Jimquisition: Dumbing Down for the Filthy Casuals

Altefforr

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Feb 23, 2013
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It's sad that Oblivion and Skyrim actually were dumbed down enough for the casuals to ruin the experience of many older, more experienced players. I want to kill the Jarl of Whiterun; but I don't want to join the Stormcloaks in order to do it.

Shame, really; Bethesda sold out.
 

Raikas

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Sep 4, 2012
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I know this particular post was made months ago now, but I just noticed it with this last bump:

JustanotherGamer said:
wow well done have a cookie... is "selling out" a good thing in your book then?
"Selling out" is neutral - it's the details that make it good or bad. Getting paid/making more money is not a bad thing in and of itself. It always baffles me that people think "sellout" is such an insult - sure, more independent work has more freedom, but that also means a lower budget which is its own limitation.
 

sanssucre

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Mar 2, 2013
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In case anyone hasn't see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JweTAhyR4o0 It's about TES dumbing down. Worth a watch. Thanks
 

Infernal Lawyer

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Jan 28, 2013
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This is ridiculous. People have said this already, but why are you acting like you are somehow losing your punishingly hard game? People have been able to adjust the difficulty in their games for years, sometimes even on the dot if they don't feel like dealing with a particularly punishing part of the game. I know that before I got broadband, I would simply have to put down a game and leave it for weeks or months on end if I couldn't manage a particular area, or figure out a particular puzzle. Having an adjustable difficulty levels that don't reflect their labels (e.g. easy shouldn't be too hard and hard shouldn't be too easy) can only help to make a game better.
The most notable example I can think of is Kid Icarus: Uprising, which had 91 different difficulty levels, ranging from "We gave the bad guys a complimentary lobotomy" and "Fuck you and your children". The thing about it is that it not only allows players of any skill level to play it, it involved a risk/reward system where you had to pay in-game cash to get the harder levels, which in turn would grant better rewards if you succeeded. This challenged to player to find the fine line between cake-walking the game for little return, and losing their 'bet' by getting stomped.
I think a 'slider' system like this should be implemented in any game where it would fit.
 

mbarker

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Nov 12, 2008
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The game Wasteland decided not to worry about difficulty levels. The idea was to keep the game specific for the entitled gamers. The reason they decided to approach the game like this is the niche specialty group that plays this type of game will most likely be the group that continues to purchase it in the future. The size of these groups is now big enough to create a profitable market without having to worry about what the casual gamer thinks.

I also believe the easing of a games difficulty has no longer become subtle. What used to be a change through only the games options have now become part of the game, this kind of ruins it. Loyal fans of the game notice this while non fans wouldn't and it is a burn to those who are the most loyal to the franchise; they become justly pissed off because of that.

I am a believer that all games should be made assessable to everyone, but if there is a specific market focus that a game is trying to go for I think a little bit of gamer entitlement is justified.
 

iknowkarate

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May 24, 2013
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I know this video is old and whatnot, but I felt that there has been something important that has gone unmentioned when it comes to Dark Souls and difficulty. Dark Souls is more than just player versus enemy - the player versus player multiplayer is also integrated into the core design of this franchise (why no pause? Think about it). Sure, FromSoft could adjust the pve aspect of the game to suit more casual gamers, but the moment they turn from hollow to human, all bets are off on an easy mode when playing online. Players in new game+ have to deal with a harder difficulty, but it is a curve which slides upward for all players if they beat the game. The promise of an easy mode for casual gamers in this case would be an empty one.
 

gavinmcinns

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Aug 23, 2013
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Rooster Cogburn said:
The notion that hardcore gamers are pushing around the content-starved casuals is an exact inversion of what is actually happening to this medium in fact. I don't even know where to go for a AAA title that engages me on my level anymore outside the Souls series. But they want that, too. They want everything. The very idea of there being a game out there built with me in mind is offensive to them. Everything has to be for them, nothing for me. Not even a toe-hold. Not even one game. I'm being pushed out of gaming entirely by these people. I don't get what I did to deserve this.

And they have the sheer bulging gonads to say I'm the one bossing them around.
100% this. Can't we have this one fucking game?? Dark souls 2 is out now and it's gray uninspired mess, every boss does the exact same thing; move with the celerity of a dying turtle then stand still while you kill them. Thanks for taking away the one series that gave me some happiness you off brand posers. Have fun trying to fill that void in you having everything handed to you on a silver platter you Crybabys.