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[The Lamp]

Sounds like a plan, any tips for a complete novice? Except for expecting to die a lot!

Don't hit NPCs.
Be extremely mindful of your a surroundings.
Don't waste your effigies.
Use your undead form as a means to "practice" and only use an effigy to turn human when you need to.
Write messages through start menu.
As soon as you get to Majule, look for Emerald Herald by a tree.
Exhaust every dialog option with NPCs.
Torches are lit at the bonfire by toggling Y/triangle.
If you decide to reorganize your stats later, you can.
If you destroy chests you destroy what's inside.
Falling hurts more than you think. Beware the fall deaths.

 

[Valkerionseven]

Just a question, I've never played Dark Souls as it has never looked like a game that I'd enjoy. However, I'm intrigued by the hype around the second. Should I get Dark Souls first or just get straight in to Dark Souls 2?

I'd say grab the first. Its a bit better for newer players imo, I feel like 2 assumes you know whats up with the franchise since it throws a lot of the stuff that came later in the first at you fairly early. And you would save money.

 

[ShadowkillXNA]

So I have done

Spoiler

Forest of Fallen Giants, No Mans Wharf, Heides Tower Of Flame, Cathredral of Blue, Lost Bastille, Belfry Luna, Sinners Rise and went down the pit in Majula and cleared Grave of Saints

Is

Spoiler

The Gutter

the only new area I can go to at the moment ?

 

[Huw_Dawson]

I'll be streaming the early game in DS2 for a few hours. Drop in for a chill stream.

www.twitch.tv/fairlysadpanda

 

[Mana Sin]

Spoiler

So I have done Forest of Fallen Giants, No Mans Wharf, Heides Tower Of Flame, Cathredral of Blue, Lost Bastille, Belfry Luna, Sinners Rise and went down the pit in Majula and cleared Grave of Saints

Is

Spoiler

The Gutter

the only new area I can go to at the moment ?

If you have a

Spoiler

Fragrant Branch of Yore

, you can head to the

Spoiler

Shaded Woods

. The tunnel to that is on the path between

Spoiler

the Betwixt area and Majula

.

 

[KennyLinder]

Apparently there are FOUR Bonfires in Giants area!? I've found two, one by the river and the main one inside. Where are the others? I've done the two bosses there so not sire where they would be, unless there is more to the area?

 

[Creamium]

Apparently there are FOUR Bonfires in Giants area!? I've found two, one by the river and the main one inside. Where are the others? I've done the two bosses there so not sire where they would be, unless there is more to the area?

One you can't reach yet, so don't worry about it. The other you could find if you explore enough... (not hidden behind an illusory wall or anything)

 

[Clockwork5]

Does anyone know how the mechanic works for being summoned for coop reverts your character to human form?

It seems so random. Sometimes when I help kill a boss I turn back, sometimes I don't.

 

[Donuts]

Very weird thing about

Spoiler

doors of pharros

. None of the enemies are aggroing? Yet I see bloodstains everywhere so they must be aggro for other people. I'm confused

 

[the_batman]

Does anyone know how the mechanic works for being summoned for coop reverts your character to human form?

It seems so random. Sometimes when I help kill a boss I turn back, sometimes I don't.

maybe it depends on how involved you were in defeating the boss.

 

[Leezard]

Does anyone know how the mechanic works for being summoned for coop reverts your character to human form?

It seems so random. Sometimes when I help kill a boss I turn back, sometimes I don't.

It's apparently a bug. You are not supposed to turn human.

 

[Raxus]

I still need to get acquainted with the armor. What is the deal with equip burden this game?

 

[Maybesew]

I still need to get acquainted with the armor. What is the deal with equip burden this game?

Stay under 70%

 

[SonicXtreme]

Is there a way to get a second copy of lightning spear? It's the only offensive miracle I've found, I'd like to have more than 11 cassts

 

[Clockwork5]

It's apparently a bug. You are not supposed to turn human.

I wondered about that. Since your phantom has the human model I thought there was a chance it was not intended for it to carry over.

 

[njean777]

He's supposed to move there if you

Spoiler

buy his ladder while he's there or when you defeat the boss

. At least, that's what the guide says (wanted to see if you could lock yourself out of him)

He stands around the pit/hole/well, near the armorer's shop. I'm not sure why he wouldn't be there for you.

Oh I never checked majula yet as I had to save and quit, but I will when I get back to playing.

 

[Grudy]

How fast does uchigatana break? The description implies it does so pretty fast. Also is it a good weapon to upgrade to +10?

 

[Raxus]

1) Death is a learning tool. Welcome it.

2) When you meet someone, talk to them and go through their whole dialogue. This is required.

3) Nothing is impossible. It will feel like it. It will hurt and make you rage at the game, at the devs. But when you win...Nothing can top that.

4) Don't go the Jack-of-all-trades way. Pick a build, a role to fill and pour your points into that.

Some new rules to add

5) Spend your souls. Don't save up to level all at once. Buy items, spells and weapons/armor upgrades.

6) If you don't like your build then don't fret. You can respec in the game fairly early with a rare item.

 

[TraBuch]

Anyone know where in

Spoiler

Drangleic Castle

the Hunter's Blackbow is?

 

[ixix]

So the door to (I presume) the

Spoiler

Grave of Saints (down that hole in Majula, at the bottom of the ladder that Laddersmith Gilligan sets up for you)

is apparently locked, anyone know where the key for it is?

Are you talking about the

Spoiler

really tall 12,000 soul ladder?

If so, that one doesn't lead to the

Spoiler

Grave of Saints.

It's the entrance to

Spoiler

a treasure room containing a fancy-pants sorcery catalyst and some other stuff I don't remember.

The key is

Spoiler

in the Black Gulch, in a secret area you need to drop down to. You'll need to kill a pair of big nasties for it, so come prepared.

The actual entrance to

Spoiler

the Grave of Saints isn't very far down the hole. Or if you've got the big ladder already you can skip it entirely. Just drop down a couple times from the platform the ladder goes to and you'll be at the entrance of a new area.

 

[Raxus]

Stay under 70%

Shit, I can equip some heavier stuff than! I am at 50% lol.

 

[ShadowkillXNA]

If you have a

Spoiler

Fragrant Branch of Yore

, you can head to the

Spoiler

Shaded Woods

. The tunnel to that is on the path between

Spoiler

the Betwixt area and Majula

.

I did but

Spoiler

used it on the guy in Lost Bastille

 

[Panipal2009]

Somehow managed to kill the

Spoiler

Ruin Sents

on my first try after a super long fight and a lot of healing. What a rush, my Falchion even broke on the last hit.

Oh, I've got that beat. I wasn't paying attention to my durability at all and my Bastard Sword broke on me while I still had two to take down (I was doing it solo because I'm having to play offline, and that NPC you can summon is as useful as a chocolate fireguard), so I had to resort to shieldbashing (had a greatshield, though) the second one. Killed him doing so, but of course my shield broke. So I had to take down the last one with broken sword and broken shield.

 

[J4g3r]

Can't wait to hear impressions on NG +. I hear it's quite a bit different?

Spoiler

I got completely caught off guard in Things Betwixt by an enemy I haven't even seen before, almost died.

 

[Raxus]

I really hope they patch the graphics. I play on my old PS3 and I am getting graphical bugs up the wazoo.

 

[njean777]

How fast does uchigatana break? The description implies it does so pretty fast. Also is it a good weapon to upgrade to +10?

I noticed the scimitar you start with as a swordsman breaks faster then most other weapons, and if you are a dex build then yes it will be worth upgrading. The uchigatana and great scythe are both good for dex builds.

There are some better weapons this time around then those two, but with dex builds they will be good.

 

[Ferr986]

Man, sometimes the enemy placement in this game is all over the place.
Trying the boss in Lost Bastille wouldnt be that bad if there wasnt a fucking swarm of knights before the fog.

 

[Hystzen]

Good to see the monster from Cloverfield has got a job in no mans wharf

 

[njean777]

Man, sometimes the enemy placement in this game is all over the place.
Trying the boss in Lost Bastille wouldnt be that bad if there wasnt a fucking swarm of knights before the fog.

They are slow enough to run past if you really want to skip them.

 

[Zeliard]

I feel so bad being part of the Bell Keepers.

But those

Spoiler

titanite chunks

, you must understand.

 

[Ferr986]

They are slow enough to run past if you really want to skip them.

really? they're fucking everywhere... well, gonna try it

 

[SoraanTribal]

Is it possible to remove the poison

Spoiler

clouds in Harvest Valley

?

 

[SJRB]

How the hell do I get on the boat in No Man's Wharf? I rang the bell but I can't find a way to get over there for the life of me.

 

[Grudy]

I noticed the scimitar you start with as a swordsman breaks faster then most other weapons, and if you are a dex build then yes it will be worth upgrading. The uchigatana and great scythe are both good for dex builds.

There are some better weapons this time around then those two, but with dex builds they will be good.

I'm not exactly using a dex build, more of a battle mage so I will just increase my dex just until I can use it or darkdrift katana (really can't decide between the 2). I really like the idea of a samurai-ish warrior with magical powers

 

[the_batman]

really? they're fucking everywhere... well, gonna try it

you can backstab them too.

 

[ironcreed]

How on Earth are people beating this so fast? I am over 30 hours in and feel like I am only scratching the surface, having only completed:

Spoiler

Forest of Fallen Giants
No Man's Wharf
Heide's Tower Of Flame & Cathedral of Blue
The Lost Bastille
Huntsman's Copse and Undead Purgatory
Harvest Valley and Earthen Peak

So much stuff to find and so many more locations to go. I am taking my time and combing the hell out of each area, and were it not for the guide, I would have already missed a ton just in the areas I have been to. And I am not even at the half-way point.

 

[SoraanTribal]

How the hell do I get on the boat in No Man's Wharf? I rang the bell but I can't find a way to get over there for the life of me.

From where the bell is, you just keep falling down on top of the roofs of buildings until you get to somewhere you can go down to that side of the area.

 

[JoeFenix]

Spoiler

Shrine of Amana

while being part of the Company of Champions Covenant was not pleasant. Easily the most annoying area so far, just terrible enemy combos if you're a melee character.

Not sure what they were thinking there, so tedious and frustrating. Glad I'm out of that fucking place!

 

[Raxus]

I feel so bad being part of the Bell Keepers.

But those

Spoiler

titanite chunks

, you must understand.

Help me out. Do you have to be in a bell tower to invade? What level are you and where are you invading?

I am 101 and at either location I just get invaded myself. It suuuucks.

 

[soldat7]

I figured I should mention this here, in case you guys want to give it a go and see for yourselved if the look of the game improves. Based on a post by Sickbean in that other thread, in the display settings of my PS3, I changed the RGB Full Range to full and then set the in-game gamma. The difference was astounding.

The gamma in the game generally still seems to be way off and needs to be patched, but at least I could get proper blacks and more contrast. I found the lighting so much more effective visually, and it makes the torch mechanic far, far more rewarding to use.

It's a bit of a hack workaround but if your TV supports it, give it a try and see if it improves the visual experience.

Are you sure that's an in-game gamma and not just another brightness setting? You might have more luck tweaking your TV brightness, contrast, and gamma first.

 

[nrvalleytime]

So current build - lvl 29.

Highest stats - 10 str, 14 dex, and 14 adp. Is there a recommended weapon apart from the Longsword? I've killed the

Spoiler

last giant

and would like to try

Spoiler

the pursuer

again, after he destroyed me earlier.

Also - where the heck can you buy items to restore humanity once the shopkeeper decides to move?

 

[Somnium986]

How good is the

Spoiler

pursuers greatsword

? Is it worth using the soul?

 

[Mechanized]

Spoiler

Shrine of Amana

while being part of the Company of Champions Covenant was not pleasant. Easily the most annoying area so far, just terrible enemy combos if you're a melee character.

Not sure what they were thinking there, so tedious and frustrating. Glad I'm out of that fucking place!

The casters target you from a fucking mile away. Fuck that place.

 

[dryuriev7777]

I feel so bad being part of the Bell Keepers.

But those

Spoiler

titanite chunks

, you must understand.

I *almost* feel bad for the people that just naively wander in and I kill them from above while they're talking to the covenant dude. Almost.

 

[anddo0]

Who can I buy poison curing items from?

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

Oh damnit. I burned a human effigy thinking it'd make me human but it made it so I can't be invaded? How do I undo that?

 

[the_batman]

Who can I buy poison curing items from?

Gavlan. too bad he disappears after you talk to him.

 

[Mindlog]

Help me out. Do you have to be in a bell tower to invade? What level are you and where are you invading?

I am 101 and at either location I just get invaded myself. It suuuucks.

Stay out of the tower unless you want to gank keepers or rush to the gargoyles.

I feel so bad being part of the Bell Keepers.

But those

Spoiler

titanite chunks

, you must understand.

It's such a dumb dumb dumb stupid covenant, but I'm at 30.
I wonder how many I really need before I quit.

 

[Zeliard]

Help me out. Do you have to be in a bell tower to invade? What level are you and where are you invading?

I am 101 and at either location I just get invaded myself. It suuuucks.

I was just hanging out at Lost Bastille's Tower Apart bonfire and getting summoned to another world literally every 1-5 seconds.

I've stopped now though. Just wanted enough to upgrade my Blacksteel Katana (sweet DEX weapon btw). I also tried not to be too much of a jerk about it, like attacking people when they're fighting A.I., etc.

I did the prostration emote to beg forgiveness.

I *almost* feel bad for the people that just naively wander in and I kill them from above while they're talking to the covenant dude. Almost.

Aw, mean. :>

 

[Cloud Strife]

So adaptability isn't that good.



e: not that it's conclusive or anything, but yeah, time to respec all the adp points into int for my hexer without feeling guilty~

This is higly debateable. Another user posted in that topic claiming the OP was testing the wrong things.

The speed AFTER you do an animation is greatly increased by ADP, not rolling distance.