Read on Twitter
Hollow knight's bosses are bullshit. This could take some time to explain
If you have the slightest knowledge about game design you already know what I'm going to say, this thread is for the unaware
If you have the slightest knowledge about game design you already know what I'm going to say, this thread is for the unaware
- Jumps
When an enemy figure of relevance is jumping in an arc form, its landing is usually dealt with a random function
However, in case you happen to be dashing during the decent of the enemy, it can calculate your precise landing point
When an enemy figure of relevance is jumping in an arc form, its landing is usually dealt with a random function
However, in case you happen to be dashing during the decent of the enemy, it can calculate your precise landing point
This means that the enemy will be landing to the exact x coordinate at the end of your dash, resulting in a sure hit
This is not good. This is the same as losing HP for no reason every once in a while, but because the boss is moving it seems natural to the player
This is not good. This is the same as losing HP for no reason every once in a while, but because the boss is moving it seems natural to the player
Casually taking HP from you in the middle of a fight is a simple way of increasing playtime and frustration. If you're not calm you're generally going to play worse, which means overall remembering the boss more but not its fight. You don't remember the bullshit part
To help you visualize, imagine any game in any situation in which, if gou press a certain button, you lose 1 or 2 HP.
Just don't press that button, right? Wrong
Every single fight is built to take advantage of the dash. And that's not even the only thing to keep track of
Just don't press that button, right? Wrong
Every single fight is built to take advantage of the dash. And that's not even the only thing to keep track of
- RNG
There is no such thing. Or rather, it's built masterfully to the point that you could say there is, but it's constantly manipulated by the AI to either push you into bad situations or hitting you directly
It usually works on a radius on the ground and wherever
There is no such thing. Or rather, it's built masterfully to the point that you could say there is, but it's constantly manipulated by the AI to either push you into bad situations or hitting you directly
It usually works on a radius on the ground and wherever
the pointer lands, that will be the target point. But what happens when the radius on the ground gets too small? What if the radius could only exist next to the player? What if it followed the player?
It stops being rng. It uses the random function, but the result is scripted.
It stops being rng. It uses the random function, but the result is scripted.
- The Fucking Children
This only applies to a third of the bosses in the game. It can happen that the enemy in front of you is not the only thing to keep track of, but having an extra saw blade or a child unit spawn from the boss to track you down, as an extra obstacle
This only applies to a third of the bosses in the game. It can happen that the enemy in front of you is not the only thing to keep track of, but having an extra saw blade or a child unit spawn from the boss to track you down, as an extra obstacle
Except they are not. This is simply a result of poor game design where the screen needs to have more shit so that it causes confusion as well as extra damage dealt despite you not doing anything to deserve it.
Paying attention to everything all the time in the long run results in mistakes. Paying attention to only one of the two threats (either the boss or its fucking children) results in even worse mistakes.
Shifting your attention between both all the time results in mental fatigue
Shifting your attention between both all the time results in mental fatigue
In other words it doesn't fucking work as a system and its only purpose is to annoy the player into creating a fake sense of difficulty when it's really just bullshit
- The Videogame
This is my main point. The movement feels clunky when you first spawn in King's Pass, do you know why? Because it is
The movement in this game is shit. It doesn't get better over time, you do. The only acquirable skill in this game is in movement handling.
This is my main point. The movement feels clunky when you first spawn in King's Pass, do you know why? Because it is
The movement in this game is shit. It doesn't get better over time, you do. The only acquirable skill in this game is in movement handling.
And during high tension boss fights when you need your inputs to be insanely precise, you can't rely on your skill too much or you'll end up setting the fight itself aside
And that's precisely where the game crumbles.
And that's precisely where the game crumbles.
All my previous points hint at Hollow Knight being a rage game even though it doesn't need to be. This last point however goes to show just how broken and uncontrollable the engine behaves when moving your character
The main proof for this is found in how amazing the high tension platforming sections feel. You give 100% to the movement, and you make it shine
You take out even a little and the whole system falls. On its own it's not that bad, let it fall. But not during boss fights
You take out even a little and the whole system falls. On its own it's not that bad, let it fall. But not during boss fights
If you consider this constant slight possibility of error in the engine and movement, and then add up all my previous points you get a system where skill is de-emphasized in favor of cheese or equipment cheese
With your nail alone you can only go so far. "Getting gud" is not the solution to enjoy this game. The game does not work.
I wouldn't mind all this if they publicized it for what they wanted it to be, a rage game, but everything that is not a boss fight functions perfectly
I wouldn't mind all this if they publicized it for what they wanted it to be, a rage game, but everything that is not a boss fight functions perfectly
This game is like mariokart except there are no positive items and everyone else has access to infinite items all the time, plus you can't get any items and your main movement options sometimes fail on you
You wouldn't want to play a game like that.
You wouldn't want to play a game like that.
