Dark Souls

No, it can't, Hydrall. I have to put up with Giant Dads every time I PVP, and if I'm going to suffer like that, you're going to suffer with me.

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

Man, it's incredibly mind-blowing how the game manages to pull off both this insane atttention to detail with its environments, as well as a solid, tightness to its level design.

The Gaping Dragon is...Weird. It's the most fucked up looking boss so far, yet it's absolutely pathetic compared to the gargoyles and the Capra Demon; it's just so predictable. Solaire was completely useless against it, so going at it solo was much easier. Perhaps its a breather, because I hear lovely things about Blighttown.

Afterwards, though, was the first true "I'm an idiot" moment with this game. I tried going back to the bonfire to spend my lovely 25,000 souls, and then got lost. And then I got swarmed by basilisks who then cursed me, and made me lose my souls. Then, as I walked to retrieve my 4 humanity and 25,000, I lost to rat poison.

So I got my health halved, and 25,000 lost. And the funny part is that i didn't have the item that can bring you back to the bonfire...I had two of them and they were equipped. Hahahahahahah.

I hiked back to the church to get my Zweihander ascended, to get un-cursed (I know the old lady in the shortcut sells them too but fuck off, this is half price), and to grind a bit before heading back on to Blighttown. Gotta pump up that Endurance, and stock up on antidotes and purging stones...

Speaking of the purging stone, christ is its item description depressing.

edited 25th Mar '15 11:08:54 PM by mrsunshinesprinkles

"Curry killed the pussy hoping that I could kill the hate in you" - Curry, D. "TABOO | TA13OO." TA13OO, PH, 2018

Welcome to Dark Souls. Prepare to cry.

You know, I feel like the gods of Dark Souls must smile on me or something. I have very little trouble with a lot of the things people rage about. The Anor Londo Archers? I just run right up it, and their arrows never hit me. Apparently, whenever anyone else tries that, they die. Same thing with curses- I've never once been cursed. Maybe I get lucky, maybe my armors have high curse resistance, or maybe I'm just the perfect level of cautious for this game, but I never have that problem.

edited 25th Mar '15 11:12:30 PM by Dragon573

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

What made that loss particularly painful is that, before I lost those souls, I managed to whack a jackoff who wanted to invade me.

I like this game a lot, but I really really don't know whether it is "harsh yet fair" or "completely unreasonable".

Its Death Traps are very twisted Mantlepieces, its checkpoints are fairly spaced, yet tricky to find, its bosses will teach you to dodge towards enemies, and again, it's never unfair if you know of its nuances, but good luck without a guide.

What I can say, however, is that it's a ridiculously polished game, with a ton of thought poured into it. It's a little funny how griefing was made into not only a mechanic, but one that is fully integrated into the lore. Heck, I'm impressed at how every single aspect of this game has an in-universe explanation, even if it can be completely vague.

edited 25th Mar '15 11:19:54 PM by mrsunshinesprinkles

"Curry killed the pussy hoping that I could kill the hate in you" - Curry, D. "TABOO | TA13OO." TA13OO, PH, 2018

@Blighttown: Relevant.

@Blighttown Tips:

• Use Spider Shield. It's really handy there.
• If you weren't in Darkroot Garden yet, consider going there and farming Demonic Foliages(ent-like dudes) for Purple Moss and Blooming Purple Moss. Especially the second one.
• Rusted Iron Ring is nice to have, but not necessarily obligatory if you have a lot of the former.
• If you happen to stumble across a corridor into darkness, don't go there until you have returned from Anor Londo. Let's say the climb back up is a bitch(even though there are some very cool things down there).
• You can exploit the AI of big guys found there to make them fall off ledges if you know how to move. In the instance of first two, it's best to do it rather than risk being bowled off the catwalk.
• Stock up on arrows. Domnhall - the guy in a horned helmet - should be just short of the entrance to Blighttown and he sells some.

@Basilisks: Never had problems with them. Was a couple of close calls, but otherwise they're too squishy to prove a problem - a single firebomb should down them. Also, I think there is some curse-resistant armor 'round before Anor Londo, too.

Now, Anor Londo Archers are just a different story. I think I'm having less problems with them as I had the first time, but they're still troublesome sometimes.

How do lizards fly?

Thank you for that. That song is fucking epic.

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

I have a question about those open areas;

Are the catacombs, and Darkroot Gardens optional? I wanted to explore the hell out of them, but I don't wanna stumble into a dead end, only to realize I have to pray to the goddess of convenience to unlock it.

"Curry killed the pussy hoping that I could kill the hate in you" - Curry, D. "TABOO | TA13OO." TA13OO, PH, 2018

Half of Darkroot is, IIRC; the other half isn't. Catacombs are mandatory and linear.

They call it the Rumour Mill because every time one specific guy posts I definitely feel cards going from my library to my graveyard

It's helpful to do the Catacombs as soon as you are able (bring a blunt weapon such as a mace, preferably with a Divine enchantment), because if you beat the first boss down there, you get the ability to warp between certain bonfires, which is super useful.

However, if you go there and beat the boss before clearing Anor Londo, DO NOT go any further. You will find yourself in a very nasty place with no easy way out.

Nope, you get the ability to kindle bonfires past +1, so you can get more than 10 Estus on them. Warping is after Oreo and Smores.

They call it the Rumour Mill because every time one specific guy posts I definitely feel cards going from my library to my graveyard

alternatively do so because of Rare Miracles and an NPC

but you gotta bE GUD at the game to win those

And then there was silence

Oh, shit, yeah. Why did I think that was the case?

Well, Kindling is still useful :P

The ideal time to venture into Catacombs is IMO right after Blighttown, so you can be prepared for Sen's Funhouse.

@Darkroot Garden: It's good to at least pay a visit to Moonlight Butterfly. It guards Divine Ember which you really want unless you desire to have a bad time in Catacombs. There is a divine weapon you can get for free, but it requires Faith to wield, is a little... tricky to get and, well, kinda lackluster it is.

There are also goodies such as Elite Knight Set and Wolf Ring.

BTW, did you, per chance, square with a guy with a giant mace, in the tower? If you want to go tank, he drops a fairly useful ring that increases your carry weight.

edited 26th Mar '15 6:24:19 AM by FergardStratoavis

How do lizards fly?

Well, I'll go there after beating Blighttown, anyway. Even if that divine weapon is shit, she's still worth it by sole virtue of dropping souls. As long as I don't do something stupid like drop them, everything will be fine. But then, I've lost so many souls...

Noted on the Catacombs. I went and reached the bonfire, but then hiked back, since I'm not used to fighting skeletons, and fuck those pyromancers. The skeleton attack patterns are just so different...

What area is that big guy in? Undead Burg, perhaps? If so, I haven't yet?

I slugged through Blighttown, and reached the entrance to Quelaag's domain (And don't worry, the bonfire nearest to it is lit and kindled). Now I have a glorious Zweihander +7, thanks to those large Titanite Shards. That's wonderful.

I love how the area tells a story in its own way. Blighttown is a collection of decaying wooden platforms and slums, above a poisonous swamp, and at the distance you could see massive ruins cast a shadow on it. Even in the glory days, some people were clearly better off than others.

Whatever ill will I've had with those goddamn toxic arrow archers was washed by the fact that they stay dead. Thank god for that. As for the rest of the enemies, none of them are that bad, and even the fatties are fun to fight in their own way.

edited 27th Mar '15 7:22:59 AM by mrsunshinesprinkles

"Curry killed the pussy hoping that I could kill the hate in you" - Curry, D. "TABOO | TA13OO." TA13OO, PH, 2018

@Pyromancers: That's why you need a Divine weapon. If you kill necromancers, the skellies won't get back up... but it's simply easier to have one to get them off your back.

@Big Guy: The tower that led to Taurus Demon has a door lower, normally locked. If you have a Master Key you can access it right away. Otherwise you will need to fight Moonlight Butterfly to get access to both the key there and to the Divine Ember. Unlocking the tower also grants you a convenient shortcut from Burg to Darkroot Basin.

I... think you can buy the Master Key from Domnhall - he moves to the aqueduct by Firelink Shrine, by corpse where you can find a Ring of Sacrifice - but I'm not too sure of it.

As for the big guy himself, unless you have a kickass shield and lots of Stamina, don't even bother trying to block him. Go as light as possible, roll left and right, backstab if possible.

@Divine Weapon: There's also a fire-resistant shield there, nice if you haven't any Black Knights drop their own. Just... be ready to run away the moment you grab these.

edited 27th Mar '15 7:51:52 AM by FergardStratoavis

How do lizards fly?

I'll keep that in mind when I go back to the catacombs. And won't that be a fun time...Though my faith is pretty damn low, though, so I'm not sure I can use it to its fullest. But the Pyromancers are the worst, so what the heck.

This sounds like an awful lot of trouble for a single trinket, but fuck it, I need that extra carry weight.

Thanks for the shortcut tip; all shortcuts back to the firelink shrine or a nearby bonfire are good.

Any tips for my return to Undead Asylum, by the way? Or are they all mostly the same pathetic shit pissers that I know and love?

And I just beat Quelaag. It's...Bizarre how the best boss tactic is to get as close to them as possible when they attack, but whatever works. Actually, she was surprisingly manageable! The same goes for the Gaping Dragon; both had gaping holes in their attack patterns. I'm starting to wonder if I'm just getting good, or will get my ass promptly stomped by Hornswiggle and Smaug.

"Curry killed the pussy hoping that I could kill the hate in you" - Curry, D. "TABOO | TA13OO." TA13OO, PH, 2018

Trust me- Pocky and Doughnut are not to be taken lightly.

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

@Undead Asylum Tips:

• Don't go through the middle of the courtyard where you fought Asylum Demon. Remember the big thing that you could see at the very beginning of the game walking in some chamber and minding its own business? You're not ready for it.
• Be prepared for two Black Knights in narrow corridors. Thankfully you fight them one at a time.
• The very entrance has four Torch Hollows guarding it. Just thought I'll mention.
• The wrecking ball is still there.

@Super Londo Brothers: The good news is, you can summon Solaire for that fight.

The bad news is, well, they're often cited as game's hardest boss(es) for a reason, only short of DLC bosses and some end-games. Pikachu is weak to fire, Snorlax - to lightning.

How do lizards fly?

I suggest killing Guildensmough first because Rosornstein gives you better stuff (better from my perspective at least).

edited 27th Mar '15 11:59:56 AM by Dragon573

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.

Well, he gives more stuff period, what's with his Leo Ring - which is kinda tricky to use; on top of giving an ability to buy his kickass armor and craft his spear.

Smough provides no Ring, only armor and his hammer - but that is just the kind of weapon you wish for if you're going pure strength.

How do lizards fly?

I'm free to explore all of the game's areas after Blighttown, right? Because I wanna do that.

Noted once again. Though apparently, on top of being a nightmare, their fight is incredibly fun, so looking forward to it.

"Curry killed the pussy hoping that I could kill the hate in you" - Curry, D. "TABOO | TA13OO." TA13OO, PH, 2018

Not yet. Three end-game areas will be locked until you obtain Lordsvessel - which you will after beating Ren and Stimpy.

Before you reach Anor Londo you have to brave Sen's Fortress first, as well.

Also, don't examine the painting once you find one. Can't miss it. Just don't. Do so once you have some levels up.

How do lizards fly?

To Be fair, I personally hit said painting every time, While the enemies hit like a truck, Most of them are fairly squishy but I strongly advise Having some form of ranged attack to deal with the exploding enemy's. And a strong shield for Spooky. Scary. Skeletons.

edited 27th Mar '15 9:28:53 PM by stevebat

Apocalypse: Dirge Of Swans.

it might also help to have a fire elemental weapon and/or pyromancy.

The Abbot and Costello fight is definitely my favorite fight in the original game.

It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.