Topic: Castlevania harmony of despair coming this week !

[Sonic_Reaper]

Plus I just find their designs, like most from PoR, to just be atrocious.  Little house on the prairie meets burlesque dancer.  If they were to be included, I would make them one character, not two separate ones.

Hey guys, I got access to the artist's inspiration for their designs!

http://i4.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/af/91/e069_1.JPG?set_id=7

Amazing, right?

[affinity]

Their designs are elegant and unique!    Don't make such shallow comparisons just to ridicule and underrate their appearance! And they are better as twin sisters instead of one character.    Just 1 wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

Well, okay. Barring story, they're gimmick characters who can fly.

And when including story, their mode adds hardly anything to it. Their perspectives are completely generic. The events shown are already known about in the main story.

how can Castlevania fans think like that..... -.-;   Anyone can make ANYTHING sound dumb, plain and nothing special.   Just as someone could say Sypha is a gimmicky magician that wields a stick, or Simon is a generic warrior that wields a whip, or   Alucard is a gimmicky vampire guy that can transform and do other generic vampirey things, or other ignorant things like Trevor is a Simon ripoff.

There's no character development at all to them..

First of all, not all great characters need character development.  After a certain age, people are who they are
and not everyone goes through life changing experiences that greatly change the way they think about things in such a small timeframe. 

That doesn't make them less of an interesting person.   It's interesting you say there is no character development at all to them, when Alucard even at the finale of SOTN thought and felt the same way he always had, Nathan was the same person, Charlotte and Jonathan were pretty much themselves the whole way through, Simon doesn't even have character interaction or hint of a personality, and they, like Trevor, are still extremely likable characters,  etc.

Even the floating gameplay is at dissonance with how they're human

It is unknown what type of magic they learned, but as Maria and Shanoa have proven, there are more types of magic that exist in the Castlevania universe than what is known.  It's just as believable that human Stella and Loretta can float just as it's believable for unique humans like Belmonts, Belnades and Morris families to possess abilities beyond that of normal humans.  Their generation of Lecarde would be no exception.  Also they can't float indefinitely like vampires can, so that ability is not out of place in their story's gameplay.

It's really nothing to write home about that they just decided to include two or so menial cutscenes to an extra mode.

Menial? MENIAL??!?!     Just because you have no interest in them doesn't mean their value should be overlooked.   

If there is, you should be doing it about Dawn's Julius mode then. I mean, Portrait of Ruin's Sisters Mode has an ending with dialogue as a point over Dawn's Julius mode if anything. But again, it just recaps things you already know about, and adds nothing of value to what we already know.

It does add value!  It's worlds of a difference between experiencing their journey to rescue Eric, than it is to just hear about Stella and Loretta's past through other characters. 

It not only adds more story, but also adds more meaningful gameplay as well!

[Sonic_Reaper]

And again I repeat.

http://i4.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/af/91/e069_1.JPG?set_id=7

[affinity]

And again I repeat.

http://i4.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/af/91/e069_1.JPG?set_id=7

 Are you going to call every soldier in Call of Duty/shooters G.I. Joe then?   I'm surprised you aren't repeatedly calling Simon a Conan or Kalidor (Red Sonja) ripoff,  Alucard a Vampire Hunter D ripoff, or Shanoa a Bulletwitch ripoff.    Similarities and inspirations are natural with all character designs, and anyways none of the girls in that photo are even dressed exactly like Loretta.   

[Sonic_Reaper]

LOL

You know what?  I agree with all your above comparisons!  But what you know what the difference is?  The ones you mentioned, regardless of the inspiration, are actually GOOD designs!  Yeah, imagine that!  I know, I know, it's REALLY hard to imagine, but not all art is created equal.  Shocking, I know.  It's a crazy world we live in.

Loretta and Stella ... oh God where do I begin.  The bonnt ... UGH, the gaudy green and purple, no thanks.  A fencer sporting heels ... alright then.  Excessive trashy cleavage, right.  I mean, Loretta looks like a cabbage patch kid.  And that cheap flower in her hair, when she already has a bonnet on, gross.  I just can't ... at these designs.  Some of the worst to come out of Castlevania.  Stella's clown-like thing around her neck, whatever those are called.  Her hair.  OH GOD HER HAIR.  Taking us back to bride of Frankenstein, are ya?  Plus the multi-colored eyes.  It's just too much.  Trainwrecks, all in all.

[affinity]

LOL

You know what?  I agree with all your above comparisons!  But what you know what the difference is?  The ones you mentioned, regardless of the inspiration, are actually GOOD designs!  Yeah, imagine that!  I know, I know, it's REALLY hard to imagine, but not all art is created equal.  Shocking, I know.  It's a crazy world we live in.

Loretta and Stella ... oh God where do I begin.  The bonnt ... UGH, the gaudy green and purple, no thanks.  A fencer sporting heels ... alright then.  Excessive trashy cleavage, right.  I mean, Loretta looks like a cabbage patch kid.  And that cheap flower in her hair, when she already has a bonnet on, gross.  I just can't ... at these designs.  Some of the worst to come out of Castlevania.

I respect your views, just remember your views are opinions as well.    People have different views what's bad or good. 

[Sonic_Reaper]

The bottomline is their designs just have too much going on.  No one took the time to scale them back.  You don't need to combine a billowing dress with heels, cleavage, a pleated collar and big hair.  Shonoa's design for example, was very sleek, with colors that complimented each other, and flowing hair and dress.  She was sexy without being trashy and totally mismatched, like Loretta.

[affinity]

The bottomline is their designs just have too much going on.  No one took the time to scale them back.  You don't need to combine a billowing dress with heels, cleavage, a pleated collar and big hair.  Shanoa's design for example, was very sleek, with colors that complimented each other, and flowing hair and dress.  She was sexy without being trashy and totally mismatched, like Loretta.

*weep* it's people like you that force us girls to be afraid about "overdoing it"!  ><

Well I guess it varies from culture to culture and what styles people will accept or find too different.  but you are the first I met that has a problem with their appearance.    Try to broaden your tolerances and tastes, they are dressed very lovely.  They don't need to look sleek and simple.   

[Sonic_Reaper]

It's more than just looking sleek and simple, it's an entire design philosophy, one that most artists do follow.  But I will leave it at that, it's a needless discussion.

[Reinhart77]

I'd be interested in seeing Loretta and Dario becoming playable characters who could specialize in Ice and Fire spells.  They could each be capable of performing any of the Ice/Fire spells that any of the other players could do, plus some moves from their boss actions and other Ice/Fire spells that have appeared in previous games that haven't yet appeared in this one.  Make them powerful, but with the weakness that they really only have one elemental option. 

[Amduscias]

Yeeey more DLC's :B !! more money for De$pair, i hope the next DLC got gbc sprites too

lamest scame ever

[KaZudra]

Yep, Stella and Lotretta should be in this, cause nothing is more castlevania than Rozen Maiden Rip-offs.

[Kusanagi]

I honestly can't say much about Loretta and Stella (As Im yet to play Portrait of Ruin), but I won't trash Loretta and Stella's design because people during a certain time period really did dress like that. Im sure enthusiasts of that time period appreciate their design, as well as some of the castlevania fan base.

Not everyone can be pleased when it comes to character designs - really comes down to the taste of the person - particularly in this case . As an artist that is something we all would know about, and POR's point in time gives enough reason for Loretta and Stella to use that design. This one just didn't fly as much as the other character designs did, but they still added to the game regardless and some fans (like Affinity) received their designs well.

Visuals aside, if their gameplay is balanced out then I see no problem at all with their addition to Harmony of Despair. There's support for the character as is, and since they would be DLC then its optional. Not everyone will like their design (pretty much a given from what I've seen here), but no denying that their gameplay was alright in PoR, perhaps even fun (I can't say for sure since I haven't played it yet). But Im sure there's a way to incorporate them without them being broken in one way or another yet still be fun to play as

[KaZudra]

I honestly can't say much about Loretta and Stella (As Im yet to play Portrait of Ruin), but I won't trash Loretta and Stella's design because people during a certain time period really did dress like that. Im sure enthusiasts of that time period appreciate their design, as well as some of the castlevania fan base.

Not everyone can be pleased when it comes to character designs - really comes down to the taste of the person - particularly in this case . As an artist that is something we all would know about, and POR's point in time gives enough reason for Loretta and Stella to use that design. This one just didn't fly as much as the other character designs did, but they still added to the game regardless and some fans (like Affinity) received their designs well.

Visuals aside, if their gameplay is balanced out then I see no problem at all with their addition to Harmony of Despair. There's support for the character as is, and since they would be DLC then its optional. Not everyone will like their design (pretty much a given from what I've seen here), but no denying that their gameplay was alright in PoR, perhaps even fun (I can't say for sure since I haven't played it yet). But Im sure there's a way to incorporate them without them being broken in one way or another yet still be fun to play as

well the big probelm with PoR is its Wierd-ass Direction, you got two people with modern Clothes, and the rest feels like the 1800's in a world where WW2 has supposed to already have passed, oh yeah and Cyborg Death.

Aside from all that PoR is supposed to be the Campy Castlevania game.

The thing that makes it seem so much worst is that it really wasn't Special, Dawn was Before it, and OoE was after it.
so by compairson, it looks horrible.

[Kusanagi]

well the big probelm with PoR is its Wierd-ass Direction, you got two people with modern Clothes, and the rest feels like the 1800's in a world where WW2 has supposed to already have passed, oh yeah and Cyborg Death.

Aside from all that PoR is supposed to be the Campy Castlevania game.

The thing that makes it seem so much worst is that it really wasn't Special, Dawn was Before it, and OoE was after it.
so by compairson, it looks horrible.

Well habit in some games is that the main character(s) will look vastly different (even to the point of being modern looking) in comparison to the environment and time period they are in. Another thing was what was the difference in time between Johnathan and Charlotte's time vs Eric Lecard's (Wind's) time? Since again I haven't gotten to play the game yet, Im not to aware of the time difference (and that could warrant why Charlotte and Johnathan look more modern). Even the residents of the castle could have been living there for centuries and only stick with the fashion that stuck with them the most in a certain time period. As for that cyborg death... I picture Soma fighting that thing more than Johnathan and Charlotte (due to Soma having access to guns), but then again they have the gimmick of different paintings which lead to different worlds. So its down to tastes on that one though the original probably would have been better (doesn't hurt to try the concept out regardless).

Mind going into what you meant by "campy"? Just so I can get a picture of what you meant, and maybe be able to explain it in some way or another.

What we know the focus for is that the game used the team gimmick; probably wasn't enough to separate the game from the games before and after it. Johnathan played as the traditional whip wielder but with many more sub weapons, while Charlotte played as the spell caster. Its possible that Konami wanted to give an experience with a whip wielder as a lead again, but with the spin of a spell caster as the second hero and team puzzles. The characters themselves do establish themselves well enough in their own game, but I can understand that they didn't do anything as unique as the Soul system or the Glyph system.

Perhaps it was just a design choice that this game represents the whip wielder, but with the team gimmick. There eventually would be a call out for another whip wielder sooner or later, so Konami just went with that I suppose. We've seen team gimmicks before in games (even in Dawn of Sorrow), which is probably why it didn't stand out so much for you. Least from what I've seen from it, it plays well enough to be called a Castlevania game so I personally have no real quarrels with the game.

Besides that, they did do a number of neat throw backs story wise to characters we've seen in the past Castlevanias, so that did add to the charm of the game in my opinion