.webp?width=660)
Given the difficulty of the game or just the pure beauty of it, many players opt to experience Elden Ring with friends or random players. There is debate over whether it's a balanced feature that keeps the game fair despite having multiple players at once, or a feature that's an inferior version of past games’ multiplayer options and needs significant improvement. It's really up to the player’s judgment whether it is satisfactory or not, as it has notable features but also has limits that can hinder the joy of playing with cooperators.
Cooperation is an omnipresent feature, yet it is a fleeting experience. Despite the developer’s intention and design philosophies, it has annoyances that seem to have been a thing of the past rather than a present feature of a modern game. With that, it is now up to the passionate community to materialize a more fleshed-out multiplayer in the form of the Seamless Co-op mod.
The Limits of the Vanilla Elden Ring Multiplayer
Elden Ring multiplayer shares the same rules as the Dark Souls franchise’s multiplayer. It works, but it has strict rules in place. These include:
- Summoning cooperators is only possible in areas with summoning pools.
- The host and the cooperators cannot use the spectral steed, Torrent.
- Cooperators disappear once the boss within the area of the summoning pool is defeated.
- The session ends once the host dies before beating the boss.
- Cooperators have limited flasks (half the highest amount of flasks, e.g., if you originally have 14 flasks, you will only have 7 charges once summoned).
- Cooperators cannot use Rune Arcs.
- Both hosts and cooperators cannot use Spirit Ash summons.
Additionally, the moment the host opens up for cooperation, they also open up the world for invasion. For most players, invaders can be unexpected, despite a notification of being invaded by a player, and throw people off the entire goal of the co-op. The invader's goal is to kill the host and prevent them from fighting the boss. Killing the host, of course, ends the co-op session, and even if the host managed to fight off the invader, resources such as HP, FP, and flasks have been used, which could have been used for the boss fight instead. So, there is this risk of being forced to play PvP against players whose entire loadout is prepared to fight multiple players, while just wanting to play PvE with friends.
Since the goal is just to beat a boss, the co-op feature is more of an assistance tool than an actual shared journey with friends option. Hosts will be able to progress the game, but as for the cooperators, there isn’t really a tangible reward to be gained.
What Seamless Co-op Changes
Elden Ring modder Yui provides players with a total multiplayer makeover by releasing the Seamless Co-op mod. The way it works is that you open your world for another player, and you can play the entire game together. The session will continue despite a boss being defeated or the death of the host, which is already an upgrade from vanilla multiplayer. Resting upon a grace will immediately respawn a downed teammate. Additionally, loot and rewards are shared. Torrent is accessible for both the host and the cooperator. Spirit ashes, Rune Arcs, and the maximum amount of flasks can all be used just as normal players would. The mod makes the experience “seamless” indeed.
The mod itself is catered for those who want to treat the world of Elden Ring as an adventure for friends. Players may opt to use a password to limit who can and can't join. As of writing this, the mod allows up to 6 players in a team, twice the number of the vanilla game’s player limit. Hosts may also choose to restrict invaders from entering their world. That eliminates one of the greatest risks involving vanilla game co-op. Overall, playing together with friends in the harsh world of the Lands Between is now way smoother and easier. A single-player experience turned into a team, co-op action game by the work of a passionate playerbase and community.
The Defense of Vanilla Design
Despite the success of Yui’s Seamless Co-op mod, some players still defend the design of FromSoftware’s multiplayer. The intention is to learn the game through trials and hardships, whether it may take an entire weekend to beat a single boss. It's part of the appeal of the game that, despite the difficulty, you may ask for assistance, but that, as well, is temporary and would not let others hold your hand throughout the entire journey. Losing is devastating, but assistance can aid in that. However, victory would not be as delicious as when you figured out the ropes all by yourself.
Conclusion
Players who want a classic co-op adventure with friends would likely prefer Seamless Co-op over the vanilla option. It ditches many annoyances and gives players an option to journey the entire Lands Between as a group. The number of downloads proves that. It is mainly for PC and turns off achievements, but it is really worth the experience you’re about to have. Players who strive for teamwork would find the mod a game-changer.
Players who prefer the standard experience of the game would most likely not enjoy it. Conclusively, it really depends on what kind of player you are and how you want to play the game. Whether you like the companionship or the true difficulty will affect your preference. It's really up to the player. However, mods showing up demonstrate that players desire varied experiences. It is not to solve a problem, but just shows that people have other preferences.
For more like this, stick with us here at Gfinityesports.com, the best website for gaming guides.