Did you give up on Elden Ring?

[Captain Kelsten]

3 minutes ago, El Spatula said:

Try disliking the majority of Nintendo games if you wanna feel like a victim. The number of times I've been told I have no joy in my life....

 

WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?

 

[jonamok]

On the “I just don’t have the time” thing people occasionally say, including in here... I get that your free time is precious, but assuming gaming is how you would use that free time, what are you actually saying?

 

Let’s say you can get through Elden Ring in 120 hours (most can and do), but due to parenting and/or work, that takes you say 3 months of your precious gaming time. So? Take 3 months. What other gaming would you do with that time instead? Play six other 20-hour games? Stick another 120 hours into some GAAS?

 

If there are other things you’d rather play, that’s fine, of course. Or if you have a shorter-game pile of shame you feel the need to push through. But ‘not having the time to repeat bosses or play a long game’ is an odd reason to me. I am pissed mind.

[El Spatula]

15 minutes ago, Doctor Shark said:

 

WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?

 

 

Especially that dickhead.

[Captain Kelsten]

I hope you mean Mario and not me

[El Spatula]

[thesnwmn]

30 minutes ago, jonamok said:

On the “I just don’t have the time” thing people occasionally say, including in here... I get that your free time is precious, but assuming gaming is how you would use that free time, what are you actually saying?

 

Let’s say you can get through Elden Ring in 120 hours (most can and do), but due to parenting and/or work, that takes you say 3 months of your precious gaming time. So? Take 3 months. What other gaming would you do with that time instead? Play six other 20-hour games? Stick another 120 hours into some GAAS?

 

If there are other things you’d rather play, that’s fine, of course. Or if you have a shorter-game pile of shame you feel the need to push through. But ‘not having the time to repeat bosses or play a long game’ is an odd reason to me. I am pissed mind.

 

The idea of any game being interesting to me beyond 10 hours, let alone 120 is insane. Gameplay mechanics and setting swill be long tired for me by then. I don't imagine how a setting and mechanics can engage me for that period of time. It must be repetitive right? Every boss isn't entirely new? Every vista isn't without similarities? Every town isn't just w copypasta at some point? Each NPC is just the same tired repeated lines?

 

I don't play more than probably 100-200 hours of gaming a year these days. With that mostly being a few heavy weeks and then nothing most of the time. I prefer the idea of experiencing a little of many things rather than a lot of a single thing. My ideal is like a 2 hour burst of what s game has to offer an then done. I know what is is about. I can comment on its mechanics.

 

45 minutes ago, FalconGR said:

I will never understand why some people play games primarily for the story. There’s nothing wrong with that but it’s just the complete opposite of what I think is interesting about games (the interactivity and mechanics etc). I mean Mario and Tetris are probably the two most perfect examples of what the appeal of video games is to me, so I find it amazing (and no bad thing) other people can have such different things they enjoy about the medium. I can honestly say I have never cared about the story in any game I’ve played.

 

Is it on both sides of this. I think most game stories people race about are atrocious. Terrible writing for predictable bullshit. Game stories are best when they lean into the fact they are games and reveal it via the way you play rather than what sole terribly "acted" model tries to tell me through bad facial expressions and voice acting.

 

But at the same time it's the overall experience of a game that hooks me, not a challenge. I think Tetris is mechanically brilliant and all but dull as dish water. No interest in high scores or getting good. I'm done after a few games. Mario is fabulous but it's different.... Every level can be like a whole new game. It's a mix right. Sometimes more "story" (by which I mean interactive discovery). Sometimes variable mechanics.

 

[dataDave]

I gave up because I found it too samey compared to the Souls series. Roll/dodge/attack/flasks/souls, etc. Plus the same heroin-induced NPCs that make no sense whatsoever until you read a write-up online. Not that I care about the story that much..

 

I don't find anything about these games particularly difficult, and maybe that's another part of the problem. Dodge, attack, run away, repeat. From a game play perspective it all feels like nothing more than a modern take on Castlevania, which is no bad thing. These are not bad games, but when I have a stack of 9s and 10s in my backlog something needs to be better than 'not bad' for me to stick with it.

 

To respond to some earlier posts I have to laugh at any elitism surrounding these games. When people spend hours daily for six weeks (and beyond) practicing that perfect run of a stylish action game boss the first thing they'll generally do is to rush to a forum in order to flex, but will then follow up with a strategy in order to help bring others up to that same level of greatness, because it's a genuinely awesome feeling and (IMO) the most rewarding emotion in all of gaming. The exact same practice is associated with musicianship and martial arts - everyone is offering their help all of the time to pull people up, because the more people on your level the more fun it is. Souls bosses are absolutely nothing to gatekeep over.

[dataDave]

1 hour ago, El Spatula said:

Try disliking the majority of Nintendo games if you wanna feel like a victim. The number of times I've been told I have no joy in my life....

 

Try genuinely believing that invincibility frames exist in real life if you wanna feel like a victim. The number of times I've been pulled up about that....

[Anne Summers]

On 19/04/2022 at 06:25, thesnwmn said:

 

 

I mean the number one issue seems straight up like the game is just far far too big for most people.

 

 

 

That's not really true though, is it?

Even in this thread - a thread which would obviously seem to mainly be here for the benefit of people who didn't / don't enjoy it - almost everyone is saying that they love it. 

I would say that perhaps there is a small number of people for whom the game is just far too big, rather than it is far too big for "most people". 

[Uzi]

The game is too small for me. That's not even a hot take. I genuinely mean it. 

 

The legacy dungeons are actually a bit small for bar one or two locations and the land has far less meaningful distractions like a typical Bethesda game would (not a criticism, wouldn't work for this game) which means the time spent in a lot of the map is fairly minimal and as a means of traversal and combat to find points of exploration which are the caves/catacombs. I love the game and got the platinum, but content and world map wise, I want more. It ended up being smaller in terms of density than I thought by the time I finished it. I want fucking gigantic DLC to play while reading online that gamers who stop to smell and collect every blade of grass think it is jupiter.

[Captain Kelsten]

FromSoft games don’t require a lot of skill to complete, just patience and perseverance. Sure, if you do want to do a SL1 no hit run it’s going to take hours and hours of practice and skill, but just generally smashing your way through the game in order to complete it? No skill needed. 
 

 

 

[Exit Chamber]

1 hour ago, thesnwmn said:

Each NPC is just the same tired repeated lines?

 

It was at this point that it became clear you know almost nothing about this game. 

[thesnwmn]

4 minutes ago, Blunted said:

 

It was at this point that it became clear you know almost nothing about this game. 

 

You're right. Im talking generally about the size of games, not this one in particular. Those are my general issues with why 20+ hour games generally don't land for me or keep me interested.

 

This might not be the same. For all I know every NPC has unique lines of story filled text. Honestly that is also unlikely to keep me hooked for more than a few hours. You'd need a pretty stunning world to keep me wanting to hear tidbits from people for 100 hours

 

[JPL]

10 minutes ago, thesnwmn said:

 

You're right. Im talking generally about the size of games, not this one in particular. Those are my general issues with why 20+ hour games generally don't land for me or keep me interested.

 

This might not be the same. For all I know every NPC has unique lines of story filled text. Honestly that is also unlikely to keep me hooked for more than a few hours. You'd need a pretty stunning world to keep me wanting to hear tidbits from people for 100 hours

 

It’s probably the most stunning game world ever created.

[alex3d]

On 18/04/2022 at 07:28, carlospie said:

I liked it but after fifteen hours felt I had seen all it was going to offer me. 

 

Yeah, same for me. Played it for 11 hours, travelled to many different parts of the world, defeated the first major boss and then just decided to stop playing. I like it but don't have the time and patience to finish it.

[Luseth]

12 hours ago, FalconGR said:

I will never understand why some people play games primarily for the story. There’s nothing wrong with that but it’s just the complete opposite of what I think is interesting about games (the interactivity and mechanics etc). I mean Mario and Tetris are probably the two most perfect examples of what the appeal of video games is to me, so I find it amazing (and no bad thing) other people can have such different things they enjoy about the medium. I can honestly say I have never cared about the story in any game I’ve played.

 

It's similar to how I will never understand why people vote Tories, or why people like wine or why people like Rugby over football, it comes down to individual tastes... That said, there are other experiences to be had with video games that don't involve a story that I enjoy, I play battlefield a fair amount (not the latest iteration) and that's because there is a social aspect there where I game with friends. I play minecraft on occasion because it's creative and I can put my imagination to work. However Tetris and mario appeal to me far less so.

 

12 hours ago, El Spatula said:

Try disliking the majority of Nintendo games if you wanna feel like a victim. The number of times I've been told I have no joy in my life....

 

Yes nintendo probably has some of the worst, ironically I love my switch but there are only a handful of first party titles I've enjoyed  

 

12 hours ago, jonamok said:

On the “I just don’t have the time” thing people occasionally say, including in here... I get that your free time is precious, but assuming gaming is how you would use that free time, what are you actually saying?

 

 

Simply put for me personally, there are other games I know that I will enjoy (whether it's from playing earlier titles in the series or enjoying the genre more so) so why persevere with a game that I'm not? Back when the witcher 3 came out I put a hundred hours (maybe more) into it but back then I didn't have children. Nowadays playing a video game for a hundred hours will likely take me half a year and knowing they are working on the Witcher 4, a series I have enjoyed throughout makes me wonder how I will ever get to playing it before they have grown up so I have some free time back  

[Exit Chamber]

2 hours ago, Luseth said:

makes me wonder how I will ever get to playing it before they have grown up so I have some free time back

 

It feels like that just now, but in about four years time it'll get better, honest 🥲

[Luseth]

Just now, Blunted said:

 

It feels like that just now, but in about four years time it'll get better, honest 🥲

 

I'm not bitter honest  Nah I adore them so I don't mind too much and maybe the saying of absence makes the heart grow fonder, when I get time to play loads again I will enjoy it more than ever  

[Exit Chamber]

I've not long reached that stage and it's been nice catching up on loads of (now very cheap) games I didn't have the time to dedicate to.

[Nick R]

15 hours ago, FalconGR said:

I will never understand why some people play games primarily for the story. There’s nothing wrong with that but it’s just the complete opposite of what I think is interesting about games (the interactivity and mechanics etc). I mean Mario and Tetris are probably the two most perfect examples of what the appeal of video games is to me, so I find it amazing (and no bad thing) other people can have such different things they enjoy about the medium. I can honestly say I have never cared about the story in any game I’ve played.

 

There's never been a game I've played primarily for the story. But even in the most arcadey of games, it helps to have some sort of narrative there as a structure. Similar to how in sports game, playing a series of friendly/exhibition matches gives you exactly the same gameplay as playing those same opponents in a tournament/league mode, but the latter provides a framework that makes finishing it a lot more satisfying.

 

I'd say that what the stories are doesn't matter much to me, but I appreciate interesting storytelling in games: a generic story, presented in an effective way.

 

I find the most effective storytelling is when something that seems quite generic gradually reveals itself to be something more:

 

* Ico: Escape the castle with the damsel in distress - nothing special. But when I reached that room towards the end, with all those things lining the walls, and realised the implication of what that meant... well, I don't think a video game has ever made me hate its villain, and made me want to defeat them, more than I did then.

 

* Portal: You're forced into doing a series of experiments. Now the AI running them is gradually revealing itself to be more emotional and unhinged. Now try and escape! (It's a classic three act structure!)

 

And I'd include Dark Souls in this list of games following this pattern. To begin with, you're presented as the Chosen Undead, the grand, prophesied hero tasked with Linking the Fire and prolonging the Age of Fire! But as the game goes on, you might decide that maybe aiming to preserve the status quo might not be the best decision.

[df0]

So here's a bit of a weird... thing.

 

There's a Japanese Hololive Youtuber called Botan who's playing through Elden Ring. Seeing and hearing her approach general combat and bosses is refreshing and - for me - a teachable moment. She's patient and learning from the encounter. When to dodge, how to dodge, she's counting attacks and remembers when there's a gap to attack. There's no yelling or screaming, no complaining. She plays, observes and wins.

 

If you're kind of stuck, give her a watch. I don't recommend watching a 6 hour live stream, and thanks to clippers you do to have to. Also, clippers provide the translation so you can understand what she's saying.

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=elden+ring+botan

[Down by Law]

I stopped playing it when I got the next gen version of Cyberpunk. To be fair Cyberpunk is such a good game now it's actually a functioning product I havent played anything else in the last 6 weeks

[Djx]

18 minutes ago, df0 said:

There's a Japanese Hololive Youtuber called Botan who's playing through Elden Ring.

 

Would also recommend Hololive English's Ina. Totally chill despite all the challenges the game throws her way -   

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQZecHYc3j2pK9LwGfXQXd3MGQm02DZfZ

[jonny_rat]

I think I've already said something like this in the main thread, but it isn't easy to make a blanket statement on ER's difficulty. I got to Sister Friede in DS3 last night and was plugging away, nearly had her in the third phase: then I got a bit tired of it and summoned Gael for the last bit, which trivialised it. But another few tries and I think I'd have got there. Alright, maybe five. Possibly ten.

 

ER.. is not this. I was nowhere near soloing some of those bosses, even after many attempts. It regularly went beyond the number of times - or amount of time - that I would usually spend on a Souls boss before managing it on my own. I don't think I'd change a thing re: the game's balancing, but it's both an easier and harder game than their previous titles, depending on your own preferences for how you play and progress (and this is where Sekiro is the unique one, because you don't get much scope for setting your own rules there).

[Gorf]

I bought a used copy on eBay the day after release after reading all the hype on here. Seller told it wasn’t his cup of tea after trying it for half an hour, imagine doing that!

 

I’m only about 30 hours in, not touched it in over a week now. Its great and I’ll go back to it but I’ve got very limited time to play games these days. I’ve also picked up Gran Turismo 7 now so it’s gone down the pecking order.

[Popo]

I gave up on trying to follow the Elden Ring thread. 

[Karzee]

 

[Steve McQueef]

- why you stopped playing

 

Because I was horrifically shit at it and have better things to do. 

 

- which, if any, boss was the straw that broke the camel’s back or if you just got bored/fed up

 

I lost count of the number cunts I ran into. 

 

- how many hours you played before giving up.

 

Dunno, but I bailed quite early. 

 

It's currently uninstalled. 

 

 

[5R7]

14 minutes ago, Steve McQueef said:

- why you stopped playing

 

Because I was horrifically shit at it and have better things to do. 

 

- which, if any, boss was the straw that broke the camel’s back or if you just got bored/fed up

 

I lost count of the number cunts I ran into. 

 

- how many hours you played before giving up.

 

Dunno, but I bailed quite early. 

 

It's currently uninstalled. 

 

 

Git gud scrub

[Qazimod]

On 19/04/2022 at 08:35, JoeK said:

The comments about the ‘journey’ being the important point chimes for me totally. I think that’s what I want from the game, yet I’m finding being clobbered the umpteenth time by something exhausting. I don’t get the thrill from finally killing a boss that I know a lot of people clearly do, and realistically all I want to do is wander the land and look at stuff.

 

I suspect I may well mod the thing to allow me to do just that! 

I’ve mentioned this in another thread (maybe my “easy mode” topic?) but I would be fascinated to see what From could do with a Souls game dark fantasy action RPG that didn’t have “combat”. Even without enemies or bosses, you could still have mechanical traps seen in chalice dungeons and ER’s catacombs, you could have environmental puzzles as you work out how to reach areas or unlock doors, you could set NPC questlines in motion, betraying or allying with people. It would be a very different experience, and as a fan of some of the combat encounters I understand that you’d be “losing” a lot, but I’d love to see the attempt.