Scary needed

[ajay]

Been playing around with shambler code to try to make it scarier, more intelligent and generally raise the tension. The problem, apart from getting the coding right, is that the model isn't very scary. It's great when moving slowly and close up, but when it's chasing the player it looks a bit waddling and cartoon-y. Some of that's pathfinding, but a lot of it's the animation. I've tried some of the shambler replacements but to be honest, they're not any, or much, of an improvement.
Does anyone know of any with better/scarier animation, or other models that kinda 'fit' quake or scary monster type games?

[frag.machine]

The shambler would look more menacing (but I reckon less Quakey) with more feral animations for walk an run, maybe something inspired in the gorillas. Make the arms more massive and a bit desproportional to be more like a gorilla, but clawing the ground instead of using the back of the hands. And the idle animation could have an alt where it smells the air searching for a prey... That would improve in the scary quesite.

[gnounc]

giving it a shoulder block animation like a quarterback charging would do wonders.
As you guys said, the model isnt really the problem, its the animations.
Any animation to make it look more like its alive, thinking and has intentions to kill you dead would help a lot.

[qbism]

Players sneak around a shambler if they can to find the best defensive position before attack. How about an idle function that includes shifting weight from foot-to-foot at random times to fake-out the player that the monster has been alerted?

One of the non-scary things than can happen with a shambler is poor map placement. Give it plenty of room to move around and don't provide the player with a comfy camping spot. Force the player to keep dodging around columns or crates.

[Bluntz]

I think it having no eyes has a lot to do with it too.Nothing is scarier that some spooky eyes.

[mankrip]

Animations alone won't fix it. The problem is the animation system.

Dogs also have the same problem; they look really wacky when turning around.

The only way to fix that kind of stuff is with animation composition. Either through skeletal animation, or with segmented models (but segmented models would look bad anyway).

[Spirit]

The best thing for making the shambler more scary/creepy is playing in very low resolution.

[dwere]

I wish people would stop with the "big powerful monster = gorilla" stereotype. Thank god they avoided it in Doom 3, giving the hellknight more of a deformed human appearance. Gorillas aren't scary.

By the way, a lot of horror designs don't have eyes. Death stares are scary, but so are weird featureless faces.

[frag.machine]

[toneddu2000]

[toneddu2000]

Little off topic: ! Other Quake characters are awesome too! Good artist

too!