The Dark Souls Thread

[spacehamster]

Well, I'm like a week behind everybody else, so I'm glad Dusty posted that. I know Riley and Sir Schwartz basically told me the same thing already a few pages back, but this really helps. I'm at that point now where I think I finally understand how the stats work and what I really want - including the exact same realization I had a few hours into Demon's Souls that I need to stop working towards a pure melee build. This looks like the perfect way to fix my character.

And then I'm finally gonna go back and kill that motherfucker Havel.

[Spooky Apparition]

i'm not sure if i missed the page(s) where people talked about their builds, but as with demon's souls, i think a well-balanced dex-based build with a little magic thrown in (and pryomancy this time around) makes the game really manageable. i'm hardly dying at all, mostly because: dex weapons are really light, so an S or A dex-scaling weapon allows for a ton of power but makes it easy to have a > 25% equip burden for maximum movement. for most enemies it's easy to use go with the two-hand attack and still roll around them for backstabs and what not. and since the bow has an A dex parameter, you can inflict massive damage with an upgraded bow/high dex to make bigger enemies easy to take down once you get up close. then you've got your various soul arrows or chaos fireballs for the in-between stuff.

in short: dex builds kick ass, screw you guys and your dragon swords.

also, looks like a new patch is coming out soon to fix some multiplayer issues. my second playthrough is when pvp domination starts, so as long as its fixed by then i'm all

[Comrade Slinky]

also, looks like a new patch is coming out soon to fix some multiplayer issues.

Praise the sun!

[guardianoftheblind]

Well, I'm like a week behind everybody else, so I'm glad Dusty posted that. I know Riley and Sir Schwartz basically told me the same thing already a few pages back, but this really helps. I'm at that point now where I think I finally understand how the stats work and what I really want - including the exact same realization I had a few hours into Demon's Souls that I need to stop working towards a pure melee build. This looks like the perfect way to fix my character.

And then I'm finally gonna go back and kill that motherfucker Havel.

you can kill havel without even getting hit or using your sheild.

[spacehamster]

you can kill havel without even getting hit or using your sheild.

Seems to me like avoiding getting hit altogether is the way to go with him anyway.

Does anyone know wtf "poise" does? I found the ring that boosts it, but I don't notice anything being different.

[The Schwartz]

Only thing I noticed is poise does not stop you from running from a prowling demon like a scared little bitch

[jakebonz]

From what I understand, it has to do with reducing the amount you get staggered when attacking or blocking. Lets say you're attacking, and the enemy blocks. If your poise is high, you won't stagger as much, thus making it easier to deal with a counter-attack. When blocking a power attack, you'll also be able to better handle getting knocked off your guard, thus giving you more of a chance to roll away to regain your stamina.

[riley-o]

haha i did pretty much the same thing, because in the video it looked like he ran deeper into the forest to some stairs beyond

i was viciously raped by ents

[ungodlywarlock]

Oh, now I feel pretty dense, though.
Oh well, someone can make use of it.

[riley-o]

ok well i tried out dusty's special secret grinding technique in NG+ and one run is worth

SPOILERSPOILER_SHOW

18k soulbux

also holy fuck this game is a shit-ton easier when you know where you're going and NG+ is sort of showing how much this game relies on the unknown for its difficulty.

[spacehamster]

also holy fuck this game is a shit-ton easier when you know where you're going and NG+ is sort of showing how much this game relies on the unknown for its difficulty.

That also applies to Demon's Souls - once you know how everything works, you can plan your playthrough from the get-go and do everything in the order you need to get the equipment and spells you want with minimal grinding.

I'm guessing it's amplified here, though, because the game is even more complex and so much of how you get around relies on finding and memorizing the shortcuts. The world seems enormous and you often feel like you're going to seriously get lost, yet once you figure out where everything is, it's actually so closely interconnected that it's easy to get around. Which reminds me, it just blows my mind how well put together this world map is. Does anyone at From ever leave their desk to sleep? These guys are nuts.

[Spooky Apparition]

The world seems enormous and you often feel like you're going to seriously get lost, yet once you figure out where everything is, it's actually so closely interconnected that it's easy to get around.

exception: getting from the end of the ash lake area back to the firelink shrine. that is a tedious and long journey. supposedly you can warp bonfires if you go to ash lake later in the game, but i wasn't able to.

i do like how the world is put together though. sorta reminds me of legacy of kain: soul reaver (a game that needs a current-generation sequel btw)

[The Schwartz]

Gwyn defeated

Here I belong, Sir Schwartz is now king

[riley-o]

nice work schwartz, and just in time to don the cape and cowl as the first knight of gotham

[The Schwartz]

yea I know I was sweating because Gwyn was rather frustrating it really would have helped if I could have further upgraded my shit

kind of bummed it just ended though... Demon's Souls had a smirk worthy ending at least

anyway I'm off to bamestop

[riley-o]

Which reminds me, it just blows my mind how well put together this world map is.

yeah i'm not sure if i said it or just meant to, but the design of this game's world and how it all ties together is both brilliant and beautiful, and it's fucking immense

[ungodlywarlock]

Which reminds me, it just blows my mind how well put together this world map is.

yeah i'm not sure if i said it or just meant to, but the design of this game's world and how it all ties together is both brilliant and beautiful, and it's fucking immense

Speaking as someone who has seen how level designers typically build levels, it's shocking how continuous the layout is.
I swear, they have fucking L'Merchant back there designing that shit and at any point chains are going to shoot out of the screen once I solve this game.

It's just not done this way...ever. I mean, there are obviously open world games like GTA but they usually base those off of real maps or games like RDR which is just making an expansive terrain. This is a giant castle (plus everything that goes with it) that all interweaves on itself.

It's fucked up. This developer is insane.

[copstache]

it's neat how few dead-ends there are. there's ash lake and the last 4 boss lairs but usually areas tie to other areas at the start, middle, and end of each section.

[CoconutBackwards1]

This fucking thread!

By the time I finish Demon's Souls and get Dark Souls, all you bastards are gonna be done with it and won't be talking about it!!@!@!!@!

[fallbacktostone]

ran into the hydra just now and killed it first try. easiest boss in the game? fucking taurus demon was harder.

[riley-o]

taurus was tough for a first boss ! i don't think the hydra counted as a boss though.

[riley-o]

the butterfly killed me once

[fallbacktostone]

i've still only seen that thing from far away.

its pretty

[copstache]

the butterfly killed me once

me too, but that's because i wandered in there with no estus and no idea where i was

bosses i never died to: bell gargoyles, quelaag, sif, pinwheel, demon firesage

[spacehamster]

taurus was tough for a first boss !

Eh. I guess he's tougher than Phalanx, but all you have to do is use a lightning buff (if that), stand as close to him as possible and spam.