The Dark Souls Discussion Thread

[D_Davis]

I started a DEX build this weekend and brought him up to Anor Londo. I don't understand how people PVE with DEX builds - it's really hard, especially when the enemies start getting tougher. I can't imagine doing this pre-patch, when most of the early mobs were much stronger. It's fun running around all fast, and PVP is more fun, but it got so hard that I quit.

I then started playing my main again - a super tank. Brought her up to sl101, and now that the giant blacksmith sells sparkling titanite, I fully upgraded everything that I use. It's awesome. Co-oped a ton in Anor Londo, and beat skinny and fatty in NG+. Main, they hit HARD in NG+. Took me and two phantoms 5 times to beat them. Plus we kept getting invaded on the way to the boss door. It was super fun.

I also fully upgraded my P-flame, and got to level 2 in the chaos cov. I'm now prepared to fight the Bed of Chaos. It sure is nice to have that shortcut open.

[D_Davis]

The range on the Minor Capra Demons' aggro has been severely limited with the new patch. I was able to pick all of them off from the path way with a few dozen poison arrows and they didn't charge at all. Also, the one farthest back no longer aggros you when you leave the bonfire nearest the Demon Firesage boss room.

[D_Davis]

Looks like folks have moved on to other games.





Last post here unless someone else continues.

Just crossed the 175 hour mark, combined from 4 characters. My main is now on hour 115. Just beat the Bed of Chaos in NG+. And I cannot beat the Four Kings on NG+. I heard they were nerfed, but I'm having a harder time now than I did during NG.

[megladon8]

Sorry, I'm just pretty entranced with "Skyrim" right now.

I do really love "Dark Souls" but find the difficulty a bit much at times, and quite inconsistent. It's often the fairly simple enemies that seem to get the best of me through gang-ups and "camera positioning didn't let me know you were behind me" type stuff, whereas a lot of huge bosses are push-overs.


Like I said, I love the game, and I can't wait to get back into it and carry on trying to get through Blighttown, but I'm unfortunately not as "God himself released a game this year" as you, D. :sad:

Also I have to say I totally called it that, now that the patch has come out and certain aspects are easier/more accessible, there's now quite a legion of gamers gloating online about how they "beat it before the patch" and "if you beat it after the patch it's just not the same", blah blah.

I've even heard tell of petitions being created to have the Game Completion achievement on 360 be changed so that if you beat the game post-patch it is noted on your achievement.

[Lucky]

Looks like folks have moved on to other games.

Main thing for me is that vacation is officially over and school kicked into high gear. I'll come back to this over winter break and make it through NG+ with the new patch. I'm curious to see how badly my character got knocked. I desperately want to play Zelda, though, so it may have to wait even longer than that. And Skyrim.

Then FF13-2 comes out in January...this may just end up getting shelfed afterall. Finishing it feels like enough of an accomplishment. I feel like I saw the whole world, my armor can't upgrade to anything better, I have all the pyromancy spells to the max power, my weapon is upgraded to max...aside from maxing out my stats, I don't have as much drive to play the second time through. I would probably be more interested in starting a new character style from scratch.

[D_Davis]

I thought I was ready to move on with Skyrim. But after about 20 hours I totally lost interest. It's really weird. I have way more fun making new DS characters and seeing how fast I can ring both bells.

This might be the first game I've ever played that I'll attempt a speed run. 1.5 hours seems to be the target time.

In many ways, DS is like a good shmup. It's all about improving your skill and doing runs. EpicNameBro did a naked run using only the starting plank shield and club. That's crazy. He beat Four Kings pre-patch without blocking. Stuff like that is cool to keep trying.

[KK2.0]

Well, i was going through my NG+ and my boyfriend is on his fifth character at the moment, but our blu-ray got broken!!!! Guess we've been playing a little too much :lol:

we've got a replacement already, Dark Souls is crack, no pun intended

[D_Davis]

Well, i was going through my NG+ and my boyfriend is on his fifth character at the moment, but our blu-ray got broken!!!! Guess we've been playing a little too much :lol:

we've got a replacement already, Dark Souls is crack, no pun intended

Hahaha...you actually broke your disc?

[Morris Schæffer]

Feel a little bummed out because I've neglected this for the past 3 weeks and I really was having a blast, but progress as so slow and I've got so many games.

[D_Davis]

Dark Souls delivers two lessons that games in general, nevermind other RPGs, should take to heart. Just because you're delivering a narrative doesn't mean you have to stop being a game. If your backstory's rich and detailed, that doesn't mean it all has to be written down. Putting faith in a player's dedication is as close as AAA games get to a revolutionary act these days, and exactly what Dark Souls does.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-souls-article

[KK2.0]

While I find Skyrim to be a lot of fun, narratively it is a dinossaur. Dragon Age may have it's issues but the dialogue and exposition is leagues ahead of Bethesda's.

Hahaha...you actually broke your disc?

it was bizarre, all of a sudden the disc stopped working, i feared my BR drive was failing but all of my other discs worked, then i've noticed a crack, going from the inner section all the way through the middle of the disc. Maybe too much pressure while putting the disc in the box and out? I don't know, it never happened before.

[Ezee E]

While I find Skyrim to be a lot of fun, narratively it is a dinossaur. Dragon Age may have it's issues but the dialogue and exposition is leagues ahead of Bethesda's.

Starting to believe this as well. While every playthrough would be incredibly unique to each other, the narrative itself is kind of 'meh' when it's all said and done. Fallout 3 seemed to have more consequences and plot.

[megladon8]

Is there ever a point in this game in which you feel that you're starting to actually get stronger? To no longer just be a punching bag for the game's enemies and sadistic sensibilities?

Over 30 hours in, I'm still scrounging through with no humanity points, 5 estus flasks, and no real feeling of security at all.

I do not get how people are getting like 50+ points of humanity, 30,000 souls and all this crazy stuff, and not losing it all.

I feel like I'm constantly restarting back at zero. One step forward, two steps back kind of thing.

[Lucky]

For me, the difficulty stopped being frustrating after Anor Londo. There were certainly hard stretches and bosses after that, but I never felt "stuck." Especially with the bosses, since you could always summon another player to help out. And for most bosses you can literally run the stretch from the nearest bonfire to them while successfully avoiding all enemies. I very rarely saved 30k+ souls at one time, unless a boss gave me 30k+ souls. What are you saving for? My method was spend as soon as I got them. I never used my soul items unless I was right next to a merchant or a bonfire. I never used humanity unless I needed help with a boss.

[D_Davis]

Is there ever a point in this game in which you feel that you're starting to actually get stronger? To no longer just be a punching bag for the game's enemies and sadistic sensibilities?

Oh yeah, totally. For me it started happening in Blighttown.

Although it doesn't have as much to do with your character leveling up as it has to do with you getting better at the game.

I can ring both bells now sl15, with the master key.

You should really try to get some humanity (rats in the depths) and kindle those bonfires to get 10 estus flasks, and make sure to get the firekeeper souls (on is in the Undead Parish) to make the estus stronger.

[D_Davis]

But yeah, never hold on to souls. Get enough to level or buy something and go do it.

[D_Davis]

Also, meg, I used the wiki and strategy guide for help, and watched a ton of "Let's Play Dark Souls" videos on youtube. I basically submerged myself in DS-related things.

[megladon8]

Also, meg, I used the wiki and strategy guide for help, and watched a ton of "Let's Play Dark Souls" videos on youtube. I basically submerged myself in DS-related things.

Yeah, I use Wiki and vids tons as well.

I'm just finding that the difficulty is never letting up. I still cannot pass that troll in Blighttown. I've spent over 3 hours trying to get past a single enemy, and it's not even a boss (or mini boss).

[D_Davis]

I'm just finding that the difficulty is never letting up. I still cannot pass that troll in Blighttown. I've spent over 3 hours trying to get past a single enemy, and it's not even a boss (or mini boss).

What guy? The rock throwing guy at the bottom?

[megladon8]

What guy? The rock throwing guy at the bottom?

No. I made it to the bottom of Blighttown once and became overwhelmed by the giant insects.

I've been trying to get back there ever since, but there's an enemy about halfway down that I cannot get past. It's an Infested Barbarian with a club. He's hiding in a cave.

He always hits me off the platform and I fall to my death. Without fail. I've tried so many different ways of approaching the situation and every one ends in him getting a split second sucker punch in and launching me off.

[D_Davis]

That part is tough. There is the troll and the ghoul thing in the cave. Once you get past that you're home free to the bottom. And you know there's a bonfire down there, right?

[D_Davis]

What gear and weapons are you using?

Have they been upgraded?

What sl are you?

[D_Davis]

My new character is a super tank.

sl30, with the stone giant armor, a black knight great sword, and crest shield, with the wolf ring - I have a poise of ~140. Hitting enemies for about ~350-500 points of damage.

Just killed the wandering demon back at the asylum, and now I think I'll breeze into Blighttown via the New Londo short cut (don't need anything through the front entrance).

[D_Davis]

[Scar]

My first invasion was a string of curse words, ending with FUCK YOU!

Which is why my wife sometimes asks that I not play that game online....