The Dark Souls Thread

[Ghost Dad]

Is it really gay that I wish I could spend a friday night with everyone in this thread drinking heavily and just passing the controller after each death until we all finished the game as a team.

Sounds like something me and schwaiger would do in real life

[guardianoftheblind]

[Ghost Dad]

You working tomorrow afternoon? Skype darksouls?

[Ghost Dad]

You working tomorrow afternoon? Skype darksouls?

Yup-- I work all the time usually 7am until 5 or 6.

Oppsie, that was dirscted towards schwigs

[guardianoftheblind]

You working tomorrow afternoon? Skype darksouls?

let me check my schedule

SPOILERSPOILER_SHOW

i think i can fit it in

[Ghost Dad]

Grind it out in anor londo

[Ghost Dad]

Those dudes....I only tangle with the ones inside the castle, you can kill em easily by taking advantage of some stairs, and they give you more souls. The rest I just avoid

[a world of no]

For future reference with the Iron Golem: There's a NPC summon near him that makes the fight insanely easy. Best NPC. (Don't tell Solaire or the mistress...)

>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDCCbiQSuC8<

The guardians respawn. All of them, but they're not that bad. Sloooooooowwww... Stay on their back until they open up after an attack.

[a world of no]

Fucking Artorias on NG+. Fucking FUCK. I think I'm going to have to dump this character I've put 150+ hours into and start over, seriously.

Also, what's the general consensus on light and fast vs tanks in this game as compared to Demon's Souls? I basically modeled this character after what originally worked best for me in DS - jack up END until I can roll in armor, max out Magic Bastard Sword, bring a big shield, block and counter. That worked fine for the first playthrough, but I seem to be hitting the ceiling in NG+ now, and a bit of experimenting with lighter gear and a +9 magic Uchigatana has me thinking that may not have been the best idea. Damage output of the Uchigatana is seriously almost the same as the bastard sword, and it's way less of a drain on stamina, obviously.

Not that that's made any fucking difference with Artorias. Did I mention I... FUCK.

Fast roll. Always. Tanks are too fucking vulnerable. Always. Rolls, backstabs, parry/riposte all make you invincible, so it's easy to avoid shit. Tanks move for shit, which leaves them open to punishment. Fuck heavy armor. There's some good low weight stuff that provides you with enough poise (At least 50 to keep you from getting staggered easily). They're fugly for the most part, but I always build with the Hollow Soldier Waistcloth full upgraded. Shit gives 7 poise, and weighs 1.5. Dingy Robe is another very good lightweight chest-piece, though no poise. To fill out the rest strap on some Havel gauntlets or similar, and put on that fucking wolf ring. Wolf ring all the time for pvp, and if I get a parry/bs I "attempt" to menu swap to the hornet ring for that sweet one hit rapier/dark silver tracer critical.

Main point is to go light and keep moving. Artorias is fast, but predictable enough that you should be able to dodge his attacks easily enough with a fast rolling build. A tank fat/mid roller is going to get you staggered and raped real fast when your poise break hits, or your stamina runs out. Don't dump the character, dump the heavy bullshit armor.

[Spooky Apparition]

Is it really gay that I wish I could spend a friday night with everyone in this thread drinking heavily and just passing the controller after each death until we all finished the game as a team.

gay?! I can't think of anything more hetero.... I never really thought of dark souls as a party game, but the trash talking alone would be awesome.

RE: those big knights. once you know their moves they're manageable, but there were definitely one of the more intimidating enemy types at first. leaping 2-handed R2 attack is your best friend once you're familiar with them because you have plenty of time to back off and recharge stamina

[riley-o]

Playing the DLC for the first time and HOLY FUCK Artorias is tough (at least vs. my underpowered glass cannon sorcerer )

[Wang Mandu]

After my first few times fighting Artorias, I said fuck it to blocking and got his timings down enough to roll out of the way and then get a hit or two in immediately after. I love all the DLC boss fights so much and the entire world of the DLC.

[Wang Mandu]

Dread? It's a great area. Did you end up going back to the Undead Asylum and acquiring the Peculiar Doll?

[Wang Mandu]

The Sentinels in that first are easily bypassed as said before, unless you want that sweet loot in those chests.

The doll....just explore each area and look for something...large to interact with. Read the description of the doll for a bit of a hint. Whatever you do, don't look it up unless you completely clear Anor Londo and still haven't found that certain something.

[riley-o]

There really isn't a single time that you can't just run past the sentinels, though they might get a hit in if you're clumsy with your rolling. They're too slow to keep up with you once you're past them, though.

Have you gotten to the part with the archers yet ? I don't know how exactly but I'd managed to forget that that part was the most frustrating part of the game. This playthrough, basically all of Anor Londo was a massive headache for me. Even the fucking first part with the white guys on the decorative ceiling in the room with the giant painting I died like 4 times or something ridiculous. O&S took me forever again. But those fucking archers..

[spacehamster]

Main point is to go light and keep moving. Artorias is fast, but predictable enough that you should be able to dodge his attacks easily enough with a fast rolling build.

About ten attempts later, I'm finding my problem is mostly that he has these attacks he can spam where basically no matter what, if the first strike hits, you're dead. I finally wised up about his immunity to magic damage and brought the gravelord sword instead, so this time I was able to, I dunno, get him down to about 90%? It's insane. I don't understand it. I feel like I know all the attack patterns and how to react to them, but I still get slaughtered.

dump the heavy bullshit armor.

I wasn't using super-heavy armor, just Elite Knight, all upgraded to +9. END is high enough so I can wear all of that and still be at medium running/rolling speed. But yeah, I'm gonna go with <25% from now on.

I've played about 5 hours in the last two days and accomplished exactly nothing except get the large magic ember, by the way. I'm starting to think this game hates me.

[a world of no]

Thinking back on it, what I previously thought was the most difficult part in the game (The SK Archers in Anor Londo) really aren't that tough at all.

[elephants gerald]

last time, I did the archers on the first try. my friend did it on the first try his first time. I think if you approach it improperly, it can be unbelievably frustrating...but it's not unfair or anything

[a world of no]

What systems are people playing on here? Figure we could try the next best thing to Geoff's Friday Night DS homosex party and partake in some jolly cooperation together.

I'm currently on PC, as my PS3 copy is out on loan at the moment.

[a world of no]

The archers fucking suck, but they aren't that bad. Just... run? And hope you don't get arrowed in the back while attacking, or invaded.

>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4LlLUFfa6Y<

[Wang Mandu]

What systems are people playing on here?

Finished my Dex character on PC, got a glass cannon mage going on PC but also messing around with the PS3 version and a Faith/Strength based character. I don't mind the fps dips on the console version (haven't experienced Blighttown on console yet) but the loading times are getting annoying...love SSDs. 100% double dipping on Dark Souls 2. I kind of want that stupid expensive collector's edition for the map and artbook alone. The statue will probably be a cheap plastic piece of crap but the Japanese edition looks kind of cool in a competely nerdish way.

[elephants gerald]

ps3, but I haven't played in a while now

[FVBTVS]

The archers fucking suck, but they aren't that bad. Just... run? And hope you don't get arrowed in the back while attacking, or invaded.

>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4LlLUFfa6Y<

what kind of heartless sack of shit

[spacehamster]

The archers fucking suck, but they aren't that bad. Just... run?

It's been a while since I've done Anor Londo, but from what I remember, once you know how to do it, it's really not that hard and I can pull it off most of the time. It's the dying a zillion times until you've figured it out part that's tough, as usual.

I'm on PS3, btw. In case, you know, somebody wants to help me kill Artorias. Because I revived yesterday to get someone to co-op with me, and there wasn't a single summon sign to be found.

[Wang Mandu]

What's your character build right now, spacehamster? If you're focusing on Dex, go back and undo that magic uchinagata to a straight one or pick up the Great Scythe in the Catacombs. It has great reach but leaves you a bit vulnerable if you miss.

One tip for Artorias is when he charges up, if you're close enough, run in and wack the hell out of him a few times. You can interrupt his charge and do some great damage at the same time. It's riskier the farther you are when he starts to charge. A key hint is he'll roll back two or three times. If he successfully charges up, just roll away from every attack. I think his charged up Abyss attacks do damage even through a raised shield. I used the Eagle shield to block some of his regular attacks if I couldn't get out of the way in time as the stability helped much more than a regular, lighter shield. When he does his jumping attack and misses, don't attack right away as he might do it again two or three times and stun lock you. And stay out of his black muck as it eats away at your health bit by bit. Your idea to get the fastest roll is key as Artorias and the final DLC boss are both fast with attacks.