Topic: Harmony of Despair (The next Castlevania game?)

[Foffy]

Foffy, any equipment/level based Castlevania is easy with maxed out characters.   People can keep the challenge high if they don't exploit the best equipment all the time, and start from scratch from time to time helps too.    A lot of people don't have the common sense to figure out the level of difficulty is in their own hands,
so while this could have used a Very Hard mode that ignores equipment and keeps things at an optimal challenging test of survival and teamwork, there are enough ways to keep things hard instead of just playing to grind to the max and mow down the rooms with minimum effort. 

So despite the fact I play with no equipped items for characters like Shanoa and Jonathan, I shouldn't even attempt to beef them up so I'm not just being carried by everybody else online just for the sake of a more difficult game? The problem with those characters is that in order to be even decent online is that their Hunter Skills have to be beefed up, which brings up the issue of difficulty. To be decent, you have to deal a fair amount of damage online compared to others, but this results in the enemies really being roadblocks in a stage, and NOT a fair opposition. You're either too weak to fight them so it's tedious, or too strong and kill them in either one-to-three hits. There's no fair middle ground like in other Castlevania games, which have even more alterations to their mechanics so that you can make it much harder than whatever is possible in 'vania HD. It's something even more apparent when playing by yourself as all of the enemies are made even easier, whether you like it or not.

[affinity]

well if you play solo you can always start from scratch again just like people start from scratch in every Castlevania when they want to keep things fresh and challenging.   There is no fair middle ground in games like SOTN either.  It's either too easy or too hard, so that complaint is nothing new. 

Even with the skill-based characters like Charlotte and Jonathan are still capable with base stats, it just takes more talent to avoid damage and defeat enemies.

Different people have different ideas of "fair opposition", but it's entirely doable regardless.  If you don't like having a tough time, then just try to enjoy it with the easy methods, and vice versa.  And if you are concerned about being "Decent" compared to the rest of the players online, one shouldn't let the performance of others make your own feel inferior.  You can still dish damage, you can still support the group with Water of Life, and maybe healing item, even if they don't need that, you can control how much challenge it is to you based on difficulty, solo or group, equipment, and types of attacks you choose to use.

It's kind of like Soma people that can shortcut in Chapter 4 and beat it really fast.   If they complain about things too easy, they shouldn't use those exploits, and if they complain things are too hard, then
use less gear, cursed gear or no gear to lift the difficulty a bit.     And if you don't like people outperfoming you, then play alone or with friends that like to play in more challenging ways too. 

[corneliab]

I heard that unless others have downloaded the DLC characters, they won't be able to see yours in-play. They'll just see a generic knight.

So I didn't buy this game.

lol

[affinity]

I heard that unless others have downloaded the DLC characters, they won't be able to see yours in-play. They'll just see a generic knight.

So I didn't buy this game.

lol

You can see the DLC character you are using, that's what counts.  And some people don't mind seeing Axe Armors on their side.  More and more people are buying the DLC anyways so they will get to see the DLC characters too.   

[angevil]

Affinity, please give us some high quality artwork from HD, for New Year

[corneliab]

You can see the DLC character you are using, that's what counts.  And some people don't mind seeing Axe Armors on their side.  More and more people are buying the DLC anyways so they will get to see the DLC characters too.   

I'm still not buying the game.

[Koutei]

New screen up.

http://www.konami.jp/products/dl_xbox_dracula_hd/index.html

[Flame]

I would get this game if

A) I actually had my 360 connected to the internet

B) it wasnt a Multiplayer centric game with a very odd camera distance,

C) wasnt such a God Damned rehash of post Aria games.

the artwork is nice though. Long Live Julius F*ing Belmont!

[Koutei]

Sound track CD photo in 2ch.
http://toki.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/famicom/1294232864/829

Track list
01: Drone
02: Hymnus
03: Corpse's Gate
04: Purple Eyes
05: Ruined Castle Corridor
06: Into the Dark Night
07: After Confession
08: Phantom of Fear
09: Piercing Battle Fury
10: Gaze Up at the Darkness
11: Esquisse of Violence
12: Ebony Wings
13: Symphony of Battle
14: The Colossus
15: Order of the Demon
16: Dance of Illusions
17: Tanz mit einem Clown
18: Crimson Blood
19: Ein Weltherrscher
20: Hail from the Past
21: Piercing Silence
22: Lost Painting
23: Death Ballad
24: Dracula's Castle
25: Festival of Servants
26: Vampire Killer
27: Nothing to Lose
28: Yuke!  Getsu  Fūma
29: Ryu Kokki
30: Pitch-Black Intrusion
31: Pitiful Scion
32: Invitation of a Crazed Moon
33: Hidden Curse
34: An Empty Tome
35: Heart of Fire
36: Aquarius
37: Slash
38: Divine Bloodlines
39: Simon's Theme
40: Tractus

1 CD, 1 loop, 1 tune is about 2 minutes.

[Foffy]

Hmm...why're there songs in that listing that currently aren't in the game? Festival of Servants, Vampire Killer, and Tractus to name a few that stood out.

[PFG9000]

Maybe there's a new music pack on the way?  Or maybe they're just unused/bonus tracks.

[Koutei]

Maybe there's a new music pack on the way?  Or maybe they're just unused/bonus tracks.

Music pack is settled in the latter half. There might not be music pack 3 when guessing from the track list of CD.
Two additional stages perhaps.

[Koutei]

update.
http://www.konami.jp/products/dl_xbox_dracula_hd/index.html

New DLC

stage
*In the beginning (unofficial translated title) - January 2011 (Possible), 240MSP
*Getsu  Fūma Den - February 2011 (Possible), 240MSP

character
*Simon Belmondo - January 2011 (Possible), 160MSP
*Getsu  Fūma - February 2011 (Possible), 160MSP

[Flame]

Isnt Getsu Fuuma from another Konami (non Castlevania) game?

[Koutei]

Isnt Getsu Fuuma from another Konami (non Castlevania) game?

Getsu  Fūma Den
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getsu_F%C5%ABma_Den
Japan-exclusive Konami game.

But, this is not irrelevant to Castlevania.
The original of the Whip Skeleton is Getsu  Fūma Den.
http://castlevania.wikia.com/wiki/Whip_Skeleton

Fūma and Simon struggled jointly by Konami Waiwai world.
http://castlevania.wikia.com/wiki/Konami_Wai_Wai_World
http://castlevania.wikia.com/wiki/Wai_Wai_World_2