BloodyTears92
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jul 1, 2016 16:28:19 GMT -6
I mentioned this elsewhere but if we're going to have a Crafting thread I can expand here too. There are a lot of things I find appealing about the idea of a DoS style system where you fuse weapons with shards to get stronger weapons:
1. It frees up the team needing to come up with dozens and dozens of powers. Some enemies might not drop a shard that gives Miriam a new power, but they drop important crafting materials, and thus the creature is still valuable in terms of the grinding economy.
2. It helps the Castle itself feel less cluttered with gear. There don't need to be 12 whips scattered around, just 2 or 3, and you use the materials to upgrade them into unique, powerful weapons. >Examples: -Leather Whip+Evil Plant Essence=Thorn Whip. Thorn Whip+Fire Demon Essence=Inferno Whip -Old Whip+Steel=Chain Whip. Chain Whip+Pure Crystal=Crystal Whip That feels more dynamic to me that just having a leather, thorn, chain, crystal and fire whip scattered in corners/enemy drops. It also makes actual gear found/dropped feel more valuable since there isn't as much of it.
3. It just generally makes the game's loot feel more diverse. What will this new enemy drop? A new power? important reagents? consumables? new gear?
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 30, 2016 15:00:10 GMT -6
I also feel like its fine if there are enemies that don't drop shards. I'd rather have 30 abilities that are effective and unique as opposed to 100 abilities where you inevitably have overlap. There are other things enemies can drop: consumables, equipment, crafting materials etc.So Maybe the Crow Demon doesnt drop a shard (though I imagine that Stained Glass Crow will be a summon shard like Amy) but he drops an item that makes a wind-katana or something. The crafting system allows for a lot of "drop flexibility" on top of the shard abilities.
Plus the idea of augmenting your weapons with drops from enemies as you progress means there could be less clutter in the game world itself. Need there be 12 whips lying around the castle? Or just 2-3 that get crafted into 3 really powerful whips with cool effects?
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 30, 2016 12:51:00 GMT -6
If they wanted to use a 3D model that reflects what Miriam is wearing/what condition she's in I'd be down for that, though I agree it should move if that's what they want: breathing and blinking at least. However it would also aid in the "traditional" feel if instead it was a static portrait drawn by Natsume.
I'd be down for either option honestly but giving people what they want out of the 3D model seems like a lot more work than, say, having an artist draw a nice portrait while the programers take over production.
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 30, 2016 11:20:17 GMT -6
Tutorials are a tricky thing to handle, and I also agree that the "death of the manual" is what really brought them on. I know a lot of us backed the game enough to get a manual but that's more for our nostalgia ans obviously isnt going to be available to the general public.
Someone mentioned Dark Souls and I find that agreeable. Imagine if the Galleon Minerva had Stained Glass Runes on the ground or something to that effect: if you interact with them, you get tutorial messages, or if you know what you're doing you walk right over them and everything's dandy. Its a great way to give newcomers to the game.genre what they need but for veterans we can just get on with our intro level just fine.
Another way would be the Devil May Cry/Fire Emblem method: have a Glossary in the menu itself that explains terms/controls/mechanics etc. Its another way to have the tutorials readily available at all times but not forcefully dumped on you.
I can understand and agree with the concerns of many here. This is hardly my first IGAvania rodeo, I've been doing it for years and I dont need any help aside from the obvious specific/new mechanics like rotating your arm to free-aim spells.
Of course the quickest and dirtiest solution is to just have pop-up messages and at the start of the game ask players if they do or don't want them.
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BloodyTears92
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 27, 2016 19:23:31 GMT -6
I had one thought, and if someone else already had it maybe I'm just parroting, but I have to wonder if the "Effective" shard category will cover abilities like "Winestained" and her "Conjure Magic Throne" for MP regen, more of an "active buff" in addition to her raw passive buff shard. It could even include things like the "Stances" Jonathan had in PoR.
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 27, 2016 14:50:26 GMT -6
A single castle being almost double the size of SOTN's is pretty scary to think about but also pretty exciting when one considers the variety of areas within the castle that could be used. It makes things like Caverns under the castle, Gardens, Theatres, Dungeons (and basically a lot of the ideas we came up with in that Level Design Poll thread from a while back) seem all the more plausible. Of course there is a danger of the exact opposite: The castle promised was so enormous that the team ends up with a number of "generic filler rooms" to pad it out. I'm going to stay positive about this but I wont pretend that such a scenario IS possible.
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 27, 2016 14:31:12 GMT -6
I agree that having them was fun in and of themselves and fleshed out Alucard's skillset, and I agree that stuff like that was just another layer of depth that IGA and his team put into SOTN, but honestly now that we have the demo and can see that Miriam has: -Weapons -Trigger spells -Directional spells -Passive buffs -Familiars -Whatever the "Effective" shard slot does
I am now of a mind that having even MORE spells that are activated via commands is very unnecessary. Think about it this way: compared to characters like Soma or Shanoa, Alucard has a much more limited "box of toys". He has his two weapon slots, a subweapon, his familiars, his transformations and a handful of spells. The directional spells added a lot to that kit and gave Alucard a lot of flash and character, but Miriam? Its looking like she might have the biggest "box of toys" to date. Now obviously this is a very natural progression that IGA and crew have experiment with over the years, but I feel like the mechanic was good when it happened but is no longer needed.
I could still get behind, say, each weapon class having a "special attack"; like the "Weapon Arts" from Dark Souls 3, (or the "critical attacks" from Dawn of Sorrow to list an in-series reference point) just for an example, but in light of what we've seen, pressing up/down/up/down/A+B to throw out yet more spells just doesn't seem needed considering the huge list of skills Miriam is looking to have.
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BloodyTears92
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 22, 2016 22:55:57 GMT -6
THis might purely be about my laptop not being powerful enough to handle the game (I ordered PS4 but decided to give the demo a whirl on my Steam account because why not) and i can also confirm that the Morte do not seem to be registering me hitting them.
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BloodyTears92
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 11, 2016 20:40:59 GMT -6
I've been hunting through my 'vania soundtracks to find this, and I gotta say the new track in the dev video has the same vibes as this song from COD. Which is amazing, since Curse actually has my favorite videogame soundtrack and of the two Yamane track we've heard I feel it resembles Curse of Darkness's tracks the strongest. I really hope we get to hear the full track in a future update. I own the soundtracks to SOTN and COD and Im glad I went in deep enough to get this game's soundtrack as well.
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BloodyTears92
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 11, 2016 20:14:34 GMT -6
As others have mentioned, monthly updates are pretty necessary. A lot of people have hundreds if not THOUSANDS of dollars invested in the game, and in general people want to see updates as an assurance that the game is on track. If devs go quiet people get angry. Heck, pop over to the KS page comments section for this very game towards the end of the month and you will see people getting antsy about getting their news on time, every time.
As for content, I think what we've seen is fair: A couple of weapon designs, some sections of the very first stage, and 3 enemies of what will likely by out of dozens in the final bestiary. The average trailer shows a great deal more than this. granted we've got a year to go, likely a bit longer than a year, so we will see more, but I have confidence that IGA and the team won't show us something insane like the Gebel fight, or go into detail about characters and stories. At BEST we may get a brief look at how Zangetsu plays.
What I predict is: -Details on how the graphics are progressing as players point out flaws like clipping or lighting sources, etc. -Player feedback on the Demo and how they plan to address concerns -Details on a handful of Miriam's abilities: like in-game footage of her Wine-toss or Conjure-Throne spells. -Maybe a familiar or two, a couple more weapons -One or two other locations to demonstrate the variety in the level design and assure fans that its not all dark hallways and bell towers (obviously we've already got a ship but I mean things like a Garden or something) -Details on what the launch will include since its a hot topic for us right now -Flesh out the modes unlocked via stretch goals -IGA's cosplay promise this October
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BloodyTears92
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 9, 2016 8:29:39 GMT -6
I also feel this is a bad idea. Adding animations to show Miriam climbing various platforms could easily slow down the flow of movement. The pace of 'vania platforming has been virtually the same for nearly 20 years. I also agree with Astaroth in that people just tend not to think about these things: its a video game.
An additional note is that having her climb up and down with platform detection would make the game feel a lot like Mirror of Fate, Assassin's Creed Chronicles (just to make it clear I really like these games, but I know some really DON'T like them and I can still make my point) and other modern sidescrollers. Its a distinction I feel is important: in modern platformers you "climb up platforms" but in Castlevania, you "jump across platforms". Its much faster and maintains your momentum, which is a subtle but critical element that makes this game "feel" like the classics Bloodstained is trying to emulate.
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 7, 2016 15:26:50 GMT -6
So I will freely admit. When I watched the video, saw the stage and the gameplay and the art and heard Yamane's music...I squeed. I SQUEED. This makes me so happy and confident.
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 6, 2016 12:33:03 GMT -6
Hmm, I know what you mean and in some games (Like Fire Emblem) it works well since the games transition between an overworld and a "Battle Area" but Caslevania games don't really have that. To me its more about setting a mood or ambiance that gets you into a groove as you move through an area. It worked (how well is up to you) in Mirror of Fate because enemy encounters were a bigger focus: enemies had a lot more health and were in general more dangerous than the average 'Vania mob, thus swapping from an "ambient" theme to a "combat" theme made more sense.
If done poorly the music could bounce back and forth like a hyper child on sugar as you move through a zone OHKO-ing everything.
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Jun 6, 2016 12:21:22 GMT -6
As I've said before, I backed at a purely physical tier and I'm very much NOT okay with waiting weeks, if not MONTHS after the initial release to receive the game. That just isn't fair to me or anyone who backed at $100 plus in my opinion.
What I expect in the initial launch: -full camaign -Boss Rush Mode -All 3 playable characters -Sound test -Local Co-OP -Costumes -NG+ -Nightmare difficulty -cheat codes -speed run mode
The standard IGA package
What I expect to get later/seperate: -Online features/co-op -Roguelike Mode -Boss Revenge Mode -Prequel minigame -classic mode
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on May 11, 2016 18:39:59 GMT -6
I'd love something like a Garden or Greenhouse, plus maybe some Caves under the castle. There'll likely be plenty of balconies and open air courtyards too, to show off some "outside" backdrops. The castle is the main player of course but I agree I'd love a few "rooms" that let us outside.
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BloodyTears92
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Post by BloodyTears92 on May 10, 2016 19:04:21 GMT -6
As someone who backed for just a physical copy, I'd be pretty mad if digital backers got there's months in advance. I'm fine waiting for Rogue-like mode and Boss Revenge mode, but don't make me wait MONTHS for the main game just because I didn't want digital.
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BloodyTears92
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Apr 29, 2016 17:30:26 GMT -6
Okay I want that to be an idle animation for Miriam. That is a Jojo pose! *Roundabout plays in the background*
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Apr 20, 2016 23:11:32 GMT -6
If I remember right, didn't IGA mention he was thinking of adding 3 more characters in addition to Miriam, Johannes and Gebel? Zengetsu is one of them, so if he stuck to that we have at least 2 other characters. Pretty sure Zangetsu is the 2nd of our 3 playable characters, so that really leaves the third. Between the two we have I'd wager on a Gebel mode over Johannes, but I wouldn't be surprised if our final playable was someone we haven't met yet either.
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Apr 16, 2016 18:09:08 GMT -6
I doubt there will be many outdoors areas, like maybe the entrance/drawbridge and some open courtyards, but I'd love something like a Garden or a Greenhouse so we can have some real greenery and evil plant monsters. Maybe some demon gardeners taking care of it by feeding the red roses blood, etc.
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BloodyTears92
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[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
Posts: 342
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BloodyTears92
[TI1]It is time for darkness. It is a blood banquet.
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Post by BloodyTears92 on Apr 7, 2016 20:47:52 GMT -6
I personally found a lot of the spells in SOTN to be pretty meh. Rolling out the inputs never felt right and if I id get them to trigger I was rewarded with a lackluster effect for the mana cost. Simply slashing people was so much more effective.
I'd be more interested in a return to something like the Item Crashes, or the special attacks from Dawn of Sorrow/Order of Ecclesia. Having some flashier attack animations could also add the flair without introducing a Lords of Shadow-esque combat system (which for the record I enjoy Spectacle Fighters a great deal, DMC and Bayonetta are favorite games of mine too) But I agree a combo system feels too far away from an IGAvania. 'Vania games were never really about the combat. As long as it was nice and responsive with unique weapon animations that was always enough.
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