Dark Souls? DARK SOULS!

[00NissanNinja]

@wheelhaus , Guess I didn't pay attention enough in the tutorial haha. Yeah I feel like doing research is almost a given in a game like this, there is so much to do. I was a skeptic of this game for a long time, but its turned out to be quite a good experience. It seemed very clunky to me watching videos but like you said once you start playing it you start to find the precision in the game.

Yeah, I might see about getting the first one too if I get hooked, since the lore right now doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me yet being a newcomer and all.

[IloveBaldEagles]

[00NissanNinja]

Alright so I've far I've killed four bosses. Funny story:

So I got stuck on the pursuer, he killed me quite a few times (and I want to kill all bosses by myself which I am sticking too). So I say fuck it I'll go back to things betwixt and kill those trolls and wrap things up there. So I kill the trolls and hop in that coffin boat (it seemed like you might get something good after killing the trolls). Game says something changed, but I saw nothing and thought maybe something has changed for later in the game. So I head back to kill the pursuer after adding a couple levels, kills me again but this time my character dies and sounds different, but I just shrug it off. Come back again this time killing the bastage and then continue on. Later start messing with my armor and find out my male character is no longer a male lmao. That was unexpected lol.

Anyways happy I bought the game I am addicted

[Atropine]

OK my Sun Bro Build is working well now.

Lotsa fast cast gear...

Red Eye Ring for tanking...

Lightning Bolts for Killing of course...

PRAISE THE SUN!!!!!!!!!

Didn't take long to max out that covenant...so doing Blue Sentinels now...

[wheelhaus]

That's hilarious... I did the same thing and saw the message "The nature of your being has changed" and was like wait wtf... WTF DOES THAT MEAN? As I walked away I noticed something was different about the character's movement but it didn't quite register... So I looked it up and laughed... In DS1, climbing into a coffin was a very, very different event...

I also prefer to romp the bosses solo, but for some boss fights if an NPC summon is available I'll have them come along. I was a little paranoid about the Pursuer, but he was a cakewalk. Only hit me once because I wasn't watching my stamina gauge. He's so easy to dodge unless you have a high equipment load.

I typically read up on bosses before entering a fight. In DS1, it was basically hopeless to go up against Ornstein and Smough solo, and definitely hopeless in NG+ and beyond. I've fought them probably 200 times and they are BY FAR the toughest boss I've encountered in any of the three Souls games. The only hope I had was to summon Solaire (NPC) and he would bite the dust before I could kill even one of them. Granted I'm not finished with DS2 and haven't hit NG yet... But I don't like DS2 approach to bosses, where so many are two bosses simultaneously, or three, or with minions... C'mon... really...

[Atropine]

Originally Posted by wheelhaus

I typically read up on bosses before entering a fight. In DS1, it was basically hopeless to go up against Ornstein and Smough solo, and definitely hopeless in NG+ and beyond. I've fought them probably 200 times and they are BY FAR the toughest boss I've encountered in any of the three Souls games. The only hope I had was to summon Solaire (NPC) and he would bite the dust before I could kill even one of them. Granted I'm not finished with DS2 and haven't hit NG yet... But I don't like DS2 approach to bosses, where so many are two bosses simultaneously, or three, or with minions... C'mon... really...

Back pedal...

Use the columns in the cathedral to keep distance between you and them.

Pick one boss...kill him. Then once again use the columns as a way to keep Smough's charge attack from getting you.

But yeah, back pedal...and focus on 1 or two swings when there is an opening...

Take the Ruin Sentinel fight in DS2. If you try to get in 2 swings when in part 2 of that fight (you are fighting 2 of them)...you will die.

OH one other thing...go naked since you will be under "light load". (talking about multiple enemy fights)

Speed and Agility> ability to soak damage

Bosses do not give a SHIT what your physical defense is. They just smash through it.

Elemental resistances DO matter though.

Also, go watch some videos with LobosJr or EpicNameBro.

Learn from their strategies.

Eventually I was able to beat DS1 in about an hour and a half (not all bosses and not DLC either)/

Those speed run guys can break 1 hour (insane).

[wheelhaus]

Originally Posted by Atropine

Back pedal...

Use the columns in the cathedral to keep distance between you and them.

Pick one boss...kill him. Then once again use the columns as a way to keep Smough's charge attack from getting you.

But yeah, back pedal...and focus on 1 or two swings when there is an opening...

Take the Ruin Sentinel fight in DS2. If you try to get in 2 swings when in part 2 of that fight (you are fighting 2 of them)...you will die.

OH one other thing...go naked since you will be under "light load". (talking about multiple enemy fights)

Speed and Agility> ability to soak damage

Bosses do not give a SHIT what your physical defense is. They just smash through it.

Elemental resistances DO matter though.

Also, go watch some videos with LobosJr or EpicNameBro.

Learn from their strategies.

Eventually I was able to beat DS1 in about an hour and a half (not all bosses and not DLC either)/

Those speed run guys can break 1 hour (insane).

I tried every strategy, and light loadout with backpedaling was certainly the most effective, I studied many youtube videos and could never quite get the same success regardless of equipment loadout. I would typically try to take out Smough first, and the easiest defeats of super Ornstein were when he would spam his lightning attack while I was tucked behind a broken pillar with a bow. It worked but felt cheap. Killing Ornstein first to fight Super Smough for the Smough armor was tricky, but I remember it wasn't as difficult as expected.

The DS2 Ruin Sentinels don't worry me much yet, but I haven't reached them. They seem rather predictable, all have the same move set, and the first one is a solo fight on the ledge.

DS1 speed runs under 1 hour I have to see.. Do they use scripts or anything or is it pure skill?

[Atropine]

Originally Posted by wheelhaus

I tried every strategy, and light loadout with backpedaling was certainly the most effective, I studied many youtube videos and could never quite get the same success regardless of equipment loadout. I would typically try to take out Smough first, and the easiest defeats of super Ornstein were when he would spam his lightning attack while I was tucked behind a broken pillar with a bow. It worked but felt cheap. Killing Ornstein first to fight Super Smough for the Smough armor was tricky, but I remember it wasn't as difficult as expected.

The DS2 Ruin Sentinels don't worry me much yet, but I haven't reached them. They seem rather predictable, all have the same move set, and the first one is a solo fight on the ledge.

DS1 speed runs under 1 hour I have to see.. Do they use scripts or anything or is it pure skill?

They do everything at run speed and have a little cheese with their skill.

One other thing...try with a reach weapon...may help a bit?

[wheelhaus]

Originally Posted by Atropine

One other thing...try with a reach weapon...may help a bit?

After a couple playthroughs, I was eventually using a +15 Great Scythe with 40 Dex. Not aesthetically my favorite weapon, especially because it clips through every wall within 100ft, but it's beast... Especially after casting Crystal Magic Weapon.



Speaking of weapons, in DS2 I just found the Santier’s Spear which has proven to be pretty interesting so far. Breaking it is permanent but it has 500 durability so it takes forever, but doing so changes the moveset and reduces it's weight. Corpses are good for weapon breakage, so I broke it in the basilisk pit in the Shaded Woods because the 4 basilisk corpses don't disappear and stay close in the pit. Only took a few minutes of corpse whacking to break it. I then infused it with the Mundane stone (halved damage, but it's damage multiplier is based on your weakest stat). My weakest stat is Faith 6 (Lvl 100 Knight build) but this spear at +2 it's already pretty formidable. If you have multiple low stats at the same level, it apparently buffs from all of them, so with it's fast wide strikes, apparently it's damage potential is insane. I hope it's not a bug, lol...

[Atropine]

Originally Posted by wheelhaus

After a couple playthroughs, I was eventually using a +15 Great Scythe with 40 Dex. Not aesthetically my favorite weapon, especially because it clips through every wall within 100ft, but it's beast... Especially after casting Crystal Magic Weapon.



Speaking of weapons, in DS2 I just found the Santier’s Spear which has proven to be pretty interesting so far. Breaking it is permanent but it has 500 durability so it takes forever, but doing so changes the moveset and reduces it's weight. Corpses are good for weapon breakage, so I broke it in the basilisk pit in the Shaded Woods because the 4 basilisk corpses don't disappear and stay close in the pit. Only took a few minutes of corpse whacking to break it. I then infused it with the Mundane stone (halved damage, but it's damage multiplier is based on your weakest stat). My weakest stat is Faith 6 (Lvl 100 Knight build) but this spear at +2 it's already pretty formidable. If you have multiple low stats at the same level, it apparently buffs from all of them, so with it's fast wide strikes, apparently it's damage potential is insane. I hope it's not a bug, lol...

It also has like 4 different move sets.

Really hard to PVP against.

[00NissanNinja]

Well I beat it last friday, that was surprisingly a damn good game for me, I was completely absorbed into playing it. Happy I finally beat cause I couldn't but the game down sometimes at night haha.

[wheelhaus]

Originally Posted by 00NissanNinja

Well I beat it last friday, that was surprisingly a damn good game for me, I was completely absorbed into playing it. Happy I finally beat cause I couldn't but the game down sometimes at night haha.

hahaha yeah I've gone to bed way too late some nights... I also just finished my first play through and am now on NG+. I'm enjoying the additional challenges but I've already ripped through Heide's Tower... Wonder how long this play through will take.

Must... Have... More... Titanite...

[00NissanNinja]

Originally Posted by wheelhaus

hahaha yeah I've gone to bed way too late some nights... I also just finished my first play through and am now on NG+. I'm enjoying the additional challenges but I've already ripped through Heide's Tower... Wonder how long this play through will take.

Must... Have... More... Titanite...

Haven't played NG+ yet, I better take a break before getting sucked in again. But I also might try developing a different character now.

[wheelhaus]

Originally Posted by 00NissanNinja

Haven't played NG+ yet, I better take a break before getting sucked in again. But I also might try developing a different character now.

FYI there is literally zero difference between starting character types beyond what attribute points they start with. You can visit the old lady Fire Keepers at any time on any play through and use a Soul Vessel to reallocate your attribute points you've acquired so far. So if you want to jump into a NG+ with different stats, you don't need to start over. In other words, a sorcerer with 20 points across the board is literally identical to a knight with 20 points across the board, is identical to a thief, depraved, etc... So you can keep leveling up a single character and reallocate stat points occasionally to completely change up your play style with no penalty.