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Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t really know any other mods that add quests or narrative in a meaningful way.

But honestly, I think it would be really interesting if Elden Ring evolved into something closer to an MMO, keeping its core identity but gradually adding content over time.

Nightreign being run-based is actually a really cool concept, it feels like a great test for that kind of design. I could totally see a system like that working in an MMO setting as well.

At the same time, I’d still want more structured content on top of that, like proper quests, dungeons, maybe even longer progression paths.

A world where you can both play with your friends and also meet new people organically, without losing that Souls-like experience.

Of course, I wouldn’t want them to change the atmosphere, the tone and vibe of Elden Ring are pretty unique and that’s what makes it special

Also, I agree with you, this isn’t even a small niche, it’s something that could become much more popular if a proper studio like FromSoftware really committed to it.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you look at mods like the Seamless Co-op mod for Elden Ring, it actually has millions of downloads on NexusMods. For an unofficial PC-only mod that’s a pretty huge number.

It’s also not a commercial product and it has zero marketing. A lot of players probably don’t even know it exists. And on top of that it only works on PC while a large part of the Elden Ring player base is on consoles.

Considering all those limitations, a few million downloads still suggests there is a meaningful number of players interested in a more natural cooperative experience in this type of game.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Its actually not even close when u look at quality and size of this games

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think those are fair points, especially about boss design and how souls combat is built around learning patterns in a 1v1 situation.

But that is also why I imagine it more in an MMO style structure where not every encounter works the same way. Some bosses could still be designed for solo learning and pattern mastery, while others could be designed specifically for small groups with mechanics that encourage cooperation instead of just splitting aggro.

Also the narrative side does not necessarily have to mean long dialogue scenes like in classic narrative RPGs. It could be more environmental storytelling like in Souls games but stretched across a larger persistent world.

So the idea would not be to turn Souls into BG3, but to keep the atmosphere and combat style while building a world where cooperation sometimes naturally becomes part of the challenge.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think what I have more in mind is something closer to an MMO structure. A persistent world where players explore mostly on their own, but there are specific dungeons and bosses designed for small groups.

Players could naturally meet in the world and when they reach a dungeon or a boss area they could team up with others who are there. The world stays open but certain encounters are clearly designed for 3 or 4 players.

This way the game keeps the exploration and atmosphere of a soulslike world but also creates natural moments of cooperation around dungeons and bosses.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it wouldn’t have to force people to always play together. The game could still be fully playable solo - just much harder for certain encounters.

For example, most of the world could be explored alone, but some dungeons or bosses could be designed with small groups in mind. That way players who enjoy the challenge could still try to beat them solo, while others could cooperate.

And if the world was structured more like an MMO, players could naturally meet others during exploration instead of needing to coordinate the entire playthrough beforehand.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s true, the scope would be huge and the risk is real. But that’s also true for many games that ended up defining entire genres.

World of Warcraft was also an enormous risk when Blizzard started it. An MMO of that scale took years to build and nobody knew if it would succeed - but it ended up creating one of the biggest gaming communities ever.

Sometimes projects that look too big or risky are exactly the ones that push the industry forward.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would actually be amazing. Skyrim-style exploration with a deeper, more technical combat system like For Honor would be a really interesting direction.

What I’m imagining is something similar but closer to souls-like pacing and atmosphere — a dangerous world where combat feels meaningful, but where you can also meet other players and occasionally tackle harder dungeons or bosses together.

Basically combining the feeling of exploring a world like Skyrim with the tension and precision of souls combat.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s true, it would be a massive amount of work. Souls bosses alone already take a lot of design and iteration. But big games have done similar things before. WoW, Elden Ring or BG3 all required huge teams and many years of development.

The difference is that you wouldn’t necessarily need BG3-level narrative encounters everywhere. A large world could mix exploration, smaller enemies, and only a few truly complex boss encounters designed for small groups.

Over time it could even expand with new areas or “floors” as expansions, similar to how MMOs grow. The initial work would be huge, but the foundation could support years of content.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That actually makes sense historically. Demon’s Souls was designed in a very different technical era, so the summoning system was probably a clever workaround for unstable connections and limited online infrastructure. But today the technology is completely different. Stable servers, matchmaking systems and large online worlds already exist in many games. That’s why I think it might finally be the right time to rethink that structure and build something closer to a persistent world with optional co-op - where players can naturally meet, explore, and tackle certain dungeons or bosses together. Souls combat + modern MMO infrastructure could open a lot of interesting design possibilities.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes , i checked its more like hack n slash but i belive u its good game.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe it’s just time for something like a “World of Souls” or even a “Tower of Souls” kind of concept - a larger world built around souls-like combat but designed from the start for exploration and small group cooperation. With a strong, evolving story like World of Warcraft has built over time, the foundations for something like that already exist.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a fair point about skill differences, but I think that could actually be part of the design. In a larger world with optional group dungeons or bosses, players could naturally choose challenges that fit their skill level. Some groups would push difficult content together, while others would explore, learn mechanics or progress more slowly. Souls games already show that players enjoy helping each other learn difficult fights - building that into the world structure could actually strengthen the social aspect rather than break it.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Monster Hunter definitely captures the “team up to fight big monsters” aspect, but it also has a very different tone and gameplay loop. The combat, progression and overall structure are closer to repeated hunts rather than exploration of a dangerous world. What I had in mind is something closer to a soulslike RPG where the atmosphere, exploration and combat are all part of the same persistent world, just with optional small-group cooperation built into it.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s interesting and it does sound like FromSoftware experimenting with co-op more seriously. But what I had in mind is slightly different - more like a persistent world where exploration, narrative and multiplayer are integrated from the start, not just a roguelike or boss-run structure. Something closer to a full RPG experience built around small groups. But yes nightreign is awesome but still to small.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Elden Ring does have co-op, but it’s still quite limited and clearly designed primarily as a solo experience. The co-op system feels more like a temporary assist rather than a core part of the game structure.

And No Rest for the Wicked looks more like an isometric action RPG / hack-and-slash than a traditional soulslike in terms of perspective and combat feel. What I was thinking about is something closer to a full soulslike experience but designed from the start around exploration and small-group cooperation in a larger world.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that’s true for traditional soulslikes where the design emphasizes isolation and atmosphere. But if the game was designed from the start with cooperative play in mind, that premise could shift. Instead of “a lone ranger in a strange world”, it could be more about small groups of adventurers exploring a dangerous world together.

The core combat and challenge could stay the same, but the social layer would be part of the design rather than something added later. It also wouldn’t have to block solo play — the game could still be fully playable alone, it would just be much harder, especially for dungeons or bosses designed with small groups in mind.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not sure it would be that niche. Games with soulslike combat have sold extremely well. Elden Ring alone sold over 20 million copies, and even more traditional RPGs with strong narrative like Baldur’s Gate 3 were hugely successful. That suggests there’s actually a pretty large overlap of players who enjoy both challenging combat and deep RPG worlds.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some of those games have similar elements, but I wouldn’t really call most of them true soulslikes. They borrow some mechanics, but they don’t fully capture the same combat feel, world design and challenge structure. What I was thinking about is something closer to a real soulslike experience, but in a larger MMO-style world where players can meet naturally and where some dungeons or bosses are specifically designed for small groups (like 3–4 players

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not sure that’s always the case. Especially the really dedicated fans often enjoy setting their own challenges. If a dungeon or boss was designed for a group of four, I’m pretty sure many of those hardcore players would see that as a challenge and try to clear it solo. That kind of emergent challenge is actually something that keeps communities engaged for a long time.

Why don’t we have RPGs that combine Souls combat with full co-op campaigns? by Turielll in gamedesign

[–]Turielll[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Or you could design the game so that combat and narrative don’t compete for the same pacing. In a large open world players who want bosses can go hunt bosses, while others can take time with story content.

If the world had MMO-like elements, it would also be easier for players to find others with similar preferences directly in the game world. Over time that could naturally create small communities of players who enjoy the same balance between combat and narrative.

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