This allows players who have a phobia of them to still play the game and see/interact/fight with these animals, without getting the living daylights scared out of them. Could a similar *optional* feature be considered for Survival: Fountain of Youth so that those who fear snakes/scorpions/sharks/etc can still play the game? We would gladly sacrifice a bit of immersion if it guarantees these critters won't be giving us the fright of our lives!

Hey there!

Thought about it, but spiders are also included in some animations (when crouching on a hand), so it may be hard to implement. We may address this issue later, but it's not a first priority, I'm afraid.

[Quincy_Morris]

It’s probably better for you to try to overcome your phobia then to try to change the game. This game is all about overcoming horrible circumstances after all.

[EpimeTheAus]

Originally posted by HunterKiller:

If you're afraid of water, what do you drink? I hope it isn't Bud Light?

That is water though?

[Owlie]

Originally posted by Quincy_Morris:

It’s probably better for you to try to overcome your phobia then to try to change the game. This game is all about overcoming horrible circumstances after all.

While do do see these arachnophobia/thassalophobia thing as an necessary virtue signal, I do know that there are people who really have the mental illness and actually suffer a deliberation throughout the lives, phobias can trigger these people even if they're fully aware that the threat does not exist at all.
I have a real acrophobia and climbing just the cartographer tree gives me nausea immediately even though I know that it's just a game. You really should think about how you speak before telling people something like that

[Thakard Gaming]

They literally added the warning at the start of the game for my fear of snakes after Munk saw my reactions while I was streaming.

That being said you can push through such things. Don't get me wrong if I don't see one and it strikes me I have a very physical reaction. But, if I see them and kill them first I don't seem to have an issue.

[infektedsyringe]

Originally posted by EpimeTheAus:

Originally posted by HunterKiller:

If you're afraid of water, what do you drink? I hope it isn't Bud Light?

That is water though?

LMAO

[(NSMB) Nikkyta]

I have been arachnophobic since I can remember. Maybe it's because I've been playing fantasy mmorpg videogames all my life where there are spiders in all areas and of all kinds of sizes, thanks to this, it allows me today to play survival games without generating so much phobia. You can get to improve the phobia thanks to video games. Although I advise not to start directly with survival games, but with fantasy games because they are less realistic.

[HunterKiller]

Originally posted by EpimeTheAus:

Originally posted by HunterKiller:

If you're afraid of water, what do you drink? I hope it isn't Bud Light?

That is water though?

NO, it's beer.

[EpimeTheAus]

Originally posted by HunterKiller:

Originally posted by EpimeTheAus:

That is water though?

NO, it's beer. :retro_beer:

Gonna have to agree to disagree mate.
To borrow from the old saying, Budweiser is like sex in a canoe.
♥♥♥♥♥♥' close to water.

[jessicaahall]

Originally posted by Quincy_Morris:

It’s probably better for you to try to overcome your phobia then to try to change the game. This game is all about overcoming horrible circumstances after all.

You obviously have never had a phobia. Phobias are not easily overcome like you are implying. A true phobia is something that you know you have, you know it is unrealistic, that spider or whatever will not kill you, yes it is a video game, but you still cannot control the way it makes you feel, a completely visceral feel that takes over. A phobia is not just, "ew I hate spiders, they are gross!", no it is a full body/full mind paralysis for some people.

You just can't "overcome" your phobia. God, what an idiotic response. Have some compassion people! The OP is not asking to change the game, but asking for an optional feature that can be put in to help with the phobia if needed!

OP, your post is very well put and I truly hope that the dev does include a phobia option. In all honesty, I think it is something that most games like this should have, along with other disability options. It should be standard. I am not a developer so I cannot say how hard it can be to do this, but replacing a scorpion skin with a white circle, for example, can't be that hard, can it?

And to the others that are not replying in a compassionate way and are basically making fun of or belittling the OP's and other's phobias - grow up. Think about what you are saying before you submit your comment.

[Owlie]

Originally posted by jessicaahall:

OP, your post is very well put and I truly hope that the dev does include a phobia option. In all honesty, I think it is something that most games like this should have, along with other disability options. It should be standard. I am not a developer so I cannot say how hard it can be to do this, but replacing a scorpion skin with a white circle, for example, can't be that hard, can it?

Not to discredit anyone, as many commenter had pointed out is that they have done the due diligence at the very least with the trigger warning. Phobias are have a very diverse range of topics and even people with phobia for spider can have a wildly varying reasoning on what about it triggers them. Asking yo turn them into a floating grape or picture of a kitten just comes off as a tone deaf attempt to patronize people

I'm still on the position that it would be better to add the option that removes them from the game.

[EpimeTheAus]

Originally posted by EpimeTheAus:

I have a fear of open water and sharks.
I couldn't finish Far Cry 3 or play ARK properly.
I'm hoping the first island has enough to keep my busy at least lol

Just killed the shark while staving off a heart attack. Then the moment I dive down to the ship bad weather washes over the area, turns the ocean dark and I have another heart attack thinking another damn shark is about to sneak up on me.
Was scarier than Alien Isolation alone at night with a VR head set.