Howzit Cobra, glad we agree on some points. :-)
Last night I played a bit of Battlefield 2 after a hard day at work. You can be the Commander or the Squad Leader, so guess which one I chose? None! I just run around and shoot anything that moves! I understand that most of the time we don't have time to play DS2 or any RPG, because playing it means at least an hour of play - and that's quick! Sometimes I just wanna play something that you don't have to think much.
In DS2 as well, I'll gear up and go beat a couple of monsters without knowing where I'm heading. Just getting lost on the map. Yes, it does get tedious and boring when you have to catch up on secondary quests, and there being no challenge anymore.
About hard and easy. Most games I play, I'll start at Easy/Novice/Rookie/Beginner, whatever is easiest. In BF2 I'm only now playing Veteran and I think the last one is also something like Elite/Hard. I'm an average FPS player so I never actually mess around with HARD, because that's for the guys who really have the skills and knowledge about the game. Driving simulators. Select easy mode and you're off into the sunset. You drive around like a pro and win every race - that to me is a form of relaxation. Now select HARD and see what happens. Throw Manual Gearbox into the picture, and its CHAOS!! Manual Gearbox and Hard difficulty levels in Racing Sims is for guys who really have the skills and knowledge about the game. See where I'm getting at?DS2's EASY is as difficult as EASY on a FPS or Racing Game. Right?
Now, can you compare DS2'2 Veteran with the same difficulty level of an FPS or Racing Game?
What about Elite?
DS2 can be such a perfect game, because it caters for EVERYONE. MERC should be there for Newbies and they should finish it - that makes me happy. Take on VETERAN, and your skills should come into play more and obviously ELITE - ELITE should be there for the ELITE. Elite is for the guys who play FPS, RTS, Racing Games, Sportsgames and any other game on VERY VERY VERY HARD and who really have the skills and knowledge about the game. A guy like me shouldn't be able to finish DS2 on Elite, because there is no other game out there, that I can finish on the hardest level. I'm just an average (maybe skilled - got nothing to boast about - maybe shotgun-killing-sprees on FPS games) gamer, and finishing DS2 on Elite made me feel that 'accomplishment' you mentioned, because I thought, this might be the genre I'm actually good at, but then you realize that every Tom, Dick and Harry can finish it, just as powerful as you, them having not done a tenth of the work I put into my party. That's why I feel the need to challenge online players, because DS2 ELITE didnt prove anything.So you see, where do I actually stand? Am I good at RPGs or not? Finishing DS2 on ELITE actually means nothing, as I read the forums.
DS2 doesn't comply to those levels - it works the other way around. Don't ge me wrong, DS2 is still a very cool game, not because of how strong your characters are and so on, but about the story, like you said, Cobra. It's not only the game-plot itself, but watching your characters grow and getting to know them. I've even got different folder for all my screenshots, and my most enjoyable folder, is the one named 'Tight Spots'. This was areas where my party just made it through with almost no health left. Those moments I enjoyed but those moments I cant share with anyone, because those moments in the game, is what the game is all about - the stuff I cant share, because no-one can appreciate the significance of that situaion, except me... and of course, all of us have their cool moments.I've also got a 'puzzle';
Boss429 walks into a mental hospital to interview one of the doctors. "How do you decide whether someone needs to be placed into this mental hospital?" asks Boss429 inquisitively. "Easy", says the doc, "we just fill up a bathtub with water, and give the 'patient' a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket, and ask him 'How he intends to empty the bath'."Obviously I'll use the bucket" says Boss429 wisely, "the spoon and teacup is for stupid people!"
"Ahh", says the doc "normal people would just pull the plug. Would you like a bed near a window...?"
[This message has been edited by Boss429 (edited 09-20-2006 @ 03:18 AM).]