Topic: Trying to make Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow harder

[Horosha]

Hello all,

I know this must seem a bit random, but I had just recently gotten my hands on a DS Action Replay recently. Now, before the rocks start flying, I was thinking of using certain codes (modified, of course) to place a limit on stats and leveling up kinda like Portrait of Ruin or Order of Ecclesia. I had gotten tired of the 'Easy Mode' that certain Metroidvanias had gotten into and wanted a bit of a challenge.

This is what I have so far:

EXP/LV (Keep this one on constantly.)
020F7448 00000000
220F740C 00000063

HP/MP (Use once only when starting a new game or loading a save. Disable after saving.)
120F7412 00000078
120F7416 00000050

STR/CON/INT/LCK (Same thing here. Disable after saving the stat changes.)
120F7370 00000006
120F7372 00000005
120F7374 00000006
120F7376 00000003

These all refer to Soma's stats at level 1:

HP 120
MP 80
STR 6
CON 5
INT 6
LUK 3

Now, with these codes implemented, Soma actually will be at level 99, but have his stats from level 1. This is so that he can't earn experience and therefore can't level up, which I found out he actually still does if it's set to level 1 (the monster killed must equal or exceed his to-next-level amount.) With this, souls that increase his stats are more important and a good deal of encounters with monsters end up being a fight just to survive. One problem that I've found with this method is that souls are increasingly difficult to find due to the ridiculously low luck.

So the question I ask is, does anyone think that the stat codes should be modified a little to allow some breathing room (in addition to finding souls easier) or are they good as they are?

For anyone that has an Action Replay for the DS, do give these codes a try. It breathes some new life into an old game. At least, that's what it did for me.

[shelverton.]

I can only imagine fighting Gergoth with stats like that. He was surprisingly difficult as he was and took lots and lots of hits (He was really easy in PoR though). My main gripe with these "make-the-game-harder"-codes is that some enemies take FOREVER to kill because you inflict 1 damage on them. I dunno if that's the kind of "challenge" I'm looking for. But I guess many people will appreciate codes like this, cause DoS was much too easy most of the time.

[Horosha]

About that, I'm still dealing some 'okay' damage to most monsters, with the exception of those who have a high resistance to that weapon type or element. You're right about the Gergoth fight though, I can't even begin to imagine how that'd be like. Oh well, I'll get to that point soon enough.

[Reinhart77]

i'd like to see a code that let's you disable health refreshes at save points.  then you could have a challenge but the basic gameplay and pace stay the same.  i play sometimes that you have to "pay" for your health refreshes at save points with food items, but that's a pain.

[John Capricorn]

how about just avoid enemies altogether?  thereby avoiding leveling up as well making the bosses more difficult.

[Horosha]

Alright, I know I haven't responded to this thread in weeks, but I finally found the time to get up to the Gergoth battle. I get wasted by this boss in two hits! As such, I'm still willing to bet that I can finish this fight but it'll take every kind of healing item I can muster. Or at least, learn2dodge better. Heh.

[shelverton.]

Alright, I know I haven't responded to this thread in weeks, but I finally found the time to get up to the Gergoth battle. I get wasted by this boss in two hits! As such, I'm still willing to bet that I can finish this fight but it'll take every kind of healing item I can muster. Or at least, learn2dodge better. Heh.

Well, I've seen people on youtube killing Gergoth without taking one single hit. I'm not one of them though, hehe. Good luck, it can definitely be done.

[MeSako]

Well, I've seen people on youtube killing Gergoth without taking one single hit. I'm not one of them though, hehe. Good luck, it can definitely be done.

Is that supposed to be hard to do?
Once you learned his moves, it's not hard at all to avoid his attacks..

[shelverton.]

Is that supposed to be hard to do?
Once you learned his moves, it's not hard at all to avoid his attacks..

It all depends on how much effort you put into a game. I usually play a game like this once and never again, and therefor I usually beat a boss before I completely learn their patterns (unless they're really obvious from the very beginning). I've actually played through DoS twice and both times my Gergoth battles were pretty chaotic. The second time was much easier than the first one, but I still took hits. I never ever "perfect" my gaming strategies these days, unless it's absolutely necessary.
So yeah, I would say dodging all of Gergoths attacks is hard because it takes a lot of practice. I mean, I can one-life Castlevania 1, but I wouldn't say that the game is easy. I'm just kinda good at it after practicing for years.