Dark Souls - Discussion Thread

[Ethan_Hunt]

Allwyn so you are playing most of the time in the hollow mode? I can see a lot of suicide runs happening. So what is the probable disadvantage of playing the game in hollow mode? Other than the fact that we cannot summon NPCs to help us in boss battles. And being invaded by phantoms.

Yes, I'm mostly in hollow form. There is no direct disadvantage to it, like Demon's Souls (half HP). I was invaded twice in Human form and beat the phantoms and I never used their aid for boss fights, despite being in Human form. So for me, it's not really useful. The only tiny disadvantage is that you can't kindle in hollow form. So if you're at a bonfire and want to kindle, you'll first need to sacrifice one 'Humanity' point to revert to Human form and then kindle. So that's loosing 1 humanity just for turning Human. Apart from that, there is not a huge difference.

I think I can wrap up Dishonored by tomorrow if I can manage to complete two more chapters today. So I guess I can take up this one from Saturday. But there's something else - my parents are coming over next Wednesday and they shall be with me until Sunday afternoon. I don't think I will be able to play during those days.

Of course. Take your time. It seems like I'll be in this thread for a long LONG time, as this game doesn't seem to be ending at all and I have so many more places to visit.

Anyway, I explored most of Sen's Fortress today and managed to take out 2 Titanite demons in the basement. But 2 more still remain and these 2 are in close proximity to each other, so I haven't been able to get an upper hand on them. Plus the muddy area is making it really difficult to move around.

Also managed to snag a few items from Valley of Drakes. To my surprise, I decided to visit the Darkroot basin and take Hydra head-on. Died the first time, as I didn't realise the waterfall had a cut-off point. Got a strategy on my next approach and with a couple of slashes from my Drake sword (now on level 2) managed to finish it off. I'm really lost in Sen's fortress at the moment. Seems to have explored a lot, but can't find the next progress point.

 

[Gannu]

Yeah you cannot go beyond a certain point at the waterfall else you'd plummet to your death. I cannot wait to start the title and find out the perils that are in store!

The only life saver here is the PC's save file backup option.

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Death Diary Entry 43:

Completed Sen's Fortress in-and-out and beat the Iron Golem boss, defeated all the mini-bosses, rescued NPC's and grabbed all loot. Got the kick-ass Lightning Spear and upgraded it to level 3. Currently residing in Anor Londo. Soul Farming seems to be going quite well here. Each giant drops 1500 souls. The Assassin's Creed clan, however, are a royal pain the ass. It only takes 2 swipes of my Drake sword to take them out, but their attacks are lightning fast. Get caught in their 3 way swipe and more than half your health is taken away. Soul level currently rests at 59.

 

[Gannu]

Holt shit that's epic man!

Your next boss fight will be a memorable one - I will not spoil it for you. In case you run into trouble there, summon Solaire of Astora. Good luck!

I shall be starting it tomorrow evening.

 

[Gannu]

So finally, after completing Dishonored I took a short break, saw an episode of The Shield, had dinner and installed Dark Souls. And then the GFWL window shows up! :|

Installed the DSFix 1.7 and thanks to Allwyn, added the SweetFX filter as well. When I loaded the game, I found that the atmosphere was completely dark and I could barely see a thing. Notched up the brightness from the in-game setting to 10. And later, found out that my display’s brightness was set to 0! Increased it to 50, reduced the in-game brightness and all was well. Quickly Alt-Tab’ed back to Windows, loaded Fraps to check the frame rates and the frames were hovering around 59~61. But the annoying part was the black bars at the top and bottom of the display. It appears the game presently supports only displays with 16:9 aspect ratios, did a search on Google and turns out, lot of users were facing this issue which still remains unresolved. Durante plans to fix this later as was mentioned by him in one of the comments. This wasn’t on priority apparently.

Anyways, quickly created a character, chose a female Pyromancer and Master Key as the gift. Spawned at the Undead Asylum, and since I was completely out of touch with the controls, I practiced a bit with those Undead creatures which was more or less lame since they were two shot kills with the axe. Killed the Asylum Demon but missed the plunging attack on it. I plan to take up from scratch once again and get it right. Need to save before the fog door and practice the plunging attack a couple of times. Never died a single time so looks like it’s a good start after all. Killed the demon and quit the game. I did not get transported to Lordran yet.

Allwyn, thanks for the help man. I shall keep you updated on the progress. J

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Status report:

Completed Anor Londo yesterday. This was a really challenging level, especially with those 2 infamous archers near the narrow path between the towers and of course the bosses; Dragon Slayer Ornstein & Executioner Smough. Got the Havel's armour set while I was there and this shit is heavy as hell. This level possibly had the best visuals in the entire game. Leveled up a couple of weapons and armour a well. I need to upgrade the Lightning Spear a bit more, but can't seem to find Titanite chunk around.

The boss fight was an interesting one. I had a really difficult time on my first run, but then, I studied both their pattern. Fat ass Smough was the easiest, as his attacks were slow (but dangerous). Ornstein, on the other hand, was the faster one. I took my time and killed Smough first and was almost about to jump with joy when the cut-scene hit and Ornstein "fused" his powers with Smough. He turned into this huge version with all of his previous move sets and Smough's. I was literally dumb-struck. "This was not fair", I said to myself. I had almost had his health down to half, before the fight, then this happens and his health was replenished. All his attacks had lightning coming out of it and before I knew it, I was squished to death. This really pissed me off. So I decided to change the tactic and went after Ornstein first. Beat after a few tries and then Smough shifted his form. As expected, his original moves made him too slow and I knew every single one of them. I had the Eagle Shield (+2) on me, which was a blessing for this level. It didn't have a full lightning resistance, but was the most stable shield that I used. Almost all the attacks were blocked fully, before my stamina went down. Heck, with Smoughs devastating attacks, I never thought this shield would hold off, but it did. So that and the Drake Sword, let me to my victory. No cheap tactics, no magic, no ranged attacks, this was good old fashioned melee combat.

Now I know how Demon's Souls felt easier. I had restricted my attack to the soul arrow, for most of the game. I wish I had gone melee. Nothing delivers the satisfaction of taking an enemy head-on, memorizing it's moves, dodging them and finishing them off in style. I even performed a signature taunt after this fight ended.

 

[kauzy]

i know @Gannu will be mad at me.. but neways

Can this be played using a KB + Mouse combo

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

i know Gannu will be mad at me.. but neways

Can this be played using a KB + Mouse combo

It can be, but not advisable. This game requires precision and quick dodging, which just feels natural with a controller. Khauji, start this game, only if you think you have enough patience. Else, it would lead to endless frustration, rage quits, sore fingers etc. But if you take your time to understand the game and learn the lessons (like a good Padawan), then this game will be the most enriching RPG experience for you. Let me put it this way - This game separates the men from the boys.

 

[Gannu]

Yeah the game is best played using a controller. And when Allwyn meant precision, there are times when the character is required to be moved inch by inch which is pretty much next to impossible on the KB (I think there's a completely different set of keys - I, J, K & L for those IINM). I'd advise you to pick up a controller and play it if you need to enjoy it kauzy.

This game separates the men from the boys.

I don't think I could have put it any better!

 

[Gannu]

Had some progress this weekend.

Started the game from scratch once again, completed Undead Asylum within 10 minutes, transported to Lordran and quickly took a tour of the Firelink Shrine. Collected some souls and equipment. Wandered into the Valley of Drakes and collected the Astora’s Straight Sword and the Dragon Crest Shield. It was guarded by the Undead Dragon but quietly walked around it and collected the items. Somehow, it came to its senses instantly and waved its paws. Quickly rolled and sprinted avoiding the attack. This was intended to be a suicide run but turned out to be lucky! Ventured into Undead Burg, met the usual zombies and undead soldiers. Slayed Havel the Rock (**** yeah!), defeated the Taurus Demon, collected the Drake’s sword, progressed towards Undead Parish, met and spoke with Solaire of Astora (did not join his Covenant though), killed the black knight atop the tower and did a quick check on the area ahead – armored tusk, elite undead guards, undead soldiers etc. Paused it there.

I wanted the Havel’s Ring at any cost since it reduces the equipment burden by adding an additional 50% to the load. And killing this mother****er took me at least a dozen tries! One single shot and it graced me with the infamous ‘YOU DIED’ screen. A dozen times, I sh1t you not! Determined to slay this guy come what may, I tried various tactics and finally realized that all his attacks can be parried. Provided, we get the timing right. A bit of R&D thanks to the Wikidot help revealed that it is best to equip a small shield since small shields have a greater parry timing window so even a microsecond delay to parry is still forgiven. Ironically, parrying using such a small defenseless piece of equipment does not harm the player, not even a bit – the HP was constant. Equipped the cracked round shield, descended the spiral stairway and he came running towards me. Jumped down the stairway, locked onto him and parried + riposted all his attacks. With the Astora’s straight sword, it took me 10 ripostes to slay this tank. Equipped the ring and opened the door towards Darkroot Basin but did not bother with that area since it was beyond my reach as of my present level.

The next thing was to get the Drake’s sword and although this sword was just a notch better than the Astora’s straight sword I was using before (Drake’s sword damage – 200P + 0M, Astora’s straight sword damage – 80P + 80M), it raises the fire and magical defense plus the dual-wielding downward shockwave slash. However Drake Sword upgrades are far more expensive so I am a bit skeptical concerning the upgrades.

Will possibly complete Undead Parish today if I manage to complete Dexter and Homeland’s new episodes that aired yesterday.

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

However Drake Sword upgrades are far more expensive so I am a bit skeptical concerning the upgrades.

It's not the cost you souls you should be worried about, but rather getting the 'Dragon scales' itself is a huge feat. It's a very rare item and you'd probably have to travel a lot to find this thing. I managed to level it up to +2 and now it needs at least 2 more scales for my next upgrade. I'm now devoting time building up the level of my divine and lightning weapons. It's really good to have all the elemental weapons at your disposal. You never know which one would give you a good advantage in a fight. I need to build the Quelaag's furysword too.

 

[Gannu]

Dragon scales yeah, a rarity indeed. Finding that fine balance between upgrading weapons and leveling up the character is another pain. If I could just manage to complete Undead Parish today and manage to go to Firelink Shrine, I can upgrade the Estus Flask to +2. Let's see how it goes.

Titanite Demon and the Channeler! :ashamed:

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Both are optional at this point. The Channeler is a wuss. You can easily take him down, if you have a long bow. Just get some cover behind a wall and you can easily take him down. Else, you can attack him head on if you have the Drake sword.

 

[sudhanshu123]

Man,you guys are talking like real hardcore gamers,i am so proud to be on TE right now.My hands are full with skyrim currently,but dark souls is the next game on my list.

 

[Gannu]

Couldn't play yesterday thanks to the grocery shopping, dinner and the new episodes that aired. :|

Both are optional at this point.

Even the Channeler? I understand that the Titanite Demon is guarding the route to Darkroot Garden.

Btw the Channeler - is he like the Reaper we encountered in Demon's Souls 4-2? I recall I had a tough time beating that guy initially until I found out that all it took was a couple of arrows to his head to bring him down.

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Couldn't play yesterday thanks to the grocery shopping, dinner and the new episodes that aired. :|

I had wasn't going to play either. I wanted to watch The Shield's remaining 2-3 eps of season 6, but held it off, as I didn't have season 7 off hand and didn't want to break the flow. So I progressed a bit further and placed the Lordvessel in it's rightful slot, which cleared the fog blocking certain areas. I immediately warped to Anor Londo, as I knew the closest fog that cleared was out there. That area led me to Duke's Archives. The enemies out here are really strong, even the weak looking ones. They all seem to have a Crystal shield and a club, which delivers a ton of damage and there is one Channeler in here, who will re-spawn, if you die and revive at the bonfire. But leveled up quite a lot out here.

Even the Channeler? I understand that the Titanite Demon is guarding the route to Darkroot Garden.

Btw the Channeler - is he like the Reaper we encountered in Demon's Souls 4-2? I recall I had a tough time beating that guy initially until I found out that all it took was a couple of arrows to his head to bring him down.

Nah! The reaper would spawn those ghostly minions to help him, this guy has nothing but the soul arrow attack and a few slashes, if you get close to him. He can also warp to another location. Rest assured, he isn't that difficult.

 

[Gannu]

Btw it seems upgrading the Drake's sword isn't worth it at all. For 10,000 souls per upgrade that's bloody expensive not to mention the dragon scales being a rare find. Moreover, the damage does not scale with stats. It appears after level 35, the Drake's sword is useless. OTOH, the Astora's straight sword costs 2000 souls per upgrade and the damage scales with the stats viz. str., dex. and faith. It might be a good idea to grab that from the Valley of the Drakes. You can kill the Undead Dragon using arrows from far off so it wouldn't be bothersome although you can quickly collect the items and roll over to avoid getting killed by the waving paws of the dragon. Do try it and if you have some spare twinkling titanite, use it to upgrade it and check if it helps in Anor Londo.

Now that you've placed the Lordvessel, Kingseeker Frampt would have appeared in the Firelink Shrine. Go there and sell all the unwanted stuff from your inventory. Might earn you some souls.

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Thanks for the tips! I bet you're still reading up that guide. Trust me, it will take a lot of fun away from the exploring. I just use it only when I think I'm done exploring an area and want to double check if I missed anything or if I'm in dire need of a nearest bonfire for the location.

The Duke's Archives trip was extremely fruitful. The Pisaca's were the easiest enemies to farm souls. One trip to them would net you 8.5k souls and it only takes 2 heavy strikes of the Lightning spears so bring them down. Not to mention, this was the ultimate area to farm humanity as well. Equip the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring to boost your item discovery and this area would yield a good amount of Humanity.

Got my level up to 75. I have evenly leveled out Vitality, Strength and Endurance. Dexterity is at 20 and now I'm planning to invest most of the points in Faith and Intelligence, to be able to use the Miracles and Magic aspect too. Got another fire keepers soul and now my Estus flask level is at +3.

Completed the exploring and grabbing all the loot from Duke's Archives. Was about to go to Crystal cave, but planned to warp back to Anor Londo to reinforce my Estus flask with it's fire keeper. Got the Channelers armour set too. Love this game.

 

[Gannu]

I bet you're still reading up that guide. Trust me, it will take a lot of fun away from the exploring.

Yeah I am referring to the Wikidot and Wikispaces guide from time to time. Particularly, for the hidden items and the bonfires so I don’t miss out on any. I wouldn’t want to waste the hard earned souls on useless upgrades either. Frankly speaking Allwyn, I hate to do a second or third run after I’ve already completed a level – it is very very demoralizing to say the least. To lose all the souls and humanity and then quickly run back to the bloodstain to claim those only to fall down to death somewhere midway through and lose everything. This has happened several times before in Demon's Souls. But this doesn’t necessarily spoil the experience since I have no clue of the overall map of the area and its enemies. I’ve stopped referring to the boss guides however. Had a peek much before I had actually started the game to know how badass the bosses in this game is compared to the ones we had encountered in Demon’s Souls.

Talking of progress, completed Undead Parish, slayed the Belfry Gargoyles, rang the first bell, beat the Capra Demon and got the key to the depths. Leveled up my pyro. to 28, upgraded the Astora’s straight sword to +2. Need to source some more twinkling titanite to do any further upgrades to the sword. The titanite demon was raping my arse left right and centre until I figured out the strategy in the third attempt - staying close to the space between his left hand (near the broken foot) and the tail is the perfect spot to land the blows. The moment he decides to make the jump, rolled out of the area to avoid the bash as that takes away a good chunk of the health. Circling the demon and about 7~8 blows with the Drake sword took him down. Managing the stamina without draining it entirely is of the essence. The channeler also managed to kill me once by spamming soul arrows from the top! I wasn’t aware where this guy was located and after killing those elite undead guards I walked straight to the heavy knight guarding the firekeeper’s soul. A few shots of soul arrows and before I could realize he was positioned at the top, I was dead. Came back and shot an arrow to draw the heavy knight outside the church and finished him there. Took cover behind a pillar and a few shots of large arrows from the short bow, the channeler was history. The twin gargoyles were very easy; realized I shouldn’t have summoned Solaire and Lautrec.

These guys almost solo’ed the gargoyles, until I managed to snag the axe from the tail of the first gargoyle and drew the attention of the second one that spawned later. The next big formidable foe was the Capra demon! This guy leaps with his cleavers the moment I enter through the fog door and to make matters worse, the annoying dogs keeps screwing around before I could do anything! I ran up the stairs, the dogs followed, killed them, jumped down the stairs, the demon falls down taking some time to recover his stance. I withdrew my shield and two-handed the Drake’s sword, kept slashing him during this brief period. The moment he recovers, ran up the stairs. Lather, rinse, repeat! I need to keep some stock of arrows now.

I think I’ll head to the Darkroot Garden now.

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Excellent progress man. Looks like you're doing just fine. Were you able to take out the Armoured Tusk in Undead Parish?