[Traveller]

Upgrade the fires/estus flasks as soon as you can, as you can't really use them for anything else anyway.

As for armour and upgrades; early on, it's better to learn how to block, roll, and backstab first, to a point where you are you are mostly avoiding getting hit altogether, rather than upgrading a load of armour. Once you can do that you can pretty much run around in a loincloth if you like, and then wear the best looking armour as you find it. Then you can upgrade it rather than wasting a ton on stuff that you'll never wear later in the game.

(I'm not saying that you don't need armour, just that early on its accumulative weight slows you down, as you are lower level with low endurance.To kill the 1st Taurus demon, I ended up taking my new armour off as I was too slow).

Good luck with the game, it just gets better and better.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 25 July 2013 - 12:47 PM

[Stalker]

How useful is trying to parry/riposte? Or should I stick to rolling, blocking, and backstabbing!

[Tattersail_]

Stalker, on 25 July 2013 - 12:44 PM, said:

How useful is trying to parry/riposte? Or should I stick to rolling, blocking, and backstabbing!

If you block right then your attack is much stronger, sort of like a "finish him" move from Mortal Combat, it is hard to do but when you nail it, it is awesome, same sort of attack power as the back stab. Some enemies you cannot block or back stab cause they are just that awesome!

[Dolmen 2.0]

Stalker, on 25 July 2013 - 12:44 PM, said:

How useful is trying to parry/riposte? Or should I stick to rolling, blocking, and backstabbing!

This also depends hugely on the character type you're using. and the item you're parrying with. I am using a wanderer class
with a scimitar and a parrying dagger. mostly.

You find it improves your parry to have high dexterity and high mobility. so far I have gotten into a good rhythm, the
trick is knowing which enemy you can parry and which enemy you'd rather not.

[Satan]

Fuck you, Capra Demon! FUCK YOU!

[Traveller]

Heh.

Does this mean you finally beat it, or did you just get smacked in the head again?

[Stalker]

I've been hoarding my titanite, as I'm not sure what upgrades I actually want. I'm swapping between like 3 weapons and 3 sets of armor so it's a difficult decision. Probably best to pick one and upgrade it at this point. I looted a crystal halberd, which is awesomely powerful, but the durability is non-existent so I won't be sticking with that one.

Otherwise this hasn't been too difficult so far. I just dropped Ormstein and the other guy. I guess it helps that I don't like going into boss fights with a lot of souls, so I grind for the level up, and then repeat that a few times as my souls accumulate. The most trouble I had was random exploring in blighttown because my frame rate tanked, which led to many deaths. Then I got cursed too, so I died a ton more trying to escape blighttown and cure myself. Frustrating but fun.

[amphibian]

In general, use the titanite as fast as you can - as there is always more readily available. However, demon titanite should be hoarded for the select few weapons you really like. Getting more is a real PITA.

[Satan]

Traveller, on 30 July 2013 - 05:47 PM, said:

Heh.

Does this mean you finally beat it, or did you just get smacked in the head again?

Mostly the latter, but I finally beat him this morning. Once I managed to get rid of the dogs and found the stairs up (hard to explore in that cramped area with the dogs cornering you the moment you enter) it was fairly straight forward. But to get to that point was seriously frustrating. In other news, that boss lizard with a maw for a stomach was a comparably cake walk. Had to use the zac efron flask once. I also struggled a bit with the frame rate in Blight Town, but I died because I got impatient with an ogre and one of those other folks there. The second time was because I jumped off a ledge, losing me 17000 souls and 3 humanity from the first death.

I've also just switched to the Dark Knight sword, as I've finally got the stats to use it. It's a bit slower to swing about than the Drake sword, though, so I sometimes end up taking a punch or two from that.

By the way, does anyone know how to upgrade the Zac Efron flask when that mute woman at the Firelink shrine is dead?

This post has been edited by Satan: 30 July 2013 - 09:23 PM

[amphibian]

Any firekeeper can do it. The Anor Londo one and Ash Lake one can do it. You're able to get to the Ash Lake one right now and might have to get further in the game to get to Anor Londo.

[Satan]

An update, because I know your dying to hear about my Dark Souls exploits. Did away with that spider woman fairly easily. Given that she was the second boss fight I've cruised through, I thought I'd finally cracked the code and it'd all be smooth sailing from now on. Mr. Ceaseless put an end to that illusion. I'll be back for him later. For now I'm putting all my energy into dying at Sen's Fortress. I feel like Indiana Jones in this place. Only without the whip and the ability to cheat death. Don't think I'll get the girl in the end, either.

[Morgoth]

Sometimes when playing other games I envision one of my Dark Souls characters invading that game world. Having survived the horrors of the Catacombs and Lost Izalith to mention some, he would wade through Columbia like a vengeful angel of death.

[amphibian]

Demon/dragon butts have prepared us for almost anything out there.

[Dolmen 2.0]

Right.

I think I'm getting somewhere in this game. I have the Quelaag sword and have sufficiently buffed up my stamina and vitality. I cleared Anor Londo and now I guess I'm gonna start hunting the bad-ass collective. I entered Seethe layer belonging to Seethe the unscaled and backtracked immediately as it took me my entire Estus reserve to navigate. My character is a flimsy speed and Dex build. pretty nimble with some levels in Pyromancy. I live off risky in-and-out tactics, can't see myself damaging this thing effectively from a distance. Suggestions?

Oh Sidenote: I have a dragonbow of somesort. It's huge and a bit of a dicey bet as it takes ages to draw and the arrows are priced in appendages. It does cause some really heavy damage despite taking ages to line up a shot.

[amphibian]

The dragonbow is really fun for Player vs Other Player online stuff, not so much for in-game, unless you can find a stationary opponent.

If you're looking for help with the boars immediately upon entering the Duke's Archives, they're very tough enemies that might take some cheap tricks or some very well timed dodges and single smashes with a weapon to do.

If you're further into the Duke's Archives, kill any and all magicians first. That'll get you a long ways in - also, don't carry that many souls in liquid form if you can avoid it.

If you're stuck elsewhere, lemme know and I'll help in spoiler text.

[Dolmen 2.0]

amphibian, on 04 December 2013 - 03:46 PM, said:

The dragonbow is really fun for Player vs Other Player online stuff, not so much for in-game, unless you can find a stationary opponent.

If you're looking for help with the boars immediately upon entering the Duke's Archives, they're very tough enemies that might take some cheap tricks or some very well timed dodges and single smashes with a weapon to do.

If you're further into the Duke's Archives, kill any and all magicians first. That'll get you a long ways in - also, don't carry that many souls in liquid form if you can avoid it.

If you're stuck elsewhere, lemme know and I'll help in spoiler text.

Thanks man that really helped.

Spoiler

Ok I manned up and faced Seethe. It was ridiculous and as you know led to a situation. Running up and down the duke's archives I eventually got my way to the crystal something or other and I'm currently trying to cross an Invisible bridge to a Crystal Hulk. I hate how kicking some bosses in the ass can be a cakewalk but these midway guys are always the deadlier threats. Died three times already trying to handle him. Will take a break and give a heads up when I get somewhere notable.

[amphibian]

Chop every dragon's tail that you can.

[Dolmen 2.0]

Wow that was actually alot easier than I expected. It becam a really bizarre game of Chase the Tail. Had some good playtime today. I got to the four kings. Did not kill em. I am not dealing as much damage as I'd like. Also I'm still made of glass. Thought of armouring up but I lose all my speed and that seems vital as the kings seem set on some kind of timer.

I decided to level up and do some recon exploring the catacombs. Fought a masked necromancer, he died quick against fire attacks. Now I am shitting myself in the dark trying to workout how to get to Neeto. I have figured out that the heads light up. Also these giant skeletons are making it impossible to stack humanity.

[amphibian]

People beat this game with characters that never go beyond Level 1. So everything can be dodged in this game, it's just a matter of "Do you want to build that type of skill or not?"

Spoiler

As for right now, get out of the Giant's Tombs area. Go back later. You can go fight the 4 Kings with lots of armor on - it's a hack'n'heal as fast as you can situation, although if you're really good, you can dodge every attack the 4 Kings throw at you. Roll under the magic swipe, roll back for the magic explosion, avoid the grab attack, slash them up. You also may want to go into the Demon Ruins/Lost Izalith area to find the Sunlit Maggot or find a Skull Lantern, so you can see in the Giant's Tombs and get the fourth Lordvessel piece.

[Dolmen 2.0]

amphibian, on 05 December 2013 - 06:05 PM, said:

People beat this game with characters that never go beyond Level 1. So everything can be dodged in this game, it's just a matter of "Do you want to build that type of skill or not?"

Spoiler

As for right now, get out of the Giant's Tombs area. Go back later. You can go fight the 4 Kings with lots of armor on - it's a hack'n'heal as fast as you can situation, although if you're really good, you can dodge every attack the 4 Kings throw at you. Roll under the magic swipe, roll back for the magic explosion, avoid the grab attack, slash them up. You also may want to go into the Demon Ruins/Lost Izalith area to find the Sunlit Maggot or find a Skull Lantern, so you can see in the Giant's Tombs and get the fourth Lordvessel piece.

This! I hate heavy armor builds in this game, fights just don't feel right. can't really explain why. Gonna lift my dodge game a try with a +10 Great Scythe. Think I'll track down this ninja flip ring everyones talking about...

I can't imagine finishing this game at Level 1. that's impressive.