Could an easy mode in next Souls work like this?

Let me start off by saying I don´t think an easy mode in the next souls game is a good idea. As many others do, I think the difficulty should be unchangeable; it adds to the experience.

However, some people seem to want the option, and I had this idea, What if you could set the difficulty to easy, but it would only affect the first area of the game? I´ll use Undead Burg from Dark Souls as an example (I don´t think Undead Asylum has enough content).

Choosing easy mode would let you play through the Undead Burg up to and including the Taurus Demon with decreased enemy health and damage, as well as with additional tutorials. However, you would gain less souls and would not have access to all items in the area. Once you had defeated the boss, there would be a fog gate, and going through it would inform you that the difficulty would be raised from here on out, maybe you could also choose to replay the area again without easy mode. If you opted not to play on easy, the game would progress as usual.

I think this might give new players a chance to adapt and learn the systems.

What do you guys think? I know this is an infected issue; I just wanted to add my thoughts.

I suppose it would work if, when you start a new game, to choose either "with tutorial" or "without tutorial". That would lessen the learning curve for new players, while keeping the difficulty of the game the same.

It seems a large issue has been that some players are not seeing the messages in the undead asylum strictly as a "tutorial" and ignore them. This leads them to knowing none of the controls which makes things significantly more difficult. Also, I like that you expressed that the majority of the game would be unchanged. If there was a true "easy mode"it probably would not be a real souls game. Dark souls is do-able but challenging right from the start, and that is one of the reasons why I got into it. I guess the question is whether or not there needs to be a dedicated tutorial that can hinder the progression of experienced players. I think that it is entirely unneccessary. The idea of the successor to the most brutally fair game I have ever played having an easy mode? Rather ridiculous. People love it as a whole including the difficulty, and sometimes because of that. The people looking for an easy game do not necessarily have to be catered to. There are plenty of other games out there for those who either do not want to or can not handle the difficulty of this type of game.

I don't know why some people want an easy mode as it's already there. First playthrough is easy mode. Normal mode is NG+.

Wait. You're idea is to give people easier enemies, and less souls for a bit, then suddenly throw them into the real DkS, at a lower level expecting less damage? Sorry I dont think that would work at all. Maybe if you did it in a separate area, like a single extra level you played through, but not as part of the game itself.

Nah.

I don't even want to consider this.

No offense, OP--I read your suggestion, and I usually respect people's suggestions and, whether I support them or not, give arguments and constructive criticism to go along with my opinion... But in this case, no! I refuse to even consider the possible implementation of an easy mode in a Souls game.

To put it simply: Demon's and Dark Souls, along with maybe 1 or 2 other games this gen, are the very thin thread holding me onto gaming. Call me an elitist, say it in the most derogatory way you can, but DAMN IT I PLAY DARK SOULS BECAUSE IT'S NOT FOR NOOBS.

So few games nowadays are for core gamers--if we lose this one... well, I don't want to consider it. So I will not offer arguments or criticism, constructive or otherwise, sorry!

We all learned how to play the Game ourselfes .
I want everyone to have as much fun as me while learning how to play the Game and eventually mastering it .
Easy mode (no matter what kind) would destroy this experience and i dont want anyone to miss out on it .
So nah

Too much thought going on in these forums about making a good challenging game easier. Easy mode is inviting 2 phantoms to squish a boss. Nuff said.

It would simply sacrifice too much of the core mechanics and "soul" of the game that make it great. It is punishing you for your mistakes and rewarding your successes from the very start. Taking that away, it just makes the game irrelevant to both the ones looking for an easier game and the ones looking for another true souls game.

Absolutely not. Easy mode is watching youtube videos, consulting wiki, talking with your friends, summoning help.

DKS made a fortune, DES was a smash hit. Why should they need to appeal to more people? Greed?

No easy mode in any way, this game is supposed to be punishing.

I think the game would be alot more entertaining if they threw us, naked, armed with a broken weapon, against drakes on NG++.

Only those truly worthy would survive.

Both demons and dark have easymode tutorials - and then they'll pit you against the tutorial boss

I'll never forget my first encounter with the vanguard...

An easy mode wouldn't work in any souls game, period.

steveswede wrote:I don't know why some people want an easy mode as it's already there. First playthrough is easy mode. Normal mode is NG+.

Pretty much this. "Easy mode" is built into the game. It's reading environmental clues; It's upgrading your weapons and armor; It's summoning Solaire, Lautrec, Beatrice, Mildred, Tarkus and other human players.

It's learning to play the game the way it was meant to be played: progress through struggle.

There can't be an easy mode; if there is, you're not playing a Souls game.

Could also say easy mode is the option to run from the asylum demon the first time . But really it is just the first playthrough teaches you what you need to know, and the rest is there for the real challenge.

I believe that an easy mode in this game is a horrible idea. I like playing difficult games because it gives you a sense of reward and accomplishment when you beat the game. I think the game just needs to an open co op style. Like you can use your friends help even after bosses.

I had a thought for an easy mode, figured I would share it; Grant people the option of starting with their gear at +2-+4, allowing them to have an easier time earlier on. However, also give them green phantoms online so we know who the cowards are.

Slarg232 wrote:I had a thought for an easy mode, figured I would share it; Grant people the option of starting with their gear at +2-+4, allowing them to have an easier time earlier on. However, also give them green phantoms online so we know who the cowards are.

Good one. But still, we don' t need no stinking ez mode. Hehe

:pirat:

Agreed, no ez mode for me, though this would work very well as one.

steveswede wrote:I don't know why some people want an easy mode as it's already there. First playthrough is easy mode. Normal mode is NG+.

^This^

I'm a strong believer that "IF" I say "IFF" a difficulty mode where introduced the only way it would happen is if they designed and balanced a flawless sequel to the souls series with standard difficulty we all know and love and labeled it something related to the game like Soul mode for DeS or Hollow for DkS.

Then there would be another mode called Human available from start where enemies would be faster, stronger (more of an attack boost than defense or health) and all player weapons/spells would exhibit better scaling.

I don't like how games with difficulties claim the hard mode is "the indented game", but Souls isn't any normal game, you'd start up Human mode and before anything there would be a quote from Miyazaki saying "We got a lot of feed back saying players wanted an easier game, so I thought we should show them a hard one."

BIG TIME MASTER wrote:Absolutely not. Easy mode is watching youtube videos, consulting wiki, talking with your friends, summoning help.

DKS made a fortune, DES was a smash hit. Why should they need to appeal to more people? Greed?

Maybe so that they can finance another game.

Just make the game easier and give people the option to start on NG+ right away if they choose. The people who are not good enough to pick it up quickly will get to ease into it and then progress rather then be turned away for not being good enough to join in.

They've got more than enough money to finance another game, with the format they already have. From also makes a lot more than just Souls games and now they have a guaranteed publisher with Namco Bandai, who seem to be pretty happy marketing to the more hardcore gamer. 2+ million sales is more than enough for a huge profit with a lower budget game like Dark Souls.
Also.

Now I'm going back to Monster Hunter.

Demon's and Dark had an easy mode tossed in without altering the fabric of gameplay.

In Demon's it was starting as a Royal.

In Dark it was starting as a Pyro.

Both classes equipped you with certain starter gear that made the sledding a bit easier at the onset. That is about as much a compromise that we will get, or should hope for. The formula for this game and it's atmosphere turned lead into gold. You simply cannot remake the wheel without changing how the journey feels.