SOMA: Crafting Existential Dread

Name: SOMA: Crafting Existential Dread
Uploaded: 2016-08-19T16:29:54.000Z
Duration: 2 h 8 s

Crafting Existential Dread

In this talk, Thomas Grip discusses the process of crafting existential dread in a game. He shares his personal experience and the challenges faced by the team in creating a game with strong thematic elements.

Conception of "Soma"

Thomas reflects on the failure to evoke deep emotions in players with their previous game, Amnesia.

The idea of making a horror game set underwater is proposed, which aligns with Thomas' concept of exploring consciousness.

The premise of the game is established - starting in the present with a brain scan and transitioning to an underwater future.

Crafting an Experience

Thomas draws inspiration from psychological experiments like Stanford Prison Experiment and Milgram Experiment, aiming to create internal conflict within players.

The intention is to reveal increasingly horrible actions committed by the player character throughout the game.

Thought experiments from philosophy of mind are considered for gameplay mechanics that prompt players to contemplate deeper issues.

Challenges Faced

Thomas acknowledges that there were limitations and complexities in developing Soma, but focuses on simplifying his talk for brevity.

Spoiler warning - Thomas mentions that discussing certain aspects may reveal significant plot points, advising those who want to play without prior knowledge to leave.

The transcript provided does not contain enough information beyond these timestamps.

Early Development and Fuzzy Project

In the early stages of development, the project had no mechanics and was uncertain about its genre and soundtrack. The lack of clarity made it challenging to pitch to publishers.

Initially, the idea was to have a robot swimming through the ocean with a claw mechanic.

The team was unsure if the game would be a horror or have a mellow soundtrack.

During a meeting with a publisher, explaining the concept became difficult due to its ambiguity.

The project remained fuzzy for a significant part of development.

Researching Thematics and Addressing Issues

The team focused on integrating thematics into gameplay and addressing issues faced in previous games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

Integrating thematics into gameplay was crucial after observing that Amnesia had separate gameplay and thematic elements.

A game called "The Shiny Room" inspired ideas about philosophical connections but failed to create an impactful experience.

Core issues identified were lack of presence in the game world and over-reliance on puzzles.

Presence, or immersing players in the game world, became a key focus for the team.

Heavy Rain influenced thinking about player presence through different types of interactions.

Rules emerged from this exploration, including constant input from players, agreeable action outcomes, and deterministic mechanics.

Achieving Player Presence

Creating player presence by immersing them in the game world through constant input and agreeable action outcomes.

Constant input from players creates an immersive feedback loop between actions taken by players and their impact on the game world.

Agreeable action outcomes ensure that when characters perform actions without direct player input, they align with what players would expect based on context.

Examples include character jumping over gaps in Assassin's Creed, which feels agreeable, and character attempting to jump up a wall when not desired, which feels non-agreeable.

Deterministic mechanics allow players to anticipate the outcome of their actions, enhancing their sense of presence.

Heavy Rain provided examples where this was lacking.

The transcript has been summarized into three sections based on the content provided.

Importance of Presence and Consistency

The speaker discusses the importance of presence and consistency in game design to create an immersive experience for players.

Presence in the World

Minimal repetition is crucial to avoid the player feeling a sense of fakeness in the game world.

Dialogue, animations, and gameplay should be carefully designed to avoid unnecessary repetition.

Constantly revealing the moving parts behind the game world enhances player presence.

Consistency in Interactions

Consistency is important for maintaining a coherent mental picture of the game world.

Players should be able to perform similar actions with objects across different locations.

Designing consistent interactions helps enhance player presence and immersion.

Inventory Design for Presence

The speaker explains how they approached inventory design to maintain presence and avoid repetitive gameplay.

Traditional inventory systems where items can be used anywhere lead to repetitive actions and loss of determinism.

To maintain presence, they implemented a middle ground approach where players pick up items but have to figure out where to use them.

This approach allows players to actively engage with the environment, enhancing their sense of presence.

Physical Interactions for Presence

The speaker discusses how physical interactions in games can contribute to a stronger sense of presence.

Physical interactions that require holding buttons or moving sticks/mouse add depth and immersion.

Examples include turning valves, pulling levers, or other interactive actions that simulate real-world movements.

Incorporating such interactions throughout the game helps players feel more connected to the virtual world.

Using Frameworks for Design Choices

The speaker highlights the benefits of using frameworks like presence and consistency to guide design choices.

Frameworks like presence and consistency help filter design choices and ensure coherence.

They assist in determining mechanics early on without extensive implementation.

Using frameworks can enhance the overall game experience and align with the intended themes.

Evolving Puzzle Design

The speaker discusses their approach to puzzle design, including initial attempts and subsequent improvements.

Scene Approach

Initially, they tried a scene-based approach inspired by games like "Three Flights of Loving" and "Windowsill."

Players could freely interact in various scenes without specific puzzle blockers.

However, this approach led to confusion and disengagement as players struggled to understand their objectives.

Incorporating Puzzles with Narrative

To address the lack of engagement, puzzles were reintroduced but with a focus on narrative integration.

Scenes were designed as puzzles that guided players through storytelling elements.

This change resulted in improved engagement as players had clear goals and meaningful interactions.

Enhancing Puzzle Storytelling

The speaker explains how they further enhanced puzzle storytelling to make it more immersive for players.

Abstract Perception of Puzzles

Initially, players perceived puzzles as abstract and mechanical, lacking connection to the game's narrative.

Four Layers Approach

The Four Layers Approach was developed to add story elements into puzzles.

By incorporating narrative components into puzzle designs, players started perceiving puzzles as part of the storytelling experience.

For more specific details on this topic, refer to an essay or talk by the speaker.

The Importance of Power in Game Design

In this section, the speaker discusses the significance of power in game design and how it can impact player experience.

The Narrative Background Layer

The narrative background layer adds story elements to the game to enhance the player's engagement.

Instead of simply having cables going into a wall, the team incorporated a robot that begged for its life as players pulled out the cables, creating a more interesting and immersive experience.

The Mental Model Layer

The mental model layer aims to shape the player's mindset and emotions during gameplay.

In one example, players encounter a dangerous robot in a room, prompting them to evaluate their approach and consider their fear of robots.

By incorporating storytelling elements into puzzles and gameplay, developers can create more engaging experiences.

Life-or-Death Choices

Initially, players were not emotionally connected to the philosophical depth of the game's content.

Inspired by DLC for Amnesia called "Justine" and Spec Ops: The Line, developers introduced life-or-death choices that added emotional and ethical depth to the game.

For example, players could choose whether to let a woman live or mercifully kill her. This forced players to confront difficult decisions and increased their emotional investment in the game.

Forcing Players to Consider Events

Developers found that forcing players to consider events led to better emotional responses from them.

Even though most of the content was already present in the game, it was only when players were confronted with these events that they started discussing and being affected by them.

Small tweaks or additions can make a significant difference in how players engage with a game.

Challenges with Technological Implementations

The team faced challenges with implementing advanced dialogue systems in the game.

Initially, they wanted characters to react based on the player's actions or allow mid-conversation exits.

However, this proved to be a massive workload for the writers and resulted in various edge cases that affected NPC behavior.

The Dangers of Technology

In this section, the speaker discusses the challenges encountered when incorporating technological elements into game design.

Dialogue System Complications

The team initially aimed for a sophisticated dialogue system that reacted to player actions and allowed mid-conversation exits.

They implemented a system similar to Left 4 Dead but encountered difficulties with writing suitable text and handling edge cases.

The advanced system intended to enhance NPC interactions but ended up being overly complex and challenging for both writers and developers.

Lessons Learned

In this section, the speaker shares valuable lessons learned during the game development process.

Obviousness in Hindsight

Many ideas and improvements may seem obvious in hindsight but take time to discover during development.

Small tweaks or changes can have a significant impact on gameplay and player experience.

Importance of Content Confrontation

Forcing players to confront events within the game leads to better emotional responses from them.

Even if most of the content is already present, it is crucial to create moments that make players consider and engage with that content.

Challenges of Technological Implementations

Incorporating advanced technology into games can bring about unexpected complications and challenges.

Developers need to carefully consider the workload, potential issues, and impact on other aspects of gameplay when implementing complex systems.

The transcript provided does not cover the entire video, and the summary is based solely on the available content.

The Importance of Simplicity and Using Proven Technology

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of focusing on what matters for achieving goals and using proven technology when possible. They discuss how they initially faced challenges with a complex system but later realized the benefits of simplifying it.

Simplifying the System

The speaker mentions that they encountered difficulties with a complex system early on in their project.

They realized the need to simplify and asked themselves what the simplest thing they could do was.

They decided to focus on pushing out a basic version first before adding more features or branching options.

Benefits of Using Proven Technology

The speaker highlights that although their initial approach solved their problems, it required a lot of work.

They had to hire another company to implement certain aspects into the game due to the complexity.

Reflecting on this experience, they emphasize the importance of using proven technology when possible.

By avoiding unnecessary technological complexities, more time and effort can be dedicated to improving other aspects of the project.

Narrowing Down Themes and Balancing Content

In this section, the speaker discusses their experience with choosing themes for their game. They highlight both the importance of narrowing down subject matter as well as considering a scattergun approach when necessary.

Choosing Themes

Initially, there were numerous ideas for themes that could be included in the game.

However, during playtesting, it became apparent that players were struggling to grasp all these ideas at once.

To address this issue, significant portions of the story were cut down to make it more easily understandable for players.

Narrowing Down vs Scattergun Approach

The speaker suggests that narrowing down subject matter is generally beneficial but acknowledges a caveat.

Sometimes, a scattergun approach can be helpful to see what themes resonate with players.

It may not be immediately obvious which themes will work best, so some experimentation and inclusion of various ideas may be necessary.

However, finding the right balance between narrowing down and scattering too much is challenging and requires careful consideration.

Communicating Themes and Engaging Players Holistically

In this section, the speaker discusses two open questions they had at the beginning of their project: how to communicate themes holistically and how to engage players as a whole. They explain their hypothesis for achieving these goals.

Communicating Themes Holistically

The speaker wanted to find a way to effectively communicate their game's themes on a holistic level.

Their hypothesis was that as players progressed through the game, they would encounter ideas related to the themes.

At certain events or moments in the game, these ideas would be confronted, leading to conclusions and insights for the player.

This accumulation of knowledge would create engagement and allow deep themes to come across effectively.

Challenges in Testing

To properly test these hypotheses, extensive gameplay builds were required.

These builds needed to last hours and include elements such as voiceovers, graphics, sound effects, etc., for a good player experience.

Due to technical problems mentioned earlier in the transcript, it took two and a half years before they had their first proper build for testing purposes.

Each round of testing required one year of development time between them.

Conclusion

In this final section, the speaker reflects on the challenges faced during development but emphasizes that not giving up is crucial. They mention that despite setbacks and long development times between tests, they continued working towards their goals.

Perseverance in Development

The speaker acknowledges the long development time and challenges they faced during the project.

Despite setbacks, they continued to take feedback, discuss it, come up with new design ideas, and implement changes.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of not giving up and continuing to work towards achieving goals despite obstacles.

This summary provides an overview of the main points discussed in the transcript. For a more detailed understanding, please refer to the original transcript.

New Section

In this section, the speaker discusses the process of building the game and the challenges faced during development.

Understanding the Game Concept

Building the game took approximately three and a half years.

Initially, there was a fuzzy idea of what the game would be like.

It took time for the team to fully understand what the game was about.

The focus during those years was on solving open questions related to thematics, engagement, puzzles, scenes, etc.

The AI and death system were not finalized during this period.

New Section

This section highlights the difficulties faced in fitting certain aspects into the game after three and a half years of development.

Challenges in Fitting Certain Aspects

After three and a half years of development, it became challenging to fit in certain elements like AI and death systems.

Ideas for these aspects existed but fitting them into an already established structure was difficult.

This resulted in some aspects not working as well as they could have in the final product.

New Section

The speaker shares lessons learned from their experience with long iteration cycles and unclear vision during game development.

Lessons Learned

Games focused on thematics require long iteration cycles for planning and testing.

Short iteration cycles may not be sufficient, but excessively long ones are also not ideal.

It is important to communicate that the vision of the game may be unclear from the beginning.

Team members should be prepared for uncertainty and embrace it as part of the discovery process.

Foundational gameplay elements such as AI or deficits should be developed early on or left out entirely.

New Section

The speaker reflects on their personal challenges during project development and expresses dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the game.

Personal Challenges and Reflections

The speaker acknowledges that the project was difficult for them and they learned a lot from it.

They express dissatisfaction with certain aspects, such as the AI, feeling that improvements could have been made.

The initial goal was to create a game that made players affected by thematics through cinematics.

New Section

The speaker attempts to share a video demonstration but encounters technical difficulties.

Technical Difficulties

The speaker tries to play a video demonstration but faces issues with sound and playback.

They apologize for the inconvenience and suggest uploading the video on YouTube instead.

Timestamps beyond this point do not contain relevant information or are related to technical difficulties.

New Section

This section discusses the response received for the game and includes information about credits, feedback from YouTubers and viewers, as well as Steam refund notes.

Response to the Game

The credits were shown, and TV people expressed gratitude for being able to use certain elements in the game.

The response from YouTubers and viewers was positive.

Steam refund notes indicated that some players found a particular scene distressing, where they had to harm a friendly robot. This reaction was seen as an achievement in achieving the intended emotional impact.

New Section

In this section, the speaker answers questions from the audience regarding story elements that had to be cut from the game.

Cut Story Elements

Due to narrative scope limitations, several story elements had to be cut.

One example mentioned is a double apocalypse concept where humans cause their own demise due to environmental destruction before a comet strike.

However, this idea was deemed confusing and had to be let go.

New Section

The speaker explains why they chose Toronto, Canada as the setting for the game.

Choice of Setting: Toronto

The decision to set the game in Toronto was influenced by various factors.

Initially considering different locations, it was determined that it needed to take place near the Atlantic Ocean.

Since there were already British characters in the game, they decided to make them Canadian instead of American.

New Section

A question is asked about a specific moment in the game involving a mirror reflection. The speaker elaborates on its purpose.

Mirror Reflection Moment

The mirror reflection moment allows players to see their true identity within the game's context.

It serves as a preparation for a later body swap mechanic, where players can interact with their own character.

The inclusion of the mirror moment was to prevent players from being solely focused on seeing themselves during the body swap.

New Section

The speaker discusses the use of live-action trailers and their purpose in setting the tone for the game.

Use of Live-Action Trailers

Live-action trailers were created to address challenges in explaining the game's concept during PR activities.

Describing monsters alone would lead to misconceptions, so videos were used to showcase situations connected to the game without revealing too much.

Farthest Direction Soma Went Before Cutting

The speaker discusses the initial concept of the game, where the player was supposed to control a swimming robot. They considered having physically simulated enemies like giant eels. However, this idea was eventually abandoned.

Initial Concept and Abandoned Ideas

The original plan was for the player to control a swimming robot.

Physically simulated enemies like giant eels were considered but not implemented.

Transhuman Coin Flip and Player's Hope

The speaker talks about the concept of the "coin flip" in the game, where there is no real way to win. Some players had mixed reactions, with some expecting a twist and others being caught off-guard. The speaker mentions that the coin flip concept raises interesting questions about determinism and free will.

Controversy Surrounding Coin Flip

Some players expected a twist in the game but were disappointed when it didn't happen.

Others were caught off-guard by unexpected events in the game.

The coin flip concept raises questions about determinism and free will.

Perspective of Both Characters in Endings

The speaker explains their intention to show both perspectives in the game's endings. They wanted players to understand that there are two separate conscious entities involved. There were discussions and iterations on how to achieve this effectively.

Showing Both Perspectives

It was important for players to see both perspectives in the endings.

There were discussions and iterations on how to present this effectively.

Credits were used at certain points in the game to transition between perspectives.

Difficulty Communicating Game Idea as Director

The speaker reflects on the challenges they faced as a director in communicating their vision for the game. They acknowledge that in hindsight, they could have been better at explaining their ideas to the team.

Challenges of Communication

The speaker found it frustrating and challenging to communicate their game idea.

In hindsight, they realize that they could have been clearer in explaining their vision.

It is important for directors to ensure that the team understands the direction of the project.

Director's Perspective on Lack of Clarity

The speaker discusses how being immersed in a project can make it difficult to recognize its lack of clarity. They emphasize the importance of self-reflection and ensuring that the team is knowledgeable about what they are creating.

Recognizing Lack of Clarity

Being immersed in a project can make it difficult to recognize its lack of clarity.

Self-reflection is important for directors to identify areas where communication may be lacking.

Directors should ensure that the team has a clear understanding of what they are creating.

Extra Files in Program Folders Directory

The speaker mentions putting extra files in the program folders directory during development but does not provide further details or context.

Additional Files

Extra files were placed in the program folders directory during development, but no specific information is provided about them.

Plague I think for almost 10 years Company Tradition

The speaker discusses a company tradition of acting out movements and sharing behind-the-scenes content.

Acting Out Movements and Behind-the-Scenes Content

The speaker mentions that it has been a tradition for almost 10 years to act out the movements of creatures in the game.

They share that they have done silly things during these sessions, which are now on YouTube.

The speaker finds it fun to share these behind-the-scenes moments and enjoys seeing similar inside content themselves.

Scene with Killing Friendly Swimming Robot Impact and Conscious Choice

The speaker discusses the impact of killing a friendly swimming robot and whether it was a conscious choice to make another robot scared afterwards.

Impact of Killing Friendly Robot

The speaker shares that they felt guilty when they had to kill the friendly swimming robot in the game.

They mention that their emotional response intensified when another friendly robot acted scared of them.

This made them feel hurt as this particular robot was like their only friend in the game.

Conscious Choice or Addition?

Initially, killing robots was necessary for progress in the game, but later choices were added.

The decision to make another robot scared was not consciously made by the speaker but rather added based on feedback from playtesting.

It was a team effort, and someone named Key played a role in adding this element.

Placing Simon into Female Body Decision Process

The speaker explains how the decision to place Simon into a female body came about.

Evolution of Simon's Character Design

Initially, Simon's character design was planned as a black male.

During discussions with others involved in live-action episodes, the idea arose to give Simon Katherine's body since she had already died.

The team liked the idea, and it became a collaborative decision to place Simon in a female body.

Survey and Data Collection Calibration and Design Process

The speaker discusses the survey in the game and whether data was collected from it.

Purpose of the Survey

The speaker clarifies that they did not collect any data from the survey in the game.

They express regret over not collecting data and acknowledge it as a bad decision on their part.

Initially, there were discussions about including a question in the game, but deciding what that question should be took time.

Calibration and Inspiration

The idea of having a calibration-like survey came up during discussions.

It was inspired by a novel called "Permutation City" by Greg Egan, where they have a similar concept of a "kill me switch" for entering simulations.

The design process involved multiple iterations to create an engaging survey experience for players.

Use of Painted Portraits Style Choice

The speaker explains why painted portraits were used instead of actual photos for character art.

Choice of Painted Portraits

Using painted portraits instead of photos was a conscious decision to maintain consistency with the game's style.

Photos would not have blended well with the overall aesthetic.

David, who is mentioned here, would have been solely focused on painting faces if they had chosen to use photos.

New Section

In this section, the speaker discusses the decision to include moral choices in the game and whether or not these choices have gameplay consequences.

Importance of Moral Choices

The team considered adding a mode with moral choices before releasing the game, but decided against it as it could undermine the overall experience.

The speaker reflects that it may have been a bad decision not to include more branching paths for choices.

The question arises whether having choices without gameplay consequences makes them less impactful.

The speaker mentions being inspired by games like Respect of the Line, which have ambiguous choices that make players live with their decisions.

While some choices in the game do not have immediate consequences, there are later dialogue branches that reflect upon those choices.

The speaker is unsure if more branching paths would have made the experience feel more alive.

New Section

This section explores how playing a character in the game mirrors the experience of being put into a robot body.

Player Avatar and Character Experience

Initially, there was a desire for players to fully embody their character without much reaction from them in-game.

However, it was found that if the character didn't react to things in-game, players also lacked a response and felt disconnected from their avatar.

Striking a balance was important so that player responses didn't contradict their beliefs or pull them out of the immersive experience.

There wasn't a conscious effort to mirror thematic elements between player experience and protagonist's protective experience in-game.

Considerable thought went into how to present and define the player's role within the game world.

Please fill out any missing sections or timestamps.