Current Events > Dark Souls games should be able to adjust difficulty.

(+) Yeah! (+)

No, it has always been a silly opinion. The difficulty is literally part of the genre theyve made, and you can still break the games to make them easier anyway. Its like advocating for permanent save points in roguelikes. It completely changes the genre to something else.

Karovorak posted...

Difficulty isn't the same as difficulty.

I think something like 95% of all "Dark Souls is too hard" complains would already be solved with the removal of any death penalty.

At least for me that was always the biggest turnoff for these games. The risk of loosing quite some progress because I did a stupid mistakes because I'm not at full concentration after a day of work.

I'm fine with dying and dying and dying for 3 hours straight, making 0 progress at all, but when my progress ends up negative, that's when I drop the controller and go to bed.

Have you actually played them, because the consequences aren't that bad?

Yes. Though. There are measures they've been getting better about to make them more accessible. Plentiful npc summons and more frequent "checkpoints" being a couple

bsp77 posted...

Have you actually played them, because the consequences aren't that bad?

They are until it clicks and you figure out that it's not a big deal. That initial fear of losing souls is a big deal for people that haven't fully grasped what it's about, and I get it

But once you learn to spend all your souls before you go to die or that you can grind to get enough to level and then spend them, it's a huge hurdle in your mind to get over

I don't understand why people feel like they have to play a game that isn't made for them.

KainWind posted...

I don't understand why people feel like they have to play a game that isn't made for them.

Because other than the difficulty the dark settings and RPG stuff are really alluring

Also gotta factor in the reputation and word of mouth. It all begs "come check me out"

Smackems posted...

They are until it clicks and you figure out that it's not a big deal. That initial fear of losing souls is a big deal for people that haven't fully grasped what it's about, and I get it

But once you learn to spend all your souls before you go to die or that you can grind to get enough to level and then spend them, it's a huge hurdle in your mind to get over

I have also found that due to learning the enemies and levels that I can make it back and recover my souls like 90% of the time. If not, not a big deal.

Other than certain bosses, the difficulty isn't nearly as bad as people assume

bsp77 posted...

I have also found that due to learning the enemies and levels that I can make it back and recover my souls like 90% of the time. If not, not a big deal.

Other than certain bosses, the difficulty isn't nearly as bad as people assume

Yeah we get that now but a new player accustomed to modern games will find that a big hurdle to get past in their mind. I did when I started back with demons souls

Though modern action games have all become souls like too lol

Smackems posted...

Yeah we get that now but a new player accustomed to modern games will find that a big hurdle to get past in their mind. I did when I started back with demons souls

Though modern action games have all become souls like too lol

I get what you are saying, but to be honest, I have little sympathy for people who have not given it a proper try and are complaining

Bloodborne was my first and it admittedly did take me a while to get used to it

Smackems posted...

Because other than the difficulty the dark settings and RPG stuff are really alluring

Also gotta factor in the reputation and word of mouth. It all begs "come check me out"

then if you really care that much and are really interested in the game, strive to be/get better. that's all there is to it.

I think that when you watch you should win prizes

bsp77 posted...

I get what you are saying, but to be honest, I have little sympathy for people who have not given it a proper try and are complaining

Bloodborne was my first and it admittedly did take me a while to get used to it

I couldn't get into blood borne due to not being able to block, cuz I'm weird

SicSlayer posted...

then if you really care that much and are really interested in the game, strive to be/get better. that's all their is to it.

Well a lot of them do and become fans of the series and devour it

Make it so you can only have 1hp max and all deaths mean you have to buy the game again. That will appease the Gitgud gatekeepers who think options are bad

Smackems posted...

I couldn't get into blood borne due to not being able to block, cuz I'm weird

Since I played Bloodborne first, I am the weirdo who rarely blocks in Dark Souls and tries to dodge everything

Try Bloodborne again. It's a masterpiece

Yes but understand why they dont

I just look up cheese strategies anyway

Rika_Furude posted...

Make it so you can only have 1hp max and all deaths mean you have to buy the game again. That will appease the Gitgud gatekeepers who think options are bad

STFU

Try reading what people are actually saying

bsp77 posted...

Since I played Bloodborne first, I am the weirdo who rarely blocks in Dark Souls and tries to dodge everything

Try Bloodborne again. It's a masterpiece

I can't. I have an actual block in my brain if I play a game with no blocking or parrying. I just can't do it

No. Difficulty settings would destroy Miyazakis vision, not to mention making it nigh impossible to get good balance like every other game with difficulty settings.

Besides, Sekiro is the only one that really requires git gud anyway; the others are all very easy to break and trivialize as is.

Smackems posted...

I can't. I have an actual block in my brain if I play a game with no blocking or parrying. I just can't do it

Technically, you can parry with your gun

bsp77 posted...

STFU

Try reading what people are actually saying

try not posting BS all the time then

Dancedreamer posted...

All games should have adjustable difficulty. From Pokemon to Dark Souls to pretty much everything. Somehow we've gone backwards on this. People who want a challenge should be able to get one without needing self-imposed limitations. People who want to take it easy, should be able to do so as well. I'm not sure why this is a crazy concept.

This is how I feel about it. I don't even play games for the challenge, I play them for exploration and discovery. The DS games appeal to me a lot from that standpoint because the levels are so well designed and have all kinds of cool shortcuts and cut throughs. I would be happy as a clam plowing through those games and beating the bosses in one try because the payoff for me is in the exploration. But because I find them frustrating, I just don't play them.

bsp77 posted...

Technically, you can parry with your gun

I gotta be making contact with the sword or whatever

Idk why

I'm a lost cause

PraetorXyn posted...

No. Difficulty settings would destroy Miyazakis vision, not to mention making it nigh impossible to get good balance like every other game with difficulty settings.

Besides, Sekiro is the only one that really requires git gud anyway; the others are all very easy to break and trivialize as is.

Sekiro is so fucking hard. I never beat the final boss. I beat everything else

bsp77 posted...

Sekiro is so fucking hard. I never beat the final boss. I beat everything else

Sekiro was too hard for me

Rika_Furude posted...

try not posting BS all the time then

One example in this thread

bsp77 posted...

Sekiro is so fucking hard. I never beat the final boss. I beat everything else

I personally found Old Man Isshin from the Shura Ending harder than Sword Saint Isshin, but I did the former for the first time in NG+.

bsp77 posted...

Sekiro is so fucking hard. I never beat the final boss. I beat everything else

That boss was literally half of my playtime in my first run of Sekiro. I feel you.

Sekiro is the best high quality game I've played that I can't stand. Replaying it for the first time last year so I could unlock all the bosses for the boss rush/boss refights they added was a hell of an experience. On the one hand most of it was pretty much a breeze because I'd gotten gud. On the other hand, I actively dislike almost everything but a handful of things in Sekiro. I'm glad I never have to fight Demon of Hatred again.

bsp77 posted...

Have you actually played them, because the consequences aren't that bad?

ds1 has curse, 2 has hp drain, 3 you may run out of embers.

Rai_Jin posted...

ds1 has curse, 2 has hp drain, 3 you may run out of embers.

I actually don't remember any of that. And I died a LOT

Not saying you are wrong, but maybe it is overstated?

They do, it's called different builds.

Rai_Jin posted...

ds1 has curse, 2 has hp drain, 3 you may run out of embers.

Curse is in like 2 sections. 2's balanced around you having lower than max HP and (at least in the OG version) has an easily accessible ring to cap it at 75% instead of 50%, and a bunch of rings you can repair for cheap to completely turn off losing HP/souls when you die (though it's tedious to go back to the hub to repair them after every death), and effigies are plentiful if you're not popping them constantly. DS3 is also balanced around you not being at full capacity from being embered.

Most of the above also applies to DeS. That bitch has a way to get full on deleveled, lmao.

Of course. More people will be able to play the game. I wouldn't take advantage of it, but I know other people would, and then they get to experience a great game. I understand why they haven't done it though.

I'm ambivalent about this.

Obviously I only care about my experience, if other people find a lower difficulty more enjoyable then I want that for them.

On the other hand, I've finished several FromSoft games. That being said, each one took a lot of perseverence.

I would have been (and would be) tempted to lower the difficulty if that were an option. Which would have made finally beating all of those games less satisfying.

KajeI posted...

Curse is in like 2 sections. 2's balanced around you having lower than max HP and (at least in the OG version) has an easily accessible ring to cap it at 75% instead of 50%, and a bunch of rings you can repair for cheap to completely turn off losing HP/souls when you die (though it's tedious to go back to the hub to repair them after every death), and effigies are plentiful if you're not popping them constantly. DS3 is also balanced around you not being at full capacity from being embered.

Most of the above also applies to DeS. That bitch has a way to get full on deleveled, lmao.

Oh, that's what he means? Yeah, not a big deal. I just think of the undead status as default and only bring myself to full life when I really need it. I think of that as a HP boost instead of having a HP drain the rest of the time. Positive outlook!

bsp77 posted...

I actually don't remember any of that. And I died a LOT

Not saying you are wrong, but maybe it is overstated?

it's not too bad, but the first time you get cursed in ds1 it really sucks. In 2 you get rather many humanity and the ring to lessen the drain, 3 works the other way around at least, but I haven't gotten more than 5 healing items yet other than embers. Needs to time using one.

Vengeance29 posted...

I would have been (and would be) tempted to lower the difficulty if that were an option. Which would have made finally beating all of those games less satisfying.

Same. I am happy I had to persevere. Miyazaki has flat out said this is why he doesn't have difficulty options.

Souls games absolutely should not have a difficulty slider option. One, it defeats the intended experience of adapting to overcome roadblocks. Two, there's already many ways to make the games easier for yourself: grind for levels, upgrade your weapons, use consumables, ect. Using all the tools available to you makes the games easier, while limiting yourself to glass cannon melee makes the games harder. Increasing your health stat is the number one way to make the games easier, and is the closest thing to having a difficulty slider.

Part of the fun I get from the souls series is pushing as far as I can into the game with as low a level as I can manage. When things start getting too difficult to manage, I level up a bit or upgrade my weapons and continue on. You don't have to play these games like a minimal masochist.

One thing I will concede: removing your already spent attribute points needs to be a fundamental mechanic that is easily accessible. The ability to pivot to different builds, or refund your levels for souls should be an option at every checkpoint. That goes for gear upgrades too, you should be able to move upgrades around between weapons and armor unhindered.

They should have like a practice room at least

You can make the games stupid easy with summons.

bsp77 posted...

Since I played Bloodborne first, I am the weirdo who rarely blocks in Dark Souls and tries to dodge everything

Try Bloodborne again. It's a masterpiece

Interesting, I've never played Bloodborne but I've also never run a shield build in any Dark Souls or Elden Ring. Run in circles and dodge all the way.

KainWind posted...

Interesting, I've never played Bloodborne but I've also never run a shield build in any Dark Souls or Elden Ring. Run in circles and dodge all the way.

This is the way

Do you not have a PS4 or PS5?

No difficulty sliders in game or anything, but I have no problem with them putting in an easy mode option, so long as there's no online crossover between players playing on different modes.

bsp77 posted...

This is the way

Do you not have a PS4 or PS5?

I do not

Mom said it was my turn for a 500 topic

Hell no. If it is too hard for you then dont play it.

Karovorak posted...

Difficulty isn't the same as difficulty.

I think something like 95% of all "Dark Souls is too hard" complains would already be solved with the removal of any death penalty.

At least for me that was always the biggest turnoff for these games. The risk of loosing quite some progress because I did a stupid mistakes because I'm not at full concentration after a day of work.

I'm fine with dying and dying and dying for 3 hours straight, making 0 progress at all, but when my progress ends up negative, that's when I drop the controller and go to bed.

You can only lose the souls you have and your humanity, which is only an issue* in DS2 where your health is reduced from deaths, but even that only goes so far. You can't make negative progress in Dark Souls unless you're intentionally not spending your souls every time you go to a bonfire, which really just is user error.

You've never played Sekiro, I take it

okay, i had a feeling you were just making shit up.

KainWind posted...

I do not

fwiw if u ever do want to get into it, u gotta get ps plus unfortunately but after that u can play the base game on PS Now, their streaming service. it'll depend on ur internet im sure but it actually runs really well on my pc and even my steam deck

Elden Ring did it best. Optional summons for the kind of support you feel you need.

bsp77 posted...

I get what you are saying, but to be honest, I have little sympathy for people who have not given it a proper try and are complaining

Bloodborne was my first and it admittedly did take me a while to get used to it

I did try multiple dark souls games, had no fun any time at all every single time, because dying felt more frustrating than it had to be, and that's why I simply stoped playing the games and have no interest in the whole genre at all anymore.

I die, have to get to my stuff, but because of fuck ups, it's gone for real. If I get punished for playing it not in peak condition, I don't play it at all, easy as that.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Yet I can't even state that oppinion without getting "wtf, you didn't even try, git gut, stop complaining" bullshit as a reaction.