Some more Dark Souls III?

Commented on 2016-05-20 02:01:06

*Sdarts is very happy!!!!!*

=D

I'm very glad you stuck with it, the Souls games aren't really hard, they just require more effort and, consequently, more time from the players than other games.

But having said that, the rewards you get from the Souls games are far higher that the effort and time they demand. So you still come out ahead when compared to most games - it's well worth it in my very humble opinion.

You could think like this: you can spend 30-40 hours playing a "collect-a-ton" open-world game like Assassin's Creed or a RPG like Final Fantasy till 100% completion, but most of that time will be spent doing boring stuff like opening chests, collecting musical notes, grinding to upgrade equipment or unlock abilities, and go ticking off items off a progression list, etc. And I say this as someone who loves RPGs and collecting stuff in open-world games like Assassin's Creed, but I know very well that the "sense of progression" and the satisfaction that comes with it by doing this type of thing is mostly "artificial".

Or you can play a Souls game in that same time frame for 1-2 playthroughs - depends on how well you learn and adapt to the game's mechanics on your 1st playthrough, but most of that time will be exhilarating gameplay, fantastic lore, a very intricate and beautiful H.P. Lovecraftian type world, a feeling of satisfaction that most games rarely achieve and you will also raise your self steem a little bit - like knowing you can overcome any challenge as long as you set your mind to it, etc. And the "sense of progression" and the satisfaction that comes with it will be "real".

I know this "artificial" vs "real" talk sounds weird, but I honestly feel the difference in enjoyment I get from these types of games exactly in this manner/like this and I do notice it even while playing. Sorry if I can't articulate it any better, hopefully the meaning of what I'm trying to convey came accross.

I also know that a Souls game takes time and not many people who work and/or have children have that much time to spend on a single game, but I genuinely believe that if you're going to spend 30-40 hours playing a game - which unfortunately is getting very common since more and more AAA games nowadays are going for "quantity over quality" to try and justify that U$ 60 price tag, that the Souls games are some of the best games that most reward that time. That's why I wanted you guys to persevere and finish a Souls game at least once.

Sorry this got so long, I just wanted to explain that if you're going to spend time playing games and, consequently, some very long ones, you might as well try finishing a Souls game and see why so many people who stick with these games love them so much. And who knows, you might even find yourself having far more "fun" with it than other games of the same length.

PS. I haven't watched these 2 videos yet, but I did watch the other 6 videos of the PC version and your skills were quite good in them. For example, you almost killed that 1st boss in the 1st try, which was really cool.

Ganbatte! (Keep up the good work! / Do your best!)

In reply to

*Sdarts is very happy!!!!!*

=D

I'm very glad you stuck with it, the Souls games aren't really hard, they just require more effort and, consequently, more time from the players than other games.

But having said that, the rewards you get from the Souls games are far higher that the effort and time they demand. So you still come out ahead when compared to most games - it's well worth it in my very humble opinion.

You could think like this: you can spend 30-40 hours playing a "collect-a-ton" open-world game like Assassin's Creed or a RPG like Final Fantasy till 100% completion, but most of that time will be spent doing boring stuff like opening chests, collecting musical notes, grinding to upgrade equipment or unlock abilities, and go ticking off items off a progression list, etc. And I say this as someone who loves RPGs and collecting stuff in open-world games like Assassin's Creed, but I know very well that the "sense of progression" and the satisfaction that comes with it by doing this type of thing is mostly "artificial".

Or you can play a Souls game in that same time frame for 1-2 playthroughs - depends on how well you learn and adapt to the game's mechanics on your 1st playthrough, but most of that time will be exhilarating gameplay, fantastic lore, a very intricate and beautiful H.P. Lovecraftian type world, a feeling of satisfaction that most games rarely achieve and you will also raise your self steem a little bit - like knowing you can overcome any challenge as long as you set your mind to it, etc. And the "sense of progression" and the satisfaction that comes with it will be "real".

I know this "artificial" vs "real" talk sounds weird, but I honestly feel the difference in enjoyment I get from these types of games exactly in this manner/like this and I do notice it even while playing. Sorry if I can't articulate it any better, hopefully the meaning of what I'm trying to convey came accross.

I also know that a Souls game takes time and not many people who work and/or have children have that much time to spend on a single game, but I genuinely believe that if you're going to spend 30-40 hours playing a game - which unfortunately is getting very common since more and more AAA games nowadays are going for "quantity over quality" to try and justify that U$ 60 price tag, that the Souls games are some of the best games that most reward that time. That's why I wanted you guys to persevere and finish a Souls game at least once.

Sorry this got so long, I just wanted to explain that if you're going to spend time playing games and, consequently, some very long ones, you might as well try finishing a Souls game and see why so many people who stick with these games love them so much. And who knows, you might even find yourself having far more "fun" with it than other games of the same length.

PS. I haven't watched these 2 videos yet, but I did watch the other 6 videos of the PC version and your skills were quite good in them. For example, you almost killed that 1st boss in the 1st try, which was really cool.

Ganbatte! (Keep up the good work! / Do your best!)

crookedmind

Commented on 2016-05-20 07:21:03

Hmm. Your points are intriguing and I would like to subscribe to your magazine, Sdarts.

I actually didn't buy the second game because the worry about time versus reward. I did not feel at all rewarded for the time I spent playing the first game, and I had no interest in playing it again (replay value). If there is one thing I dislike about any RPG is if it squanders my time.

I am on the fence with the third, I simply cannot make up my mind.

In reply to

der_ton

Commented on 2016-05-20 09:56:39

I second that, Sdarts' comment really makes me want to give that Dark Souls 1 game I have in my Steam library a try. "Deep" gameplay mechanics that require some time and training can be hit and miss, and I'm not a big fan of hack/slash/meelee games, but I'm a big fan of games that give you a sense of progression through gradual development of player skill.

In reply to

Driftwood

Commented on 2016-05-20 10:15:30 In reply to crookedmind

If it can help, apart from 5 hours playing Demon's Souls, I never played or truly had the courage to try the Dark Souls series. I'm enjoying DS3 a lot, but maybe it's because it hasn't been that hard so far. :)

In reply to

viHuGi

Commented on 2016-05-20 13:40:32

You just need to farm your character, game is not that hard, i´ve finished it 4 times now. Make sure you farm before figthing the dancer, just saying, bitch is a pain in the ass.

In reply to

Sdarts

Commented on 2016-05-20 14:34:12 In reply to crookedmind

Sometimes my posts get long. ^_^'

I also hate when games squander my time, but if a game is good/great and/or I'm very invested in its mechanics, I do tend to put some effort and time into 100% completing it if possible. Of course, if someone just cares about story/lore and gameplay, they don't need to complete it 100%.

However I have been playing less and less RPGs, even though it is my favourite genre - they already were very long in past console generations, but nowadays with the trend to make games "full of content" they are even longer. Most RPGs used to be 30-60 hours for 100% completion, but now most are 100-300+ hours for the same progression. I will make an exception to Persona 5 no matter how long it is because I love the Shin Megami Tensei series and Final Fantasy 15, but will wait for a PC version of it.

As for Dark Souls 3 specifically, I really believe it's more "accessible" than the previous games. From Software improved upon the Dark Souls 1 and 2 formula and added some elements from Bloodborne (which is also very accessible) as well. You can think of it like a more polished - ultimate - version of the Souls' games' mechanics. A lot of Souls veterans consider Dark Souls 3 to be better than Bloodborne, though that's highly subjective, it might help influence someone on the fence if they played Bloodborne.

But it's also good to bear in mind that the Souls games aren't for everyone, so while I highly recommend Dark Souls 3, it might be better to wait for a big discount. If on Steam, you can play the game for almost 2 hours and get a refund if you don't like it, though I would advise against only trying the game for 2 hours because that wouldn't give the best impression of the game's mechanics.

Another alternative is to put it on a "Wish List" and wait till a Steam Summer/Winter Sale, a PSN or XLive discount or even next year when the price will be very cheap. Souls games usually drop in price quickly.

As a bonus, Driftwood is enjoying Dark Souls 3 a lot and he wasn't a Souls games' fan before - hopefully, he is one now. You should probably watch the other videos Driftwood made of his PC playthrough (links below):

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_our_pc_videos_of_dar...

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_dark_souls_iii_is_ba...

They're quite nice and show that the game is actually quite easy in the beginning, and don't worry, it doesn't get much harder in the later locations because while enemies are stronger, you will have leveled up your character a lot, have much better gear, and will have a lot of experience in how to handle most situations. The game only gets harder in New Game+ playthroughs, but not by much since a lot of things like your stats, gear, upgrades, etc carry over and you can acquire even better gear that's only availabe in New Game+.

So all in all, Dark Souls games aren't that hard, and Dark Souls 3 is probably the best of them all for new players to the series or people who didn't enjoy past entries much. Also, the Souls community is extremely helpful and there's a lot of guides and walkthroughs if you get stuck and need some help.

Sorry this got very long, but I hope this helps you make a decision about Dark Souls 3 in a positive way.

In reply to

Sometimes my posts get long. ^_^'

I also hate when games squander my time, but if a game is good/great and/or I'm very invested in its mechanics, I do tend to put some effort and time into 100% completing it if possible. Of course, if someone just cares about story/lore and gameplay, they don't need to complete it 100%.

However I have been playing less and less RPGs, even though it is my favourite genre - they already were very long in past console generations, but nowadays with the trend to make games "full of content" they are even longer. Most RPGs used to be 30-60 hours for 100% completion, but now most are 100-300+ hours for the same progression. I will make an exception to Persona 5 no matter how long it is because I love the Shin Megami Tensei series and Final Fantasy 15, but will wait for a PC version of it.

As for Dark Souls 3 specifically, I really believe it's more "accessible" than the previous games. From Software improved upon the Dark Souls 1 and 2 formula and added some elements from Bloodborne (which is also very accessible) as well. You can think of it like a more polished - ultimate - version of the Souls' games' mechanics. A lot of Souls veterans consider Dark Souls 3 to be better than Bloodborne, though that's highly subjective, it might help influence someone on the fence if they played Bloodborne.

But it's also good to bear in mind that the Souls games aren't for everyone, so while I highly recommend Dark Souls 3, it might be better to wait for a big discount. If on Steam, you can play the game for almost 2 hours and get a refund if you don't like it, though I would advise against only trying the game for 2 hours because that wouldn't give the best impression of the game's mechanics.

Another alternative is to put it on a "Wish List" and wait till a Steam Summer/Winter Sale, a PSN or XLive discount or even next year when the price will be very cheap. Souls games usually drop in price quickly.

As a bonus, Driftwood is enjoying Dark Souls 3 a lot and he wasn't a Souls games' fan before - hopefully, he is one now. You should probably watch the other videos Driftwood made of his PC playthrough (links below):

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_our_pc_videos_of_dark_souls_iii-17750_en.html

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_dark_souls_iii_is_back_on_pc-17805_en.html

They're quite nice and show that the game is actually quite easy in the beginning, and don't worry, it doesn't get much harder in the later locations because while enemies are stronger, you will have leveled up your character a lot, have much better gear, and will have a lot of experience in how to handle most situations. The game only gets harder in New Game+ playthroughs, but not by much since a lot of things like your stats, gear, upgrades, etc carry over and you can acquire even better gear that's only availabe in New Game+.

So all in all, Dark Souls games aren't that hard, and Dark Souls 3 is probably the best of them all for new players to the series or people who didn't enjoy past entries much. Also, the Souls community is extremely helpful and there's a lot of guides and walkthroughs if you get stuck and need some help.

Sorry this got very long, but I hope this helps you make a decision about Dark Souls 3 in a positive way.

Melmoth

Commented on 2016-05-20 15:01:17 In reply to viHuGi

Posted by viHuGi

Make sure you farm before figthing the dancer, just saying, bitch is a pain in the ass.

I was thrown right into the dancer fight after defeating another boss. Having seen this in some beta footage from the game, i was sure it would be a pain. Surprisingly i beat her on the first try, using only 1 estus flask. Unlike some earlier bosses, i found it easy to time the rolling here.

Her long combos will probably drain the stamina quickly if trying to block the attacks.

In reply to

Megido

Commented on 2016-05-20 15:31:57 In reply to Melmoth

Posted by Melmoth

I was thrown right into the dancer fight after defeating another boss. Having seen this in some beta footage from the game, i was sure it would be a pain. Surprisingly i beat her on the first try, using only 1 estus flask. Unlike some earlier bosses, i found it easy to time the rolling here.

Her long combos will probably drain the stamina quickly if trying to block the attacks.

Well, i mean, that's kind of a half-truth. Dancer doesn't trigger automatically, you have to actually start the fight yourself. But the game doesn't really tell you that you are doing that either. It's a bit of a dirty trick, but if you just walk out or bone home beore the fight starts, you don't have to do it straight away. Also you can always use a homeward bone during boss fights if you don't want to die :)

Don't think you need much farming either tbh. Doing a base level run of the game right now, and the only thing i'm really missing currently is the HP. Damage is compensated with Raw infusion for almost the entire game, don't ever block anyway so stamina isn't a problem, and the game is so generous with the equipload that i don't feel bothered either.

But yeah, Dark Souls 3 is probably the easiest Souls game.

In reply to

[quote=Melmoth]

I was thrown right into the dancer fight after defeating another boss. Having seen this in some beta footage from the game, i was sure it would be a pain. Surprisingly i beat her on the first try, using only 1 estus flask. Unlike some earlier bosses, i found it easy to time the rolling here.

Her long combos will probably drain the stamina quickly if trying to block the attacks.[/quote]

Well, i mean, that's kind of a half-truth. Dancer doesn't trigger automatically, you have to actually start the fight yourself. But the game doesn't really tell you that you are doing that either. It's a bit of a dirty trick, but if you just walk out or bone home beore the fight starts, you don't have to do it straight away. Also you can always use a homeward bone during boss fights if you don't want to die :)

Don't think you need much farming either tbh. Doing a base level run of the game right now, and the only thing i'm really missing currently is the HP. Damage is compensated with Raw infusion for almost the entire game, don't ever block anyway so stamina isn't a problem, and the game is so generous with the equipload that i don't feel bothered either.

But yeah, Dark Souls 3 is probably the easiest Souls game.

Seth

Commented on 2016-05-20 17:00:23

I started as deprived and the start is a bit rough. I imagine as knight character would be much easier. I'm still only 2 hours in and probably would get much easier after i find better equipment.

In reply to

Megido

Commented on 2016-05-20 17:24:17

Knight is probably the strongest starting class for a regular run, yeah. Starting with 100% block shield, the longsword and some pretty decent armor does a lot early in the game. Deprived is only good if you really want to min-max.

In reply to

MikeManiac61

Commented on 2016-05-20 17:55:36

Wow Sdarts, that first post is kinda inspirational. Well, I'm gonna start playing DS3 again!

In reply to

omniscient

Commented on 2016-05-21 15:17:11

Dark souls 3 isn't hard it's punishing if you dont have patience you'll never be able to enjoy it.

In reply to

Megido

Commented on 2016-05-21 15:23:02

What's the difference? By that standard i can't think of a single game, aside from maybe Puzzle games like Myst, that are "hard". They all just ream you for small mistakes. That's what makes them hard :P

Is metal slug then, not a hard game? You can just feed it quarters. Is Contra not hard because you can win if you use the 30 lives code?

In reply to

Melmoth

Commented on 2016-05-21 16:23:10 In reply to Megido

Posted by Megido

Is metal slug then, not a hard game? You can just feed it quarters. Is Contra not hard because you can win if you use the 30 lives code?

those are games from a different time. Back then they didn't design the games so that everyone would complete them with little/moderate investment. Publishers wants as many people as possible to complete their games, if not they probably wont buy the sequel :)

In reply to

Megido

Commented on 2016-05-21 17:42:40

Sure, that's not really what was discussed though. The idea that Dark Souls isn't hard, it's just punishing. I don't see the distinction. The game doesn't allow you to make mistakes, it's hard. What makes a hard game hard, if not that?

In reply to

Melmoth

Commented on 2016-05-22 04:22:59 In reply to Megido

I only read the last post in threads i post in. :O

In reply to

Seth

Commented on 2016-05-22 08:15:04

Played this a lot during the weekend. Deprived is where it is, I died a lot in first few hours and still struggling. I only created a knight new save just to test the things, and it is how i expected - a breeze. Not only you start with decent shield, but also the armour helps a lot and you barely take any damage by first enemies and even the boss don't take you a lot of the health bar. I see what the guys mean saying it's the easiest game so far. Most of them starting as these classes.
Knight now is the class for the game events and journalists, so they won't have much problems.

I just went to the farron Keep - it wont be an Souls game without an area full of poison shit lol.

That said, absolutely loving it. So many similar things to Bloodborne, which is a plus imo - enemies, locations. Unless it turns into crap later, probably will end up as my second or third favourite game in series after DS1 and demon's.

btw There are not many chests to find at all and i don't think i have a full set of decent armour yet, much like bloodborne. I think i found only one chest after 8+ hours. Not sure how i feel about that.
Also seems like the idea of burning corpses and creating a bonfire at random places is out from the final game? I have not read or watched anything after first few trailers, so noticed that right away.

In reply to

Played this a lot during the weekend. Deprived is where it is, I died a lot in first few hours and still struggling. I only created a knight new save just to test the things, and it is how i expected - a breeze. Not only you start with decent shield, but also the armour helps a lot and you barely take any damage by first enemies and even the boss don't take you a lot of the health bar. I see what the guys mean saying it's the easiest game so far. Most of them starting as these classes. 
Knight now is the class for the game events and journalists, so they won't have much problems.

I just went to the farron Keep - it wont be an Souls game without an area full of poison shit lol.

That said, absolutely loving it. So many similar things to Bloodborne, which is a plus imo - enemies, locations. Unless it turns into crap later, probably will end up as my second or third favourite game in series after DS1 and demon's.

btw There are not many chests to find at all and i don't think i have a full set of decent armour yet, much like bloodborne. I think i found only one chest after 8+ hours. Not sure how i feel about that.
Also seems like the idea of burning corpses and creating a bonfire at random places is out from the final game? I have not read or watched anything after first few trailers, so noticed that right away.

Megido

Commented on 2016-05-22 08:48:52

Well i mean as a Deprived yeah, the first hour or so is going to be a bit harder, but after that? As soon as you have some levels in vitality, and maybe swap out the club, you are good to go. The armor doesn't matter much, i usually go naked to get flyn's ring bonus personally. Apparently you get some sort of defence bonus if you have something in every slot as well, which might be why starting classes with full armor seems stronger than Deprived.

If you are already at Farron Keep and havent found a full set yet, you need to explore more. You've missed several :)

In reply to

Seth

Commented on 2016-05-22 10:33:03

yeah man, i need to explore more a lot of areas. especially the one with poison, i missed tons of loot. I did farmed the black knight set though, but i have been using it on DS1, so hopefully i'll find something different soon. :)

In reply to