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[BeeDog]

Damn, I didn't know killing Sif would prevent the Forest Hunter invasions.

 

[Sotha Sil]

I keep trying to change it up from time to time depending on what I need to be resistant to but...yeah...it's all I've been wearing since the end of Blightown. : /

That's what I thought: the best light armors are robes... Where's the thief love, FROM?

 

[bathala]

ok so I went with the recommendation of using Havel ring and wear heavy armor with ninja flip ring
Before: Steel Protection and ninja ring I got 400 DEF
NOW: Havel ring and ninja flip I'm getting 432. (armors I have so far and fully upgraded)

 

[Grinchy]

Gosh, I'm really tired of the gold-hemmed black set. Does any set of light armor ever top it? The necromancer look was fun for a while, but it's getting old.

The black leather boots are better when leveled up. The regular leather gloves are better, and I'm pretty sure the regular leather chestpiece has higher stats when leveled up too.

I wish I had a source for equipment stats at its max level. The wiki only seems to show starting stats, which is kinda pointless. I am still using the gold hemmed head piece and chest piece, just because I like the look. But I would like to find out which light armors are worth upgrading.

 

[DigitalDevil]

Damn, I didn't know killing Sif would prevent the Forest Hunter invasions.

But I'm glad that your post let ME know! I'm enjoying the pvp there.

 

[DigitalDevil]

That's what I thought: the best light armors are robes... Where's the thief love, FROM?

The shadow set is solid if you don't mind having to use twinkling titanite to upgrade. You get it in blighttown and it's straight up ninja gear.

 

[Sotha Sil]

The shadow set is solid if you don't mind having to use twinkling titanite to upgrade. You get it in blighttown and it's straight up ninja gear.

I have it, and like it, but the gold-hemmed black set pretty much destroys everything. I guess I'll just upgrade a cool-looking one, though

 

[Maleficence]

When is roughly the right time to go out and kill firekeepers for their souls before the game ends? i.e. when can you no longer go back before the end of the game? I'm in lost izalith atm.

Quoting for help.

 

[BeeDog]

Quoting for help.

When you open the door (after filling the Lordvessel).

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Quoting for help.

When you have killed the bosses in Crystal Caves, Tomb of the Giants, New Londo Ruins and Lost Izalith.

 

[V_Arnold]

I am currently using the Antiquited Set (Dusk of Oolicile uses that also), it looks amazing and the headgear increases magic damage

 

[Barrett2]

In the catacombs, there was a fire sign that said bonfire ahead. In the next room I found a fog wall, past it is a drop and two archers. Is the bonfire in there? Ahead there is the horse shoe curve and what appears to be mini-boss.?

 

[Maleficence]

Thanks Bee and Rez!

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

When you have killed the bosses in Crystal Caves, Tomb of the Giants, New Londo Ruins and Lost Izalith.

I...but why would you kill the firekeepers???

 

[Gattsu25]

I...but why would you kill the firekeepers???

For their Firekeeper souls. When you are about to finish the game it's a good idea to start killing the NPCs

Kill the NPCs -> you get their loot -> beat the boss and start NewGame+ -> all the NPCs respawn and are friendly again

 

[Maleficence]

I...but why would you kill the firekeepers???

Firekeeper souls. The firekeepers aren't useful at the very end of the game so may as well collect their souls and upgrade your flasks, or just eat them.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

Firekeeper souls. The firekeepers aren't useful at the very end of the game so may as well collect their souls and upgrade your flasks, or just eat them.

How much can you upgrade your flasks? I'm at +3.

Also, thanks to the other person that responded. The prospect of killing some of these characters makes me feel bad. : /

 

[bathala]

How much can you upgrade your flasks? I'm at +3.

Also, thanks to the other person that responded. The prospect of killing some of these characters makes me feel bad. : /

+7

 

[Yoshichan]

+7 is max

 

[RoboGeorgeForeman]

In the catacombs, there was a fire sign that said bonfire ahead. In the next room I found a fog wall, past it is a drop and two archers. Is the bonfire in there? Ahead there is the horse shoe curve and what appears to be mini-boss.?

I'm pretty sure there is only one bonfire in the Catacombs. If you're in the building with all of the caskets, there's a necromancer in between the archers and really annoying skeletons that wheel around and can kill you in one go further out. Plus there's a Black Knight and splodey skulls.

 

[vhfive]

I'm pretty sure there is only one bonfire in the Catacombs. If you're in the building with all of the caskets, there's a necromancer in between the archers and really annoying skeletons that wheel around and can kill you in one go further out. Plus there's a Black Knight and splodey skulls.

There definitely are 2 bonfires in the catacombs. One is behind a fake wall that has a spike trap statue in front of it

 

[Yuterald]

I'm pretty sure there is only one bonfire in the Catacombs. If you're in the building with all of the caskets, there's a necromancer in between the archers and really annoying skeletons that wheel around and can kill you in one go further out. Plus there's a Black Knight and splody skulls.

There are two bonfires in the Catacombs. One is near the start, before you even make it to the 'main' area with all the spike bridges that need to be flipped. The other is hard to describe and it's hidden fairly well. There is an illusion wall near a statue that shoots out spikes. It's in the 'main', open area of the Catacombs. There should be a dead end where a statue sits on the left, the wall its up against is an illusion and the bonfire is behind it.

 

[Soulhouf]

That's a very good point, only about 180 defense would come from that armor fully upgraded, and he's listed with a base defense of 129. My base is only 93 defense at level 53.

That gave me an idea to test something actually, and I just learned that humanity increases your base defense. I'd test it more myself, but I'm saving my humanity items for the chaos covenant. If it doesn't stop at 30 and just keeps adding up to 99, his stat is still very believable.

Thank you for the idea.
I went and farmed 99 humanity in Tomb of the Giants and indeed the base defense increase with humanity but its very slow, you gain something like 1 defense point every 20 humanity.

So, this still looks very suspicious to me...

 

[DigitalDevil]

+7 is max

And you can reach that in one playthrough correct?

 

[test_account]

Ok, i'm in New Londo now, and i dont have the lord vessel. How do i

Spoiler

fight the 4 kings? Do i have to kill the Guardian of the Seal? He wont give me the key to drain New Londo now because i dont have the lord vessel. Also, is there any advantages to do this instead of getting the lord vessel? I dont like to kill NPCs unless they are bad hehe.

 

[Septimius]

And you can reach that in one playthrough correct?

I don't think there are 7 firekeeper souls in the world - I think there's only 4

 

[BeeDog]

Ok, i'm in New Londo now, and i dont have the lord vessel. How do i

Spoiler

fight the 4 kings? Do i have to kill the Guardian of the Seal? He wont give me the key to drain New Londo now because i dont have the lord vessel. Also, is there any advantages to do this instead of getting the lord vessel? I dont like to kill NPCs unless they are bad hehe.

The only reason to do this before getting the Lordvessel is to meet

Spoiler

Kaathe and join the Darkwraiths.

Otherwise, there's no real point doing this right now.

 

[test_account]

Wow, Homing Crystal Soulmass is such an amazing spell. Finally managed to put enough points into INT to be able to use the spell, and I don't regret it.

Indeed I have level 67 on Intelligence, using Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring and Homing Crystal Soulmass, and i do close to 1500 damages on each hit

Speaking of spells, is there any catalyst that boost magic damage? I use Sorcerer's Catalyst, but i've tried others as well, but they did either the same level of damage or even less.

 

[sephi22]

I don't think there are 7 firekeeper souls in the world - I think there's only 4

1 in Parish
1 in New Londo Ruins
1 from

Spoiler

Killing Lautrec and getting the Firelink one back

1 from killing

Spoiler

The daughter of Chaos

1 from killing

Spoiler

The firekeeper in Anor Londo

1 in Logan's cage in Duke's

I count 6. There might be 1 I'm missing.

 

[test_account]

The only reason to do this before getting the Lordvessel is to meet

Spoiler

Kaathe and join the Darkwraiths.

Otherwise, there's no real point doing this right now.

That gives a silver trophy doesnt it? So i guess i have to do it at some point anyway?

 

[BeeDog]

That gives a silver trophy doesnt it? So i guess i have to do it at some point anyway?

Yeah. Do note you will lose Frampt's ability to break down crafting items if you do this.

 

[test_account]

Yeah. Do note you will lose Frampt's ability to break down crafting items if you do this.

What is that? To feed him the items for souls?

 

[RoboGeorgeForeman]

There are two bonfires in the Catacombs. One is near the start, before you even make it to the 'main' area with all the spike bridges that need to be flipped. The other is hard to describe and it's hidden fairly well. There is an illusion wall near a statue that shoots out spikes. It's in the 'main', open area of the Catacombs. There should be a dead end where a statue sits on the left, the wall its up against is an illusion and the bonfire is behind it.

Really? I always thought there had to be some way to move the rock in front of it so I never tested for fake walls and when I never found a switch I assumed that it had to have been the initial bonfire. I guess, I'll have to check it out before I wrap up my second playthrough.

 

[BeeDog]

What is that? To feed him the items for souls?

Spoiler

When you bring him the Lordvessel, several new menu entries will pop up when you talk to him. You can feed him chunks to get shards, for example. But if you do this, Kaathe will disappear.

 

[test_account]

Spoiler

When you bring him the Lordvessel, several new menu entries will pop up when you talk to him. You can feed him chunks to get shards, for example. But if you do this, Kaathe will disappear.

Yeah, that is what i was thinking about What is the point of doing that by the way, just to get souls?

 

[corrosivefrost]

Fuck Four Kings on NG+. Beat if first time without any effort but now he does so much damage I can't do shit.

Any cheesing tips for this one?

Depends on your character, but I found Iron Flesh was necessary to survive a hit if I took one.
I then proceeded to feed them homing crystal soulmass for breakfast.

1 in Parish
1 in New Londo Ruins
1 from

Spoiler

Killing Lautrec and getting the Firelink one back

1 from killing

Spoiler

The daughter of Chaos

1 from killing

Spoiler

The firekeeper in Anor Londo

1 in Logan's cage in Duke's

I count 6. There might be 1 I'm missing.

1 in the weird back sewerish section climbing out of blighttown via the waterwheel.

 

[BeeDog]

Yeah, that is what i was thinking about What is the point of doing that by the way, just to get souls?

Spoiler

No, you don't get souls for feeding the crafting items, you simply break a higher-level crafting item into several lower-level items. This helps since you don't have to farm as much.

 

[Clear]

I really like the "fragmented" narrative approach that Dark Souls takes.

With this and Nier I feel like maybe game stories are finally growing up, inviting the player to discover the (back)story but never actually spelling it out for them in a huge gob of exposition.

Maybe its just a sign of my age but I think one of the biggest failings of our modern technology-led pop-culture is the overemphasis on facile detail. The prevailing thought being that the more you show, the greater the level of verisimilitude.

A huge part of the "art" of painting is not what the artist shows, but what they choose to hide. You emphasize what is important partly by devoting more detail to that element, but also by de-emphasizing what is not. Contrast in short.

Personally I find a lot of CG imagery (in movies) these days falls down because there's so much effort put into showing every pixel of detail that the image is just overwhelmed by it.

Writing is much the same because you simply cannot describe every detail, you need to focus on the things that create the impression you want and let the reader's imagination fill in the rest.

Game stories are particularly good for this because if the structure is right, the player's own choice of actions determine the minute-to-minute narrative, while the nuggets of background detail shape the context and ultimately form the "meaning" of the tale.

Meaning is all important because its something only another human being can provide. Personally this is why I despise the concept of machine-generated story so much, without a storyteller -with something to say, or a feeling to impart- no matter how superficially convincing the construction, its still just an empty facsimile.

Anyway. Sorry for the tangent/rant, plaese return to your regular DS programming.

 

[test_account]

Spoiler

No, you don't get souls for feeding the crafting items, you simply break a higher-level crafting item into several lower-level items. This helps since you don't have to farm as much.

Ah ok, i see, thanks for the info

 

[conman]

I really like the "fragmented" narrative approach that Dark Souls takes.

Yes. It manages to be both completely coherent and utterly fragmented at the same time. Incredibly well done.

And I wish more game-makers would realize that games are better equipped to tell stories through setting rather than exposition and plot. Dark Souls' storytelling approach is excellent, and in a genre that's traditionally heavy on exposition (RPGs), it's so refreshing to see a developer take a "less is more" approach and treat gamers with some intelligence.

 

[toastyToast]

Where can I find a titanite slab?

 

[BeeDog]

Where can I find a titanite slab?

Spoiler

1. Return to the Asylum (the area where you start the game) and beat the Stray Demon.
2. Finish the Siegmeyer plotline (at the Ash Lake)
3. Farm it from the Darkwraiths in New Londo Ruins (after draining the water). It drops very, very rarely.

 

[toastyToast]

About the first one; I did but I don't have one on me.

Can I go back and look around or is it an actual 'straight into your possession' drop?

 

[V_Arnold]

1 in Parish
1 in New Londo Ruins
1 from

Spoiler

Killing Lautrec and getting the Firelink one back

1 from killing

Spoiler

The daughter of Chaos

1 from killing

Spoiler

The firekeeper in Anor Londo

1 in Logan's cage in Duke's

I count 6. There might be 1 I'm missing.

Yep, one in Blighttown. With the poison dudes and the firehounds.

I really like the "fragmented" narrative approach that Dark Souls takes.

With this and Nier I feel like maybe game stories are finally growing up, inviting the player to discover the (back)story but never actually spelling it out for them in a huge gob of exposition.

Maybe its just a sign of my age but I think one of the biggest failings of our modern technology-led pop-culture is the overemphasis on facile detail. The prevailing thought being that the more you show, the greater the level of verisimilitude.

A huge part of the "art" of painting is not what the artist shows, but what they choose to hide. You emphasize what is important partly by devoting more detail to that element, but also by de-emphasizing what is not. Contrast in short.

Personally I find a lot of CG imagery (in movies) these days falls down because there's so much effort put into showing every pixel of detail that the image is just overwhelmed by it.

Writing is much the same because you simply cannot describe every detail, you need to focus on the things that create the impression you want and let the reader's imagination fill in the rest.

Game stories are particularly good for this because if the structure is right, the player's own choice of actions determine the minute-to-minute narrative, while the nuggets of background detail shape the context and ultimately form the "meaning" of the tale.

Meaning is all important because its something only another human being can provide. Personally this is why I despise the concept of machine-generated story so much, without a storyteller -with something to say, or a feeling to impart- no matter how superficially convincing the construction, its still just an empty facsimile.

Anyway. Sorry for the tangent/rant, plaese return to your regular DS programming.

I absolutely agree. Dark Souls manages to have an amazing world presented. Sad? Yes. Rotten? Yes. Abandoned? Yes. But still amazing, and unique. And we get to live within it. Amazing, simply.

El Shaddai is kinda similar, although it has a different approach, but the same amount of care intagrated into the veins of the game.

 

[BeeDog]

About the first one; I did but I don't have one on me.

Well you get it automatically after beating him (meaning, you don't have to pick it up yourself), so it's likely you have used it for some reinforcement.

 

[Defuser]

Man,the enemies in NG+ packs a punch and 4 kings is a bunch of bitches with high HP. I have to resort use Havel set + Iron Flesh + Crystal shield ring to take them down get into the dark wraith covenant.

 

[toastyToast]

Well you get it automatically after beating him (meaning, you don't have to pick it up yourself), so it's likely you have used it for some reinforcement.

Oh right, must have been the Lightning Iaito I made.

I guess a few of these max out weapons trophies will have to wait until NG

 

[Barrett2]

Beat the Catacombs boss.

Tomb of Giants seems terrifying.

 

[BeeDog]

Beat the Catacombs boss.

Tomb of Giants seems terrifying.

The areas that initially seem terrifying are often extremely straightforward, unfortunately.

On a side note, has any GAF'er gotten the Mimic Head? Seems completely impossible.

 

[cj_iwakura]

So who upgrades the Server to +10? Isn't that the weapon needed to get Quelaag's Fury Sword?

Also, re: Priscilla - I'm about to blow your mind.

Spoiler

The going theory is that she's the daughter of Seath and Gwynevere.