I will write a quick summery of my point right here. If you modded Dark Souls to give the player infinite life, and a weapon that one-hit kills everything you would still die because of the game's approach to level design. Dark Souls essentially says "If your dumb enough to walk off this ledge you deserve to die."
[insert pointless musings] I can see how it would increase the amount of people who would enjoy the game and increase the overall sales. Yet the argument that Dark Souls 2 should have an easy mode bothers me for two reasons. (reason 1) From Software would be required to fundamentally change fall damage and how it is used in game. (reason 2) You're asking that a very good game be change to better fit people who don't want to play the game as it currently is. To point out an outlandish example, Monster Hunter is an action-RPG. You start the game with the clothing on your back and a few dull knives. You then take these knives and slowly hunt your way up the food chain until your killing mythical dragons. If your first response is "hunting is animal cruelty" then the game is not for you. If you have a moral objection to war Modern Warfare is not for you. If you hate tracking numbers and grinding Disgaea is not for you. (rhetorical question) So why would challenging game-play (that reinforces the story and themes) need to be changed when the feeling of satisfaction when you kill a difficult boss is central to the "fun" of the game.[end of musing]
Now Level design. (this is the first time I have tried to imbed images)
{also note I re-sized these images and they are my screen-caps}
This is the firelink shrine the first area after the tutorial. You'll notice the red crap. That was me in MS Paint point out all of the instant kill you fell to your death ledges in the starting area. The top circle is where you are supposed to go. The circle on the right is an item that you need to jump a gap to get to.
This is the opposite side of the firelink shrine leading into the catacombs this is also all instant kill fall to your death areas.
The blue line is the same tree in image 2. The red line is a ledge and a nice view.
The reason I took these images is to desperately point out that the level design does not work with an easy mode, unless you change how the levels are built. (OSHA approved chest high walls) If asked I can go through most areas of dark souls and point out how you can easily fall to your death if you don't remember where your feet are. This concept that you are 4 to 5 hits or one bad foot placement is part of the story. You are a nobody, just another undead in a cruel world. Your not Commander Shepard the biggest badass in the galaxy, you're not the dragon-born the best equipped person to kill dragons. You're just some loser with the odds stacked against you and you're going to spit in adversity's face.
Fun pastime play mass effect 2 and deliberately try to fall off ledges. (glitches do not count)
[insert pointless musings] I can see how it would increase the amount of people who would enjoy the game and increase the overall sales. Yet the argument that Dark Souls 2 should have an easy mode bothers me for two reasons. (reason 1) From Software would be required to fundamentally change fall damage and how it is used in game. (reason 2) You're asking that a very good game be change to better fit people who don't want to play the game as it currently is. To point out an outlandish example, Monster Hunter is an action-RPG. You start the game with the clothing on your back and a few dull knives. You then take these knives and slowly hunt your way up the food chain until your killing mythical dragons. If your first response is "hunting is animal cruelty" then the game is not for you. If you have a moral objection to war Modern Warfare is not for you. If you hate tracking numbers and grinding Disgaea is not for you. (rhetorical question) So why would challenging game-play (that reinforces the story and themes) need to be changed when the feeling of satisfaction when you kill a difficult boss is central to the "fun" of the game.[end of musing]
Now Level design. (this is the first time I have tried to imbed images)
{also note I re-sized these images and they are my screen-caps}
This is the firelink shrine the first area after the tutorial. You'll notice the red crap. That was me in MS Paint point out all of the instant kill you fell to your death ledges in the starting area. The top circle is where you are supposed to go. The circle on the right is an item that you need to jump a gap to get to.
This is the opposite side of the firelink shrine leading into the catacombs this is also all instant kill fall to your death areas.
The blue line is the same tree in image 2. The red line is a ledge and a nice view.
The reason I took these images is to desperately point out that the level design does not work with an easy mode, unless you change how the levels are built. (OSHA approved chest high walls) If asked I can go through most areas of dark souls and point out how you can easily fall to your death if you don't remember where your feet are. This concept that you are 4 to 5 hits or one bad foot placement is part of the story. You are a nobody, just another undead in a cruel world. Your not Commander Shepard the biggest badass in the galaxy, you're not the dragon-born the best equipped person to kill dragons. You're just some loser with the odds stacked against you and you're going to spit in adversity's face.
Fun pastime play mass effect 2 and deliberately try to fall off ledges. (glitches do not count)
