Custom Story Cliches?

[Imevil23]

So I'm making a custom story (And I'm sure some of you are too) and I've been thinking "What are some cliches that I should avoid to make in my custom stories". This thread can also be used as a reference to other story makers.

I'll start with one. One cliche I noticed in too many of custom stories is when the story is "You wake up in some room" or "You wake up not remembering anything".

[Dogfood]

you pick up a key, a monster spawns
Long hallway - monster spawn/jumpscare
Water- 100% water monster
Iron Maiden- something gonna happen


just avoid stuff like that

[Adny]

-Monsters appearing every time the player picks up a key/item
-Monsters in rooms with closets
-10 keys for 10 different doors in 1 level
-Bad Mapping
-No use of various screen effects for scares/events

I feel if I continue this list it will change from just cliches to what I have observed about nearly every CS that is made nowadays and the poor state they're in, so I'll stop for now

[Hunter of Shadows]

Avoid cheap jumpscares like the plague

Avoid bad writing as well, if your plot even remotely starts to resemble anything like the original Amnesia's...START OVER

Ensure your mapping is intuitive and well done

Don't overuse monsters, it makes the custom story not scary in the slightest(just annoying)

For puzzles you should try and avoid lots of keys/crowbar puzzles if you can, find ways to make your puzzles new and interesting, this could potentially take a lot of work, so don't get discouraged.

Every time I see a custom story that has...basically from the original, the Shadow, for no apparently reason, I cringe

[Danny Boy]

Don't put teleporting naked guys and you are good to go!

[patchesthedrow]

(06-20-2012 07:24 PM)andyrockin123 Wrote:  -Monsters appearing every time the player picks up a key/item
...
-10 keys for 10 different doors in 1 level

Amen.
I was screwing around with the programming and put Alexander in a random part of the sewers. I forgot I did that, and boy did I jump when I was testing the level out.

[Wurm]

Random pigs laying around for no apparent reason, Especially if they seem pumped.

[candlejack131]

(06-20-2012 07:42 PM)Hunter of Shadows Wrote:  Avoid cheap jumpscares like the plague

Avoid bad writing as well, if your plot even remotely starts to resemble anything like the original Amnesia's...START OVER

Ensure your mapping is intuitive and well done

Don't overuse monsters, it makes the custom story not scary in the slightest(just annoying)

For puzzles you should try and avoid lots of keys/crowbar puzzles if you can, find ways to make your puzzles new and interesting, this could potentially take a lot of work, so don't get discouraged.

Every time I see a custom story that has...basically from the original, the Shadow, for no apparently reason, I cringe

Well...that varies based on opinion for example using 101 different monsters is just....weird "unless" There were originally more people of which became the monsters that's what was strange about amnesia there were like six people in the cellar that drank the wine...buuut theirs only two monster models??? if your custom story revolves around a domain idea instead of multiply sticking to one monster is a good thing for instance if your making a custom story about..lets say my custom story for example. I'm making a slender man one so why would the servant grunt be in it? I would stick with the slender man why would some random Suitor just stroll in. So that all depends on what kind of story your writing

[Robosprog]

Aka, don't use the flying jesus scare.

[Kman]

I miss Cranky