LTTP: Dark Souls

[senorgotti]

Dark Souls exansion: Artorias of the Abyss

Everything you need to know:
Dark Souls Wiki
Detailed descriptions of items builds, bosses, NPC's, etc. I often have it open on my phone as I'm playing.

Dark Souls Prepare to Die on STEAM
Prepare to Die is the regular game plus expansion

What does LTTP mean?
Late to the party

[senorgotti]

I got this game last week on the PS3 off Amazon for 12$. I was putting off playing it until I finished Demon Souls but that was getting frustrating. So far I prefer Dark Souls and do not miss going back to the Nexus between levels. I'm currently in the Depths and only have the boss left before leaving the sewers for good. Started with a bandit character and chose the master key as my starting item. Not using any magic but I do like using bows and crossbows.

[Kamakazie]

I've never finished this game, so maybe I should get back into it while you're doing this thing! I'm about 30-40 hours in.

I started off as a Wanderer and also chose the Master Key. I'm currently in some terrible place of fire and death. I dabble in magic and keep my armor light but I am mainly a melee combatant. Backstabs are my god.

I've refused to look at any wikis during my time with the game and I don't intend to start!

EDIT: Also, thank you for clarifying that LTTP does not mean Link to the Past. I was a bit confused.

[toolfan]

I've never finished this game, so maybe I should get back into it while you're doing this thing! I'm about 30-40 hours in.

I started off as a Wanderer and also chose the Master Key. I'm currently in some terrible place of fire and death. I dabble in magic and keep my armor light but I am mainly a melee combatant. Backstabs are my god.

I've refused to look at any wikis during my time with the game and I don't intend to start!

EDIT: Also, thank you for clarifying that LTTP does not mean Link to the Past. I was a bit confused.

It's impressive that you haven't looked at a wiki. My main complaint with the game actually is that I feel a wiki is a necessity. The game does a horrendous job of conveying game mechanics i.e. what is humanity and navigation i.e. which area is the next logical progression. I played over 100 hours and beat the story 3 times and I feel that the game doesn't get really good until the second play through as you finally start to realize what the hell is going on.

[Kamakazie]

It's impressive that you haven't looked at a wiki. My main complaint with the game actually is that I feel a wiki is a necessity. The game does a horrendous job of conveying game mechanics i.e. what is humanity and navigation i.e. which area is the next logical progression. I played over 100 hours and beat the story 3 times and I feel that the game doesn't get really good until the second play through as you finally start to realize what the hell is going on.

For me, the best part of Demon's Souls was just discovering everything for myself, so I didn't want to ruin anything for Dark Souls by looking at a wiki.

I still don't understand the benefit to having humanity, but I have never gotten lost in the game, and I have a nice mental map of areas I've been to, areas I need to spend more time exploring, areas that I need to return to when more powerful, etc. I even thought the game felt extremely linear up until the point when

Spoiler

you get the lordvessel

because it felt like you were just moving in a straight line. After that point the game really opens up multiple paths for you to explore.

[taggart6]

I'm about 10 hours in. i defeated the axe gargoyle and some other boss I can;t recall. i started off with a pyromancer which is fun. I actually find the game easier then demon's souls and more enjoyable.

I still have a very long way to go.

[senorgotti]

I still don't understand the benefit to having humanity, but I have never gotten lost in the game, multiple paths for you to explore.

Humanity is supposed to increase your luck for drops and it's also used to kindle fires or become human. You need to be human to summon phantoms, and the phantoms will also help with bosses. However, I only got 1 double humanity left to use to become human again. Summoning the AI phantoms for the depths boss isn't a big help, because they die within the first minute of the fight. The depths boss has destroyed my Drake Sword and my main armor so far. I usually get him to a sliver of health than something cheesey happens. Frustrating cause I might have to backtrack to the smith.

I would not recommend to stay away from the wiki especially if you never played the Demon Souls before. I like to take my time explore an area, fight the boss, and then I will look. The wiki has only enhanced the game for me in my opinion or I would have given up in the first 8 hours or so if that long.

Also, when you are human you are eligible to be invaded which is fun or really stressful depending on the situation.

[Kamakazie]

Humanity is supposed to increase your luck for drops and it's also used to kindle fires or become human. You need to be human to summon phantoms, and the phantoms will also help with bosses.

I knew about all that except for the increased drop chance.

What I don't get is what the true benefit to being human does for you. If it's just drop chance, then fine, but being human doesn't seem NEARLY as important as it was to be whole in Demon's Souls.

[senorgotti]

I knew about all that except for the increased drop chance.

What I don't get is what the true benefit to being human does for you. If it's just drop chance, then fine, but being human doesn't seem NEARLY as important as it was to be whole in Demon's Souls.

You can have a high humanity count and not be human which is confusing. For example: die, find your recovery splotch, and recover your humanity count while remaining a zombie. Why they didn't call humanity something else is beyond me. You cash in humanity for inverse hollowing(?) (forgot) at the fires to become human, so that you may play co op or invaded/be invaded. Also, it ups your resistance to curses. No where near as influential as it was in the previous game but I do like getting better loot. I think humanity was the first thing I looked up while playing.

[taggart6]

I looked up some basic stuff: Humanity, White Sign Soapstone, kindling, and a few other things to get going. Avoiding most other things so I can discover them on my own. I spent a few hours trying to take out the skeletons near my starting point before giving up and heading toward the bridge. Eventually found a blacksmith so I can start upgrading my weapons. Been using mostly a spear and shield with my fire spells for back up.

The hardest thing is having to move from campfire to campfire. At times I wonder if I'm not playing "correctly"

We should try to get a Mp session going. Meet up on vent and try to ordinate call stones.

[Rush]

I think senorgotti covered most of the benefits of being human. For me, it's the sense of accomplishment. It's REALLY hard to stay human for entire (or at least the majority) of your playthrough. Between insane boss fights, scripted events designed to kill you (at least the first time you come across them), and constant threat of invasion... yes, staying human is quite stressful.

For humanity, there another benefit I take advantage of - increased damage for Chaos weapons. I have a couple of maxed out Chaos weapons (love my +5 Chaos Demon's Great Axe) that are flat out awesome when my character has 10+ humanity.

[senorgotti]

I looked up some basic stuff: Humanity, White Sign Soapstone, kindling, and a few other things to get going. Avoiding most other things so I can discover them on my own. I spent a few hours trying to take out the skeletons near my starting point before giving up and heading toward the bridge. Eventually found a blacksmith so I can start upgrading my weapons. Been using mostly a spear and shield with my fire spells for back up.

The hardest thing is having to move from campfire to campfire. At times I wonder if I'm not playing "correctly"

We should try to get a Mp session going. Meet up on vent and try to ordinate call stones.

Yeah you don't need and shouldn't bother fighting the skeletons at first. Just run through and get the stuff or wait till you can fight them but then those items in the graveyard are less useful. I watched some helpful hints videos before even playing the game to see if I would like it and learned that. So much stuff that waists your time if you don't look up certain things. The combat and environments keep the game interesting enough so I don't need to discover everything on my own. As far mp goes I am down once I get back to the smith and fix my stuff. We talking PS3 cause I don't have a PC version and it's now back to normal price?

[senorgotti]

I think senorgotti covered most of the benefits of being human. For me, it's the sense of accomplishment. It's REALLY hard to stay human for entire (or at least the majority) of your playthrough. Between insane boss fights, scripted events designed to kill you (at least the first time you come across them), and constant threat of invasion... yes, staying human is quite stressful.

For humanity, there another benefit I take advantage of - increased damage for Chaos weapons. I have a couple of maxed out Chaos weapons (love my +5 Chaos Demon's Great Axe) that are flat out awesome when my character has 10+ humanity.

Cool did not know that, but I don't have a chaos weapon yet and only 2 humanity left to spend after last nights failures.

[toolfan]

Darks Souls in a nutshell

I saw this on a polygon forum today and couldn't stop laughing

[Kamakazie]

Darks Souls in a nutshell

I saw this on a polygon forum today and couldn't stop laughing

That is so perfect. XD