Going through NG+ made me realize...
Being able to warp to any bonfire was indeed a bad move, in my opinion.
Edit: As some people are misunderstanding, I'm not talking about having the ability to warp from the beginning of the game. That's fine. I'm taking about being able to warp to any bonfire in the game instead of only certain ones like in DkS1. /edit
At first I really enjoyed the freedom it allowed. But after sinking over 100 hours into my NG playthrough, my NG+ run is making me realize how many places I only ever saw once in the entire game. The world ends up feeling very "videogame level" based. Like a Mario world, just warp to level 4-2.
I think it directly contributes to the complaints about the world not feeling as connected as DkS1. Obviously the design itself is definitely not as connected, but it feels even less so when you're constantly seeing the same short parts over again and skipping all of the connecting areas.
Thoughts?
Posted Apr 12, 2014, 9:35 PM UTC · edited
Agreed. I would've preferred a system with, say, "Great Bonfires" that can be warped to, each having a firekeeper somewhere, and then "Minor Bonfires" peppered throughout an area that cannot be warped to or from.
Of course, that would require completely different level design.
I think this is the best solutions I've seen so far for it. I really enjoyed being able to immediately warp at first, but by my second playthrough I realised that I'd already forgotten how to get to certain areas and where other areas lead to. It's a real shame, especially since DS1 did such a good job of forcing you to become familiar with the layout and got around the issues of long travel times by adding shortcuts and clever level design.
I must have a really good memory, as I didn't have that issue. I felt like the levels could have been a little denser, but I was overall satisfied with the experience in NG and NG+
So basically like Dark souls 1
No. There are some areas in Dark Souls 1 that you just can't warp to, like Lost Izalith and Catacombs.
He mentioned that you can't warp from lesser bonfires, so it gives you less mobility throughout the level.
I don't think different world/level design would necessarily hurt. I preferred the more real/believable and actually connected world of DS1. That being said DS2 is a great game and Bell Bro PVP is amazing.
Yeah, the areas of the game feel pretty disconnected at times. Hell I still have no freaking clue how the Iron Keep can physically be where it is (going up an elevater on the Earthern peak takes you to that? Dafuq?)
Bingo.
The world of Dark Souls 2 feels a lot less "interconnected" than it did in Dark Souls 1. There are a lot less shortcuts between areas, so it tends to make the world feel a lot like "two different pathways leading to isolated areas" than "two different pathways that ends in the same place"
I like this idea, but maybe with a one-way warp available from normal bonfires, but only ever to the specific bonfires. So from anywhere, you could return to a blacksmith or whatever, but you would then have to go back through the area normally. Much like the terminals often work in MegaTen - longer dungeons usually have a large terminal near the beginning, with small ones that you can only one-way back to the large from. Hell, maybe even go a step farther, and include a rare item that you burn at a bonfire to allow warping to it from anywhere.
Well the bonfires at the end of the rat and bell covenant areas better remain warpable to. I do not want to be invaded just trying to go through the area again.
Actually I would have liked if you needed to light all the Sconces in an area to be able to warp to the bonfire there. Would have made lighting sconces mean more.