Demon Souls / Dark Souls

[Designer1]

@Wainy316

Quick tip for DS3.

You may want to look up a guide on how to get to Archdragon Peak.

[Delphouneso]

Picked up all three Souls games in the sales and I've just started 1. Combat feels a lot slower and more one dimensional than Bloodborne and that's taking some adjustment, as is using a shield - I basically ignored it at first but dodging doesn't seem to be the play here. Just got to the gargoyle boss(es), had a few attempts, fell off the roof twice in a row and called it a day.

[Designer1]

4 minutes ago, Delphouneso said:

Picked up all three Souls games in the sales and I've just started 1. Combat feels a lot slower and more one dimensional than Bloodborne and that's taking some adjustment, as is using a shield - I basically ignored it at first but dodging doesn't seem to be the play here. Just got to the gargoyle boss(es), had a few attempts, fell off the roof twice in a row and called it a day.

It's amazing how much you rely on a shield when you first play (no bad thing). I very very rarely use on on my playthroughs now as I tend to just go light armour and dodge even if I'm a strength build (unless I go Giant Dad which is **** fun)

Edited December 15, 2021 by Designer1

[Delphouneso]

1 minute ago, Designer1 said:

It's amazing how much you rely on a shield when you first play (no bad thing). I very very rarely use on on my playthroughs now as I tend to just go light armour and dodge even if I'm a strength build (unless I go Giant Dad which is **** fun)

Might just be a case of better learning the iframe timing or adjusting my dodge direction, my instinct to dodge in/through seemed to be getting punished a lot more. Also I should probably just embrace the Souls games and go shield first playthrough, force myself to learn a new playstyle rather than try to play it like Bloodborne, as tempting as it is and as much as I miss my Blades of Mercy.

[Designer1]

30 minutes ago, Delphouneso said:

Might just be a case of better learning the iframe timing or adjusting my dodge direction, my instinct to dodge in/through seemed to be getting punished a lot more. Also I should probably just embrace the Souls games and go shield first playthrough, force myself to learn a new playstyle rather than try to play it like Bloodborne, as tempting as it is and as much as I miss my Blades of Mercy.

Oh absolutely. Definitely go with the shield for a while, it's what most people (including me) did.

BTW, re. Gargoyles - summon Solaire for the fight. He's a BIG help.

 

[Chindie]

It's a slower game than Bloodborne. You can play it like Bloodborne, hyper aggressive dodge machine, but it's more difficult to do that when you're new to the game and you don't have your eye in with the pace. Basically no-one plays like that on their first run, everyone does the shield turtle style.

[Delphouneso]

9 hours ago, Designer1 said:

Oh absolutely. Definitely go with the shield for a while, it's what most people (including me) did.

BTW, re. Gargoyles - summon Solaire for the fight. He's a BIG help.

 

I'm not much of a summoner. I get that it's been put in the game to be used, and it does change the fight somewhat, but I just wouldn't get any satisfaction from beating a boss with a summon. These 'goyles for example the challenging part of the fight is managing both mobs simultaneously in the second phase right? I'm assuming a summon just solves that problem for you, which removes the 'fun' from the fight for me. 

[Delphouneso]

Light bulb moment when I realised stamina regen is slowed when your shield is up, gargoyles smited. It's a good mechanic too, I like it. I also switched to a faster weapon which helped.

Couple of questions for you vets: is Dex ths game's Skill? Does it affect visceral/riposte/backstab damage the same way? And is a shield + dex weapon build a thing? I like the idea of a quick and nifty shield parry build, seems like a decent middle ground that feels quick and familiar but also forces me to learn to use a shield. Finally is it worth upgrading some of these earlier weapons or are the decent ones further down the road?

[Designer1]

1 hour ago, Delphouneso said:

Light bulb moment when I realised stamina regen is slowed when your shield is up, gargoyles smited. It's a good mechanic too, I like it. I also switched to a faster weapon which helped.

Couple of questions for you vets: is Dex ths game's Skill? Does it affect visceral/riposte/backstab damage the same way? And is a shield + dex weapon build a thing? I like the idea of a quick and nifty shield parry build, seems like a decent middle ground that feels quick and familiar but also forces me to learn to use a shield. Finally is it worth upgrading some of these earlier weapons or are the decent ones further down the road?

I'll preface this by saying that I very rarely use a Dex build as it doesn't suit my play style, however:

Dex doesn't affect the backstab damage - the weapon you are using does. Different weapon classes will have different crit modifiers.

Dex plus a shield is perfectly viable yes - go for a small/medium shield though due to str needed for larger ones. I recommend getting the Grass Crest Shield as soon as possible as it has a Stam regen buff.

Some of the starting weapons can carry you through the entire game so yes, if you are happy with the weapon you are using go to Andre and get some upgrades. I often upgrade the Zweihander to +15 and you can find that weapon a minutes walk from Firelink Shrine.

iirc, the Balder Knight side sword is great for Dex and you should be able to farm one of them near where you fought the Gargoyles.

Recommend you learn Pyromancy as soon as poss (you'll find the 'source' in the Depths) - it works a treat as an accompanying skill to Dex.

Have fun and 'don't go hollow!' 

 

[Chindie]

My go to for Dark Souls was usually a shield and katana, which are dex weapons.

[Delphouneso]

On 17/12/2021 at 09:09, Designer1 said:

I recommend getting the Grass Crest Shield as soon as possible as it has a Stam regen buff.

I made a mental note to keep an eye out for this, played for a little while, decided to have a root through my inventory and discovered I already have it. No idea where I picked it up but I'll take it. Upon equipping it I also realised I'd been using it at one point because I'd wondered what those green arrows were under my stamina bar. Also bought a Scimitar because it had the highest dex scaling of the weapons the blacksmith sells and my purchase was almost instantly justified when my character started doing cartwheel attacks. We all know the most important stat in Souls games is flamboyance.

[Designer1]

I finally did it.

DS1 with 0 deaths. 

I know it's nothing in comparison to the No Hits runs but I'm quite proud tbh.

Might go for an SL1 run next.

[Chindie]

Very impressive.

My understanding of SL1 runs are that it's not that difficult if you follow specific routes to doing it. I'd imagine it's easier than a no death run certainly.

[Delphouneso]

Nice one @Designer1, is that with all bosses or are there some skips involved? I've not really looked into DS1 challenge runs for fear of spoilers. I'm not certain I could manage a run without falling off a ledge to be honest, let alone beat the rest of the game. My achilles heel is forgetting where I left lifts and going straight down the shaft [/Kenneth].

Had a couple of decent sessions recently and have now beaten Capra Demon (contender for most annoying boss run?), Gaping Dragon, Quelaag, the Butterfly, and Sif. Capra Demon was the only one that gave me any trouble, thankfully, because if Quelaag was actually difficult I might've started to get annoyed about having to start the fight poisoned. I've all but abandoned my shield since Capra Demon, on bosses at least seen as I'm not tanky enough to tank them and you seemingly can't parry them.

I'm finding it a bit more frustrating than BB, I guess it's an earlier game and it's a bit rougher around the edges - case in point I got stuck in a tree in Darkroot Garden yesterday, lost all my HP but didn't die, just hung there suspended making death noises - and it seems to punish you for more annoying things. The bosses themselves haven't so far been that challenging or frustrating, there's just a lot of claustrophobic areas with narrow walkways/tunnels/ledges and lots of enemies with janky hitboxes and questionable AI which leads to lots of falling or getting stuck in doorways. Not being able to heal through poison/toxins is annoying, you get half way through an area and get poisoned and don't have any moss you're dead, may as well hurl yourself down a lift shaft (maybe it's just the game telling me I should've gone Darkroot > Blightown, as I now have a tonne of moss and no longer need it). 

I also spent a good while trying to cast chaos fireballs with a staff, not realising I needed a Pyromancer's Flame, which I now have and well, fireballs are a bit.. limp?

I'm having fun. Sometimes.

[Designer1]

2 hours ago, Delphouneso said:

Nice one @Designer1, is that with all bosses or are there some skips involved? 

All base game bosses, no skips.

[Chindie]

I loaded up Dark Souls 2 and quickly remembered why I stopped. The Gank Squad boss. Absolutely awful, terrible 'boss fight' with a short but irritating boss run from the nearest bonfire.

Deleted it again.

[Designer1]

29 minutes ago, Chindie said:

I loaded up Dark Souls 2 and quickly remembered why I stopped. The Gank Squad boss. Absolutely awful, terrible 'boss fight' with a short but irritating boss run from the nearest bonfire.

Deleted it again.

Yeah, there are methods but it's not great tbh. Luckily it's optional so ive only ever bothered with it once iirc. 

[Chindie]

There's just not anything fun about running from 3 NPC fighters with particularly annoying builds who do crazy damage. My best run I got the archer guy down and nearly got the Dex guy, but that took 15 minutes of just kiting then round the weekend and picking up quick hits once on a while, which is shit.

[Stevo985]

I've picked up Dark Souls Remastered on the Switch. Never played it before so looking forward to it

[Chindie]

10 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I've picked up Dark Souls Remastered on the Switch. Never played it before so looking forward to it

It's one of best games ever made. Absolutely not for everyone though.