No 2 player co-op is unbelievably dumb

[Big Boss]

I've bought every single FromSoft game day 1 since playing Demon's Souls, and it looks like that streak is going to end.

I don't want to play with randoms, and me and my friends have responsibilities so getting 3 people to play at any time is very unlikely. Only me and my wife will have regular time to play this together, and I don't want to force somebody else to be a third wheel either way.

I wouldn't mind playing the game solo, but buying the game just to play alone defeats the whole purpose of the game existing.

I don't care if it's not "balanced" for 2 people, let 2 dogs fight 1 person in a boss, that's my problem to deal with if I want to play it that way. People do all sorts of challenges for these games, so making it unplayable for a duo for balance reasons is so dumb I can't even comprehend it.
Seriously doubt I'll be buying this game, unless the fix this or it goes on an extremely deep discount.

[Hykril Tynyx]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk5MD6W7SwM
I don't even have a good guess as to what is so hard about balancing enemies to the number of players. Like, can't they just use simple maths a child can understand to simply slash the HP/damage accordingly? What kind of a pathetic half-ar$ed attempt at a game is that, lol 🤣

[0wnz0r]

cool

[Big Boss]

Originally posted by Hykril Tynyx:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk5MD6W7SwM
I don't even have a good guess as to what is so hard about balancing enemies to the number of players. Like, can't they just use simple maths a child can understand to simply slash the HP/damage accordingly? What kind of a pathetic half-ar$ed attempt at a game is that, lol 🤣

They did it fine in every other game they made with co-op, so why not this one?

Encourage the game as 3-player? Fine
Market the game as 3-player? Fine
Balance the game for 3-player? Fine

But locking out people who want to play as a duo is as stupid as it gets, and I don't use the word lightly.
It's not something I want to be mad about but From are the only studio whose games I preordered and had some faith in for years now (after I got burned by Fallout 4 and thought it was a PoS).
Making a game focused on co-op is cool, locking out a huge market of co-op players is not

[Elthrael]

I don't get it either. It was never a problem in previous games, and they WEREN'T focused on multiplayer. Co-op was a thing you opted into.

Now they make a game built around co-op multiplayer and NOW they start introducing limitations?!

[John Freak]

Where do people get this info from? U sure it's 3p only?

[Nakjiste]

Originally posted by John Freak:

Where do people get this info from? U sure it's 3p only?

The information is from an IGN interview with the director, i'll just quote my reply from another thread since it pretty much gives you all the info:

Originally posted by drunk driver:

Ishizaki stated that it's either 1 or 3 player co-op in the interview with IGN:

Junya Ishizaki: The game is designed to be played as a three-person team, but you can play it as a solo player.

IGN: Oh, great. Or in a pair?

Junya Ishizaki: No, it's either one-player or three-player.

Here's the source to the article:
https://www.ign.com/articles/elden-ring-nightreign-fromsoftware-game-director-explains-why-the-spin-off-exists-reveals-whether-george-r-r-martin-was-involved-and-why-fans-shouldnt-call-it-a-live-service

[Melkart]

You should thank Fromsoft from preventing you to being file divorce paper, and instead...

[Hicks]

Well, we don't know what happens if the third player disconnects. I doubt it will break the lobby, it will probably just search for new one. So my point is, we may get a mod that either allows 2 players only or create dummy third player.

Also its possible that this person had in mind that the game balance will be either for solo or 3 players, not that technically 2 players can't play without a third one.

[Mecharion]

You know you dont have to buy or love the game. I will wait until they show their real new game.

[sigina ✝]

It is what it is

[ebolaisamongus]

Its cuz fromsoft is behind the times when it comes to game development particularly multiplayer. It took the seamless mod for elden ring for them to realize what proper coop looks like.

What happens if the third play disconnects? Does a NPC summon take its place? If so, why not just allow any amount of players and use npc summons to fill in any gaps?

Its pretty dumb, but Ill still looking forward to the game.

[I'm cucked]

It's really dumb. It'll get fixed by modders within a few months, but it's dumb, and should be criticized.

[Ares25D]

yeah I have played every souls game as a duo not being able to play with just 2 is beyond stupid so unless its changed before release I will not be buying this

[Mr. Swoon]

Agreed, it seems so weirdly arbitrary. It's not like they don't have multiplayer scaling formulas from every other soulslike they've made.

[Pepe]

Dumb if true.