LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 5, 2016 13:14:11 GMT -5
My all-consuming anticipation has me jumping the gun a bit here. Does anyone here plan to play Dark Souls 3 around launch? I just got the new computer and Fallout 4, so I won't be buying this day one, but I have been camping a spot on my Gamefly list and am hoping to get a copy out of the first wave. If I do, I should be playing by Thursday/Friday of next week. Fingers crossed. I'll be playing on PS4.
I'll be starting with a blind-ish, solo run, most likely favoring a light, fast melee combat build. "-ish" because I've already been dipping into the early gameplay videos and have been gobbling up the reviews. So, I've seen what four of the bosses look like, and I've seen successful front-to-back encounters with two of them. I've also had a couple early secrets spoiled and know the names of several more bosses. Eh, it doesn't really bother me.
Consistent word from the reviews is that it's better than Dark Souls 2, has the fastest combat of the series (though not as fast as Bloodborne), has the coolest roster of enemies of the series and offers a wonderfully realized world that maybe disappoints by either lacking in total scope or being too similar to past game environments. While the individual areas are intricately detailed and designed - perhaps better than any prior entry - the progression of those areas lacks the depth and interconnectedness of Dark Souls 1, while not being quite as linear and thematically disconnected as Dark Souls 2. A final consistent through-line is that on all platforms, and especially on consoles, the game has performance issues, particularly frame drops in certain areas and occasional glitching. Less consistent in the review are the opinions of the new weapon arts, enhanced skills attached to weapons which cost the equivalent of mana, in that some praise the variety they bring to the combat while others feel that they're nice but don't make much of a difference. While the variety and design of the bosses are generally praised, there are a few "gimmick" encounters that, depending on the reviewer, either served as a worthwhile spectacle or disappointed in their "solvability." Multiple reviewers stated that this is the hardest Souls game yet, despite having the easiest ramp up.
Anyway, I'll be back with gameplay reports once it finally drops stateside, and probably a few times before that, too, for more needless rambling.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 5, 2016 13:25:53 GMT -5
Because again, I'm addicted, I've been watching lots of DS1 and DS2 videos lately. Mostly just because I don't see myself catching up with them soon, maybe ever, but I do want to know what they're all about, and also in order to bone up for DS3 in terms of lore and settings. I've watched a smattering of lore videos as well as All Boss Speed Runs for both games, including the DLC. Those are a fun way to see all the bosses, arguably the most signature and talked about element of any Souls game, but they do a terrible job of showing off the world. Both Dark Souls 1 and 2 look positively massive in scope compared to Bloodborne, but that could be just because I'm familiar with and can wrap my head around that one, while the others have just passed me by in waves of rolls and perfectly aimed cliff-falls.
I thought for a second to watch a full 100% completion Let's Play, but that's hours and hours of video and, uh, no.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 7, 2016 12:36:34 GMT -5
I should just get it, right? What's $60 in the long run? I've made the mistake of watching some PC build footage running at 60fps, and it looks so good. Noticeably better than the still-beautiful console version, which is locked at 30fps.
No... PC game prices come down fast. I can hold out.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 11, 2016 8:38:49 GMT -5
My throat's getting itchy. I think I feel a cold coming on.  |
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Post by Lone Locust of the Apocalypse on Apr 11, 2016 12:25:54 GMT -5
Fuck it, I'm buying it this week.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 12, 2016 9:11:33 GMT -5
So I never said, but over the past few days I actually started playing Dark Souls. The first one. Prepare to Die edition. I picked it up cheap on Steam sale forever ago, and I've bounced off it a couple times. But, and maybe this is just the desperation, this time it's really stuck, and I'm having a blast.
Got the first Bell of Awakening, cleared out the Depths, and I've been messing around in the Darkroot Garden and Basin before tackling Blighttown, which I know only by reputation is an awful, awful place to be. I beat the Moonlight Butterfly and the Hydra, but I died in this forest area with a bunch of shielded knights. Not those sleeping guys. Those are chumps. I mean the knights that are kind see-through and are assisted by a bunch of those plants.
Maybe I'm just more patient now, or maybe my chops are finally where they need to be, because while I've died many, many times, the game doesn't feel all that hard so far, and certainly not as difficult as something like Bloodborne. Granted I'm early still, but take the bosses:
Asylum Demon - 1 try
Taurus Demon - 1 try
Bell Gargoyles - 2 tries
Capra Demon - 2 tries (the first of which is such a "What the fuck?!" moment that I don't even want to count it)
Gaping Dragon - 2 tries
Moonlight Butterfly - 1 try
Hydra - 2 tries (because I walked too far forward and fell off)
Bloodborne put up much more severe numbers. Took me 7 tries just to beat Father Garage Band, the first required boss. My play style has been all melee (haven't bought a pyromancy or miracle or boosted those stats at all), with a combination of rolling and turtle-ing. My Halberd+5 and I are doing just fine for now.
I'll keep after it, but of course this run will stop the second that Dark Souls 3 arrives.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2016 7:16:12 GMT -5
There's a boss called the "Gaping Dragon"?  |
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 13, 2016 8:59:33 GMT -5
There's a boss called the "Gaping Dragon"? Not a euphemism. |
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Post by Lone Locust of the Apocalypse on Apr 13, 2016 9:10:45 GMT -5
There's a boss called the "Gaping Dragon"?  DAMN STRAIGHT THERE ISThe movie "Teeth" took a really weird turn near the end. |
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 13, 2016 9:15:07 GMT -5
DS1 talk:Man, those fucking cat things!
Anyway, played for a long time last night, but I didn't get a lot done, because it was one brutal encounter after another: the forest hunters, the cat things and Sif, which is such a beautiful and strange encounter. Sif was the hardest boss fight so far, taking me I think 6 or 7 tries to beat. I almost conceded on spending two humanity to kindle the nearest bonfire, but I'm glad I held out, because my final run against him I didn't even take a hit. In true Souls-borne fashion, eventually you develop your reflexes and the whole thing just clicks. Eager to tie up loose ends, I tried to go back and see if I could do anything about that red dragon on the bridge, and I did finally make it to the bonfire beneath him, but then he disappeared and won't come back. So, uh, I guess that's that. So, I guess Blighttown next? I could also take a closer look at New Londo Ruins and Valley of the Drakes, both of which stomped me pretty quickly when last I visited. DS3 talk:
Good review over on TOC. The consensus across this review and several others is that DS3 is a very solid entry in a series that is beginning to suffer from familiarity and franchise fatigue, all the more so since this game brings back several characters from DS1 and makes both veiled and overt references to all of the other Souls titles, even Bloodborne. While valid, that is the criticism of a hardcore fan, someone who has already lived and breathed DS1 and DS2, and probably Demon's Souls, too. That is not me. I hope one day that will be me, but right now, if I haven't seen it, it's new to me, and I'm stoked as hell that all the other elements - gameplay, world design, presentation, story - are possibly the best they've ever been. Small chance I'll get the game in the mail today, and if not, a great chance tomorrow. Though, if it was today that would be awesome, since Mrs. Snape is out late this evening. I'd have the TV to myself once I got baby to bed.
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Baron von Costume
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Post by Baron von Costume on Apr 13, 2016 10:50:30 GMT -5
Did the DS1:prepare to die edition ever get patched to include customizable keyboard etc or is it still a mess of a console port that requires fan made patches?
I'd like to try it and I bought it when it was 5 bucks but that was a wall for me the one time i tried.
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Baron von Costume
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Post by Baron von Costume on Apr 13, 2016 11:30:09 GMT -5
Did the DS1:prepare to die edition ever get patched to include customizable keyboard etc or is it still a mess of a console port that requires fan made patches? I'd like to try it and I bought it when it was 5 bucks but that was a wall for me the one time i tried. The former, unfortunately. You're gonna want those fan-made patches. Meh, it's going to stay low on the priority list then sadly. |
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 13, 2016 11:30:26 GMT -5
Did the DS1:prepare to die edition ever get patched to include customizable keyboard etc or is it still a mess of a console port that requires fan made patches? I'd like to try it and I bought it when it was 5 bucks but that was a wall for me the one time i tried. Honestly I can't imagine playing the game with keyboard/mouse. It fits so naturally on controller. Even if playing on PC, it's worth investing in a controller to make the thing playable. So I didn't mess with any of that, obviously, but I did add on a few visual mods and upgrades. It doesn't look like a modern game or anything, but it's at least as nice looking as Dark Souls 2 now, which also helps me a lot at getting into it. |
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 14, 2016 8:27:12 GMT -5
DS3 Talk: It didn't come yet.  DS1 Talk: Blighttown was not so bad. Like, I died several times, but I expected a spammier, more bullshit type of difficulty based on reputation. The fact that those blow dart guys don't respawn makes a world of difference. Chaos Witch Quelaag was a pushover. Really slow moving and easy to dodge all of her attacks except for the purple burst thing, which did a ton of damage. I found the Demon Ruins, but I also know I can now get into that castle that Siegmeyer was hanging out at. Edit: Oh, and I did go to Valley of the Drakes briefly and killed that zombie dragon, which was mostly effortless but took a long time.
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Post by Lone Locust of the Apocalypse on Apr 14, 2016 9:53:37 GMT -5
It's finally mine!
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 15, 2016 9:45:10 GMT -5
DS3 Talk:
It begins!!!
First off, beautiful game. Yeah, the first couple areas are very gray, but everything is so lovingly detailed, and the vistas are gob-smacking. First impression of the combat is that it is fast. Very fast. Reviewers who've described the game as "faster than Dark Souls, but not as fast as Bloodborne" are wrong. It's absolutely as fast as Bloodborne, only it still utilizes Dark Souls mechanics in terms of the very limited stamina bar and "fat roll" and etc. It's an interesting challenge, because the enemies feel as aggressive as Bloodborne enemies, but you the player don't feel rewarded for matching that aggression in kind.
I got through the tutorial area nearly unscathed, besting both the crystal lizard and the Iudex Gundyr on my first tries, but then I started doing some plentiful dying both at Firelink Shrine (you'll know why) and in the first real area of the game. I was really digging my halberd in DS1, so I dropped some coin at Firelink to get one for this game, too. It plays about the same, but because I haven't built my stats up yet, I'm not waging the kind of devastation I'm used to. In a word, I feel weak.
Positives of the first two hours: looks great, seems to play great, already has its hooks in in terms of storytelling, had a couple satisfying "fuck me" moments
Ambivalence of the first two hours: there are more stats than in either DS1 or Bloodborne, so there's some option paralysis there, and now stamina and load weight are different stats. That's just mean.
Negatives of the first two hours: you have to teleport to the first big area from a bonfire. You can't walk there. Exploring the Firelink Shrine I do get the impression I may be able to walk back eventually, but there was something slightly deflating about warping into an area for the first time. I'm totally cool with teleporting between bonfires generally, but it's the teleporting to an all new area without having to have discovered the bonfire there first the old fashioned way. Feels different. Less interconnected.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 15, 2016 9:54:58 GMT -5
While I will putting as much of my available gaming time toward DS3 as I can, I was loving the shit out of DS1 and will not be abandoning that run. See, I'm playing DS3 on PS4 which is hooked up to our only TV in the living room. This is a public space. I can't have it all the time. Meanwhile, I'm playing DS1 on my PC which is in the office and really only I use, so nights when Mrs. Snape wants the TV late, I'll probably be playing DS1 still.
I'm probably going to burn out.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 19, 2016 9:12:09 GMT -5
DS1 Talk:
Sen's Fortress is a masterclass in the Souls series' very precise relationship with difficulty. It is challenging, sometimes it's just plain mean, but it rewards careful play, and once you get the hang of a challenge, it's rare that you'll screw up there again. In total I probably died more in Sen's Fortress than any other area, but I never felt discouraged or cheated. I always knew exactly how I goofed and had at least one idea of what I could do differently. If I'm honest, and as with Blighttown I could be responding to reputation here, the level was easier than anticipated, and certainly a lot shorter. The challenges were about what I expected - dodge this swinging blade, now do it with a dude on your ass, now outrun this boulder, etc. - but except for a few really tricky bits in the middle interior, I made quick progress and was surprised to be at the boss so quickly.
I was also surprised to take down the Iron Golem on my first go. I think this was a case of having the right build for the occasion. 100% physical reduction shield, lots of stamina, fast roll. He took awhile, but there was nothing particularly difficult about him.
Though, I do need to go back, as I am sure I missed some treasure. When scuttling around the exterior areas near the end I saw at least one giant I couldn't find, so I have to believe he's there for a reason. Also, once I fell in the pit and saw one of those blue dudes that shoots lightening. He wouldn't be there if it wasn't possible to kill him, right? Have to go back and find a safe way down. Only right now I'm too in love with...
...Anor Londo. Holy crap, what a beautiful level. A vast, untouched city apparently spared of the Undead Curse, yet still curiously abandoned. I was super afraid of those massive knights, who seem to leave you alone unless you aggro, but then I finally took the plunge and they're actually kind of chumps. As long as you only have to fight one at a time. I got stuck for awhile before finally realizing that I had to walk along a stretch of roofing to proceed. That's another very Souls thing, using the environment in weird and un-telegraphed ways like that.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 19, 2016 9:51:32 GMT -5
DS3 Talk: My game time is around 14 hours now and I'm really loving it. In terms of overall feel I am reminded more of Bloodborne than Dark Souls 1. I am making steady progress, but it has been a hard fight for every inch. The combat is barbarically fast most of the time, and most of the bigger brawler-type enemies have vicious 4-6 hit combos which will certainly eliminate my shield and usually just knock me out at the same time. While I lamented warping to the first big area, so far that has been the only time it has been required, and all other areas have been connected since then, though for all their twisting paths, they've stayed contained within themselves. So like, area A might lead to area B and area C, but area B and C won't connect. At least I haven't run into anything like that. In this way it's fairly similar to Bloodborne, and if I run into any of those B-C type connections, then it'd be exactly like Bloodeborn, with the Firelink Shrine replacing the Hunter's Dream. I think if it feels different structurally, it's because Bloodborne was largely about exploring a big city, and then finally getting into the outskirts, whereas so far Dark Souls 3 is all about moving forward. Gameplay-wise I'm sticking to my halberd knight for now, though now he's a +5 Refined Halberd knight. I compromise on the armor to keep my speed up. I'm much more dependent on the roll than in Dark Souls 1, though still very thankful to have the shield. I've found all the expected magic teachers, but I haven't used any pyromancies, spells or miracles. That's how I always am. I never play casters in any RPG. General non-spoiler thoughts: - The world and monster designs have been uniformly terrific. Only now, in what I suppose would be the fourth major game area, am I starting to feel some gray fatigue. It looks so much like Bloodborne. I am starting to yearn for a wow moment like Anor Londo, where if nothing else, everything is clean. - The maps are HUGE, way bigger than in any of the other games I have played. - Still suffering some decision paralysis when it comes to leveling up. Even dropping multiple stats for my non-casting character, I still feel like I'm neglecting half my options. - I've enjoyed the five bosses I've faced, and have not encountered one of the "trick" bosses I've read about ... that, or I just didn't realize the trick and ended up doing it the hard way. Death counts on bosses have ranged from 0-5. - Because I've been playing DS1, I'm used to bosses just being what they are. Some are hard, some are not, but they stay the same for the whole fight. DS3 has taken a play from the Bloodborne playbook, and now bosses go ham at about half health. In most cases, it's a dramatic difference. Okay, let's get real. Location and boss names from here on out:
Soul Level: 41
Bosses defeated: Iudex Gundyr, Vordt of the Boreal Valley, The Curse-Rotted Greatwood, Stray Demon (callback!), Crystal Sage
So now I feel stupid, but the elevator "puzzle" in the Undead Settlement when you first meet Siegward actually stumped me, and I ended up heading much further afield, deep into the Road of Sacrifices all the way to Farrom's Outside Keep or that area before facing The Curse-Rotted Greatwood. But I just couldn't get over this feeling that I'd missed something - or actually a lot of things, because there are so many locked doors in the Undead Settlement. I didn't believe the game would make me travel that far without a boss or would not end a level as complex as the Undead Settlement without one, so I went back and then figured it out right away. At first the 2nd half of the Greatwood fight felt hopeless, as he would just stomp me with a 3 hit combo right away and I could barely hurt him. Then I finally figured out a slow play strategy and found the weak spots, and he got real easy real quick. Still, stunning boss.
Actually, in terms of fighting boss-like creatures, my first attempt triumph over that frost sword guy at the base of the elevator (right before Road of Sacrifices) was the proudest accomplishment. Cant' believe I pulled that one out.
I like the swamp area. That's a good design with a bit of variety and several paths to take. Those big crabs are tough but fun. Unfortunately I stumbled upon the Crystal Sage unexpectedly and lost almost 10,000 souls. His first form is so easy, I thought I had it in the bag, but I forgot about the change, and his 2nd form is a motherfucker. Finally beat him by managing to stun lock him in his first form until he was very, very nearly dead. Only had to hit him once in his 2nd form to finish the job, which is a challenge in itself.
Let's see: the poison swamp is miserable in that classic Souls kind of way. Way worse than Blighttown or the Nightmare Frontier. Just long and wide and hard through and through, with several unique monsters that are virtually guaranteed deaths the first time you encounter them. I tried maybe 10 times to beat one of those dudes wielding the tree and casting red skulls at you. And I never did succeed. Finally had to accept that I'd miss that treasure for now and needed just to stay clear. Though, for all its challenge, actual poison is pretty tame in this game. My life got a lot easier when I realized I could stop stressing about it and just let myself be poisoned while I explored.
Anyway, again, I got to Farrom's Keep (or outside of it), but that's when I decided I wanted to try to tie up some loose threads and I went back and found the Greatwood and managed to beat the Crystal Sage. For some reason, I think just the way it's presented, I expected the Crystal Sage to be an optional boss, but unless I find another shortcut, he's definitely required, and beyond him is where I'm at right now: the Cathedral of the Deep. Very tough area. Brutal, long and persistent in its antagonizing behavior. You'll think, they just did the whole thief sneak up on you routine in the last room, they won't do that again. They will. And again, and again. And the bleed enemies. Crap!!!
Found the first shortcut, and now I'm facing the interior, which is visually stunning. I don't know if the big monster is Aldrich himself or if that's just another guy, but man is he impressive and intimidating. They way he just watches you. Like, God of War is the only other game series I know that plays with scale like this.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 19, 2016 13:20:42 GMT -5
DS1 Talk:
...Anor Londo. Holy crap, what a beautiful level. A vast, untouched city apparently spared of the Undead Curse, yet still curiously abandoned. I was super afraid of those massive knights, who seem to leave you alone unless you aggro, but then I finally took the plunge and they're actually kind of chumps. As long as you only have to fight one at a time. I got stuck for awhile before finally realizing that I had to walk along a stretch of roofing to proceed. That's another very Souls thing, using the environment in weird and un-telegraphed ways like that. I am really, really excited to read your thoughts on Anor Londo. That place is JAM-PACKED full of secrets and awesomeness. Explore everything, and don't forget to Praise the Sun! It's shaping up to be one of my favorite areas based on its looks. The haunting emptiness almost looks wrong. As if the devs meant to populate it more but forgot, and then found a certain beauty in its abandonment. I'll have to be extra careful looking for secrets. There was room with the big chandelier and the mural that I thought I could maybe get to the floor with a couple well placed jumps and/or falls, but when I last went through that room I had a bunch of souls stored up and didn't want to risk a stupid death. Those souls have since been lost to some heavy archer sonsofbitches and the risk is lower, so maybe I'll go give it a try. Am at the point where even a single level takes quite a lot of souls, and if I don't have enough for even one level, I don't mind the loss so much. The "all boss speed run" I watched didn't show me much of anything about the geography of the map, or I don't remember it because I mostly just skipped to the fights, but I do remember that this is where I'll find the infamous Ornstein and Smough. Not looking forward to that. |
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 20, 2016 9:10:02 GMT -5
DS3 Talk: Not much for the non-spoiler crowd today: - I encountered a really neat boss fight unlike anything I have played in either Dark Souls 1 or Bloodborne. Really made me think about my equipment and strategy, but it was not a gimmick fight at all. In fact, it's the hardest boss I've yet faced. Terrific visuals, terrific idea, just great stuff. - In classic Souls fashion, I have no idea how much of what I've done I actually had to do to complete the game. Of course I want to do everything, but there have been maybe three boss fights now that had me thinking, "Wait, did I have to do that at all?" One I'm almost certain was optional, and the other two I'm really not sure. - The enemy roster is jam-packed with uniques and rares, and more of them respawn than I was expecting. It's exhilarating. Going out of your way to pick up even the most insignificant treasure, you'll often find yourself under siege by some one-of-a-kind mutant dong. Also, you know those really beefy, non-respawning knights in DS1 that drop titanite shards provided they don't wreck your shit first, yeah, lots of those. And they come back. And they're just as hard if not harder. - That said, I've got a basic combat rhythm that works on almost every human-shaped enemy. Not always, and I still die sometimes, but if I've got some room to maneuver and time to get myself in sync, I can usually handle those knights on the first try. Unless there's two of them ... or three. - Really just across the board the game is very hard. I feel like I encounter high level enemies more often than in the others I've played, status damage like bleed and poison are more common, and bleed in particularly is fucking brutal. - The Firelink Shrine is a triumph over something like The Hunter's Dream. Seems like every time I go back there is a new NPC there to talk to, to drop some story, to make veiled threats. And they move around, which is fun. - Finally, the furthest area I've reached, of which I've only just scratched the surface, I can't help but be disappointed by. It's a really overdone concept for a setting, especially after Bloodborne, and it's not doing anything visually to make the environment feel fresh. Again, that may improve as I move further into it, but I am starting to "get it" now with that whole complaint against the game. I'm starting to ache for some color. Okay, let's do it. Spoilers ahead:
Soul Level: 50
Bosses Defeated (since last report): Deacons of the Deep, The Abyss Watchers
Deacons of the Deep is the boss fight I referenced above. Here I was all amped up to fight Aldrich, and instead was faced with this mob of cultists that move just slowly enough to lure you in before smacking the crap out of you horde-style. The presentation, with the deacons dressed in all black, the massive altar, and the emotionless way they saunter toward you - not aggressive, just resolute - is fantastic. And it's a hard fight, too. I had a hell of a time. First I couldn't figure out how to hurt them at all, then when I finally got it to the 2nd phase I got cursed to death four times in a row. You can stop the curse meter from going up for a time, but that's a losing battle, because it gains so much faster than it recedes. Once phase 2 starts, the only option I see is to damn the risk and try to win as fast as possible.
While I lamented the brown/gray color scheme yesterday, and still do feel that way, Cathedral of the Deep is really an awesome level. Tough but fair, with several branching paths and lots of different enemies to tackle. The final area before the boss, which is the massive room with the two chained giants, is staggering in its scale, and is the kind of thing that this game is doing really well. Those guys are pretty easy to fight, by the way. Even though it's deep water, if you get under their legs, you probably won't even take a hit, and they don't have as much health as you'd think.
For defeating the Deacons you get a small doll, which unlocked dialogue from the Crestfallen Warrior regarding the Abyss Watchers at Farron Keep. This is probably supposed to invite the player on to the next big slog through the poison swamp around the Keep, but as I said yesterday, I already did all of that. In fact, I did more of it than I even realized. I teleported to the furthest bonfire I had in the Road of Sacrifices and was at the next boss in a matter of minutes. Outside the door of the keep I heard what I thought was the sound of rolling boulders and swinging blades. I thought Farron Keep was going to be a Sen's Fortress homage, but no. The sounds I was hearing was actually of an ongoing swordfight between two Abyss Watchers.
This boss seemed incredibly challenging at first, and he smoked me in his 2nd phase the first go round, but I got the rhythm quickly and beat him on my second go. By playing patiently and waiting out my hits. I'm interested in the lore behind this creature, as I don't understand why the Abyss Watchers were fighting themselves. Also, random note: this boss is criminally similar to the Maria of the Clocktower boss from the Bloodborne DLC. Anyway, I beat it/him/them and got my first Lord Soul. Now into the Catacombs of Carthus, which is the area I referenced above as lacking imagination, especially as a Bloodborne fan who has already slogged through the very similar chalice dungeons.
More random notes:
- I've just realized I've been collecting hollowing. My hollowing is up to 99, presumably maxed out, but I have no idea what that means or does. It doesn't appear to be hurting me ... yet!
- The weapon progression is much slower than in Dark Souls 1. I've played a good chunk of game and only have a +4 Refined Halberd to show for it. By what I feel is a similar point in DS1, I had a +10 Halberd and could have infused that further if I chose. I have a bunch of infusion gems and different types of titanite, but a more basic item like Large Titanite Shard has been painfully hard to come by.
- I think maybe the idea is to have lots of different weapons with different infusions for different situations. Since you can't reinforce armor, all resources can go towards weapons, shields and pyromancies. I think that's their way of saying it makes sense to have multiple weapons which are significantly upgraded, rather than just pathing out one or two. I actually upgraded another Halberd up to +3 with the intention of infusing it, but then the one infusion I thought might be helpful (divine/blessed) vs. the Deacons I didn't have a gem for. So it's just sitting there for later use. Also upgraded my bow to +3, because why not.
- On the other hand, improvements to both your Estus flask allotment and strength come more quickly, presumably because that now manages two resources. I'm already up to 10 flasks (started at four) and have a level 4 bonfire (flask +3).
- I have found one illusory wall, near the Old Wolf of Farron. Worth finding, too, because you get some umbral ash to widen the hand maiden's store.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 21, 2016 9:00:33 GMT -5
DS1 Talk: So there's this bit in Anor Londo where you're climbing a narrow stretch of roofing while heavy archers fire at you from both sides, and if you get hit at all you're likely to fall and die. This is the hardest thing I have encountered in Dark Souls. This little bit of level design. Harder than any boss or miniboss. Harder than anything in Sen's Fortress. Harder than the forest hunters. Harder than any other encounter period. I only played DS1 for about 30 minutes last night, and I spent that 30 minutes dying right here over and over again. I did finally manage to best it by breaking left first and tricking the one knight to run off the edge, then dodging each arrow on the long span back to the other knight, who I by the grace of the sun managed to best in combat on that little ledge. But by this point I had over 50,000 souls, because the enemies preceding this encounter are worth over 5,000 per run and I'd been so fortunate to recover my souls each time. So what did I do? I went back to the bonfire and leveled up. 50k is just too much to risk. Only now I'm back where I started, failing to pass this same goddamn encounter. DS3:
Keeping it short today, as I haven't accomplished much. General non-spoiler thoughts: - I've already talked about the game's alleged lack of visual variety, which unfortunately I've grown to agree with, but in pre-release discussions I heard more than one reviewer mention the game having at least one real "wow" moment in terms of its world design. I thought I had maybe already seen it a couple areas back, certainly there was something that impressed the hell out of me, but no. Last night I'm certain I reached "the moment." Holy crap! Wow! - The current stretch of game I'm on is very linear. The early areas of the game offers lots of different paths to take and even allow you to complete whole areas in different orders, similar to other Souls games. DS3 may open up again, but right now I'm the only place I can possibly be, and the path is forward. (This assumes I haven't missed areas, which of course is possible). - Havel's Ring is the best. 5,000 bucks and a boss soul is a bargain for such a handy item. - So armor in DS3 is a middle ground between armor in previous DS titles and armor in Bloodborne. It cannot be refined, the stats are what they are, like in Bloodborne, only the impact of their various defenses are much more impactful, like in Dark Souls. Overall, I'm playing it like Bloodborne, however. I have a set 4 pieces that I wear for general dungeon crawling, and then I sometimes change out to meet specific elemental needs of a boss or area. Given the number of character stats at play and the number of different weapon infusions available, I actually appreciate that they've kept armor relatively simple. Spoiler thoughts below:
Soul Level: 53
Bosses Defeated (since last report): High Lord Wolnir
- If you haven't reached this point yet, it'll be obvious as soon as you do: Irithyll of the Boreal Valley is the "wow" moment. Now that was a welcome shift.
- The kindled/unkindled mechanic is pretty frustrating, since the kindled status is so fragile and easy to lose. Especially in a level like Irithyll, where the first thing most players will probably do after defeating Wolnir (and admiring the scenery) is die to that alligator-dog thing. I bet hardly any players best that thing on their first try.
- High Lord Wolnir was one of the "trick" bosses, I guess, which doesn't mean he wasn't difficult. Took me six tries even though it was fairly obvious from the start what I needed to do. Doing it was a whole other matter, though it got better once I realized that standing close to him = almost instant death.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 25, 2016 8:58:27 GMT -5
When I say I'll keep it brief, for once I mean it.
DS1 Talk:
I beat Ornstein and Smough on my 3rd try. *brushes shoulder off* I had much more trouble with their level than I had with them. My first run at the Four Kings was pretty abysmal (get it), but then I changed tactics to go all out on damage, no shield, no caution, and managed to always kill the current king before the next one appeared. One on one they're pretty damn easy.
DS3 Talk:
I've reached a pretty serious difficulty spike, which I confirmed is not just me by the agreements of our TOC brethren in last week's "What You Playin' This Weekend" thread. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. The rock is a ridiculously fast and aggressive boss who my attacks barely scratch and who can cut me down in about three blows. Speaking in terms I understand, it's like the speed of phase 2 Martyr Logarious with the damage of Orphan of Kos. The hard place is just that, a really hard dungeon with health sapping enemies that are wrecking me. For the first time in my run, I had to spend time on my last play session just grinding levels, which takes forever in this game (at least with my options, because I can't find a really great leveling run anywhere).
It's funny that I sometimes find myself pining for DS1, because it's like taking a breather after DS3.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 28, 2016 14:40:17 GMT -5
DS1 Talk:
What's an average completion time for this game? I'm sitting around 32 hours, and I've got two more Lord Souls to go plus whatever you do after that. The Duke's Archives were pretty cool. Another example of good variety in this game's level design, with very slight puzzle elements and a nice visual aesthetic that was different from anything else. The Seath the Scaleless fight was super dumb for a long time, because I didn't realize I had to take out that thing first, so I thought I needed to be doing magic damage or something. I kept having to quickly rifle through my inventory all while trying to not die. At least he was slow, and once I did figure it out I managed to beat him on my first try. Well, second try, but I get the impression the first is impossible.
Demon Ruins have been alright. Nothing too hard. I wonder are these Capra Demons actually weaker in terms of HP vs. the original boss form, or am I just that much stronger. Ceaseless Discharge was kind of tough. Four tries. Demon Firesage was annoying. Like after the Asylum Demon and Stray Demon? Really?
That's where I'm at.
DS3 Talk:
I have to keep reminding myself about the first time I played through the Forgotten (Forbidden?) Woods in Bloodborne. To remember the sheer difficult of that place and how hopeless it seemed at times. How I thought I would never go on. I tell myself these things when I lose all hope in the face of DS3's considerable challenges. It takes a turn for the wicked once you reach Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, with the hardest enemies, the hardest encounter designs and hardest bosses I've faced so far. I literally lost to the first boss you face in Irithyll five times before I ever landed a hit.
But you know what? When I finally beat him? I barely even took one! Had to do everything differently for that guy, but it worked. Then finally I got to Aldrich, and he was tough. He was real tough, but not like the first boss. PatBat, without getting spoilery, I'll just say that I can't wait to hear you one day report on your feelings in the moments leading up to the Aldrich fight. It's so perfect!
I have this terrible feeling that I'm missing stuff. Like, of course I'm missing stuff, but gleaning from conversations over on TOC and some other stuff I've seen, I believe I must have missed some paths in Irithyll. I know of at least one boss - Dancer of the Boreal Valley - that I haven't found that I can't imagine would be anywhere but here, and there are supposed to be at least 3 more of those crocodile things that I haven't found. The only place left for me to go is the Profaned Capital. I mean, I guess Vordt wasn't in Irithyll, so the dancer doesn't have to be either.
I should stop worrying and just see where it takes me.
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 28, 2016 15:08:41 GMT -5
DS1: I knew you'd handle Orns & Smuh no trouble. Who'd you kill first, out of curiosity? And congrats on figuring out the Four Kings, it took me like a dozen tries at that fight before I figured out that it was a pure DPS race. I always think of the Duke's Archives as being the second great difficulty spike in the game, those crystallized Hollows just hit so damn HARD if you let them. And those invisible paths in the crystallized forest? JEEZ. Isn't Sieglinde the best character ever, though? The boss of the Demon Ruins is the single least-fun boss of the entire "Souls-borne" series, and summoning will not do anything to help. Just grit your teeth & get through it. I believe in you! DS3: My compy should be built sometime next month, and literally the first thing I'm doing is downloading III from Steam. SO. CLOSE. Yeah, the first time I fought the Kings I was very cautious, but as soon as even one extra King joins the fight it goes to shit so quickly. I killed Ornstein first. And with a pure melee, no magic build like mine, I don't know how I could possibly kill Smough first. Ornstein would eat me alive for just thinking about going in for an attack on Smough. I will say, difficulty aside, it's not a very fun fight. My successful round took at least 10 minutes. Maybe 15. And the first big chunk of that is all back up, back up, back up, take a stab, back up, back up, back up, dodge, run to other side of room and pray that Ornstein dashes, oh he didn't this time, okay, back up, back up, back up. It takes forever and it's not very fun. I can understand why it's infamous. Because this is a development studio that thinks everything through, I'm not surprised that your reward for beating O&S is seeing a big pair of knockers. Yeah, I didn't mention the Crystal Cave. That place is shitty. I fell to my death six times. By the grace of the sun, I managed to always recover my souls before the next inevitable fall. The ability to recover humanity is huge. Yeah, you still have to spend another one to reverse hollowing, but in DS3 the equivalent mechanic is just gone. Your kindling and all its benefits are lost when you die, and they cannot be recovered. Unless you spend an ember, of which there are a limited number. It'd be nice if maybe you could pick up an ember along with your souls if you died while kindled, but then, this is Dark Souls, and "nice" has nothing to do with it. |
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LazBro
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Post by LazBro on Apr 28, 2016 15:22:29 GMT -5
Yeah, the first time I fought the Kings I was very cautious, but as soon as even one extra King joins the fight it goes to shit so quickly. I killed Ornstein first. And with a pure melee, no magic build like mine, I don't know how I could possibly kill Smough first. Ornstein would eat me alive for just thinking about going in for an attack on Smough. I will say, difficulty aside, it's not a very fun fight. My successful round took at least 10 minutes. Maybe 15. And the first big chunk of that is all back up, back up, back up, take a stab, back up, back up, back up, dodge, run to other side of room and pray that Ornstein dashes, oh he didn't this time, okay, back up, back up, back up. It takes forever and it's not very fun. I can understand why it's infamous. Because this is a development studio that thinks everything through, I'm not surprised that your reward for beating O&S is seeing a big pair of knockers. Yeah, I didn't mention the Crystal Cave. That place is shitty. I fell to my death six times. By the grace of the sun, I managed to always recover my souls before the next inevitable fall. The ability to recover humanity is huge. Yeah, you still have to spend another one to reverse hollowing, but in DS3 the equivalent mechanic is just gone. Your kindling and all its benefits are lost when you die, and they cannot be recovered. Unless you spend an ember, of which there are a limited number. It'd be nice if maybe you could pick up an ember along with your souls if you died while kindled, but then, this is Dark Souls, and "nice" has nothing to do with it. What reward you get for the Orns & Smuh fight depends on who you kill last, so I always kill Orns first on NG and save Smuh for NG+. Ultimately it doesn't matter, both of their respective armor sets and weapons are pretty useless for DEX builds (which is what I usually am, don't tell anybody!) but if you decide to go trophy-hunting that's knowledge to treasure, since Super Orns is quite a bit tougher to deal with than Super Smuh is. You're playing Dark Souls on PC, I believe? So you automatically have the DLC included? If so, humanity-farming is extremely easy compared to the base game (I won't say any more here for fear of spoilerz). Yep, Prepare to Die Edition on PC. Should I have encountered the DLC yet? Is it already available to me? Will it be obvious? |
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Post by LazBro on Apr 28, 2016 15:44:24 GMT -5
Yep, Prepare to Die Edition on PC. Should I have encountered the DLC yet? Is it already available to me? Will it be obvious? It's totally not obvious at ALL. Like, it's downright HIDDEN. You're just now at the point where it's possible to access, as it happens. I suck at spoiler tags.Wow. That's pretty hidden. I did free Dusk and accept her help, so I should be all good here. The Old Hunters DLC for Bloodborne felt pretty hidden, but not like that. |
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Post by LazBro on Apr 29, 2016 8:34:11 GMT -5
LazBro , they definitely hid a LOT in Dark Souls, and they hid it well. Almost too well. I'm not talking about illusory walls, either--several covenants, multiple optional areas, NPCs, sidequests; if you take the most direct, logical path through the game, you're guaranteed to miss a shit-ton of content. Fuck, about half of the plot won't be revealed to you unless you do certain things. They were really counting on a community forming around the game to discover a lot of this stuff, the odds of a lone player doing it on their own seem astronomical to me. I'd love to talk about some of this stuff more in-depth with you after you beat the game, especially lore, if you're up for it! Of course! Although lore I am at least a little boned up on, having watched several videos on the topic. Even two weeks before Dark Souls 3 released I wasn't really planning on playing Dark Souls 1 or 2, so I started watching lore videos to give myself some kind of grounding in the series. Then, those videos combined with my hyper-anticipation for DS3 encouraged me to give Dark Souls 1 a proper try, since I already owned it anyway. By the time I got out of the Asylum and reached the Firelink Shrine, I was hooked. I'm really happy I've played it, too. I can think of at least two moments in Dark Souls 3 that would not have been as great without having played DS1. And for people who have played DS1 more deeply than me, I'm sure there would be even more. I can only imagine how many illusory walls I've missed in DS1 and DS3. I've found a few in DS3. Sometimes the location is pretty conspicuous, and one time I just got lucky. Like, a random and accidental swing opened a wall. On last week's "What Are You Playing This Weekend?", TOC user Drinking_with_Skeletons cautiously broke down the optional content in response to one of my questions. Without details saying, like, "There are this many optional areas, and there are this many optional bosses, etc." ... and they also let me know that I've already passed the biggest optional area. Cryptically saying, "You probably saw it and just didn't realize you could already get to it." Stuff like that is seriously running up my game time. I'm already at 37 hours played, but instead of pushing forward, I've got hints link that needling me to go back to old areas and explore them even harder. And there's no telling what NPC's I'll run into by going back. I'm really looking forward to beating DS3 so I can dive head first into the wiki and lore videos. Every time my phone informs me that VaatiVidya has put up a new one, I'm like, "Okay, breathe in. Soon. I'll watch them soon." |
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Post by LazBro on May 2, 2016 9:44:48 GMT -5
DS1 Talk: I think I got lucky on the Centipede Demon. He rolled right up on me, and I was sure I was hosed, because at that distance I couldn't even see. The screen was just a mess of limbs and artifacts. But despite the proximity, he somehow wasn't positioned very well to hit me. He got a couple strikes in, but other than that I was able to spam attacks and put him down in less than 90 seconds. I was saved by jank on that one. However, I was not so lucky with the Bed of Chaos, which is by far the most bullshit boss I've encountered across two and three-quarters Soulsbornes. Thank god that orbs don't regenerate or I'd probably have had to just give up my run right there. Anyway, like well over a dozen tries, all of them very brief, because I kept getting swiped into the pits and took forever to figure out what to do. Also, a somewhat lengthy boss run from the Demon Ruins bonfire, so that made it all the more frustrating. Also, Solaire  Catacombs were pretty easy. So like, how early can you go there and how far can you get? Surely you can't get all the way to Nito. I guess there's probably a golden fog gate at some point, but of course I never went down there until well past the Lordvessel. As evidenced by the fact that he becomes a standard mob just a few minutes later, Pinwheel isn't much of a boss, but I love his setting. Reminded me of the Witch of Hemwick. I fell for Patches, that dick, but I did go back and kill him. I beat Nito on my first round. He was pretty slow and did surprisingly little damage. His area blast was actual a preferred attack, because it took out the skeletons too. I love the look of Nito. So, I've got all my Lord Souls, but before I go place them all I've moved on to the DLC. I love that Oolacile looks really different than what's come before. That's a good quality for a DLC to have. Show me something new. The Sanctuary Guardian was a squeaker, but not so much as Knight Artorious. I beat both on my first attempts, but I used 18 estus flasks in my fight with Artorious. If I hadn't gone ahead and fully kindled that bonfire, I'd have died. I stopped right after beating Artorious. DS3 Talk: Goddamn this game is hard. Compared to my concurrent run with DS1, the difference is just staggering. I dispatched my third Lord of Cinder in what is probably considered a trick battle, but in this case trick did not mean easy, and the dude took me out 10+ times. Then I spent two solid hours tussling with the Dancer before finally beating her in one of the most captivating battles in series history. It's one of those bosses that really accentuates the gameplay. No tricks, no gimmicks, just raw timing, anticipation, patience and practice. It is the archetypal "git gud" boss. And she's a blast, even if I can sense that I will dread her every time I play the game. Before all that, I actually trudged by through some old areas and happened upon a massive optional area I'd earlier missed. The boss wasn't very interesting - tough, but I got him on the first try, and he was kind of a palette swap - but the level was cool. Some good Dark Souls 1 references, some stunning visuals, and a nice mix of gameplay. Plus I got the Fume Greatsword, though I couldn't possibly hope to wield it. I was so over it, so "I just can't even" after finally besting the Dancer that I stopped there (also it was 2:30 in the morning). I'm really eager to continue here, but I also want to keep pushing in Dark Souls 1. I'm starting to feel anxious about finishing one of them, because they're both 40+ hours now and it's becoming a bit much.
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Post by LazBro on May 3, 2016 8:54:19 GMT -5
DS1 Talk:
No real challenges in the last stretch of the game. Took out Manus on my 2nd try and Kalameet on my first real try (after Gough grounded him), but Kalameet was a close one. Used all 20 estus flasks and nearly died before delivering that final blow. Granted, I (mis)spent the first 10 of those flasks trying to heal from his breath weapon and getting knocked down by a follow up breath weapon. Not sure why it took me that long to decide, "Hey, this isn't working. Maybe let's do some positioning first, then heal." The DLC felt short, especially compared to The Old Hunters, which is the only reference point I have. It's also possible I missed some stuff, of course. I did really like the DLC. Oolacile is cool setting. And finally, Gwyn was a chump. Slapped him down in maybe a minute. Took some hits, but after bosses like Artorious or Manus, Gwyn was like nothing. That ending was terrible. I mean, it's fine in terms of the narrative. I believe I understand what happened and why, but if I were to put myself in the perspective of someone who has never watched a lore video, who didn't read many of the item descriptions, and based the experience solely on what the game explicitly states ... what a rip of an ending after nearly 50 hours of gameplay. I killed the guy, I touch the flame and ... credits. This game is profoundly excellent. The story and world are interesting, the bosses are memorable, the gameplay is tight (if a bit slow for me now), the challenge is fair, and the level design with the inter-connected areas and unexpected short cuts is so impressive. If my preference still stands with Bloodborne, it is for two reasons. One, I love the Lovecraftian setting and themes of Bloodborne. I like dark fantasy too, but Bloodborne is a more interesting world to me. And two, I think there's just something about your first. Bloodborne will forever be the title that introduced me to Souls-likes. Thank you for taking this journey with me. Now to see if I can wrap up Dark Souls 3 before Friday's TOC discussion. (Probably not)
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