S.C.G Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 20 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: True, it wasn't a good situation to be in but they could have delayed the Switch game to give it the polish it needed and asked backers if they would like to wait or switch to another version. As for the Vita version, it was said to have been cancelled due to the platform being dead as a dodo, although i'm sure that version would have also had technical issues as well. John from Digital Foundry has been playing the Switch version and has this to say about it. "The input lag and super low res were much more noticeable, though. Loading is longer too." True, they could have... then potentially that would have been yet another blow to those who originally backed the Wii U version, having presumably been OK with having the Switch version instead (I had no problems with this) but to then delay it again? I'm not sure if that would have gone down to well, even if the end result might have been better in the long run but yes absolutely, it should have been possible to switch to another version but... it's Kickstarter so I don't know how these things work logisitically once things reach a certain point. I think backers were given the option when the Wii U version was cancelled to change versions though for what it's worth, I wanted to be all in for the game on whatever Nintendo platform it came out on though due to me being really stubborn I know that I could be playing a technically better game right now on one of the other platforms but I can't help but be all in on the Switch version now. I'm curious about John's bolded comment there... he stated that he only played in handheld mode and he's still stating input lag problems? I thought that the joy-cons in portable mode connected directly to the console and NOT wirelessly... therefore normally there shouldn't be any inout lag, fair enough if it's there when they are connected physically then that's that... I'm just really curious about that. From my experience of using a wired Pro Controller I can't detect any input lag, so maybe it's just the joy-cons or general lag from people playing with wireless controllers. Just to be clear, I'm not here to pick at every point, I'm just trying to offer a bit more perspective on the situation, also I'd love to find out what's causing the lag in particular but more than that, I just want the game to end up as polished as it can be over time and yes, it seems like the devs still have some work ahead of them but after following all the updates for years now, I can't see them giving up just like that and I think we will end up with a better game on the Switch sooner rather than later... even if it is later than the other versions and parity is out of the question and I definitely don't like the approach in the industry generally but here I can see that they are really making an effort. 1
Hero-of-Time Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 (edited) 22 minutes ago, S.C.G said: I'm curious about John's bolded comment there... he stated that he only played in handheld mode and he's still stating input lag problems? I thought that the joy-cons in portable mode connected directly to the console and NOT wirelessly... therefore normally there shouldn't be any inout lag, fair enough if it's there when they are connected physically then that's that... I'm just really curious about that. From my experience of using a wired Pro Controller I can't detect any input lag, so maybe it's just the joy-cons or general lag from people playing with wireless controllers. There have been examples on Era, both in the main thread and the Switch one, where people who are claiming to have been playing in portable mode are also experiencing the input lag issue. It's definitely a weird one. Here's an example of it being played in portable mode. Edited June 26, 2019 by Hero-of-Time 1
S.C.G Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 Bizarre... truly bizarre! I think I'm going to have to do some tests of my own with all the different wired controllers I own just to see what happens. 1
drahkon Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 So, @Hero-of-Time (hopefully the right one this time). You gonna buy that Switch version?
Hero-of-Time Posted June 26, 2019 Posted June 26, 2019 18 minutes ago, drahkon said: So, @Hero-of-Time (hopefully the right one this time). You gonna buy that Switch version? Not in the state it's in but I did still cancel my Mario Maker 2 preorder. 1
S.C.G Posted June 27, 2019 Posted June 27, 2019 (edited) Switch Update: Immediate update plans and localization news Hello everyone, today we have an update on our progress regarding the Switch version of the game and an update on localization. Regarding localization, we’ve been alerted that several of the languages available for Bloodstained have not been translated to the high quality bar we set for ourselves. However, I’m happy to report that our Production teams are on top of this situation and are in the process of doing a full localization pass on all languages. You can also help in this process by visiting this forum thread and providing specific examples of problem areas encountered with any languages you play the game in. Regarding the Switch version of the game; the amazing teams at WayForward and ArtPlay are already hard at work on improvements. Below is a list of what we’re working to fix ASAP via multiple updates over the next few weeks: HD Rumble fix (completed!) Crash stability Optimizing Miriam's jump The teams are also at work on a variety of updates to the game and engine, including: Optimizing animation for certain enemies (WayForward is testing some techniques to accomplish big things here, but it may be risky and require lots of testing, may need to be pushed to a later update) Addressing input delay wherever it occurs Switch-specific loading optimizations (this requires a bit more work, and will probably be in the last "ASAP" patches) Obviously the above plan will adapt as we identify priorities and new tasks and as we add development resources, but we’ll keep you updated as we go. We’ll also have more to announce soon as we do more to improve the Switch version of Bloodstained. We are committed long-term to making sure the Switch version is just as great and enjoyable as the other platforms, and this is just a window into our immediate action plans. We apologize again for the inconvenience of the Switch launch not going according to plan, but we really appreciate your understanding and support as we work to make things right. Roberto Piraino “Angel-Corlux” Global Brand Manager 505 Games Edited June 27, 2019 by S.C.G 1 1
Hero-of-Time Posted June 27, 2019 Posted June 27, 2019 This should be a good watch when it's ready. 1
Dcubed Posted June 27, 2019 Author Posted June 27, 2019 Damn... this is really heartbreaking. The Switch version was the one I wanted the most... (well, actually it was the Wii U one, but... well... you know...). Something clearly had to give with this project... at least the game itself turned out to be good at least! Will just go ahead and get it on PC when I find time to get stuck in to play it...
S.C.G Posted June 27, 2019 Posted June 27, 2019 I played the game for an hour last night, now admitedly, I'm still on the Ship... as I decided to grind to level 10 but... I didn't have any real issues. Though it seems most of the problems people are encountering are later on in the game, at the moment I'm enjoying it anyway. 1
Sméagol Posted June 29, 2019 Posted June 29, 2019 (edited) I had a small break from Mario Maker this morning and did the prologue. Maybe it's the latest patch, but while obviously not as smooth or pretty as on PS4, it played absolutely fine. And with plenty of MetroidVanias on my system by now, it felt absolutely great to actually play one of the 2 games the genre it's named after! More or less. Like I said, I've only done the prologue, but I can see the game later overwhelming me with options again. I've only tried a few weapons, used the Claymore against the first boss, but I can see myself preferring something faster. Haven't tried out a lot of them, like the guns. And then there's plenty of magic as well. Edited June 29, 2019 by Sméagol 1
S.C.G Posted June 29, 2019 Posted June 29, 2019 22 minutes ago, Sméagol said: I had a small break from Mario Maker this morning and did the prologue. Maybe it's he latest patch, but while obviously not as smooth or pretty as on PS4, it played absolutely fine. And with plenty of MetroidVanias on my system by now, it felt absolutely great to actually play one of the 2 games the genre i named after! More or less. Like I said, I've only done the prologue, but I can see the game later overwhelming me with options again. I've only tried a few weapons, used the Claymore against the first boss, but I can see myself preferring something faster. Haven't treid out a lot of them, like the guns. And then there's plenty of magic as well. Nice, you're around where I was when I last played the game then. What level were you when you beat the first boss? I've levelled to 10 which feels about right, though I get the impression that the boss is probably meant to be beatable at half that. I also wanted to make sure I'd gotten everything I can in that area, but of course you can come back to it and I found out that there's around two or three places on the ship. Probably some kind of extra jumping ability is needed to get to those parts I reckon, anyway I can't wait to play some more of it in a bit.
Vanilla Posted June 29, 2019 Posted June 29, 2019 (edited) Oh man, this game was an utter gem to play. I backed it yeaaaaars ago, so it's quite the surreal experience getting to actually play some concept you invested in. On paper, it's definitely more akin to the Sorrow games than most other Metroidvanias, albeit more fleshed out. Grinding for shards is one thing, but then buffing them from monster drops really adds an extra bit of depth to the grinding hell that these games can be known for. Techniques were fairly nifty, but they really seem to be biased more towards the katana than any other weapon type in the game. Bit disappointing, that. Bosses were... okay? I dunno. They certainly felt more memorable in CoTM but you can argue the difference in gameplay is probably the root of it. The meticulous patterns you need to follow and learn in CoTM defintiely stuck with me more than just being able to melt them with a spammy barrage of TEPS OCEUS. ^^; I've got more to say on the game, but I'll come back to it when I've got more free time. That's just some initial thoughts on the whole game so far. Edited June 29, 2019 by Vanilla 2 1
Sméagol Posted June 29, 2019 Posted June 29, 2019 53 minutes ago, S.C.G said: Nice, you're around where I was when I last played the game then. What level were you when you beat the first boss? I've levelled to 10 which feels about right, though I get the impression that the boss is probably meant to be beatable at half that. I also wanted to make sure I'd gotten everything I can in that area, but of course you can come back to it and I found out that there's around two or three places on the ship. Probably some kind of extra jumping ability is needed to get to those parts I reckon, anyway I can't wait to play some more of it in a bit. Just checked for you. I'm level 7 now, but I've leveled up in the town and surrounding area at least once, so I assume I was level 6. Used the claymore like I said, plus also the fireball. I died 2 or 3 times, was too aggresive and not really paying attention to the tentacles, which don't attack that often but do the most damage. I have (as far as I can see) 4 areas left to uncover on the ship. The small room near the exit, the large hallway right above where you start, and 2 corners in a small room and a bigger one. Must need some jumping ability yeah. 1
Hero-of-Time Posted June 29, 2019 Posted June 29, 2019 Yeah, you'll need to come back once you have more abilities at your disposal before you can fully clear the map on the ship.
Ronnie Posted June 30, 2019 Posted June 30, 2019 The usual indie story... Bloodstained apparently sold more on Switch than PS4/XBO combined, yet got a terrbiel port. 1
S.C.G Posted June 30, 2019 Posted June 30, 2019 I must say, I did watch the Digital Foundry version and while I can clearly see the differences... I'm kind of OK with it? It just helped to put it all into perspective, it's amazing that they managed to get Bloodstained running at 30fps on the Switch. Of course the resolution was always going to take a hit, the textures are lower resolution yes but the general integrity of the art style is still there at least. The soundtrack is still amazing and I'm glad they got the audio levels right on this Switch release, as some titles have been so low generally that I've had to turn the volume right up... ...not with Bloodstained, in fact the first time I loaded up the game I got a jump from the explosion and glass-shattering sound followed by that infamous laughter. As for the input lag, I'm just not seeing it, at least with a wired Pro Controller, so that's a non-issue for me and at least most of these issues are being worked on. In fact the only real issue for me at the moment, is making time to play the game, so I'm going to do that... right now. Maybe later on down the line, I'll try out one of the other versions for myself, as of right now though... the Switch port is just fine and I'm still happy to have backed it. 1
Sofiz Posted July 1, 2019 Posted July 1, 2019 On 29/06/2019 at 8:13 PM, Vanilla said: Bosses were... okay? I dunno. They certainly felt more memorable in CoTM but you can argue the difference in gameplay is probably the root of it. The meticulous patterns you need to follow and learn in CoTM defintiely stuck with me more than just being able to melt them with a spammy barrage of TEPS OCEUS. ^^; Excuse me, I think you mean True Arrow? That's my spam-melt-death attack of choice On 29/06/2019 at 8:13 PM, Vanilla said: Techniques were fairly nifty, but they really seem to be biased more towards the katana than any other weapon type in the game. Bit disappointing, that. Bosses were... okay? I dunno. They certainly felt more memorable in CoTM but you can argue the difference in gameplay is probably the root of it. The meticulous patterns you need to follow and learn in CoTM defintiely stuck with me more than just being able to melt them with a spammy barrage of TEPS OCEUS. ^^; But I agree with you about the bosses, I expected more of a CoTM style of boss-fight but I actually found myself enjoying these fights a loooot less. That's probably why I prefer to just spam attacks to get back to the fun part of the game asap. As for techniques, it's pretty annoying having to constantly input the combo to make it work, sometimes it just won't pick up on what I'm trying to do, which is why I'm a bit disappointed there's no way to have a shortcut button for a selected technique once you've mastered it; I've found that once I master a technique I never touch it again, because shards can potentially be way better bang for your MP and take less effort to pull off. 1
Dcubed Posted August 6, 2019 Author Posted August 6, 2019 @S.C.G and @Hero-of-Time might be interested in this... From the creators of A Dream Cast... Archipel has done a documentary with both Iga and the creator of Tokyo Jungle on each creator's respective journeys as indie devs! Very interesting watching! (Be sure to turn on Closed Captions to get English subtitles!) 2 1
S.C.G Posted October 31, 2019 Posted October 31, 2019 The performance update for the Nintendo Switch version is live... Nintendo Switch Graphics and Performance Update The Nintendo Switch Improvement update is live! We know it took a while to get this update to you and we are very appreciative of your patience. There are four areas of improvement in version 1.03: Input Lag, Visual Quality, Crashes and Load Times. First off, input lag has been eliminated throughout the game. You will find the controls more responsive, making the game easier to navigate and enemies easier to fight. There are still a few areas that need optimizing that will be included in update 1.04. Visual quality has been improved so things look more clear and have more detail. Some examples below: Overall stability has been improved throughout the game. We have addressed several specific situations that have been causing crashes, most notably when reading books from a bookcase. Loading times have been reduced significantly, by up to 70% but there are still areas we'd like to improve. We will keep working to improve this on a room-by-room basis. Even more improvements are coming in update 1.04, so keep an eye on the news for that announcement! Happy Halloween indeed. 1 1
Hero-of-Time Posted January 16, 2020 Posted January 16, 2020 A new patch is out for the Switch version of the game that once again sorts out the performance issues. Looks like it should be good to go at this point. Quote • Stability issues, such as crashes experienced while interacting with bookcases. • Fixed an issue with corruption during dialogue which could lead to crash • Some Performance improvements related to animations • General Bug Fixing"While we will continue to work on overall performance improvements for Switch, this update brings the game’s platforms to a nearly identical state for content. This is an important step leading into the upcoming Zangetsu release, which we will talk more about in the near future." 1
Ike Posted January 16, 2020 Posted January 16, 2020 It's £20 at Argos, does that mean it's good to buy now?
Hero-of-Time Posted January 16, 2020 Posted January 16, 2020 3 minutes ago, Ike said: It's £20 at Argos, does that mean it's good to buy now? Looks to be. I'm tempted to pull the trigger and double dip now that it seems to be fixed and Argos are selling it off.
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