Wandering MistModerator, Member, Founder, Kickstarter, Alpha One
Hi guys. When discussing this topic please avoid personal attacks or implications about mental instability for people with phobias. A little compassion and empathy never hurt when dealing with things. Thanks.
No idea why you assumed that people with acrophobia need to literally be next to a cliff lol.
Because I've never seen it.
I've known a few people with different phobias in the past. All of the people I have known with acrophobia have only ever had it trigger when they themselves were at elevation.
I'm not necessarily saying that this is the case for all such people, but I wouldn't take a YouTube video as proof of anything, as I'm sure a video of someone appearing to be so afraid of heights that photos can trigger it would get a lot of views.
There's a subreddit at /r/sweatypalms with literally over a million members. A lot of the posts are based on acrophobia. It's very common. The youtube video was just an example.
I know that probably not every phobia can be addressed by the developers, but especially arachnophobia is one of the ones where even I know a lot of people having it, so it's nothing super rare I would say.
Of course it's up to the developers of Ashes of Creation if they would implement it, but just to give you an example: Obsidian basically offers in their game "Grounded" the option of "Arachnophobia mode" in different stages, so depending on how scary a spider is, you can enable the safe mode and choose if you prefer spiders without legs, without mouth, etc. up to a "larva state" where they are just blobs.
I know it's anyway hard to make everyone happy in a game, but if there are resources for the developers to implement something like this, I would be super grateful as it would help me (and probably others as well) a lot, because the spiders in Ashes of Creation are - undoubtedly - very realistic and big.
Spiders are creepy, I think that makes them great monsters in deep dark dungeons. There can be some cute spiders too. They don't all have to be ugly spindly things dropping venom from their mandibles.
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bloodprophetMember, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
Satisfactory has an Arachnophobia mode. Turns them into cats. They are far creepier then the hyper aggressive space spiders.
Most people never listen. They are just waiting on you to quit making noise so they can.
I have a phobia for snakes, they really creep me out even in videogames such as AC I let my girlfriend go into the tombs to kill them for me. While I understand they cannot remove spiders or snakes for example from the game I hope they won't be super realistic or at least do not add very accurate sounds. Nothing creepier than hearing them with a headset on.
Ps: a lot of the comments in this thread are very disrespectful, if you have nothing valuable to add ... just do not post.
I have a phobia for snakes, they really creep me out even in videogames such as AC I let my girlfriend go into the tombs to kill them for me. While I understand they cannot remove spiders or snakes for example from the game I hope they won't be super realistic or at least do not add very accurate sounds. Nothing creepier than hearing them with a headset on.
Ps: a lot of the comments in this thread are very disrespectful, if you have nothing valuable to add ... just do not post.
Indeed.
Snakes are the second most common phobia in terms of ones that could be triggered in an MMO - this is why I was suggesting earlier that it be included.
There are many games out there with modes for this, and many, many more games out there with mods to accomidate the same funcitonality.
Snakes are the second most common phobia in terms of ones that could be triggered in an MMO.
*As determined by the person who thought that acrophobia could only be triggered by literally being next to a cliff
That is an odd thing to say. The determination was made due to the fact that ophidiophobia is the second most commonly diagnosed phobia, after arachnophobia.
There are more videos and such about heights because it makes for better videos, as I said earlier. Also, videos about heights can trigger vertigo, which many people confuse as acrophobia (to the point people go to see specialists after suffering vertigo, thinking it is acrophobia).
Posting "proof" that is really just people wanting to get views and likes isn't proof at all. if you want to find proof, look over medical papers, not Reddit.
Snakes are the second most common phobia in terms of ones that could be triggered in an MMO.
*As determined by the person who thought that acrophobia could only be triggered by literally being next to a cliff
That is an odd thing to say. The determination was made due to the fact that ophidiophobia is the second most commonly diagnosed phobia, after arachnophobia.
There are more videos and such about heights because it makes for better videos, as I said earlier. Also, videos about heights can trigger vertigo, which many people confuse as acrophobia (to the point people go to see specialists after suffering vertigo, thinking it is acrophobia).
Posting "proof" that is really just people wanting to get views and likes isn't proof at all. if you want to find proof, look over medical papers, not Reddit.
It's not odd considering that perception of height is visual by nature, same with video games. The author of the article below is someone who has acrophobia from video games. Do you think the author just made it all up because s/he just wants to get 'views and likes'?
Why are you so dismissive of specific phobias, but not dismissive of others? I'm confused as to why you think that acrophobia cannot be triggered by depictions of height while not being near heights, but anachrophobia can be triggered by depictions of spiders while not being near spiders? Do you not see the contradiction?
I have a fear of heights. I got carried down the Eiffel Tower by French Security because I got Vertigo and couldn't move at all. I can get queasy in games too but for the most part I know I'm in full control in a game. It is difficult when I feel I have no control. On planes for example. My anxiety, palpitations and disorientation drive me nuts on planes.
I understand people who don’t want the creepy spiders to be replaced for everyone. However if it’s just an on/off toggle which will not affect the game at all for anyone who do want those creepy spiders I really don’t understand what the issue is. If the devs want and can implement it, let them ! Why do you care ?
I am afraid of heights, I get vertigo, yet I used video games (like assassin's creed) to get some tolerance on it.
This can work for you.
Also, knowing that spiders are actually really cowardly helps. Like, they are shit-scared of anything. They are more afraid of you than the other way around.
Games don't build tolerance for me. They are not real. I used to rock climb in my youth. Rock climbing helped but then I bungee jumped and messed the recovery up. Sometimes I can be far too cocky but the Leo in me won't stop.
I am afraid of heights, I get vertigo, yet I used video games (like assassin's creed) to get some tolerance on it.
This can work for you.
Also, knowing that spiders are actually really cowardly helps. Like, they are shit-scared of anything. They are more afraid of you than the other way around.
I'm happy it works for you but just because it does for you doesn't mean it works for everyone. It shouldn't even bother you if people get an arachnophobia-friendly option. How would this negatively impact you ?
It shouldn't even bother you if people get an arachnophobia-friendly option. How would this negatively impact you ?
The only negative I can see would be the tying up of the animation team to re-do a completely new set of designs/animations for a group of objects that have already been finished.
As you say, if IS are happy to do that, then there's no problem.
Do you think the author just made it all up because s/he just wants to get 'views and likes'?
Largely, yes.
I mean, it is an article on a commercial website that exists to get people to look at the site, so the site can contract out space on their pages to advertisers.
As such, the article was written for the purpose of generating views.
He may well also be speaking the truth from his perspective, I don't know.
The thing is, neither do you.
That is why actual academic papers exist, and peer reviewing is a thing.
Even if Iain Baker (the author of that article) is speaking the truth from his perspective (which we have no reason to assume either way), then he is still only speaking from one perspective. The point of academic articles and such is - among other things - to generate a wider picture than this.
Now, people that have been around these forums a while will recognize this next part.
I am not going to give you any articles to read.
The reason for this is three fold. First, the articles I read are from sources I trust. I trust them for reasons that are my own, and I have no reason to assume you have built up that familiarity with the same sources that I have.
Second, it is better for you to find a way to look these up yourself, it has the potential to open your eyes to a whole range of things you may have never seen, but if I just hand a paper to you to read, then you don't get that opportunity.
The third is that if absolutely nothing else at all in my life, I am an advocate of people being properly informed (this is why I often correct mundane things posted here). The single best way for people to be well informed is for those people to inform themselves. Me handing you the information you want in this specific instance isn't going to help you - you being pissed off at me and working out how to find it yourself, however, may. Give a man a fish vs teach a man to fish, and all that.
Now, you may not care about this topic enough to bother with that. That's fine if you don't, your call. You may also consider websites that clearly exist as a way to generate views for revenue (or just likes, as is the case with Reddit) as being viable sources. If that meets your standard of proof and if you're fine with that, don't change.
He may well also be speaking the truth from his perspective, I don't know.
Even if Iain Baker (the author of that article) is speaking the truth from his perspective (which we have no reason to assume either way), then he is still only speaking from one perspective.
Way to be dismissive about one phobia, but not another phobia. Why aren't you asking the OP for an actual academic paper on anachrophobia being triggered by depictions? Why the double standards?
Do you also dismiss other's first-hand account of acrophobia triggered by depictions in the very same forum and thread where you unquestionably did not dismiss anachrophobia in the same circumstances?
So, you ask other people for sources. They give you published sources (a study that was published by the National Institute of Health to be specific). Then, in response, they ask you to cite your sources that you claim as fact, and you refuse to do so. Do you not see the hypocrisy here?
Way to be dismissive about one phobia, but not another phobia. Why aren't you asking the OP for an actual academic paper on anachrophobia being triggered by depictions? Why the double standards?
What double standard?
I've read papers about phobias being triggered from picture, video or other such stimuli. Arachnophobia was right in there.
What I will say is that there is currently some study around acrophobia in regards to VR. There are a few papers published already, but there are a fair few more coming in the next few years. The lack of other visual context (ie, the fact that the subject can only see what is displayed on the screen) means it is able to be triggered almost at will. However, the same people have no reaction to the same scenes on a standard monitor.
So, if we were talking about VR, we would be having a different conversation.
It shouldn't even bother you if people get an arachnophobia-friendly option. How would this negatively impact you ?
The only negative I can see would be the tying up of the animation team to re-do a completely new set of designs/animations for a group of objects that have already been finished.
As you say, if IS are happy to do that, then there's no problem.
I don't personally think they need to create new assets for it.
As I said earlier, they could just implement a bovine mode, where spider and snake models are replaced with cow models. It would be silly, but it would also be optional, and people with these phobias would likely rather have that than nothing.
That said, they *could* make new models if they wanted to.
I am afraid of heights, I get vertigo, yet I used video games (like assassin's creed) to get some tolerance on it.
This can work for you.
Also, knowing that spiders are actually really cowardly helps. Like, they are shit-scared of anything. They are more afraid of you than the other way around.
Believe me I tried a lot of things already, but couldn't cure it so far
In a lot of games though it's not too bad, because if they are not very realistic (e.g. bad graphics) it doesn't trigger me usually.
Just if it's not too much effort for the developers, I would really appreciate something like an on/off toggle, so that people who are not afraid of spiders can enjoy the game as the game is made, while I would have the possibility to make spiders either cute or turn them into something else like lizards, frogs, or I don't know, just no spiders. That would really help.
I think this wouldn't be a big problem to implement! I know that microsoft game "grounded" has an arachnophobia mode where you can change spider models into ladybugs, so this could totally be doable. I've actually been wondering the same thing, OP-- even though I'm not arachnophobic :P (I was just too scared of being roasted as a sensitive SJW by others...).
A phobia is an irrational fear. People can know a thing isn't something they need to be afraid of, yet that phobia will persist. It is not something the person has control over.
Saying "get over it" to a person with a severe phobia is like telling someone that is a limb short to just grow another one back - neither are things the person has control over.
Have a bit more compassion for others than this.
I agree this is not really an appropriate response BUT, the game could be used as a learning tool to help you cope with your phobia?! Think about it, you will be in a completely safe atmosphere, can choose when to interact with the creatures AND you can also beat the holy ***** out of them.
A phobia is an irrational fear. People can know a thing isn't something they need to be afraid of, yet that phobia will persist. It is not something the person has control over.
Saying "get over it" to a person with a severe phobia is like telling someone that is a limb short to just grow another one back - neither are things the person has control over.
Have a bit more compassion for others than this.
I agree this is not really an appropriate response BUT, the game could be used as a learning tool to help you cope with your phobia?!
Could be, but should that not be up to the person in question?
I mean, if a phobia mode exists, and someone wants to use the game in an attempt to deal with the issue, all they need to do is not turn it on.
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KuldjuxMember, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
edited February 2021
Absolutely no disrespect to the OP here, I know arachophobia is a thing and as i've already said I support the idea.
But I do wonder why spiders get such a bad rap. Without spiders, we would be innundated with flies, and mosqutoes carrying malaria which kill way more people than spiders do. And insects would consume all the crops, and we would all die of famine. And if you say spiders aren't cute? Check out the peacock spider! Also, cows kill more people every year than spiders, so why isn't cow phobia a thing?
Comments
There's a subreddit at /r/sweatypalms with literally over a million members. A lot of the posts are based on acrophobia. It's very common. The youtube video was just an example.
Of course it's up to the developers of Ashes of Creation if they would implement it, but just to give you an example: Obsidian basically offers in their game "Grounded" the option of "Arachnophobia mode" in different stages, so depending on how scary a spider is, you can enable the safe mode and choose if you prefer spiders without legs, without mouth, etc. up to a "larva state" where they are just blobs.
I know it's anyway hard to make everyone happy in a game, but if there are resources for the developers to implement something like this, I would be super grateful as it would help me (and probably others as well) a lot, because the spiders in Ashes of Creation are - undoubtedly - very realistic and big.
Ps: a lot of the comments in this thread are very disrespectful, if you have nothing valuable to add ... just do not post.
Indeed.
Snakes are the second most common phobia in terms of ones that could be triggered in an MMO - this is why I was suggesting earlier that it be included.
There are many games out there with modes for this, and many, many more games out there with mods to accomidate the same funcitonality.
*As determined by the person who thought that acrophobia could only be triggered by literally being next to a cliff
Wondering if this can help (as a mild form of exposure therapy?)
https://myanimelist.net/anime/37984/Kumo_Desu_ga_Nani_ka
^ Some Japanese anime about a girl who reincarnated as a ... well, spider.
That is an odd thing to say. The determination was made due to the fact that ophidiophobia is the second most commonly diagnosed phobia, after arachnophobia.
There are more videos and such about heights because it makes for better videos, as I said earlier. Also, videos about heights can trigger vertigo, which many people confuse as acrophobia (to the point people go to see specialists after suffering vertigo, thinking it is acrophobia).
Posting "proof" that is really just people wanting to get views and likes isn't proof at all. if you want to find proof, look over medical papers, not Reddit.
It's not odd considering that perception of height is visual by nature, same with video games. The author of the article below is someone who has acrophobia from video games. Do you think the author just made it all up because s/he just wants to get 'views and likes'?
https://gameluster.com/phobias-and-video-games-part-one-the-negatives/
Why are you so dismissive of specific phobias, but not dismissive of others? I'm confused as to why you think that acrophobia cannot be triggered by depictions of height while not being near heights, but anachrophobia can be triggered by depictions of spiders while not being near spiders? Do you not see the contradiction?
Please cite a study for this. The only one I could find is here. Arachnophobia or ophidiophobia are not the most common phobia, and acrophobia is.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9926096/
Yeah, and that is literally the only move coffee stain studios ever did that made me lose respect for them.
Otherwise Satisfactory is a solid game 20/10.
If I had more time, I would write a shorter post.
This can work for you.
Also, knowing that spiders are actually really cowardly helps. Like, they are shit-scared of anything. They are more afraid of you than the other way around.
I'm happy it works for you but just because it does for you doesn't mean it works for everyone. It shouldn't even bother you if people get an arachnophobia-friendly option. How would this negatively impact you ?
The only negative I can see would be the tying up of the animation team to re-do a completely new set of designs/animations for a group of objects that have already been finished.
As you say, if IS are happy to do that, then there's no problem.
I mean, it is an article on a commercial website that exists to get people to look at the site, so the site can contract out space on their pages to advertisers.
As such, the article was written for the purpose of generating views.
He may well also be speaking the truth from his perspective, I don't know.
The thing is, neither do you.
That is why actual academic papers exist, and peer reviewing is a thing.
Even if Iain Baker (the author of that article) is speaking the truth from his perspective (which we have no reason to assume either way), then he is still only speaking from one perspective. The point of academic articles and such is - among other things - to generate a wider picture than this.
Now, people that have been around these forums a while will recognize this next part.
I am not going to give you any articles to read.
The reason for this is three fold. First, the articles I read are from sources I trust. I trust them for reasons that are my own, and I have no reason to assume you have built up that familiarity with the same sources that I have.
Second, it is better for you to find a way to look these up yourself, it has the potential to open your eyes to a whole range of things you may have never seen, but if I just hand a paper to you to read, then you don't get that opportunity.
The third is that if absolutely nothing else at all in my life, I am an advocate of people being properly informed (this is why I often correct mundane things posted here). The single best way for people to be well informed is for those people to inform themselves. Me handing you the information you want in this specific instance isn't going to help you - you being pissed off at me and working out how to find it yourself, however, may. Give a man a fish vs teach a man to fish, and all that.
Now, you may not care about this topic enough to bother with that. That's fine if you don't, your call. You may also consider websites that clearly exist as a way to generate views for revenue (or just likes, as is the case with Reddit) as being viable sources. If that meets your standard of proof and if you're fine with that, don't change.
Way to be dismissive about one phobia, but not another phobia. Why aren't you asking the OP for an actual academic paper on anachrophobia being triggered by depictions? Why the double standards?
Do you also dismiss other's first-hand account of acrophobia triggered by depictions in the very same forum and thread where you unquestionably did not dismiss anachrophobia in the same circumstances?
So, you ask other people for sources. They give you published sources (a study that was published by the National Institute of Health to be specific). Then, in response, they ask you to cite your sources that you claim as fact, and you refuse to do so. Do you not see the hypocrisy here?
I've read papers about phobias being triggered from picture, video or other such stimuli. Arachnophobia was right in there.
What I will say is that there is currently some study around acrophobia in regards to VR. There are a few papers published already, but there are a fair few more coming in the next few years. The lack of other visual context (ie, the fact that the subject can only see what is displayed on the screen) means it is able to be triggered almost at will. However, the same people have no reaction to the same scenes on a standard monitor.
So, if we were talking about VR, we would be having a different conversation.
I don't personally think they need to create new assets for it.
As I said earlier, they could just implement a bovine mode, where spider and snake models are replaced with cow models. It would be silly, but it would also be optional, and people with these phobias would likely rather have that than nothing.
That said, they *could* make new models if they wanted to.
Believe me I tried a lot of things already, but couldn't cure it so far
In a lot of games though it's not too bad, because if they are not very realistic (e.g. bad graphics) it doesn't trigger me usually.
Just if it's not too much effort for the developers, I would really appreciate something like an on/off toggle, so that people who are not afraid of spiders can enjoy the game as the game is made, while I would have the possibility to make spiders either cute or turn them into something else like lizards, frogs, or I don't know, just no spiders. That would really help.
I agree this is not really an appropriate response BUT, the game could be used as a learning tool to help you cope with your phobia?! Think about it, you will be in a completely safe atmosphere, can choose when to interact with the creatures AND you can also beat the holy ***** out of them.
Could be, but should that not be up to the person in question?
I mean, if a phobia mode exists, and someone wants to use the game in an attempt to deal with the issue, all they need to do is not turn it on.
But I do wonder why spiders get such a bad rap. Without spiders, we would be innundated with flies, and mosqutoes carrying malaria which kill way more people than spiders do. And insects would consume all the crops, and we would all die of famine. And if you say spiders aren't cute? Check out the peacock spider! Also, cows kill more people every year than spiders, so why isn't cow phobia a thing?
/a big spider fan