[Mattakuevan]

Oh man i hadn't heard that at all, having a game breaking glitch would fucking suck, i'm gonna think about that every time i play now, thanks for ruining something i love asshole! *cries* seriously now game breaking glitches are not fun, thanfully i patched the game before i played it for the first time so i'm probably safe right guys?

You'd know immediately. The glitch was that the game wouldn't stop saving ever so your save would be corrupted when you exited.

You'd definitely know if the glitch had happened, lol.

[Ken]

Do it for Gwynevere.

[Mattakuevan]

Do it for Gwynevere.

"Amazing chest lies ahead"

[isuzu]

Just take your time and praise the sun. \^-^/

[Allonym]

"Amazing chest lies ahead"

Kinda funny I was actually searching the room for treasure then I finally realized like "oh they're referring to her breasts"

[Sullichin]

A-ha. My utter RPG noob status is shamelessly on display here. One thing that I recall from my time with the game (I started a new game twice) is that my first character could roll... And my second could not. I found the inability to roll very crippling. Is it an important maneuver to have?

There's different roll speeds depending on your equip weight. Basically, At 50% of your max equip weight you can roll, at 25% you can roll faster, over 50% and you slam on the ground when you do. Rolling is really important unless you like playing as a very slow tank type character which I think just makes the game harder.

Pyromancer is really the way to go? Usually I like to focus on melee characters... Perhaps they will balance the game for the PC version?

Pyromancer is just the name of a starting class. You are free to build the character however you like. In fact pyromancy is well suited for support spells with your main focus on melee. There's tons of ways to build your character.

Okay, I literally just gave Demon's Souls a last shot just hours ago. I have both Souls games and I REALLY tried to get into them. The games are stupidly broken: I don't have a problem with difficulty; I do however have a problem with designing annoyances for he sake of difficulty. The souls games have horrid controls, Ninja Gaiden level of silliness excuses for 'difficulty' (re-spawning enemies and horrid backtracking). If a game was difficult based on skills, then I am fine with it- I welcome it, even. But being 'difficult' by repetition and bad controls? Fuck that shit. PS. I have the PS3 versions of these follwing games and I will trade them for almost ANY other games (if anyone is interested) because these games are appalling: Dark Souls Demon Souls FF13 I couldnt, for the life of me, last more than a few hours playing any of these pieces of shit excuses for a 'game'. PM me if you are interested (all US versions).

You just sound pretty dumb coming in here calling Demon's/Dark Souls broken pieces of shit and trying to sell your copies with some random FF13 insult thrown in there as well. Lol. It just sounds like you got frustrated with the game because you're not yet good at it.

Anyway, to anyone new with the game I would suggest *not* getting the drake sword that some people are suggesting. Its usefulness drops off sharply early on as it does not scale its damage with any of your stats. Just focus on upgrading a weapon you like. There's a lot to the game, I suggest trying to figure out as much as you can on your own and referring to Wikis when you are confused about how things work, Use the OT thread in the community forum too, but don't read a walkthrough or watch a lets play before actually experiencing a new area for yourself.

Also, to the very common advice of 'always keep your sheild up' - good advice, except your stamina regenerates much slower when your shield is up, and having stamina is very important - so keep that in mind.

[mickcenary]

he probably hates the idea that every weapon has its own unique "weight" to it.

The first time I rolled in this game; blind mown. It felt amazing. The feedback, the weight, the sound... Brilliant. It's a major drawcard for me getting back into it.

[MrSerrels]

Your article is totally why I made this thread, dude (you are actually Mark Serrels, right?). And thanks for the comprehensive tips, emb at al. Jesus. I've been such a mothered gamer all this time.

Haha! Awesome. Yeah, that's me. That's cool man. I'm totally going to follow this thread to see how you go. :)

[vidcons]

These games horrible gameplay design. ENEMIES RESPAWN WHEN YOU DIE. Can you believe that? Fucking shit is unreal. It's so cheap. Yeah, I know the animations telegraph what attack they're doing and that I can circle strafe to the right around every enemy for easy mode.

I know that.

But come on, it's got that Japanese clunkiness where your character has like... weight. You know what weight is in videogames? A physics engine. Frankly, if you're not using Havok then don't even bother because you're just a subpar Mega Man.

[LiK]

Use a guide if you need to. It doesn't take away from the game at all. Even if you know the strategy, it's all about execution.

[gdt]

The first time I rolled in this game; blind mown. It felt amazing. The feedback, the weight, the sound... Brilliant. It's a major drawcard for me getting back into it.

Being able to roll is a must. Its worth it even if you have to use lighter armor to get it. Later, when you get rings and such that let you boost your equipment weight, getting that <25% roll is amazing.

[Parakeetman]

The first time I rolled in this game; blind mown. It felt amazing. The feedback, the weight, the sound... Brilliant. It's a major drawcard for me getting back into it.

Whats funny is the weight system and odd handling is actually toned down from Demons Souls. Esp weapon collision with the world.

Also get a bow and LOTS of arrows.

Trust me.

Oh yes most importantly "dont die" :D

[abstract alien]

The controls are typical 'Japanese clunckiness': when your avatar does things out of the blue, you know you have bad controls- i.e., slipping and falling off of cliffs because you were doing a jumping attack or something. You can literally SEE your avatar fucking SHIFTING in space like a fucking balloon animal. Other JPN games had great control like DMC, but certainly not the Souls series. Also, and I can't emphasis this enough: difficulty for 'difficulty's' sake is a cheap design model. Difficulty based on pure skill and understanding of the laws of the game is fair. The Souls series subscribes to the first school of that that is seriously flawed.

I literally have no idea what you are talking about. I've never had one single problem with the control in this game. This controls just as well as DMC, though one is heavy and the other is pretty light and airy. Also, the difficulty is not cheap. I absolutely hate cheap difficulty, and Dark Souls certainly does not have it. How is it cheap when the enemies do the same attacks and are sitting in the same damn place every time? I've went HOURS in this game without getting killed, and that is actual progressive hours, not just running around not doing anything.

Sounds like you just want something that is reactionary such as DMC. That is fine, but you can't label something wrongly due to a dislike of it. If you are going to gripe about something, then why not the camera. It was about the only thing that could cause an issue is certain areas. That, or Blighttown...

Edit: I guess you wouldn't have ever made it to Blighttown, so that was pointless to say lol. That place almost made me quit the game it was so broken.

[sixghost]

I literally have no idea what you are talking about. I've never had one single problem with the control in this game. This controls just as well as DMC, though one is heavy and the other is pretty light and airy. Also, the difficulty is not cheap. I absolutely hate cheap difficulty, and Dark Souls certainly does not have it. How is it cheap when the enemies do the same attacks and are sitting in the same damn place every time? I've went HOURS in this game without getting killed, and that is actual progressive hours, not just running around not doing anything. Sounds like you just want something that is reactionary such as DMC. That is fine, but you can't label something wrongly due to a dislike of it. If you are going to gripe about something, then why not the camera. It was about the only thing that could cause an issue is certain areas. That, or Blighttown... Edit: I guess you wouldn't have ever made it to Blighttown, so that was pointless to say lol. That place almost made me quit the game it was so broken.

People mistake controlling poorly for controlling differently. Bayonetta and Bastion are awesome but not every game needs to let you instantly cancel every animation with a dodge.

[SaltyDoughnut]

go pyro.

that way you can shoot/slice when your shit gets fucked up

[ArynCrinn]

Go melee, it's more satisfying in the end. Only use Pyro when you need it, and the casting time delay can be a lot of help when mastering the timings between enemy attacks. Other than that, just go in and make mistakes, push forward and declare victory, and hit up the wikidot if you're too stumped.

A lot of the game is about repetition and mystery, so try not to get too much help.

[KSai]

All beginners must know that you should always upgrade your weapon. At one time I was using a Broadsword +5 to help new players get to the Parish and I got a bunch of messages claiming "HAX, you can't one-shot a Balder with that sword!"

My suggestion for a good melee weapon: CLAYMORE. Claymores are awesome. I used a Claymore +10 to solo giga Ornstein while two archers stood back and watched. Strength scaling is superb. (And I modeled my character after Clare post-Winter War arc :) )

[abstract alien]

Don't EVER, EVER, EVER hit a shop keeper/blacksmith/etc. Never do it. If you hit or kill one, you can never get them or their store/trade back. It's gone forever. As you will come to find out, this can pretty much nearly end the game for you right there.

[leddmonkey]

--Be sure to take your time going through the areas. Rushing into things WILL get you killed.

--Keep your shield up at all times when fighting. You can try to Parry incoming attacks but your timing has to be dead on, however if done right you can Riposte to get massive damage.

--Try to keep track of how the enemies move when entering an area, they are pretty much the same every time. This will allow you to change your approach/strategy if you keep dying.

--You can draw enemies to you by attacking them from afar with a bow and arrow or magic. Use this when there are multiple enemies, or if they are in a more confined area. This will allow you take them out one at a time.

--Get the Drake Sword, it will make you a beast for a while.

--I found using a Spear can be quite helpful as it keeps enemies at a distance when attacking.

--Do not attack merchants, they will turn hostile and you will never be able to use their services.

--Be sure to buy the Bottomless Box to store more items.

[sixghost]

Go melee, it's more satisfying in the end. Only use Pyro when you need it, and the casting time delay can be a lot of help when mastering the timings between enemy attacks. Other than that, just go in and make mistakes, push forward and declare victory, and hit up the wikidot if you're too stumped. A lot of the game is about repetition and mystery, so try not to get too much help.

PROTIP: You can still move your character during the first half of the fireball animation.

I don't even know how many hours I played this game before I realized that.

[ArynCrinn]

And don't EVER, EVER, EVER hit an NPC. Never do it. If you hit or kill one, you can never get them or their store/trade back. It's gone forever. As you will come to find out, this game pretty much nearly end the game for you right there.

Nah, it's not as bad as Demon's was, if you simply aggro a NPC you can usually just go and request absolution. Costs souls, but better than losing a Slab after you accidently aggro Onion man's daughter while trying to fight golems. =P

[mickcenary]

All beginners must know that you should always upgrade your weapon. At one time I was using a Broadsword +5 to help new players get to the Parish and I got a bunch of messages claiming "HAX, you can't one-shot a Balder with that sword!" My suggestion for a good melee weapon: CLAYMORE. Claymores are awesome. I used a Claymore +10 to solo giga Ornstein while two archers stood back and watched. Strength scaling is superb. (And I modeled my character after Clare post-Winter War arc :) )

Man, I have no idea what solo gigin' an Ornstein is, but it sounds right on.

Holy shit, I am in for a whole world of pain here.

What guide would you guys recommend? Is the wiki more than enough?

[Mattakuevan]

Man, I have no idea what solo gigin' an Ornstein is, but it sounds right on. Holy shit, I am in for a whole world of pain here. What guide would you guys recommend? Is the wiki more than enough?

Yeah, the wiki works.

[Mr_Appleby]

Also, and I can't emphasis this enough: difficulty for 'difficulty's' sake is a cheap design model. Difficulty based on pure skill and understanding of the laws of the game is fair. The Souls series subscribes to the first school of that that is seriously flawed.

congrats, you've made me realise what a shame it is that the :lol smiley is gone.

[Dresden]

Man, just say fuck the world and go in blind. There's only two things to keep in mind. One is that the game isn't hard. The second is that when in doubt, just roll more. Roll harder. Roll faster.

[Yo Gotti]

My suggestion.

Just jump in, avoid the guides for the most part until you find something in the game that really peaks your curiosity.

1 bonfire at a time. :)

[apana]

Don't worry you aren't the only one. I decided to put Demon's Souls on hold because it felt like too much work and I wanted to play Uncharted 2. Now I'm interested in some other games but I intend to come back to it at some point.

[sixghost]

Man, I have no idea what solo gigin' an Ornstein is, but it sounds right on. Holy shit, I am in for a whole world of pain here. What guide would you guys recommend? Is the wiki more than enough?

Like people have said, though, only go to the wiki to learn about the basic systems of the game like upgrading, or when you really need it. The real joy of this game is wandering into the unknown. Don't go searching through the wiki looking for the best equipment in the game. Weapon/armor choice is all about preference. Pick a weapon because you like its moveset. not because its stats are the best. The Claymore and the Great Scythe are perfect examples of this.

As long as you upgrade whatever you have, gear doesn't really matter. Eating a huge attack from a boss is going to do a ton of damage no matter what.

[arglebargle]

These games horrible gameplay design. ENEMIES RESPAWN WHEN YOU DIE. Can you believe that? Fucking shit is unreal. It's so cheap. Yeah, I know the animations telegraph what attack they're doing and that I can circle strafe to the right around every enemy for easy mode. I know that. But come on, it's got that Japanese clunkiness where your character has like... weight. You know what weight is in videogames? A physics engine. Frankly, if you're not using Havok then don't even bother because you're just a subpar Mega Man.

i know (or at least assume) you are joking, but dark souls does use havok.

the best advice i can think of is just to be patient. never rush into a new area, never try to get one more hit in while in a combo, never be afraid to retreat for a bit, know that even when you are dying and not making "progress" you are learning enemy patterns and area layouts and new strategies so you are improving. also, dark souls gaf is helpful, the wiki is useful, and you will probably enjoy the game more if you can avoid spoiling yourself.

im not an expert level player like some others on gaf, but i think this and demons are my favorite games of the generation.

[Kusagari]

There are parts of Dark Souls I would call unfair, but they're not until the horrible endgame with Lost Izalith and such.

[Dresden]

All beginners must know that you should always upgrade your weapon. At one time I was using a Broadsword +5 to help new players get to the Parish and I got a bunch of messages claiming "HAX, you can't one-shot a Balder with that sword!" My suggestion for a good melee weapon: CLAYMORE. Claymores are awesome. I used a Claymore +10 to solo giga Ornstein while two archers stood back and watched. Strength scaling is superb. (And I modeled my character after Clare post-Winter War arc :) )

Claymore's scaling is shit, it and the Zwei are destined to be elemental blades.

[arglebargle]

Don't worry you aren't the only one. I decided to put Demon's Souls on hold because it felt like too much work and I wanted to play Uncharted 2. Now I'm interested in some other games but I intend to come back to it at some point.

i suspect you can say something about what type of gamer people are depending on whether they prefer souls games or uncharted games. im not sure i can formulate it, and im not trying to be a jerk, but i do think there is something there.

[KSai]

Claymore's scaling is shit, it and the Zwei are destined to be elemental blades.

It's only shit if you want to focus on PVP and Zwei's too slow to be fun.

[elfinke]

These games horrible gameplay design. ENEMIES RESPAWN WHEN YOU DIE. Can you believe that? Fucking shit is unreal. It's so cheap. Yeah, I know the animations telegraph what attack they're doing and that I can circle strafe to the right around every enemy for easy mode. I know that. But come on, it's got that Japanese clunkiness where your character has like... weight. You know what weight is in videogames? A physics engine. Frankly, if you're not using Havok then don't even bother because you're just a subpar Mega Man.

Lol, 2/10.

To the OP, the wiki or the paper guide are both marvellous resources (even a let's play YouTube channel), and the game won't be cheapened by you using them. They can warn you all they want about upcoming dangers, but you still have to be good enough to avoid/counter them, and there is reward enough in that. So yes, use those resources, have them open in your lap or whatever.

Otherwise, slow and steady. Every enemy in the game is a piece of cake one on one once you have met them before and ordered from their menu. It's when you aggro several enemies or are pur into a position where you have no choice but to deal with several that trouble occurs.

The only other thing worth mentioning is just being constantly aware of your surroundings; where are the escape routes, which way is back, where are the hidden nooks and crannies, where is the cliff? Be mindful of these things in the same way you are aware of the various routes in your favourite FPS map and your time in Dark Souls will go swimmingly!

[Zaventem]

This thread is hilarious.You have one guy saying it's cheap even after claiming the attacks are all well telegraphed and you have ways to dodge it.You have people who think each weapon should have the same weight..I saved this from official xbox magazine comments section and it describes the OP and some others in this thread perfectly.

Even after all I've said, it bugs me that so many people are enjoying it and I seemingly can't. No other game has done that before. Normally if I see people enjoying a game I hate, I just think they're easily satisfied or have different priorities, but with DS it feels like I'm missing out on something fantastic that I'd love, if there was just some way to see it. It's like those 1990s magic eye pictures, I could never see those buggers

It's sad when i see things like the above and comment similar to "it would be better with easy mode/look how much god of war sold/don't you want more money11!!" makes my blood boil.These people just want their way with everything.Every game doesn't need to cater to everyone and that's something these types of gamers are now realizing.It's similar to this this attitude where some people want co op or multiplayer in every game and they come off as some spoiled smug fucks that need games that catch their interest to always cater to them.

[Mattakuevan]

It's only shit if you want to focus on PVP and Zwei's too slow to be fun.

I agree with this. The claymore is easily my favorite weapon (fuunnnn to use) and I kill people who use zweihanders all the time.

[Frustrated_Grunt]

Use a guide if you need to. It doesn't take away from the game at all. Even if you know the strategy, it's all about execution.

This is what I had to realize to enjoy these games. Really made the game more fulfilling.

[sephi22]

What I did:
- I was a total newbie to Dark Souls. I own Demon's Souls but had barely played it by the time DkS came out.
- Picked a bandit because I liked the axe and the starting gear
- Got the Drake Sword ASAP. Used it for a few hours while pumping points in my STR. As soon as I got to the point where normal weapons did more damage than the Drake Sword, I replaced it.
- Used a winged spear for the next dozen or so hours of my playthrough. Greaxt weapon.
- Got a gravelord sword and eastern armor and that lasted me the entirety of the game.

Its not like im a vet or I played the game 'right'. I did a few things that would raise eyebrows.
- i almost never rolled unless it was absolutely necessary (traps/one hit kills from bosses). My character had medium roll speed, but i could tank so well i didnt need to.
- i never used any spells besides 3: the heal spell, the spell that drastically raises defence, and the pyro spell that raises attack in exchange for constant health loss.
- i beat every boss in the game by getting close and slashing them to death.
- i accidently hit the parish smith and made him aggro, and he was the most important NPC at the time. I spent 2 days grinding out 80000 souls as atonement fee just to stop him from aggroing me.

[Jirotrom]

I think i screwed myself in this game, I leveled up so much at a point that when I want to have coop people help me I dont thing the matching finds anyone for the area that I am in lol

[Mattakuevan]

I think i screwed myself in this game, I leveled up so much at a point that when I want to have coop people help me I dont thing the matching finds anyone for the area that I am in lol

Well that sucks, but to be fair everything can be soloed in this game so you definitely aren't screwed.

[TelemachusD]

If you want to go DEX melee, get a Balder Side Sword. It's a pretty rare drop, but its R1 is fast and low stamina cost, and R2 is a repeatable thrust with great range and a huge damage multiplier. And you can enchant it for extra power.

[KSai]

You can always start over, unless you're really invested in that character and its items.

My favorite weapon was Velka's Rapier. That plus Homing Soulmass in Twilight Anor Londo was plenty of fun. The best duel I ever had was in the rafters of Anor Londo. I like fighting in high places with drops. The bridge with no rails down in New Londo is pretty good too. I knocked a few Darkwraiths into the water there.

[ArynCrinn]

I like fighting in high places with drops. The bridge with no rails down in New Londo is pretty good too. I knocked a few Darkwraiths into the water there.

Had a few fun fights in Tomb of the Giants, in the canyon area, where it ended with me kicking people off cliffs. Always feels good to kick a parry spammer off a cliff or bridge! xD

[Mr_Appleby]

I think i screwed myself in this game, I leveled up so much at a point that when I want to have coop people help me I dont thing the matching finds anyone for the area that I am in lol

how far did you go? Last time I tried at about 136 I was still finding people, though it was a bit slow going.

[ipitydatfu]

if theres a bitch invader thats turtling, shotel that ho

[mickcenary]

Okay. I've been doing some Wiki-in' and it's simultaneously getting me more excited and more apprehensive.

Another daft question: can every class attain and wear super rad, "badass" armour? when it comes down to it, I don't want to be running around in a robe, looking like a nonce.

[Mr_Appleby]

Okay. I've been doing some Wiki-in' and it's simultaneously getting me more excited and more apprehensive. Another daft question: can every class attain and wear super rad, "badass" armour? when it comes down to it, I don't want to be running around in a robe, looking like a nonce.

yep! it might help to think of classes as starting templates, because unlike most other RPGs class here doesn't restrict you in any way. All it does is define your starting stats and equipment, nothing else.

[mickcenary]

yep! it might help to think of classes as starting templates, because unlike most other RPGs class here doesn't restrict you in any way. All it does is define your starting stats and equipment, nothing else.

Grazie! And yep, I've gathered that now. Pyromancer seems like a very good starting point, but if I were to be honest with myself, I'd rather go something that's a bit more "warrior-y". If I can mould myself into that as I progress, then I'll be happy. Ranged attacks seem like something that'd be far too valuable to forego at the beginning.

[Mattakuevan]

Grazie! And yep, I've gathered that now. Pyromancer seems like a very good starting point, but if I were to be honest with myself, I'd rather go something that's a bit more "warrior-y". If I can mould myself into that as I progress, then I'll be happy. Ranged attacks seem like something that'd be far too valuable to forego at the beginning.

You could start as a pyro and put every point into str (please don't do this). You can do anything with any character. The starter classes are mostly for people new to the game as it ultimately doesn't matter what you pick as long as its relatively low level so you can control the growth more.

[IvanI]

1. start game as pyromancer (with key) 2. use wiki guide 3. shield always up 4. ??????? 5. souls

^ pretty much this. Pyro rules! :)

I played both Demon's and Dark Souls for around 60hrs each and loved both of those games.
darksouls.wikidot.com is the best resource out there (and it's accompanying forum) if you're stuck or want a tip on something.
Enjoy the game. One of the best this gen.