The Fight With Skeleton Hand is Poor Design

[lbCake]

This particular fight, which I can't name specifically because Steam says they'll ban me for spoiler, is easily the worst in the entire game. Before I go any further let me say I've enjoyed my near 200 hours in the game. This fight however was a low light in both playthroughs (Umbral and Infernal), and prompts the simple question of why didn't the devs conceive a more interesting fight?

I don't consider development crunch an acceptable excuse either, since Lords of the Fallen is clearly a early access game, no matter the missing disclaimer. If Hexworks is going to introduce patches that wipe weapon upgrade levels, alter enemy density and increase boss difficulty, then I hardly see why they can't patch Ole Kkelly Fingers' fight into something enjoyable. It's what both the character and the user base deserve.

The primary problem with Senor Bonehand is the artificial difficulty created by his tiny arena and overabundant particle effects, particle effects the game often struggles to run smoothly. Further compounding the issue, this particular fight is a copy of two prior fights against other bosses. Those of you who have beaten the game know that there was an opportunity to make this fight awesome and give it stakes, but the developers chose otherwise. It's truly disappointing.

Note: A more informative version of this post was posted to Steam forums circa November 13, 2023 but was removed for containing spoilers.

[COWABUNGATIME]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von lbCake:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von COWABUNGATIME:

Yeah maybe. Pieta was extremely fair and I didn't really have too much trouble with any other boss. Nothing took me more than an hour to beat aside from Pieta since I didn't have any levels and hadn't gotten the tempo down yet, and the Crow since I did the Fief at like level 50 because I opened up the key doors super early and didn't know where to go. Still put a hole in his head though. This fight just feel disrespectful. Like I've been scammed. Paid for a game and got a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ Glaucoma simulator...

Pieta took me forever to beat, definitely more than an hour. It certainly didn't help that her second phase was a frame rate nightmare for most of launch week. I also made life harder on myself by choosing to be a bucket boy, before I switch to the class with the ball and chain. Like you I mostly coasted until the Lightreaper, but once he went down it was business as usual until Pieta and I met again. Those who sided with Molnu know.

What class were you running? She seems to be more difficult for dex classes based on my experiences.

First character was an Udirangr Warwolf. I was making a STR build until I realized I couldn't access any item lore without radiance or inferno. Ironically, starting with the Udirangr was more difficult for me than when I started over with the Exiled Stalker. When I played through the 2nd time I only died a couple times, and they were due to frame issues in the 2nd phase messing up my parry timing. I just parried her until the 2nd phase and then dodge everything after that.

[Redeemer]

I beat him (senor bonehand) first try... on NG.. (as in, fresh start. And yes, I preordered, but I dont even play the Dk Crusader.. I made an Orian Preacher, and thats my main..) currently on NG+1 and just walking through everything except Lightreaper (always get him to 50% hp before I eat dirt).. he'll die though, as he seems to almost be moving slow now, Ive learned his patterns so much.

[楊玄。杨玄。LangrisserWWE]

Erh... what? Is he too hard for you or too easy. I think it is too easy, in my first play thru, I am stumbling here and there. Me being me, an old Dark Souls player, I always go pure melee no magic first with my builds and crushed him like a cockroach first try.

[Baron01]

Iron Wayfarer is harder if you have fast weapon that has low impact. The fight was way harder in NG for me when I was wielding longsword than on NG+1 where I used grand hammer. I killed him so fast in NG+1 he did not even had a chance to cover whole arena in fire/frost/whatever BS he casts.

The fight is really annoying as it happens in very narrow arena. The camera is a weakpoint for this game and it is fully exposed in this fight.

[Destillat]

Every hour I play this game, I am more and more convinced that this company has not tested its game at all

[königplatzen]

I'm really curious, what you guys are experiencing here...maybe some graphic setting, which is borked on a certain quality setting.

[Commissar]

Has anyone figured out what boss he's talking about?

[Destillat]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Commissar:

Has anyone figured out what boss he's talking about?

iron wayfarer

[楊玄。杨玄。LangrisserWWE]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Commissar:

Has anyone figured out what boss he's talking about?

lol, this is too funny. You are brilliant!

[lbCake]

I really didn't expect so many people to be confused about who I am referring to. Guess that just shows what's obvious to some is not obvious to others. Steam deleted my previous post because of spoilers. Since I don't post that often I don't really know how to game the system, so I just decided to omit names entirely and redact any other specifics.

[楊玄。杨玄。LangrisserWWE]

How many NPC has bony hands?

[Daredevil]

Ah yes, that fight, would anyone believe that I died more to this boss than any other, including ng+1?

Perhaps some context, I was level 40-45, I decided to do go for umbral ending, Bloody hell mate, his fiery attacks made me feel for a moment that I got no chance, I will have to level up, problem was my vitality, because of 40-45 levels, 25 were in Rad so I can use Lightsabers and my starting class was Dark Crusader.

I am not sure when and how, but after countless attempts, and many hours split between 2 days, I finally beat the dude.

Funny thing is, after I got my umbral ending, I started ng+0 and leveled up, was playing with a guy or rather helping him and that same dude who almost made me quit, died like he was made of paper.

Yeah I am probably the biggest loser, but yeah I died to this boss more than any other...

[COWABUNGATIME]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Bat:

Yeah I am probably the biggest loser, but yeah I died to this boss more than any other...

Not a loser at all, it's just poorly designed. I'm a souls veteran and this fight is more difficult for me than Malenia or Sister Freide. It's not even a difficult fight mechanically. It reminds me of Havel, to be honest. If the arena weren't a broom closet and his fire particle effects didn't take up the whole screen when I've been rolled into a corner trying to get away from secondary effects, the fight would be as trivial as pissing my name into the snow. Without the fire effects and the camera issues, I got him down to half hp without taking a single point of damage. Any kind of difficulty that people experience with this fight is purely artificial, created by poor design.

[COWABUNGATIME]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von königplatzen:

I'm really curious, what you guys are experiencing here...maybe some graphic setting, which is borked on a certain quality setting.

Well, I'm still on this fight. If I can muster up the will to even tolerate this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ today, I'll try and remember to take a couple screenshots for you.

[Commissar]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von lbCake:

I really didn't expect so many people to be confused about who I am referring to. Guess that just shows what's obvious to some is not obvious to others. Steam deleted my previous post because of spoilers. Since I don't post that often I don't really know how to game the system, so I just decided to omit names entirely and redact any other specifics.

unironically thought you were talking about the crow because that was the only boss I could think of that was bony, but it's arena is huge so that didn't make any sense. But I see now.