Just had some thoughts on soulsborne games and specifically the fanbase:
I think its fine to do things like "no hit/summon/magic/whatever" runs. They're pretty impressive things and it does take skill and effort to do so.
But.
There is not a "pure" or "superior" way to play these games. If it is a feature or mechanic within the game, it is a fair play as long as the boss dies. And its fine to not want to use those things in pursuit of being challenged and feeling fulfilled. What *isn't* fine is policing how other people play the game because it ruins a mythical image of souls games as exceptionally difficult or brutal.
It's really *really* easy to say a souls game is the hardest game ever when you're doing everything in your power to make it harder for yourself.
There is a lot I like about the other players in souls games, the messages I read as I travel through these worlds are usually witty or fun, and it goes a long way to making it feel like I'm having a shared experience with the broader playerbase. What I don't like is the imposition of specific playstyles as a purity test for worthiness. I can kinda get it for PvP because at that point its meta-gaming, but for PvE content? Stuff people are doing against the enemies of the game? Literally no one's problem but the player doing the fighting.
A win is a win is a win.