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Post by GenericSoda on Mar 8, 2016 17:34:35 GMT -6
Yeah I read this topic and I couldn't disagree more about OoE's bosses and weapon variety. I used the sickle and rapier glyphs just as much as the Nitesco glyph. Theres always a use for the weapon glyphs because of how they combine so interestingly with the magic glyphs and are generally faster. The Eligor fight never played out the same way twice - for me anyway - because of how tricky it is, but I'll admit it gets a bit fiddly as a result. Blackmore is one of my favorite Castlevania bosses because he doesn't rely on gimmicks and it falls entirely on the player to figure him out. It's not as if ducking is something you won't do often, there are plenty of enemies in the game that can be ducked, and tons of bosses in previous games that require ducking. I also disagree about the use of "spacing" because the first three bosses are basically a tutorial for Magnes, a glyph whose sole purpose is mobility. The bosses that do kill mobility (honestly, Blackmore is the only one I can think of off the top of my head) are a welcome change. I guess the smaller levels are a mark against OoE, but in all honesty, it's not that much different from just using the warp to get around a big castle.
I've always thought that the bosses in IGAvania game were great because they were basically just normal enemies with a wider variety of attacks. I'd love to see harder difficulties implement stuff like feints or attacks that come out more quickly. I'll be the first to admit that they're not always super difficult, but the difficulty always comes from the player learning how to adapt to their attacks rather than unfair situations.
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Post by GenericSoda on Mar 7, 2016 19:58:06 GMT -6
I wish there was at least some kind of dodge mechanic that would let you do cool stuff depending on what weapon you're using (mashing out attacks with the katana, sending an enemy flying with a hammer) but I feel like this is for the best. OoE's combat is basically the best in the series, so the more of that we get the better. I really would like some kind of super attack depending on what weapon you're using to vary up combat though, either using a separate resource or a bunch of magic. Dawn of Sorrow's version of this was really underwhelming though, so if we do get one I'd love to see a unique super for each weapon, rather than just weapon types and a cool special attack for top tier weapons.
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Post by GenericSoda on Mar 7, 2016 19:43:11 GMT -6
I think the main thing I'd like the devs to take away from this thread isn't just the levels in the polls, but more the posts being made. I absolutely think the best thing to keep in mind would be connecting level ideas together (mixing an underground waterway with the basement and add in a wine cellar in a room or two, or mixing an observatory with the library), and having interactive elements in the levels. On the topic of level design, one poll idea I feel is underappreciated is the "unique rooms" option. There's one area in the Arena of AoS where you ascend, and it gets reused for the Chaotic Realm except in reverse, so the focus is on descending. It has an amazing twisting layout that really forces you to think about which Souls to use going through it on both occasions because of how you're made to approach it each time. The enemy placement is really great and surprising as well, which only adds to it. I think it's integral to have stellar enemy placement combined with unorthodox level layout, especially later in the game. There's a bit in OoE ( about 22:30 here) where you get a couple of Tin Men thrown at you in a very tight space so it's tough to avoid them, and trying to fight against them is rough because of the way the tables are placed. You're also required to go through it to progress, and it's before you get the Volaticus glyph so you can't just cheese it with Torpor. There's clearly a lot of thought put into this very simple area. Additionally, it's tough going back through this room because of the gauntlet of enemies standing between you and the Cerberus glyph afterward. As a final note, I feel like OoE balanced potion cost vs potency really well, so this area feels like a trial both against a bunch of strong enemies and your wallet. I really want Bloodstained to have a bunch of rooms like the two I mentioned, but they should be used somewhat sparingly until the late game so the difficulty doesn't get crushing.
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Post by GenericSoda on Mar 5, 2016 19:54:38 GMT -6
some of these areas could work really well together as sort of sub areas of a larger area, like you enter what looks like a zoo, with a building that houses the exotic pets, and after exploring a bit you find a staircase down into a test subject area, all along you face enemies that start out normalish but progress to things like chimera or cockatrice, and then you get to the abominations where the devs just go nuts with random body parts, culminating with a mini/boss fight against this thing that randomly reconfigures itself to attack with different limbs and spews various secretions that inflict status effects Yeah this. The Dance Hall in Aria of Sorrow sort of doubled as a basement area, with constructed catacombs beneath it. I feel like not every one of the areas needs to be included as its own separate level, but if they sort of bleed together into a coherent stream it would work out for the best.
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Post by GenericSoda on Mar 5, 2016 19:48:22 GMT -6
I brought up Xrd because I have a hard-on for Guilty Gear and it's objectively the best-looking current-gen fighter on the market, and it just happens to use cel-shaded graphics.
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Post by GenericSoda on Mar 4, 2016 19:42:34 GMT -6
...I knew I was forgetting something But I see a lack of haunted or horror theme areas,even a haunted section of the castle with zombies and ghosts,werewolves and little terrors that pop out from the background (either scare traps or enemies) should have been mentioned I mean im sure the whole castle is haunted,bbut having an area with creepy music and jump scares is something I must insist upon since it sticks with the castlevania theme and then maybe if we are feeling generous a haunted carnival within the deeper into the area with some mirrors and wicked clowns,because everyone hates clowns,be a nice area to stack up on candy themed item drops and popcorn,and maybe ride a rollercoaster straight deeper into the depths of the castle Nice to see people are voting for the sacraficial chamber idea I mentioned I read an article recently that Italian operas used to have creepy guys in masks just prowl throughout the audience to spook people mid-performance. I think that would be a cool take on the typical "carnival" theme. Especially if a gigantic opera hall is the first area you actually encounter Gebel in!
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Post by GenericSoda on Mar 4, 2016 19:32:38 GMT -6
The second I saw "Observatory" I knew we needed it. Astrology and the occult often go hand in hand, so it would make sense for an observatory to be a higher level of the castle. Plus, isn't one of the revealed bosses a monster that reflects moonlight? It would be a perfect thematic fit!
A boiler room would be a neat addition, since it would be period relevant, what with the industrial revolution and all. It's something we haven't really seen before in Castlevania so it'd be a welcome change of pace.
Balconies, bridges, and terraces are next on my thumbs-up list. I love the idea of scaling an outer wall by leaping from crumbling bridges to extravagant balconies that overlook a grand courtyard. It would present a good opportunity for hidden items too, like intentionally missing a jump to fall to a lower balcony. The great visual flair they would provide is just icing on the cake. Endless ideas that can be done with this.
Also a wine cellar area would be great. Gebel looks like the kind of flamboyant goof who would definitely care about his wine despite suffering through his curse.
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Post by GenericSoda on Mar 4, 2016 19:22:23 GMT -6
I need ur halp
I really like making playlists of music for no real reason, and being a gigantic Castlevania fan, I was really happy when I found a playlist on a Castlevania Facebook page. That being said, it had a very odd number of songs (45) and I disagreed with some of the choices of music. So, a few additions, subtractions, and around half a year later, I find that I'm far too prissy to settle on a final selection of 50 "quintessential" Castlevania songs, so I turn to you, the army of the night, to help me out. What songs do you consider to be quintessential Castlevania songs? I can post a list of the 50 I've got, but I won't unless I'm asked so I don't clog up the thread.
And on the topic of Bloodstained's music!
I feel like there has to be a good variety of gothic and action-based music. Cursed Orphan is an amazing action theme, very upbeat and fast. It's got a neat focus on strings that almost transcends what you'd expect it so sound like, but still keeps it firmly in that category of "music that gets your blood pumping!" Gothic stuff is the slower paced stuff like Requiem of the Gods or Mystery Manor that set the atmosphere. I think not leaning too much on one or the other is the key to Castlevania's success. SC4 doesn't have enough exciting themes for me so I feel like despite having high-quality music it's fairly weak as far as its OST goes.
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Post by GenericSoda on Feb 9, 2016 20:08:43 GMT -6
time for me to shake my walking stick like the old man i am
Awakening completely burned me out on FE. FE7 is my most played game of all time but Awakening being the grindiest grind I've ever ground is just to much. Fates (Conquest in particular) looks like it fixes the problems by only giving you two promotion routes. I just want to see harder difficulty modes not be stupidly avaricious with their EXP. Seriously, I just killed an enemy with every stat maxed and I only got 8 experience? Bugger off Awakening. FE has always felt like a series where less is more and Awakening just tries to cram too much in for my taste. Fates toning it down while altering pair-up attacks seems neat. Maybe I'll get it.
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Post by GenericSoda on Feb 9, 2016 20:01:21 GMT -6
The first thing I thought when I saw that was "oh no, he's going to get lynched at MagFest" The next thing I thought was if he'd get angry if I asked him to sign a copy of Mega Man X6 I hope nothing bad happens to Inafune at MAGfest, especially since he's only human, prone to making mistakes like everyone else, and his happen to be more public since he's a big figure in gaming. But I also think getting him to sign a copy of X6 would be absolutely hilarious and you should totally do it. It sounds like the gaming equivalent of an 80's college movie frat boy hazing dare. I unironically love X6 though, so I'm just afraid that I might get punched in the face, haha.
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Post by GenericSoda on Feb 9, 2016 19:57:41 GMT -6
east coast is the beast coast
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Post by GenericSoda on Feb 6, 2016 16:15:28 GMT -6
Ok so I've got a mouthful about boss fights.
First and foremost, I think most every Castlevania bosses are pretty much perfect. They are designed to just be attacked over and over without wonky gimmicks that detract from the battle. That's what they do. That's what they're good at.
The absolute most frustrating bosses I can think of are puzzle bosses or bosses that have a gimmick to them; Either the gimmick goes off perfectly and there's no challenge at all, or they refuse to cooperate with getting the gimmick to work and it's a frustrating mess; damned if it works, damned if it doesn't. Additionally, it seems like EVERY action schlock game that's not Castlevania (Gergoth does it ONCE, but it's fine) has a boss that gets stuck/bashes their heads into a wall and are stunned/have their weak point revealed. There's no skill to it, it's either dodge so you can attack them or never be able to attack them ever. Also the Ocarina of Time formula of "use item to stun, follow up with attacks" is pretty bad. They're both pet peeves of mine and the only game I've really seen the former done convincingly in is Shadow of the Colossus.
I don't see the point in putting in a really gimmick that the fight revolves around when fantastic bosses like Blackmore exist; the first time I fought him he did so much damage and attacked at such a pace that I was convinced I needed to go through with some kind of gimmick to make him weaker or lessen the frequency of his attacks, but nope, he just hits like a truck and by god you're going to fight him over and over until you figure him out. And you know what, that victory felt AWESOME. I earned that win super hard, and if I'd had to do some kind of dumb gimmick to get around him, I wouldn't have felt nearly as satisfied in the end.
That's not to say bosses with puzzle elements aren't bad: The Wallmaster and Eligor from the same game have puzzle elements like figuring out the safe spot in his attacks and slowly taking away Eligor's ability to attack before scaling him respectively, but they're both based around thinking intelligently within the boundaries of their attack methods. The Puppetmaster is fine because his doll attack is designed to work present an obstacle for you to work through while he prepares his very slow swapping attack. At the end of the day, gimmicks are completely unnecessary because making an enemy with an attack pattern that you have to figure out and work with is way more satisfying than any 3D Zelda boss. Except for Goht. Goht is awesome.
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Post by GenericSoda on Feb 6, 2016 15:59:27 GMT -6
My ideal Castlevania design doc would have a dodge mechanic and dodging an attack properly would cause a GGXrd-esque time-slow, whild dodging improperly would mean eating extra damage.
So yeah, if something like this was in Bloodstained and it complemented the movement and attacking, I'd be down.
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Post by GenericSoda on Feb 6, 2016 15:52:38 GMT -6
The first thing I thought when I saw that was "oh no, he's going to get lynched at MagFest"
The next thing I thought was if he'd get angry if I asked him to sign a copy of Mega Man X6
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Post by GenericSoda on Feb 1, 2016 18:47:41 GMT -6
Tetris Attack for Wii U with netplay
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Post by GenericSoda on Jan 28, 2016 20:19:49 GMT -6
I'm still interested in Mighty no. 9 (I backed it within a few days of the KS launching, when I was still in school!) but this is getting egregious. I get that the network stuff is really really tough to make at this point, but it's been several delays and a shady Kickstarter later. Throw us a bone, guys. I agree with the commenters who say that what they should do is release the game without online, then patch in the online later. While I do put stock into the 'A delayed game is good eventually, a rushed game is bad forever' viewpoint, the amount of delays this game has gotten is getting cartoonish. In the digital age of post-game patches and Special Editions, this axiom is getting pretty outdated. That being said, the better the base product, the better the foundation to build off of.
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Post by GenericSoda on Jan 23, 2016 0:21:05 GMT -6
I've basically come to the realization that it's the best Tales game because the gameplay budget accidentally went to the story department and music-bending warlock Go Shiina for the soundtrack. I can't consider its story all that great. Imo the story and gameplay were merely passable. I don't remember the music, so I'll have to give it a bit of a listen. It's not so much that Legendia has a fantastic story as it is that Tales of the Abyss completely overhauled the combat in a good way but ended up being - in my opinion - the indisputable nadir of the series in terms of writing.
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Post by GenericSoda on Jan 23, 2016 0:16:06 GMT -6
I LOVE big dumb sentai scarves so this gets a resounding yes from me. That being said I can understand the disappointment at the luminous glow of Miriam's curse being replaced by the ribbons. I guess we'll have to see if it's a visible piece of equipment or not.
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Post by GenericSoda on Jan 21, 2016 21:42:09 GMT -6
999 has such a good soundtrack. I'm so happy that Zero Tie Dilemma is happening.
You know what game has an underrated OST? Tales of Legendia. I've basically come to the realization that it's the best Tales game because the gameplay budget accidentally went to the story department and music-bending warlock Go Shiina for the soundtrack. Here's some example of how eclectic and all over the place this game's music is.
- Slow paced, relaxing full orchestra - Easily my favorite song in the game. Strings, horns, a piano, and funky electronica. This song has everything. - The main boss theme. Game version, the OST version just isn't up to snuff in my opinion. Listen to the bass here! - Vocal version of the game's main theme.
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Post by GenericSoda on Jan 20, 2016 21:22:50 GMT -6
MIRIAM HAS A SCARF NOW, OH MY GOD
I'm a sucker for scarves, just give a character a big dumb sentai scarf and I'll warm up to them.
Aaaanyway, shader 3 is king for me. I love that heavy shading and thick character outlines. It makes the character models look super distinct onscreen, and I like the depth of colors in shader 3 more. Shader 1 looks fine in the background though, I'm fine with either so long as the character models get shader 3.
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