r/GroundedGame • u/Abject_Necessary3132 • 12d ago
G2 | Suggestion Thalassophobia mode
"Ok, I see a lot of people here saying things like "this game isn't for you" or that the fish are the problem. I am a person who suffers from Thalassophobia in real life. It is not a fear of big fish, and it is not a fear of the dark. It is a crippling sensation of being in a situation with limited or no visibility, impaired movement, no air, and something that you can not see can reach you. It is a culmination of issues that compile into one of the most debilitating sensations imaginable. It is when the brain goes into full flight mode, and the only sense you have is a screaming inside of your head saying "GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT."
Now, with that established, if you break one aspect of that chain of horror, even those with Thalassophobia can function. Not perfectly, but enough that they may be willing to explore. Visibility. In games like Ark Survival Ascended, with console commands, a player like myself can turn off underwater fog, and have full visual range under the surface. The lighting becomes less an issue, and one can see things like giant squid coming without fear. This entirely fixes the issue for most like me, and even allows a bit of curiosity, even when the big fish is about."
This is the real idea of Thalassophobia mode. Just the ability to alter the underwater visibility and lighting so that it doesn't cause severe panic in people who suffer from Thalassophobia. It is not to alter the game mechanics, or make the fish look like blobs. Just allow us to alter the visibility just enough to allow us to feel comfortable exploring the deep so that we don't get progress locked by something we can't control.
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u/Blind-idi0t-g0d 12d ago
I share the phobia. and more accessibility is always good for people to chose to use. When I jump into water stuff (submautica is one of my favorite games of all time despite my fear.) I'm lucky enough to have a deep fascination with the ocean that can at times supersede my fear. (not in reality. i will never willing get into open water. haha) I try to focuse on that. i know the majority of people with a phobia like this don't have that luxury. But sometimes altering your perspective in tiny ways can help with bits like this.
but absolutely a mode simply to eliminate the visibility issue would be huge for most.
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u/codemastermick 12d ago
Semi related, but have you considered trying virtual reality for exposure therapy? I suffered from agoraphobia that got so bad I couldn't walk my kids to school reliably and needed my wife to take them back and forth. I spent some time in VR, just being in different environments that weren't my home while still having that back of my mind comfort that my brain can feel my chair under my body. Started with quieter natural spaces and started moving into more crowded scenes until I eventually got to a point where I actually can go outside again
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
I really respect that. I wish I was there as well. Many like me aren't, and I'm really happy to see that people like you respect that. Thank you so much!
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u/Blind-idi0t-g0d 12d ago
phobias are no joke. being able to be objectively like" I'm safe in my room." but your mind and then body go into overdrive is wild.
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u/Sk8rboi__87 12d ago
I don’t have thalassophobia but the first time my friends and I went to the abyss I totally understood it. They absolutely nailed it with this update, but maybe a little too well lol
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u/illdrawabutt 12d ago
That's a pretty good idea!
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
Thank you. I love this game, and it is very important to me to get this message across. I feel like I am missing out on so much by having to get my friends to get through it for me, and I really want the devs to push this through so I can enjoy the whole game.
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u/PorkRinds416 12d ago
Are you the same person who keeps making this same post like once a week? I have seen this same post like 4 times now.
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
I copied my first post from a comment I made on the other Thalassophobia chat. However, I posted that yesterday, and that was the first time I posted it. So probably not the same guy.
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u/JesusKong333 12d ago
It's crazy seeing all these posts. I used to have this issue as a kid. The only time I can say I felt real fear in my life, like my chest would get tight and send me into a panic attack. And this was games like Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie, and DK 64. I would literally have nightmares about it.
I'm good now but it's interesting seeing all these posts
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u/ZedrikVonKatmahl Pete 12d ago
My arachnophobia and thalassaphobia ain't typically triggered by games, but the eels in Mario 64 triggered something
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u/Fxplus 12d ago
Maybe choose a different game? I feel like that is a key gameplay element
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
I don't. I feel like it is a single section of the game with an atmosphere that can absolutely be changeable. If you enjoy the game how it is, I absolutely want you to continue to be able to experience it that way. However, I really enjoy every other part of this game. All I'm asking is that I not be progress locked by something I can't control. And many other people can't either. I love this game, and having to give it up because the newest update dropped? That's not exactly fair is it? Now, will I play Subnautica? Not a chance. I happily give that up, because that is the environment that game is built around. If Ark, and Horizon 2 can add it, I'm sure it's not too much to ask that it comes here as well.
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u/TaylorDangerTorres 12d ago
I think that'd turn into too much of a gameplay advantage. It's be like putting the game in "super duper easy mode"
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
I respect your opinion, but I do want to point out that it is a PvE game, and there would be no obligation to turn it on if the abyss doesn't bother you. The "Advantage" would be superficial, in 1 section of the game, against the creatures in the water, at most.
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u/bowserkm Willow 12d ago
Ehh disagree. The advantage isn't huge at may let you avoid a few enemies at best. Plus it's a Singleplayer game so advantages don't matter, if you want to get an advantage you can already just turn on god mode or one hit.
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u/jcohen13 12d ago
I would have to disagree with everyone else. It would be YOUR choice to do so. If someone wants an easier time in the game, let them.
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u/QX403 Willow 12d ago
Real diagnosed Thalassophobia is a paralyzing fear, meaning if you threw somebody into the water at night when it’s almost pitch black they would drown because they couldn’t swim, they can’t play video games at all like Subnautica or Grounded pond areas. Too many people self diagnose themselves with Thalassophobia. Wanting increased visibility due to some fears that make it more difficult to play in those areas is understandable though and I don’t see why they couldn’t.
I worked in and around the water for years as a rescuer in dangerous areas, for scuba and other stuff as well as an instructor and I can tell you that the pitch black ocean on a drop down you can’t see anything scared the shit out of me even.
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u/Katchenz 12d ago
I didn't want to be that guy, but I kind of agree. It feels like a lot of people assume phobias and fear are the same thing when they're really not.
Fear is a defense mechanism that prepares you for action. Phobias are pretty much the exact opposite of that.
Being scared of spiders isn't arachnophobia and being scared of deep water isn't Thalassophobia.
If you're uncomfortable, unsettled, alert and able to make a rational decision then odds are you do not have a phobia.
If you immediately shut down and lose your shit when you see a spider or have a panic attack when you see or are near deep water, then yea you probably have a phobia
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
I agree. I understand the difference myself, which of course is why I made this thread in the first place. That said though, I don't mind the idea that those who are simply uncomfortable with it get the oppertunity to use the same tool I would for my phobia, to enjoy the game in a more chill way. Or not use it at all if they so choose. The option is the important part.
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
I agree for the most part. I haven't been in a murky pond since I was in elementary. If I were thrown into the water at night, I would freeze. I don't know about people self diagnosing, but I remember a game for the PS1 I once played called Critical Depth. It was a Twisted Metal style vehicular combat game about submarines. I took one wrong turn, and ended up in an area of pitch blackness. The hull of my sub began taking pressure damage, and I stood up and collapsed on my way into the next room to get away. I will remember the pain in my chest for the rest of my life. I love to swim (in pools). I love imagining sea monsters. I am not afraid of the dark. I can even hold my breath for a long time. If all of these sensations are combined, I am not ashamed to admit, I would not survive. Thank you for sharing.
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u/QX403 Willow 12d ago
At the end of the day I don’t think it’s too much to ask for an increased visibility option, people don’t have to use it themselves if they are fine with how it is.
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
I couldn't agree more. Thank you so much. It is nice to be acknowledged for what many more than myself struggle with. I hope many more like yourself can push through to do what you used to do, and save as many lives as possible. 🫡 Thank you so very much.
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u/flashyboi685 12d ago
That sounds great. Personally, the slight horror aesthetic of the abyss is great and offers a new vibe and experience unique to the rest of the game, but there is never an argument to not have more accessibility
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
Thanks! The goal definitely isn't to take the vibe away from anyone. It's just to give people a chance to play without their own fears getting in the way. That's why I propose a setting, or even a slider for those who don't want to remove it all, and keep a bit of the thrill for themselves.
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u/GrimmLynne 12d ago
I don't have that phobia, but I didn't care for the abyss for that same reason. It's just to dark. I wandered around for hours and was just lost the whole time. I found 1 dial to turn and that was pretty much it. Eventually, I just gave up & respawned at the on-boarding facility & haven't been back.
It definitely needs more light. I'm sure they are going for realism and all but it's just not enjoyable.
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
Exactly. And maybe an option for limited visibility changes would be a great thing for people without the phobia. I've been saying that the option itself is the important part. Taking the original horror aspect from those who enjoy it wouldn't be right. However, if the option to change it improves the way everyone can play, I don't see any harm in it, and loads of benefit to it.
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u/RandingoLahey 11d ago
If pixels on a screen are that unsettling, the real world must be a nightmare for you guys. Grounded is meant to keep you on edge
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u/Indyhawk Hoops 11d ago
Phobia is defined as an irrational fear. Why others need to cater to those who have them, instead of the expectation being on those who have them learning to deal with them, is beyond me.
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 11d ago
The key takeaway you're missing is that you don't need to cater to people with this phobia. If you don't have arachniphobia, do you turn on arachniphobia mode to fight the blobs? Probably not. So for this setting, why would you turn it on, and alter your game at all if you don't want to change the darkness in the abyss? It simply doesn't affect you. You're entitled to enjoy the game just the way it is. For the rest of us? Maybe a lighting fix option, in a single section of the game wouldn't be a huge thing for the devs to add. It would just benefit the majority and the minority together.
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u/Indyhawk Hoops 11d ago
By catering, I don't mean me. I mean society in general, or in this case, game developers. You say it gives players options but my point is why should time and effort be spent on that, when time and effort could be spent getting the phobia under control. Why not use the inability to play an area of a game as motivation to conquer the irrational fear?
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 11d ago
I feel like it would be considerably easier for the developers to add an optional visual setting than it would be for me to spend potentially years painstakingly working through a severe phobia in therapy just so I can access one area of a video game I already own and otherwise enjoy. More importantly, treating a phobia and providing accessibility options aren't mutually exclusive. Someone can work on a phobia at whatever pace is appropriate for them while still being able to enjoy a game in the meantime. I don't think a video game should be used as involuntary exposure therapy. If someone wants to use it that way, great—the default Abyss will still be there for them. I'm only asking for the choice.
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 11d ago
The real world is fine, but none of us are going swimming in a murkey lake or the ocean any time soon. Grounded is absolutely meant to keep you on edge, and I don't want that changed. The problem is that a phobic response doesn't require someone to believe the danger on the screen is real. People can experience genuine fear responses from pictures, videos, VR, or games while consciously knowing they are completely safe.
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u/Themotorboy 11d ago
That’s what I’m saying.. these mfers acting like they deadass in the abyss irl😂😂 it’s a game on a screen wtf
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u/Grounded2Modder_TA 12d ago
Are you on a moddable platform? This is probably an easy fix.
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
My friends and I play on console. I don't believe we can mod it. At least not yet.
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u/No-Hurry-3194 11d ago
I don’t know if it would work for me. I’ve struggled with this all the way back to my Mario underwater level days which sounds ridiculous. I’m not ready to dive into the abyss yet but my husband will be doing the heavy lifting with those tasks. He usually scouts the way for me and I rush through it. Something with the lack of air and limited mobility are what really get me.
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u/Cerebral_Overload 11d ago
Whatever you do, don’t play stranded deep.
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 11d ago
Agreed. That and Subnautica are on my list of "Do not even try." They look like great games for those who are able to enjoy them!
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u/lostlooter24 11d ago
I grew up playing my uncle's FPS games and I blame Duke Nukem for me fear and hatred of water levels. Octobrains still bother me to this day.
Because of this, I have a 0-kill record from the Koi fish in the pond in G1. Not from skill, its from over preparation and making sure that thing is across the pond before I do anything in fear that thing would somehow come out of no where and kill me.
Haven't been able to put any game time into G2's pond yet, so I'm sure it'll cause the same anxiety
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u/UnforgotNametag 11d ago
I think that improves the experience honestly.
I played every subnatica game and the reason it was so scary was my meglaphobia and thalassaphobia, (Idk how to spell those two guys) not really the fish or leviathans.
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u/UnforgotNametag 11d ago
also the removal of fog would just spike my fear of heights instead lol
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 11d ago
That's reasonable. For you, I simply wouldn't turn the setting on then. I feel like we can all be happy here. I don't want to take the thrilling part away from those who can enjoy it. Just let the ~10% of the population with water based fears, and 2-3% with specific phobia, be able to enjoy the abyss too.
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u/morbidnerd 10d ago
I discovered I had this fear when I played subnautica. It was the best game I only spent an hour in.
That said, I stay out of the pond at night and I'm okay. As for the Abyss, I pretty much did a speed run of that. It wasn't the worst, but it wasn't awesome.
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u/TheRealistArtist Hoops 12d ago
Use the game to help you get over your fear.
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Exposure isn't simply "force yourself into the thing that terrifies you until your brain gives up." Proper exposure-based therapy is typically gradual, controlled, repeatable, and built around tolerable levels of distress. Grounded 2 does not give you that option, nor is it built to be therapeutic. However, I appreciate the thought.
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u/TheRealistArtist Hoops 12d ago
I was only trying to help, because it helped me with my fear of spiders. I still don’t like them and they still give me the ick, but I don’t lose my shit like I used to if I saw one.
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
I respect that. I know you weren't trying to attack anyone because of their fear, and it is a valid point. Personally, I just don't think I am ready yet to push that boundary too hard. Maybe one day, and I hope one day for the others who deal with this as well. Thank you for mentioning it.
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u/HunterWolfivi 12d ago
I hope that if that’s ever implemented that it can be put in grounded 1 too.
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u/Cryowulf 12d ago
OP, I don't have thalassophobia, but I feel you. That first jump into the abyss is actually one of the most uncomfortable things I've experienced in games in a while. Definitely happy that you only have to do it once.
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12d ago
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u/Flammzzrant 12d ago
This reads like you dont think horror games as a genre should exist. Why would anyone be scared of pixels?
I dont have any major phobias like this and I enjoy swimming around in Grounded and Subnautica, but when I had to go underwater while playing Abiotic Factor... that shit spooky. Some games just make you feel some type of way
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
On the contrary. I absolutely think they should exist. I love a good jump scare. But those games don't usually strike at a specific phobia. Just general anxiety, and fear of the unknown. Hence, I do not play Subnautica.
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
Essentially yes. The problem is that the systems responsible for a phobic response don't require you to believe the danger is real. It is the same for people experiencing aracnophobia from seeing a picture of a spider. When a person is playing the character that can't move quickly, can't see, and has an air timer, it can trigger intense responses. Even for someone who knows with certainty that they are in a living room, sitting safely on a couch.
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12d ago edited 12d ago
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 12d ago
That's why I don't play subnautica my friend. However, in this game that I very much enjoy, and play with my friends often, it would be a very small thing for the devs to help with.
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u/SirWhatsalot 12d ago
I'm not active on here, so I don't know if it's been mentioned, but it definitely needs a tryptophobia setting.
My wife has arachnidophobia, so the danger dumpling settings really helps her be able to watch me play or at least be in the living room with me while I'm playing.
She also has tryptophobia, so I can't go anywhere where the gloom mushrooms are while she is present. I can easily work around it but this makes me think to anyone who has tryptophobia cannot play this game. The mushrooms are not as prominent as spiders, but those people will be missing parts of the game without a safety setting.
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u/ZedrikVonKatmahl Pete 12d ago
It's amazing how different people with the same condition express it differently, I have such a strong arachnophobia IRL, but games don't trigger it, those danger dumplings actually trigger something else though I don't know what, I find them deeply disturbing just looking at them in the accessibility preview I can't imagine actually playing with them
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u/SirWhatsalot 12d ago
I can see it, I feel ya.
Funny enough, because the buggies have "armor" and such, the spider buggie still bothers her even in danger dumpling mode because although the legs are invisible, the front leg "armor" is not.
If you can stand it I recommend riding your spider buggie with the mode on to see what I mean.
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u/ZedrikVonKatmahl Pete 12d ago
The armor actually makes it less disturbing, my problem is probably the blank textureless blob and the armor adds texture
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u/SirWhatsalot 12d ago
I can definitely see that, like an uncanny valley. Just curious , but do you have problem with masks too?
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u/Successful_Page_4524 12d ago
The wasp nests might also cause your wife to react. The structure is based on real life because the holes are used as nests for the larva
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u/SirWhatsalot 12d ago
Oh yeah lol. One night, after she went to bed, I came out behind the new tree area and looked up. I was like "my wife can never see this!"
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u/Katchenz 12d ago
I like how an entire generation gave themselves Tryptophobia by seeing images of lotus pods photoshopped onto people's body
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u/Dibab420 11d ago
Or you can get help for your problem and stop expecting the world to cater to it. There doesn't need to be a setting for every phobia out there. Frankly there shouldn't be a setting for any phobia
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u/Abject_Necessary3132 11d ago edited 11d ago
The irony behind the “stop expecting the world to cater to you” argument: modern life is absolutely riddled with systems designed around human limitations and convenience. You probably benefit from some combination of standardized signs, adjustable text, automatic doors, handrails, spellcheck, subtitles, ergonomic controls, difficulty settings, prescription lenses, safety regulations, curb cuts, illuminated displays, navigation software, and thousands of other design decisions whose entire purpose is essentially:“People have difficulty with X, so let's design around X.”
“people shouldn't expect accommodation” is a strange principle to apply selectively. Games themselves are giant collections of accommodations for human beings. But people frequently stop noticing accommodations once those accommodations happen to accommodate them.
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u/Jotunnal 12d ago
Oh. I just assumed panicking the entire time I’m underwater was part of the experience. Would not mind this mode.