I’m thinking about whether or not I should completely disable jumping in the horror game I’m making. The main reason being that there aren’t any situations where the player needs to jump (at least not at the moment), and I think that a game is made a little less scary if you can bounce your way through it.
But I wonder if this would get negative reactions from players. I have only played a handful of horror games, and in about half of them jumping was possible. So I’m wondering what’s the better option. A player that can hop around or a player that is hopelessly glued to the ground. What’s scarier, what makes better gameplay, etc.?
This is such a good game design-related question!
I think jumping is such a standard part of first-person and third-person controls that players expect it. Besides, if I can jump in real life, I’d expect that my avatar should be able to do the same.
However, I completely agree with you that bouncing through a level can be kind of goofy. What do you think of nerfing it into a tiny little hop? The player gets the controls they expect, but it doesn’t allow them to Mario their way through the level.
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Less control = more scary.
Also,
Dying from lack of control = bad idea.
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That could work. The ideal would probably be to implement some kind of “realistic” jumping system where the player needs a moment to prepare the jump and will then have to wait a short moment before jumping again. If only I can figure out how to do that with the blasted C# script that the First Person Controller is written in…
I’d be in favour of no jumping. Plenty of games work without jumping. Just make sure your level design matches your choice. No annoying ledges or anything.
As indicated, horror is about being powerless. Give players too many options, and you simply get an action game. When a player feels like they have a chance to beat the game by perfect timing of jumps, you’ve moved to action.
And think about it realistically. How many of your typical horror protagonists can actually jump? We are talking about hot chicks lost in the woods and geeky teenagers. Not your genetically enhanced super soldiers.
I like that we have a difference of opinion on this. I agree that jumping shouldn’t give the player any advantage in the game, nor should be it required to complete any part of the game. (Unless it’s purposely designed that way for some intentional effect.)
To me, however, the ability to jump (even if it’s a meaningless little hop) is as much a default maneuver as the ability to look around or walk. It’s just one of those things I expect to be able to do as a matter of course. They way I see it in this context, it doesn’t serve any purpose except to keep the player from being frustrated from not being able to do such a default thing.
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It isn’t about being able to do what you would in real life, but rather do what you would be able to do - usefully - in real life. Having a bunny hop in a scary game is silly.
However, if you have some kind of action control system- either automatic, timed, or on-button press, then you have a reason to “jump.”
Action control system is a term I use for when the game takes control of a movement action because of your input. Rather than letting you jump anywhere you can only jump where it makes sense that you would. IE: Across a gap in a bridge.
You can have it automatically jump as you run towards it.
Or you can even have the old Dragons Lair - hit a button at the right moment or die! - timed mechanism. (Could work well for certain horror games).
Or simply have it wait for you to press the “action” button.
So in short, no… it should not have FPS style jumping. Maybe it should have something more cinematic though 
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You could consider tagging certain areas of the ground so that they can jump at any time when in contact with those areas & at other times they can only jump once every 10, 20, 30 seconds etc (just set a timer so it can’t be done too often so those that do try won’t be able to bunny hop). If every player at least tries to jump once at the start they will then be able to see that they can, & if a player doesn’t do that & they come to an area where they need to jump then put an indicator up the first time. Then they will all automatically assume that they can jump in situations where it is needed.
A stamina mechanic could be interesting. Each jump increases your overall fatigue, and makes you move slower for the rest of the game. Or at least a long period of time after.
Actually, I think that’s better than just limiting it like I suggested above. If they have stamina that goes down as they walk & goes down quicker as they run or jump then assuming the balancing is right the first scare that makes them run could be very educational for the bunny hoppers. Just flash a warning up the first time they run & jump telling them they will not have enough stamina to run if the need arises.
This turns jumping into an actual game mechanic. In a different horror game, it might fit. From the original post, it sounds like jumping isn’t meant to have any place in the design of this game. My question about jumping was whether players expect it as a default action even if it doesn’t have anything to do with game mechanics.
Well I think the answer to that is clearly some of us expect it and some of us don’t. I would expect space bar to make me jump but not be surprised if it did not do so. I cant speak for anyone else though
It depends. But as a rule, it’s scarier to be more helpless. I think just ask yourself: In this part of this game, is falling in this ditch/missing this jump scary or annoying?
Here’s another reason for jumping. I have found that it comes in handy if your character is stuck in a collider. On the other hand, if you can’t jump, well, you might have to quit the game or spend lots of time trying to get free. (Ah! I can’t get away from these zombies because I’m stuck in a miniature bush!
)
Also, I have found that jumping can be handy for getting over areas that a human could easily pass. But if I can’t jump, I might be stopped from getting to an area by a pebble. Rather immersion-breaking for me, to be honest.
The jump wouldn’t have to be complicated either. Like the others mentioned, it could be just a little hop. (That would actually be realistic, since most humans have a weak jump. I just tried it, my jump was much lower than what I usually get in a game.) As long as the jump is weak enough, it wouldn’t give the player any big advantages over the enemies, but still help if the player got stuck in a collider. And, let’s be honest, most humans can jump, even if it’s not way high.
Of course, if your game doesn’t have any objects with colliders on the ground, you might not have to worry about any of the issues I mentioned. It’s ultimately up to you.
I think the only reason to add jumping into your game is if it actually serves a purpose. Why would you even try to jump if there wasn’t a reason to?
Giving players the ability to jump might make them think that jumping is the answer to a certain level you’ve designed, even if you didn’t intend it, this could get frustrating if you tell them to get to this point. It looks like you can jump there if you time it right or jump from a certain place and so they try that and fail over and over because you’ve got other plans. It might also give them the ability to avoid your carefully designed traps and obstacles in a way you didn’t want them to.
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This is a really good point. It’s like giving players a gun in an adventure game. They’re going to assume that they’ll need to use the gun at some point.
On the other hand, let’s say you’re making a first-person game in which you never need to look up or down to win. If the controls only let me look left and right, and not look up and down, I think I might go a little mad even though it isn’t technically necessary for me to be able to look up and down. It’s something I expect to be standard in this control scheme, even if it doesn’t actually “serve a purpose.” My question, from a design perspective, is whether the majority of the target audience expect the ability to jump to be standard, too.
Haha yeah I don’t think anyone would like that. I’ve played plenty of games where you can’t jump and I’ve been fine with it, maybe it’s just a matter of personal preference. maybe there are some people out there that wouldn’t mind not being able to look up and down? 
I don’t think there’s a perfect answer to this question, perhaps @Wilelle should write a big list of pros and cons and work it out based on that.
I’m currently doing that based on all the feedback I’m getting. Listing reasons why I should add it, reasons why I shouldn’t, how it should work if I do, etc. The suggestions here are really helpful.
Do you have a fairly clear level design for 1 level that might be indicative of what most would be like? If so you could mock it up & test with movement scripts with & without jump.
Actually it would make sense for “jumping,” to be in a Horror game.
I mean, for eg.
You play a girl character
And a nasty evil stinky scary monster is chasing you down!!
(Stars,…Graaaaaaaaaah!!!)
http://www.gamehackstudios.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Resident-Evil-3-Free-Download-PC-Torrent-Full-Version-Crack-Nemesis-30.jpg
And in the forest, out of 4 paths, you chose the path with a gap in the ground!
It would make sense to jump over it.
And as the monster is enclosing behind you, you run and jump, or jump at the wrong distance too early,
(due to being afraid to get caught by the monster) you might fall down the hole/gap and it is “Game Over!”
Or, in case 2
You run across a rope bridge and the same evil scary monster is coming fast behind you!
Parts of the old bridge breaks off and falls into the abyss/river far below.
Eeeeeeek!!
And you have to jump over all of the gaps, in the bridge, to escape the monster. (Double Eeeeeek!!)
If the monster catches you, while you’re taking too long to make the jumps. Its “game over!”
Or worse, “You die!” Game Over!!
Or you jump at the wrong time/distance and you fall through the hole, to the abyss deep below!!
You Died! Game Over!!
Nooooooooooooooooo!!
Very horrifying!
And out of fear or anger, after dying in the horror game.
You fling your expensive controller at the wall and it breaks!
"Double the Horror and expenses for you!!"
But some people might get a heart attack, after so much “Game Fun fear factor!”
Lol!
But it’s really up to you, and the type of horror game you’re trying to make.
Note: Use the two pics and imagination to see where I’m coming from.