Current Events > I've started playing Dark Souls for the first time! :D *spoilers*

(+) Yeah! (+)

This whole thread is cleverly disguised bait from TC. He's probably dropped 1,000s of hours into Souls games.
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Zodd3224 posted...

This whole thread is cleverly disguised bait from TC. He's probably dropped 1,000s of hours into Souls games.

Did you miss the topic where he was going to throw out his cell phone because he couldn't figure out how to charge it
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nothing wrong with not liking the game. it is a very specific kind of flavor and it wont appeal to everyone, but not liking a design doesnt mean its bad. most everything in the game is deliberate and appeals to a certain type of gamer. its sense of exploration (which imo is superb) very obviously doesnt mean what it means to you.

its not about going off to that distant landscape or most likely unlocking the next icon on a map. the entire appeal is figuring out how the world and areas work while overcoming the challenges the game puts infront of the player. this is helped by the art, enemy designs, music and overall atmosphere. the world design of the game in general comes off as deceptively linear than it really is. no, its not a traditional open world where you can go anywhere at any point, but the whole thing is designed to where it does feel like its own interconnected thought out world. this is also a long game, based on how long its taking you so far, maybe even an 80+ hour one. its not going to show its hand to you where you are now.

imo id atleast get to the first REAL boss and unlock your first shortcut which at that point more options and areas start to open up and you can actually get a grasp on what the game is selling.

ultimate reaver posted...

this thread is like someone at the bottom of a well crying out for help and while everyone advises him to climb up he begins digging downwards in an attempt to pop out the other side of the planet to escape

And yelling this is fucking horrible well design!
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MabusIncarnate posted...

I wish you would give it more of a chance, you have basically made it through the tutorial on probably the most dull area of the game. As far as your progress, it's essentially the same as playing Fallout or Skyrim for an hour and quitting and saying you hate it, you haven't even touched what the game has to offer.

I'm not trying to give you grief, but a game like this you should spend more time with before deciding if you are going to like it or not, especially if you enjoy RPGs.

But...the Fallout games are often fun. And usually, getting past the slightly dull bit takes 30 - 60 minutes.

I've never understood why games like this start off with an intentionally slightly boring section. What possible purpose could it serve? Usually indoors, even though the point of many games with exploration is to wander around outdoors, in big, open environments.

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Romulox28 posted...

Zodd3224 posted...

This whole thread is cleverly disguised bait from TC. He's probably dropped 1,000s of hours into Souls games.

Did you miss the topic where he was going to throw out his cell phone because he couldn't figure out how to charge it

Let me guess, people tried to explain to him how to charge it, he ignored their advice and tried something else, people raged and called him names, he seemed baffled.
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Dark Souls isn't about "getting good", it's about trial and error and realizing that the game actually does respect the player a great deal. It respects your ability to beat bosses by reading patterns. It respects your willingness to go off the beaten path. It even provides the tools to help you progress if you just can't do it on your own (the summoning system).

You're getting mad at the game for trying to teach you that it doesn't work like other games, and you're asking us how to make it play like other games. It doesn't. At first it seems like a game with incomprehensible rules until you realize it doesn't actually have any rules. You can approach any situation in a million different ways.
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Zodd3224 posted...

This whole thread is cleverly disguised bait from TC. He's probably dropped 1,000s of hours into Souls games.

That made me laugh, I admit. But no, that's not the case.

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Coffeebeanz posted...

Dark Souls isn't about "getting good", it's about trial and error and realizing that the game actually does respect the player a great deal. It respects your ability to beat bosses by reading patterns. It respects your willingness to go off the beaten path. It even provides the tools to help you progress if you just can't do it on your own (the summoning system).

You're getting mad at the game for trying to teach you that it doesn't work like other games, and you're asking us how to make it play like other games. It doesn't. At first it seems like a game with incomprehensible rules until you realize it doesn't actually have any rules. You can approach any situation in a million different ways.

Read post #101
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Lol this dude gave up in the Undead Burg AHAHAHAHA

I can understand giving up in Blighttown (especially in the previous generation) but not Undead Burg lol.
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I had been pretty bored for several hours. Of course I gave up.
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The only acceptable places to give up are Blighttown, Sen's Fortress, or Tomb of the Giants.
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Zodd3224 posted...

The only acceptable places to give up are Blighttown, Sen's Fortress, or Tomb of the Giants.

Or maybe that part in Anor Londo with the archers on the buttress lol.
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Sometimes people don't enjoy games, and stop playing. That's just how gaming is sometimes...you don't have to wait until a hard or annoying part.
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Coffeebeanz posted...

Zodd3224 posted...

The only acceptable places to give up are Blighttown, Sen's Fortress, or Tomb of the Giants.

Or maybe that part in Anor Londo with the archers on the buttress lol.

I actually had more trouble with the batwing demons before the archers than the archers themselves. But yes between that and Ornstein and Smough I guess Anor Londo could be on that list too.

Tomb of the Giants and Sen's Fortress fucked me up more than anything my first playthrough. I had no light source for a while in ToG, had to go back to get one after a million deaths in the dark. Still died a ton after going back for light. And it took between 3 - 4 hours for me to get to the bonfire on top of Sen's. So many deaths from traps and snake men... and the bottom of Sen's
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Cool man. Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy a game you didn't actually play.
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iClockwork posted...

Lol this dude gave up in the Undead Burg AHAHAHAHA

LOL and he considers himself a classic gamer too
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New player advice for you TC:

Start with your gift being the Master Key.
Go down into New Londo.
Take the elevator right next to the one that brought you down, up into the Valley of Drakes. Cross the bridge into Blighttown.
Enjoy. :)
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Sunhawk posted...

Well, I got to Undead Burg. The entrance really was confusing. A lot of people probably wouldn't notice that gap in the aquedact (as I didn't the first several times).

Holy shit
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I stopped play this game too, but that was because of a controller issue.
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i never understood everyones issues with the archers.
they're on a diagonal to you, and your path is straight in the middle, so if you just keep running forward, their giant arrows just miss right behind until you get close enough to hit them.
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ROBANN_88 posted...

i never understood everyones issues with the archers.
they're on a diagonal to you, and your path is straight in the middle, so if you just keep running forward, their giant arrows just miss right behind until you get close enough to hit them.

They didnt kill me once my first playthrough. Died a bunch to the batwing demons. But yeah archers I ran straight to the one on the right with shield up, R2 smushed him with Zwei. Then did the same to the other one.
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TC, I cant stand you lol read the damn posts and quite whining about it being hard. Has nothing to do with elitism, more about just you not reading peoples posts
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I never make fun of people who try to play Dark Souls and just can't adjust to the difficulty. That's totally understandable. I make fun of people who keep doing the same stupid shit over and over, and it never works, then they call it bad game design.
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What happened in Tomb of the Giants again?

I actually quit the game for like a year during the Demon/Hell area when I was collecting the Lord's Souls. I had Seath and the Kings of New Londo, but that whole lava area was straight ass and I didn't beat it until much later.
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I started the Switch version yesterday. Got to Undead Burg in 30 minutes and most of the way through it without dying. TC really has no excuse.
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Jabodie posted...

What happened in Tomb of the Giants again?

I actually quit the game for like a year during the Demon/Hell area when I was collecting the Lord's Souls. I had Seath and the Kings of New Londo, but that whole lava area was straight ass and I didn't beat it until much later.

TotG is the pitch black area after Pinwheel in the Catacombs.

Demon Ruins/Lost Izalith was clearly unfinished and Miyazaki has apologized for Bed of Chaos. Its possibly the worst boss in gaming. So awful its actually kind of endearing in a way. Like the movie The Room.

https://www.giantbomb.com/forums/dark-souls-6255/dark-souls-design-works-translation-npcs-and-monst-576001/
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I must be weird because I dont hate Bed of Chaos as much as I should.

Its not great, but I dont mind it.
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Alright. Listen.

I decided to give it another try. I thought I'd have another bash at Undead Burg. I must admit, it wasn't too bad an area to play. I ended up spending the majority of my time on the boss, at least an hour, and after gradually getting better and becoming more hopeful, he decided to throw himself off the high up bit of the castle, killing himself. This actually made me anger, because it stole my chance to beat him.

I was then onto the next area, although I can't remember the name. I haven't done much of it, but it seems alright. I have slightly softened on this game, especially on "slightly", but that only means it's not longer a very bad game, and merely a bad game. Perhaps people are right. Maybe it is some kind of wonder game. I'm not sure. The combat is quite enjoyable, but the graphics are very repetitive, and finding my way around is still proving to be a bit of a problem.

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A bunch of people wanted to criticise me for not liking it, now I've given it another go, not a single person wants to praise me? Welcome to CE, I guess.
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Why would we praise you for coming around on a decision that was goofy in the first place?

Sunhawk posted...

A bunch of people wanted to criticise me for not liking it, now I've given it another go, not a single person wants to praise me? Welcome to CE, I guess.

Stop trying to get attention
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You waited 9 minutes before berating people for not responding.

So now you must be in the Undead Parish?
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though, i kind of have to be a bit on TCs side, but not fully.

when i played, i often got so frustrated with it, that i took a break, and that break ended up being a month long.
it took almost 2 years for me to beat it.
though, atleast i was aware that it was cause i sucked, not just blaming the gamedesign
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ROBANN_88 posted...

though, i kind of have to be a bit on TCs side, but not fully.

when i played, i often got so frustrated with it, that i took a break, and that break ended up being a month long.
it took almost 2 years for me to beat it.
though, atleast i was aware that it was cause i sucked, not just blaming the gamedesign

i took a big break when i hit blight town, but i didnt embarrass myself publicly in the process
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Blighttown on PS3 makes babies weep. I can't fault anyone for quitting there.
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Coffeebeanz posted...

Blighttown on PS3 makes babies weep. I can't fault anyone for quitting there.

Thats where I quit during my attempt years ago. Was still tough in the remaster, but it was reasonable. The whole section from The Depths, Blighttown, to Sen's Fortress and then Anor Londo was easily the most enjoyable stretch to me.
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Well, I'm in Undead Parish, but I haven't made much progress. I'm in this open street with a bunch of people fighting me, to say nothing of a what appears to be a giant armoured rat. This game isn't overly concerned was realism. I'm able to get by most of the enemies, just avoiding them, but can't figure out what to do. I guess I'm meant to go through that giant gate, but don't know how to open it.
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I must admit, there are still some pretty basic things I don't understand? What is a hollow? How do I kindle at a bon fire?
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Sunhawk posted...

I must admit, there are still some pretty basic things I don't understand? What is a hollow? How do I kindle at a bon fire?

It's been a while since i've played the games but i've beat them all and was pretty damn good at pvp/

If I remember correctly, being hollow means that you are devoid of humanity. You need to have humanity to summon NPC's or other players as allies or foes. You become hollow if you have died anytime after offering humanity at a bonfire. Being hollow keeps you from interacting with the multiplayer aspect of the game.

http://darksouls.wikia.com/wiki/Hollow

https://darksouls.wiki.fextralife.com/Bonfire

https://darksouls.wiki.fextralife.com/FAQ

I'd read through these three links.

Learning all about how to summon other players to help you out and pvp is what makes Dark Souls so fun. I didn't learn how to do anyo of this stuff for a long time but once I did I was hooked.

If you have humanity (the number in the circle next to your HP) you can spend it at a bonfire to make the bonfire stronger (kindling). Then when you rest at one, it gives you more Estus Flasks than a normal bonfire.
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Easy way to kill the giant boar:

Go up top and kill all the hollows, throw an alluring skull on ground below you, do a plunging attack when pig walks under you.
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Zodd3224 posted...

Easy way to kill the giant boar:

Go up top and kill all the hollows, throw an alluring skull on ground below you, do a plunging attack when pig walks under you.

Or lure it into one of the burning pyres

Human status (when your character looks human and not like a zombie) gives you the ability to summon other players at the risk of being invaded by other players. It also lets you kindle additional Humanity at the bonfire to level it up which grants more healing estus (5, 10, 15, 20)

The whispy Humanity items when used add to your humanity tally in the top left of the screen. These are what you spend at bonfires to regain human status or kindle. Keep in mind that you drop those unspent ones with your souls when you die.
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iClockwork posted...

Learning all about how to summon other players to help you out and pvp is what makes Dark Souls so fun. I didn't learn how to do anyo of this stuff for a long time but once I did I was hooked.

up until Nito, i had never tried to summon, and when i eventually did, all that happened was that the guy just backed out again
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Oh man, when I first played Dark Souls I almost rage quit at Tauros Demon.

He pretty much one shot me and the run to his fog gate was stupid and I burned through all my consumables (lightning imbue weaponry, e.g.) and the game's autosave feature prevented me from getting access to them and blahblahblah.

Had a lovely moment of Zen (after much 'git gud scrub' lambasting) wherein I simply walked towards the boss, which was enough for me to notice an archer who just-so-happened to be up behind me shooting from a tower that meant I could do some plunging attacks onto the bastard.

Point is, take your time. Look around sometimes. The game throws clues at you.
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It's always fair, but rewards thinking outside the box.
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I beat it my first time without turning human or kindling at all. The true way to play.
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Zodd3224 posted...

I beat it my first time without turning human or kindling at all. The true way to play.

I've gotten all the way through Undead Burg without dying, which is a small victory for me
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Coffeebeanz posted...

Zodd3224 posted...

I beat it my first time without turning human or kindling at all. The true way to play.

I've gotten all the way through Undead Burg without dying, which is a small victory for me

Including the Chapel? Not bad.

I actually made it passed the Anor Londo archers without dying once my first time. Shield up and R2 smushed them with Zweihander.
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