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Dark Souls |OT5| Definitely better than the sequel
- Thread starter Dresden
- Start date
Red Liquorice
Member
^ I played a lot just before Xmas and the PS3 was still super active. Maybe people are going back to DS2 since last weeks patch?
Upper Blighttown also has the Iaito, which is a favourite Katana of a lot of people with a unique moveset. And also the Eagle Shield, which is the lightest large shield (no parry, but has a shield bash, high stability). It's also worth grabbing if you don't have it already the Spider Shield from the Depths, it blocks both poison and toxic 100%
Honestly upper Blighttown isn't that bad, if you keep getting toxiced from the blowdart guys take them out asap, even if you are toxic, chug Estus and kill them - they do not respawn, it's worth the death. If you have the souls go back to the female Undead merchant and buy some moss and homebone back. If you don't have the souls, farm the moss from the tree enemies in Darkroot forest, they have a very high drop rate and the forest is always my first stop before going to Blighttown, I like to stock up on purple moss since I like to co-op on the boss in Blighttown whilst saving to upgrade the pyro glove.
As IceMarker said, Power Within is one of the best if not the best spell in the game imo - useful for any build for bosses, worth upgrading the pyro flame for that alone.
Upper Blighttown also has the Iaito, which is a favourite Katana of a lot of people with a unique moveset. And also the Eagle Shield, which is the lightest large shield (no parry, but has a shield bash, high stability). It's also worth grabbing if you don't have it already the Spider Shield from the Depths, it blocks both poison and toxic 100%
Honestly upper Blighttown isn't that bad, if you keep getting toxiced from the blowdart guys take them out asap, even if you are toxic, chug Estus and kill them - they do not respawn, it's worth the death. If you have the souls go back to the female Undead merchant and buy some moss and homebone back. If you don't have the souls, farm the moss from the tree enemies in Darkroot forest, they have a very high drop rate and the forest is always my first stop before going to Blighttown, I like to stock up on purple moss since I like to co-op on the boss in Blighttown whilst saving to upgrade the pyro glove.
Iced_Eagle
Member
Hey souls-gaf! I recently decided to give Dark Souls an honest try. I played it a while back, and quit early on because I lost like 8k souls and was demoralized (feel free to laugh now -- even I now realize how little that mattered).
I'm now coming back to the game with a much better idea of how to approach it (accept deaths will come and learn from them each time!), and I'm really loving it so far. Easily surpassed where I was on my previous attempt, and have a much better idea of how to play it.
Also had my first co-op/PVP experience last night. Nothing special for the veterans, but awesome for me as a noob. I'll spoiler this in case there are other noobs reading.
I have to say, before this, I never experienced the co-op/PVP aspect to the game, and it really makes things much more intense, and fun. In fact, all of last night I was just on knife's edge of feeling completely unprepared and feeling confident in my ability to take down tougher and tougher enemies.
Oh, and I learned a major, major tip which has helped my combat abilities... Parrying purely works based on distance between you and the enemy, not on their weapon type. I was wondering why I could rarely parry enemies, but now it makes sense. I spent a good 45 minutes going back/forth from right outside firelink to the first area towards the burg just seeing if I could parry/riposte everyone consistently and I got pretty good at it, with about 80-90% success rate.
Can't wait to play more tonight! I'm hopeful I can finish the game before April, in time for DS2 SotF.
I'm now coming back to the game with a much better idea of how to approach it (accept deaths will come and learn from them each time!), and I'm really loving it so far. Easily surpassed where I was on my previous attempt, and have a much better idea of how to play it.
Also had my first co-op/PVP experience last night. Nothing special for the veterans, but awesome for me as a noob. I'll spoiler this in case there are other noobs reading.
I was in the undead parish I believe (the area where you eventually go ring the first bell at the top of the tower). I eventually found signs right next to the ladder saying boss ahead. I was pretty nervous. I decided that now that I know where it is, I should spend my souls and prepare to fight. On my way back into the chapel there were like 4 summon sign right outside the chapel, so I decided "Hey, why not do this for the first time?". I summoned a white phantom to my world to engage in jolly co-operation and we started booking it to the boss. Right before we hit the area with the bunch of Hollow near the ladder, I got a message saying we were being invaded by a dark phantom. Honestly did not expect that within the first 30 seconds of summoning the phantom. Not to mention I have never done PVP before this moment, so I felt completely unprepared and had no idea what to do. Regardless, we waited for a minute to see if he would show himself, but nothing so I kept moving slowly. As I turned the corner about to face the hollow, the red pyromancer attempts an ambush on us. I take a fair amount of damage from his flame attacks, but me and my white phantom bro manage to trap him between us and end him quickly. My white phantom bro and I then moved on and killed the gargoyles, which went quite swimmingly. We each took care of one gargoyle and then we parted ways.
I have to say, before this, I never experienced the co-op/PVP aspect to the game, and it really makes things much more intense, and fun. In fact, all of last night I was just on knife's edge of feeling completely unprepared and feeling confident in my ability to take down tougher and tougher enemies.
Oh, and I learned a major, major tip which has helped my combat abilities... Parrying purely works based on distance between you and the enemy, not on their weapon type. I was wondering why I could rarely parry enemies, but now it makes sense. I spent a good 45 minutes going back/forth from right outside firelink to the first area towards the burg just seeing if I could parry/riposte everyone consistently and I got pretty good at it, with about 80-90% success rate.
Can't wait to play more tonight! I'm hopeful I can finish the game before April, in time for DS2 SotF.
Good stuff! The online aspect of the souls games really take them to the next level. When DS came out online wasn't working very well (or maybe I just didn't understand how to use it), so I didn't get into coop/pvp until around Smough and Ornstein.
OdysseusVA
Banned
I have a Gwyn soul 
I have a Gwyn soul
OdysseusVA
Banned
😜
Red Mage
Member
So no idea on the picture guys? = (
Anyhow, question on a weapon. I have a +5 Magic Balder Side Sword. Should I continue to upgrade it on this path or go Enchanted? I know that stats have a soft-cap, so is it worth it long term to have an A in Int. while having lower growth in Dex. and Str. for the weapon, or should I keep it as a max of B with better growth in the other two stats?
Anyhow, question on a weapon. I have a +5 Magic Balder Side Sword. Should I continue to upgrade it on this path or go Enchanted? I know that stats have a soft-cap, so is it worth it long term to have an A in Int. while having lower growth in Dex. and Str. for the weapon, or should I keep it as a max of B with better growth in the other two stats?
It looks like a glitch with a shadow from an undead soldier corpse projected from somewhere else. If you're a high INT build you should go enchanted. You can go STR/DEX/INT if you want to go that route then pick magic
Red Mage
Member
Well, I'm already at 45 for INT (threw it all in there first so I'm a glass cannon ), so will the A growth benefit from more INT?
Yes it will benefit from more INT for the A INT scaling.
Orochinagis
Member
So the term cheese is already mainstream huh? Amazing find, they got killed by the mobs outside right?
SeventhSon
Member
Cheese has been in the gaming vocabulary for decades.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
What a glitchy mess of a game. Can't believe this was done by the A-team. Makes me scared for Bloodborne.
/s
Tarkus
Member
I've been using "cheese" since popping quarters into Mortal Kombat 1.
Red Mage
Member
Thanks.
BTW, I was just invaded and killed, no biggie. However, the invader didn't even attempt to dodge or block any of my spells. I'm wearing the Bellowing Crest Ring and have 44 Intelligence. Should he have been able to not take damage from my attacks?
BlueScrote
Member
Made good progress in Tomb of Giants today. So far the area really isn't difficult if you have a light source.
Orochinagis
Member
Thanks.
BTW, I was just invaded and killed, no biggie. However, the invader didn't even attempt to dodge or block any of my spells. I'm wearing the Bellowing Crest Ring and have 44 Intelligence. Should he have been able to not take damage from my attacks?
Most invaders have high magic resistance so yeah, they can pass like nothing and kills you unless you hit them with crystal magic
Red Mage
Member
Ah. Usually I can stun them with Heavy Soul Arrow.
BlueScrote
Member
More good progress today. Finished Nito in two tries (damn skeletons), Sif in one try, and finished all of new londo (the boss was not quite as simple as the others though.
I fyou you just skip the majority of the level by coming in through the back door you can do the boss and progress to a later level. There you can fiind the
slumbering dragon crest
very pleasurable way to clear the level.
Carrying a Divine weapon to kill the skeletons in the beginning of the Nito fight make him one of the easiest bosses in the game.
Orochinagis
Member
The trick in Nito is if you focus on the skeletons you will die so instead you have to burst nito with everything you got before and after the explosion
Sif is in a weird place, hard if you want to cleat the darkroot gardan at once and easy/medium after you return from anor londo.
Also, most furry animlas in the souls games are particularly weak to
fire
In the future, kill the 3 skeletons with a divine weapon and let Nito come to you, fighting him in the small area you landed on. The giant skeletons won't spot you and will die when Nito dies
Sif isn't that hard, if you stay close/ underneath him most of his attacks will whiff.
Would be the best coop boss for grinding if the forest wasn't full of invasions
MrPing1000
Member
So I was post in the wrong thread apparently.
Anyway. Finally got to installing Dark Souls, dsfix'd got the mouse mod as well.
I've no idea what I'm doing and have died probably 30 times or more. Did manage to kill the Taurus Demon then got toasted by a dragon... twice. Might change over to a controller eventually. Clearly wasn't designed for kb+m, kicks and jump attacks are near impossible to do when you want them. (can do it easy with just the keyboard though). Trying to do everything dark, but geez the learning curve is a cliff.
Anyway. Finally got to installing Dark Souls, dsfix'd got the mouse mod as well.
I've no idea what I'm doing and have died probably 30 times or more. Did manage to kill the Taurus Demon then got toasted by a dragon... twice. Might change over to a controller eventually. Clearly wasn't designed for kb+m, kicks and jump attacks are near impossible to do when you want them. (can do it easy with just the keyboard though). Trying to do everything dark, but geez the learning curve is a cliff.
Tarkus
Member
Yeah, sometimes you get one every 4 hours and sometimes you get 2 in an hour.
Do Siegmeyer's questline If you can.
I seem to recall answering this already?!?!
Oh yeah, other thread. Here is the link for Ps4:
http://dsdcs.com/portfolio/software-development/4-ds4windows
Yeah if you dont have a PS4 controller, there are good mods for ps3, I thought the same devs as above did one but it appears that motionjoy is still the one for ps3:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-to-connect-a-ps3-controller-to-a-pc/
...others who used mouse can let you know what they think...it is possble to do thewhole game with mouse but I only hav heard of a couple that actually prefer KB+M....its hard to tell by your comments if your deaths are owing to the controls, or simply its that you are "dark" and new to the game and perhaps not using the best strats yet. The dragon can one shot you, but you can still make it all the way across with a few strats and luck! There are other options to going allthe way across in one sweep as well though. Keep going with the darkness...if only the vets on here could erase their memeory and do it all over again...but we cant....you are a lucky gamer in this time and space.
How did you get by Taurus? Are you recording your progress at all? "Dark" let's plays are more popular than you might think!
yup...I get ~1 for every 80 chunks....and the most I have got for chunks on one run is like 3-4? I know others have had better luck than I, ......I simply dont farm them anymore but get the ones from DLC and that has to suffice until NG+. My record for screwing up the siegmayer quest is running at higher than 50% still as well...at least Slabs are easier in Ds2...that's one more thing I like better about DS2!
Tarkus
Member
You're not kidding here. I have 30+ slabs in DS2 since I have equipped the Agape Ring and nothing to do with them.I seem to recall answering this already?!?!
Here is the link for Ps4:
http://dsdcs.com/portfolio/software-development/4-ds4windows
Yeah if you dont have a PS4 controller, there are good mods for ps3, I thought the same devs as above did one but it appears that motionjoy is still the one for ps3:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-to-connect-a-ps3-controller-to-a-pc/
...others who used mouse can let you know what they think...it is possble to do thewhole game with mouse but I only hav heard of a couple that actually prefer KB+M....its hard to tell by your comments if your deaths are owing to the controls, or simply its that you are "dark" and new to the game and perhaps not using the best strats yet. The dragon can one shot you, but you can still make it all the way across with a few strats and luck! There are other options to going allthe way across in one sweep as well though. Keep going with the darkness...if only the vets on here could erase their memeory and do it all over again...but we cant....you are a lucky gamer in this time and space.
How did you get by Taurus? Are you recording your progress at all? "Dark" let's plays are more popular than you might think!
yup...I get ~1 for every 80 chunks....and the most I have got for chunks on one run is like 3-4? I know others have had better luck than I, ......I simply dont farm them anymore but get the ones from DLC and that has to suffice until NG+. My record for screwing up the siegmayer quest is running at higher than 50% still as well...at least Slabs are easier in Ds2...that's one more thing I like better about DS2!
Cannon Goose
Member
I once got two in one run and have never seen another one drop since then.
Orochinagis
Member
You can get another one via DLC Kalameet area
The XInput Wrapper by SCP is much much better than motioninjoy or BetterDS3 for the DS3 in my opinion. You don't need to start up an application, you can set up bluetooth, it doesn't try to download any files to your computer.
If you're lucky, you can find a bunch of slabs in the Great Hollow on crystal lizards. If you're lucky.
Those are nothing compared to blue titanite slabs from the crystal butterflies
MrPing1000
Member
Think I'm gonna stick with keyboard and mouse. With the mousefix mod it's fine, just wish the ingame stuff was readable instead of all being xbox controller icons.
Anyhoo, killed the twin gargoyles after 6 or so attempts (detailed one and got an axe, was a surprise). After that I had no idea where to go next, ran around for a bit and then got tired and googled it. Still don't know how to get across the bridge without the dragon toasting you, managed to just make it at the second attempt.
The Capra Demon is bullshit. First time the game has made me angry, must have died near 20 times without even hitting him. Didn't feel like skill, felt like total luck when I somehow managed to dodge his initial attack and got up the stairs. Awful game design, nothing more.
But eventually killed him, and got into a sewers type area. Still no idea wtf I'm doing, still using armour I started with (other than garg helmet). Did try chainmail from the vendor, but I hated how slow it made me. Btw when I went human the first time, I got a friendly invader who gave me a fire sword. Can't imagine how much harder this would have been without it.
Anyhoo, killed the twin gargoyles after 6 or so attempts (detailed one and got an axe, was a surprise). After that I had no idea where to go next, ran around for a bit and then got tired and googled it. Still don't know how to get across the bridge without the dragon toasting you, managed to just make it at the second attempt.
The Capra Demon is bullshit. First time the game has made me angry, must have died near 20 times without even hitting him. Didn't feel like skill, felt like total luck when I somehow managed to dodge his initial attack and got up the stairs. Awful game design, nothing more.
But eventually killed him, and got into a sewers type area. Still no idea wtf I'm doing, still using armour I started with (other than garg helmet). Did try chainmail from the vendor, but I hated how slow it made me. Btw when I went human the first time, I got a friendly invader who gave me a fire sword. Can't imagine how much harder this would have been without it.
thanks for the update....good to know your controls arent the issue...20 tries on capra is normal at first. There are a few strats like go right first, then roll toward stairs as not to get hit, bring a shield and use a spear on the dogs (hiding behind shield you can still poke withthe spear.) BUt the fact that you made it withough much of a strat is a testament to your skill...good work. make sure to upgrade your gear, especially your weapon. The armour can be upgraded, but you may want to wait a bit until you find a lighter armour you like. Although materials can be farmed or bought later its better not to waste them early on.
YOu are moving along the well travelled road and "obvious" path however there are a few areas that you can opt to try finding shortcuts to other zones. Even if you dont complete different areas its usually worth it to speed run towards a few of the items and loot them, even if you dont complete the Boss right away.This is a game where the road less travelled makes a difference. The whole game can be completed at SL1 with no upgrades, so keep this in mind if you think you have wandered off the path....you may be surprised how far you could make it though whatt seems to ba a tough area you are not supposed to be dealing with yet (and would be rewarded with better gear as a result). IF you took the master key it makes the exploration easier, but it is not necessary. Even though it doesnt seem like its possible, nor that you would have wanted to, but you could have fought capra first for example! No equipment necessary, just brazen sense of adventure.
CrocMother
Banned
I don't think Capra demon has "awful design", it is what it is . Quite easy once you get the hang if it, like everything I this game
Lux R7
Member
i agree.
Anyone having trouble with Capra demon:
TLDR: Use the stairs for separation when you A: Need to heal, and B: Need to eliminate the dogs.
Longer version:
At the start of the fight, don't wait at the entrance - you'll get mauled from multiple sides by dogs and the capra demon, while your back is against the wall or fog gate
Instead, run up the stairs - capra demon will take some time to get to you, the dogs will rush towards you and you'll be able to take at least one of them out while you're on the stairs
When capra starts climbing the stairs and gets within range of attacking... fall down the stairs. Until Capra falls down the stairs, go for the dogs. When Capra falls down the stairs, head back up the stairs. Rinse, repeat.
Basically, keep vertical separation from Capra until you can eliminate the dogs. When Capra is on the ground, you should be at the top of the stairs. When he's on the stairs, you should be on the ground.
Once you have the dogs eliminated, he should be trivial to beat as long as you don't let him get 2 clean hits on you without healing.
If he gets a clean hit on you, back off immediately and revert to using the stairs strategy for separation to heal with an estus flask. Then resume fighting once you're healed
TLDR: Use the stairs for separation when you A: Need to heal, and B: Need to eliminate the dogs.
Longer version:
At the start of the fight, don't wait at the entrance - you'll get mauled from multiple sides by dogs and the capra demon, while your back is against the wall or fog gate
Instead, run up the stairs - capra demon will take some time to get to you, the dogs will rush towards you and you'll be able to take at least one of them out while you're on the stairs
When capra starts climbing the stairs and gets within range of attacking... fall down the stairs. Until Capra falls down the stairs, go for the dogs. When Capra falls down the stairs, head back up the stairs. Rinse, repeat.
Basically, keep vertical separation from Capra until you can eliminate the dogs. When Capra is on the ground, you should be at the top of the stairs. When he's on the stairs, you should be on the ground.
Once you have the dogs eliminated, he should be trivial to beat as long as you don't let him get 2 clean hits on you without healing.
If he gets a clean hit on you, back off immediately and revert to using the stairs strategy for separation to heal with an estus flask. Then resume fighting once you're healed
Pretty much every single npc then outside of a couple of the vendors and the firekeepers which don't drop anything unique, but you should use the dark hand on them and suck out their humanity.
Red Liquorice
Member
All the blacksmiths except Rickert have unique drops.
All the firekeepers drop a firekeeper's soul.
Shiva and his buddy have unique drops too.
Oscar (hollow when returning to the Asylum),
Chester
Ciaran
Solaire
Patches (kill at Firelink after buying his wares if you want any)
Seigmeyer (a ring, but you lose the slab if you kill him)
Logan, Rhea, Lautrec should all be killed as part of their questline.
All the invaders
Shit, kill them all, the ones that don't drop gear drop humanity, and no sin carries over to NG+
If all you have to do is beat the final boss, and have done all the quests you've intended to do, you may as well kill all of the NPCs. Except Solaire if you really really want to summon him for the last boss battle and don't mind missing out on his armor (Praise the Sun!)
And when I say all of them, I mean ALL of them. Including vendors. Including Gough and the anor londo giant. Everyone.
Only NPC you can't kill is the stone dragon in Ash Lake
Emperor_Uriel
Member
Anyone who has access to the PC version and has not done a Black Phantom/-Perma Gravelorded playthrough with cheat engine must do so.
To give you an idea of how much it changes the gameplay:
To give you an idea of how much it changes the gameplay:
Darkroot Garden is one of the easier areas in vanilla. Gravelorded, you have about 4 Black Phantom Stone Guardians that instantly charge you the moment you enter the area. At low levels, you HAVE to run through to the boss to survive.
What do you mean?