The games do appeal to me, and the only thing keeping me from liking them is something totally arbitrary.
When it comes to DD1, this is where you’re wrong. The way fast travel works isn’t some kind of arbitrary decision. It’s a core mechanic that forced the player to think and prepare their next move. When you traveled to a location you had the option of taking a relatively easier, but longer, route over the mountain. Or you could take a more perilous but shorter route through a cave. Both had their ups and downs. You’d need a light source and maybe more healing items in the cave, but you’d save time and maybe find better items. But what if you need harpy feathers? Or need a specific item from a different monster? You’d take a different approach all together.
That also meant you couldn’t just teleport across the map for a certain item to where it’s more convenient to get. It meant improvising, foraging or maybe buying it from a local merchant for a higher price. It forced you to think, and it punished the unprepared. To me, that was very satisfying. Made the world feel more real and tangible you know? Just like older RPGs like Morrowind used to. Until TES got absolutely destroyed by Bethesda so that nothing you do actually matters anymore. All because they wanted to appeal to everyone.
It’s also not about it being hard or anything. I dislike the Souls games because they’re set up to be unfair. But I don’t go around telling people they’re wrong for liking it or making up some insane statistic like “99% of players hated it”. I just come to the conclusion that there are other games out there that I enjoy, and move on with my life.
But I don’t go around telling people they’re wrong for liking it
Neither do I. Actually, if you read my comment, you’ll see that I said that “I want [fast travel/easier difficulties] to be an option, not the default. I don’t want to take anything away from you if you personally enjoy the hardcore, no fast travel, fight the same enemies a hundred times approach. I would personally like to be able to move on so I can see what happens next in the story.”
or making up some insane statistic like “99% of players hated it”.
It’s not insane to say that a majority of people who played the game were not fond of the travel times, hence the widespread demand for fast travel. I was being hyperbolic for dramatic effect when I said “literally 99% hated it.”
When it comes to DD1, this is where you’re wrong. The way fast travel works isn’t some kind of arbitrary decision. It’s a core mechanic that forced the player to think and prepare their next move. When you traveled to a location you had the option of taking a relatively easier, but longer, route over the mountain. Or you could take a more perilous but shorter route through a cave. Both had their ups and downs. You’d need a light source and maybe more healing items in the cave, but you’d save time and maybe find better items. But what if you need harpy feathers? Or need a specific item from a different monster? You’d take a different approach all together.
That also meant you couldn’t just teleport across the map for a certain item to where it’s more convenient to get. It meant improvising, foraging or maybe buying it from a local merchant for a higher price. It forced you to think, and it punished the unprepared. To me, that was very satisfying. Made the world feel more real and tangible you know? Just like older RPGs like Morrowind used to. Until TES got absolutely destroyed by Bethesda so that nothing you do actually matters anymore. All because they wanted to appeal to everyone.
It’s also not about it being hard or anything. I dislike the Souls games because they’re set up to be unfair. But I don’t go around telling people they’re wrong for liking it or making up some insane statistic like “99% of players hated it”. I just come to the conclusion that there are other games out there that I enjoy, and move on with my life.
Neither do I. Actually, if you read my comment, you’ll see that I said that “I want [fast travel/easier difficulties] to be an option, not the default. I don’t want to take anything away from you if you personally enjoy the hardcore, no fast travel, fight the same enemies a hundred times approach. I would personally like to be able to move on so I can see what happens next in the story.”
It’s not insane to say that a majority of people who played the game were not fond of the travel times, hence the widespread demand for fast travel. I was being hyperbolic for dramatic effect when I said “literally 99% hated it.”