The Dark Souls Thread!

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Yeah, in soul form you have half health. There is a ring you can pick up in world 1-1 that increases it to maybe 75 percent or so. You should be getting it soon. It's also right near the shortcut, so you need to go there anyway. I can point it out if you can't find it.

World tendency does have an effect on your overall health in soul form, but the main penalty comes from simply being in soul form. The only way to get full heath is to be human by killing a boss, using a stone of ephemeral eyes, or helping someone else beat a boss. Maybe if you kill someone as an invader you get human form back too.

Also, the red eye knight is just there to troll you. I've seen others fall for that trap. Come back and kill him later when you finish 1-1, lol. You don't get much anyway. Nice amount of souls though.

If you are a temple knight then you are probably using a halberd. If you press triangle and hold it with both hands, it works really well. I breezed through the game using that weapon two handed with no shield.

Anyway, let me know if you have any other questions or get stuck.
 
Gwyn / Razor said:
Alright. So I chose to go with Temple Knight class for my first play through. Didn't make a whole lot of progress. I explored the Nexus and talked to the NPC's. Of course I got owned by the demon at the end of the tutorial. It really wouldn't have been hard to defeat him but I got trapped against the wall and that was that. Lol

I started Boletarian Palace and was killed by a red eyed black knight at what I think was close to the top of the castle. I'll try again tomorrow.

I did notice my health was permanently cut in half. Is that World Tendency? How do you get full health back? I did notice something in the upper left hand corner of the screen flashing during my time playing. I need to check that out.

It was fun to get back in a new Souls game. And blood stains were everywhere!
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The game has world tendency and character tendency.

In regards to world tendency. White tendency- easier to kill enemies, you get less souls for killing enemies. Black Tendencies- the opposite. Dying in human form is how you move toward black and beating bosses without dying in human form is how you move toward white. Often you'll see players kill themselves after beating a boss in the nexus as dying there doesn't change world tendency. There are some other perks to being in pure white or black world tendency but people often save that stuff for future playthrus. Character tendency is a whole different ballgame. Don't kill the NPCs and should stay at neutral.

Like Godsmack said, you'll get a ring very soon that increases the health back to 75% ish when in hollow form.
 
Thanks again GS and Krause,

I'll remember your comments. By the way and generally speaking, do you guys prefer Demon's to Dark Souls? (I'm trying to remain spoiler free so I'm asking overall or the game elements we've talked about.)
 
Gwyn / Razor said:
Thanks again GS and Krause,

I'll remember your comments. By the way and generally speaking, do you guys prefer Demon's to Dark Souls? (I'm trying to remain spoiler free so I'm asking overall or the game elements we've talked about.)
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I think Demon's Souls is slightly harder if you do not use some tactics, but i like Dark Souls a bit better. Its very close for me though.
 
Gwyn / Razor said:
Thanks again GS and Krause,

I'll remember your comments. By the way and generally speaking, do you guys prefer Demon's to Dark Souls? (I'm trying to remain spoiler free so I'm asking overall or the game elements we've talked about.)
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As I've said before, I very slightly give the nod to Demon's Souls. I just feel like it is a better polished game. The online system works better. You can summon friends more easily. I've done a majority of the levels in Demon's Souls with friends whereas I would not even try that hassle in Dark Souls. I also like that you can invade an infinite amount of times unlike in Dark Souls where you had to join a late-game covenant to do that. I also like that I can heal in Demon's Souls as a summon.

I also kinda give the nod to Demon's Souls not because of the the things it does better, but because of the things in Dark Souls that are broken. Dark Souls has seen many patches and gone from broken in one direction to broken in another. Take Iron Flesh. It was once a bit overpowered, but now it is next to worthless and no one wants to use it. It seems to defeat the purpose. I don't know why they did that.

Also with spells like magic shield, they are just too short duration. The patches really ruined some of the spells.

Add to that the amount of griefing in Dark Souls due to the nature of the system and how easily it can be abused. Just equip a heavy armor and fully upgrade your pyromancy or use a lightning weapon, and you can troll about anyone.

Online in Dark Souls became a lag-stab fest. Even if you don't play pvp, this still affects you when you get invaded.

When Dark Souls first came out, there was major balance issues. For example, the crummy hollow soldier shield had one of the best stability ratings in the game. Really? They fixed it, but it just shows that the balance in Dark Souls has been wonky ever since the start and has resulted in things getting a bit messy with too many patches.

Demon's Souls is a bit more punishing. For example, crystal lizards do not respawn indefinitely. You get one spawn per lizard for each boss you kill in a world. So, maybe 4 or 5 lizard spawns each, but miss one, and it's gone.

I think the world tendency is Demon's Souls is neat, but also a little bit annoying. Some items can only be had in black or white tendency, and just playing the game normally can change your tendency maybe against what you wanted. Also, playing online affects your world tendency, so I don't play online when trying to control it to pure black or white. Don't worry about this for now.

I feel like Dark Souls did make some improvements, but I think it lost a bit of the charm of Demon's Souls. The vote was very close for me.
 
MilkManX said:
I am playing through many back logged games. I still need to pick this up and by all accounts it looks awesome but I also heard it is ridiculously hard at times. Still worth a shot?
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It may be hard, but it's awesome.
 
Beat both Souls games. I def have a love/hate thing with them.

I'm still considering buying DS2 used after the Dark Souls DLC debacle.
 
Interesting points on the comparison between the games. I wonder if the rumors about a sequel to Demon's Souls are true?
 
I'm all for a Demon's Souls sequel, but I would want them to take their time. Since Dark Souls is pretty much their main project, I don't know if they can handle two things at once. And since Dark Souls is pretty much Demon's Souls with minor changes, it makes me wonder what would differentiate them anymore in future sequels other than name alone.

It looks like Dark Souls 2 is about getting wrapped up. I have no idea if they've been working on anything on the side though. I haven't done any research.
 
Gwyn / Razor said:
Horns,

DLC debacle? I don't remember that.
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dkrause71 said:
I am not sure what debacle he is speaking of either. DLC came out on time, didn't have problems and was generally liked.
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You had to complete 80% of the game to reach the DLC. Many people like myself completed the game and expected to be able to access the DLC to extend the experience. Except you needed to replay the majority of it again to access what you paid for.

I put another 40+ hours into my NG+ character attempting to reach it. f*** Ornstein and Smough on NG+. I even started a new character and put 20 hours into it trying to reach the DLC I paid for.

f*** that. I've already beaten the game. I have no desire to replay it. I only want to play the new content.

I'll wait a week or two and buy it used. I swore that I wouldn't support their next endeavor after that.
 
Godsmack said:
I'm all for a Demon's Souls sequel, but I would want them to take their time. Since Dark Souls is pretty much their main project, I don't know if they can handle two things at once. And since Dark Souls is pretty much Demon's Souls with minor changes, it makes me wonder what would differentiate them anymore in future sequels other than name alone.

It looks like Dark Souls 2 is about getting wrapped up. I have no idea if they've been working on anything on the side though. I haven't done any research.
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Dark souls only had a few people from the team that worked on Demons souls...Dark souls 2 has only one from the original team.
That leaves a whole bunch of Demons souls crew plus Japan studio to work on a Demons souls 2.
Its a strong possibility that it's being worked on now. :)
 
horns said:
You had to complete 80% of the game to reach the DLC. Many people like myself completed the game and expected to be able to access the DLC to extend the experience. Except you needed to replay the majority of it again to access what you paid for.

I put another 40+ hours into my NG+ character attempting to reach it. f*** Ornstein and Smough on NG+. I even started a new character and put 20 hours into it trying to reach the DLC I paid for.

f*** that. I've already beaten the game. I have no desire to replay it. I only want to play the new content.

I'll wait a week or two and buy it used. I swore that I wouldn't support their next endeavor after that.
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While you can reach it kinda early, you do have to get passed O&S to access it which is pretty far into the game. I remember the first game i played with the DLC, i bee-lined my way in as short of steps as i could to get there. Then i got hammered because i was like a level 10 and ended up farming for a few hours to get passed Artorias.

I can see your grievance with it now as unlike most role playing games it does end. Where with a Skyrim you just can keep playing even if you beat the main story. I guess i just expected it based on how the game is set up. I think that it was tricky to even get to the DLC (if you were even mid game) probably was another issue people had.

Thanks for posting your issue with the DLC, your point didn't cross my mind.
 
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dkrause71 said:
While you can reach it kinda early, you do have to get passed O&S to access it which is pretty far into the game. I remember the first game i played with the DLC, i bee-lined my way in as short of steps as i could to get there. Then i got hammered because i was like a level 10 and ended up farming for a few hours to get passed Artorias.

I can see your grievance with it now as unlike most role playing games it does end. Where with a Skyrim you just can keep playing even if you beat the main story. I guess i just expected it based on how the game is set up. I think that it was tricky to even get to the DLC (if you were even mid game) probably was another issue people had.

Thanks for posting your issue with the DLC, your point didn't cross my mind.
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Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed both Souls games, but I am salty that I spent $15 for DLC that requires a great deal of my time to even play. After the 60 hours I put in trying to access it and playing S&O dozens of times on NG+, I made myself promise not to give them money this time.

I'll still get the game and enjoy it (after I hate it for the first 5 hours).
 
I kinda see your point about the dlc. The thing is though that the dlc was designed to be harder than the actual game, so you had to level up to even stand a chance.

I guess they had to make a choice about what level the dlc bosses should be. I'm kinda glad they went with late-game difficulty because otherwise it would have been too easy. Each boss in this game is designed around character level. The Taurus Demon and Bell Gargoyles are made around what level the character should be. Likewise, as you get further into the game, the bosses get harder accordingly.

I don't know if there's any way they could have done the dlc differently. By that point, most every fan had beaten the game and needed a challenge. They made it so that you had to beat half the game first so you would be the proper level and not get your ass kicked. If they had made the dlc around early-game bosses, I figure most people would have been disappointed.

I guess that's just the nature of the Soul's series. I guess the main problem would be if you already beat the game and moved on to NG+ since that would make everything even harder. But the way the game works with NG+ and whatnot, I don't know if there's really any better way to do it.

All I can say is I'm glad they gave the dlc some effort. I though it was quite nice.
 
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I understand your comments Horns. I wasn't thinking from that angle either. My thoughts were 'ain't nothing easy in a Souls game'.

But I can definitely see your frustration.
 
Embargo lifted some impressions from Dark Souls 2......

Am hard

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/01/30/dark-souls-ii-hands-on-die-harder/
"One thing that hasn’t changed is the series’ uniquely haunting atmosphere. Dark Souls II’s stellar opening cinema is adorned with disturbing imagery: a dead tree swarming with bloated fireflies, a ruined kingdom of impossible age, and a cackling coven of mystics. You, as a Hollow, are cursed to feed on the souls of the living. But you knew that already, didn’t you?"

http://www.destructoid.com/preview-dark-souls-ii-269726.phtml
"Surprisingly, I felt there were many callbacks to the original Souls title, Demon's Souls. A steeper learning curve, a trial by fire scenario -- after letting my experience with the game digest, Darks Souls II seems to be a nice blend of the best qualities from both its predecessors. As there's a greater focus on putting pressure on the player, without making them feel too overwhelmed and frustrated. For the people that welcome this experience, of course."

http://www.gamesradar.com/my-names-...=Social&utm_medium=Twitter&utm_campaign=Owned
"Dark Souls 2 seems to be exactly what we'd all hoped it would be. Which is to say, painfully difficult but immensely rewarding. I enjoyed what I played, though I wish I'd had more time to explore and see if its world offers various branches, or funnels you down a pathway of logical progression. Are you looking forward to dying over and over again?"

http://www.giantbomb.com/podcasts/it-s-a-dark-souls-ii-interview/1600-743/#
And live chat http://www.giantbomb.com/chat/



http://www.gamerevolution.com/preview/dark-souls-ii/92709


image_37922_full.jpg
 
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I'd comment, but I'm staying in the dark for Dark Souls 2! If I'm going to get it anyway, no point in spoiling surprises.
 
Looks really nice. I'm picking up a new pc soon and the timing will work out well. Can't wait to sink my teeth into a new game with some depth.
 
Ok, I just finished 1 - 1 in Demon's Souls. I know I know, baby steps.

So should I cash the Phalanx Souls in or should I treat this souls like boss souls in Dark Souls? Meaning, save and get better gear.

And I have no idea where to go next. Now I haven't completely finished 1 - 1 because I didn't beat the dark knight at the top of the castle and I didn't take on the 2 dragons outside the castle. Should I go do that?
 
Still haven't beat Dark Souls, when I had it on the 360 ornstein and smough became my downfall, had gotten rid of the system + games before I was able to defeat them. But now I have it again on the PC (Just rang my first bell) & am eagerly awaiting finishing it & starting on part 2. Best RPG series I have ever played, nothing makes me FEEL more like a knight wandering through a brutal castle like Dark Souls does.
 
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Gwyn / Razor said:
Ok, I just finished 1 - 1 in Demon's Souls. I know I know, baby steps.

So should I cash the Phalanx Souls in or should I treat this souls like boss souls in Dark Souls? Meaning, save and get better gear.

And I have no idea where to go next. Now I haven't completely finished 1 - 1 because I didn't beat the dark knight at the top of the castle and I didn't take on the 2 dragons outside the castle. Should I go do that?
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Without ruining anything, i'll give some very generic comments. Much like Dark Souls, i would save the boss souls and then decide later on if you want to use them for souls, or for other uses. Where to go? It really depends on what type of build you are going for. As with Dark Souls, some areas you'll find heavier with a certain type of weapon or armor than others. I think reading the description for that world can give you a hint. I would say i think most either do 2-1, or 1-2 next after 1-1.
 
Gwyn / Razor said:
Ok, I just finished 1 - 1 in Demon's Souls. I know I know, baby steps.

So should I cash the Phalanx Souls in or should I treat this souls like boss souls in Dark Souls? Meaning, save and get better gear.

And I have no idea where to go next. Now I haven't completely finished 1 - 1 because I didn't beat the dark knight at the top of the castle and I didn't take on the 2 dragons outside the castle. Should I go do that?
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Go for 1-2. 2-1 or 3-1. 4-1 is really good for Soul farming but those damn rolling skeletons are a chore with low damage and stamina (they will eat your shield, unroll and murder you). To me, the biggest learning curve was beating the 1-2 boss, but once that was completed the game should fold for you. Also if you defeat those dragons outside I believe that you won't have to fight one of them later.. I can't remember but I do not think you are strong enough to fight them now if you have only crushed 1-1.
 
Gwyn / Razor said:
Ok, I just finished 1 - 1 in Demon's Souls. I know I know, baby steps.

So should I cash the Phalanx Souls in or should I treat this souls like boss souls in Dark Souls? Meaning, save and get better gear.

And I have no idea where to go next. Now I haven't completely finished 1 - 1 because I didn't beat the dark knight at the top of the castle and I didn't take on the 2 dragons outside the castle. Should I go do that?
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Keep playing through 1-1 to get lots of health thingies (forget what they're called). Use all your souls if you have a lot before going through 1-2 because you'll die a few times at the running part and recovering those souls can be challenge. Avoid that one red knight in 1-1 because he's pretty tough. There's nothing you can access behind him right now. Make sure you get the two rings in 1-1, one increases HP and the other makes you harder to be detected by enemies.

2-1 is probably where you should head next, but make sure you have lots of health thingies (too lazy to google it). 2-1 is only slightly harder than 1-1.

The Phalanx Souls is used for an enhanced spear, which my favorite weapon type in Demon's. If you liked the spear in Dark you may want to hold onto it.
 
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