Final World Tendency

King of Posters
#64

poise is definitely overpowered in 1 and i can see how it fucks up PvP, but the way it works is so much more conducive to large weapon users and tank-like characters in PvE. I’m playing 2 with an ultra greatsword character and getting stunned out of most attacks is misery

Though what i left out of my little spiel above is, even if i think the multiplayer is overall valuable to this series, i personally just ignore it and Multiplayer Considerations just get in my way more than anything. Dark 1 seems like it has the most awful PvP in the series and i think it’s largely because FROM decided cool single-player mechanics and items were more important, and i am personally grateful for that!
Like, roll tiers and “weak” weapon animations when you lack STR are flavorful, unbalanced mechanics that ruin PvP, and im so much more happy they exist than i am grateful for the more “fair” MP in 2 or 3

#65

A good story from @zeno circa 2012

A little ways into 1-3, I’m invaded by a player called Abel-TheContact. He runs up and I take a few swings at him. He doesn’t even try to avoid or block my attacks, but my Northern Regalia doesn’t do too much damage anyway. He just steps back and lets me finish off the nearby enemies trying to kill me. Then he herbs up and takes off in the other direction, toward the end of the level, carving a path forward. He only leaves a few enemies behind, probably thinking I might enjoy doing a little bit of the fighting myself. Regrettably he was so fast I could barely even get a good look at him, what armor he was wearing or what weapons he used. Once we both reached the end, just before Penetrator, he simply left.

I messaged him, “Stand tall and shake the heavens.” His name is a reference to Xenogears, you see.

He responded:

18 Likes
#66

All these stories lost, like tears in the rain.

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#67

the way it’s set up is that poise in 2 works fine if you two-hand weapons, while you tend to flinch with reduced stun if they’re one-handed.

i mean, yeah, i get why it was popular but I didn’t enjoy it or what it did to the game, even single player. (by the end of my time playing ds1 i didn’t even bother with poise, all mobility all the way even for single player content, so you can guess how i play!)

this is actually a throwback to demon’s btw. certain weapons in demon’s have armor on their attacks if you two-hand them. notably the great axe, which is a SUPER awesome weapon for sp and mp.

#68

Oh yeah of course, that’s part of why the meat cleaver is so good!

This is a thread for Demon’s Souls in particular so im disinclined to fill it up w/ Soulscruft, but i would have liked the poise system from 1 to continue with some nerfs. Something between the way poise works in 1 and the way it works in 2, instead of the slow retreat back to hyperarmor.
2 mostly gets it right but i do think a (weakened) wolf ring would have been a boon.

#69

Right, so Wikipedia says: “It was published in Japan by Sony Computer Entertainment in February 2009, in North America by Atlus USA in October 2009, and in Australia and Europe by Namco Bandai Games in June 2010.” So it’s a tri-publisher pig’s breakfast.

I guess this is why it hasn’t gotten a remake, and maybe this also means it never will – just not worth the trouble of a four-party negotiation. At least there will be emulators and pirates to preserve the game regardless of the legal situation, as usual.

#70

i wonder if an argument in favor of them doing a rerelease would come down to them just wanting to sort out the licensing in a cleaner manner.

#71

I’m almost certain the game was co-developed with Sony Interactive (Japan), who then opted not to do a worldwide release. The NA and European releases would then have been closer to a distribution deal, i.e., Atlus and Namco didn’t put much money in, so they don’t get much money out.

It’s much easier for Sony to regain publishing rights from Atlus & Namco in a situation like that.

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#72

You have a heart of gold. Don’t let them take it from you

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#73

is 1-1 the finest souls first level? it’s tricky to say because all the first levels are uniformly excellent, but something about the entire feel of the place, and the methodical, physically traceable way you progress through it makes it really stick in my mind. it is also the most “pure” level in the series because you cannot skip it and you cannot bring any outside resources into it (unless you kill vanguard in the tutorial and unlock the secret dragon god death chamber, which contains enough stones to put a +1 on your weapon). it feels very good to play through it just about every time, it has to be a GOAT first level in general.

all of Boletarian Palace honestly. 1-3 is just a mindblowingly good gat damn video game LEVEL!

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#74

Undoubtedly – they never came close to the beautiful subtle teaching they did on this level, and the immediate cohesive space revealed through moments of enlightenment.

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#75

whole boletaria is probably one of the finest levels ever.

1 Like
#76

if up til gascoigne counts as bloodborne 1-1 i think that’s a contender personally, though it’s great for very different reasons than demon’s 1-1

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#77

If I remember correctly, the flash sweat spell was invaluable in that flamelurker fight. Turned it from a frustrating nightmare to a completely accesible, almost pedestrian fight.

Man eaters remain irredeemable, unfortunately.

#78

Flamelurker is like a baby after you’ve played through all of Bloodborne but I can imagine how intimidating it was back then. Maneaters are still pretty tough to deal with on NG+

1 Like
#79

What, no it doesn’t. Demon’s is flawed to the very bone.

I mean, that doesn’t mean it’s bad, and the level design in particular is stellar in a way that hasn’t really been seen since, even in the Souls series, but let’s not pretend the game doesn’t have baffling systemic problems.

#81

I read that Demon’s performance was at an unplayable state until not long before it finished, so the idea that it received a lot of “iteration” seems factually false. That said I think the creators’ past experience at games like Armored Core means it ended up better-balanced than one would expect given that.

#82

the tough part about flamelurker is his big stupid explosion attacks that are visually distracting and don’t hit at all where it looks like they should (the blast is spherical but the hurtbox is conical)

#83
3 Likes
#84

hmm

a Souls game where, once the fires are kindled, passing player ghosts become fleshy, corporeal – you unavoidably bring life into the world and can’t remove it