Dark Souls

[Madame Adequate]

Just saying, he sounds a lot like you! Neh heh heh heh!

[TrollHunter]

You're getting close to the point where I'd say you can really say whether Dark Souls is your thing, in my opinion - I got past the Taurus Demon, into the next area (Undead Parish), and it didn't take very long in there at all for the game to click for me. I'd say stick with it until you reach Andre the Blacksmith and can upgrade your weapons because doing that is a big part of the game, but if at that stage you're still not feeling it then it's pretty much definitely not for you. (And yes I don't care what anyone says it is absurd that it takes that long for the game to get good).

Agreed, I say that if you aren't feeling the game by the time you beat the gargoyles then you should probably put it away.
That's the longest it should ever take.

[Pete for President]

I'm one of the people who enjoyed the game as soon as it started. I also am fascinated and impressed by the story and the history of Lordran. I know the story and the history of Lordran because I pay attention to what's going on, and I explore... well, everything. I explore tiny facets of level design, I explore item descriptions, I explore everything every character has to say, and with all those small pieces of incomplete and often biased information, I can speculate as to what has happened and what is happening, as well as why. I'm a historian by qualification, and this trout gets me all kinds of excited. Irrelevant and long jismfest over the history of the gameThe character "Havel the Rock" is probably my favourite aspect of the game, in this regard. His history is phenomenal, but you can only understand it by considering the locations of things relating to him; what are they doing there? With this, there are also item descriptions that contradict what you actually see in the game. If Havel's Ring was worn by Havel's soldiers as a sign of respect, why did the character we met called Havel wear it? Perhaps he also wore one, but if not...

For me the same, brother. continuing the Havel stuff Indeed Havel is one big mystery and I love him too. Just because there are so many item descriptions about him you are led to believe he was a grand figure, but then you find him in such a solitary and demeaning place. I mean, being Gwyn's sidekick and all you'd expect to find him somewhere honorable like Anor Londo, where he would be honored for his deeds. But no, everything revolving Havel reeks of betrayal and conflict. Gonna watch his lore video again right now

I'm aware there is a lore here, but the world and plot is just not interesting enough to me to warrant that sort of research. Basically, give me a story that I want to be exapnded on, like with Fallout or Torment. Don't go the Final Fantasy XIII route and make me look for the story for me to be able to understand it. Lore should be optional in understanding the plot or world. It should flesh out the world, not establish it. It's just bad storytelling.

Comparing Dark Souls to FFXIII, this is getting out of hand but I don't think the comparison is valid; FFXIII tries to force a story across with overly dramatic cutscenes, dialogues and script, and fails at it. Whereas Dark Souls does not try at all, and succeeds gloriously.

Calling it bad storytelling isn't a valid argument either imo. Yes it's a bit cunning, mysterious, and untraditional, but it is by no means minimalist. There is a lot of story out there and every single word has been carefully linked to items, locations and characters. No line is ever redundant (smurfin amazing feat right here); every word has meaning. That definitely does not qualify for bad storytelling. If it were bad, there weren't be thousands of players being intrigued by it's writing.

An EoFF member once said (it could even be you): "Imply, don't tell." relating to examples of excellent writing. Dark Souls belongs among the pinnacle of this type of storytelling.

(And yes I don't care what anyone says it is absurd that it takes that long for the game to get good).

Just out of curiosity, do you feel the same way when you start a new game? As in, do the Asylum and Burg feel just as awful to you on later playthroughs?

[TrollHunter]

I'll go ahead and answer that question.
No, of course not. Reason being is I've already scaled the difficulty cliff and that area is a breeze for me now regardless of whatever masochistic challenge rules I have set into place.
For new players the place sucks though. It's really the big area that teaches you to pace yourself and be careful.
I do feel that the burg is quite forgettable as a level though, and on playthroughs where I actually use the master key it almost always gets skipped.
I don't know... nothing in the burg really screams memorable to me.
The asylum I almost feel could have been longer. There are what? 1... 2... 3, 4, 5, 6 enemies tops minus the boss? Pssh, palease. Make it 49 and then we can talk.

[Quindiana Jones]

Yeah, the Burg is essentially a continuation of the tutorial, I find. The Asylum teaches you the controls in a safe environment, then the Burg has you practice them in a safe environment. The Burg also teaches you about exploring your surroundings fully to get all the best stuff, and to avoid Black Knights at all costs because oh Jesus I've just been one-shotted for the eighth time.

As an experienced player, you can skip that area, because it's only once you get to the Parish that the world becomes really beautiful and impressive and - essentially - it's then that the story starts.

e; Right, so I decided to get started on my Str/Fai build. It's weird being such a nooooob again, but with the skills I have as a 1337 player. I stunned the Taurus Demon with the Reinforced Club's 2HR1 attack. It was glorious. I've never stunned him before, and it was at the perfect moment. He had very little health, and was winding up for a big attack. I'd already signed up for a couple of swings, meaning I wouldn't be able to roll out the way. But then the second of three strikes stuns him and the third takes him down! Eheheheeee!

I'm currently using Astora's Straight Sword as my main because there's nothing else. Still wearing Cleric's gear, but without the top because I want to keep my fast roll for now.

e2; Also, I have another request. I really want to do a challenge run, but I can't decide what to go for. I think a Psychopath or Level 1 run might bore me, so I'm considering doing an unusual weapon run like Pete's Caestus one. I also once watched a Let's Play in which a guy used a Whip as his main, and it looked darned fun. You guys got any thoughts on other interesting weapons I could use?

[Pete for President]

e2; Also, I have another request. I really want to do a challenge run, but I can't decide what to go for. I think a Psychopath or Level 1 run might bore me, so I'm considering doing an unusual weapon run like Pete's Caestus one. I also once watched a Let's Play in which a guy used a Whip as his main, and it looked darned fun. You guys got any thoughts on other interesting weapons I could use?

Ooh interesting! The Whip sounds great but it's a shame you won't be able to get until Blighttown. Shields for weapons only might be fun? Or daggers only maybe? Saw a PvP video on youtube where a guy was rocking the Parrying Dagger and normal Dagger only and managed to completely destroy some heavyweights. Such class, unmatched!

Btw, the Reinforced Club is mighty indeed, it's actually one of the better normal sized club-weapons. Great for strength builds and stuns like a truck!

Caestus Challenge update
Four Kings was an R1 mash fest. No troubles in the Demon Ruins/Lost Izalith. Nito was an R1 mash fest. Did you know you can perfectly run past the first dog skeleton all the way to the next bonfire, but the Black Knight doesn't get his position reset when you rest at it? Strange stuff.

Seath was an R1 mashfest too. Oh and I learned another thing; you can backstab the squid-like creatures in Seath's dungeon. 500+ hours and still learning new things.

Now Gwyn is all there is left. Prepare to be punched to death.


On a final note, there are only 5 days left to vote for my shield design in the Dark Souls 2 competition. If you haven't already, please help me out. I'm currently on place #23 and I'd like to keep it that way! Some creeps are closing in

Vote here: https://apps.facebook.com/darksoulsi...n=view&id=3087

[Quindiana Jones]

The Whip I can get to early enough, though it'll be a bit of a bother.

I was also thinking about a boss only challenge. I have to take on every boss and mini-boss in the game, but no other enemy is allowed to be killed. They must be avoided and completely unharmed. Might make the Hydra a bit more challenging.

Having said that, Dark Souls has been semi-shelved for a short time, as I stumbled across Dark Arisen in my local illegal games shop.

[Madame Adequate]

Just out of curiosity, do you feel the same way when you start a new game? As in, do the Asylum and Burg feel just as awful to you on later playthroughs?

Not to the same extent, because now I'm at least not struggling with the controls and I know where I can snag various decent weapons very quickly, but the game is still a pretty big drag before Andre in my opinion.

[Pete for President]

Hmm I can sorta get into that. I rarely do the rounds to pick up all the treasure unlike the first playthrough, unless I really want to buy/upgrade several weapons from the start and need all the soul treasures.

Experiment time! Let's see if you guys know these fun facts of those first areas! Well, they're not actually that fun but hohoho let's go
#1: there's a Soul of a Lost undead on the left side of the cliff right before you exit the Asylum. It is the first "Soul" treasure available from the start.

#2: In addition to the "jump across-method" to get underneath the bridge to either pick up the Ring of Sacrifice or shop at Domnhall of Zena (where a lot of new players plunge themselves to death), the easier way is actually to drop down the cliff from where the axe enemy is after you get up the stairs.

#3: Want to get the treasure the Black Knight is guarding in the Burg, but you're afraid to confront him? Well now, you can make him drop himself to death by aggroing him, running op the stairs to where the hollow rolled his fire barrel, and then drop down through the broken railing on the left on the ledge below. You might be careful enough not to jump to far, but the Black Knight isn't too bright. Once he plunges, drop down again to get back to the level where the Black Knight was at. Trolololol

Point being; I find it hard to dislike any area in Dark Souls. Every area has their secrets and I love that. Though I must admit the first area of Lost Izalith feels a bit rushed.

[Pete for President]

Shame on me for being on IGN, but they had an article on top 10 craziest videogame currencies and Dark Souls is in them... with the wrong item picture. Nice going IGN, go back to your FIFA's!

Cash Sucks: Gaming's Craziest Currencies - IGN

[Pete for President]

The flickering on PS3 online has been patched. Let's get back to devilish PvP

Edit: finished my Caestus only playthrough. Not having a shield for Gwyn is quite a pain, but he fell eventually. Was so smart to upload my save files to the PS+ cloud so I could download my char at the Lordvessel after defeating Gwyn. Now I have a proper quality build to PvP with. Loving the Gargoyle halberd, why haven't I used it before?

[Madame Adequate]

Not into this game anymore. I enjoyed it for a good while there, but at this point it's just become a chore.

[Pete for President]

Man I've been playing for a year and I always get sucked back into it. There's just so much more to do. Today I spent trolling in the Tomb of Giants, trying to shoot people off ledges with the Dragonslayer Greatbow. Hardly as successful as I thought I would be but still so much fun when it happens!

[Zechs]

I enjoyed Dark Souls, every bit of it. Enraged and joyous, it was still a blast. Having Platinumed it, I just wanted more. Then comes Artorius of the Abyss. What a fascinating piece of story that was. Though I have to say, after looking up cut content I would have liked the DLC to have patched in that little bit of content.

Oh well.

[kotora]

Any tips on getting past the annoying archers in Anor Londo?