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I got Dark Souls. Now what?

Coxswain

Member
prepare to die over....and over..... and over.... and over again, thats the games hook I guess...

The hook is that it's the most well-designed exploration RPG and one of the most well-designed action-combat RPGs in recent memory. Dying a lot is pretty incidental to the whole package.
 

hey_it's_that_dog

benevolent sexism
Biggest thing to realize is that you don't lose anything by dying. You keep any item you've picked up and any progress you made. The game is constantly saving your progress. You just drop the souls you acquired since the last bonfire and the enemies are reset. In that sense it is actually more forgiving than the typical RPG.

I'm pretty far into the game and I would say that stats don't really matter as much as a solid weapon and shield, and no where near as much as actual combat skill. I would start with a light armor set for extra mobility and only put points into VIT and END. Upgrade STR only as needed, don't go beyond the minimum requirement for your weapon of choice.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but you actually drop all souls when you die no matter when you picked them up. Bonfires have nothing to do with it. I sounds like you're saying bonfires allow you to "bank" your souls.
 

Relix

he's Virgin Tight™
Sell it on Ebay like I did!!

I swear... XD! I don't have the time for a game like this haha. So I sold it :p
 

burgerdog

Member
I didn't play Demon Souls so I went into Dark Souls not knowing what to expect. First hour I loved the game, three hours later I was ready to break the disc and never play the game ever again. Gave the game one more chance and it finally clicked. Loved absolutely every moment after the initial learning curve. Just be patient and don't give up.
 

ixix

Exists in a perpetual state of Quantum Crotch Uncertainty.
The most important thing to know about Dark Souls is that if someone asks you to help them get out of a barrel do not stab the barrel. Roll into it.
 

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
the game is hard, but not as hard as people say. you will die, but its more likely that you will die because you got impatient. i have played less than i would like so far so as an also kinda new-ish player (who has spent a lot of time with demons souls) my advice is:

be patient
spoil yourself as little as possible, enemy designs are awesome to see for the first time in game, and figuring out stuff for yourself is rewarding
go up after leaving the firelink shrine

edit:

i have a question, actually. in demons souls its sorta received wisdom that starting as a royal is "easy mode" is there an equivalent in dark souls? not that im going to play that way, just curious.
 
The game is fantastic, but the difficulty is quite overrated IMO. If you try and play this game like it is God of War, you will think it is very hard and die constantly (and quickly). If you realize that the pace of the game is much slower, it is about being cautions and playing it safe, you will not find it hard or unfair. The most important thing is don't get greedy in combat. There is always this temptation to just try and get in that one more strike, and that's when you take a beating.

Raise shield, bad guy clangs of your shield, drop shield, 2x light strike or 1x strong strike, repeat. When exploring, walk around with your shield UP, don't run. Being patient will solve virtually all of your combat and exploration related problems.

No do not choose the master key. All it's likely to do is get you into areas you're not supposed to be yet and get your ass kicked.

I agree it is a poor gift for a newbie, but you can't change your gift in NG+ so if he gets hooked, he's can't change his gift. I suppose it doesn't really matter anymore anyways, as you can buy the Master Key for souls in 1.05 IIRC.
 

Massa

Member
I have more deaths per minute playing Uncharted on normal than playing these games. The difficulty is so blown out of proportion.
 
Don't worry, it's not that hard. You'll die, but only cause you fucked up. Just don't go running around without checking your surrounding, and keep your shield up. Always.
 

frequency

Member
I have more deaths per minute playing Uncharted on normal than playing these games. The difficulty is so blown out of proportion.

Yeah. Any action-y games I die way more than in the Souls games.

I think people just aren't used to taking things slow.

I know I died more in a single room in UC3 (
the room with the fountain and fire head guys
) than I did in my entire Dark Souls play through.
 
I wish Demon's Souls had the same difficulty but the penalty for dying wasn't as high. It's not a terribly difficult game, just a punishing one. Still an awesome game though.
 
i have a question, actually. in demons souls its sorta received wisdom that starting as a royal is "easy mode" is there an equivalent in dark souls? not that im going to play that way, just curious.

Pyro is probably about the same, though maybe Warrior. Royal was "easier" than others because the first thing people would do is run and get the crescent falchion and be very strong for the first portion of the game with the magic scaling + Royals magic stat. Pyro has strong magic at the start (that needs no stats), and Warrior (or anyone with 16 STR) can get a sword quite early on that lets you 1-shot most normal enemies.
 
Keep pyro magic in mind. I suck at combat but a maxed out flame will take down every boss in about 15 seconds. They'll see your Combustion and Iron Flesh and lie down like they're in a Nintendo game. Got me through some frustrating encounters.
 

frequency

Member
Keep pyro magic in mind. I suck at combat but a maxed out flame will take down every boss in about 15 seconds. They'll see your Combustion and Iron Flesh and lie down like they're in a Nintendo game. Got me through some frustrating encounters.
Didn't the patch nerf pyromancy? I haven't played since I finished, so I never checked out the patch. But I'm pretty sure I read the damage was reduced and Iron Flesh is kind of useless now.
 
Didn't the patch nerf pyromancy? I haven't played since I finished, so I never checked out the patch. But I'm pretty sure I read the damage was reduced and Iron Flesh is kind of useless now.

Maybe, I haven't played it since the patch. Good thing I finished it early then. I really think I might have given up on a few of those bosses.
 

ixix

Exists in a perpetual state of Quantum Crotch Uncertainty.
Didn't the patch nerf pyromancy? I haven't played since I finished, so I never checked out the patch. But I'm pretty sure I read the damage was reduced and Iron Flesh is kind of useless now.

Pyromancy in general is still good, though its overall power was reduced by the patch. Iron Flesh got nerfed hard, and using it against bosses is pretty suicidal anymore.
 
I have more deaths per minute playing Uncharted on normal than playing these games. The difficulty is so blown out of proportion.
It's a different kind of dying. In the souls games dying can cost you a lot of time and possibly a lot of souls, which makes the dying seem a lot worse. That creates a fear of dying and a need for more careful gameplay. In Uncharted I have never really cared if I die. I will go in guns blazing. If I die, oh well. The last checkpoint was probably 30 seconds ago.
 

maomaoIYP

Member
Just play the game, don't read the forums on where to go next or how to play the game. The game needs to be experienced by yourself, anything else cheapens the experience.
 
Be prepared to get frustrated for the first few hours. The game can feel fairly overwhelming at first because of its open nature, but stick with it until it clicks because it's an awesome game.

Still haven't finished it here :(
 

Khezu

Member
You won't really die THAT much, at least not CoD levels, that game is just mean with those monster closets.

As others have said, all you need is a little patience, which can be hard if you hit a wall and start getting frustrated, just take it slow.

As for actual advice, start off with a shield and a spear, makes getting used to the game easier.
 

Dresden

Member
Early on, watch out for the "Stability" stat on your shield - higher the better. It's what determines how much damage it soaks up.
 
Hows the saving system in Dark Souls? One of my pet peeve in Demons Souls was that I couldnt just play it for a bit, I had to invest long stretches of time.
 

ixix

Exists in a perpetual state of Quantum Crotch Uncertainty.
Wow, really? Thats soooo awesome.

Is there a pause screen now, incase I get a call?

There's no direct pause function, but if you quit to the main menu you'll be standing exactly where you were when you quit when you load your game. It's what to do when you need to leave the game alone for a spell.
 

Zzoram

Member
The video games media is full of hyperbole. You'll die WAY less than CoD Veteran.

It's not that hard a game if you're careful. It's just that a lot of game reviewers are terrible gamers and expect to be able to just run forward and press a win button.
 
Open that door in the tower in undead burg (the one before you go up the stairs to fight your first legit boss taurus demon) and you'll see some giant dude in heavy armor named Havel.

Slap him a couple of times with your sword and walk away from his lethargic swings and you'll get a great ring.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
don't worry too much, and enjoy the atmosphere.

- at the start (fire link shrine) if you head into a graveyard with skeletons, turn around. That area is really hard and so save it for later. You want to go up the stairs towards the bridge.

- When you level up using souls, only put as many points into DEX/STR as you need for the weapon you want to use. Anything else put into endurance to help your stamina, at least up to 40 points.

- decide what you want to do - magic/massive weapons/balance. You can add other things in later though. e.g. I was a wanderer so melee, and then found a glove later to do fire spells.

- when you die, you only drop souls/humanity, not any items you pick up. You can go back to where you die and collect your souls. But if you die before you get there, they're gone. You can use this to do suicide runs to pick up items if you want, you know you'll lose your souls but you'll keep whatever it was you picked up.

- don't cheese the dragon on the bridge


You'll have a great time, just explore
 
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