From Software The Dark Souls Discussion Thread

[made]

for tittie demons:

Appreciate it, but no spoilers pls. I got two of them, I'll get the rest eventually. Sen's Fortress ain't exactly my favorite place anyway. Went to catacombs instead for now to look for the priestess.

 

[ManjuShri]

Due to the focus on timing and high risk/reward ratio to combat alongside the relative lack of quests, is this game similar to the Gothic series?

 

[Chef_Hathaway]

Tried the claymore, then upgraded it to +5. Has a thrust attack which I liked with Astora's. Now I gotta figure out if I want +6 claymore or "Raw" claymore I guess.

+6 and beyond still scales with your str/dex, raw just does the amount of damage listed. Plus, the very large ember allows you to get all the way up to +15 regular weapons.

I don't really understand the point of raw other than maybe an early game weapon for casters.

 

[commie]

The Brazilian Slaughter thinks this game sucks.

 

[Damned Registrations]

I thought it was pretty standard to drop your summoning sign around a bonfire, not right before a boss? NPC summons are there, but obviously it's nicer for the summoner to have help for the whole level.

 

[Jaedar]

I don't really understand the point of raw other than maybe an early game weapon for casters.

Raw is very good for casters, especially sorcerers as it is the only advanced weapon type that can be enchanted with magic weapon spells. And as a caster the loss of scaling is unlikely to mean much since your stats probably won't be very high.

 

[praetor]

I don't really understand the point of raw other than maybe an early game weapon for casters.

Raw is very good for casters, especially sorcerers as it is the only advanced weapon type that can be enchanted with magic weapon spells. And as a caster the loss of scaling is unlikely to mean much since your stats probably won't be very high.

nah. they're a waste of large shards. even with low stats, normal>raw (especially once you consider raw is "missing" 5 levels. i understand what from was trying to do with it, but they failed miserably)

protip: don't try to fight artorias while drunk. got raped about 20 times last night (although my memories are kinda fuzzy )

 

[damicore]

I'm going full strength but a lot of teh best weapons I found until now (up to capra) scale with dex, will this keep being like this? Should I restart my char?
Also, I want to go heavy wielding magic/pyromancer, is that even viable? When will I be able to master pyromancy or magic or whatever?

 

[Damned Registrations]

Full str is totally viable (though the returns after 40 are meagre, you should stop there and fill up vit/end instead). Just because a weapon has dex scaling doesn't mean it's worth raising dex for. Scaling below C is pretty pointless.

Str also lets you carry a fatass shield, which dex is totally unnecessary for. A high Str build will let you one hand a weapon most characters have to 2 hand, and carry a shield that stops pretty much anything cold. I'd argue it's the easiest build in the game for offline play.

 

[sick]

Srt builds are (mostly) useless for PvE. Eagle shield requires only 16 str (has 100% psysical reduction and very nice stability after upgrades). Drake's Sword and Lighning Spear can be both obtained very early, does not scale and are useful until very end (especially lightning spear). Putting extra points in vita and end will make your playthrough much easier than maxing out dmg with high str and well scaling weapon. This game is not about DPS but survival.

Also, I want to go heavy wielding magic/pyromancer, is that even viable? When will I be able to master pyromancy or magic or whatever?

Pyromancy does not scale with any stat (dex impoves casting time tho, but very little) so yes - you will be able to master it. For mastering magic you would need 44 int (for crystal soul spear and crystal homing soulmass). Actually I'm playing with medium heavy pyromancer / magican / meele and it's very cool and quite fun.

 

[praetor]

if you're going full str, consider stopping at 27: most (all?) str weapons have a considerably better moveset 2-handed, and when you 2-hand you get a 50% str bonus, 27*1.5=40, which is the major breakpoint for both str and dex weapons. this leaves you with some extra points to put in other stats. str/magic/pyro viable? depends.. for PvE, definitely (seriously, for PvE as long as you don't put points in Res and/or spread them too thin, you're fine ). for PvP, definitely not. if you go pyro, you really really need the Dex (40-45) for the cast time, and you're better off focusing on only one "school" of magic (although combinations can be quite deadly once mastered, but they're pretty difficult to play due to each "school" requiring it's own casting tool). btw, both pyro and int mages got a nice "buff" for PvP with the new spells. Pursuers is deadly and excellent for zoning while you cast HCSM or CSS, and i'm confident people will get creative with dark fog and dark beads, while black flame gives pyromancers a deadly tool for breaking guards. fun stuff!

edit: damicore, forgot to mention, pretty much right after capra you get your first real good full str weapon (greataxe in the depths), and you have the chance to acquire a couple more soon after (like the butcher knife in bttown)

 

[Jasede]

I played the game going full STR and using nothing but a Great Club / Demon's Asylum Hammer, using no magic.
No regrets. Bashing things with a giant hammer > smarts, math, alternatives.

You know what's uncanny about this game, too? I bought Demon's Souls a couple months back and...

I'm using full STR 2-H weapons in it as well, no magic. There's a limitless amount of alternatives, but the game is just as fun doing what I did in Dark Souls.

How good does a game have to be that you can go through it without even varying your MO without ever getting bored?

GOTY

Edit: You've got to think about this for a minute. I finished Dark Souls and am playing Demon's Souls now. I have never really tried using anything but heavy 2-H weapons. And I am _still_ loving the fuck out of this, even though there's literally hundreds of things I have never tried: tons of spells, dozens and dozens of weapons and styles and equipment load outs and builds. This is amazing when you consider it.

 

[Average Manatee]

Srt builds are (mostly) useless for PvE. Eagle shield requires only 16 str (has 100% psysical reduction and very nice stability after upgrades).

Eagle shield is 95% in PC version, making it much, much less powerful.

 

[Jasede]

By that do you mean that if I get the DLC on the PS3 it'll also change to 95% to reflect the balance changes?
Did anyone get in on the PS3 and can confirm?

 

[sick]

Eagle shield is 95% in PC version, making it much, much less powerful.

Oh, sorry, i didn't know(i play DS on PS3). That sucks (not really, i actually like that they made game harder).

edit:
DLC isnt out yet on consoles, it will be in september, but i'think they'll introduce all changes from PC version as patch before issuing DLC.

 

[praetor]

By that do you mean that if I get the DLC on the PS3 it'll also change to 95% to reflect the balance changes?
Did anyone get in on the PS3 and can confirm?

the dlc comes out in a couple of months. but it's very, very likely going to be in the next ps3/x360 patch since it's just a balance change, not something directly dlc-related. a very welcome balance change

 

[Jasede]

Oh, so the DLC isn't out yet?
Damn, I was just gonna buy and play it tonight. ._.

 

[Jaedar]

Finished the game today. Last boss was kinda shit, it only took 5 homing crystal soulmasses to end him.

Played through with keyboard and mouse the entire way. I'd only really call the game difficult in a few places, and it was not the good kind of difficult. Most bosses could pretty much be blitzed through with spells. It's probably more difficult with melee weapons where you'll actually have to learn their patterns and such.

 

[Serious_Business]

Using the Black Knight Sword and the Black Iron Armor. That's alright with me.

Reached the two bozos, we'll see how it works. First try I almost managed to take down the little spear guy since I do so much damage. BK sword is beast, although the thrust motion is rubbish.

The Stray demon was my toughest fight yet since I was overlevelled and undergeared. Made it more satisfying though.

I grinded the fuck out of the 4 fuckoes in the forest, you can exploit the AI and have them jump off the cliff by staying off the ledge near the stairs, cracks me up everytime. That's 7000 a pop.

 

[felipepepe]

Finished the game today. Last boss was kinda shit, it only took 5 homing crystal soulmasses to end him.

Playing pure mage is definetly the easiest way, and I gotta say I loses a bit of the fun. Homing Crystal and Crystal Soul Spear are too powerfull, and if you use the magic boost ring & helmet you became a god that can kill even bosses with 2-3 hits from a Crystal Soul Spear. I did my first playthrough as a mage, but I gotta say I enjoyed more playing with a pure strengh pro + pyromancer on the second time, the fights seem to be more visceral and intese that way.

 

[damicore]

Is it just me or is does this game render any sort of heavy armor useless? I just had to unequip everything to beat the capra demon with maximum movility, that's kind of a bummer, light armor looks gay as fuck.

 

[Average Manatee]

Is it just me or is does this game render any sort of heavy armor useless? I just had to unequip everything to beat the capra demon with maximum movility, that's kind of a bummer, light armor looks gay as fuck.

You hardly need max mobility for that fight. Just enough poise not to be interrupted by those dog attacks and you can go toe to toe.

Going over 50% equip is usually pretty needless though. Heavy armor just doesn't negate much vs big damage, roll negates everything.

Playing pure mage is definetly the easiest way, and I gotta say I loses a bit of the fun. Homing Crystal and Crystal Soul Spear are too powerfull, and if you use the magic boost ring & helmet you became a god that can kill even bosses with 2-3 hits from a Crystal Soul Spear. I did my first playthrough as a mage, but I gotta say I enjoyed more playing with a pure strengh pro + pyromancer on the second time, the fights seem to be more visceral and intese that way.

Yeah, it's pretty obvious that the game was kind of balanced and designed for primarily melee builds. The fact that you can still just pick up a magic-upgraded melee weapon and go to town makes you wonder what the point of investing in Strength is.

 

[Occasionally Fatal]

It's really hidden, no way I would have found it either... But I'm very proud to say I found the secret path to Ash Lake on my own, even if just by luck.

And seriously, what kind game hides two big areas like that, not behind a secret wall, but behind TWO consecutives secret walls?

I did manage to stumble upon the bonfire at Sen's Fortress, but I think it may have been because somebody left a sign right by the wall you drop over. I wouldn't have found Ash Lake either, but again, someone left a sign.

 

[Average Manatee]

There are dev signs to guide you to a few places. Even more if you use the show guidance faith miracle. Hard to tell which is which though.

 

[betamin]

The price of being a pirate, I never see any signs.