Game News Disco Elysium Released

[IHaveHugeNick]

So the game is challenging because you can run into progress-blocking bugs?

He rolled a 1 Volition character, then broke into the harbour using a clearly indicated one-way entry point (the jump), into a conversation with the mindfuckiest character in the game without any healing supplies or character points, didn't find a way to beat the encounter without losing Morale, died, and got into a Game Over situation because said one-way jump stopped him from getting said healing supplies. That's not a bug, that's by design.

How would you have designed that? 'Cuz I can't see any way out of it that wouldn't have effectively removed a part or all of the challenges.

(N.b.: I agree with you that the game is easy. I just find it pretty hypocritical of you to loudly complain about the easiness in one post, then loudly complain about the few instances the game presents you with an actual challenge. Almost as if you had some kind of... agenda. Heads I win, tails you lose.)

He isn't presented with any challenge, he's blocked from progressing. If it was a challenge, there would be a way out of it. This isn't the hill you want to die on. People getting stuck without game over screen can only be one of two things - amateurish design or bugs. Pick whichever makes you feel better.

As for how would I design it? I wouldn't make a one-way entry where player can get blocked from leaving by skill checks in a first place. It's a no brainer that should have come up in playtesting.

 

[Prime Junta]

If it was a challenge, there would be a way out of it.

So in your view, the game design must ensure that a character is able to complete the game, regardless of build choices, or choices made previously over the course of the game. And this constitutes a challenge. Got it, thanks for clearing it up.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

If it was a challenge, there would be a way out of it.

So in your view, the game design must ensure that a character is able to complete the game, regardless of build choices, or choices made previously over the course of the game. And this constitutes a challenge. Got it, thanks for clearing it up.

So in your view, game design should advertise endless roleplaying possibilities! Make whatever character you want! Experiment with crazy builds! All while not bothering to test the game for progression blocking builds

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Prime Junta]

You seem upset.

 

[Strange Fellow]

So in your view, game design should advertise endless roleplaying possibilities! Make whatever character you want! Experiment with crazy builds! All while not bothering to test the game for progression blocking builds

It's not a question of progression blocking builds, it's a question of progression blocking boneheaded decision-making. Would you rush into a boss battle with 1 HP and no healing items?

 

[Popiel]

So in your view, game design should advertise endless roleplaying possibilities! Make whatever character you want! Experiment with crazy builds! All while not bothering to test the game for progression blocking builds

Actually, to intersect, while I myself would give Disco Elysium solid 6/10 (I presume one could go up to 7/10 if one would really dig art style, writing and so on – any grade beyond that is insane fanboyism), with abovequoted sentence I would wholeheartedly agree. You should be able to make a build which fucks you up. Not understanding the game good enough is to loose at this game.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

So in your view, game design should advertise endless roleplaying possibilities! Make whatever character you want! Experiment with crazy builds! All while not bothering to test the game for progression blocking builds

It's not a question of progression blocking builds, it's a question of progression blocking boneheaded decision-making. Would you rush into a boss battle with 1 HP and no healing items?

Yes, it's a question of progression blocking boneheaded decision-making by the developers who packed the game with plot-gating without playtesting it properly.

Would you rush into a boss battle with 1 HP and no healing items?

If I rush boss with 1HP I die, get game over screen and try again. I'm not block from progressing.

 

[Popiel]

without playtesting it properly.

This right here I deem the main cause of all major flaws in Disco Elysium, as far as I see them (what I perceive as flaws I described in another, proper thread). It’s shocking how many people effortlessly come up with easily implementable solutions to many, many situations in this game, and even to some plot conundrums as well. Game wasn’t play tested enough outside of dev studio.

 

[Strange Fellow]

So in your view, game design should advertise endless roleplaying possibilities! Make whatever character you want! Experiment with crazy builds! All while not bothering to test the game for progression blocking builds

It's not a question of progression blocking builds, it's a question of progression blocking boneheaded decision-making. Would you rush into a boss battle with 1 HP and no healing items?

Yes, it's a question of progression blocking boneheaded decision-making by the developers who packed the game with plot-gating without playtesting it properly.

Are we still talking about the specific example Goral mentioned? Because that's clearly a case of him rushing headfirst down a one-way street without preparing an escape route, and not safeguarding himself against danger by investing a point in Volition and/or bringing healing items. If you're running around with only a single pip in health or morale you're pretty dumb, I'm sorry to say.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

So in your view, game design should advertise endless roleplaying possibilities! Make whatever character you want! Experiment with crazy builds! All while not bothering to test the game for progression blocking builds

It's not a question of progression blocking builds, it's a question of progression blocking boneheaded decision-making. Would you rush into a boss battle with 1 HP and no healing items?

Yes, it's a question of progression blocking boneheaded decision-making by the developers who packed the game with plot-gating without playtesting it properly.

Are we still talking about the specific example Goral mentioned? Because that's clearly a case of him rushing headfirst down a one-way street without preparing an escape route, and not safeguarding himself against danger by investing a point in Volition and/or bringing healing items. If you're running around with a single pip in health or morale you're pretty dumb, I'm sorry to say.

One must safeguard himself at all times from dangers of walking around in a game with no combat.

 

[Popiel]

One must safeguard himself at all times from dangers of walking around in a game with no combat.

Can you please stop failing your RHETORICS checks.

Game establishes that interactions can be fatal even without combat system literally in the first room.

 

[Strange Fellow]

I don't know who told you that this game is a visual novel without the possibility of failure, but they were lying. Danger of losing health/morale lurks in most conversations.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Lmao, what fatal interaction is happening to Goral exactly? Dude is blocked by invisible walls, that's it.

Running around New Vegas and becoming stuck in a rock is also an example of challenging gameplay?

 

[Goral]

He rolled a 1 Volition character, then broke into the harbour using a clearly indicated one-way entry point (the jump), into a conversation with the mindfuckiest character in the game without any healing supplies or character points, didn't find a way to beat the encounter without losing Morale, died, and got into a Game Over situation because said one-way jump stopped him from getting said healing supplies. That's not a bug, that's by design.

It wasn't "clearly indicated one-way entry point", there were doors there, there are cranes, plus the gap is only 2 meters but for some reason it becomes a barrier impossible to overcome. Why would anyone think that jumping through the railing is the only way when there must be another way out (and there clearly is, only the game is too retarded, I mean it's hilarious that you're imprisoned just because you can't climb a 2 meter wall or ask the fat guy to open the door for you). As for not finding a way to beat the encounter without losing morale, up to this point I didn't know that losing morale would equal game over and I just went to see the man in charge to progress the story while omitting the grinding since the game isn't that interesting. Now that I've come to a dead end I had to go about it a different way and I'm in the middle of locating my badge and gun.

As a side note, if the walrus is "the mindfuckiest character in the game" then it doesn't bode well for the game. I can see why they said Fallout was their inspiration more than P:T (Gizmo and all that) but the words he said were just "meh". There was nothing there that would convince me it could break a man, WTF would he suddenly collapse when he would mention he lost his badge and a gun when he knew that already? Why didn't he succumb earlier? Just retarded design.

 

[Popiel]

Lmao, what fatal interaction is happening to Goral exactly? Dude is blocked by invisible walls, that's it.

I asked you to stop failing these checks and you still do, now failing at LOGIC as well

Game establishes right from the get go that interactions can be fatal without combat system and nominal danger ensuing from armed battle. Thus, game tells you that you can loose it through being unprepared.

 

[Strange Fellow]

Lmao, what fatal interaction is happening to Goral exactly? Dude is blocked by invisible walls, that's it.

He can get out by talking to Evrart, but he's mentally pwned and suffers a breakdown if he tries.

I went into the docks and now I can't get out unless I talk with Evrart. (...) the conversation with the fat guy costs me at least 3 morale no matter what :D

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Lmao, what fatal interaction is happening to Goral exactly? Dude is blocked by invisible walls, that's it.

I asked you to stop failing these checks and you still do, now failing at LOGIC as well

Game establishes right from the get go that interactions can be fatal without combat system and nominal danger ensuing from armed battle. Thus, game tells you that you can loose it through being unprepared.

Lmao, what fatal interaction is happening to Goral exactly? Dude is blocked by invisible walls, that's it.

He can get out by talking to Everts, but he's mentally pwned and suffers a breakdown if he tries.

He could get out without any interactions and buy some Magnesium or grind if the area wasn't plot-gated. The problem isn't the possibility of fatal interaction, the problem is game geometry limiting the movement for no sensible reason and without clearly telegraphing to the player that it's a one way street.

You can rant all you want how this is excellent design but the reality is it's obviously gonna be patched and then you're gonna look silly.

Over and out.

 

[Popiel]

the problem is game geometry limiting the movement for no sensible reason and without clearly telegraphing to the player that's it's a one way street.

That would be somewhat true if... true. Can anyone confirm? I don't care starting another playthrough just to check out.

 

[Goral]

So in your view, game design should advertise endless roleplaying possibilities! Make whatever character you want! Experiment with crazy builds! All while not bothering to test the game for progression blocking builds

It's not a question of progression blocking builds, it's a question of progression blocking boneheaded decision-making. Would you rush into a boss battle with 1 HP and no healing items?

Except in this case you can just tell this boss:

"I don't have time to fight right now. See you later."

and leave but then you're stuck there anyway. So either it's game over or you're stuck indefinitely, which in the end means the same thing. I'm all for failure but this is just retarded. Prime Cunta also assumes that once you're there you either have to have enough morale points or it's game over but it's not like that in the game. In the game we have option to talk later but in truth it's not a viable one. Clearly a bad design but you're too retarded to see such an obvious flaw.

Edit:

I can go back to the same conversation over and over again without having to load a game. So I can say "X was in charge" and then ask the same question and later say "Y was in charge", etc. etc. It breaks the immersion and it's illogical. Basically I can say the stupidest thing without any consequences, I can revert everything back just like that.

 

[Strange Fellow]

IHaveHugeNick What do you propose? That our character be allowed to perform the unlikely feat of acrobatics required to vault down from the walkway? Passing a skill check is required just to drop down from the roof of the office to the platform 2 metres below, for crying out loud. It was clear to me that you wouldn't get back up onto the roof again, considering the state your character is in. Either way, it's just a quick reload to fix the problem. I've locked myself into unwinnable fights in games before, usually because I went unprepared through a one-way door, and I've never thought it to be much of an issue.

 

[Prime Junta]

That would be somewhat true if... true. Can anyone confirm? I don't care starting another playthrough just to check out.

The game makes it obvious that the main way in is locked, and you have to pass a skill check to jump down the ledge. I suppose they could've added a WARNING: ONE WAY ONLY! neon sign for retards, but eh.

 

[Shadenuat]

Would you rush into a boss battle with 1 HP and no healing items?

What exactly about trying to pick a coat from a railing says you are heading for a boss battle?

i do find an option to kill yourself by touching a lightbulb because of minmaxing hilarious though.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Marketing: "Disco Elysium is groundbreaking open world game with unprecedented freedom of choice"

Reality: invisible walls grow behind your back without warning and you get stuck in area forever.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Marketing: "Disco Elysium is groundbreaking open world game with unprecedented freedom of choice"

Reality: invisible walls grow behind your back without warning and you get stuck in area forever.

At least they didn't advertise it as a 90 hour game but people are beating it in 20 hours.
https://zaumstudio.com/2019/09/24/disco-elysium-is-a-colossal-game/

How long is a colossal game? Well, it takes 60+ hours of continuous playtime to finish Disco Elysium if you’re a reasonably completionist player, as I am. It takes 90 hours if you’re absolutely savouring every detail. And 30 hours if you’re rushing it. Back-of-the-box, I would put playtime at: 60+ hours.

 

[Strange Fellow]

If that's realy the calibre of argument we're going for, here, have this.

The Codex: LUL the game has no challenge, what is this shit
Also the Codex: WHAA I fucked up and now I can't progress