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Edge 249: Dark Souls II. To be more "direct," "straightforward," and "understandable"

AppleMIX

Member
What exactly do people want to see changed (made more accessible)?

A better explanation of stats, humanity and other game mechanics.
Give the player a better idea as where to go but don't physically bar the player from exploring places if he so chooses.

Also

Just adopt a god-hand like difficulty setting via world tendency.

The more dark the world gets the harder (Adding enemies, randomizing enemy locations, making the AI more aggressive etc . . .) the game gets but you get more souls and a better item drop rate. Also add relics which allow players to modify the world tendency (IE if I equip this relic, the game gets harder much fast).

That way the game has a lower barrier to entry and still have that difficulty everyone loves.
 
It has been said before and still worth repeating. I think that FROM is very aware of what has made this series so monumental and even with Namco intervention will not risk deviating too far from that formula. That Skyrim quote that they didn't even make will forever be attached to this which is a bummer.

How much Miyazaki influence is a concern. If he truly wants to explore other avenues, I am happy for him, though selfish me would prefer business as usual. I do not need any groundbreaking. More of the same here would be just fine. I still say no way that FROM risks chasing the core away.
 
A better explanation of stats, humanity and other game mechanics.
Give the player a better idea as where to go but don't physically bar the player from exploring places if he so chooses.

Also

The Crestfallen Soldier explicitly tells the player where he can go at the beginning of the game and they're cutscenes after each major event to push the player in the right direction (it's nothing like that "The Monumental awaits thee above" bullshit in Demon's Souls).

Also there's already an explanation for every stat in the game, maybe FROM just needs to make the GUI a little better so that people see this stuff.
 

tafer

Member
Worrying news, but if the core mechanics remain intact. I really don't care if they make some changes in the way the story and some game systems are presented.

On the other hand, a different director is something I'm worried. The near perfect balance of the Souls saga remains in a fair challenge: reward skills/wits/patience, brutally punish mistakes/stupidity. If the new directors think that a "Souls" game is just a bunch of
Anor Lordo Archers
in a row, with no save points before a boss that will require some experimentation to take down, welp, the legendary saga is done.
 

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Please put your acceptability where the sun don't shine. Please. :(

Love that armour with the fur though. Another case of outstanding armour design.
Why? Do you want me to toss a controller in anger and have it lodged in my $2,000 TV?

Accessibility is good. I play games to have fun, not to get aggravated.
 
Why? Do you want me to toss a controller in anger and have it lodged in my $2,000 TV?

Accessibility is good. I play games to have fun, not to get aggravated.

But the things that made Dark Souls convoluted and challenging were the same things that I found to be the most fun. Without that, it'd just be another "Action RPG".
 

Orayn

Member
Why? Do you want me to toss a controller in anger and have it lodged in my $2,000 TV?

Accessibility is good. I play games to have fun, not to get aggravated.

Accessibility means the game will give you the tools you need to overcome challenges, but it doesn't guarantee you'll succeed and not be frustrated when you fail.
 

Riposte

Member
Humanity, weapon upgrades, plus equip burden and its effects on dodging are the main ones I can think of off the top of my head.

I wonder how much of this is already easy to pick up if you actually pay attention though?

I don't think weapon upgrades were that obscure, at least compared to Demon's Souls. That seems like something they fixed.

Equip burden and dodging is obviously presented in the game with character movement.

Humanity was never too complicated to me, but I can't be sure that wasn't because I read previews.
 

casabolg

Banned
I can only hope this means they are focusing on making game elements not hidden away so you'll only hear about it on Wikis but this will be a very narrow balance to make.

-The difficulty to find things made actually finding things more meaningful.
-Those who played through the game once or twice probably missed a lot of small things they would have enjoyed without communities to tell them where to go or what is available, making some misrepresent the game.
-If they make the game easier, they ruin the selling point of the game.

I just want bigger areas, more options, and more meaningful covenants. More direct and straightforward use of declaring covenants would be great.
 

ekim

Member
I tried to play dark souls multiple times but I always gave up because nothing was explained at all. So yeah, the difficulty can keep the same bit please explain the mechanics.
 

Hindle

Banned
I don't think this is coming in 2013 either. Actually anyone think this is a stealth next gen announcement? Like Watch Dogs.
 

TheExodu5

Banned
-If they make the game easier, they ruin the selling point of the game.

I doubt they're making it easier. This was from the release PR:

FromSoftware is going to take a very dark path with Dark Souls II; players will need to look deep within themselves to see if they have the intestinal fortitude to embark on this journey.
 

Riposte

Member
I tried to play dark souls multiple times but I always gave up because nothing was explained at all. So yeah, the difficulty can keep the same bit please explain the mechanics.

What exactly did you need explained? For the most part there are notes throughout the tutorial which tech you how to play.
 

Orayn

Member
I wonder how much of this is already easy to pick up if you actually pay attention though?

I don't think weapon upgrades were that obscure, at least compared to Demon's Souls. That seems like something they fixed.

Equip burden and dodging is obviously presented in the game with character movement.

Humanity was never too complicated to me, but I can't be sure that wasn't because I read previews.

Weapon upgrades only told you the materials needed for the next eligible upgrade and the effects on the weapon's stats. They could use a one or two sentence description for each upgrade line that describes what it does and what other upgrades it branches into.

Figuring out the effects of equip burden on dodging would require you to dink around with weights until you figured out that you fastroll at <0.25 burden, roll at <0.5, and flop any higher.

Humanity sources and the difference between banked/item humanity are pretty obtuse if you don't look it up or ask someone who's already played. They also don't tell you what kindling a bonfire does, despite presenting it as an option.
 

Orayn

Member
hitmanabsolution.jpg

Between Blood Money and Absolution, IO Interactive released some pretty bad games aimed squarely at mainstream audiences. (And Mini Ninjas.)

Between Dark Souls and Dark Souls II, From Software will have released the business-as-usual Armored Core V, a Kinect game that was doomed from the start, and well-received Dark Souls DLC.
 

ekim

Member
What exactly did you need explained? For the most part there are notes throughout the tutorial which tech you how to play.

The core mechanics were explained. But how do stats work and the whole souls thing? (Sitting around the fire. )
 

jwhit28

Member
I don't think they want difficulty to be the main selling point. They seem to be trying to sell how rewarding that difficulty makes your accomplishments feel. Same product, but a change in the pitch.
 
You guys realize they're just saying this to draw in a larger audience, right?

There will still be hundreds of controller-breaking, profanity shouting moments in Dark Souls II.
 

Foffy

Banned
I don't think this is coming in 2013 either. Actually anyone think this is a stealth next gen announcement? Like Watch Dogs.

It's quite hard for this to be a next generation title when the official website and Japanese press release state all the platforms it's coming to [PS3/360/PC].
 

Rpgmonkey

Member
I thought they did a good job of making Dark Souls easier to understand than Demon's Souls, and I enjoyed Dark Souls more because of that, but I think there's still some room for improvement. I think it's possible to outdo Dark Souls in making something in-depth and open to player experience and skill, while keeping it from becoming overwhelming or obtuse to players who don't research a bunch of the mechanics or jump in without reading/watching previews, gameplay videos, or player impressions.

I'm open to this, so I hope it's executed well.
 

Varna

Member
The core mechanics were explained. But how do stats work and the whole souls thing? (Sitting around the fire. )

The stats are explained int he menu. Hitting select brings let's you read a description on every stat.

Right when you land in Lodran you are told sit around the camp fire to level up... I guess they never specifically say you will lose all your souls when you die. But come on... you really can't figure that out on your own?
 

Riposte

Member
The core mechanics were explained. But how do stats work and the whole souls thing? (Sitting around the fire. )

In the case of stats, you could find out on your character sheet/stat screen by pushing the help button.
 

Reigan

Banned
Why? Do you want me to toss a controller in anger and have it lodged in my $2,000 TV?

Accessibility is good. I play games to have fun, not to get aggravated.

1)Someone obviously did not tell you that fun was a subjective thing

2)Very rarely does the game cheat if you die it's mostly your own fault

3)Learn from your mistakes.

4)Neither demon or dark souls are hard games just need to learn the system you know overcome challenges, something that should be present in all good video games.


and if you want interactive movies with loads of hand holding guess what this gen was full of them.
 

140.85

Cognitive Dissonance, Distilled
I don't mind if they make some of the vital gameplay systems a little more clear, but I'll be super bummed if it goes beyond that and this new director ruins that unique Souls feeling in a quest for more players.
 
Why? Do you want me to toss a controller in anger and have it lodged in my $2,000 TV?

Accessibility is good. I play games to have fun, not to get aggravated.

Please excuse my harsh tone, though there are several other options that may already appeal to you without having to bend this one to your desires.
 

Reigan

Banned
I tried to play dark souls multiple times but I always gave up because nothing was explained at all. So yeah, the difficulty can keep the same bit please explain the mechanics.

Learning through play is the greatest mechanic of all, also how did you miss the developer notes on the ground?
 

Dresden

Member
There will still be hundreds of controller-breaking, profanity shouting moments in Dark Souls II.

I wasn't made for that kind of life, I just went online and bitched about it with a smile on my face.

I'm not too concerned about difficulty, but with Miyazaki no longer there as the director, and his role as supervisor rather difficult to define in any concrete terms, I'm worried that some of the sly obfuscations the games liked to throw at the player (most notable, recent example being Anor Londo archers) are going to be gone. I know people hated that place, but it's also one of those circumstances that really brought people together, forcing them to pool knowledge, just to get past that part (at least until people figured out you just need to run forward). Same thing for puzzling menus or unexplained game mechanics - understanding the game became a communal effort, accessibility be damned.

Not against the idea of more openness, or accessible design, but I will miss the process of discovery that was post-release.
 
It's quite hard for this to be a next generation title when the official website and Japanese press release state all the platforms it's coming to [PS3/360/PC].

That doesn't mean much. Things changes and people lie. I still remember ESP saying Twisted metal was not being made up until E3 when they showed the trailer.
 

Lunchbox

Banned
I don't mind if they make some of the vital gameplay systems a little more clear, but I'll be super bummed if it goes beyond that and this new director ruins that unique Souls feeling in a quest for more players.

perks
killstreaks
leveling guitar riffs
prestiging
 
Good to hear they are making the game more accessible. May consider it now if they add difficulty levels and also fix their dumb multiplayer to include proper coop.
 
That doesn't mean much. Things changes and people lie. I still remember ESP saying Twisted metal was not being made up until E3 when they showed the trailer.

Wouldn't it potentially mean quite a bit based on how many times platforms have been accurately announced, in comparison to the lone example here and there where things changed for some reason.
 

isual

Member
Good to hear they are making the game more accessible. May consider it now if they add difficulty levels and also fix their dumb multiplayer to include proper coop.

No. no. no. no. no.
Make it even harder. make it frustrating. make it flame lurker.
 

Grief.exe

Member
Good to hear they are making the game more accessible. May consider it now if they add difficulty levels and also fix their dumb multiplayer to include proper coop.

Adding difficulty levels would destroy the online balance, separate the community, and would force them to spend way too much time tuning different difficulty levels instead of perfecting the game.

Calling the multiplayer dumb is largely subjective. I disagree, but pointless to argue.
 

Eccocid

Member
No. no. no. no. no.
Make it even harder. make it frustrating. make it flame lurker.

YES! flamelurkers everywhere and man-eaters! all the levels have narrow ledges and archers at opposite sides! i just want immortal bosses which can be only killed at certain days of month in certain hours! if u dont login that day and hour u cant advance in the game! lol
 

Valnen

Member
Why would he say that? I don't want Dark Souls to be anything like Elder Scrolls because Elder Scrolls games are awful and Dark Souls isn't.
 
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