Okay, I've never played Demon's Souls, so this is my first experience with the series, and now, 12 hours in I'm starting to realize the magnitude of practically every single decision that I make, and now I'm beginning to worry that I'll make a mistake at some point in the game, that is going to set me back hours of gameplay. I found this dude on youtube called EpicNameBro and he has a pretty good video guide, giving just enough tips, and he's also showing where/how to find items, and he seems to know enough about the game to keep me away from screwing myself over and/or missing useful/cool items. He is at the same point in the game as I am, and watching his videos from time to time could help me through areas that I'm really struggling with- However, I'm pretty sure I'd end up feeling guilty about it, or miss out on some of the best stuff about the game, which is the mystique and the unknown-ness (this is now a word) and I don't know if it would harm or improve my experience with the game. So I guess what I wanted to know is, do any of you guys follow guides or something similar, or do you go for the "just winging it" tactic, and if you played Deamon's Souls, how did you tackle that game.

I played Demon's Souls and am playing Dark Souls without following any guide. For me, it would be pointless to get these games only to follow a guide to make things less complex/difficult for me. I refer to the forums every now and again for tips and such, but never for complete instructions on how to proceed. 
 
If I actually get stuck, though, and can't proceed for a couple of hours, I'll refer to a Youtube vid on where to go or what to do.

I usually just wing it and go through the game as far as I can until I become hopelessly stuck for hours on end. Once I get stuck for a long time and get overly frustrated I jump online to figure it out. I don't have the time or patience to sit with something for weeks on end trying to finish it, too many good games out to get through.

Avoiding guides the first playthrough is best. If you're going to watch what he does and then do the same or something similar then you might as well just let him play the game for you. Part of the fun of the game is never knowing what the outcome of the choices you make will be. Just don't attack an npc and you shouldn't run into anything that will force you to restart your character.

@JacDG: No I don't use a guide, but I DO talk to people. I think it's more fun to kind of find an answer yo your own questions in that game whether it be where to go next or how to beat that boss. Talking to friends you have that are playing the game as well, or even people on forums like this one, is a good way of getting advice on things without using a guide and completely changing your first playthrough. Your first one is supposed to be mysterious and hard and whatnot, so just go with it.

I'm not really that far in the game but I tend to just inspect every suspicious-looking nook and cranny (a follow to anyone who guesses which game I just referenced), so I won't miss out on any chests and items. 
 
I also intend to read a lot about the game mechanics, but not about how to play the game step-by-step - just read a lot about how to upgrade, what cool weapons there are for your build and how you can get special items.
 
As far as beating DS goes I just read where to get a weapon that interested me (Dragonbone smasher at first, large sword of moonlight later) and fit my build and then just went with it. I also read what certain boss souls can get me.
 
In short, try to not follow a guide, but rather find out about stuff that fits your playstyle and how to get it (my advice, feel free to disagree).

I actually have the official guide, but I only read up on some of the mechanics and weapons/armor. I don't want to sit there with a guide doing exactly what it says, that takes the fun out of it. I like talking about it on forums or maybe look up something I found or am having trouble with on google or youtube to see what I find. I like talking about this game more-so than others. There's something about it that is really addicting and fun, so far at least (i haven't been down to the depths with all those curse things). If I ever actually beat it, I would probably look into the guide or walkthrough more. As for Demon's Souls, I got into that only this summer so I had no idea what I was getting into. I watched a lot of video walkthroughs, only because I was getting murdered.

@MentalDisruption said:

Avoiding guides the first playthrough is best. If you're going to watch what he does and then do the same or something similar then you might as well just let him play the game for you. Part of the fun of the game is never knowing what the outcome of the choices you make will be. Just don't attack an npc and you shouldn't run into anything that will force you to restart your character.

Not talking following it to the step, just listening to what would be good for a certain area I'm having trouble with, and what items I can find that might prove useful later on. Since I haven't played a lot of the game, I'm still very uncertain of what the game expects me to do, and how much it expects me to find etc. Up to this point I've done everything by myself, but I feel tempted to be helped, since I'm not used to a game doing things in this particular fashion.

I think its up to the player ... obviously. I bought this game out of fascination and I love it way more than I expected. That being said, its very time consuming and I am very short on free time. The first several days, if I found myself running into a wall for a while I would consult the GB boards for advice. I found that asking the community was usually enough to get me back on track and keep me slowly making my way through the game. However, something about this game fascinates the living shit out of me and I find myself wanting to know everything ... long story short ... I bought the printed guide. I don't refer to the guide during play sessions unless I am stark raving mad at the game, however, I have used it as a "night cap" before bed. The book itself is full of information and facts about the world that there is no way I would ever personally be able to ascertain due to my time constraints. So far I don't feel like anything has been spoiled or cheapened in my experience. I bought this game to play it. I completely enjoy the discovery and journey aspects that everyone talks about, and they are right. I also know my personality ... I don't have a large amount of patience. As I said, I bought the game to play it. Only you can know what it is going to take for you to enjoy it. If you need the satisfaction and knowledge that you did everything on your own ... don't consult a guide ... if you don't, just try to have fun.