Guys, I have a problem. Not many games have hooked me to the point of obsession where I will think about playing them whenever I'm not at home. Mass Effect did it to me a few years ago, Skyrim more recently, and now Dark Souls. I'll be honest, I was interested in it when it came out, but I was scared off by it's reputation as a difficult game. I mean, why should I spend money on a game that I'm not sure about, especially one as niche and demanding as this? For me, I have to be absolutely sure that I will like a game before buying a game, and that has its advantages and disadvantages. On one side, I play the best stuff that are sure to be enjoyable to me. On the other, I probably contribute to the "sequel-itis" that have made this generation a little bland at times, while limiting the genres I'm willing to try and possibly enjoy. To be fair, there are some genres that I know I will never "get" like fighting and RTS games.

But that all fell apart when I saw Dark Souls for $20. I couldn't not find out for myself. 10 hours in and many-a-late nights, I have no regrets. I know that whatever I have to say about it has already been said, and I'm sure people have moved on since, but eff it. First blog and all.

It's bizarre that this game makes people willing refer to online guides to learn more about the systems and tips on making it easier. I feel like this would be a deal breaker if it was any other game. In fact, I think that because it's Japanese developed, it's more of a "yeah, of course they would make a slightly messed up game" attitude. It's a little ridiculous, but I spent too much time doing "prep" in anticipating the best way to dive in. Pyromancers seemed to be the most recommended, but why make things easier on myself? I chose to make a Bandit because fuck everything in this game. I want to kill things faster while capable of wearing better armor. Apparently the classes are just starting points, so it didn't matter. Plus, I didn't want to waste points on spell slots or anything at the expense of vitality, strength or endurance.

So far, I found this game demands patience and punishes in order to teach. It's the same idea of a child putting his hand on a stove and immediately learning to never do that again. Each monster you fight is almost like a puzzle that you learn to kill it while not getting murdered. But I still think there are still some cheapness in there. For example, I had just gotten to the Depths before fighting the Gaping Dragon, and I fell into that goddamn hole. Anyone who has played this knows the one, the one with the fucking cartoon lizards that curse you and kill you instantly. Not a fan of insta-death.

Some quick stuff now. I'm still a bit confused on the use and purpose of humanity though. I've used them to reverse hollow once and got invaded by someone who I'm pretty sure was way above my level since I barely scratched him and he had some item that stopped my Estus Flasks. I lost, but I love the idea of dueling someone in this game and will definitely be sure to try some PVP out later on.

Full disclosure, I'm watching some videos to find some cool equipment, but I am avoiding watching anything other than that. Especially the boss fights...at least until I get frustrated. But so far, I'm really enjoying the depth in this game and the different possibilities in building a character. I'm sticking to a melee strength focused character while still trying to be relatively quick. Soul Level is 38 and strength, vitality and endurance are all in 20's. I'm rocking a knight armor set +2, Drake Sword, Fang Boar Helm, and Dragon Crest Shield. Havel's Ring and the Ring of Favor and Protection But if anyone reads this, feel free to give me some tips.

Guys, I have a problem. Not many games have hooked me to the point of obsession where I will think about playing them whenever I'm not at home. Mass Effect did it to me a few years ago, Skyrim more recently, and now Dark Souls. I'll be honest, I was interested in it when it came out, but I was scared off by it's reputation as a difficult game. I mean, why should I spend money on a game that I'm not sure about, especially one as niche and demanding as this? For me, I have to be absolutely sure that I will like a game before buying a game, and that has its advantages and disadvantages. On one side, I play the best stuff that are sure to be enjoyable to me. On the other, I probably contribute to the "sequel-itis" that have made this generation a little bland at times, while limiting the genres I'm willing to try and possibly enjoy. To be fair, there are some genres that I know I will never "get" like fighting and RTS games.

But that all fell apart when I saw Dark Souls for $20. I couldn't not find out for myself. 10 hours in and many-a-late nights, I have no regrets. I know that whatever I have to say about it has already been said, and I'm sure people have moved on since, but eff it. First blog and all.

It's bizarre that this game makes people willing refer to online guides to learn more about the systems and tips on making it easier. I feel like this would be a deal breaker if it was any other game. In fact, I think that because it's Japanese developed, it's more of a "yeah, of course they would make a slightly messed up game" attitude. It's a little ridiculous, but I spent too much time doing "prep" in anticipating the best way to dive in. Pyromancers seemed to be the most recommended, but why make things easier on myself? I chose to make a Bandit because fuck everything in this game. I want to kill things faster while capable of wearing better armor. Apparently the classes are just starting points, so it didn't matter. Plus, I didn't want to waste points on spell slots or anything at the expense of vitality, strength or endurance.

So far, I found this game demands patience and punishes in order to teach. It's the same idea of a child putting his hand on a stove and immediately learning to never do that again. Each monster you fight is almost like a puzzle that you learn to kill it while not getting murdered. But I still think there are still some cheapness in there. For example, I had just gotten to the Depths before fighting the Gaping Dragon, and I fell into that goddamn hole. Anyone who has played this knows the one, the one with the fucking cartoon lizards that curse you and kill you instantly. Not a fan of insta-death.

Some quick stuff now. I'm still a bit confused on the use and purpose of humanity though. I've used them to reverse hollow once and got invaded by someone who I'm pretty sure was way above my level since I barely scratched him and he had some item that stopped my Estus Flasks. I lost, but I love the idea of dueling someone in this game and will definitely be sure to try some PVP out later on.

Full disclosure, I'm watching some videos to find some cool equipment, but I am avoiding watching anything other than that. Especially the boss fights...at least until I get frustrated. But so far, I'm really enjoying the depth in this game and the different possibilities in building a character. I'm sticking to a melee strength focused character while still trying to be relatively quick. Soul Level is 38 and strength, vitality and endurance are all in 20's. I'm rocking a knight armor set +2, Drake Sword, Fang Boar Helm, and Dragon Crest Shield. Havel's Ring and the Ring of Favor and Protection But if anyone reads this, feel free to give me some tips.

Yep, it does that to you, it was the same with Demons Souls for me as well, haven't played Dark Souls yet though.

You're probably a high enough level to ditch the Drake Sword, don't bother upgrading it as it is not worth it in the end. Since you seem to be focusing on strength, I suggest you get a sword like the Zweihander, a Black Knight Halbred, or a Demon Machette. The Drake Sword will only hinder you in the long run since you wont have experience upgrading and finding a good weapon for your play style.

Humanity isn't actually as complicated as it sounds. The bottom line is, using humanity to turn yourself human is only necessary if you want to engage in PvP of any sorts. It also slightly increases your stats and resistance to Curse. Banking them only increases your Item Discovery (the chances of enemies dropping items upon death). That's all there is to it really. But yeah I hear you when it comes to the gameplay, it really feels more like a puzzle game with the combat. Also, every class is pretty good in it's own way since it really depends on play style, you'll learn this soon enough in PvP which can be really intense. It's one of my favourite games this generation and I could go on a lot about how fantastic it is in every right but yeah, glad to hear you're enjoying it.

After 3 hours of this game I decided it was not for me, but good luck to you.

Yeah fuck those lizard things. They screwed me over so many times. Good read and good luck with Ornstein and Smough. That fight nearly made me lose my sanity.

Humanity increases the rate at which rare loot drops and allows you to call in other players for help as well as get invaded. Honestly I never revive myself unless I'm farming or feel I really need the help. It's a lot better for kindling fires to get more Estus flasks.
 
Also there are a lot of people smurfing now, low level characters who have crafted very powerful gear. Basically there are players who just get to a certain Soul Level and then just never level again, instead choosing to invest all their souls in equipment upgrades. It's very likely this is what you encountered, or it could just be your character build is a bit weak for your SL.
 
Also yeah Dark Souls is the best game to be released in awhile. It really gets to the root of what makes gaming so different from other mediums. It's all about the experience, that tactile sensation nothing else can provide, that sense of accomplishment you can only get when it's you who is toppling giants. It's my favorite game of the past many years and I'm glad there are still people picking it up and discovering how justified all the hype really is.
 
It's the only game I've ever went out and bought a strategy guide for and I don't regret it one bit, I think that says a lot about a game, especially today. They simply don't make em like Dark Souls anymore.

I loved this game a lot, never made it past the Dual Boss fight, simply just gave, which sucks because I really wanted to play more of it.

Did someone say Dark Souls?

Here's a tip for fighting those lizards, since none of them ever actually physically attack you, you don't have to worry about how much life you have remaining whe fighting them. As long as you keep out of their smoke they can't harm you.

As for the skeletons, either use Holy weapons or find and kill the necromancer of that area, that will keep the surrounding skeletons from reassembling and since the necromancers don't respawn, it will make them easier to deal with permanently.

I also have another question, at a certain point is it more beneficial to focus on upgrading equipment than leveling? I don't know how expensive it gets at higher tiers of upgrade trees yet, but I'm sure it will take a while to save up souls.

@NegativeCero: I dunno about other people but by the time I got to Anor Londo I had all of my equipment at 5+ or higher but I have noticed that some folk like to slap on elemental effects by this stage. It negates the stat bonuses but it's quite helpful for lower level players until you can afford to use standard reinforcement to 15+. It's really depends on how hard you're finding it and the weapons you're using.

you can kill skeletons for good with a holy weapon. 
and yes the frogs and the tomb of the giants can fuck right off, but everything else is pretty fair.

I'm just a casual player, but I didn't really dedicate a ton of resources on armor upgrade until I got to the giant in Anor Londo. I leveled up constantly since I didn't want a ton of souls on hand, but I spent a few hours grinding some knights in Anor Londo until I was able to upgrade.

Welcome to Dark Souls! Glad that people are still picking this wonderful game up.

There are people who have already given you decent tips and I'll add one here: self discovery and exploration is part of the fun and charm of this game, so don't be afraid to try things out. It's more fun that way rather than looking it up on the internet.

Welcome to Dark Souls! Glad that people are still picking this wonderful game up.

There are people who have already given you decent tips and I'll add one here: self discovery and exploration is part of the fun and charm of this game, so don't be afraid to try things out. It's more fun that way rather than looking it up on the internet.

@Shun_Akiyama said:

@supamon said:

Welcome to Dark Souls! Glad that people are still picking this wonderful game up.

There are people who have already given you decent tips and I'll add one here: self discovery and exploration is part of the fun and charm of this game, so don't be afraid to try things out. It's more fun that way rather than looking it up on the internet.

just in time for the DLC too

Wait, I thought that was just a PC port. Or was that just the rumor?

@NegativeCero: Did you say that you have the Knight's Armor set? if so then you should try to get your hands on the Elite Knight armor set, which is a slightly heavier but better in all other regards set. It's in the forest.

Since you have both Havel's ring and the Favor ring it shouldn't be much of a problem equipping that set. Speaking of which, try not to get locked down too much by having both of those rings since a late game bossfight will require you to remove one of them.

I say that upgrading your equipment is definetly beneficial, getting a good weapon especially so. What you can upgrade depends a little on the materials you have access to. Basically any material except slabs can be farmed (Regular slabs can apparently be farmed, but have a ridiculos low droprate) at some point or another. Since slabs are so rare you probably want to use them on weapons rather than armor.

@Shun_Akiyama said:

@supamon said:

Welcome to Dark Souls! Glad that people are still picking this wonderful game up.

There are people who have already given you decent tips and I'll add one here: self discovery and exploration is part of the fun and charm of this game, so don't be afraid to try things out. It's more fun that way rather than looking it up on the internet.

just in time for the DLC too

Wait, I thought that was just a PC port. Or was that just the rumor?

I'm going to tell you what I've told everyone asking about this game: This is the best game this generation. Play it. Die. Enjoy.

@Shun_Akiyama said:

@NegativeCero said:

@Shun_Akiyama said:

@supamon said:

Welcome to Dark Souls! Glad that people are still picking this wonderful game up.

There are people who have already given you decent tips and I'll add one here: self discovery and exploration is part of the fun and charm of this game, so don't be afraid to try things out. It's more fun that way rather than looking it up on the internet.

just in time for the DLC too

Wait, I thought that was just a PC port. Or was that just the rumor?

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-11-dark-souls-dlc-in-the-works-report

That article is OLD son. This is the news: SPOILERS (It's the PC version):

@Shun_Akiyama said:

just in time for the DLC too

Do you really think that rumor is true? I kinda hope it's just a PC port announcement cause adding in DLC would mean From Software going back on their word about the game being a complete game.

Link to the statement

Plus adding in DLC would probably cause all sorts of compatibility issues between those who have the DLC and those who don't.

@Deusx said:

I'm going to tell you what I've told everyone asking about this game: This is the best game this generation. Play it. Die. Enjoy.

@Shun_Akiyama said:

@NegativeCero said:

@Shun_Akiyama said:

@supamon said:

Welcome to Dark Souls! Glad that people are still picking this wonderful game up.

There are people who have already given you decent tips and I'll add one here: self discovery and exploration is part of the fun and charm of this game, so don't be afraid to try things out. It's more fun that way rather than looking it up on the internet.

just in time for the DLC too

Wait, I thought that was just a PC port. Or was that just the rumor?

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-11-dark-souls-dlc-in-the-works-report

That article is OLD son. This is the news: SPOILERS (It's the PC version):

Clean and simple. I like it!

Those fucking skeletons, I can't believe I got through that shit without a divine weapon.

I don't understand the issue with the frogs though, I've yet to be cursed by themthrough multiple playthroughs. Got cursed by Seath though that fucker.

Also, you should start working on a new weapon, the Drake Sword will start dropping in power around your level. Find something that scales well with strength, like a zweihander and upgrade the shit out of it.

Fuck the skeletons!
Good to see you are enjoying the game.

@Shun_Akiyama:

I think them not wanting to do DLC has more to do with not wanting to change the balance of the game by adding new Weapons/Armour/Spells.

I just lost 70,000 souls in Blight Town. Toxin is pretty shitty when the game already had poison and I had no Blooming Purple Moss.

@NegativeCero said:

I just lost 70,000 souls in Blight Town. Toxin is pretty shitty when the game already had poison and I had no Blooming Purple Moss.

I never carry souls around like that when they can be lost. I usually spend any accumulated souls at the first bonfire rather than risk carrying them around and loosing them. Just me, but I would never run around Blight Town with 70,000 souls. I'd be sweating bullets, playing with sweaty palms and a pounding heart! And then I would die. Then I'd prolly fall off a ledge and be killed trying to retrieve them.

I went real deep into a dark souls hole for a couple of months. I read and watched lore videos, beat the game on NG++, and even bought the collectors edition case off my friend because I HAD to have it. No regrets.

@TheWyotee93 said:

I went real deep into a dark souls hole for a couple of months. I read and watched lore videos, beat the game on NG++, and even bought the collectors edition case off my friend because I HAD to have it. No regrets.

Only a couple of months to do all that? I've been hammering away for longer than that and I am as far as Anor Londo on my first play through. But I have dropped and rerolled several characters. The most recent was a Thief with 90 hours on him.

@p00rdevil: Once you get late into NG or once you are in NG+ and you need 90,000+ souls for 1 SL then you have to just get good at avoiding death. At first it was nerve racking to be carrying that many souls but you adjust. I find it helps my sanity to note possible areas I could farm if I ever needed to regain some lost souls, once I have a couple noted it really takes the edge off of losing a bunch because I know that if I ever NEEDED to get some souls I would be able to get them relatively easy.

There is a nice little farming spot near the Princess Bonfire in Anor Londo but you need to have turned it into Dark Anor Londo for the mobs to be present.

I just started my 11th character. I can not stop playing this game. I love it. Looking forward to the DLC. And if that doesn't happen, I may upgrade my PC to play it. Which might not be a bad idea because I could also then play Diablo 3.

The higher and higher SL I get to, the less I seem to worry about dying. When you first start off losing 30 thousand souls to dying is hell but then when it starts taking like 90 thousand souls to level up I seem to not mind as much which is odd lol.