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[rtcn63]

I'm doing the early chalice dungeons right now, the souls are a pittance, but the bosses are easy enough to take out in one or two tries. I even did a dungeon without having the restock my vials, which was great since I have none in storage. The enemies in

Spoiler

Nightmare of Mensis

don't seem to drop vials at all. Burned through them suicide running the area, taking out the hunters and opening up the shortcut to the boss.

 

[CHC]

Really loved DSIII, but something about it made me want to replay Bloodborne. As good as Dark Souls proper is, there is something so captivating about BB. It's definitely the tightest of the games (except for its Chalice Dungeons....) and I think what really draws me is how cohesive the game's themes are. The entire arc seems so carefully planned and curated - every piece of information you uncover is vital to solving the mystery and nothing is extraneous. Can't really say that about Dark Souls.

I'm going to do another playthrough for sure.

Which is more enjoyable - Arcane or Bloodtinge? Leaning towards Arcane since with my initial guy (Str / Dex) I never once used any of the Hunter's Tools (spells).

Also are there any lore videos anyone recommends? I've watched Vaatividya's stuff and it's OK but there is a lot he has left unexplored, I'd love if there was a long video that factors in the DLC as well as the base game. Doesn't seem there is such a thing.

I've read Paleblood Hunt also but that was before Old Hunters.

 

[Fushichou187]

I'm doing the early chalice dungeons right now, the souls are a pittance, but the bosses are easy enough to take out in one or two tries.

Equipping Moon runes will make those runs more worth it. Once you get to the Isz Chalice though, the echoes/souls start pouring in.

 

[FlowersisBritish]

Doing some PVP with the Hunter Siaf in the nightmare realm. DAAAAAAAAMN. Fun weapon, digging the range control it offers. I forgot how fun PvP was. My first victim was a long drag out battle using a Holy Blade.

Any ideas how they can improve PvP in BB2? I really like the odd balance that can be found in the weapon variety. I kind of want them to do subtle things to separate it from Dark Souls, but hard pressed to actually think of ways.

Second edit: Thought occurred to me, successful invasions/co-ops lead to victory items which you use to trade in for certain items a little more useful in PVP, like for bone marrow ash, or numbing mists.

Edit: aaaaaaand now cue the loses due to bad connection. Oh, how i now remember why I don't pvp

 

[myco666]

Which is more enjoyable - Arcane or Bloodtinge? Leaning towards Arcane since with my initial guy (Str / Dex) I never once used any of the Hunter's Tools (spells).

Bloodtinge since it requires less work to be good. With Arcane you need to farm for gems, do Chalice Dungeons to get good gems and you get lot of Tools in the end. I also hate ranged builds because they are boring to play. Arcane will be definitely different style of build compared to your Str/Skill build.

 

[LiquidSword]

Got super stuck at Rom when Bloodbourne came out and for some reason took a break and never came back. After DS3 I really want to go back and finish. Especially because I've heard that after Rom is where shit really goes to crazy town. Maybe I'll try summoning someone. Don't know why I didn't before. I remember just making the run over and over to the boss room and trying by myself. Maybe I ran out of the humanity equivalent and didn't want to go farm it?

 

[Eudaemonium]

Also are there any lore videos anyone recommends? I've watched Vaatividya's stuff and it's OK but there is a lot he has left unexplored, I'd love if there was a long video that factors in the DLC as well as the base game. Doesn't seem there is such a thing.

I've read Paleblood Hunt also but that was before Old Hunters.

Redgrave updated it after the DLC into its 'definitive' edition. You could also try watching some of the various lore videos on Youtube by Aegon of Astora, Jerk Sans Frontiers, Brvtus, Redgrave etc. There isn't really a condensed everything video, though.

 

[ColdPizza]

Got super stuck at Rom when Bloodbourne came out and for some reason took a break and never came back. After DS3 I really want to go back and finish. Especially because I've heard that after Rom is where shit really goes to crazy town. Maybe I'll try summoning someone. Don't know why I didn't before. I remember just making the run over and over to the boss room and trying by myself. Maybe I ran out of the humanity equivalent and didn't want to go farm it?

Bolt paper. Clear the mini spiders first. Summon human help. Old hunters will waste time just hitting the mini spiders on the head where they have armor. Need to attack their backs.

 

[CHC]

Redgrave updated it after the DLC into its 'definitive' edition. You could also try watching some of the various lore videos on Youtube by Aegon of Astora, Jerk Sans Frontiers, Brvtus, Redgrave etc. There isn't really a condensed everything video, though.

Cool, thanks. I've actually been watching some of the JSF stuff and it's interesting if not a bit long-winded sometimes. He highlights A LOT of really interesting details that I hadn't noticed but I can't say I always agree with his conclusions.

For example, the whole video on Hemwick Charnel Lane he seems to ignore the simplest possibility - which is that the "blasphemous Yharnam burial" IS just cremation, followed by burial. After all, the headstones are so close together that you really couldn't fit much under one save for a box of ashes.

 

[JoJoShabadoo]

So does this game truly give you the right hints etc. on figuring out the story? Or is there no way of understanding it without an outside reference?

 

[myco666]

So does this game truly give you the right hints etc. on figuring out the story? Or is there no way of understanding it without an outside reference?

Everything you need to know is in the game. No need to read anything outside of it. However having read works from H.P. Lovecraft helps to understand the world of Bloodborne better as it borrows concepts heavily from his works.

 

[Fushichou187]

So does this game truly give you the right hints etc. on figuring out the story? Or is there no way of understanding it without an outside reference?

I think it does. It helps if you're familiar with some of the tropes of

Spoiler

weird fiction

but all in all I think the game does a good job through environmental storytelling as well as item descriptions-- and of course some of the enemies themselves-- of giving the player plenty of information to understand, in broad stokes, what's going on and why. However it's definitely one of those things where some of the major pieces didn't start fitting together for me until I was near the end of the game. Also, there will always be large parts that are just opaque enough that allow for discussion and disagreement about their meaning, but that's always been a trademark of Souls games.

 

[Hawkian]

edit: Also, surprised you didn't use the Music Box on Father G.

Damnit, I keep forgetting to try that. I haven't even ever seen what it does!

Can anyone tell me, having just beaten Father G and CB... on this playthrough I really want to befriend/not become hostile to the machine gun hunter in Old Yharnam. What do I have to make sure to do/not do?

 

[Orochinagis]

Damnit, I keep forgetting to try that. I haven't even ever seen what it does!

Can anyone tell me, having just beaten Father G and CB... on this playthrough I really want to befriend/not become hostile to the machine gun hunter in Old Yharnam. What do I have to make sure to do/not do?

Go kill BSB then get snatched to the prison, beat paarl and use the shorcut to his tower.

Some people said you can go to old yharman, unlock the shortcut , kill BSB, meet paarl but dont kill him so the game will unlock the trigger, go to BSB lantern and use the shortcut.

Just convince him you wont hurt the enemies in that area and he will be your friend, attaking the enemies will make him hostile so be careful

 

[rtcn63]

Equipping Moon runes will make those runs more worth it. Once you get to the Isz Chalice though, the echoes/souls start pouring in.

Yeah, this is my second playthrough, sometimes I just spend hours grinding Chalice Dungeons for no real reason. I'm probably higher level than I was the first time around (30 strength/end/health) but I don't want to go fight the

Spoiler

three Yharnam guys or Amygdala. Even though they aren't particularly difficult unless you're highly under leveled or just not used to fighting multiple hunters.

The Depth 3 Chalice Dungeons are where shit starts getting real early game. Those

Spoiler

spiders

.

 

[Fushichou187]

Damnit, I keep forgetting to try that. I haven't even ever seen what it does!

Father G is

Spoiler

the father of the little girl you talk to through the window in Yharnam

. So when you play the music box

Spoiler

while he's in beast form, it'll stun him briefly allowing you to get a number of hits in.

Only works once during the fight however.

Can anyone tell me, having just beaten Father G and CB... on this playthrough I really want to befriend/not become hostile to the machine gun hunter in Old Yharnam. What do I have to make sure to do/not do?

You have to really go out of your way to do this, but I think the guide on the wiki is pretty solid. At least it correlates to videos I've seen of people befriending Djura. Pay special attention to what you need to NOT do, so that he doesn't become hostile.

Yeah, this is my second playthrough.

The Depth 3 Chalice Dungeons are where shit starts getting real early game. Those

Spoiler

spiders

.

I feel ya. Chime Maidens in general, but especially in chalice dungeons, are the absolute worst. I'm BL 257 and still get destroyed regularly trying to get to them without getting bogged down in respawning spiders or Pthumerians.

If it's your second playthrough and you downed

Spoiler

Ebrietas

during your first run, you'll have the Isz Chalice already. The first layer boss is a

Spoiler

Brainsucker

and Layer 2's is

Spoiler

Celestial Emissary (without any of his little children running about)

so they ought to be no trouble. Layer 3 is the echo farm.

 

[Fushichou187]

dbl pst

 

[rtcn63]

Oh I meant this is my second character, I do have a NG+ file. It's been fun, I grabbed the

Spoiler

beast cutter

from the DLC and have been using as as my main, with the

Spoiler

Whirligig

as backup. I took out a few bosses in NG+ with the latter, but it's just not as interesting, even if the damage is awesome.

 

[FlowersisBritish]

Oh I meant this is my second character, I do have a NG+ file. It's been fun, I grabbed the

Spoiler

beast cutter

from the DLC and have been using as as my main, with the

Spoiler

Whirligig

as backup. I took out a few bosses in NG+ with the latter, but it's just not as interesting, even if the damage is awesome.

I feel that way about a lot of strength weapons. Recently I've been messing around with some dex weapons I missed and I think they just have much more interesting move sets. Lot's of lunges and range control. With Strength, feels more like "I swing good"

 

[Orochinagis]

The pizza cutter is too op because is strong against beast, just add fire or bolt you unlock easy mode

 

[myco666]

The pizza cutter is too op because is strong against beast, just add fire or bolt you unlock easy mode

Pretty much. Getting +9 Pizza Cutter after 3 bosses on NG is really the best thing you can do in this game.

 

[FlowersisBritish]

The pizza cutter is too op because is strong against beast, just add fire or bolt you unlock easy mode

Pretty much. Getting +9 Pizza Cutter after 3 bosses on NG is really the best thing you can do in this game.

Look at these two ordering cheese pIzza. Why not spice things up a bit with some beast blood pellets? Give it a little kick, a little burn to put hair on your chest.

 

[Fushichou187]

Pretty much. Getting +9 Pizza Cutter after 3 bosses on NG is really the best thing you can do in this game.

Yeah I've been stuck on

Spoiler

Laurence

in the DLC for ages now and look longingly at vids where they are just destroying him with the pizza cutter. Getting a Blood Rock to get it to +10 isn't an issue since I can pretty reliably farm them from CD's, but it's getting enough Blood Chunks to push it from +6 to +9 (so, 16 chunks) that's the real pain in the ass. I'm in NG+ right now mainly to deal with the DLC so haven't advanced the main game along past what I needed to in order to access it; I may just try and push my way far enough to UCW to farm werewolves, but I'd rather deal with a reliable Chalice Dungeon since they don't scale in NG+

 

[myco666]

Look at these two ordering cheese pIzza. Why not spice things up a bit with some beast blood pellets? Give it a little kick, a little burn to put hair on your chest.

You mean like this?

Yeah I've been stuck on

Spoiler

Laurence

in the DLC for ages now and look longingly at vids where they are just destroying him with the pizza cutter. Getting a Blood Rock to get it to +10 isn't an issue since I can pretty reliably farm them from CD's, but it's getting enough Blood Chunks to push it from +6 to +9 (so, 16 chunks) that's the real pain in the ass. I'm in NG+ right now mainly to deal with the DLC so haven't advanced the main game along past what I needed to in order to access it; I may just try and push my way far enough to UCW to farm werewolves, but I'd rather deal with a reliable Chalice Dungeon since they don't scale in NG+

Definitely recommend those Chalices. Farming in a single spot is so mind numbing. Chunks should be cheaper in the insight shop since as it is now there is no reason to buy them over Rocks.

 

[FlowersisBritish]

You mean like this?

Pretty much. What I was getting at was at least Beast Blood Pellets make you take harder hits, evens out the brokenness a little.

 

[myco666]

Pretty much. What I was getting at was at least Beast Blood Pellets make you take harder hits, evens out the brokenness a little.

It doesn't though since you can kill everything before they touch you with beastmode. When you start doing around 1k damage per hit everything just melts before your eyes.

 

[Dragon1893]

Beat the

Spoiler

spider

and progressed a bit beyond it before calling it a day. How far into the game am I?

I've picked up several spells but I always forget to check how to use them lol, what do I need to equip to use spells? I always forget that the game even has magic.

 

[myco666]

Beat the

Spoiler

spider

and progressed a bit beyond it before calling it a day. How far into the game am I?

I've picked up several spells but I always forget to check how to use them lol, what do I need to equip to use spells? I always forget that the game even has magic.

Roughly just over halfway point but that depends little bit on how many optional areas you have done.

You use Tools like you use items. They consume bullets when used and you need to have invested in Arcane stat to be able to use them.

 

[Dragon1893]

Roughly just over halfway point but that depends little bit on how many optional areas you have done.

You use Tools like you use items. They consume bullets when used and you need to have invested in Arcane stat to be able to use them.

OK, thanks, that's what I figured. I've been neglecting Arcane though.

 

[Fushichou187]

OK, thanks, that's what I figured. I've been neglecting Arcane though.

It's cool. If it's not how you play the game currently (i.e. using items/weapons that benefit from high Arcane), you'll eventually get opportunities to really grind out some echoes to level up and fill in the stat gaps so that you can eventually play whatever type of build suits your fancy.

 

[Orochinagis]

Beat the

Spoiler

spider

and progressed a bit beyond it before calling it a day. How far into the game am I?

I've picked up several spells but I always forget to check how to use them lol, what do I need to equip to use spells? I always forget that the game even has magic.

Cool magic requires like 40 arcane =(

 

[Fushichou187]

Cool magic requires like 40 arcane =(

Cool looking magic, maybe. In terms of usefulness and flexibility though, I've found that the

Spoiler

Executioner Gloves

are great and only require Arcane 20 to start using them, but obviously massively scale their damage upward the more you put into the stat. If you're thinking about using Hunter Tools like that at all, yeah, you'll be putting points into Arcane for quite some time, though I didn't really start dumping echoes that way until I was near the end of the game and just leveling up to become as OP as I could.

 

[Orochinagis]

Cool looking magic, maybe. In terms of usefulness and flexibility though, I've found that the

Spoiler

Executioner Gloves

are great and only require Arcane 20 to start using them, but obviously massively scale their damage upward the more you put into the stat. If you're thinking about using Hunter Tools like that at all, yeah, you'll be putting points into Arcane for quite some time, though I didn't really start dumping echoes that way until I was near the end of the game and just leveling up to become as OP as I could.

Utility tools requires low arcane, unless you want a specific arcane build.

I only used the roar and the magic infusion for utility.

v Roar can block proyectiles and magic too

 

[Fushichou187]

Utility tools requires low arcane, unless you want a specific arcane build.

I only used the roar and the magic infusion for utility

Yeah I should've specified that I was talking about the more magic-y tools. The Beast Roar is great for getting the jump on certain enemies, definitely.

 

[jonjonaug]

Yeah I've been stuck on

Spoiler

Laurence

in the DLC for ages now and look longingly at vids where they are just destroying him with the pizza cutter. Getting a Blood Rock to get it to +10 isn't an issue since I can pretty reliably farm them from CD's, but it's getting enough Blood Chunks to push it from +6 to +9 (so, 16 chunks) that's the real pain in the ass. I'm in NG+ right now mainly to deal with the DLC so haven't advanced the main game along past what I needed to in order to access it; I may just try and push my way far enough to UCW to farm werewolves, but I'd rather deal with a reliable Chalice Dungeon since they don't scale in NG+

If you're in NG+ you can just buy the chunks from the insight fountain.

 

[Eudaemonium]

If you're in NG+ you can just buy the chunks from the insight fountain.

Yeah, but chunks are like 20 insight and rocks are 60, so you might as well farm them and save the insight for the rocks.

Cool, thanks. I've actually been watching some of the JSF stuff and it's interesting if not a bit long-winded sometimes. He highlights A LOT of really interesting details that I hadn't noticed but I can't say I always agree with his conclusions.

For example, the whole video on Hemwick Charnel Lane he seems to ignore the simplest possibility - which is that the "blasphemous Yharnam burial" IS just cremation, followed by burial. After all, the headstones are so close together that you really couldn't fit much under one save for a box of ashes.

Yeah, I get that with a few of the lore videos (by JSF and others). One example that comes to mind for me is Redgrave's video on Darkbeasts, where he doesn't seem to consider the possibility that an undead darkbeast might actually just be what happens when an abhorrent beast dies (perhaps under certain circumstances). I think he gets hung up over the use of "undead" (as in, "undead darkbeast" implies other types of non-undead darkbeasts, as opposed to it just being a descriptor—i.e. that darkbeasts are undead). Anyway, occam's razor is not in use some of the time. I think overall they're fairly good, though, and I think all the environmental insights are worth the occasional errors or overly long explanations. The issue with BB's lore as compared to say, Dark Souls, is that even when you piece a lot of it together it remains intentionally ambiguous, which can make it fun to think about and debate, but less good if what you want is a video informing you what's what.

 

[Tarkus]

Doing some PVP with the Hunter Siaf in the nightmare realm. DAAAAAAAAMN. Fun weapon, digging the range control it offers. I forgot how fun PvP was. My first victim was a long drag out battle using a Holy Blade.

Any ideas how they can improve PvP in BB2? I really like the odd balance that can be found in the weapon variety. I kind of want them to do subtle things to separate it from Dark Souls, but hard pressed to actually think of ways.

Second edit: Thought occurred to me, successful invasions/co-ops lead to victory items which you use to trade in for certain items a little more useful in PVP, like for bone marrow ash, or numbing mists.

Edit: aaaaaaand now cue the loses due to bad connection. Oh, how i now remember why I don't pvp

Yeah, not allowing healing would be the best thing for PvP. It's really a game breaker when you do a good job and wreck someone only to have them heal up twice.

 

[ColdPizza]

Yeah, not allowing healing would be the best thing for PvP. It's really a game breaker when you do a good job and wreck someone only to have them heal up twice.

Toss a numbing mist on them then

 

[Fancy Clown]

Came back to this after Dark Souls 3. I loved it but this is so much better mang, the atmosphere, the trick weapons, the story, the combat, the level design...only thing I miss are estus flasks and teleporting from bonfires/lamps.

I beat Vicar Amelia solo with a new character on my first try, making up for my shame of having summoned to beat her. Only boss I ever did that for. I guess Old Hunters and Dark Souls 3 toughened me up a lil.

Also beat Bloodletting Beast in Lower Pthumeru in my NG+ profile. Dope fight, shame it's buried away in the dungeons.

 

[FlowersisBritish]

Toss a numbing mist on them then

What am I? Made of blood echoes?

Also beat Bloodletting Beast in Lower Pthumeru in my NG+ profile. Dope fight, shame it's buried away in the dungeons.

I don't think i have ever heard anyone call the Bloodletting Beast "dope"

 

[Fancy Clown]

I don't think i have ever heard anyone call the Bloodletting Beast "dope"

Freaky design, good moveset, intimidating soundtrack...what's not to love?

 

[CHC]

Jesus Christ I forgot how FUCKING HARD it is starting a new NEW game. After like a hundred and fifty hours tooling around with my decked out guy I'm doing a new build and.... FUCK.

Game has BY FAR the hardest intro areas and bosses of any From game. Fuck these goddamn assholes.

 

[ChrisD]

Jesus Christ I forgot how FUCKING HARD it is starting a new NEW game. After like a hundred and fifty hours tooling around with my decked out guy I'm doing a new build and.... FUCK.

Game has BY FAR the hardest intro areas and bosses of any From game. Fuck these goddamn assholes.

This makes me feel better about my ten hours in Yharnam in the beginning! Being my first SoulsBorne title, even my Monster Hunter experience didn't help out just a whole lot (vastly different games, but I figured I could adapt pretty quickly).

I am having a similar feeling with where I'm at after beating Rom, though. Seriously, the endless enemies +

Spoiler

the laser Cthulu things

+ THE PRESSURE to kill the

Spoiler

bell-ringer

... It's all reminiscent of the opening.

I both like and dislike it. I actually checked a Guide just to see if I was on the right track since the enemies all hurt a lot, and there's tons of them. I am indeed moving along as they intended. Just a wacky difficult spike I suppose.

Debating on continuing down the main path or going through the

Spoiler

Nightmare Frontier

. Unlocked that place forever ago, but never went through. Thank goodness, too, because those two hunters would have killed me in one second flat if I went through as soon as I found it.

 

[jonjonaug]

This makes me feel better about my ten hours in Yharnam in the beginning! Being my first SoulsBorne title, even my Monster Hunter experience didn't help out just a whole lot (vastly different games, but I figured I could adapt pretty quickly).

I am having a similar feeling with where I'm at after beating Rom, though. Seriously, the endless enemies +

Spoiler

the laser Cthulu things

+ THE PRESSURE to kill the

Spoiler

bell-ringer

... It's all reminiscent of the opening.

I both like and dislike it. I actually checked a Guide just to see if I was on the right track since the enemies all hurt a lot, and there's tons of them. I am indeed moving along as they intended. Just a wacky difficult spike I suppose.

Debating on continuing down the main path or going through the

Spoiler

Nightmare Frontier

. Unlocked that place forever ago, but never went through. Thank goodness, too, because those two hunters would have killed me in one second flat if I went through as soon as I found it.

Nightmare Frontier is meant to be done around the time you have a +5 or +6 weapon. If you've made a decent amount of progress in the Hidden Village you probably have +7 or +8 by now.

 

[myco666]

Yeah, not allowing healing would be the best thing for PvP. It's really a game breaker when you do a good job and wreck someone only to have them heal up twice.

Just do a cannon/reiterpallasch build and call it a day. No need to worry about people healing when you can just blow them up.

Jesus Christ I forgot how FUCKING HARD it is starting a new NEW game. After like a hundred and fifty hours tooling around with my decked out guy I'm doing a new build and.... FUCK.

Game has BY FAR the hardest intro areas and bosses of any From game. Fuck these goddamn assholes.

Central Yharnam is easily the hardest starting area. While the enemies are easy to deal with 1on1 you get 2-4 of them at once. Don't remember the last time I actually tried to even fight through that area instead of just running and unlocking everything.

 

[ColdPizza]

Central Yharnam is easily the hardest starting area. While the enemies are easy to deal with 1on1 you get 2-4 of them at once. Don't remember the last time I actually tried to even fight through that area instead of just running and unlocking everything.

On my 2nd and 3rd play throughs I made extended use of pebbles lure single enemies from a crowd of beasts. I don't think they chain link.

 

[CHC]

Central Yharnam is easily the hardest starting area. While the enemies are easy to deal with 1on1 you get 2-4 of them at once. Don't remember the last time I actually tried to even fight through that area instead of just running and unlocking everything.

Yeah I mean I love the zone, it's one of my all time favorites but some of the stuff is jut beyond the pale, like the two werewolves on the bridge that pull together.

It's just funny how after a few playthroughs you kind of feel "entitled" to easy boss victories. It's so maddening going back to dying on Father Gascoigne or Cleric Beast, if only a couple times!

 

[Fancy Clown]

Jesus Christ I forgot how FUCKING HARD it is starting a new NEW game. After like a hundred and fifty hours tooling around with my decked out guy I'm doing a new build and.... FUCK.

Game has BY FAR the hardest intro areas and bosses of any From game. Fuck these goddamn assholes.

I actually found it really easy starting a new game. Blew through the first half of the game and 1 shot most of the bosses. Actual game experience is more important than the stats in terms of difficulty.

 

[rtcn63]

I actually found it really easy starting a new game. Blew through the first half of the game and 1 shot most of the bosses. Actual game experience is more important than the stats in terms of difficulty.

Yeah. Doing my second playthrough after many months. Used the saw cleaver instead of the OP axe + holy blade, and took out all the early mandatory bosses in one try. I even beat Amelia before doing Hemwick and the Gaol, so I was working with a +3 instead of the +6 I had originally. (I played super conservatively then) BSB is still a bastard though. Once I could access the DLC, I grabbed the

Spoiler

beast cutter

which is basically a trick saw cleaver in in its one-handed form.

Maybe it's a DLC and chalice dungeon thing? If you can beat those bosses, the main campaign doesn't have much for you even with a new character.

 

[Experien]

Any tips on Amygdala in Chalice? Can barely get to 50% and no one is giving help. Cannon with bone marrow ash isn't even staggering him.

Got 10 Moonlight blade.