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Dark Souls |OT4| Victory achieved for Scamco, text defeated

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V

vladdamad

Member
So I finally decided to buy this game after all my friends were raving about how it's the game of the generation - I'm still quite early on, I just got to the blacksmith and I'm about to enter a big church-like area, so I thought I'd post here instead of making an LTTP thread.

I've read a couple of beginner's guides, including the one in the OP of this thread, but it still feels like I have no idea what I'm doing - quite enjoying it for this very reason, memorising an area and then ripping through it is quite satisfying. My only issue is with the fact that none of the RPG elements are properly explained - do I dump all my souls into upgrading my current weapons, or wait until I get better ones? I'm upgrading my stats the way it was described in the OP, but I still have no idea if I'm meant to be grinding a bit more. My weapon of choice at the moment is some sort of axe, which I chose because it does the most damage out of the stuff that I have so far. As for the combat, I'm just holding my shield up waiting for the guys to attack and then slash back. I have a feeling this strategy isn't going to be useful for long, but it's what I'm doing so far and it's kinda working.

The world itself is incredible, spectacular atmosphere even though I usually hate fantasy fiction. For some reason it reminds me of 8bit/16bit JRPGs, it's really great. I love the Zelda-like feeling of getting back to the start of an area via a shortcut, it makes the whole world feel connected. I think the difficulty has been exaggerated just a little bit - dying in this game doesn't mean failure, it's a hint on how to approach a situation the next time, if that makes any sense. At least that's what it feels like to me, anyway. Can't wait to delve more into it
 
B

Booshka

Member
vladdamad said:
So I finally decided to buy this game after all my friends were raving about how it's the game of the generation - I'm still quite early on, I just got to the blacksmith and I'm about to enter a big church-like area, so I thought I'd post here instead of making an LTTP thread.

I've read a couple of beginner's guides, including the one in the OP of this thread, but it still feels like I have no idea what I'm doing - quite enjoying it for this very reason, memorising an area and then ripping through it is quite satisfying. My only issue is with the fact that none of the RPG elements are properly explained - do I dump all my souls into upgrading my current weapons, or wait until I get better ones? I'm upgrading my stats the way it was described in the OP, but I still have no idea if I'm meant to be grinding a bit more. My weapon of choice at the moment is some sort of axe, which I chose because it does the most damage out of the stuff that I have so far. As for the combat, I'm just holding my shield up waiting for the guys to attack and then slash back. I have a feeling this strategy isn't going to be useful for long, but it's what I'm doing so far and it's kinda working.

The world itself is incredible, spectacular atmosphere even though I usually hate fantasy fiction. For some reason it reminds me of 8bit/16bit JRPGs, it's really great. I love the Zelda-like feeling of getting back to the start of an area via a shortcut, it makes the whole world feel connected. I think the difficulty has been exaggerated just a little bit - dying in this game doesn't mean failure, it's a hint on how to approach a situation the next time, if that makes any sense. At least that's what it feels like to me, anyway. Can't wait to delve more into it
Click to expand...
Nearly any weapon can do a lot of damage and serve you through the entire game as long as it is upgraded well to complement your stats. Pay attention to the Scaling bonus conferred by weapons, and level up the stats that give you the highest bonuses. There are a lot of different upgrade paths for weapons that can change the scaling so they will benefit from different stats. Pay attention to your gear, try out a all the weapons you can, use the one that suits your playstyle, and has a moveset you like. Upgrade it and you'll do alright.
 
V

vladdamad

Member
Booshka said:
Nearly any weapon can do a lot of damage and serve you through the entire game as long as it is upgraded well to complement your stats. Pay attention to the Scaling bonus conferred by weapons, and level up the stats that give you the highest bonuses. There are a lot of different upgrade paths for weapons that can change the scaling so they will benefit from different stats. Pay attention to your gear, try out a all the weapons you can, use the one that suits your playstyle, and has a moveset you like. Upgrade it and you'll do alright.
Click to expand...

So there's no weapons that are completely useless? I'm currently going for a melee type character, so I'm upgrading Strength and Dexterity mostly. From what I've read, quick rolling becomes really important later on in the game
 
S

super-famicom

Member
vladdamad said:
So I finally decided to buy this game after all my friends were raving about how it's the game of the generation - I'm still quite early on, I just got to the blacksmith and I'm about to enter a big church-like area, so I thought I'd post here instead of making an LTTP thread.

I've read a couple of beginner's guides, including the one in the OP of this thread, but it still feels like I have no idea what I'm doing - quite enjoying it for this very reason, memorising an area and then ripping through it is quite satisfying. My only issue is with the fact that none of the RPG elements are properly explained - do I dump all my souls into upgrading my current weapons, or wait until I get better ones? I'm upgrading my stats the way it was described in the OP, but I still have no idea if I'm meant to be grinding a bit more. My weapon of choice at the moment is some sort of axe, which I chose because it does the most damage out of the stuff that I have so far. As for the combat, I'm just holding my shield up waiting for the guys to attack and then slash back. I have a feeling this strategy isn't going to be useful for long, but it's what I'm doing so far and it's kinda working.



The world itself is incredible, spectacular atmosphere even though I usually hate fantasy fiction. For some reason it reminds me of 8bit/16bit JRPGs, it's really great. I love the Zelda-like feeling of getting back to the start of an area via a shortcut, it makes the whole world feel connected. I think the difficulty has been exaggerated just a little bit - dying in this game doesn't mean failure, it's a hint on how to approach a situation the next time, if that makes any sense. At least that's what it feels like to me, anyway. Can't wait to delve more into it
Click to expand...


For weapons, just upgrade the weapons you enjoy using- there's no wrong answer, really. If you're going for a strength build, choose weapons that have a B or higher scaling with strength, same with dex for a dex build. Weapons that I love and recommend trying out are: claymore (awesome moveset, found near the red drake on the bridge in undead burg), zweihander (in graveyard near Firelink), Balder Side Sword (very rare drop from Balder Knights, you can find them in the church).

If you keep your shield up all the time, maybe try using a spear, since you can attack while holding the shield up. Keep in mind that stamina regens faster when your shield is down. Be sure to put some points into Endurance for extra stamina. Extra stamina = more attacks and blocks

Being patient in combat is key, but to finish an encounter quickly, try circle strafing to go for a backstab.

Also, the bolded part is so true. A lot of people complain about the game's difficulty because they are probably used to the hand holding many other games offer, while in Dark Souls you have to learn everything on your own.

Good luck with your playthrough!
 
B

Booshka

Member
vladdamad said:
So there's no weapons that are completely useless? I'm currently going for a melee type character, so I'm upgrading Strength and Dexterity mostly. From what I've read, quick rolling becomes really important later on in the game
Click to expand...

If you keep leveling your Strength and Dexterity, work on upgrading weapons toward +15. +5, then to +10, then to +15. That upgrade path gives you the highest benefit from STR/DEX scaling.
 
T

TokiDoki

Member
2AdEPT said:
Looked like a rage quit....I hear ya man...manus is terrible and that squeegy head magic spammer on the way is good for a few kills as well.

Couple points...Uchigatana by itself is a little light for Manus..you were only doing 200 damage per swing, and it wasn't long enough to even hit his hand when extended. Upgrade to the washing pole if you like that moveset...the reach is worth it, then buff it to get the damage back. Supposedlyt maus is weakest to lightning. Use the running R2 to stab him from range, then retreat. You could wear bleed resist armour, then go for the bleed to kill manus faster...lifehunt scythe obviously the best.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input mate , yeah I noticed the reach is a little bit short for the fight . Just testing Manus for those few runs actually , I might need to revise my gears first like you said . So far , all my armors still not being upgraded >.<
 
R

Red Liquorice

Member
vladdamad said:
I think the difficulty has been exaggerated just a little bit - dying in this game doesn't mean failure, it's a hint on how to approach a situation the next time, if that makes any sense. At least that's what it feels like to me, anyway. Can't wait to delve more into it
Click to expand...
This guy gets it. :)
 
M

mrbagdt

Member
ok, looking for a little help on... what to do next.

i rang the second bell, went down into the demons ruins, killed the ceaseless demon. it is getting significantly harder now to kill guys. the minor capra demons and the minor tauras demons... i guess it is just going to take time for me to get good enough that i can kill them consistently. but like the idiot i am, i kill the first capra demon, went on that wall ledge, then jumped down onto another ledge and killed the worm thing guarding a bonfire. and now... apparently... i am stuck... i dont believe i can go further forward down here at this time? my only way out is to try and get past the 6 guys on the upper deck and get back to blighttown? it is just not very clear to me on where to go next.

can someone explain 'weapon at risk' to me? does a weapon work fine until the durability is at 0, or if the durability is below some certain % does it stop working as effectively?
 
D

Divius

Member
mrbagdt said:
ok, looking for a little help on... what to do next.

i rang the second bell, went down into the demons ruins, killed the ceaseless demon. it is getting significantly harder now to kill guys. the minor capra demons and the minor tauras demons... i guess it is just going to take time for me to get good enough that i can kill them consistently. but like the idiot i am, i kill the first capra demon, went on that wall ledge, then jumped down onto another ledge and killed the worm thing guarding a bonfire. and now... apparently... i am stuck... i dont believe i can go further forward down here at this time? my only way out is to try and get past the 6 guys on the upper deck and get back to blighttown? it is just not very clear to me on where to go next.

can someone explain 'weapon at risk' to me? does a weapon work fine until the durability is at 0, or if the durability is below some certain % does it stop working as effectively?
Click to expand...
Ringing the second bell should have triggered a cutscene in which a (previously closed) large door was opened. That's where you should head next to advance. That door leads to
Sen's Fortress
and you can get there from Undead Parish, at the bonfire near Andre the blacksmith.

As for your weapon being at risk: Once it shows weapon at risk I believe it is already doing less damage, so I urge to repair it asap or switch to another weapon.

And yes, I am afraid in order to get back you'll need to get past those Capra Demons. Then backtrack through Blighttown, there I suggest taking the wooden elevator up >
Valley > New Londo > Firelink Shrine > elevator to
Undead Parish.
 
M

mrbagdt

Member
Divius said:
Ringing the second bell should have triggered a cutscene in which a (previously closed) large door was opened. That's where you should head next to advance. That door leads to
Sen's Fortress
and you can get there from Undead Parish, at the bonfire near Andre the blacksmith.

As for your weapon being at risk: Once it shows weapon at risk I believe it is already doing less damage, so I urge to repair it asap or switch to another weapon.

And yes, I am afraid in order to get back you'll need to get past those Capra Demons. Then backtrack through Blighttown, there I suggest taking the wooden elevator up >
Valley > New Londo > Firelink Shrine > elevator to
Undead Parish.
Click to expand...

ok thanks for the tips! i saw that door open, but from where i was at... it was very far away, and i guess i hoped that by moving forward i was going to open up some shortcut to get back to firelink. apparently not!

also, it is so easy to get lost in blighttown and to miss ladders... i thought i had wandered everywhere but i didnt find that link to
valley
so i just kept going... down... i guess i will just do some backtracking, but certainly not after i have tried running past these guys with no clothes on a few times to see if i can out run them.

i saw someone answer this earlier, but its generally a best practice to just upgrade weapons the normal route? my character is dex, so i guess weapons with stat adjustments (normal weapons) are best if you focus on str/dex rather than doing the 'special' weapons that usually have no or low adjustments.

also- i see hints for 'illusory walls'. hitting with my sword doesnt work. do they all open different ways? do you have to use certain magic?
 
D

Divius

Member
mrbagdt said:
ok thanks for the tips! i saw that door open, but from where i was at... it was very far away, and i guess i hoped that by moving forward i was going to open up some shortcut to get back to firelink. apparently not!

also, it is so easy to get lost in blighttown and to miss ladders... i thought i had wandered everywhere but i didnt find that link to
valley
so i just kept going... down... i guess i will just do some backtracking, but certainly not after i have tried running past these guys with no clothes on a few times to see if i can out run them.

i saw someone answer this earlier, but its generally a best practice to just upgrade weapons the normal route? my character is dex, so i guess weapons with stat adjustments (normal weapons) are best if you focus on str/dex rather than doing the 'special' weapons that usually have no or low adjustments.

also- i see hints for 'illusory walls'. hitting with my sword doesnt work. do they all open different ways? do you have to use certain magic?
Click to expand...
Yeah upper Blighttown is annoying with all the ladders and drops and accidental deaths and toxic. You probably came down from The Depths into Blighttown, but there is an alternate entrance/exit as well, which are these huge wooden elevators I mentioned, they are straight ahead and slightly to the left when you exit Quelaags domain (or: when you are at the Blighttown swamp bonfire: exit and to the right, can't miss it). They will take you away from this horrible, horrible place.

As for weapons, you are free to do whatever you want. Some enemies are more resistant or weak to certain types of weapons (lightning, fire, etc). Maybe it would be a good idea to carry around a regular +10 weapon and a lightning +5 or whatever.

And the 'illusory walls' messages could be just other players trolling you :p
 
M

mechphree

Member
Booshka said:
There is a Premium Theme for Dark Souls on 360, it's pretty good. The background is Firelink, and your friends have characters in specific armor sets behind them. Iron Golem, Black Knight, Elite Knight, Balder Knights and a few others. There is a nicely stylized image of an Elite Knight character kindling a bonfire on the music and video app pages. There is another nice image on the Settings page that I can't recall in detail, but overall the the Theme is good. I felt kinda dumb spending 240 points ($3) on it, but what the hell, I've never bought a Premium Theme or any avatar gear, so why not waste it on a game I love.
Click to expand...
Praise the sun!
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
Got him. Burnt it right off with Pyromancy. No trophy though... I hope the rumors about the +1 upgrade = no trophy isn't true. I'll do some checking.
 
M

mrbagdt

Member
well, i was able to escape demons ruins and get back to blighttown and then found that back door to get back to new londo. it really is amazing how all these things link up and that the geometry of everything stays correct. i cant imagine how the whole thing was designed and how it all 'works' in the end. the scale is just so big, it was crazy to me when i had a friend point out 'yeah that tower over there, that is where you will be when you ring the first bell'. i mean, i guess GTA has similar vastness, but it just seems amazing in this game.

ok, next question- damage that weapons actually do. do enemies have a soul level? will my attacks deal more damage to 'easy' enemies and less damage to 'harder' enemies? is there armor stats that i am just not aware of? for example with the whip, i notice it will deal 71 damage against the mousquitos in blighttown, but only 15-20 against other enemies. how does that work?
 
R

Red Liquorice

Member
It is great how the world connects and you get those "oh that's where I was before all the way back there!" moments. There's a few more of those to come! :)


mrbagdt said:
ok, next question- damage that weapons actually do. do enemies have a soul level? will my attacks deal more damage to 'easy' enemies and less damage to 'harder' enemies? is there armor stats that i am just not aware of? for example with the whip, i notice it will deal 71 damage against the mousquitos in blighttown, but only 15-20 against other enemies. how does that work?
Click to expand...
Different enemies have different resistances to different types of weapon and magic (some are prone to fire, some resistant to it for example). AFAIK enemies don't have soul levels, there are different variants of the same enemies though (example the Balder Knights in the Parish who have a rapier and the ones who have a Balder Side Sword, they have different stats).

Look at a weapons stat page for how much damage it does, it also tells you what stats that weapon scales with, so if you want to use a particular sort of weapon, look what stats it scales with and upgrade those same stats when you level up to see the damage done increase (also upgrade your weapon of course).

bwkjl.jpg

Ignore the "ignore this part" part, you can block with a weapon if you choose.

In that example the Zweihander scales (gets a damage bonus) from both Strength AND Dexterity - the more you level up either or both of those, the more damage you will do with that weapon.
 
M

mrbagdt

Member
ok, another question since you guys are all helping me:

Is there a base number i should shoot for with certain attributes? for example, should i get at least 16 intelligence so i can use certain spells? at least XX strength / dexterity? it seemed like it was best to focus most of your points in one attribute between strength / dex / intelligence depending on how you wanted to play the game and just smatter a few points between vitality / endurance. obviously you can really just do whatever you want, but i dont want to do something that is completely backwards.
 
C

chupon

Member
Is there any way to get the DLC for the PC version now that the GFWL marketplace is down? I picked up Dark Souls awhile ago, but never got in to it much on PC. Just wondering as I have this on 360 versions but much prefer the game with DSFix on PC.
 
C

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
chupon said:
Is there any way to get the DLC for the PC version now that the GFWL marketplace is down? I picked up Dark Souls awhile ago, but never got in to it much on PC. Just wondering as I have this on 360 versions but much prefer the game with DSFix on PC.
Click to expand...

If you have the pc version, you already have the dlc... It's the Prepare to Die edition, Artorias dlc is included.
 
R

Red Liquorice

Member
mrbagdt said:
ok, another question since you guys are all helping me:

Is there a base number i should shoot for with certain attributes? for example, should i get at least 16 intelligence so i can use certain spells? at least XX strength / dexterity? it seemed like it was best to focus most of your points in one attribute between strength / dex / intelligence depending on how you wanted to play the game and just smatter a few points between vitality / endurance. obviously you can really just do whatever you want, but i dont want to do something that is completely backwards.
Click to expand...
On your first playthrough, it doesn't really matter too much, just play the way you want, you can't really mess it up to the point where you're screwed.

In general it's better not to spread your points to thin and have a playstyle in mind. So if you want to use magic, concentrate putting points into INT and a few in attunement as you go (I like about 5 or 6 spell slots). But if you then want to use miracles too, it can get really costly in souls to level up to a point where you can use all the great spells/miracles - so it's better to have a separate charcter for a faith(miracles) build see.

Vitality and Endurance are a no brainer to level up, then the rest just put into maximizing whatever offense type you want to use - Strength weapons, dex weapons, magic or miracles (or a balance of two of them, say dex and int for a spell-sword type). Pyromancy is governed by the flame itself, not soul level, so that's an easy way for any character type to use a magic skill. Diminishing returns for most stats after 45~ so don't go levelling any stat up to 80 or anything crazy like that.

Only no-no is don't level up resistance, it's useless.

You can use a few low level spells and miracles on any build by sacrificing a few points into INT or Faith - for example, you need at least 10 INT to unlock Griggs as a merchant, and he sells a ring that is useful for Pyromancy too, so it's worth those couple of points you might need to add to INT to get the ring. I do a lot of co-op, so I almost always level up Faith to 12 so I can use Heal and don't have to rely on the host to heal me as a phantom. There are a few low level spells and miracles that come in handy even if you're not going full on sorcerer/cleric.

/rant over. :)
 
G

gdt

Member
So upgrading the Greatshield of Artorias doesn't improve its defensive stats? What's better, basic GoA or a maxed Eagle Shield? I have about 10 lbs to spare so the weight doesn't matter.
 
B

Booshka

Member
gdt said:
So upgrading the Greatshield of Artorias doesn't improve its defensive stats? What's better, basic GoA or a maxed Eagle Shield? I have about 10 lbs to spare so the weight doesn't matter.
Click to expand...

Upgrading a shield only increases its Stability and its attack power when shield bashing. A lot of the unique shields that upgrade via Twinkling or Demon Titanite do not have their stability increased when upgraded, only their damage.

That being said, the Greatshield of Artorias has the highest stability in the game. Eagle shield has excellent stability when upgraded to +15, but it has 95% physical reduction, so it's not optimal. If you don't care about the weight, use the GoA.

Greatshields aren't really worth their weight overall though, you can upgrade a Balder, Kite or Silver/Black Knight shield and get excellent stability, the ability to parry, and much lighter equip burden. Heater Shield is the lightest shield with 100% physical defense, so it is one of the best shields in the game.
 
A

Altazor

Member
Booshka said:
Greatshields aren't really worth their weight overall though, you can upgrade a Balder, Kite or Silver/Black Knight shield and get excellent stability, the ability to parry, and much lighter equip burden. Heater Shield is the lightest shield with 100% physical defense, so it is one of the best shields in the game.
Click to expand...

I've been using a Silver Knight shield since Anor Londo and it's awesome. Great stability when fully upgraded, good resistances (except for magic and lightning - but in those cases, I just switch back and forth if necessary), the ability to parry, and you can withstand lots of shit if you've got good endurance and poise. So yeah, use the Silver Knight Shield if you can.
 
S

Servbot24

Banned
So for some reason I can't get the Broken Pendant needed for Artorias DLC. I talked to the lady by where the Hydra used to be so I know that it's working. But when I kill the golem at the Archives (right before the library) I don't get anything. And I have placed the Lordvessel.

Edit: Nevermind, got it.
 
L

Liferebooted

Banned
Any tips to getting more than 10 fps in this game? It's making combat impossible. My system should be able to handle this game.. E8400 4gb ram AMD 6750. I tried DSFix but it does nothing at all. =\
 
N

neoemonk

Member
cj_iwakura said:
Platinum get. :D +1 rare weapon theory debunked.


I'm ready, From, let me at that beta.
Click to expand...

Damn it, now I might have to do it.

Did you do everything on one character? I'm debating doing the spells trophy on a separate character as I wanted to do a full magic run-through since I did melee on my first time through.
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
neoemonk said:
Damn it, now I might have to do it.

Did you do everything on one character? I'm debating doing the spells trophy on a separate character as I wanted to do a full magic run-through since I did melee on my first time through.
Click to expand...

Everything on one character. I had help with the +10 trophies, since someone gave me a lot of them to hold onto, but I put in all the work for Knight's Honor, Miracles, and Spells.

I had to fight for a lot of it, too. Cutting off Seath's tail and killing Gwyndolin on NG++ is no joke.

At least Gwyndolin never touched me. Take off all the gear, hide behind a pillar, roll if it's the super beam.
 
N

neoemonk

Member
I've been farming for the Channeler's Trident for the past 45 minutes with no luck. Starting to think I don't really care that much now.
 
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