But you are not thinking in absolutes, first rule of internet disscussion is to speak in a binary love/hate way. So what are you doing?
Having from the get go will only add another safety net to the player, so it gives an extra bit of confidence, which works in detriment of what the game is all about. It won't brake the game but it could make it less "engaging".
Some people go to Nito before they get the Lordvessel. Stupid, I know, but maybe they didn't read the wikis and walkthroughs first and instead got all the way down there and used the bonfire.
Some people use the bonfires in Ash Lake. You can get there before even ringing a bell.
Is it even
possible to climb back up? I wouldn't know, I always had warping by then.
Bonfires, by virtue of even existing, already added a safety net, already give an extra bit of confidence that works in detriment to
what some people think the game is all about. Levels are riddled with bonfires in Dark Souls. Where did you get your checkpoints in Demon's Souls? Oh yes,
after the bosses.
I agree that having warp right from the start is a bad idea if it includes warping to all the minor little bonfires. The major area-start ones are okay, the myriad checkpoint ones not so much.
I agree that having warp disincentivizes the exploration and shortcut-creation aspect of the game-- part of the reason Demon's Souls "You Died - Go To Start Do Not Collect 200 Souls" policy was bearable was because you unlocked all sorts of shortcuts throughout the level. 1-1 is a perfect example: you have to go all over Boletaria, but by the end you've opened gates so you just need to walk forward 200 feet from start to boss. Warp-from-start would also mean nobody figuring out the trick to returning to the Asylum.
If it was up to me, I'd have warping available from the start, but only
to the Firelink Shrine equivalent. That way, if you fall down some bottomless hole like the Great Hollow, at least you can get back out again. I'd also allow warping to the major hub bonfires only (not the rinky dink checkpoint ones), provided you have unlocked all the shortcuts to and from them-- turn on the elevator, lower the bridge, open the gate, and then (since you can pretty much skip the area anyway) you can warp.
Not that From is listening to us. Maybe we need #NoEasyWarp hashtags or something.