I did this to myself. On my first play through. That run back...
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Dark Souls |OT4| Victory achieved for Scamco, text defeated
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I did this to myself. On my first play through. That run back...
Red Liquorice
Member
Are you sure you don't have the the Lord Vessel, you're wearing Ciaran's armour. Or am I over thinking it?
Could be NG+
I'm on new game + !
You are not overthinking! You can't have Ciaran's armour before having the Lordvessel on a fresh playthrough, unless I'm also overthinking
Sweet mother of mercy.... I can't even fathom the terror it must be to have that happen on a first playthrough... how painful was it ?
Red Liquorice
Member
Doh! NG+ of course
I'm messing around with the zweihander for the first time. Mother of god. This thing even staggers a titanite demon. One 2h hit + pine resin took off half health of a gargoyle, only +2. I laughed when one hit just pancaked a balder knight to the ground. Are there other weapons that have the same effect? Funny how one weapon can make the game feel fresh again.
What determines the stagger/stun effect? Total amount of damage in a short time?
What determines the stagger/stun effect? Total amount of damage in a short time?
The Zweihander's jump attack is one of the most satisfying attacks in the game. Pretty much any sword bigger than the claymore that's not curved is similar.
Stagger... As I recall, the way it works is that Poise is essentially "Stagger HP". It regenerates when not being hit, when it reaches 0 you're staggered. Certain types of weapons, such as the Zwei, deal more poise damage than others.
SeventhSon
Member
Here's the wiki page on poise, and the 'poise damage' classes of weapons inflict: http://darksouls.wikidot.com/poise
SonicXtreme
Member
The zwei is so good it makes me not even want to use mlgs on my mage, i just went enchanted on the zwei bc its sooo satisfying
After I figured out how to manual save at any time any location, my enjoyment of the game has gone up 1000%
It's like playing the game without terrible checkpoints and auto-saves. Progression also doesn't come to an abrupt hold.
I used DSFix to skip the logos, and I just put read only on my save file, so the only way the game saves now is if I take off read only and quit to main menu.
The GUI is pretty bad, so you cannot save while in combat, and since game doesn't pause it means you still have to fight from start to finish.
For those struggling with the game, and actually want to experience the content of the game, I highly recommend it.
Small warning though, game will go by quicker, and you'll also master the game faster.
I know what your thinking, master it faster?
Dark Souls doesn't give you must time to learn, sometimes you have to grind for 10 minutes to get 10 seconds of live time with a boss. (if your lucky).
Since you can save just before boss fight like Grey Wolf, even if it takes like 15 tries, there's is a short period between each try and each try is fresh in your memory so you quickly notice a pattern.
I ended up killing him with a +5 regular Axe, which did about 100 with a dual attack.
I had the same experience with one of those dark knights, they were pretty much destroying me since there was always trash nearby that interfered. Once I got one isolated in an open field I saved game. Died a few times, but I discovered his pattern and how to get in a hit.
Now I pretty much don't even bother saving when I meet one since I know how to kill them fast, especially with my new weapon.
I've learned more in the last 5 hours and progressed more than I did in the previous 20.
It's like playing the game without terrible checkpoints and auto-saves. Progression also doesn't come to an abrupt hold.
I used DSFix to skip the logos, and I just put read only on my save file, so the only way the game saves now is if I take off read only and quit to main menu.
The GUI is pretty bad, so you cannot save while in combat, and since game doesn't pause it means you still have to fight from start to finish.
For those struggling with the game, and actually want to experience the content of the game, I highly recommend it.
Small warning though, game will go by quicker, and you'll also master the game faster.
I know what your thinking, master it faster?
Dark Souls doesn't give you must time to learn, sometimes you have to grind for 10 minutes to get 10 seconds of live time with a boss. (if your lucky).
Since you can save just before boss fight like Grey Wolf, even if it takes like 15 tries, there's is a short period between each try and each try is fresh in your memory so you quickly notice a pattern.
I ended up killing him with a +5 regular Axe, which did about 100 with a dual attack.
I had the same experience with one of those dark knights, they were pretty much destroying me since there was always trash nearby that interfered. Once I got one isolated in an open field I saved game. Died a few times, but I discovered his pattern and how to get in a hit.
Now I pretty much don't even bother saving when I meet one since I know how to kill them fast, especially with my new weapon.
I've learned more in the last 5 hours and progressed more than I did in the previous 20.
Casul
Rodney McKay
Member
Haha, thanks for all the advise everyone, I'll definitely try some of this stuff out.
-I have found that alternate route, but hadn't been using it. I think I thought it was too long, but when I counted the number of enemies I had to face going the other way it was like fucking 17 (6-7 easy skeleton dudes, 5 dogs, and 6 thief enemies).
-I'll try to pick up that wolf ring too. I haven't explored too much of the forest yet, just enough to kill the black knight and get the endurance regenerating shield.
-I'm currently using the dragon tail sword which does more damage than any of my other weapons, but I'm slowly upgrading a regular sword once I can start forging better stuff.
-I've never heard of auto-wall recovery, does that automatically move the camera to try and unstick it or something?
-I think I have fought the big silver dude (the one before the door to the hydra?), but I haven't beaten him after probably 10 tries. My attacks and firebombs do so little damage and he always ends up oneshoting me with his overhead swing attack. I can never seem to backstab him either to do more damage, but then I'm very hit & miss in general and rarely do those.
I'll definitely keep trying for a while longer. It has just sucked to fight this guy when it takes me 3-5 minutes to get back to him only to die right away and start all over again and do it again.
If being hardcore requires you to farm and grind like it's farmville, than I choose the side of casual. Oh how I wish dark souls was moddable.
It's an RPG, there should be a little bit of farming and grinding to get better gear and level up. That being said, you don't need to farm or grind, the game gives you plenty of souls and materials to succeed without going out of your way to max out your gear. If you have the skill you can beat the game with just about anything, at any soul level.
If you want to really trivialize the game, just use Cheat Engine, that way you can give yourself everything fully upgraded, give yourself a ton of souls and overlevel. Just break the game for yourself, that's where you're headed if having to farm or grind in an RPG bothers you.
Shitty especially because skeletons net you no souls, unless you fight the big ones, but those are a pain the royal ass on the narrow pathways in TotG. But hey, at least you knew where to go when the time comes right. I had no idea that the catacombs even existed until much, much later.
SeventhSon
Member
Mod your save file with a save editor if you want.
You don't really need to, espeically if you do PvP. I play on PS3 completely offline and I haven't really needed to grind that much. Only when I purposefully wanted to upgrade different weapons just for my own personal reasons. You don't need to grind much to get through the game.
Also, it's understandable if you don't like, say, having to retread to the boss from the bonfire if you die, but that kind of design is part of the way Dark Souls works, in the risk versus reward and skill of the game. One should understand they are stripping some of the purpose of the game if they play cheating in ways like that, but if that person can enjoy the game, then I suppose it doesn't really matter.
Every RPG I've ever played except Dark Soul had a manual save. The fact that people even supported this horrible autosave checkpoint system annoys the crap out of me.
The autosave feature is just as much as a feature as GFWL and the horrible port job.
Dark Souls saves anywhere if you quit game, get out of the menu, die, rest at bonfire, enter a new area, kill an enemy, etc. It's a big part of the design of the game and comes with ways to help and punish you depending on the situation.
I want to play the game straight through without re-doing a particular area. So no resetting a bonfire and letting the dragon kill enemies for free souls.
SeventhSon
Member
You can manually save at any time. You can't, however, restore to that save more than once. That's what you really want, to save creep your way through.
Dark Souls isn't that kind of game.
Red Liquorice
Member
I don't understand, you only have to blink and the game saves - literally going in and out of the menu and doing nothing will save the game - what's the problem.
Oh, I get it. Sorry Techie, try Skyrim, lol!
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Saves with consequences or no saves at all, wimps and posers leave the hall
Saves with consequences or no saves at all, wimps and posers go on get out
Saves with consequences or no saves at all, wimps and posers go on get out
It goes against one of the basic foundations of the game - death and rebirth, and the consequences of such. You have to master an area to keep going. You fight, and you die. And you learn the layout, the map, the enemies contained within, to such an extent that we're able to have conversations about specific encounters two years after its release in detail.
I mean, if you want to save creep and cheat and hack your way through, that's fine, it's your game, it's your experience. But expect some resistance if you denigrate it as bad design when it's more of a flaw on your end. You can't deal with the challenge imposed by the creators, and have dealt with as such by avoiding the challenge altogether.
SargerusBR
I love Pokken!
NOPE.gif
Arjen
Member
This doesn't sound fun at all.
Sorry, I guess what I meant was....using a respectable weighted shield like grass crest on your back. this shield weighs very little and is on my back for the stamina regen ...not for blocking...if I use it for blocking bosses it don't work too good....so I learn how to dodge instead...makes it a much different game.....moves from regular dungeon crawler with two moves, i.e. block and slash, to a 5-6 move game with roll-block, roll slash1, run slash2 etc etc etc.
The most important thing to pull from all the good comments is GO TO THE RIGHT FIRST!!! I died millions of times until I did the unthinkable and went away from my goal (the stairs) first (which draws dogs away from stairs, then doge roll away from capra toward stairs where dogs are no longer, then run up. once there the wolf ring, shield and spear/estoc will be useful, but are not necessary. also I tried the fog ring trick and it trivialized the fight (dogs don't see you.) A quick trip to the catacombs to grind skull lantern for the ring, or winning invasions in the forest? which is easier? LOL
I did....I fucking did. Fuck.
I wanted to rescue Rhea asap and I didn't even remember that I don't have the Lordvessel yet!
I'm on new game +, so it could be worse since I do have a divine weapon and a sunlight maggot. I will grab the SS ring though now that I'm here since I missed it on the first playthrough.
Still, I thought the area would be easier than this on new game +... but my char doesn't have much HP and the enemies hit pretty fucking hard. ( first time on new game + )
Man just to think that I have to go back through the catacombs...through those wheel skeletons and shit...there is no way around this correct?
It should certainly be a true Dark Souls experience
Although I never did it first play-through it might as well have been as I never tried to go backwards on my first play-through as I had the boss door open that time. Oh yeah,,,,and I just happened to be doing a no upgrades SL1 run. Picture only 6 fireballs (which more than got used up if i tried to fight the skellies in the tomb...so then nothing for bonewheels or regen skellies in catacombs. After 2 hours of futility, this is how I finally did it:
1.) saved all pyro for catqcombs so had to figure out how to get up the ladder and deke the giant skellies....first couple just run by.
2.) 2nd couple after first ladder....had to run by first aggro 2nd, get BOTH to foll me and then find the ladder back down inthe dark....once on the ladder they jump down after you and dont climb the ladder back up. then you can get out without wasting fireballs.
3.) bonewheels and black knight - aggroed each bonewheel one at atime with a single arrow shot....wait in the tunnel close to the end after aggro, dodge sideways a split second before they get there...kill with club once they stop at end of tunnel. Rinse and repeat times 8...but hope you have 8 arrows and a bow!!!! Black knight can be fought as normal once thee are gone but shoudl also be aggroed with an arrow first and brought down to the pit so there is more room.
4.) find way back up without dying....and therefore going all way back to tomb....died once...had to do all over, dies one more time trying to do steps 1 and 2 the second time......
5.) finally did it methodically killing all the skelly keepers as with the six fireballs. One fireball each and then mash with the reinforced club. made it out after 4 hours of hell= best feeling in the game yet.
2.) 2nd couple after first ladder....had to run by first aggro 2nd, get BOTH to foll me and then find the ladder back down inthe dark....once on the ladder they jump down after you and dont climb the ladder back up. then you can get out without wasting fireballs.
3.) bonewheels and black knight - aggroed each bonewheel one at atime with a single arrow shot....wait in the tunnel close to the end after aggro, dodge sideways a split second before they get there...kill with club once they stop at end of tunnel. Rinse and repeat times 8...but hope you have 8 arrows and a bow!!!! Black knight can be fought as normal once thee are gone but shoudl also be aggroed with an arrow first and brought down to the pit so there is more room.
4.) find way back up without dying....and therefore going all way back to tomb....died once...had to do all over, dies one more time trying to do steps 1 and 2 the second time......
5.) finally did it methodically killing all the skelly keepers as with the six fireballs. One fireball each and then mash with the reinforced club. made it out after 4 hours of hell= best feeling in the game yet.
If anyone wants to do a challenge run in 3-4 hours or so and doesn't have time to do a whole play-through with no upgrades at SL1.... at least try this challenge....was freaking awesome...did have skull lantern BTW or would not have known where to go to get out. Had to find my way out as never went that way before...try to go in blind.
Sorry, I guess what I meant was....using a respectable weighted shield like grass crest on your back. this shield weighs very little and is on my back for the stamina regen ...not for blocking...if I use it for blocking bosses it don't work too good....so I learn how to dodge instead...makes it a much different game.....moves from regular dungeon crawler with two moves, i.e. block and slash, to a 5-6 move game with roll-block, roll slash1, run slash2 etc etc etc.
The most important thing to pull from all the good comments is GO TO THE RIGHT FIRST!!! I died millions of times until I did the unthinkable and went away from my goal (the stairs) first (which draws dogs away from stairs, then doge roll away from capra toward stairs where dogs are no longer, then run up. once there the wolf ring, shield and spear/estoc will be useful, but are not necessary. also I tried the fog ring trick and it trivialized the fight (dogs don't see you.) A quick trip to the catacombs to grind skull lantern for the ring, or winning invasions in the forest? which is easier? LOL
I did....I fucking did. Fuck.
I wanted to rescue Rhea asap and I didn't even remember that I don't have the Lordvessel yet!
I'm on new game +, so it could be worse since I do have a divine weapon and a sunlight maggot. I will grab the SS ring though now that I'm here since I missed it on the first playthrough.
Still, I thought the area would be easier than this on new game +... but my char doesn't have much HP and the enemies hit pretty fucking hard. ( first time on new game + )
Man just to think that I have to go back through the catacombs...through those wheel skeletons and shit...there is no way around this correct?
It should certainly be a true Dark Souls experience
Although I never did it first play-through it might as well have been as I never tried to go backwards on my first play-through as I had the boss door open that time. Oh yeah,,,,and I just happened to be doing a no upgrades SL1 run. Picture only 6 fireballs (which more than got used up if i tried to fight the skellies in the tomb...so then nothing for bonewheels or regen skellies in catacombs. After 2 hours of futility, this is how I finally did it:
1.) saved all pyro for catqcombs so had to figure out how to get up the ladder and deke the giant skellies....first couple just run by.
2.) 2nd couple after first ladder....had to run by first aggro 2nd, get BOTH to foll me and then find the ladder back down inthe dark....once on the ladder they jump down after you and dont climb the ladder back up. then you can get out without wasting fireballs.
3.) bonewheels and black knight - aggroed each bonewheel one at atime with a single arrow shot....wait in the tunnel close to the end after aggro, dodge sideways a split second before they get there...kill with club once they stop at end of tunnel. Rinse and repeat times 8...but hope you have 8 arrows and a bow!!!! Black knight can be fought as normal once thee are gone but shoudl also be aggroed with an arrow first and brought down to the pit so there is more room.
4.) find way back up without dying....and therefore going all way back to tomb....died once...had to do all over, dies one more time trying to do steps 1 and 2 the second time......
5.) finally did it methodically killing all the skelly keepers as with the six fireballs. One fireball each and then mash with the reinforced club. made it out after 4 hours of hell= best feeling in the game yet.
2.) 2nd couple after first ladder....had to run by first aggro 2nd, get BOTH to foll me and then find the ladder back down inthe dark....once on the ladder they jump down after you and dont climb the ladder back up. then you can get out without wasting fireballs.
3.) bonewheels and black knight - aggroed each bonewheel one at atime with a single arrow shot....wait in the tunnel close to the end after aggro, dodge sideways a split second before they get there...kill with club once they stop at end of tunnel. Rinse and repeat times 8...but hope you have 8 arrows and a bow!!!! Black knight can be fought as normal once thee are gone but shoudl also be aggroed with an arrow first and brought down to the pit so there is more room.
4.) find way back up without dying....and therefore going all way back to tomb....died once...had to do all over, dies one more time trying to do steps 1 and 2 the second time......
5.) finally did it methodically killing all the skelly keepers as with the six fireballs. One fireball each and then mash with the reinforced club. made it out after 4 hours of hell= best feeling in the game yet.
If anyone wants to do a challenge run in 3-4 hours or so and doesn't have time to do a whole play-through with no upgrades at SL1.... at least try this challenge....was freaking awesome...did have skull lantern BTW or would not have known where to go to get out. Had to find my way out as never went that way before...try to go in blind.
yeah I use game save manager for getting drops that I want like black knight great axe etc. but strongly suggest not using it for inch by inch progress....you gotta want to stop the tediousness by focusing on getting better, or you miss the point of the developers IMO.
Arjen
Member
Catacombs should be easier, if you kill all the necro's you get one guaranteed.
eot
Banned
And it wouldn't have been the same game. The fact that From didn't compromise any part of the game is why it's so unique.
You're free to enjoy what you enjoy however you enjoy it, but save scumming through Dark Souls is not Dark Souls any more than re-cutting a movie more to your liking is. The death mechanic is the way it is not only for gameplay reasons but for narrative and thematic reasons. Talk about going hollow lol.
Rodney McKay
Member
Beat the Capra Demon first try today, lol.
I got both the Wolf Ring and Havel's ring. That Havel dude was harder than the Capra Demon, I ended up having to cheese him and have him fall off the stairs.
Once I had those items and upgraded to a better pair of armor (the default warrior one I think) it went a lot easier. The Havel ring gives me the same maneuverability as my default Thief armor I was using, but a lot more protection.
As for the fight with Capra itself, it was about as anti-climactic as I had imagined it would be. Once the dogs were dead it was simple. I almost had a heart attack when I thought a third dog had been summoned, but it turned out Capra had accidentally launched one of the two dogs corpses into the air with an attack, haha.
Made it pretty far into the next area, but then got cursed by the frog gas and backtracked to the lady to buy the anti curse thing. 6000 SOULS FOR THAT THING! Lucky I haven't been using those soul items so I had about 20 saved up.
I got both the Wolf Ring and Havel's ring. That Havel dude was harder than the Capra Demon, I ended up having to cheese him and have him fall off the stairs.
Once I had those items and upgraded to a better pair of armor (the default warrior one I think) it went a lot easier. The Havel ring gives me the same maneuverability as my default Thief armor I was using, but a lot more protection.
As for the fight with Capra itself, it was about as anti-climactic as I had imagined it would be. Once the dogs were dead it was simple. I almost had a heart attack when I thought a third dog had been summoned, but it turned out Capra had accidentally launched one of the two dogs corpses into the air with an attack, haha.
Made it pretty far into the next area, but then got cursed by the frog gas and backtracked to the lady to buy the anti curse thing. 6000 SOULS FOR THAT THING! Lucky I haven't been using those soul items so I had about 20 saved up.
Rodney McKay
Member
Sweet, maybe I'll head over there next and stock up on a few.
I was doing well to avoid the frog gas, but then I fell in the middle of two or three of them and they froze me instantly.
Oh damn, think I'll do that instead!
Sweet, maybe I'll head over there next and stock up on a few.
I was doing well to avoid the frog gas, but then I fell in the middle of two or three of them and they froze me instantly.
Oh damn, think I'll do that instead!
if you just wear a little curse resist Armour its near impossible to get cursed. the dusk crown with crimson antiquated or gold hemmed is good i think.....my toons, no curses since 2011...or whenever the game game out>
The developers can go screw themselves, they don't even allow me two remap the buttons on my game-pad (and they locked down modding, game could of been more popular than Skyrim). They added a broken masterkey, so they could of added a "progression" orb, which is the equivalent of saving the game, but you must sacrifice 1% of your souls to use it, and with each use the price goes up an additional 1% (Up to 75%).
That would be less game breaking then the master-key, I'd rather start with that.
Arjen
Member
How is the masterkey broken?
I understand that you don't like the "run-backs", it's not for everyone.
But honestly, you shouldn't criticize the game for it. It's not an "error" in game-design or anything, it's how the game is meant to be and that's why so many people like it.
If you can save right before a Boss fog-gate where is the fun in that? That goes against the point of Dark / Demons Souls
The thing about the Souls games is that you need to make the most out of your chances and play very carefully, or else you will suffer the consequences, which are losing your souls/humanity and going back to a Bonfire, so you have to endure the whole run back once again.
That's how the game is and that's why people love it.
It's perfectly fine if you don't like it, but you shouldn't criticize the game's design. It's not unfair. Like many people said, you NEVER need to farm or grind in this game unless you want to. Many people have completed the game without levling up one single time and without upgrades - this just shows how well designed the gameplay is.
Holy shit now that's an adventure. And without any source of light...jesus.
Well, at least after that you could say " If I made it through this...I can make it through anything"
eot
Banned
Are you drunk?
Red Liquorice
Member
^ I lol'd.
About being cursed, putting on just one piece of armour with decent curse resistance will usually save you from being cursed.
And before facing the boss of the Depths, if you're not human it's worth going human as there is an NPC invasion (first one you've probably faced up to now) - they drop a nice chunk of souls and unique weapons too. Killing an area boss stops all invasions in that area, so do the boss last. NPC invaders are all very easy to defeat.
\o/ Yay!
About being cursed, putting on just one piece of armour with decent curse resistance will usually save you from being cursed.
And before facing the boss of the Depths, if you're not human it's worth going human as there is an NPC invasion (first one you've probably faced up to now) - they drop a nice chunk of souls and unique weapons too. Killing an area boss stops all invasions in that area, so do the boss last. NPC invaders are all very easy to defeat.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Could HAVE, and no, it really couldn't have, that's just stupid.
What in the seven hells are you talking about?
It's not like coming back from a bonfire is a long run after a death anyway. The only really bad run back I can think of is Anor Londo archers, and that isn't so much long as it's just a hassle to have to either fight your way through everything and then die to archers or run through everything and risk getting stunlocked by the gargoyles before you get on the second ramp.
The game is designed in a way that if you take the initial time to learn the area it becomes trivial when you have to run back through. Eventually you will get to a point where having to run back through an area is a rare thing because you learn how to avoid dying. No offense, but it seems to me that the problem is more that you're too lazy to learn the areas and how to properly deal with them than it is the save system in the game.
The game is designed in a way that if you take the initial time to learn the area it becomes trivial when you have to run back through. Eventually you will get to a point where having to run back through an area is a rare thing because you learn how to avoid dying. No offense, but it seems to me that the problem is more that you're too lazy to learn the areas and how to properly deal with them than it is the save system in the game.
Robert J. Sullivan
Member
can someone help me with queelag on pc ?
i get the feeling that asking here might be faster than trying to summon people with the complete shit that is gfwl netcode
i'm level 19
http://steamcommunity.com/id/RobertJSullivan/
edit : nevermind, mildred suddenly decided not to suck
i'm still up for coop though if someone wanna add me
everything past blighttown is new for me except the forest (got the game in the last sale)
i get the feeling that asking here might be faster than trying to summon people with the complete shit that is gfwl netcode
i'm level 19
http://steamcommunity.com/id/RobertJSullivan/
edit : nevermind, mildred suddenly decided not to suck
i'm still up for coop though if someone wanna add me
everything past blighttown is new for me except the forest (got the game in the last sale)
SeventhSon
Member
Immediately head right once through the fog door, get to stairs, kill dogs. Then life is easy.
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