Dark Souls Softcore mode?

[Colt47]

So you advocating an "easier" to some extent mode, and instead of calling it an 'easy' mode (or easy PvP mode) you're using the term 'softcore' to make it more palatable. Feels like a political talk.

This seems very much like adjustable difficulty to me and Dark Souls players hate that. However the title makes me think of some really really bad Dark Souls softcore porn and that makes me laugh.

You know, now that you mention it that title does sort of do that. Unfortunately I think porn + dark souls would mostly produce nightmare fuel. Wait, then what does that say about Terraria?

o o;

The thing is, it's not the same as an easy mode. Easy mode would be making it easier to make it from point A to B by weakening monsters, making bosses dumber, etc. The only thing this would do is limit the amount lost upon death, thus encouraging newer players to push on farther instead of getting overly frustrated and leaving the game. More players = more people to invade or play along with. Also, a lot of PC users are already playing this kind of mode by backing up saves and just reloading when they die, although I'd advocate for a mode that does involve at least some kind of loss, like half of the players gathered resources instead of all of them. (Primary issue with having someone keep all the resources if they died is that death becomes a free teleport instead of actually being a barrier.)

I think you're got yourself a "No True Scotsman" argument. It's a mode designed to make something easier or less frustrating, it's an easier mode. An easier mode is easy mode. You can't just say its not X and all easy mode involve X because that's not what easy mode means. It's anything that makes the game easier, not just thing that mess with states and AI.

(I think Dark Souls already qualifies as hardcore masochism with how people tend to talk about it as hurting them but they like it.)

Eh, I think you're right now that I think on it. Plus as death525 just pointed out, those players on the softcore level would have a higher soul level due to having less difficulty gathering than someone on normal mode. Well, it's an idea at least. The game is a bit masochistic at times, but there's plenty to enjoy in it as well.

 

[Setch Dreskar]

-Snip-

If standard trivializing tactic is slang for, truth in advertising (The premise of the game's difficulty is that it will teach you how to fight within its world), then so be it I suppose. Hell I started out with my first ever playthrough taking me near 120 or so hours to even beat the game, and I was killed, brutalized and invaded all throughout but finally being able to beat the game in less then 3 hours because I learned what it had to teach is very satisfying. Also trying to counter the argument of saying, the game isn't hard if you pay attention, something that is shown time and time again in Dark Souls, by saying I am ego stroking is kind of funny because the moment I stopped trying to brow beat Sen's Fortress and took my time, looked for traps and ways to avoid mobs it became so much easier to get past.

I think it would be an awesome idea to give them a bit of good ribbing when players choose the easy way out, like what 'Splosion Man did, "Hey you want to skip the level? If you do you have to wear a pink tutu and people laugh at you." its an incentive to not skip the level, to push on and try and get better. How is asking for the same thing to be done in a Souls game being elitist, just because it may never be used and might actually get people to give the game a chance at its intended difficulty? The issue we see in these debates a lot is people that don't play the game, never were going to play the game, or played only a few minutes and wrote it off saying it needs to be easier, when the game is all about building each player up and making them a better player. The game's difficulty (in terms of mobs, level design, and hazards) slowly builds up only having a drastic increase when you defeat an area's boss battle and move into a brand new area. Hell the first mobs you fight when heading towards the starter area known as Undead Burg, have long windup times on attacks, give plenty of breaks between and can easily be juke'd and backstabbed or blocked and killed.

 

[Burst6]

Let's not obscure the issue: This is elitism and ego-stroking. If games like Dark Souls were truly about the wonderful story, world to explore and innovative design choices, the argument for an easy mode would be even stronger, since by logic you'd want as many people to experience all these good things as possible. But nope, we all know this is about the difficulty and the ego-stroking of feeling special because you're part of an elite club who earned their place through sheer obstinate masochism.

The problem about that assertion is that dark souls isn't about the wonderful story, world to explore, and innovative design choices. It's about difficulty. Every single part of the game is designed around the difficulty it has. There's basically no story other than lore which is only there to aid the atmosphere, which is supposed to be depressing and mysterious. The combat is slow and without the difficulty would be incredibly boring. The world is built around secrets with lots of hidden passages and shortcuts. All of this is about difficulty, which is pretty much the focus of the game. It's not even ninja gaiden or old nintendo difficulty. It's more about being diligent, methodical, and exploring all options.

Complaining that dark souls needs an easy mode is like complaining that Mario should have an optional noclip. Why?

 

[BlackFlyme]

If games like Dark Souls were truly about the wonderful story, world to explore and innovative design choices, the argument for an easy mode would be even stronger, since by logic you'd want as many people to experience all these good things as possible.

There's a story? I thought it was just a lore treasure hunt. Lore that answers nothing because the director decided it would be best to leave everything open so that the players could make up whatever they wanted to believe.

But yeah, the story itself is too weak to hold the game on its own, when people talk about the story, they usually mean the lore. Although the characters are somewhat interesting, they are ultimately hollow since they only really serve as merchants and lore dispensers, as their stories are very linear, with the exception of Solaire and Siegmeyer. Though the lore can be quite interesting, even if it just raises more questions than answers.

The world itself is more akin to a metroid-vania game than an open world game, in my opinion, as all areas are vastly different, with many interconnecting shortcuts, the obvious lack of 'open' areas (granted, it was still more open than some other games I've played), and many paths that lead to a dead-end with a shiny trinket as a reward for exploring it. Although most of the areas look nice, they are somewhat stereotyped, as you have your haunted ghost town, dragon infested castle/church, dark magical forest, the demon infested swamp (which was also in Demon's Souls), the blinding, headache inducing lava-land (which was fixed with a mod for the pc http://darksouls.nexusmods.com/mods/194 ), and the 'I Can't See Shit' catacombs.

Though there was a few amazing (aesthetically, at least) areas such as Anor Londo, a city for gods, and the Kiln of The First Flame, which is hard to describe properly, aside from saying "everything melted".

As for the innovative design choices, that's referring to the always on multiplayer where you can be attacked by other players at any moment if you are in human form, and the combat that's deeper than 'stand there and smack them with a stick till they die' like in the Elder Scrolls games.

If anything, I think the game revolves around the pvp, not the difficulty.

 

[Darken12]

If standard trivializing tactic is slang for, truth in advertising (The premise of the game's difficulty is that it will teach you how to fight within its world), then so be it I suppose. Hell I started out with my first ever playthrough taking me near 120 or so hours to even beat the game, and I was killed, brutalized and invaded all throughout but finally being able to beat the game in less then 3 hours because I learned what it had to teach is very satisfying. Also trying to counter the argument of saying, the game isn't hard if you pay attention, something that is shown time and time again in Dark Souls, by saying I am ego stroking is kind of funny because the moment I stopped trying to brow beat Sen's Fortress and took my time, looked for traps and ways to avoid mobs it became so much easier to get past.

You are using abuse apologism to rationalise elitism derived from obstinate self-flagellation. "I abuse because I was abused, I consider it normal, so that's how it should be." That's the kind of thinking behind hazing and is still present in some professions, where newcomers are made to overcome arbitrary obstacles or treated unfairly because of a nonsensical tradition and the fact that nobody wants to break the cycle.

It IS ego-stroking, as you are clearly congratulating yourself on your moment of smartness (by stopping to pay attention and taking your time) that the game allowed you to have.

I think it would be an awesome idea to give them a bit of good ribbing when players choose the easy way out, like what 'Splosion Man did, "Hey you want to skip the level? If you do you have to wear a pink tutu and people laugh at you." its an incentive to not skip the level, to push on and try and get better. How is asking for the same thing to be done in a Souls game being elitist, just because it may never be used and might actually get people to give the game a chance at its intended difficulty?

I am going to try and avoid making any controversial statements (because I don't want this to devolve into reactionary, knee-jerk "GAMES ARE NOT SEXIST OR HOMOPHOBIC!" posts), but I am simply going to say that this person you are quoting is policing your masculinity by associating skipping a level with a stereotypical feminine/effete trait (since they are presumably aiming that comment towards straight males). That is not something to consider good advice or ideology.

Furthermore, you are engaging in abuse apologism again. "Giving someone a good ribbing" because they are engaging in behaviours you dislike is douchey at best, and wanting to see them institutionalised (that is, implemented by the game and the people behind it) is pretty much the entire point of oppression. That you are trying to justify it as "for their own good" does nothing to alleviate that fact. I know that traditional male bonding is highly steeped in mutual abuse (both verbal and physical) and that abuse is often used as a tool to maintain uniformity, but we should really ought to start to progress as a society one of these days.

The problem about that assertion is that dark souls isn't about the wonderful story, world to explore, and innovative design choices. It's about difficulty. Every single part of the game is designed around the difficulty it has. There's basically no story other than lore which is only there to aid the atmosphere, which is supposed to be depressing and mysterious. The combat is slow and without the difficulty would be incredibly boring. The world is built around secrets with lots of hidden passages and shortcuts. All of this is about difficulty, which is pretty much the focus of the game. It's not even ninja gaiden or old nintendo difficulty. It's more about being diligent, methodical, and exploring all options.

Complaining that dark souls needs an easy mode is like complaining that Mario should have an optional noclip. Why?

I never said that it was about the story, world or design choices, I said that if it was, those things would be argument in favour of easy mode. I completely agree that the game is about the difficulty, I was trying to dispel typical obscuring strategies.

As for the rest, I merely say "Why not?" Again, it's A) an option, B) that you're not forced to take if you don't want to, C) not going to take anything away from you, and D) none of your business what other people find fun. As I mentioned before, if I want to buy a game to use it as a Frisbee without ever playing it, that's my problem. Let's everyone do with their own property whatever they want and stop trying to impose our own idea of fun onto others.

If anything, I think the game revolves around the pvp, not the difficulty.

I said if. If. I didn't make any assertions. I said that if the game was about the story, setting, etc., then it would be a point in favour of easy mode, not against it. And yes, I know it's about the difficulty (or the PvP, they're basically the same purpose. It's all ego-stroking).

 

[Setch Dreskar]

-Snip

Well you have convinced me of one thing, you are hard set in your position, and using pseudo psychology to try and justify it. Even going into 'oppression' and 'douchey' as supposed answers to your argument, which you don't have as I never said I disliked people taking the action, I just like when game designers tell its playerbase "You can do this, don't take the easy route out, its not impossible." You can twist things all you like I suppose, as it seems you won't have a legitimate debate in this topic. Also I am quoting from the game itself, this was a design mechanic in 'Splosion Man giving you the option to skip the level if you keep dying on it and giving you a warning that if you skip your character gets a pink tutu and a laugh track plays.

At this point it would just be wasting more time since you don't want to actually have a debate and prefer to brow beat people into your line of thinking using your supposed psychological knowledge to do so. So I guess you can stroke your own ego to someone else.

 

[Hisshiss]

So you advocating an "easier" to some extent mode, and instead of calling it an 'easy' mode (or easy PvP mode) you're using the term 'softcore' to make it more palatable. Feels like a political talk.

This seems very much like adjustable difficulty to me and Dark Souls players hate that. However the title makes me think of some really really bad Dark Souls softcore porn and that makes me laugh.

There is a distinction between difficulty and user friendliness. A game can be hard as balls but extremely user friendly, like veteran mode on call of duty for example, instantaneous death, but equally instantaneous respawn with constant checkpoints and no penalties whatsoever, wanting one kind doesn't mean you need to sacrifice the other.

And for the record yes, I would have bought and played dark souls if it wasn't for you losing all your shit whenever you died.

 

[Joseph Alexander]

If anything, I think the game revolves around the pvp, not the difficulty.

wrong, the game revolves around what ever the player focuses on more.
but the core of dark souls is in fair but unforgiving design style.


simply put OP, what you want is already in the game, its called planning and caution.
both of which are needed in this game, asking for it to change cause one insignificant reason is like asking Nintendo to change Mario into an FPS, it leads to a betrayal of the fans who made it popular and successful.

in short if you don't like it, adapt or find another game.
don't demand that a game change one of its core features to suit your inadequacies.

if you don't want to lost souls to random invasions you have 3 options.
1. play offline, 100% effective.
2. don't play in human form.
3. play as the white covenant and only summon sun bros, not entirely effective.


white covenant is exactly what your asking for, its a softcore(less pvp) mode.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Play offline, don't be human, or join Way of White. Way of White is the first covenant you see for a reason, it means you will be the last to be invaded in the area if there are players of other covenants or no covenant available. Elemental weapon users tend to just want to do damage through your block. That said, I live in Australia, so PvP is practically impossible for me. I'm talking hitting someone and getting the damage counted 5-6 seconds later.

In other words, don't ask for a softcore mode, whatever that means, when there are already systems in place.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

If you play as a Hollow, no one can invade you. If you play as a Hollow, you have the same droprate with 10 Humanity you would have if you were playing as a human. If you played as a Hollow, you would have no fear from invaders, Gravelord effects or resource loss.

If you played offline, you can play as a human without worrying about someone invading your game. No fear for loss of resources and no need to back up your save file(which I think is kinda petty, considering there's absolutely no need to back up your save unless you dun goof'd and hit/killed someone you didn't want to).

I always play offline. I don't have much MP experience with Dark Souls since I've played offline since day 1. But from what I hear PvP is absolutely awful in Dark Souls. Everyone's as cheap as they can possibly be, exploit any glitch they can to come out victorious, often glitch their equipment to low level characters to torment new players. Offline experience is so much better, anyway.

 

[Azure23]

Then don't farm while human.

Yes, being human increases the drop rate, but that's the price you pay.

Want to get stuff quicker, risk getting invaded.

actually human/hollow form has no effect on the drop rate, only banked humanity does. Really the only point to being human is if you're looking to summon help or simply enjoy the added challenge and atmosphere that invaders present

 

[Trippy Turtle]

Dark Souls isn't exactly frustratingly hard as it is. Souls are easy to farm as early on as the Darkroot Garden and putting in a softcore mode would kind of ruin the whole idea of Dark Souls.
The only reason people find it hard is that they try to play it like other games where you don't need to grind. People would find Pokemon hard too if they didn't farm XP. The only things that have given me trouble so far were approaching the Hydra, which was easy once I got up to it, and the giant wolf thing which I assume I don't need to face until after the depths and whatever else is down there.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Play offline, don't be human, or join Way of White. Way of White is the first covenant you see for a reason, it means you will be the last to be invaded in the area if there are players of other covenants or no covenant available. Elemental weapon users tend to just want to do damage through your block. That said, I live in Australia, so PvP is practically impossible for me. I'm talking hitting someone and getting the damage counted 5-6 seconds later.

In other words, don't ask for a softcore mode, whatever that means, when there are already systems in place.

Totally tbis.

The issue people are having with the OP is not one of elitism or "douchery," it's simply saying that an easier mode isn't needed in the way the OP asking for one simply because tools already exist in the game to deal with their issues. In fact, many/most of the issues that people have with the Souls games relating to their difficulty fall into the similar categories. Levelling their character more, levelling their gear more, collecting new gear, staying hollow unless necessary, summoning NPC help, summoning player help, playing more carefully, preparing to die just like the game box suggests, etc. The fact is, the majority of players who want an easy mode are just asking for a key to a door when they already have the key they need in their pocket and the "snobby elitists" are just pointing that out.

If, after all that, you're still asking for an easier mode, then perhaps the Souls games just aren't for you and, quite frankly, that's okay.

 

[chaos order]

What the holy hell is everyone's problem. Holy shit. I've been staying out of the "Dark Souls easy mode" because I don't have any intention of playing it, but my goodness, this is absolutely ridiculous. Nobody is trying to take away your toys, people. Stop assuming that by adding something to a game, you are going to lose something else. More options are never, ever a bad thing (why? because they're optional, they're not mandatory, nobody's forcing you to pick them if you dislike them).

Clinging to your elitism and ego-stroking mechanisms, using games as a tool to feel superior to others and resisting any attempt to make games available to more audiences is being awful gamers. It's people like you that rag on about "fake nerds", "casual gamers", "fake nerd girls" or "gay options". Don't be a hateful, toxic gamer. If I want to spend 60 bucks or more and then "miss the point of the game" then fucking let me. If I want to use any game as an expensive coaster for my drinks, that's my choice. If I want to hang all my games from strings in front of a window so that they look pretty when they catch the sunlight, that's my prerogative because I paid for the fucking thing.

Stop. Policing. Other. People's. Fun.

see the thing is you haven't played the game and soo you havent even tried to look at it from the persepective you are arguing against or knowing what choices (also known as options) that are available to players. In addition there is an easy mode of sorts. Not one that is explicitly in a menu screen but choices you can make as you play the game. for one dont go human and stay as a hallow. really as far as i have seen in the game being human just gives you the opportunity to invade other people or be invaded, thus making the game easier so that one does not have to deal with random invasions. in addition join convenants (sorta like guilds) that affect in game and online play. for example the very first coveneant that you join puts your character on the bottom of the list of people that can be invaded,thus lowering the risk of invasion thus making it somewhat easier. there is also a way to help people out by placing marks in the ground that allow other players to summon them in areas that they are having trouble with, thus giving players the option to invite another player to fight with them thus making the game easier; in addition you can summon NPCs.

Also the game tries to teach (atleast attempts) through gameplay, which is something rare nowadays and i like that. the first enemies you fight telegraph their attacks and are really really slow, and in the tutorial there are enemies that jump from corners which teaches you that that will happen alot. the game doesnt provide text telling you what to do, it tries to teach you what to do.

Finally i personally cant see how the game thats sorta supposed to be played online can have an easy mode if everyone can invade anyone.

 

[Burst6]

The problem about that assertion is that dark souls isn't about the wonderful story, world to explore, and innovative design choices. It's about difficulty. Every single part of the game is designed around the difficulty it has. There's basically no story other than lore which is only there to aid the atmosphere, which is supposed to be depressing and mysterious. The combat is slow and without the difficulty would be incredibly boring. The world is built around secrets with lots of hidden passages and shortcuts. All of this is about difficulty, which is pretty much the focus of the game. It's not even ninja gaiden or old nintendo difficulty. It's more about being diligent, methodical, and exploring all options.

Complaining that dark souls needs an easy mode is like complaining that Mario should have an optional noclip. Why?

I never said that it was about the story, world or design choices, I said that if it was, those things would be argument in favour of easy mode. I completely agree that the game is about the difficulty, I was trying to dispel typical obscuring strategies.

As for the rest, I merely say "Why not?" Again, it's A) an option, B) that you're not forced to take if you don't want to, C) not going to take anything away from you, and D) none of your business what other people find fun. As I mentioned before, if I want to buy a game to use it as a Frisbee without ever playing it, that's my problem. Let's everyone do with their own property whatever they want and stop trying to impose our own idea of fun onto others.

But you can't just ignore it though. The game feels different when you have to basically make your own difficulty. It's the feeling of doing something great inside a video game world vs accomplishing a self imposed challenge. Games aren't just a business, they're an art too. They don't have to reach the widest base and having some integrity is good. Making a game revolve around a single theme and then adding a massive break from that theme in the middle isn't good. Yes no one should try to impose their idea of fun onto you, and no one is. No one is forcing you to buy this game and not all games have to appeal to you.

 

[deathbydeath]

What the holy hell is everyone's problem. Holy shit. I've been staying out of the "Dark Souls easy mode" because I don't have any intention of playing it, but my goodness, this is absolutely ridiculous. Nobody is trying to take away your toys, people. Stop assuming that by adding something to a game, you are going to lose something else. More options are never, ever a bad thing (why? because they're optional, they're not mandatory, nobody's forcing you to pick them if you dislike them).

Clinging to your elitism and ego-stroking mechanisms, using games as a tool to feel superior to others and resisting any attempt to make games available to more audiences is being awful gamers. It's people like you that rag on about "fake nerds", "casual gamers", "fake nerd girls" or "gay options". Don't be a hateful, toxic gamer. If I want to spend 60 bucks or more and then "miss the point of the game" then fucking let me. If I want to use any game as an expensive coaster for my drinks, that's my choice. If I want to hang all my games from strings in front of a window so that they look pretty when they catch the sunlight, that's my prerogative because I paid for the fucking thing.

Stop. Policing. Other. People's. Fun.

Dude, peace pipes. Smoke the hell out of them. You're bitching about policing fun when you didn't need to even ***** in the first place, and yet you're policing the damn thread.

OP: You might want to change the title OP, because the first thing that popped into my head was "tasteful nude photographs set in the Dark Souls universe".

 

[Jfswift]

Honestly just run it offline mode for a while. If you need a quick and dirty way to do that just unplug the internet cable while the game is in the main menu. You'll still be able to play while human but no invaders. Either that or do what I do and find a spot in your room where summons don't work well. I have this sweet spot in my other room that interferes with co-op and invasions connecting right so I can still play online but rarely get invaded. win-win >:3


You can bank some items once you reach a certain npc that'll trade you souls for items by purchasing stuff you can trade to him. That's an idea too. You'll have to finish Anor Londo first though.

edit: for discussion value I don't know if a softcore mode is a good idea because that would further split the player base. I mean in order to do that you would have to have two different online servers or modes or something I think. Dark Souls already feels like a ghost town, compared to how it used to be when I would get invaded a lot. I haven't lately had my ps3 in the "sweet spot" as mentioned above either.

As for elemental weapons I think they're more balanced now.

 

[Darken12]

Well you have convinced me of one thing, you are hard set in your position, and using pseudo psychology to try and justify it. Even going into 'oppression' and 'douchey' as supposed answers to your argument, which you don't have as I never said I disliked people taking the action, I just like when game designers tell its playerbase "You can do this, don't take the easy route out, its not impossible." You can twist things all you like I suppose, as it seems you won't have a legitimate debate in this topic. Also I am quoting from the game itself, this was a design mechanic in 'Splosion Man giving you the option to skip the level if you keep dying on it and giving you a warning that if you skip your character gets a pink tutu and a laugh track plays.

At this point it would just be wasting more time since you don't want to actually have a debate and prefer to brow beat people into your line of thinking using your supposed psychological knowledge to do so. So I guess you can stroke your own ego to someone else.

Firstly, it's not pseudo psychology, it's actual psychology. Also, sociology and anthropology. Do your research on male bonding and the perpetuation of abuse before dismissing things out of hand. Secondly, telling the player base "don't take the easy route" is policing how people have fun. Not everyone has the same values that you do. I understand that you value overcoming the arbitrary standards set by somebody else. I don't mind that. If that's how you want to have fun, go ahead, I'm not going to tell you that it's wrong or that it's not a valid way to have fun. You, on the other hand, are not doing the same. Thirdly, I will ignore the bit about 'Splosion Man because I don't want this to turn into a rabid flamewar, but just for the record? What that game does is not socially progressive. And I will leave it at that.

I'm not trying to browbeat you to think in any way, I know for a fact that you are not going to change your mind. I'm just getting a dissenting voice in this place because holy crap, people are still going at it.

Thank you, that really needed to be said. I'm quite baffled by people who get's angry at things that in no way affects them.

It's quite absurd to whine over optional difficulty that you'll never even use.

The problem is that most players are going to keep clinging to the idea (and I'm pretty sure that if an easy mode gets implemented, there will be a massive backlash against those who use it) because the ego component is too important.

see the thing is you haven't played the game and soo you havent even tried to look at it from the persepective you are arguing against or knowing what choices (also known as options) that are available to players. In addition there is an easy mode of sorts. Not one that is explicitly in a menu screen but choices you can make as you play the game. for one dont go human and stay as a hallow. really as far as i have seen in the game being human just gives you the opportunity to invade other people or be invaded, thus making the game easier so that one does not have to deal with random invasions. in addition join convenants (sorta like guilds) that affect in game and online play. for example the very first coveneant that you join puts your character on the bottom of the list of people that can be invaded,thus lowering the risk of invasion thus making it somewhat easier. there is also a way to help people out by placing marks in the ground that allow other players to summon them in areas that they are having trouble with, thus giving players the option to invite another player to fight with them thus making the game easier; in addition you can summon NPCs.

Also the game tries to teach (atleast attempts) through gameplay, which is something rare nowadays and i like that. the first enemies you fight telegraph their attacks and are really really slow, and in the tutorial there are enemies that jump from corners which teaches you that that will happen alot. the game doesnt provide text telling you what to do, it tries to teach you what to do.

Finally i personally cant see how the game thats sorta supposed to be played online can have an easy mode if everyone can invade anyone.

Firstly, just because I haven't played doesn't mean I'm not allowed to have an opinion because the very reason I refuse to touch that game is due to its masochistic difficulty. Secondly, adding an option to make the game easier is not going to remove anything you enjoy about the game. All the things you like? Are still going to be there, untouched. If people want to have that kind of experiences, they will. If they don't, then they get to play the game all the same while enjoying a different kind of experience.

But you can't just ignore it though. The game feels different when you have to basically make your own difficulty. It's the feeling of doing something great inside a video game world vs accomplishing a self imposed challenge. Games aren't just a business, they're an art too. They don't have to reach the widest base and having some integrity is good. Making a game revolve around a single theme and then adding a massive break from that theme in the middle isn't good. Yes no one should try to impose their idea of fun onto you, and no one is. No one is forcing you to buy this game and not all games have to appeal to you.

Yes, the game feels different. And? The game also feels different when I use it to spread butter on toast, or as a paperweight. What people do with their videogames is none of your concern.

I completely agree, games are art, and you are never going to hear any person well versed in the arts telling someone that they are enjoying art wrong. If they do, they are pretentious douchebags who need to get back to their art classes and books and read the multitude of dissenting opinions on works of art before opening their ignorant mouths. Also, you seem to assume that the theoretical incorporation of easy mode will overwrite the present difficulty or somehow rob you of the experience you cherish. It won't. Because it's an option, it's not mandatory, and you can still have standard mode to play. Finally, nobody's saying this is being done for business reasons. I have no stake in the company, and I am not arguing on monetary grounds. I am arguing on a broader intellectual level. Adding more options to games, particularly options that broaden accessibility, is always an invariably good thing. The last thing we need in the gamer community is to continuing perpetuating the kind of haughty elitism and hostile isolationism that cause gamers to lash out at anyone who has a differing opinion or isn't like them. Opening our doors to differing viewpoints and welcoming people who are not like us will do wonders to foster tolerance (which is something the gamer community sorely needs).

Dude, peace pipes. Smoke the hell out of them. You're bitching about policing fun when you didn't need to even ***** in the first place, and yet you're policing the damn thread.

How am I policing the thread? By offering a dissenting opinion? By replying only to the people who are addressing me directly? And if we're talking about "need", then none of us need to post here. We do it because we want to offer our opinions.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Firstly, just because I haven't played doesn't mean I'm not allowed to have an opinion because the very reason I refuse to touch that game is due to its masochistic difficulty. Secondly, adding an option to make the game easier is not going to remove anything you enjoy about the game. All the things you like? Are still going to be there, untouched. If people want to have that kind of experiences, they will. If they don't, then they get to play the game all the same while enjoying a different kind of experience.

If it makes you feel better, I have played the game, and continue to play it, and I agree with you completely. However, this is not an argument you are going to win. We had a...god...I want to say 10+ page thread on this, and I think there were several long threads before that even...where this topic was discussed right into the ground. And the "ne'er shall an easy mode touch my Dark Souls" lobby never once deviated from their position. Nor defended it in a way that didn't suggest it was ENTIRELY about ego-gratification. Apparently if the game has an easy mode, or even an easier mode, it will lose a special something-something, and they will no longer be able to enjoy it. You are never going to win a rational argument on the subject, because the people you are arguing against are not being rational. They are being emotional. I seriously doubt that many or even most of them have even stopped to think about WHY they don't want an easy mode in Dark Souls, other than "they just don't", and boy does the question of it ever rustle their jimmies.

I'd love to be able to share the game with my GF, because I think there are some genuinely wonderful elements to it. However, "difficult" is a relative term, and what I find a bracingly challenging undertaking she would find completely frustrating and functionally impossible. So, there's one sale at least From is missing out on, because my girlfriend simply lacks the mad gamer skillz to hack it in Dark Souls. I imagine a certain demographic of Dark Souls fans feel their underwear tightening at the very suggestion that some plebeian has been denied access to their clubhouse.