Tiny, insignificant details in games that really bother you

[hanselthecaretaker]

Sometimes, enemies are programmed to read your inputs for maximum frustration. If you're both blocking, and you hit "X" to heal, they're "trained" to attack within the seconds of the healing animation. It trains the player to distance themselves before performing any actions that might make them vulnerable to enemies in close proximity or enemies with ranged attacks that can capitalize on "sloppy" play. Not saying it's fair or fun to learn, but, I've learned it.

The problem is that plenty of them are ALSO programmed to just fucking follow you, and they invariably move faster than you, have lunge attacks that cover half the continent, thus never actually giving you space to breath and heal.

You both are probably just going about it all wrong.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

The problem is that plenty of them are ALSO programmed to just fucking follow you, and they invariably move faster than you, have lunge attacks that cover half the continent, thus never actually giving you space to breath and heal.

You are faster than and can outrun literally every enemy in a souls game.

 

[happyninja42]

You are faster than and can outrun literally every enemy in a souls game.

Well the variant souls-like games have apparently done away with that rule, as there are plenty of enemies in other souls-like games, that can easily follow you, and do.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Well the variant souls-like games have apparently done away with that rule, as there are plenty of enemies in other souls-like games, that can easily follow you, and do.

Which is why they're always called 'Souls-like' and not 'like that other game that was Souls-like', because Dark Souls is better than them. Like every fantasy novel that's ever been called 'the next Tolkien' instead of 'the next that guy who was the next Tolkien', or sticking to video games, 'the WoW killer'.

And while we're on that subject, nothing can kill World of Warcraft, not even Activision-Blizzard. Stop calling games 'the WoW killer'. It makes you look arrogant, and it will make you look stupid when you're inevitably proven wrong.

 

[Xprimentyl]

You are faster than and can outrun literally every enemy in a souls game.

I know some dogs in Lower Undead Burg who'd like to have a word with you...

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

I know some dogs in Lower Undead Burg who'd like to have a word with you...

That area literally gave me second thoughts about ever wanting to continue. Fuck those dogs and the undead husk they rode into the burg on. Almost as bad as the revenants in GoW.

 

[Xprimentyl]

That area literally gave me second thoughts about ever wanting to continue. Fuck those dogs and the undead husk they rode into the burg on. Almost as bad as the revenants in GoW.

Hand down for me, it is the worst area in the game. Once I learned how to cheese Capra Demon at the end, I haven't fought him legitimately; haven't walked through his fog gate in literal years.

 

[Dalisclock]

Hand down for me, it is the worst area in the game. Once I learned how to cheese Capra Demon at the end, I haven't fought him legitimately; haven't walked through his fog gate in literal years.

Yeah, I killed him by throwing bombs into his arena until he died. Took a while but it felt a lot more satisfying then "Walk in door and get smashed by goat boy" or "Walk in Door, get mobbed by dogs and then get smashed by goat boy" which was what happened every fucking time I entered into his walk in closet. I mean, I know it's a bad neighborhood and all but christ you think he'd be able to find a biggest apartment then that.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Yeah, I killed him by throwing bombs into his arena until he died. Took a while but it felt a lot more satisfying then "Walk in door and get smashed by goat boy" or "Walk in Door, get mobbed by dogs and then get smashed by goat boy" which was what happened every fucking time I entered into his walk in closet. I mean, I know it's a bad neighborhood and all but christ you think he'd be able to find a biggest apartment then that.

Yep, that's the one. I found the video on how to do it, and never looked back. When I start a NG, I buy a shit-ton of firebombs for a one-sided match of tennis with the Capra Demon. Don't feel bad about it at all. Fuck that fight; I've only done it legit twice in my dozens of playthroughs.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I know some dogs in Lower Undead Burg who'd like to have a word with you...

Nope, you can easily outrun those as well.

Every time they get close to you they do a jump attack, and if they miss they stop for a second before running after you again. Because of this you'll always be faster than they are (at least unless you're overburdened and your stamina recovery is basically non-existent).

 

[Xprimentyl]

Nope, you can easily outrun those as well.

Every time they get close to you they do a jump attack, and if they miss they stop for a second before running after you again. Because of this you'll always be faster than they are (at least unless you're overburdened and your stamina recovery is basically non-existent).

But they are literally, on foot, faster than even the lightest equipped player. You can't play the game and make progress by running away from everything, and those dogs present the greatest challenge in terms of creating space to allow for offensive maneuvers, particularly in packs. Not saying you can't run away; I'm saying when it's time to engage, their speed over yours is quite apparent and dodging and perfectly timed attacks (not outrunning) are what saves you.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

You can't play the game and make progress by running away from everything

You absolutely can, that's literally what happens when you speed-run the game.

You can easily outrun and kite every single enemy, including the dogs. You can run circles around them. You literally don't have to deal with them if all you want to do is sprint to the capra demon, or sprint to the other side and open the shortcut door leading back to firelink.

There are no enemies in the game that will catch you if you are running away from them.

Hell, for all of the people who complain about Capra Demon, you know that's an optional boss right? You can completely ignore the entire Lower Undead Burg if you want.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

You absolutely can, that's literally what happens when you speed-run the game.

You can easily outrun and kite every single enemy, including the dogs. You can run circles around them. You literally don't have to deal with them if all you want to do is sprint to the capra demon, or sprint to the other side and open the shortcut door leading back to firelink.

There are no enemies in the game that will catch you if you are running away from them.

Hell, for all of the people who complain about Capra Demon, you know that's an optional boss right? You can completely ignore the entire Lower Undead Burg if you want.

But, can you outrun the Hellkite Wyvern’s flame??

 

[Drathnoxis]

This was one of my biggest complaints during my first playthrough of, sorry, @happyninja42, Dark Souls. Ornstein has a particularly annoying attack wherein he can spear you from across the arena, and he's flying for all intents an purposes, though it's telegraphed as a leaping attack. Sucks the most when he opens the fight with it as you've just come through the fog gate, trying to orient yourself, and he's already in mid air on a rail directly for you. Talk about a disheartening way to begin a tough fight.

Isn't there a cutscene that plays everytime before that fight, so he can't be already be leaping when you come through the fog gate. Or maybe that's just how it was in the remastered version, which is what I played most recently.

Hell, for all of the people who complain about Capra Demon, you know that's an optional boss right? You can completely ignore the entire Lower Undead Burg if you want.

Isn't that just if you start with the skeleton key? He has the key to the depths which you need otherwise.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Isn't there a cutscene that plays everytime before that fight, so he can't be already be leaping when you come through the fog gate. Or maybe that's just how it was in the remastered version, which is what I played most recently.

The cutscene only plays the first time you enter the fog gate; after that (because, c'mon, for most people, there are several attempt at O&S,) the fight starts right away. And yes, Ornstein likes to lead with his "leaping" attack, often connecting before you're three steps away from the fog gate.

Isn't that just if you start with the skeleton key? He has the key to the depths which you need otherwise.

Capra Demon is "optional" for people who want to skip the Depths and all the goodies tucked away inside (like the Large Ember for the normal weapon upgrade path,) so basically no one experiencing the game for the first time or 99% of people who aren't speed running. The Master Key can get you in the backdoor to Blighttown, but you need the key to Blighttown (from killing the Gaping Dragon in the Depths) to access the Depths from said back door OR the key to the Depths from beating the Capra Demon to access the front door to the Depths. The Master Key opens neither lock.

 

[Drathnoxis]

The cutscene only plays the first time you enter the fog gate; after that (because, c'mon, for most people, there are several attempt at O&S,) the fight starts right away. And yes, Ornstein likes to lead with his "leaping" attack, often connecting before you're three steps away from the fog gate.




Capra Demon is "optional" for people who want to skip the Depths and all the goodies tucked away inside (like the Large Ember for the normal weapon upgrade path,) so basically no one experiencing the game for the first time or 99% of people who aren't speed running. The Master Key can get you in the backdoor to Blighttown, but you need the key to Blighttown (from killing the Gaping Dragon in the Depths) to access the Depths from said back door OR the key to the Depths from beating the Capra Demon to access the front door to the Depths. The Master Key opens neither lock.

Hmm, must be the second cutscene that plays every time. I know the Master key doesn't open the depths, but you only need to go to the depths if you can't get to Blighttown another way.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Hmm, must be the second cutscene that plays every time.

The only cutscene that repeats during O&S is when you kill one of them during the first phase of the fight, showing the survivor going into super mode for phase 2.

I know the Master key doesn't open the depths, but you only need to go to the depths if you can't get to Blighttown another way.

Exactly, and the most "natural" progression of the game leads a player through Lower Undead Burg and the Depths before they even realize the back door to Blighttown is an option. I mean, the second tier of normal weapon upgrades is locked in the Depths, so it's clear the devs wanted players to progress that way, at least on a first go.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

The only cutscene that repeats during O&S is when you kill one of them during the first phase of the fight, showing the survivor going into super mode for phase 2.


Exactly, and the most "natural" progression of the game leads a player through Lower Undead Burg and the Depths before they even realize the back door to Blighttown is an option. I mean, the second tier of normal weapon upgrades is locked in the Depths, so it's clear the devs wanted players to progress that way, at least on a first go.

Was just thinking how I recall reading way back when how you were a complete noob to the series, asking every question under the praising sun and struggling nearly every step of the way.

Now you’re a bonafide undead expert. That’s in a nutshell why the series has the following it does.

 

[immortalfrieza]

1. Any game with a hub world or an open world with a lot of areas that doesn't have fast travel. I mean, I'm the type who likes to go through the hub and talk to everybody periodically to see all of the dialog, but even I would greatly prefer it if I could instantly get to whatever part I wanted to go to next with the push of a couple buttons. Such time saving measures greatly improve the enjoyment in a 50-60 hour game.

2. Hopeless boss fights. Fights typically early in the game that you can't win no matter what. I don't mind it if you could win and still end up logically going down so the plot could continue, but if you're going to make me play through a battle I just simply can't win no matter how hard I try or how strong I am at that point it would be better if you just squashed us in a cutscene instead.

3. Unavoidable Downer endings. There's nothing I hate more than getting invested in a game world and then all the efforts I spent getting the protagonists to the end just ends up coming to nothing or worse, it would've been better if they did nothing at all. It's one thing if a Downer ending is just 1 among of slew of endings but an unavoidable Downer ending just leaves me thinking back on the game like: "Why did I bother?" And the game no matter how good isn't going to picked up again.

 

[happyninja42]

1. Any game with a hub world or an open world with a lot of areas that doesn't have fast travel. I mean, I'm the type who likes to go through the hub and talk to everybody periodically to see all of the dialog, but even I would greatly prefer it if I could instantly get to whatever part I wanted to go to next with the push of a couple buttons. Such time saving measures greatly improve the enjoyment in a 50-60 hour game.

Strangely I found, at least in Fallout 4, I LIKED not being able to fast travel in their Survival mode. It made everything feel more real, if you will. I actually had to consider how I would travel around, so I would plot out a route for my quests. It made things like settlements useful, as they were places you could save, and establish forward bases of operations. It made it all much more engaging, instead of just teleporting all over. Plus it made ACTUALLY teleporting with the Institute teleportation grenades, really damn useful, as well as the BoS vertibird transportation.

2. Hopeless boss fights. Fights typically early in the game that you can't win no matter what. I don't mind it if you could win and still end up logically going down so the plot could continue, but if you're going to make me play through a battle I just simply can't win no matter how hard I try or how strong I am at that point it would be better if you just squashed us in a cutscene instead.

Concur

3. Unavoidable Downer endings. There's nothing I hate more than getting invested in a game world and then all the efforts I spent getting the protagonists to the end just ends up coming to nothing or worse, it would've been better if they did nothing at all. It's one thing if a Downer ending is just 1 among of slew of endings but an unavoidable Downer ending just leaves me thinking back on the game like: "Why did I bother?" And the game no matter how good isn't going to picked up again.

Ugh, yeah I've had that happen recently with Farcry 4. There is no "good ending" there. Same thing with the Mad Max game. I was REALLY enjoying that game, and then...the ending happened and just....blargh.