Viper Napuatzi highlights something important (my first actual critique)

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NotPivot#9831 wrote:

I have been stuck on this reworked boss for 2 days straight, after 1000+ hours and never getting stuck anywhere on any character or build. I have cleared all content, on max difficulty levels. I have played ARPG games for a long time, as well as From Software games, and other games notorious for their difficulty (Hollow Knight, etc.). I enjoy "funstrating" games.

HOWEVER, there is a difference between difficulty, and simulated difficulty.

A good example of a difficult boss is Godfrey from Elden Ring. That is my all time favorite boss, because you can literally dance with him for hours and always learn something, come up with cool ways to fight him, and never feel stuck, always having a light at the end of the tunnel because he has a move set that is variable, but learnable nonetheless.

I haven't experienced what most people have talked about concerning GGGs boss design philosophy, but the last 2 days have me a bit concerned.

1. Grinding Gear, you are not From Software because you don't have Miyazaki. You will never be them, because frankly, none of you are even on the same level as From Software, and Viper Napuatzi proves it.


This boss must have been reworked, at least in cruel difficulty.

This entire fight is what is called "simulated difficulty" because I have hours of video proof that it is entirely RNG based.

You cannot bait attacks.

You cannot predict the next move set.

The boss will often spam the same move set over and over, like this most recent attempt - I practically had her beaten, she had already told her cronies to throw spears 3 times, and I immediately started DPSing her after what I thought would be the last spear volley.

Wouldn't you know it, within 2 seconds of the final spear volley, she floats off and the spears start being thrown again immediately.

So as I type this my character lies dead in the arena, again, because of simulated difficulty in the form of spammed 1 shot mechanics.

This brings me to my second point -


I wanted to believe you guys over in New Zealand had a clue, but I think I just blasted through the content so fast before that I never really experienced the dumpster fire that was alot of the bosses.

The executioner is good, however. The bloated miller is decent for a first boss. Geonor is typical, nothing special, but nothing horrible either. Doryani is pretty cool, I like his opening voice line.

But I've been around these boss centric and difficult games since the day they all released, and have played them all - and GGG, if your trying to carve out your own place amongst them, you need to remove RNG from the fights, make some attacks baitable, and if your using adaptable AI, you suck at it (this would explain the Vipers spamming the only attacks that hit me, over and over).

I have been wondering if their is some form of adaptive AI in some of the fights, because it seems like in this Viper fight, she will endlessly spam the attacks that connect most often, and that's not ok.

Anyway, I'll give it another day or so and if I am still hard stopped at this dumpster fire, Imma go play and stream Monster Hunter until you all get this sorted out - because not to sound arrogant, but if I'm walled off by a boss, there is definitely something wrong with the boss mechanics.

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sudhirking#4476 wrote:

I disagree with this post completely. Viper is predictable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1EvVJ_fRmo&
You can also predict and bait out her quick stab attacks. You can body block her with obstacles like frozen locus. These lock her in place for her second fast jab.


Labbing this boss was really fun and tough.



I also disagree with your sentiment that Poe2 bosses are not on the same level as a From Software title. Poe2 boss mechanics, the predictability of their AI, their precise hitboxes, and the beautiful job GGG does at telegraphing boss moves without putting ugly circles on the ground, is phenomenal.

I rate it extremely highly! I wish there were more support for bossing (like a boss rush mode, where I can just fight a tanky version of the boss and get huge rewards for it)

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sudhirking#4476 wrote:

I disagree with this post completely. Viper is predictable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1EvVJ_fRmo&
You can also predict and bait out her quick stab attacks. You can body block her with obstacles like frozen locus. These lock her in place for her second fast jab.


Labbing this boss was really fun and tough.



I also disagree with your sentiment that Poe2 bosses are not on the same level as a From Software title. Poe2 boss mechanics, the predictability of their AI, their precise hitboxes, and the beautiful job GGG does at telegraphing boss moves without putting ugly circles on the ground, is phenomenal.

I rate it extremely highly! I wish there were more support for bossing (like a boss rush mode, where I can just fight a tanky version of the boss and get huge rewards for it)