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[Captain Pants]

This isn't enough info to warrant a new thread, but I just saw this article on my google alerts for the game. It comes courtesy of Now Gamer.

Speaking with NowGamer, Hidetaka Miyazaki, game director at From Software, said how it had "no intent to make it easier for new users".
Miyazaki went on to explain, "We hope to provide a more difficult experience but a more rewarding experience, even to the newbies," said Miyazaki, who then described Dark Souls as "more satisfactory".

Part of this reward will come from online interactions: "players on the same online environment will be able to share the experiences each player has and they will be able to benefit or de-benefit from that."

Miyazaki then confirmed that Dark Souls is, in fact, not an open-world game, though exploration will still be a key element. "The concept is several more dungeons and several areas that are interconnected so the player can have more discoveries."
"The world that the player can travel in and all the interconnected dungeons have been very specifically designed so that everything you can see can be explored."

 

[Canova]

yeah we've known those facts all along

 

[Captain Pants]

yeah we've known those facts all along

I guess I'd never read that it wasn't as open as certain news outlets were making it out to be.

 

[carlo6529]

I guess I'd never read that it wasn't as open as certain news outlets were making it out to be.

I didn't know this aswell; a little disappointing but it's ok.

 

[shattyboombatty]

Any word on party chat on 360? Some games actually disallow you from using it to talk right?

at first I HATED not being able to talk to my friends while we played Demons Souls, but I actually ended up enjoying that limitation when playing with random people online. It just felt... more mysterious. As for playing with friends, we ended up just jumping into a 360 party chat, then swapped the tvs over to the ps3 source and proceeded to chat normally. =)

 

[NovemberMike]

Hmm? What happened to "It will be harder than Demon's Souls"?

Demon's Souls isn't a hard game. It's unforgiving, it punishes you for being stupid and it forces you to actually think about what you are doing, but it isn't actually all that hard. Anyone should be able to beat it if they approach it with the right philosophy.

 

[Captain Pants]

Dark Souls world to be 1.5 times bigger than Demon's Souls

1UP: Probably the biggest change is the introduction of a seamless world. Will players find unique bosses guarding different parts of the map like in Demon's Souls? Are they divided into multiple sections?

Hitaka Miyazaki: To clearly pose a sense of achievement to the players, we will most likely maintain the "one map plus boss" format. However, the game will not completely be structured in this way.

1UP: Just how big do you expect the map to be?

HM: For simplicity of explanation, as compared to Demon's Souls, the map will be approximately 1.5 times the size. It may feel even bigger to the players.

1UP: What sorts of things will players be able to do while exploring the map? Are you planning to include hidden areas and sidequests?

HM: Not so much hidden maps, but there will be areas that are hidden away that are not critical to game completion. In regards to side quests, they won?t be stated as specific quests, but we will implement small events to encourage players to create their own mini objectives.

1UP: With the "Soul Tendency" feature being removed, are you planning on creating something new to replace it?

HM: For Dark Souls, we will be implementing several new online features, but there will not be one aimed specifically to replace "Soul Tendency." This game will use a new network system which does not utilize a specific server. We plan to provide a new online experience using this new method.

Rad!

 

[Canova]

Dark Souls world to be 1.5 times bigger than Demon's Souls



Rad!

thanks, scythe might be one of the new weapons!!

1UP: What kind of weapons are you planning on including in this version? Scythes? Whips?

HM: We unfortunately can not release information regarding specific weapons at this time. Please look forward to more updates to come. However, the "Scythe of the death god" is a favorite motif. Personally I would definitely like to use it for Dark Souls.

1UP: Some of the classes were very powerful in Demon's Souls, such as Royalty. Will there be many new classes in Dark Souls, and what steps will you take to ensure that they're balanced?

HM: We unfortunately can not release very much information regarding classes at this point in time. Please look forward to more details to come. Further, for Dark Souls, we will most likely not call the initial character settings and equipping "classes."

1UP: The Demon's Souls story gave us a glimpse of an interesting world, but never went into much detail. Will that change with Dark Souls?

HM: I wanted to create a game where, ideally, the player's game play would, "become a story in itself." Hence, there is little difference in terms of approach to the concept of a story from Demon?s Souls.

1UP: Will Xbox Live being a subscription-based service have any impact on the online components in Dark Souls?

HM: Hmmm, this is a difficult question, and it is difficult for me to answer. However, we will make sure we create the game to be enjoyable offline as well, and so even if players can not play online, this should not be an issue.

 

[Captain Pants]

thanks, scythe might be one of the new weapons!!

I can't wait to see the weapon variety in this. I'll probably stick to my trusty uchigatana.

 

[Canova]

I can't wait to see the weapon variety in this. I'll probably stick to my trusty uchigatana.

yeah me too.

I also hope they enhance dual wield mechanic

 

[Teknoman]

Now that I think about it...XBL could mess up the way things are supposed to work online. Not with the whole party chat scenario, but just requiring gold to play online.

 

[CountAntonius]

I really want to know what they are planning with this new online infrastructure.

 

[astroturfing]

I can't wait to see the weapon variety in this. I'll probably stick to my trusty uchigatana.

you and me both. you wouldn't believe how ridiculously many hours i sticked with my sharp uchigatana..

 

[indigo-cyclops]

you and me both. you wouldn't believe how ridiculously many hours i sticked with my sharp uchigatana..

Me as well, I've got an Uchigatana for each stone that is allowed.

Can't wait to see what they've added weapon wise though.

 

[oracrest]

yeah me too.

I also hope they enhance dual wield mechanic

They seem to stick to the traditional weapon types.

I gotta gut feeling that the flail will make an appearance in the next one.

 

[TreIII]

Yes yes yes...!

It's been a long time, but Namco may stand to be dominating my PS3 starting this year.

 

[psykomyko]

Can't wait for this game. Just started playing Demon's Souls and I love it!

 

[Zeliard]

yeah me too.

I also hope they enhance dual wield mechanic

It's supposed to include an actual dual wield mechanic now. One of the interviews mentioned that it'll be meant for more advanced players, presumably since blocking power will be lessened dramatically, but with a likely big boost in offense. It puts more emphasis on risk/reward in a game that's already heavy with it. Which is awesome.

 

[mollipen]

1.5 times the size is rather disappointing. Loved Demon's Souls, but one thing it desperately needed was to be larger territory-wise (that, or have every stage be more "timeless" and more replayable).

 

[JackSmithy]

Let me preface this by saying I have total faith in From and Demon's Souls is in my top fave 10 games of all time, but I don't understand when he says the game has a seamless world and then starts talking about map size.

I thought they were doing a dungeon within the over-world kinda thing like Zelda or something. Is the overall game 1.5 times Demon's Souls entire game, or are the dungeons incorporated within the seamless over-world larger than individual levels in DS's.

Semantics really because any way they do it is going to be the best.

 

[AKingNamedPaul]

Upon release, people will hate on anything that is too different for them to handle. I will accept whatever these glorious men put on a disc for what it is.

 

[BobTheFork]

Let me preface this by saying I have total faith in From and Demon's Souls is in my top fave 10 games of all time, but I don't understand when he says the game has a seamless world and then starts talking about map size.

I thought they were doing a dungeon within the over-world kinda thing like Zelda or something. Is the overall game 1.5 times Demon's Souls entire game, or are the dungeons incorporated within the seamless over-world larger than individual levels in DS's.

Semantics really because any way they do it is going to be the best.

I'm assuming that the only real difference the Dark Souls world will have have is that instead of a 'portal' you will just walk to the 'dungeon'. So you will have the hub and then you will travel over a mountain path to the start of each map is what I'm seeing.

 

[JackSmithy]

I'm assuming that the only real difference the Dark Souls world will have have is that instead of a 'portal' you will just walk to the 'dungeon'. So you will have the hub and then you will travel over a mountain path to the start of each map is what I'm seeing.

yeah that makes sense. if there is anyone who can put a world together cohesively its From.

some of the areas in demons souls like the defilement swamp and tower of latria would have to be separate in an overworld type game because they take place at night and daytime would ruin alot of the atmosphere, unless they came up with some ingenious way of integrating them like...the closer you get to the 'map' the more the clouds come in and light is depleted or something.

 

[Wallachia]

some friggin GORGEOUS new screens up at IGN:
http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/086/086623/imgs_1.html

 

[Wallachia]

in case anyone missed in the other thread. Gorgeous, right?

 

[mujun]

I wish they would friggin give us a release date already. Hope it's no later than August.

 

[Joei]

I wish they would friggin give us a release date already. Hope it's no later than August.

The OP has a Holiday 11 release stated in it. So probably November or December. That kind of sucks, I think, cause while I absolutely love Demon's Souls and will be buying Dark Souls, I might put it off if it's released close to other, likely shorter games, like Batman, Ico collection, Zelda, etc.

 

[zombieshavebrains]

Man why won't they bring these to the PC

 

[Draft]

I feel like traveling to a "dungeon" and then having to fight deeper and deeper is going to be a huge upgrade over the Archstones from the first game.

 

[elohel]

oh man I want that edge lol

 

[Canova]

Man why won't they bring these to the PC

no. PC can't have this

 

[BobTheFork]

Man why won't they bring these to the PC

:3
nope, it's ours!