Dark Souls(Demon's Souls successor)

[Sno]

Pouring all your souls into leveling up without upgrading your gear will also just get you eaten alive in the metagame, because match-making only factors in your level.

Another small thing - Boss fights are basically the only situation where you won't want to use the lock-on.

If you're trying to dodge between the legs of the iron golem, or hack off the tail of the gaping dragon, the lock-on camera will only be a hindrance.

[bd_monkey]

So where do i up grade my stuff? i just made it past the bridge with the dragon.

[Sno]

So where do i up grade my stuff? i just made it past the bridge with the dragon.

It sounds like you missed the first blacksmith below the firelink shrine. (There's an elevator down past a path that skirts the cliff immediately by the bonfire.)

The next one is a only a little further on from where you are, and there's only a couple others beyond that.

It's worth noting that each blacksmith in the game specializes in different upgrade paths for your weapon, and also require specific unique items before being able to upgrade down the advanced paths. (Also, some of the initially better-seeming weapons have shorter and more restricted upgrade paths that require rarer ore and sometimes top out short of where some of the more basic weapons might end up. Things generally do all end up being mostly balanced though.)

Also, your earlier question about the thief class. Parrying is hard, yes, but it's more an issue of the thief class starting out with less capable gear than some of the others. However, if you're still making progress, don't worry about it. Being a thief doesn't lock you into anything, you can develop your build however you want. (However, If you chose the thief for that key, be aware that it's more of a sequence breaking thing. You're not getting secret areas, you're opening up back doors into later areas you will be ill-prepared for, though you'll find these paths useful for late-game backtracking.)

[Lork]

(However, If you chose the thief for that key, be aware that it's more of a sequence breaking thing. You're not getting secret areas, you're opening up back doors into later areas you will be ill-prepared for, though you'll find these paths useful for late-game backtracking.)

You can use it to get some cool goodies before you're normally supposed to as long as you're willing to brave some out of depth enemies to get them.

[bd_monkey]

So, what is the benefit to between being human or not, other then letting people into your game? And what dose kindling do?

[dibs]

The kindling upgrades your bottle to hold more charges. I think being human gets you better loot but lets your game get invaded? Also, it makes you not red faced.

I stopped using the zweihander in favour of an axe. That put me under my 1/2 weight and the axe swings so much faster which i really love. Also, kicking that one zombie off the bridge is so good.

[Sno]

So, what is the benefit to between being human or not, other then letting people into your game? And what dose kindling do?

Kindling upgrades the bonfire so you can get more estus flask charges.

it's permanent, but only for that bonfire. (So say you upgrade a bonfire twice so you can get 15 estus flasks, then the next bonfire you ping, if it hasn't been upgraded, will only give you a maximum of five. So if you still have twelve from the last bonfire, you won't get anything from the current one. If you only had 3 estus flasks left, the current bonfire would bump you up to five.)

Being human lets you kindle bonfires, but primarily it opens you up to the metagame.

You're open to invasions and able to see co-op summon signs. (There's also NPC co-op/invasions with unique loot that happen at specific spots in the game. If you're not human when you cross those thresholds, those are permanently lost for the current playthrough.)

You do not have to be human to yourself be an invader or a co-op summon.

[Colourful Stuff]

This may be a silly question as I haven't played it, but is Dark Souls actually that hard? The Witcher 2 has a reputation for difficulty however all that means in there are a few systems to learn and the prologue is poorly balanced. Is playing without a guide or wiki viable?

[toblix]

I haven't played it at all, but my impression is that it isn't hard in that it required amazing skills or reflexes – more that it requires dedication, determination and being able to fail and lose progress a lot, all the while surrounded by dreary, dank, depressing environments and characters.

[Colourful Stuff]

it requires dedication, determination and being able to fail and lose progress a lot, all the while surrounded by dreary, dank, depressing environments and characters.

That's okay, I grew up in Merseyside.

[Brannigan]

It's tough but it rarely feels unfair. I'd call it refreshingly tough, as a lot of games these days like to hold your hand.

[dibs]

Ya, you die a lot, but you earn from your mistakes.

[bd_monkey]

I haven't been more exiteded to come home and play a game in a long time. It's not that it is hard, it's just that you have to be careful about everything. Most of my deaths where due to the fact that I got a bit cocky, and rushed through a section.

One time I spent some time going though a part with a minor boss in an area full regular enamys. After taking my time and carefully maneuvering the area, I cleared it out. I justifiably felt like a badass. The path out had a coridor with like five of the weakest guys in the game. Obviously I was a total awesome awesome guy, and these guys where no match for me. But I went in too quickly, and one of them got a hit on me, which staggered me and the rest of them took me out.

The whole point is that you just have to respect all of the bad guys, even the unimposeing starting guys because they can all do serious damage. And you also don't nesceraly need ultra fast reflexes like in a God of War game on the harder difficulties, but just take your time and watch the enamy for an opening.

Also, when I got to the entrance of the chapel with the bell. It took like fifteen minutes to take out the four heavily armored knites in there. Just as the last guy died, I heard a ringing, and it took me a second to realize that someone else had roung the bell. In which I exclaimed hell yeah. Everything in this game just makes you feel like you're actually accomplishing something. Even though it is a Video game.

[Sno]

This may be a silly question as I haven't played it, but is Dark Souls actually that hard? The Witcher 2 has a reputation for difficulty however all that means in there are a few systems to learn and the prologue is poorly balanced. Is playing without a guide or wiki viable?

Having played both Witcher 2 and Dark Souls, i will say Dark Souls is significantly more savage, but really in the way you would want it to be. I love Witcher 2, but it kind of comes off as poorly paced and balanced, while Dark Souls seems kind of carefully knowing of how specifically ridiculous it is. It's the kind of game that will offer you a clear view of the insanely stupid challenge you're about to embark upon, give you a chance to plan things out. It's definitely not impossible, it's a kind of game that rewards careful and cautious play.

Furthermore, in the sense that Dark Souls is a very open-ended game with a minimum of gating going on, you don't really need to follow a wiki/guide. (Try to figure it out with only in-game player signs to guide you, you might find a particularly interesting and unique experience.)

Reading up on the game systems is recommended though. (The human/undead disparity, the covenants, the magic system, and the weapon upgrade system are probably the most obtuse things, with the latter two being ripe for potentially damaging mistakes.)

Edit: Well... Actually... If you're concerned about the side-quests, then you totally need a wiki/guide. There's no journal to track them, they can spiral into failstates at no notice, and you don't get any second chances because of the autosave.

I feel like Dark Souls is a game where you really want to do NG+ runs though, don't go crazy trying to hit everything off perfectly on your first playthrough.

[Colourful Stuff]

Damn the Witcher 2 has some stupid boss fights. Not the fights themselves but the fact that they are preceded by cut-scenes making it impossible to meditate beforehand. It sounds like Dark Souls doesn't break its own rules so I don't see myself getting too frustrated.

I'm not really interested in optimising so I'll probably just bumble through like the tourist I am.

[Hero Protagonist]

Picked up the PC version, tried to play without a controller. I stopped within 10 minutes. Can't deal with bad PC ports.

[Orv]

Picked up the PC version, tried to play without a controller. I stopped within 10 minutes. Can't deal with bad PC ports.

M&KB was never intended to be used, they just put it in there because they wanted to a least have a bit of PC specific stuff in here, other than early DLC. This game should never be played with anything but a controller, the port is fine*.

*Considering that this is the first time From has ever done anything PC related, the community urged them to get it out as soon as possible, and the excellent sales mean they'll probably make the next Souls game (or whatever they make) for PC from the get-go, the port could be a lot worse. The community is also working on fixing the mouse lock bug, if you're crazy enough to play it with M&KB.

[Brannigan]

I actually impressed that the game never crashes or seems to have bugs. Yea mouse and kb sucks, but I knew that going in and forked out the cash for a controller.

[Hero Protagonist]

M&KB was never intended to be used, they just put it in there because they wanted to a least have a bit of PC specific stuff in here, other than early DLC. This game should never be played with anything but a controller, the port is fine*.

*Considering that this is the first time From has ever done anything PC related, the community urged them to get it out as soon as possible, and the excellent sales mean they'll probably make the next Souls game (or whatever they make) for PC from the get-go, the port could be a lot worse. The community is also working on fixing the mouse lock bug, if you're crazy enough to play it with M&KB.

I find it rather silly to simply dismiss the issues that Dark Souls' PC has with M&K controls for either of those reasons. I'm sure I'm not the only person who doesn't have a controller, nor that I am the only person who expects a game to function on a system's native devices.

Assuming I am willing to give it another shot, please recommend a suitable controller for me to pickup?

[Brannigan]

I just grabbed a wired xbox360 controller

[Colourful Stuff]

I'm shocked that there are still PC gamers that don't own a wired 360 controller. It seems like an essential accessory at this point. Didn't Ubisoft hint that Ass Creed 3 will require a controller?

[Orv]

I find it rather silly to simply dismiss the issues that Dark Souls' PC has with M&K controls for either of those reasons. I'm sure I'm not the only person who doesn't have a controller, nor that I am the only person who expects a game to function on a system's native devices.

Assuming I am willing to give it another shot, please recommend a suitable controller for me to pickup?

A USB wired 360 controller will run you about 30 bucks, a wire Logitech gamepad might run you a bit less.

[Brannigan]

I'm shocked that there are still PC gamers that don't own a wired 360 controller. It seems like an essential accessory at this point. Didn't Ubisoft hint that Ass Creed 3 will require a controller?

I never really felt the need for it, but I am making it a point to use it on games I think will benefit, even if I'm fine with the default controls

[Lork]

I find it rather silly to simply dismiss the issues that Dark Souls' PC has with M&K controls for either of those reasons. I'm sure I'm not the only person who doesn't have a controller, nor that I am the only person who expects a game to function on a system's native devices.

Assuming I am willing to give it another shot, please recommend a suitable controller for me to pickup?

Do you also think it's silly to dismiss people who try to play Street Fighter 4 with a keyboard? Or how about flight sims? Some games are designed with a particular device in mind, and you ignore that at your own peril.

What's much worse is when a game was obviously designed for a controller, but for some asinine reason that feature is cut out and you're force to use some half-assed attempt at a KB/M solution instead. See Mass Effect 2 and Bioshock 2.

[Brannigan]

I had no problem with either of those games with kb/m