Topic: Your Top Ten --Gameplay Elements Poll

[cecil-kain]

Racked my brian --Castlevania has so much going on....

[justin312]

In Reply To #1

You forgot whip-swinging!    But I guess that could be considered death pits.

[Giz]

Combo combat system, platforming, EXPLORATION/TREASURE HUNTING, BREAKABLE WALLS/SECRET ROOMS, Swords/Knuckles/etc., RELIC/ABILITY SYSTEM, Theft system, LEVEL-UP SYSTEM, element system (as utilized in OoE), Equipment/Accessorizing/Customization.

 

[cecil-kain]

In Reply To #2

[DoctaMario]

I like the combat and platforming aspects of Castlevania, though I'm not sold on a lot of particulars.

As long as it delivers great action, a dark mood, and good levels, I'm set.

[RichterB]

Most important (IN ORDER):

#1-#6 = BREAD AND BUTTER:
1.)Whips Dammit! (including swinging over pits)
2.)Platforming
3.)Death Pits
4.)Strategic Combat (IE: enemy placement)
5.)Subweapons [not so much the magic system]
6.)Candle Slashing

#7-10 = THE TRIMMINGS
7.)Exploration/Treasure Hunting (More of the limited/focused CV64 kind than the obsessive meandering of the Castleroids)
8.)Day/Night System w/ Time Sensitive Events and Equipment
9.)Keys, Keys, and more Keys (a sprinkling of this is nice)
10.)Breakable Walls/Secret Rooms

[cecil-kain]

Fascinating. Platforming still has 100% support after 7 votes.

[Alutwon]

Yea mood and atmosphere are most important. That's why I will still play LoI over and over.

[cecil-kain]

Yea mood and atmosphere are most important. That's why I will still play LoI over and over.

OH I agree whole-heartedly.  I originally set out to demonstrate that very idea with this poll.  But as I attempted to isolate all the elements of Castlevania, the poll became a monstrous mess of gameplay, design, story, character, and still more elements.  The lines are often blurred.  For example the Belmont characters are often associated with the "Whips Dammit!" option.

Someone earlier commented how they would have preferred to keep subweapons and the magic systems as separate options.  The 2 are combined here for multiple reasons.  First the existence of Spell-Fusion blatantly combines the 2.  Also many recent games have eliminated traditional subweapons in favor of souls, glyphs, etc.  And finally most of these magic systems consume the hearts the traditional subs would otherwise be using.  From a gameplay standpoint subweapons and magic systems serve the same purpose --a powerful, but limited counterpoint to the hack and slash style of gameplay.

Sorry.  Went on a tangent.  As you can see the gampeplay --and design elements affecting gameplay have made this a monstrous 30-point poll.  Sometime later I'll make another poll regarding the other elements of Castlevania including story, character, artistic merits etc --

[justin312]

Most important (IN ORDER):

#1-#6 = BREAD AND BUTTER:
1.)Whips Dammit! (including swinging over pits)
2.)Platforming
3.)Death Pits
4.)Strategic Combat (IE: enemy placement)
5.)Subweapons [not so much the magic system]
6.)Candle Slashing

#7-10 = THE TRIMMINGS
7.)Exploration/Treasure Hunting (More of the limited/focused CV64 kind than the obsessive meandering of the Castleroids)
8.)Day/Night System w/ Time Sensitive Events and Equipment
9.)Keys, Keys, and more Keys (a sprinkling of this is nice)
10.)Breakable Walls/Secret Rooms

RichterB... Your list is flawless.  I agree 100% with everything you said, and the order you placed them in.

I think the gameplay element from this list that I would least like to see in the perfect Castlevania would be "Farming for Enemy Drops".  I've always felt that was one of the most tedious and unnecessary gameplay components of the Castleroids.

[A n t r a x x]

In Reply To #10

I also agree with RichterB's 1-6, but I also added: drop items, secondary playable characters and some form of equipment and accessorizing.

Also on strategic gameplay I just want the games to challenge me with smarter, faster-acting AI.

[cecil-kain]

Good grief...  Stair Climbing!  I forgot Stair Climbing!!!

 

[The Silverlord]

9/10ths the same as RichterB, although I'd trade the Keys (I had my fill of those in Harmony of Dissonance) for some simple Eqipment/Accessorizing/Customizing.

The Day/Night System worked very well in Castlevania 64, something that would be good to bring in some exploration and puzzle elements.