Hexx wrote:TWA talking a level of shite there I didn’t know or think he’d be capable of
But I've said it before Hexxy. I think From use summoning as a crutch to gloss over their inability/desire to deal with the ridiculous difficulty spikes they put in games. I said this when I was playing BB to. It's not a new thought of mine. The amount of times I've read things like "every death is a lesson" and the Souls games "teach you by playing them". If Jawa summons now what lessons has he learned? Has he learned to dodge or block at the right moment? Has he learned when to heal? Learned to spot the gaps to attack? Learned to judge the distances like a pro fencer? If the Souls games are built on learning these things and the reward of overcoming a challenge then whats really the point of the boss fight if you change that fight so much.
Karl_ wrote:Summons are fun
Oh I've no doubt they are! In fact I'd quite like to play through the game in a form of co-op with a friend all the way through. Not that I can because they dont let you do that. I've even told Pedz and Jawa in the past that I'd do that with them. I honestly don't have a problem with someone doing it for fun. If Jawa wants to play it like that then more power to him and those that do. If thats how the player wants to play there game. Its there and its part of the game. But its one I have issues with.
Karl_ wrote:the game actively encourages it.
Alas I'm going to have disagree with you here. The fact that its hidden behind the hollowing system and requires a resource and then you have to find the spot tells me otherwise. The first time I saw a summoning sign was in Sens Fortress. Which is what? A 3rd of the way into the game? I had little idea what it was or why I could see it. The fact Jawa, if he decides to summon, is going to have to ask how to do it again tell me the opposite. Heck in this case in order to do it he had to be told to go human to fight her in the first place. And even after doing so the game gives you no indication that she will be around to summon later. So many hoops the player has to jump though. I just cant agree the game encourages it. I'd imagine most players just go about the game hollow because there is no real reason to be human. So dont see them. Its what happened to me.
Speaking of that summoning in Sens... It taught me something else. If you go and add an extra player playing to fights just adding more health to the boss does not balance it. Me and my chum fought the
Iron Golem and had it not been been for a freak moment when I got knocked off the side we would have bested him quickly and easily and I'd have "passed the test" feeling like I'd barely done anything. He simply wasn't designed to deal with multiple targets. Clear as day. So lets look at Spiderwoman.
From memory (I'm not checking the wiki) she mainly has just frontal attacks. A few flaming sword swings. The lava spewing. A big leap forward. No tail. Dont think the legs do anything. She does have that (rather cheap) area attack. So she is utterly vulnerable at the back and sides. Much like the Iron Golem. And of course she is. Because she it designed to be tackled 1v1. You learn to avoid her attacks and get into the sides. Outflank her and attack. But with another player? Any vaguely competent set of players knows how to work this one out. One distracts and one attacks. Stay apart so not to both get attacked and keep an eye out for the area attack. It might be fun to play this but it is in no way the same test of whatever this boss is meant to be teaching you. So the next time the player comes up against a boss that is similar? They have not properly practiced these skills.Maybe there are fights were summoning works out better. I've been going through them in my head but I cant think of any because they are all built first and foremost to work 1v1. Thats not to say it cant work. There is one fight in DS2 (its in the DLC) where you create a team of knights to take on a boss. I actually really dont like this fight but the concept is cool. Of the 3 Souls games its the only time I've felt like the idea of summoning was used properly. Perhaps if they had made the summoning mandatory and built the fights around that I'd agree with you. But they didnt...
Karl_ wrote:I played the game solo first time too and it makes the game worse.
Then they should have done far more to make the summoning be on the critical path. After all as you suggest it would have made it more enjoyable.
Karl_ wrote:Honestly I kinda think you're being deliberately mean to jawa by putting him off that mechanic.
I really hope he doesnt feel that way. I think Jawa knows me well enough to know I am just teasing him.
And none of this is meant to be an elitist gamez must be hard git gud attitude. I'd honestly rather see the Souls games have an easy mode where you take less damage in general and as such your just allowed more mistakes before dying. That way you still have to learn those fights but at your own level. I'd so much prefer this and would be very happy to see From consider it. And I say this as someone who believes that the best games should not need a difficulty setting. Perhaps thats a naive and idealized view but its mine.
Anyway. I hope that helps clear up my view. Oh and btw remember to use the multiplayer stuff on consoles you need an online sub and some might not. So thats using other players and the note systems gone out the window right there. I didnt have PS+ when I played BB. I'm so so happy they ditched the invisible walls in that. Imagine not having the notes and those in the game. Imagine that.
Also as a side note I remember Pedz and his epic battles with Father Gazza. He eventually summoned and the boss just got destroyed and all he could do was laugh because it was laughable. The fight became a farce.
Ad7 wrote:but reading up on tonnes of internet tips and tricks to point you towards specific builds and weapons
thanks Ad but I didn't really do this. I did later on in the game look up to see if it was upgrading what I was using because I didn't want to waste my time investing said time and finite resources into something gooseberry fool. I may have looked up how the poise stuff works properly but thats because like hell does it explain it. The only real help I got was from Dragon just making sure I didn't miss big things and that I stayed roughly on track with the progression of the game. He may have helped me understand the weapon grading system a bit better to. It was only really after I played the game I realised I'd made a build of a certain type. Even then it probably wasn't optimal.
As for me trying to help Jawa. Well I try my best to only remind of the basics. I've always said in the end its up to him to choose his weapon. I just remind him to look and what to look for. I remind him to heal (he ignores me
) and make him think if he should try something like using 2 hands. Or to remember his stamina.