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[blainethemono]

Grazie! And yep, I've gathered that now. Pyromancer seems like a very good starting point, but if I were to be honest with myself, I'd rather go something that's a bit more "warrior-y". If I can mould myself into that as I progress, then I'll be happy. Ranged attacks seem like something that'd be far too valuable to forego at the beginning.

I played Pyro and pretty much just dumped all my points into Vit, Endurance and Attunement. I think my str was only at 17 and dex was 15 because unlike Demon's Souls weapons didn't scale that much off of stats, but I think they may have made some changes to that with patches.

Pyromancy spells don't scale off your stats, they just scale off your glove. You can upgrade your glove to do more damage with your fire spells and then just focus on getting a really long life bar and endurance and armor with high poise so you don't get staggered easily.

Also there's a really good farming spot near the blacksmith but you have to buy a crest to open a door to the area, and once you do you can just sit there and farm souls easily for a while. I abused the hell out of that, I hope they didn't patch it because i'm planning to play the game again soon

 

[SJRB]

I played with a Dark Souls Wiki at hand, there's no shame in that.

The game explains little to nothing and even though most consider that part of the game's charm I felt like it diminished my enjoyment.

Keeping a guide at hand which tells you about titanite, crafting and whatnot is a great help for understanding the game's mechanics. There is a LOT of stuff that will be missed or simply misunderstood when not using a guide.


For me personally, the game fell apart around Anor Londo and I never continued onwards after that. It just lost all its magic at that point. I'll give the PC version a shot though next month, because the world, lore and atmosphere are second to none.

 

[Canis lupus]

Play with a guide, nothing to shame for. Its probably better too for starters.

 

[leddmonkey]

After you beat Ornstein & Smough, be sure to visit Domhnall of Zena near Firelink Shrine.
He will be sitting under the aqueduct leading to the Undead Burg, and he will have available the armor set of whichever of the 2 you defeated last:

--Kill Ornstein then Smough and he will sell you the Smough Armor Set (Heavy Armor)
--Kill Smough then Ornstein and he will sell you the Ornstein Set (Medium Armor)

I got the Smough Armor and it is damn good, but it does make you a tad paunchy looking though, and you need Havel's Ring along with it. I need to try to get Ornstein's Armor on my next playthrough.

 

[MedIC86]

just check out every guide and youtube vid. the game is an awesome experience. Also knowing beforehand what you have to do at certain bosses is a huge plus.

 

[gdt]

DO NOT GET THE MASTER KEY AS A STARTING ITEM. It opens doors that shouldn't be open so soon. Its possibly good for more playthroughs though.

 

[abstract alien]

I've read contrasting reports so I'll ask here. Did they fix Blighttown in the PC edition? I'm hoping for a retail, dlc, Wii U release....something. I just want it fixed. Being a Pyro and having to go back to that place from time to time is just not good

 

[Ken]

I've read contrasting reports so I'll ask here. Did they fix Blighttown in the PC edition? I'm hoping for a retail, dlc, Wii U release....something. I just want it fixed. Being a Pyro and having to go back to that place from time to time is just not good

Is Blighttown still Blighttown without the framerate issues?

:<

 

[StarEye]

I'm going to assume that Blighttown will automatically be much improved through sheer force. An up-to-date PC should probably have much better framerate in all areas, and I doubt Blighttown will be an exception.

 

[Shinjica]

I've read contrasting reports so I'll ask here. Did they fix Blighttown in the PC edition? I'm hoping for a retail, dlc, Wii U release....something. I just want it fixed. Being a Pyro and having to go back to that place from time to time is just not good

No, not fixed.

 

[Hindle]

Just dont give up, its a game where the more you die the better you become.

 

[gdt]

No, not fixed.

lol wtf

A decent PC WILL be able to brute force it. Easily.

Unless, of course, the pc port has been sabotaged...

 

[Misterinenja]

These games horrible gameplay design. ENEMIES RESPAWN WHEN YOU DIE. Can you believe that? Fucking shit is unreal. It's so cheap. Yeah, I know the animations telegraph what attack they're doing and that I can circle strafe to the right around every enemy for easy mode.

I know that.

But come on, it's got that Japanese clunkiness where your character has like... weight. You know what weight is in videogames? A physics engine. Frankly, if you're not using Havok then don't even bother because you're just a subpar Mega Man.

You know nothing.

Fuck me. Between some Souls or Fez discussions I'm always astonished how many people can't wrap their head around the concept of a game actually demanding something from the player.

 

[sjboi]

I absolutely love Dark Souls. For a beginner, I would recommend using a spear, as you can keep your shield up while you attack. Spears can be found very early in the game, and when upgraded to a +10 lightning weapon, it will do enough damage to last you all the way through until the very end.

Do NOT level up resistance, it is the only useless stat in the game. Level up vitality, endurance, and any other stat you need to wield a weapon/spell that you want to use.

Also, summoning help for boss fights takes all the fun and challenge out of the game. Avoid doing that if you can!

 

[Ghost_Protocol]

I'll say the same thing I've said to everyone having trouble with Dark Souls: PLAY DEMON'S SOULS first. Dark Souls was made for people who were ready for Demon's Souls 2. Gameplay mechanics/psychology, level progression, technique, all of these experiences/skills were built up in Demon's Souls. It is a better introduction to how the series works. You will learn how to tell when something or someone is too dangerous too approach, or which path is safest. It's just a better all around introduction.

 

[Parakeetman]

I'll say the same thing I've said to everyone having trouble with Dark Souls: PLAY DEMON'S SOULS first. Dark Souls was made for people who were ready for Demon's Souls 2. Gameplay mechanics/psychology, level progression, technique, all of these experiences/skills were built up in Demon's Souls. It is a better introduction to how the series works. You will learn how to tell when something or someone is too dangerous too approach, or which path is safest. It's just a better all around introduction.

Truthfully I say Demons Souls was more brutal than Dark. So throwing them from the fire into the bowels of hell itself Im not sure its going to get a new person wanting to continue with the series lol

 

[Red Liquorice]

DO NOT GET THE MASTER KEY AS A STARTING ITEM. It opens doors that shouldn't be open so soon. Its possibly good for more playthroughs though.

All the other gifts are useless, it seems like you're meant to take the master key.

You could take the fire bombs and kill the asylum demon first try to get the hammer, but you can't use it straight away any way.

 

[ultron87]

I should get back into this game at some point. I just got bummed out by the noticeably shittier level design in the back half of the game.

 

[SiegfriedFM]

The first rule of Dark Souls is: do not use the Drake Sword. At best it's a crutch until you learn about upgrades. At worst it's a trap, making you miss upgrading entirely and vainly chase the horribly expensive and rare Drake upgrades.

The second rule of Dark Souls is: get a ranged option. For this, I find Pyromancy is overrated. You do heavy damage but you only have 8 shots to use between bonfires, and you won't get more until Depths at the earliest (fourth or fifth major area). I prefer using Sorcery to start out with 30 Soul Arrows (which one-shot everything in the first few areas) or Miracles, which start you out with extra healing. With Miracles, you can also join Warriors of Sunlight after one or two bosses (and possibly some coop) to get awesome ranged magic. The only downside to this is that you need to divert some stats towards INT or FAI and possibly ATT.

Also, don't be too bothered by initial stats on your gear. Some of the early gear can be upgraded to be competitive through the entire game. Same with weapons, a good move set with usable range and/or width can be much better than a weapon with huge damage which only attacks with thrusts or vertical sweeps.

Pyro is generally for pro players on low level runs.

There's another aspect to Drake Sword's trappiness, which I just realized. It lures you towards taking the low path across the bridge, which means you won't get a new bonfire and need to do most of Undead Parish to move on. If you get the dragon to jump down on the bridge, you can easily run past it and activate a new bonfire which is much closer to the action. That path also takes you to Warriors of Sunlight and a Claymore (which absolutely kills the Drake Sword after a few upgrades).

The good thing with the game is that there are loads and loads of viable character builds. The bad thing is that many of them more or less mean Hard Mode.

 

[Dyno]

I finished the game with pure melee. No magic, no filthy pyro glove. I stood in front of everything and hacked it to pieces with a sword. It was really hard in some places but well worth it. The game teaches you a dance; the dance of manliness itself.

- Black Knight weapons are great and once upgraded with twinkling titanite they are amongst the best in the game.

- Your character is a gothic fantasy Barbie Doll. Mix and match outfits for your environment. This is key to getting through areas/foes without depleting too many resources.

- A shield with high stamina is key. I loved building the Shield of Astoria.

Is it worth it? Yes! Sen's Fortress followed by Anor Londo is some of the best gaming that I've ever done. Once you discover those places you will never forget them.

 

[scy]

The second rule of Dark Souls is: get a ranged option. For this, I find Pyromancy is overrated. You do heavy damage but you only have 8 shots to use between bonfires, and you won't get more until Depths at the earliest (fourth or fifth major area). I prefer using Sorcery to start out with 30 Soul Arrows (which one-shot everything in the first few areas) or Miracles, which start you out with extra healing. With Miracles, you can also join Warriors of Sunlight after one or two bosses (and possibly some coop) to get awesome ranged magic. The only downside to this is that you need to divert some stats towards INT or FAI and possibly ATT.

The other notable thing is that the Pyromancer has one of the better stat spreads for a variety of builds so it tends to be a good starting point just stat wise. The easier leveling of it makes it a better option than Sorcery/Faith builds for someone just starting in my opinion as well; you don't have to worry about stat allocation for it, just souls to improving the glove. Just remember to treat it as supplemental damage rather than primary, even if it hits big early on.

 

[VARIA]

Different paths in Dark Souls mean different difficulty levels. If you want to have the fun of exploration without having a guide spoil everything just find a map online that tells you what the easy/beginner route is and go on from there.

 

[Felix Lighter]

- Your character is a gothic fantasy Barbie Doll.

Speaking of gothic fantasy Barbie Doll, I love the look of the down to Earth armor sets in this game. There are some strange over the top armor but there is also a good number of sets that look like they would actually exist in the real world, which I find is oddly rare in games.

 

[Orayn]

Speaking of gothic fantasy Barbie Doll, I love the look of the down to Earth armor sets in this game. There are some strange over the top armor but there is also a good number of sets that look like they would actually exist in the real world, which I find is oddly rare in games.

I have a friend who normally hates medieval fantasy and hard games, but he's finding himself drawn toward Dark Souls just because of all the mundane-yet-wonderful gear.

 

[Ghizz]

This game is also re-playable in so many ways. Patience is key and if you really want to see a vet play, search up speed runs. The things they do made me buy this game instantly. So much skill involved.

 

[Cheddahz]

This thread is really making me want to start playing this all over again...I created a Wanderer and got stuck after the second boss

Spoiler

The one on the bridge

 

[J-Roderton]

Just get to Anor Londo.
Just get to Anor Londo.
Just get to Anor Londo.



Also, I'm pretty sure the Grass Crest shield was really useful item. For me at least. I think it's in the basin. Get it.

 

[PetriP-TNT]

1. start game as pyromancer (with key)
2. use wiki guide
3. shield always up
4. ???????
5. souls

Pretty much this.

And yeah, don't use the Drake Sword. It will absolutely backfire on you when you get to Sen's Fortress. Also learn how to upgrade the weapons when you come to the first blacksmith.

Other than that, don't worry about much else.

 

[reson8or]

The controls are typical 'Japanese clunckiness': when your avatar does things out of the blue, you know you have bad controls- i.e., slipping and falling off of cliffs because you were doing a jumping attack or something. You can literally SEE your avatar fucking SHIFTING in space like a fucking balloon animal. Other JPN games had great control like DMC, but certainly not the Souls series.

Also, and I can't emphasis this enough: difficulty for 'difficulty's' sake is a cheap design model. Difficulty based on pure skill and understanding of the laws of the game is fair. The Souls series subscribes to the first school of that that is seriously flawed.

Okay its not your thing, got it. It rewards patience and methodical play, and punishes the opposite. The Souls games are considered some of the MOST fair games of all even though they are punishing. I have platinum'ed both Souls games, and yes they can be punishing, but I seldom get the feeling the games at fault.

 

[reson8or]

Personally I don't like get the "x" item style of play, because it takes away from what is essentially the hallmark of the series, the difficulty. How much more rewarding is it to know you conquered a section/boss by actually learning the mechanics of the fight, as opposed to using an overpowered weapon and pressing the "win" button. I feel the Souls games, more than most, are rewarding because they ask you to overcome what seems at first insurmountable, but with observation, patience, and perseverance, become beatable.

With all that said, if "x" item helps you get into a game which you would have not played at all, there is most certainly merit to that.

 

[vidcons]

Okay its not your thing, got it. It rewards patience and methodical play, and punishes the opposite. The Souls games are considered some of the MOST fair games of all even though they are punishing. I have platinum'ed both Souls games, and yes they can be punishing, but I seldom get the feeling the games at fault.

WOAH.

Uhm, there are a few instances of cheapness across the games that does not make them regarded as the most fair.

Maneater in Demon Souls is a garbage boss that's AI will get stuck and kill the timer so you can get double teamed. I refuse to beat Demon Souls because of this stupid boss and its stupid platform to fight on.

Dropping to Nito inflicts damage on the user, so you can't go into the boss fight at full health.

You can end up spending a good chunk of time memorizing every detail of Tomb of Giants in pitch black through trial and error. Why? Because you're going to get kicked off ledges by giant skeletons and why did they design this area? Stupid shit.

I ended up skipping the T Rex leg room in Lost Izalith but I've heard it is some stupid shit.

Ghosts in the ruins that you have to trial and error pulls on so you don't get knocked into the water/face hugged through walls/ganged by 6 hidden ones.

There are moments that are clearly not fair but, the whole objective of the game was to kill you, whether it was an earned death or a forced one is up for debate.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

I've tried earnestly to get into Dark Souls about four times now and I just can't do it, although admittedly I haven't consulted any online guides. I know it's probably paramount to do this in order to get the grasp of it but part of me feels it's a major flaw in a game if you have to seek help from an outside community to play it "properly." This is part of the reason I made the, "games that could use a little more tutorial" thread. Dark Souls needs it desperately; there's clearly so much more to the basic game mechanics than, "Here's a sword and shield, have fun!"

For my most recent try I avoided the skeletons entirely and ended up in the swampy castle ruins. I felt pretty good when I finally made it past the first two ghost enemies you encounter (who can pretty much stun/one-hit you to death, of course) but gave up in frustration when not even 10 steps up ahead four or five of the fuckers surround you.

I'm not a simpleton; I enjoy difficult games. But Dark Souls is so obtuse it just doesn't even really bother telling you how to play. It just assumes if you're hardcore enough you'll bang your head bloody against one brick wall after another until you "get it." Combine that with the janky animations and pitiful frame rate and I don't think I'll be giving it a fifth chance.

I will say that I love the character models and the armor aesthetics. Most games make armor look comically flashy to give your character a sense of progression as you upgrade from one piece of armor to the next. In Dark Souls all the armors look appropriately heavy and practical. You get a real sense of weight running around in full mail and leather that few other games have captured.

 

[Mechanized]

I would go with a magic user as your first character. Pump int to 40ish then focus on health.

Look up how to get access to the advanced spells. The only reason I was able to beat the game was because of the soul masses and a Lightning Spear.
Also, don't be afraid to summon players/NPCs to beat bosses. It makes some really hard encounters pretty trivial.

 

[decoyplatypus]

WOAH.

Uhm, there are a few instances of cheapness across the games that does not make them regarded as the most fair.

Maneater in Demon Souls is a garbage boss that's AI will get stuck and kill the timer so you can get double teamed. I refuse to beat Demon Souls because of this stupid boss and its stupid platform to fight on.

Dropping to Nito inflicts damage on the user, so you can't go into the boss fight at full health.

You can end up spending a good chunk of time memorizing every detail of Tomb of Giants in pitch black through trial and error. Why? Because you're going to get kicked off ledges by giant skeletons and why did they design this area? Stupid shit.

I ended up skipping the T Rex leg room in Lost Izalith but I've heard it is some stupid shit.

Ghosts in the ruins that you have to trial and error pulls on so you don't get knocked into the water/face hugged through walls/ganged by 6 hidden ones.

There are moments that are clearly not fair but, the whole objective of the game was to kill you, whether it was an earned death or a forced one is up for debate.

I think you're using a different definition of "fair" from others in this thread. You want the game to give you even odds in a given encounter. It's not going to do that. What Demon's Souls and Dark Souls will do is give you opportunities to either overcome those odds (through skill with parries, ripostes, and dodges) or turn them in your favor (with "cheese" tactics like poison cloud, for example). You may end up memorizing a pitch dark Tomb of the Giants, but you may also discover one of multiple ways to illuminate the cave. You may not start the Nito fight at full health (since when are you entitled to any particular amount of health? Plenty of games force you to take on bosses while poisoned, bleeding, or running out of time), but you can make yourself ready to tear him apart - low health or not.

I'll give you that there are some cheap deaths in the series. I don't like anyone's odds of surviving the first encounter with the Capra demon. The boss of Lost Izalith is undeniably stupid. Still, the games largely play by fixed rules where careful observation and intelligent use of the systems at your disposal will see you through.

 

[SiegfriedFM]

WOAH.

Uhm, there are a few instances of cheapness across the games that does not make them regarded as the most fair.

Dropping to Nito inflicts damage on the user, so you can't go into the boss fight at full health.

You can chug a flask as you land. Problem solved.

You can end up spending a good chunk of time memorizing every detail of Tomb of Giants in pitch black through trial and error. Why? Because you're going to get kicked off ledges by giant skeletons and why did they design this area? Stupid shit.

There are three options for getting light in the Tomb.

I ended up skipping the T Rex leg room in Lost Izalith but I've heard it is some stupid shit.

It has been patched so it's literally a cakewalk now.

Ghosts in the ruins that you have to trial and error pulls on so you don't get knocked into the water/face hugged through walls/ganged by 6 hidden ones.

Every encounter in this game needs to be planned for, this is no different.

For my most recent try I avoided the skeletons entirely and ended up in the swampy castle ruins. I felt pretty good when I finally made it past the first two ghost enemies you encounter (who can pretty much stun/one-hit you to death, of course) but gave up in frustration when not even 10 steps up ahead four or five of the fuckers surround you.

That's also the wrong way. You're supposed to go up the cliff for much easier enemies. The only reason to go to the cemetery or the ruins at first is for sequence breaking and getting powerful stuff early (if you can survive).

 

[scy]

Maneater in Demon Souls is a garbage boss that's AI will get stuck and kill the timer so you can get double teamed. I refuse to beat Demon Souls because of this stupid boss and its stupid platform to fight on.

I'm surprised it's Maneater and not Flamelurker for this example. Maneater is pretty easy though, in my opinion. The Dark Souls Gargoyle fight is probably harder than Maneater, if only by virtue of when you get to it.

Dropping to Nito inflicts damage on the user, so you can't go into the boss fight at full health.

To be fair, it's not that big of a deal for the fight :x

This is part of the reason I made the, "games that could use a little more tutorial" thread. Dark Souls needs it desperately; there's clearly so much more to the basic game mechanics than, "Here's a sword and shield, have fun!"

They tell you enough to play. The things you don't know are some of the deeper mechanics and proper builds. And I guess how to progress through the game. Though they do this still at the start. You have three routes and only one of them is lined with the enemies you've already been facing. The other has those skeletons that are way out of your league if you're not comfortable with the combat and the other has unkillable enemies. It's pretty obvious at the intended route.

Honestly, for a game that gets as hyped about the difficulty as Demon/Dark Souls did, they're both kind of easy Though I guess that's "eventually" easy.

 

[Sullichin]

I've tried earnestly to get into Dark Souls about four times now and I just can't do it, although admittedly I haven't consulted any online guides. I know it's probably paramount to do this in order to get the grasp of it but part of me feels it's a major flaw in a game if you have to seek help from an outside community to play it "properly." This is part of the reason I made the, "games that could use a little more tutorial" thread. Dark Souls needs it desperately; there's clearly so much more to the basic game mechanics than, "Here's a sword and shield, have fun!"

For my most recent try I avoided the skeletons entirely and ended up in the swampy castle ruins. I felt pretty good when I finally made it past the first two ghost enemies you encounter (who can pretty much stun/one-hit you to death, of course) but gave up in frustration when not even 10 steps up ahead four or five of the fuckers surround you.

I'm not a simpleton; I enjoy difficult games. But Dark Souls is so obtuse it just doesn't even really bother telling you how to play. It just assumes if you're hardcore enough you'll bang your head bloody against one brick wall after another until you "get it." Combine that with the janky animations and pitiful frame rate and I don't think I'll be giving it a fifth chance.

Regardless of if they need to explain things better or not, the game that it actually is once you know it is amazing. But the NPC near the beginning would point you in the right direction if you talked to him.

 

[EasyMode]

For my most recent try I avoided the skeletons entirely and ended up in the swampy castle ruins. I felt pretty good when I finally made it past the first two ghost enemies you encounter (who can pretty much stun/one-hit you to death, of course) but gave up in frustration when not even 10 steps up ahead four or five of the fuckers surround you.

You went to the wrong area. There's three paths you can take from Firelink shrine:

1) Down the elevator to the ghost area
2) The cemetery where the skeletons hang out
3) The stairs leading up to an aquaduct

The first two should be avoided by newcomers. If you ever run into regular enemies that are overwhelmingly stronger than you, start looking for another path.

 

[Tex117]

Sen's Fortress followed by Anor Londo is some of the best gaming that I've ever done. Once you discover those places you will never forget them.

Very much agreed

 

[SuperEpicMan]

Okay, I just saw this thread and it would seem I am in a similar position to the OP but in Demons Souls.

I have had it for ages and have defeated Phalanx, Tower Knight, Armour Spider, Flamelurker, Fools Idol and Adjudicator using a combination of the wiki pages and spamming the magic skill. But I haven't played it properly in ages and I still have no idea how to level properly, so each time I try to go back to it I end up dying and switching it off.

Could someone point me in the right direction of where to head next, and which demon will be the easiest to kill.

 

[Felix Lighter]

You went to the wrong area. There's three paths you can take from Firelink shrine:

1) Down the elevator to the ghost area
2) The cemetery where the skeletons hang out
3) The stairs leading up to an aquaduct

The first two should be avoided by newcomers. If you ever run into regular enemies that are overwhelmingly stronger than you, start looking for another path.

That is right but I think the problem is that the difficulty of the game has been talked up to a point that new players believe that it makes sense that each enemy is so difficult to fight.

 

[Vice]

Get the Drake sword and upgrade another weapon while you're using it. The Drake sword will Fall behind other weapons once you upgrade them and put points into the stats they use but the Drake sword makes the first parts of the game a lot easier. Remember to repair your equipment constantly too.

 

[scy]

That is right but I think the problem is that the difficulty of the game has been talked up to a point that new players believe that it makes sense that each enemy is so difficult to fight.

Pretty much. The game is not insufferably hard. It's just that you're on even ground with many enemies. Damage they deal isn't entirely insignificant. If you're heading towards one-shot territory, it's probably not the right time to be facing them.

 

[Jarnet87]

As someone who just can't play tough games anymore, I had a blast with Dark Souls despite the difficulty. The main thing for me though was that most of the time the AI doesn't lame or cheap stuff you, so it's just a matter of practice making perfect. I found myself playing the game sometimes for 15 minutes only because I knew I wasn't going anywhere and had to take a break, and then other times i had multiple hour sessions.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

After reading some responses here I'm willing to give it another go at this mysterious third route from the Firelink shrine I apparently didn't notice. For the record I did talk to the guy there and I remember him specifically mentioning having the option to either go, "up to the undead church" or down to Blighttown. I don't remember anything about this third option but I'll look for it.

Guess I will go for try #5. :-/

 

[EasyMode]

After reading some responses here I'm willing to give it another go at this mysterious third route from the Firelink shrine I apparently didn't notice. For the record I did talk to the guy there and I remember him specifically mentioning having the option to either go, "up to the undead church" or down to Blighttown. I don't remember anything about this third option but I'll look for it.

Guess I will go for try #5. :-/

This is the third route I mentioned. When you first start at Firelink, look to your right for the stairs leading up. You'll run into some undead that should be pretty easy to deal with.

 

[Orayn]

After reading some responses here I'm willing to give it another go at this mysterious third route from the Firelink shrine I apparently didn't notice. For the record I did talk to the guy there and I remember him specifically mentioning having the option to either go, "up to the undead church" or down to Blighttown. I don't remember anything about this third option but I'll look for it.

Guess I will go for try #5. :-/

The bolded IS where you want to go. Just take the huge flight of stairs that lead to the aqueduct.

I can see why someone would get a bad impression of Dark Souls and want to quit if their only experience had been attempting to tackle New Londo Ruins or the cemetery at low level... Those routs are both death traps unless you're high level or know exactly how to handle them.

 

[EternalGamer]

I strongly recommend AGAINST playing with a guide as others have recommended. It kills the best part of the game: the exploration, discovery, and decision making processes.

However you absolutely should consult forums/walkthroughs when you feel you are getting seriously stuck. But first try to explore. When you hit roadblock or a tough fight, look for another path to travel down.

The only helped I used at the begining were these two very useful tips:

1) Go right, up the stairs from the Fireshrine to find the starting area.

2) Use arrows to kill the red Dragon from below the bridge and get the good sword.

I did pretty much everything else on my own. Those two tips were enough to get me well on my way in the world and I had never even played Demon Souls.

I personally also think playing as a magic user is nowhere near as fun as the melee classes. I played as knight and the one of best part about the game was the swordplay. Meanwhile when I tried to do distance combat the autotargeting was pretty shaky.

 

[thelatestmodel]

I'm surprised by how few people go with a Sorcery build. With the right equipment it can be absolutely lethal.

For example, with my first character I started out as a Sorcerer (not necessary, I know, but I thought it was at the time). I decided I was going to look at the wikis sometimes, but try not to if possible.

I struggled through the first few bonfires and started pumping points into my intelligence stat, and before long my spells were really quite effective. It's important to free Griggs of Vinnheim (and Big Hat Logan later on) so you can learn more spells, and get a couple more attunement slots too so you don't run out of spells too often.

I also upgraded a common longsword into a magic one, and eventually turned it into an enchanted longsword. I go with the longsword just because I like the R2 thrust, it's a nice counter after a block. Magic / enchanted weapons are fantastic for magic users, as both your weapon and your magic gets stronger as your intelligence goes up.

By the end of the game (with 50 intelligence), I was one-shotting pretty much anything I wanted, and bosses only took a few hits with Homing Crystal Soulmass to go down. My sword was doing very good damage too.

There's no doubt that Dark Souls requires patience and some research, but it's one of the most rewarding games ever made.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

The bolded IS where you want to go. Just take the huge flight of stairs that lead to the aqueduct.

I can see why someone would get a bad impression of Dark Souls and want to quit if their only experience had been attempting to tackle New Londo Ruins or the cemetery at low level... Those routs are both death traps unless you're high level or know exactly how to handle them.

If the undead church is where I want to start then now I'm wondering how the hell I ended up in the cemetery of death to begin with. It's been awhile since I played and ended up there but I vaguely remember going up the stairs to get to it.