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Dark Souls |OT5| Definitely better than the sequel

EDIT: managed to take him down to 50%ish of his lifebar, yay? I'm really starting to get the hang of it. So, about that dark magic...roll (with DWG Ring) or pendant? I died because he surprised me with his frontal dark attack, the other ones are easy to avoid with the pendant but the frontal one seems pretty fast.
Yeah, for the Hadouken-type one roll to the left repeatedly as fast as you can until he stops. You might get caught by one but only barely and I agree it's too quick to use the pendant.
 

DemiMatt

Member
Hello Gaf,

So I just finished my first playthrough of Dark Souls 1. I am reminisced to say I killed Gwen and missed the opportunity to play The Painted World & The DLC as I thought I could after I beat him. Of course I will start a NG+ and rush to those areas so I can play through them.

Let me say I played Demon's Souls, Dark Souls 2, Dark Souls 1

At first I did not like the change in frame drop, the actions & animations all seemed very jumpy & cutty. Characters would fly across the screen and be in my face attacking, which was a huge shock compared to DS 2. It definitely had a much more difficult feel, the trash mobs were more aggressive & unrelenting. Getting used to the huge drain in stamina on attacks was also pretty rough.

With that said, it took me a couple sessions before I got addicted to it. I started off with a Pyro and went Strength & Endurance Build, having gone Dex in all previous games I wanted to try something different. I used the Drake Sword until I got locked in Seethe's Dungeon. Going through the game was extremely hard as I did not do a alot of damage early on, I hit for 50 into mid game ish. Most of my damage came from my +4 Pyro Glove.

Once I got free from the dungeon I upgraded my Great Man-Serpant Sword & Pyro and began dealing damage. I'm sure I played the game wrong at first, only because this game is much more upgrade reliant than stat reliant. I put all my early money into stats similar to DS2, rather than upgrades.

After I climbed the plateau of stats, the game was much more manageable. I did find most of the bosses pretty easy, not sure if it's due to Dark Souls 2, but I actually felt Ornstin was harder in DS2 than DS1. Regardless of the bosses, the trash mobs & platforming definitely made the game a lot harder compared to 2. The length between bonfires and challenges along the way made the game much more exhausting to play (especially dying in Anor Londo).

While I find 2 much more accessible, and I think I like 2 the most, I find myself wanting to come back and play 1 again. It was dark gritty, hard, but rewarding. DS2 feels very easy (although I have not played the DLC yet) but DS1 just seems like more of a worthy challenge. I liked overcoming the challenge similar to Demon. 2 had some fights like this but they we're few & far between (but I have played the game all too much).

Anyways wanted to say this game is great, it's hard, rewarding, challenging, & fun. But if you don't get a black knight item from the beginning game is hard.
 
I used the Drake Sword until I got locked in Seethe's Dungeon. Going through the game was extremely hard as I did not do a alot of damage early on, I hit for 50 into mid game ish. Most of my damage came from my +4 Pyro Glove.

Once I got free from the dungeon I upgraded my Great Man-Serpant Sword & Pyro and began dealing damage. I'm sure I played the game wrong at first, only because this game is much more upgrade reliant than stat reliant. I put all my early money into stats similar to DS2, rather than upgrades.
That is a long way in to the game to still be using the Drake Sword, but it's not an uncommon thing to see - I often saw people using it when summoned in Anor Londo for example. You're right Souls is very dependent on weapon upgrading rather than stats, I thought that about all 3 games though.



Just started another character and loooooooord it plays so much better than 2. Fast rolling and normal I frames from the start, so nice.. Good to know it wasn't just in my head how much more I preferred 1
I lost interest in DS2 DLC and went back to DS1 this week too - plays like butter, so beautiful.

Just lost 43,000 souls and 13 humanity retrieving my bloodstain in TotG - I went down super, super early for the silver serpent ring (start of the game basically other than grabbing soul items from everywhere and a bit of farming), I got the ring but died, went back to get my souls and the drop down to the ledge where the ring is killed me after getting an arrow in the face first - it was so heartbreaking! Now I have the ring though I can get my souls back, lol.
 

DemiMatt

Member
That is a long way in to the game to still be using the Drake Sword, but it's not an uncommon thing to see - I often saw people using it when summoned in Anor Londo for example. You're right Souls is very dependent on weapon upgrading rather than stats, I thought that about all 3 games though.

Yeah when I play through with a new character I'll definitely use different weapons or try different methods to get weapons early on and see how it breaks the game. But using the Drake Sword for as long as I did was maddening.
 

JerkShep

Member
SL1 Manus down! So fucking satisfying. Used the set up I wrote earlier basically. It felt sooo good. Easily the best and hardest fight for a SL1 run, even if Kalameet will always be in my heart.
 

DemiMatt

Member
Whaaaat? I ask you to go back and do both fights again! There is no way you could actually think this. O&S are the nightmare of DS1. Old dragonslayer is pias easy!

Well I played DS2 first and I spent a good couple hours on Ornstein, he was my 3rd boss and whenever I play Ornstein now I 1 shot him always.

O&S in DS1, took me 4 tries, first time I got wiped out, 2nd time I killed S first, then died to O, 3rd time died to both, 4th time, killed S first then O. I was using a

I'm going to do another play through of DS1 (strength/pyro using a Great Serpent Mansword +15.), not sure if it will be NG+ or a brand new game, so suggestions welcome.

I so wish there were a summon sign beside the Sheath fight, the bastards bugging me even with 15+ Estus.

Le sigh. Tomb of the Giants and Lost Izalith were breezes compared to this.

You mean the Crystal Dragon fight? That fight is ridic easy, I can explain if you'd like.
 
You mean the Crystal Dragon fight? That fight is ridic easy, I can explain if you'd like.
Like most frustrations in Dark Souls, I eventually calmed down and memorized the pattern to win. After a year of playing this game for this first time, all that's left is the Four Kings and DLC before seeing what the end game looks like.

I'm tho exthited! I'll be able to finally see what Dark Souls 2 is about!
 
Well I played DS2 first and I spent a good couple hours on Ornstein, he was my 3rd boss and whenever I play Ornstein now I 1 shot him always.

O&S in DS1, took me 4 tries, first time I got wiped out, 2nd time I killed S first, then died to O, 3rd time died to both, 4th time, killed S first then O. I was using a

I'm going to do another play through of DS1 (strength/pyro using a Great Serpent Mansword +15.), not sure if it will be NG+ or a brand new game, so suggestions welcome.

4 tries is crazy! It took me probably around 20-30 IIRC. And I had beaten Demon's first at that point.
Old Dragonslayer I also beat as the third boss in DS2, but I got him first try, because his attacks were ridiculosly easy to dodge or block.
 
Like most frustrations in Dark Souls, I eventually calmed down and memorized the pattern to win. After a year of playing this game for this first time, all that's left is the Four Kings and DLC before seeing what the end game looks like.

I'm tho exthited! I'll be able to finally see what Dark Souls 2 is about!
Are you playing really slow or just having trouble with it?
 

DemiMatt

Member
Like most frustrations in Dark Souls, I eventually calmed down and memorized the pattern to win. After a year of playing this game for this first time, all that's left is the Four Kings and DLC before seeing what the end game looks like.

I'm tho exthited! I'll be able to finally see what Dark Souls 2 is about!

If I may ask what about Seethe did you find hard? He was definitely the 2nd easiest of the 4 greater soul bosses.

4 tries is crazy! It took me probably around 20-30 IIRC. And I had beaten Demon's first at that point.
Old Dragonslayer I also beat as the third boss in DS2, but I got him first try, because his attacks were ridiculosly easy to dodge or block.

See for me it was the opposide, Ornstein in 2 was crazy hard for me the first time I played him.
 
4 tries is crazy! It took me probably around 20-30 IIRC. And I had beaten Demon's first at that point.
Old Dragonslayer I also beat as the third boss in DS2, but I got him first try, because his attacks were ridiculosly easy to dodge or block.
Took me four tries as well :p I managed to kill Ornstein on my first try, then, as per usual in Souls games, I followed up a decent run with two umiliating defeats before getting my act together and wiping out the both of them.
The infamous Anor Londo archers didn't really pose much of a threat either, I got past them on my second attempt, and my first death was because of their off-game fame in a way (I played the game some time after its release and by that time, by reading about it on GAF, I had a vague familiarity with the most notorious area and enemies - so, as I was climbing my way to the second part of Anor Londo, avoiding their arrows, it hit me that perhaps those guys were actually THE Anor Londo archers everyone had mentioned and I tried to switch to a better physical shield to better defend from their arrows, thinking I was safe hiding behind some column. Which I obviously wasn't).

Playing through the game for the first time was really some experience. I was aware it was going to be extremely challenging for me, due to both the reputation the game had and, well, the fact that it frustrated me into quitting as I first played it a few months earlier (made it past the Gargoyles, thought I was supposed to go down Darkroot Basin to find the second bell, just kept dying against the hydra until I called it a day) and every location I visited, especially the ones people like to talk about the most (Blighttown, Anor Londo) had some sort of further intimidating effect due to their reputation, the stories I had heard about them, the tears of gaffers venting their frustrations with them.

All of that contributed to make my first playthrough, especially the first part of the game, just so memorable. I think I actually reached my highest level as a Dark Souls player just in time to fully enjoy the best sequence of levels in perhaps all of gaming, Blightown-Sen's Fortress-Anor Londo, after going through the cathartic experience of beating Capra after probably more than 20 tries and one rage uninistalling of the game. At that point, I had completed my transition from clueless gamer clumsily stumbling across Lordran to actual semi-competent Dark Souls player, but I was still approaching it as if it were something other than a mere game, being super focused and on my toes all the time. The moment I beat Quelaag in one was the moment I realized I could actually beat the game, and in a way it was probably more rewarding than actually beating it, since, by the point I arrived to Gwyn, I was already confident I could pretty much take whatever the game had in store for me.

I would just love to be able to play this game again with a clean slate **


If I may ask what about Seethe did you find hard? He was definitely the 2nd easiest of the 4 greater soul bosses.
Well the first time you meet him is actually pretty hard :/

Also, what would the easiest great soul boss be? I think Seath trumps them all on that front. Thinking about it, they really kinda did an half-assed job with the bosses in the second half of the game (excluding the DLC and Gwyn), all of these supposedly uber powerful creatures the game had been hyping since the initial cutscene really should have been given more interesting boss fights.
 

Tarkus

Member
Also, what would the easiest great soul boss be? I think Seath trumps them all on that front. Thinking about it, they really kinda did an half-assed job with the bosses in the second half of the game (excluding the DLC and Gwyn), all of these supposedly uber powerful creatures the game had been hyping since the initial cutscene really should have been given more interesting boss fights.
From easiest to hardest: Nito, Bed of Chaos (without guide), Seath, Four Kings
 
Seath is easy because he can get locked into a pattern of close attack, far attack, close attack and you just have to sprint back and forth between each laser. Nito is only difficult because of the skeletons, if you manage to get rid of them right at the start he's just like any slow lumbering enemy with a bigger healthbar and an AoE.

I didn't really get into the game on my first playthrough. I didn't play for a few months and then started a dexterity character instead and everything went much better. People talk about wanting to experience the game for the first time again, but I don't really care for that. The first playthrough is always the most frustrating and repetitive, it happened with Dark Souls 2 as well.
 
Are you playing really slow or just having trouble with it?
Really slow at games in general (under 15 hours every two weeks according to Steam) and I didn't use a guide until I was absolutely stumped. I also kept going into areas I shouldn't have (master key) and figuring out certain bosses and paths with no walkthrough is a goddamn wonderful bitch in this game. For me anyways.

Seriously, the hiding bonfires trick behind fake walls. Lovely to find, aggravating to not know about.

If I may ask what about Seethe did you find hard? He was definitely the 2nd easiest of the 4 greater soul bosses.
Didn't realize you could pump fake/draw out his crystal attack and then just run to the side. Also, with only ten Estus I kept draining out by the end. Several level ups later and with better armor I crrrrushed it.
 
Really? For me it was Ravelord Nito, Nahked Seath, Gankging Kings, and last but not least...
Platformer of Chaos. Honestly no boss is as difficult as that platformer nightmare.

It's easy once you realize that if you start on the right, you can safely shoot both orbs with arrows. There's even a spot you can stand and throw firebombs at both of the orbs and then just run straight to reach the end. But reaching the roots after you get the two orbs is so horrible.
 
Really slow at games in general (under 15 hours every two weeks according to Steam) and I didn't use a guide until I was absolutely stumped. I also kept going into areas I shouldn't have (master key) and figuring out certain bosses and paths with no walkthrough is a goddamn wonderful bitch in this game. For me anyways.

Seriously, the hiding bonfires trick behind fake walls. Lovely to find, aggravating to not know about.
That's cool. Best way to play Souls imo :)
 
Shit, someone help me out here. I was told by a friend that you can finish dark souls and then access the dlc. Seems that when I finished the game, it dumped me straight into ng+. Any way to play the dlc now or am I supremely fucked? I ain't playing another 20 hours to get to it : /

If it's not doable, is there a safe trainer anyone can recommend so hat I can speed through ng+ and check out the dlc? I just want to check out the content.
 

Arjen

Member
Shit, someone help me out here. I was told by a friend that you can finish dark souls and then access the dlc. Seems that when I finished the game, it dumped me straight into ng+. Any way to play the dlc now or am I supremely fucked? I ain't playing another 20 hours to get to it : /

If it's not doable, is there a safe trainer anyone can recommend so hat I can speed through ng+ and check out the dlc? I just want to check out the content.

I'm afraid you're fucked. You need to do the dlc before the final boss.
 

Donos

Member
Shit, someone help me out here. I was told by a friend that you can finish dark souls and then access the dlc. Seems that when I finished the game, it dumped me straight into ng+. Any way to play the dlc now or am I supremely fucked? I ain't playing another 20 hours to get to it : /

If it's not doable, is there a safe trainer anyone can recommend so hat I can speed through ng+ and check out the dlc? I just want to check out the content.

Smack your friend. You have to reach/clear Anor Londo again. Here is what i wrote a dozen post before in this thread and what's the shortest way. If you don't want/need collect anything for trophies/achievements you can power through it fairly quickly.
 

Levyne

Banned
Shit, someone help me out here. I was told by a friend that you can finish dark souls and then access the dlc. Seems that when I finished the game, it dumped me straight into ng+. Any way to play the dlc now or am I supremely fucked? I ain't playing another 20 hours to get to it : /

If it's not doable, is there a safe trainer anyone can recommend so hat I can speed through ng+ and check out the dlc? I just want to check out the content.

Yeah, what your friend said is true for DS2, but not Dark Souls.

Now, it will take significantly less time to get back to anor londo in NG+ just because now you are familiar with everything, but I know that still isn't the greatest news.
 
I'm afraid you're fucked. You need to do the dlc before the final boss.

Smack your friend. You have to reach/clear Anor Londo again. Here is what i wrote a dozen post before in this thread and what's the shortest way. If you don't want/need collect anything for trophies/achievements you can power through it fairly quickly.

Yeah, what your friend said is true for DS2, but not Dark Souls.

Now, it will take significantly less time to get back to anor londo in NG+ just because now you are familiar with everything, but I know that still isn't the greatest news.

you did this to yourself, dark souls, when you didn't let me play the dlc after beating the game.

as much as i enjoyed Dark Souls (that ending was garbage, though), it forced my hand by dumping me into NG+. If i get to the point where i feel the need to grind, i'm whipping this link out and putting the game out of its misery just so i can see the dlc.

also, game felt so easy after demon's souls. I don't know if it's because i came to it with demon's souls in my play history or if it's because i could have over 20 healing items on me during the last 3rd of the game, maybe it was because i specced as a brutal tank and the game rewards min maxing and a focused build over spreading points over every stat. But really, it's probably because there are bonfires instead of trying to finish a whole stage without dying that makes it seems much easier. There's less tension, less need to be cautious as i have the knowledge of the bonfire being just behind me, ready and willing to restock me with healing items and granting me a safe haven.
 

Booshka

Member
you did this to yourself, dark souls, when you didn't let me play the dlc after beating the game.

as much as i enjoyed Dark Souls (that ending was garbage, though), it forced my hand by dumping me into NG+. If i get to the point where i feel the need to grind, i'm whipping this link out and putting the game out of its misery just so i can see the dlc.

also, game felt so easy after demon's souls. I don't know if it's because i came to it with demon's souls in my play history or if it's because i could have over 20 healing items on me during the last 3rd of the game, maybe it was because i specced as a brutal tank and the game rewards min maxing and a focused build over spreading points over every stat. But really, it's probably because there are bonfires instead of trying to finish a whole stage without dying that makes it seems much easier. There's less tension, less need to be cautious as i have the knowledge of the bonfire being just behind me, ready and willing to restock me with healing items and granting me a safe haven.
It's definitely because you played Demon's first, I played Dark first, and Demon's was really easy first time through. It only gets harder with Pure Black and NG+ cycles.

Min/Maxing is the way to go in both games, but building tanky for first playthrough in Dark Souls is definitely easy mode, can't do that in Demon's. You will start getting chunks of health taken regardless of your armor in NG+ and beyond though, so get a Greatshield and block everything, or slim down and learn to roll.
 
Speaking of the DLC, I thought I knew pain until trying to solo Manus. Even with Sif, I'm having uh.... Fun. I think.

I'll beat this fool though because goddammit I'm not even trying to think what a NG version would look like.

Edit:
If you look at the store page for Dark Souls it now says the game has 41 steam achievements, I think they are being added today?

I've been having funky GFWL login issues for the past week especially, perhaps lord almighty they are prepping a transition??? Oh sweet christos plz b tru

Edit 2:
I see them as locked acheevos beneath the library view..... I'm guessing it requires a re-run to activate?
 
Yeah, I can't login to GFWL at all. =(

I didn't do much PVP or co-op in DS1 because of connection issues (waiting 20 minutes to be able to summon someone isn't fun). But there are the other online aspects that I really miss. Seeing phantoms running around, a quick look at someone's Fashion Souls near a bonfire, soapstone messages, bloodstains, ringing bells...
 

Auctopus

Member
Seeing as it's been a relevantly recent topic. I don't want to take things off topic but I just wanna say...

I'm in the camp that DSII didn't feel 'right'. Dark and Demon's just felt so lean and accurate.

Well, I played the Bloodborne beta last night and wanted to say that the 'feeling' is back. It astounded me that within the first 2 minutes I knew they had got it right, I instantly preferred to feel of it over DS2 and it felt so familiar despite the new Blunderbuss mechanic. Weird how something so indescribable is so recognisable.
 

Booshka

Member
First run farming for some chunks, slab drops, awww yeah.

Best way to do it is to wear the Symbol of Avarice so you can equip the Hornet ring and still get 410 Item discovery with Humanity and the Mimic Helm. Use a fully upgraded Rapier or high AR STR weapon for some one shot backstabs and ripostes. I've gotten really good at running the Darkwraiths for farming, parry them pretty easily now, and can manage them in crowds too.

This is NG+ and beyond advice btw, if you are on NG, you can most likely one shot them without having to use the Hornet ring.
 

Mengy

wishes it were bannable to say mean things about Marvel
IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!

We are very excited to announce that next month it will be possible for players to migrate their Dark Souls: Prepare to Die games, saves and achievements from the Games for Windows Live platform to Steam.

  • Games for Windows Live users will be able to redeem their Games for Windows Live Tokens on Steam to get Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition at no additional cost. (To find your Games for Windows Live Token, please head to the support webpage.)
  • In the month of November, there will be a period by which Games for Windows Live Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition users will be able to transfer their Save Data (characters + progress) and Achievements over to their Steam accounts.
  • Players will still be able to use their Games for Windows Live Tokens to redeem the Steam version of Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition at no additional cost even after the migration period ends; but game Save Data and Achievements transfer functions may not be available.
  • Games for Windows Live Rankings will not be transferred to Steam.
  • The specific migration start and end dates will be available soon; however the migration period will begin sometime in November 2014 with more specific dates to come.

We will be sharing more information soon regarding the migration process soon, so stay tuned!

Join the Bandai Namco Games America Community!

http://bandainamcous.tumblr.com/post/100546461401/we-are-very-excited-to-announce-that-next-month-it
 

ElTopo

Banned
Someone make a gif from Spiderman 3 but put a Sunbros' face over Peter Parker and put the GFWL logo on the Venom suit as he tears it off.
 
Obligatory:

aBlDGg3.jpg


I will definitely go through and get all of the achievements on Steam just as an excuse to dive back into Lordran -- despite the fact that I already have 400 hours in the game.

Hey, it's probably my all time favorite game.
 

MG310

Member
I hope it doesn't automatically transfer those achievements over from GFWL...I want to do it again before Bloodborne
 

Hayabusi

Member
Oh god, I hate the Tomb of Giants.
First (around 8) tries I still went with my divine club +5, not knowing I can use my normal weapon.
But it still is such a pain..
 

Booshka

Member
Oh god, I hate the Tomb of Giants.
First (around 8) tries I still went with my divine club +5, not knowing I can use my normal weapon.
But it still is such a pain..

Get yourself a +15 Great Club and one shot jump attack those giant skelly dogs. They won't even see it coming.
 
I'm on my fifteenth character and this is the very first time I had Ingward appear in Firelink.

I completely forgot that can even happen. He appeared in Firelink on my first playthrough, but never since then. Probably because I usually kill him these days to get full New Londo access early. =\
 

Arjen

Member
I completely forgot that can even happen. He appeared in Firelink on my first playthrough, but never since then. Probably because I usually kill him these days to get full New Londo access early. =

Yeah that's what I do to. But I'm rocking a high poise character without bow now so dealing with the ghosts was easy.
 
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