Thalassophobia - Season 15

Sea is in the title of the game...
I would wager the majority of the player base would rather keep everything how it is in relations to the water. I feel Rare has done an outstanding job at making the Seas feel unique and beautiful. I think it would be a shame to implement these features that you are asking for and would only take away from what they have created.

@thamb0 woops looks like someone needs to read the post properly... i suggested a toggle, and also have you considered the fact that maybe people don't like the game JUST for the sea aspects, maybe the mix of genres unlike any other game. The way it blends open world and adventure, pirate themes, looting mechanics which aren't similar to anything else??? Other games have implemented similar toggles or officially produced mods to benefit players with phobias

@wolfmanbush I totally agree and that's what I did for so long, and how I managed to be an active player for 2 years, however I don't think i'll be able to do that if I came back to the game post season 15. With them adding new encounters which people would normally be here for obviously, but for me especially jellyfish imo are a huge trigger way worse than sharks. I for obvious reasons didn't like this game for the ocean, I liked it for the goofy pirate vibe, and the looting open world style which isn't replicated or copied in other games, I really doubt the devs will do anything seeing as its such a small part of the player base, which does suck because I used to love this game

@pengu3816

From what we have been shown jellyfish will not be a thing.

@blaunf oh wait did they cancel it?? they were in the trailer

@pengu3816

I do not remember seeing a jellyfish (which very well could just me being blind), but they have not announced anything about jellyfishes in the videos.

@blaunf they were in the trailer, falcore's thumbnail, and he mentions them alongside boar

@pengu3816 I did read the post a few times, thanks very much. Now I'll just be blunt. This is a bad idea. You're asking Rare to make huge changes to a system almost no one is asking for. It's dev time not well spent.

@thamb0

You're asking Rare to make huge changes to a system almost no one is asking for. It's dev time not well spent.

Accessibility is always worth working on, and if it helps a few out and Rare thinks it’s worth it, then why not go for it. Long as it’s done in a natural way that doesn’t infringe on the game’s aesthetic.

@thamb0 said in Thalassophobia - Season 15:

@pengu3816 I did read the post a few times, thanks very much. Now I'll just be blunt. This is a bad idea. You're asking Rare to make huge changes to a system almost no one is asking for. It's dev time not well spent.

Firstly, I'm not really too sure why you're being so rude it was simply a suggestion to help people like me.... Secondly, I haven't asked for any "system" to be added or changed, it's one or two texture changes and a colourisation or lighting change which if you knew anything about game design/creation which no offence clearly you don't describing it as "huge changes" because it really wouldn't take a lot of time. I do understand where you're coming from seeing as it would benefit such a small portion of the community but there's no need to be outright malicious with your responses especially when all I was doing was suggesting a minor toggleable feature to benefit myself and a percentage of the community.

@naoenagi tbf I can't argue with this, only thing I can say is several other games which have a specific fear as their main aspect have added toggles like this, arachnophobia toggle in hogwarts legacy, celeste has an assist mode for anxiety, baldurs gate has toggles for body dysmorphia, and the big one.... Subnautica: Below Zero has a Thalassophobia toggle

Increase underwater visibility slightly to reduce fear of the unknown while keeping hidden objects and enemies appropriately concealed.

So make things visible but also keep things hidden. :/ ummmm

Use smoother, more graceful animations for creatures like sharks and jellyfish to minimize jump-scare potential.

What about when Skeleton Ashen Lords, Suddenly jump at you? Jump-scare. Need to adjust that too or remove it.

Might as well Change how Megs work as well. That sudden Bite they do to the ship is a jump scare, the music. Need to make the Megs less scary, maybe?

as a former game designer

I love these messages. You should know or understand why.

Replace ominous underwater sounds with neutral oceanic sounds (e.g., gentle currents, distant whale calls) to maintain immersion while reducing tension.

That seems more it be worse. "distant whale call" much like the Kraken/Meg sound you here always creeps me out.

minimizing the sense of vastness and vulnerability.

So make things look blank, plain.

Include an optional guided breathing indicator on the HUD to help players manage anxiety without affecting character stamina or underwater duration.

Sorry but that just make anxiety worse, telling me to calm down or breath.

@burnbacon ok lemme take these one by one...

increase underwater visibility, fine, what I mean't by appropriately concealed is to conceal what makes them scary for people with thalassophobia

ummm you know thalassophobia is fear of deep water and so skeleton ashen lords won't be scary but when we're in the water we're on edge, something like a shark or a jellyfish or a siren jumping us can and will and has done several times just caused me to close the game in fear and then regret it because of my loot 😂

megs are a type of shark, no? so do you not think I meant megs as well when I said "sharks"?

Nooooo distant whale calls can be calming it depends on the type of whale call, obviously one intended to be eerie with added audio effects like the distant kraken sounds you get are going to be creepy, but swapping them out for something like added boat noises or a seagull sound are always nice

Yes, making things like a little plainer... you've got to bear in mind people who want this toggled will be happy to sacrifice things like that so they can actually play the game.

It does for you... YOU DONT HAVE THALASSOPHOBIA YOU DO NOT KNOW.... ok in the nicest way possible when I'm in the water i'm always worried about sirens spawning more than anything, let alone the fear im about to start drowning, my literal worst fear having something to let me know I have more time would definitely be helpful

Ok please, I know you don't quite understand some of this and it sounds weird and unhelpful but that's because I don't think you quite understand what the fear actually entails

@naoenagi The main mob you fight in hogwarts legacy is spiders rather than wizards as they're only in certain quests, but I still get what you mean. I was however mainly just making the point of other games have added similar toggles but obviously SOT is a very different game. I think to be honest I'm just kind of upset because I know I won't be able to play I game I loved so dearly after the additions they're going to make.

final note: "I don't think that all of it is feasible" I totally agree the suggestions I made are not only just suggestions but at the end of the post I do mention that it would need to be balanced to prevent competitive advantage, but it would also need to be tinkered in many ways. I may have been a developer, but the SoT team are considerably more experienced than I and if they were to want to implement something like this, I'm sure they'd figure out a good way to at least benefit people with thalassophobia maybe not prevent it fully but help them in some wau

@pengu3816 saying it's a bad idea isn't malicious and your initial response "woops looks like someone needs to read the post properly... " was passive aggressive and plain rude when I vouched for Rare not changing anything because they've already done a brilliant job at making everything look and sound like it should. You just happen to be upset that I am disagreeing with you and now are saying things like malicious when it's obviously not the case. Thanks.

Maybe my thalassophobia is different, but none of what they have shown changes the game from what I've played the last 7 years. If anything the water with nothing in it, is scarier for me (the great unkown). I used to get extremely anxious when wreck diving but I've learned to control it, mostly, and accept it - as it is a game with lots of water (I would never play Subnautica or Absu though!). Sharks still set me off sometimes or if I look down into the depths. If the jellyfish turn out to be aggressive that might set it off, but I am hoping they are just ambient. If they are just ambient, I think a setting to turn them off wouldn't be the worse thing.

@realstyli the jellyfish are aggressive i believe, but for me personally I actually now googling think I have scyphophobia too, which is fear of sea creatures because being in the water alone gives me the shivers and makes me want to quit the game, but i can just about bear it. As soon as there are sirens, sharks anything like that i just can't do it, I normally can just about bear it but what makes me think its not scyphophobia is i'm fine if im on land or a ship, so megs are relatively ok for me and so are sirens when im on the ship its just if im in the water with them so idk

@mr-spx-ss oh yeah i know that 100% and unfortunately motion sickness is a really common thing for a lot of people but barely any games give accessibility options for it, the only one I can think of is minecraft as they have view bobbing options and nausea effect toggles

Since the Jellyfish are completely for visual and can't be interacted with, I guess there can be a toggle to just... not have them in your game. That would fix that issue. It's just visual, after all.

The sea in the game is kinda supposed to be mysterious. That's why the ocean sounds are so... "ominous", as you say. But once again, I believe there can be a toggle for this as well. It's just sounds effects, after all.

Added vignette is also completely fine as an option, and I fully support it. I don't have the phobia myself, but I think that would remove the main factor of fear from those who have it.

As for water visibility... No. This would be a situation which basically forces you between the options of "Good ambiance or good competitive advantage". It's just how it is.

Sounds like a whoooole lot of dev hours and testing to ensure balance with the rest of the community and also the appropriate levels of accessibility to what I imagine are varying degrees of this phobia - some more severe than yours, I'm sure. This doesn't sound as simple as "turn off rats" for that accessibility option.

I'm all for trying to broaden the playerbase with accessibility options, but like... sometimes... People just need to realize when a game isn't for them.

If I suffered from something like astrophobia, I probably would avoid games like Starfield and Star Citizen. Or, if I played them, I probably wouldn't ask the devs for accessibility settings that literally go against the name of the game.

@pengu3816

I see. I actually love seeing sea creatures and ships. And I love sailing in the game. My thalassophobia is mainly around very deep bodies of water and not knowing what's down there. It helps having things in the water to focus on - like fish or wrecks.

Also I have a major fear of drowning and it took me some time to get used to it in the game and just see it as just a game mechanic. I still get a little anxious when drowning, but not nearly as bad as it was when I started.

@pengu3816 said in Thalassophobia - Season 15:

@realstyli the jellyfish are aggressive i believe, but for me personally I actually now googling think I have scyphophobia too, which is fear of sea creatures because being in the water alone gives me the shivers and makes me want to quit the game, but i can just about bear it. As soon as there are sirens, sharks anything like that i just can't do it, I normally can just about bear it but what makes me think its not scyphophobia is i'm fine if im on land or a ship, so megs are relatively ok for me and so are sirens when im on the ship its just if im in the water with them so idk

...may I ask what else are you afraid of? Because it seems you have a lot of issue that needs to be addressed.

Moreover, I really don't like how you just accused someone of being aggressive just because they gave you a fair and reasonable response against your idea. It just screams overly sensitive to me - which would make sense why these problem exists with you.

Also while we are at it, lets make an entire server that avoids piracy altogether, like a sea that's safer or something... with that we can have no "sea" and "thieves".

We'll just be playing "of".

haha, sry, but even as a non developer I can confidently say they will most likely never add this. A reason is as you stated exploitation from players, but prioritizing aswell. In a majority ocean game where probably less than 100 people have any form of Thalassophobia, they will not dedicate time and effort for this when there are a mountain of other significant issues at hand.

@sweetsandman I have replied above to both points you raise a) regarding dev hours, b) regarding it being the name of the game

@siegnard I called him aggressive because he was being aggressive everyone else bar you and him have been constructive giving points where it may or may not work, both you and him seem to be taking the mick out of a simple point I raised/suggestion I made

@gamingdragon006 completely agree hahaha still wanted to suggest it, because i mean with the mixed opinions this thread is getting its gaining traction at least and tbh I think a lot more people have thalassophobia than one may think, at least 10 people in this thread have mentioned at least minor discomfort