Time to face the competition

[ShadowNeko]

With phasmo's take on exorrcising the ghosts too!

[BrackObama2]

I would gladly play a game that involves exorcism, that would look, feel and play similar to Phasmophobia. But Phasmo itself doesn't need that, it still needs a lot of work as it is.

[galacticcorgi]

Messaggio originale di LifelongMax:

Messaggio originale di Shurenai:

Take a look at most of the great horror games throughout history- How many of them allow you to fight back against the spooks n ghouls? They don't, right? And the few that do typically don't let you until very near the end of the game- Or in the VERY rare case you can fight all along, fighting proves to be a very unapproachable option in most cases.


I get it. Exorcisms are cool, They sound cool, It's like a perfect 'next step' for the game to expand it. But it would carve out the core of what the game is. It's an investigation game; It should center on and prioritize Investigation. If you want exorcisms, Go play a game with exorcisms.. But this is not, and imo should not, be one of them.

You wouldn't demand racing game elements in a JRPG, You wouldn't demand puzzle game elements in your twitch based shooter game. Sometimes things don't mix; And things dont HAVE to mix just because they can.

Again, I was quite level headed, and stated that it'd be neat if perhaps it was added as an option after launch.

Dead Space is one of the best horror games and you fight in that, same with most RE games, and Silent Hill. That being said, there are many more where you don't fight and those are great too, so this point is weird to bring up because it gets no one anywhere.

Literally just make it a game type and you have the ability to keep the core of the game the same.

One good way I could see it happening is you go in and you figure out what ghost it is as you do now, and once you do that each ghost has a specific way to exorcise them that is dangerous and maybe you've already lost some of your team trying to figure it out and you have to decide whether or not you want to do it. Again, either as an add on to the already existing game, or as a separate game type.

Have it just give extra money, and a bit of extra experience, nothing crazy, just something else to do sort of as a bonus mission.

The mere thought of this ruffles so many feathers though, it's genuinely odd.

Because a lot of people like it as pure investigation and hearing it suggested over and over and over is a bit frustrating. Again, GHC exists. If that's what you want, go play that.

[Tank Magnet]

Messaggio originale di LifelongMax:

Again, I was quite level headed, and stated that it'd be neat if perhaps it was added as an option after launch.

Dead Space is one of the best horror games and you fight in that, same with most RE games, and Silent Hill. That being said, there are many more where you don't fight and those are great too, so this point is weird to bring up because it gets no one anywhere.

Literally just make it a game type and you have the ability to keep the core of the game the same.

One good way I could see it happening is you go in and you figure out what ghost it is as you do now, and once you do that each ghost has a specific way to exorcise them that is dangerous and maybe you've already lost some of your team trying to figure it out and you have to decide whether or not you want to do it. Again, either as an add on to the already existing game, or as a separate game type.

Have it just give extra money, and a bit of extra experience, nothing crazy, just something else to do sort of as a bonus mission.

The mere thought of this ruffles so many feathers though, it's genuinely odd.

The Main Problem with this suggestion is it is not as simple as “make it it’s own mode”. Everything would require almost twice as much work even if this was done. You would need checks to see if it’s a ghost that is allowed to be exorcised, those checks would in turn require specific items or methods to exist that only apply in that exact situation, which means you’d also need to make exceptions for the non-exorcism games so that those exorcism items either don’t spawn or don’t break things for non-exorcism players.

You also can’t tie the exorcism to any of the existing equipment as anything that could be used in an exorcism is consumable and in very limited supply and has very specific roles in the game already. Anything non-consumable would not work as a suitable item to use in an exorcism as all non-consumable tools are electronic in nature, which is generally not the kind of tool used in an exorcism. Adding new items just for one game mode that many players may never choose to play in a game like phasmo is just not feasible due to the size of the Dev team, so that option is also off the table.

Don’t misunderstand me here, I’m not saying an exorcism component wouldn’t be cool, far from it, but what I’m saying, and mind you there’s a LOT more stuff I haven’t touched on that would make it unfeasible, is that it would require far too much time and resource investment for too little gain, and would detract from what the Dev feels is the games core purpose, that of a Paranormal Investigation game rather than an investigate and exorcise style game.

[ShadowNeko]

Messaggio originale di Shurenai:

Messaggio originale di LifelongMax:

I love that whenever something like this gets suggested, people just shut it the hell down with a swiftness for no reason really, or the reason they do give is because the game doesn't in its description state that this would occur.

That being said, it's not a bad idea, and hopefully something that will get added in after launch. Other games using Phasmo as a jumping off point will, and have, added the exorcism aspect and eventually one will come out that is very good, and on paper that is a better game than Phasmo, or at least more engaging.

It'd be neat to have it as an option at the very least.

This game however, has a seemingly large amount of people who seem to just use it as a backdrop for socialization and cry when the game gets a bit harder and they have to focus on the game rather than talking with their friends, which is a problem in my opinion. These types of people end up getting games dumb'd down by complaining about added difficulty in their perceived conversation simulators.

Anyways, long story short, it's a neat idea that many people in the community for this game will poop on without ever actually giving it the light of day.

It's been shut down with logical reasons, illogical reasons, 'it's in the description', and a dozen more things besides. And in the end, After you've said the same logical thing a dozen times, you start getting frustrated and just popping the quickest reply you can- Because you dont just want to leave the topic unanswered by your opinion.


One of the most notable concerns, in my mind, is that this IS an Investigative game. You're meant to be powerless in the face of the ghost so you have some semblance of fear or concern in it's presence.

Once you make it so YOU can murder the ghost instead of the other way around, Fear flies out the window. GHC is a perfect example of this- Yes there's a lot of crazy things that the ghost can do in that game. But none of it is scary because, in the back of your mind, you know that if it dares to run towards you with intent to kill you can smack it with a ray gun until it vanishes in a puff of smoke. The things the ghost does might startle or surprise you; But it won't scare you. (Imagine many of those same things the ghost can do in GHC, And how much more unnerving it would be.)

It is very difficult to provoke true feelings of terror/concern/worry/shock/etc when the player can fight back.

Take a look at most of the great horror games throughout history- How many of them allow you to fight back against the spooks n ghouls? They don't, right? And the few that do typically don't let you until very near the end of the game- Or in the VERY rare case you can fight all along, fighting proves to be a very unapproachable option in most cases.


I get it. Exorcisms are cool, They sound cool, It's like a perfect 'next step' for the game to expand it. But it would carve out the core of what the game is. It's an investigation game; It should center on and prioritize Investigation. If you want exorcisms, Go play a game with exorcisms.. But this is not, and imo should not, be one of them.

You wouldn't demand racing game elements in a JRPG, You wouldn't demand puzzle game elements in your twitch based shooter game. Sometimes things don't mix; And things dont HAVE to mix just because they can.

Great point made.

[Myth Alric]

It is hard to take games like ghost hunting corp seriously with their ray guns and rocksalt shotguns. If you were doing a ghost investigation in real life, and someone pulled up with a shotgun, you would think they were nuts.

What makes phasmophobia a very atmospheric game is that it fits right on the border of reality. At the start of the investigation, it feels very much like one of those ghost hunting shows. You go tracking down random objects moving slightly, or find weird readings and what not. Then as your sanity slips you realize you are in over your head and it turns out to be a real haunting with an aggressive ghost.

Obviously phasmophobia isn't realistic but it feels like it almost could be. Going in with a laser gun going pew pew at the ghost, doesn't feel anything even remotely realistic however.

[AimlessMeander]

Messaggio originale di Myth Alric:

It is hard to take games like ghost hunting corp seriously with their ray guns and rocksalt shotguns. If you were doing a ghost investigation in real life, and someone pulled up with a shotgun, you would think they were nuts.

What makes phasmophobia a very atmospheric game is that it fits right on the border of reality. At the start of the investigation, it feels very much like one of those ghost hunting shows. You go tracking down random objects moving slightly, or find weird readings and what not. Then as your sanity slips you realize you are in over your head and it turns out to be a real haunting with an aggressive ghost.

Obviously phasmophobia isn't realistic but it feels like it almost could be. Going in with a laser gun going pew pew at the ghost, doesn't feel anything even remotely realistic however.

To be fair, if they made it realistic it would be the same every time.
You go in to look for a ghost and it turns out to be a mouse in the wall or a window slightly open causing a cold draft and you leave.:-)

[ShadowNeko]

Theres other games than GHC and they arnt being silly with their excorcisms.

[Kaisoku]

Exorcisms as shown in media are typically really flashy. Or campy (if you go the Ghostbusters route).

However, as Phasmophobia is cleaving towards the "real life" ghost hunters feel, a "cleansing ritual" in "real life" typically doesn't have a flashy effect.. and it might not even have an immediate effect.
Even when you bring in a priest to recite a prayer, and light some sage around the house, etc... they have to "wait and see" if the "paranormal activity" continues.

What I could see as a happy compromise for this game would be to have, in an updated Objectives system, a "final step" before leaving the job when you've guessed the ghost: perform the correct "cleansing ritual".
Objectives already have "random achievements performed" kind of thing... what else would you call "smudge the ghost" or "see the ghost walk through salt"?

Maybe a random set of things you have to do, or make it specific to the ghost (so if you correctly guess the ghost, then the ritual you performed will be correct.. you won't know until you leave).

The point being that the ritual needs to be a series of things you have to do, at the end of the round (lowest sanity, highest hunt likelihood), and is based on your guess of the ghost (so if you were wrong, this will also fail).

It doesn't actually stop the ghost activity, the game doesn't change. But you light some candles, move a specific object into a position, say some words, all while risking a hunt. And get some cash at the end for succeeding.

Not so much an "interactive expulsion of the ghost", but rather something more complex and purposeful than the random assortment of "achievements" Objectives.

[galacticcorgi]

Messaggio originale di Kaisoku:

Exorcisms as shown in media are typically really flashy. Or campy (if you go the Ghostbusters route).

However, as Phasmophobia is cleaving towards the "real life" ghost hunters feel, a "cleansing ritual" in "real life" typically doesn't have a flashy effect.. and it might not even have an immediate effect.
Even when you bring in a priest to recite a prayer, and light some sage around the house, etc... they have to "wait and see" if the "paranormal activity" continues.

What I could see as a happy compromise for this game would be to have, in an updated Objectives system, a "final step" before leaving the job when you've guessed the ghost: perform the correct "cleansing ritual".
Objectives already have "random achievements performed" kind of thing... what else would you call "smudge the ghost" or "see the ghost walk through salt"?

Maybe a random set of things you have to do, or make it specific to the ghost (so if you correctly guess the ghost, then the ritual you performed will be correct.. you won't know until you leave).

The point being that the ritual needs to be a series of things you have to do, at the end of the round (lowest sanity, highest hunt likelihood), and is based on your guess of the ghost (so if you were wrong, this will also fail).

It doesn't actually stop the ghost activity, the game doesn't change. But you light some candles, move a specific object into a position, say some words, all while risking a hunt. And get some cash at the end for succeeding.

Not so much an "interactive expulsion of the ghost", but rather something more complex and purposeful than the random assortment of "achievements" Objectives.

What you want, then, is Obsideo and not Phasmo.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1708460/Obsideo/

[ShadowNeko]

Heres a nice idea to comprimise. After you do the initial investigation you headback as normal, rewards, etc, then you can go to a new investigation like usual or head back to cleanse the place with new tools and such.

[galacticcorgi]

Messaggio originale di ShadowKoneko :3:

Heres a nice idea to comprimise. After you do the initial investigation you headback as normal, rewards, etc, then you can go to a new investigation like usual or head back to cleanse the place with new tools and such.

No. That's still a lot of extra work for the devs to put in a mode to make this GHC or Obsideo just to please you. You want that stuff, go play a game that has it. End of.

[Bill]

The devs have already said they won't do exorcisms.

It's not what Phasmophobia is about anyways, this is an investigation game first and foremost.

Outside of that, if you add exorcisms every new ghost becomes infinitely harder to make because you need not only a strength, weakness, and evidence types but you'd then need to make a way to exorcise it.

And the final issue is that, with the way Phasmophobia works you could just skip evidence all together and try to exorcise the ghosts as soon as you start.

I'm sure you could build around it, but it's a lot of effort to put in for something that most people don't really want that bad. I'd rather improvements on the formula and gameplay we have already.

Last thing to note, Phasmophobia doesn't compete with games like Ghost hunter corps. 300 players to 20,000 players...