Dark Souls and party chat

[VeneratedWulfen93]

To begin with I just want to say that Dark Souls is a great game and the online features are so unique and woven skillfully into the game flow.

This brings me to my one super duper problem with the game: why in the 7 hells can I not utilise online features while in an xbox live party? I can understand why some features may be disabled but to have every aspect of online interaction removed just because I want to talk with a group of friends, thats a bit much even for Dark Souls.

My next point is the co-op which once again is implemented well within the game world but that is barred to me when in a party with a friend who has the game aswell and we want to play together. So private chat got us in online mode but I could'nt find the messages my friend left for me or vice-versa and the summoning stone was unusable.

I just wanted to find out if there was a way around this or if other people were having similair problems or is it just me doing something wrong. I realy want to play the game with a friend as we are both up to the same point and I would appreciate any advice that would allow us to play together.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

Step 1. Register for Skype, get friends to register for Skype
Step 2. Download Skype, get friends to download Skype
Step 3. Call friends on Skype
Step 4. Chat with friends while playing Dark Souls
Step 5. If you or friends cannot download Skype or otherwise manage to use it, get Ventrilo

Problem solved.

PS3 can't use a party chat and talk to each other while playing on games, so they made it that way for the Xbox to be fair.

 

[kyogen]

Step 1. Register for Skype, get friends to register for Skype
Step 2. Download Skype, get friends to download Skype
Step 3. Call friends on Skype
Step 4. Chat with friends while playing Dark Souls
Step 5. If you or friends cannot download Skype or otherwise manage to use it, get Ventrilo

Problem solved.

PS3 can't use a party chat and talk to each other while playing on games, so they made it that way for the Xbox to be fair.

A sense of isolation is also part of the game. It's not just about fairness between consoles. Yes, you can work around the "no chat" feature, but the reason you have to do that is because From designed the game to be lonely even in online mode. I prefer it that way, personally.

 

[Itsthefuzz]

A sense of isolation is also part of the game. It's not just about fairness between consoles. Yes, you can work around the "no chat" feature, but the reason you have to do that is because From designed the game to be lonely even in online mode. I prefer it that way, personally.

What this guy said, the developers wanted you to either 1. Do this alone or 2. Do it with strangers (possibly friends if you're lucky) but no communication should be had except for gestures.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

Step 1. Register for Skype, get friends to register for Skype
Step 2. Download Skype, get friends to download Skype
Step 3. Call friends on Skype
Step 4. Chat with friends while playing Dark Souls
Step 5. If you or friends cannot download Skype or otherwise manage to use it, get Ventrilo

Problem solved.

PS3 can't use a party chat and talk to each other while playing on games, so they made it that way for the Xbox to be fair.

A sense of isolation is also part of the game. It's not just about fairness between consoles. Yes, you can work around the "no chat" feature, but the reason you have to do that is because From designed the game to be lonely even in online mode. I prefer it that way, personally.

Yes, I know. I was just pointing out the "technical" reasons as to why they did this.

 

[kyogen]

Yes, I know. I was just pointing out the "technical" reasons as to why they did this.

I figured you did. I just don't think I would call it "technical." From Software went out of its way to disable 360 chat features for the game for content reasons, not because it thought PS3 owners would get their knickers in a twist over what their console does differently. In any case, the workaround you pointed out is a good one for people who simply must have it that way.

 

[krazykidd]

You can use private chat. Same a party chat , just private.

Edit: so i don't get low contente warning. If you friends are online, invite them to private chat instead of regular chat and you wont get kicked out the game.

 

[kyogen]

You can use private chat. Same a party chat , just private.

Also a good workaround, if that's what it is, for the people who want it. I remember one review speculating that From might not have been able to turn off that part of the 360's chat features, but it's also possible that they left it that way on purpose.

 

[Dansen]

Yeah, I have a similar problem. I want to get one of my friends into the game, especially since it seems like the type of game he would like. Co-op would be a major selling point for him, and it is in the game! Except there is no way to guarantee you will play with friends. You also won't be able to talk with each other :/

I'm sorry but I really disagree with this design decision. I don't really care if it is supposed to feel lonely, a developer should let the player enjoy the game on their own terms. Inhibiting online interactions with friends is not going to get you more fans, it is going to drive people away who might have been interested in the co-op feature. I love the game a lot, but I am still disappointed that playing with friends is made unnecessarily difficult.