Lmaoboat wrote:
A phobia is an irrational fear. As someone else on here said, it can be sometimes set off by something like a drawing of a circle with 8 legs.
Well you know, since the OP implied he could man up and continue, it might not be as irrational as you think.
I'm no psychologist, but I'm willing to bet it's because the circle and 8 legs would create intrusive thoughts of spiders.
The best known treatment for phobia's(I think) is gradual exposure. And what better place to start than video games(specially when you can kill them).
Removing spiders from the game will only make it worse, because you are limiting your exposure to something that is more than likely to show up a few times in your life.
I have the opposite problem. Whenever I see a spider I feel compelled to stop and watch it. I am absolutely fascinated by these creatures, and in my younger days I would spend all night catching grasshoppers and moths to throw in this big garden spiders web (argiope aurantia http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species ... fault.aspx ) in my back yard. Probably ended up being the most over fed spider in the entire state.
When I first encountered the giant spiders in this game I ended up letting myself die several times (save and reload) just so I could see how well of a job the modelers did in making them. Like all the monsters, they certainly did a good job on the spiders.
Kravick wrote:I have the opposite problem. Whenever I see a spider I feel compelled to stop and watch it. I am absolutely fascinated by these creatures, and in my younger days I would spend all night catching grasshoppers and moths to throw in this big garden spiders web (argiope aurantia http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species ... fault.aspx ) in my back yard. Probably ended up being the most over fed spider in the entire state.
When I first encountered the giant spiders in this game I ended up letting myself die several times (save and reload) just so I could see how well of a job the modelers did in making them. Like all the monsters, they certainly did a good job on the spiders.
SirDigby wrote:Thanks for all the feedback guys Hopefully that setting will be added
Something else you may want to try, is not really looking at the screen(i have arcnaphobia as well, but i tend to focus on the UI and use periperal vision to get by, seemed to make it a lot eaiser for me anyway.
I have tried putting the game in a window and hiding the screen other then the character boxes, but it just becomes way to hard and confusing to play
I also have a strange fear of them. it's not really an arachnophobic fear, but their eyes and fangs make me freak out.
for grimrock i did the following to overcome them:
first i watched the making of video and some youtube videos of them to know what to expect and to "get used" to their movement and behaviour.
then when entering level 3 i did 2 things
i put down the volume so i don't hear their hissing and i played the game in window mode on the lowest resolution so they don't jump me at full 22" inches screen size.
then i went through the dungeon till i found the first and moved away from it, facing it the whole time to get used to the sight.
next step was letting them attack me, while focusing my sight on the character pictures bottom right.
after repeating that several times i started to look at the screen while they attacked (still in windowed mode)
i played the whole 3rd level in window mode.
after i got through level 3 i loaded up an eariler savegame and did parts of the level gain, now fullscreen
after playing the spider heavy parts again with fullscreen mode and sound, guess what?
i cound face them!
now that i know what they do, how they move and what little threat they are (if they dont poison you...) i can face them.
maybe you should try that too.
instead of going full frontal try it step by step with small pictures or lets play videos and move up the "difficulty" when you feel ready for it.
another thing that can help (thats how i got through some part of Dark Messiah of Might and GOD DAMN LOTS OF SPIDERS) was having someone to talk, either right next to you or via voicechat, being distracted can be a very good help.
Yrch wrote:I also have a strange fear of them. it's not really an arachnophobic fear, but their eyes and fangs make me freak out.
for grimrock i did the following to overcome them:
first i watched the making of video and some youtube videos of them to know what to expect and to "get used" to their movement and behaviour.
then when entering level 3 i did 2 things
i put down the volume so i don't hear their hissing and i played the game in window mode on the lowest resolution so they don't jump me at full 22" inches screen size.
then i went through the dungeon till i found the first and moved away from it, facing it the whole time to get used to the sight.
next step was letting them attack me, while focusing my sight on the character pictures bottom right.
after repeating that several times i started to look at the screen while they attacked (still in windowed mode)
i played the whole 3rd level in window mode.
after i got through level 3 i loaded up an eariler savegame and did parts of the level gain, now fullscreen
after playing the spider heavy parts again with fullscreen mode and sound, guess what?
i cound face them!
now that i know what they do, how they move and what little threat they are (if they dont poison you...) i can face them.
maybe you should try that too.
instead of going full frontal try it step by step with small pictures or lets play videos and move up the "difficulty" when you feel ready for it.
another thing that can help (thats how i got through some part of Dark Messiah of Might and GOD DAMN LOTS OF SPIDERS) was having someone to talk, either right next to you or via voicechat, being distracted can be a very good help.
Kravick wrote:I have the opposite problem. Whenever I see a spider I feel compelled to stop and watch it. I am absolutely fascinated by these creatures, and in my younger days I would spend all night catching grasshoppers and moths to throw in this big garden spiders web (argiope aurantia http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species ... fault.aspx ) in my back yard. Probably ended up being the most over fed spider in the entire state.
When I first encountered the giant spiders in this game I ended up letting myself die several times (save and reload) just so I could see how well of a job the modelers did in making them. Like all the monsters, they certainly did a good job on the spiders.
Snap! Jumping spiders are my favs too - so very very cute. My hobby (other than gaming hehe) is taking macro shots of invertebrates and I specialise in spiders - they are incredible.
That said I utterly sympathise with the OP. My photos have *really* freaked out friends and I've had complaints that my website doesn't have a close-up spider warning lol. For many this is a real issue - and true Arachnophobia is debilitating - just being scared of them doesn't count - a phobia means an extreme fear reaction that can affect the functioning of your life. Yes, aversion therapy is usually successful, but I'm not sure a video game where said spiders are attacking you is neccessarily the way to go.
My sympathies are with you - I don't know what to suggest that hasn't been said (except 'man up') thats as useful as telling someone with severe clinical depression to think happy thoughts.
"I'd let you live but I can't, I'm a willing servant of Evil"
Hopefully that setting will be added 
