56 replies to this topic

[Faerunner]

EDIT: I don't understand asking to censor something because it's scary, because I have a few phobias that show up in video games. Trypophobia, fear of large clusters of small holes, which appear in some monsters in some games (like the DAI Fade Nightmare), and intense horror at humanoid bodies without skin and/or with their muscles and organs exposed to the air, which is the case for Pillars reverants. But, I don't ask them to hide it just because it makes me uncomfortable.

 

I do agree with others though that giant spiders have become a very tired, overused, standard monster in fantasy settings. If they were removed (for whatever reason), I wouldn't mind.

Edited by Faerunner, 08 June 2015 - 10:51 AM.

[Yonjuro]

...I seem to recall Ariadne being changed into a giant spider back in ancient Greek times.

 

 

 Yes, but it was Arachne, a weaver who challenged Athena to a weaving contest and was turned into a spider (either as a punishment for challenging a goddess or, in some versions of the story, because she lost to Athena and the bet was that the loser would never weave again and so, Athena turned her into a spider out of pity so she could continue to weave. Uh, yeah, thanks for nothing Athena.).

 

 The name Arachne is where the word arachnid comes from. 

[aluminiumtrioxid]

I don't understand asking to censor something

 

That's not what the word "censorship" means.

[Jojobobo]

I'm afraid of crabs - would I care if I had to fight them in a fantasy game? No. Get over yourself.

[Tennisgolfboll]

There is people who are afraid of snakes, spiders, clowns, undead, bandits, soldiers, cops, criminals.


Remove all things people are afraid of. Nothing will be left. Problem solved for all the lobby groups. And everyone else suffers when game designers spend their time doing that.

[Gromnir]

there is a difference 'tween a phobia and a fear, no? people who is suggesting that the genesis poster's fears ain't reasonable is kinda stating the obvious.  see a black widow spider hanging from your rear-view mirror startles you into momentary panic?  am doubting that counts as arachnophobia.  by definition we are speaking of unreasonable and pathological fears with extreme reactions.  "get over it" is likely not an option for the sufferer.  

 

that being said, any kinda expectation that a computer game would needs be tailored to cater to those with real but unreasonable fears is, well, unreasonable. 

 

*shrug*

 

as we noted above, we thought this were gonna be an appeal for all-spiders.

 

as an aside, poe were being touted as an homage to the ie games.  the ie games had more than a few spiders. also, the beta had spiders in abundance. given the ie legacy nature o' the game and the actual presence o' arachnids in the beta, one cannot claim surprise, yes?

 

there is crpgs with no spiders or less spiders--  gaming alternatives for the arachnophobic crpg fan already exist.  am not being cold or flippant when we suggest that the genesis poster should try one o' those other crpgs.  

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Crucis]

I'm afraid of crabs - would I care if I had to fight them in a fantasy game? No. Get over yourself.

 

This is a really harsh attitude.  People with legitimate phobias don't just "get over" them, particularly if those phobias are really strong.  Someone who has panic attacks, like the OP writes, when they even see a depiction of spiders isn't going to "get over it".

[Crucis]

The problem that I see for an "arachnophobic" mode is this.  Sure, you could replace all the spiders with something else.  But IIRC, a lot of the maps where spiders reside have areas that look like spider nests, with webs and everything.  Does the arachnophobic mode adjust the maps to "tweak" those areas for whatever replaces spiders?

 

 

It's a real shame that some people have a legitimate arachnophobia.  But I'm not sure how one gets around not using spiders in a fantasy setting since, as others have pointed out, they're a common monster in such settings.  And beyond that, even if one was willing to have a "arachnophobia" mode, it would seem to necessary to make the maps more generic so that replacing spiders with something else (crabs, bears, orcs, goblins, whatever) didn't also require changing a map to get rid of the spider nests and webs and such.

 

And beyond even this, what would the next phobia that would come along that would need a special mode?  Skeletons?  Wild animals?

 

 

I don't think that there's an easy answer to this issue.

[Fardragon]

 

I'm afraid of crabs - would I care if I had to fight them in a fantasy game? No. Get over yourself.

 

This is a really harsh attitude.  People with legitimate phobias don't just "get over" them, particularly if those phobias are really strong.  Someone who has panic attacks, like the OP writes, when they even see a depiction of spiders isn't going to "get over it".

 

But people can have "legitimate phobias" to pretty much anything. What is so special about arachnophobes that singles them out for special privileges?

[Crucis]

 

 

I'm afraid of crabs - would I care if I had to fight them in a fantasy game? No. Get over yourself.

 

This is a really harsh attitude.  People with legitimate phobias don't just "get over" them, particularly if those phobias are really strong.  Someone who has panic attacks, like the OP writes, when they even see a depiction of spiders isn't going to "get over it".

 

But people can have "legitimate phobias" to pretty much anything. What is so special about arachnophobes that singles them out for special privileges?

 

 

I didn't say that the game should be tweaked for people with this phobia.  I only said above that Jojo's comment was unacceptably harsh towards people with a legit phobia.  Seriously, it's not like people haven't heard of arachnophobia before.  And to tell someone with a legit phobia to get over themselves is quite frankly rather offensive.

 

 

[Wulfburk]

I think we should have a mod that removes all dungeons for people who are claustrophobic, all outdoor areas for agoraphobics, and all ladders, mountains and deep holes for acrophobics.

 

 

Also i need a mod that switches all english voice dialogues in the game with portuguese so i can let my brother that has a gringophobia to play.

[Gromnir]

is there a phobia o' awkward exposition? am understanding that poe is a new world and bloated info drops is the most simple and straightforward way to makes essential setting details known to the player, but our phobia makes us particular sensitive to such stuff.  am also having a phobia o' repetitive mob encounters.  our fear causes such anxiety that we literal broke out in hives fighting undead in level 8 o' the endless paths.  we curled up into a fetal position after fighting the 5th or 6th mob o' skaen cultists in the place east o' defiance bay. yes, am certain that arachnophobia is a serious condition, but Gromnir's phobias is equal serious, and fixing game to accommodate us would benefit many more players than would removal o' spiders from poe.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

ps we liked poe quite a bit, but it were heavy handed with the exposition and the mobs placements. 

[aluminiumtrioxid]

 

And to tell someone with a legit phobia to get over themselves is quite frankly rather offensive.

 

 

Moreover, extremely ignorant.

[Cradle2Grave]

Jeez get over yourself.

Why do people these days think the world should revolve around them?


Grow up. Deal with it.

[Crucis]

Jeez get over yourself.

Why do people these days think the world should revolve around them?


Grow up. Deal with it.

 

You should try using the "Quote" button, so that people know to whom you're responding.

[Cradle2Grave]

Jeez get over yourself.
Why do people these days think the world should revolve around them?
Grow up. Deal with it.

 

You should try using the "Quote" button, so that people know to whom you're responding.

Sorry. It was addressed to any one who feels there should be specially tailored versions of pretty much any form of entertainment to ensure it meets their personal wants.

It's a fantasy game. You can't throw a stick in a fantasy world without hitting a giant, venomous spider!! If you don't like spiders then just go away.

[Gorth]

Not a computer game, but in the older versions of the Warhammer tabletop wargame, goblins had "elf phobia". They feared elves unless they outnumbered them 2:1. It made for some hilarious battles on occasion.