Sentenza
Member
So, you didn't play it.
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Which should I jump into first Skyrim or Dark Souls?
- Thread starter dr3upmushroom
- Start date
Then the cartoon isn't mocking~
H_Prestige
Banned
How is Dark Souls not roleplaying?
Problem is, it's more like a sea of glued-on chest hairs, shitty one-liners and hyperboles standing in the way of a potentially interesting gaming discussion.
Deified Data
Banned
Skyrim is a better roleplaying game than Dark Souls, from the "choose a role, tell a story, live another life" perspective. I don't think anyone can really deny that. Saying Skyrim does something better isn't an automatic knock on Dark Souls - the two games have entirely different priorities and barely warrant comparison.
Sentenza
Member
While you're right claiming that Dark Souls is -indeed- an ARPG, there are DOZENS of RPGs that are far better than Skyrim in that specific meaning you are giving to the term.
And, speaking as a "RPG purist" myself, I would pick a superlative ARPG over a shitty RPG -which is exactly how I would describe Skyrim- any day.
True, that and guard your back. I can't tell you the amount of time I thought I was being paranoid when I heard footsteps only to be back stabbed. Brilliant enemy design.
Go with Dark Souls.
Deified Data
Banned
I agree. Were those RPGs part of the discussion, I would have mentioned them.
No, do play Dragon's Dogma over the other two. You meant "do", right?
Deified Data
Banned
No, Skyrim has a shit-ton of cheese in it.
If you dislike cheese, you should play Dark Souls.
I can't tell A but I sure as hell can concur on B.
It is. Very much so. Decisions you make could possibly effect the way you play for the duration of that character.
Your combat style is distinctly your own.
That said, admittedly, its not the traditional RPG roleplay like Skryim.
Sentenza
Member
I wouldn't define myself a "DS acolyte" to any extent, if not in the sense that I actually think the game is pretty much unmatched in what it tries to achieve.
And that's not because "ohmygoosh I'm such a faaaan" but because the game actually stands out in many ways when it comes to proper game design.
Map design, combat system, balance, mood, atmosphere, lore and a very interesting, compelling art direction are all outstanding features that make the game shine.
So, ok, if we want to ignore those actual merits and pretend that many people are falling in love with game just because of some irrational fanboyism, be my guest.
Death Dealer
Member
LOL!
Death Dealer
Member
Good early place to farm souls though.
Please elucidate on what you mean by this. I talk about Dark Souls a lot on this forum because it's my favorite game. Does that make me a snotty elitist? Because I like a game and I like to talk about it on a forum about video games? To me, it sounds like you're the one shitting up the thread, insulting the people who play the games and not discussing the games themselves. I do agree some of this discussion is a bit shallow though, those comics comparing Skyrim to Dark Souls are just dumb and aren't really indicative of why either game is good or bad. They're very different games. I liked Skyrim for a while but it felt very same-y and aimless after a short time, I just wasn't compelled to play it anymore.
Your tag is wrong in this case.
Deified Data
Banned
Your usage of elucidate at the beginning of this post made me read the whole thing in a nasally English accent.
Phoenixazure
Member
If u have a pc, I'd actually give the edge to skyrim due to the insane amount of mods that can transform the gaming to your likings and tastes (so long as the computer allows) otherwise, dark souls is more mechanically sound if that's what you are seeking.
If it weren't for mods, Skyrim would be about unplayable to me. I've never had any more fun in an RPG dueling people with my dual spear-wielding character, or my glass cannon/heavy tank Black Iron Tarkus + Greatsword + Crystal Magic Weapon + Power Within build. Skyrim may have a little bit more complexity and expansiveness in its world (heavy emphasis on little), but Dark Souls utterly destroys it in everything else.
Hey!, someone asked for what would happen if the worlds combined and I, as a good citizen, provided what the internet offers about said scenario.
Personally, I have the ps3 version of both games. So I have the undeniable right to say that Skyrim is a turd.
Deified Data
Banned
I think the primary difference between the two games is how their respective fans describe their characters. In Dark Souls you're playing a "glass cannon/heavy tank Black Iron Tarkus + Greatsword + Crystal Magic Weapon + Power Within build", while in Skyrim you're playing a "Dunmer refugee trying to do right by his people in a hostile, alien land". Not saying one is right and the other is wrong, but both clearly embody the difference in the two games' design philosophies.
Personally, what I find annoying is not people praising a game for its merits, even obsessively so, I embrace hype. It's the holier-than-thou attitude and the need to shit on everything else that gets on my nerves fast.
Not saying this is your case, though.
lol, true.
Personally I'd love an Elder Scrolls game with a more deliberate, varied world design like Dark Souls, and the melee combat from Chivalry: Medevial Warfare
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=459870
I bought Skyrim during the XBox deal but have only played an hour or so. If the game was as shitty as most people are making it seem, I don't understand how it could be so many people's game of the year.
I bought Skyrim during the XBox deal but have only played an hour or so. If the game was as shitty as most people are making it seem, I don't understand how it could be so many people's game of the year.
mickcenary
Member
Genuine question: having not played it, is the combat in Skyrim as bad as it looks?
I remember watching a video highlighting a stealth approach. The player walked behind a crouching enemy, a horribly animated mace swing ensued; there was no connection, no feedback, no nothing; the enemy fell over (also horribly animated). I think I dry-reached.
Skyrim's aesthetic and "appealing" (and its synonyms) does not compute at all. Though, I will admit that with a plethora of mods and characters off-screen, some decent shots can be taken.
I remember watching a video highlighting a stealth approach. The player walked behind a crouching enemy, a horribly animated mace swing ensued; there was no connection, no feedback, no nothing; the enemy fell over (also horribly animated). I think I dry-reached.
Skyrim's aesthetic and "appealing" (and its synonyms) does not compute at all. Though, I will admit that with a plethora of mods and characters off-screen, some decent shots can be taken.
Been honest, that list would be completely different if it was done today. And yeah, I'm a little bit surprised at the super negative reactions we are getting in this thread.
Sentenza
Member
My problem with this is... I don't that's actually the case.
Fallout 2 is a game that let you do what you are claiming. You can be the big, strong, dumb guy, the cynical gunman, the small, nimble asian martial arts expert, and so on.
And the game *actually* reacts to who you are and what you do.
That never happens in Skyrim. Never. All the "roleplay" in the game is never supported by real game mechanics, and it's all about "LARPing" and imagining in the game virtues that just aren't there.
But what's even worse is how every single subsystem in the game is simply broken or half-assed.
I won't stress once again how dull the combat is, but look at the goddamn skill system. Every single skill simply breaks the game when you rise it enough.
Every one. EVERY ONE. Even crafting skills can completely destroy any illusion of balance, for fuck's sake.
Then, on top of all these issues, there's the awful, awful loot scaling. Do you like unique rewards and sense of achievement after a challenging battle? Too bad, enjoy this worthless random drop instead. Oh, and forgot about challenging battles, while you're at it.
It sold more, more people played it, it's part of a bigger established franchise, and it appeals to a wider audience.
TriangularDuck
Member
Skyrim is still a good game, but if you come into it straight off the combat depth of Dark Souls, you really won't enjoy it.
That's why playing Skyrim first would make a lot of sense.
That's why playing Skyrim first would make a lot of sense.
After I finished Dark souls for the first time, I grew another pair of testicles to compensate for the absurd amounts of testosterone and adrenaline my body was suddenly overloaded with, I have completed the game 4 more times since then, the amount of testicles I have grown have made my life a living hell, the hormones in my body have my thinking process unstable, I fear that with more play throughs of the game I will become nothing more than a giant writhing sack of pulsating flesh...yet I cannot stop.
Sentenza
Member
Most people don't have any standards.
If a game looks pretty, then that game is fine enough for them, no matter how dull can be to play.
Case in point: Assassin's Creed saga.
P.S. Try to go on some forum where people have a vast familiarity with the RPG genre (RPG Codex, NMA, etc), have consolidated standards and won't settle for "Your First RPG™".
I would bet big money that you would have a hard time finding a single user willing to spend good words for Skyrim.
Bam.
I've played about 15 hours of Skyrim and I do not get it. I tried, I really did. But I can't understand it's appeal.
Play Dark Souls.
Deified Data
Banned
That's the point. Skyrim has a massive roleplaying community because it's a vehicle for these sorts of leaps of imagination. One either finds that appealing or they don't.
I loved both but I do give an edge to Dark Souls.
If you own a PS3, avoid Skyrim. If you own a PC, you can get Skyrim and mod the hell out of it to iron out its issues.
Dark Souls is great on consoles and on PC with a few tweaks and if you are willing to use a controller instead of KB/M. I can heap on the praise of Dark Souls but it would take all day. Just know it is set to pitch perfect difficulty, has tons of depth to the combat and story and is the better 'game' of the two unmodded. Mainly due to Skyrim's balance issues.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
Loved Dark Souls. Felt like Dragon's Dogma was mostly filler and gave up after a few hours. Any point to trying Skyrim?
Good point, I would add that the Soul's series have a better community around them. Hell!, Demon's thread is alive and pretty active these days.
You can say that these games "age" very well.
This thread reminds me of a lot of people's perception of the band Tool. "Ya, it's a pretty good band, but jeez, the fans are insufferable, so you know what? Fuck Tool."
I haven't played Skyrim, but Morrowind and Oblivion are two of my favorite games, and Dark Souls is in my top 3 of games of all time, so play both, and enjoy them for separate or equal reasons. I think the suggestion of playing Skyrim to cool down from Dark Souls is good advice if you get frustrated with Dark Souls. If you become enraptured with either game, stick with it until you want a break. Both franchises are best if you really invest into them and learn the mechanics and systems.
I haven't played Skyrim, but Morrowind and Oblivion are two of my favorite games, and Dark Souls is in my top 3 of games of all time, so play both, and enjoy them for separate or equal reasons. I think the suggestion of playing Skyrim to cool down from Dark Souls is good advice if you get frustrated with Dark Souls. If you become enraptured with either game, stick with it until you want a break. Both franchises are best if you really invest into them and learn the mechanics and systems.
Sentenza
Member
I didn't play Dragon Dogma myself, yet, but from what I've heard from many comparison, if you find DD boring and filled with repetitive content, you would contemplate suicide playing Skyrim.
Death Dealer
Member
Dark Souls is a dungeon crawler. Skyrim is more of a traditional sandbox RPG, Oblivion with snow, although I much preferred Morrowind if you want a sandbox world to explore, With more opportunities to role play your character in situations beyond a struggle against enemies and the environment, like in the Souls series.
I can see why the Souls games would not do it for everyone. They are in their own niche. They don't have traditional questing and towns with inns and such. I just hope Bethesda starts from square one next gen and looks more towards Morrowind for inspiration. Hand crafted is so much better than the generic, cut and paste route. And for the love of Vivec, please throw the gamebryo engine in the garbage.
Can Crusher
Banned
Start with Skyrim, because you may end up loving Dark Souls and then Skyrim won't be the same.
Oh look more f***ing bandits. Oh wait that is the Forsworn. The palette swap of f***ing bandits.