Dark Souls

[ItsThere]

This is a pretty interesting experience for me.

The first time I played Dark Souls it was after release and the online community had already died down a bit. That meant that I had to solo a lot of bosses whether I wanted to or not. So you Git Gud.

Now though, I'm already Gud so I always have plenty of humanity knocking around and there are a lot of helpful bods who want to jump in and smash bosses. So Ornstein and Smough went down quickly and easily.

I remember broadly what I'm doing and where I'm going (except for the DLC which I never played) so the experience becomes less stressful and more cathartic. There are bits I won't bother with until NG+ or beyond but its a long haul, not a short flight this one.

Still a great game in 2018 and one you can lose plenty of happy hours to.

[Atticus]

I'm starting to wonder whether I'm scaling the right weapon. I've stuck with the Bandit Knife as I like the speed. It's only around +7 currently and while it's served me fairly well, I just entered Sen's Fortress and it was like hitting them with a balloon on a stick. Maybe I need to scale my Dex a fair bit???

Very much enjoying the game

[ItsThere]

I'm starting to wonder whether I'm scaling the right weapon. I've stuck with the Bandit Knife as I like the speed. It's only around +7 currently and while it's served me fairly well, I just entered Sen's Fortress and it was like hitting them with a balloon on a stick. Maybe I need to scale my Dex a fair bit???

Very much enjoying the game

Sens was the point I changed to a Falchion +10 for normal enemies. I have a sick magic hand axe for other reasons!

[Atticus]

Ta for the tip. Is there enough large titanite to upgrade more than one weapon in the same game?

[briareos_kerensky]

Yep, either by enemy drop or purchased at various locations.

[Atticus]

Cheers. Time for a bit of farming and levelling

[Goemon]

I'm starting to wonder whether I'm scaling the right weapon. I've stuck with the Bandit Knife as I like the speed. It's only around +7 currently and while it's served me fairly well, I just entered Sen's Fortress and it was like hitting them with a balloon on a stick. Maybe I need to scale my Dex a fair bit???

Very much enjoying the game

The Bandit's Knife scales with Dexterity, so that should be your levelling focus if you plan to keep using it.
It does good bleed build up and it good for ripostes. When in Sen's you should look at trying to get behind the Lizardmen and backstabbing them, they do take their hits over normal enemies.

[briareos_kerensky]

I thought I could resist and instead I've got DSR on PS4 and started a new character.
To be honest I'm pretty underwhelmed by the port. I mean, Dark Souls is still Dark Souls, but other than a new lighting method (of which I'm not a big fan of) and better sorround mix (I don't remember if the PS3 had it), there are no other improvements.
The menu is still the same and going through items is a pain; no quick menu like Bloodborne or later DS games; no quick ladder climbing (this could have changed some battles, like the first Minotaur Demon, but not so dramatically); and I'm pretty sure DSR is picking up online messages from DS on the PS3, even before getting a soapstone I got two extra Estus shots from likes. And I don't recall how this works exactly, but I had quite a lot of failed Gravelord invasions, which if I recall correctly shouldn't happen until NG+.

Anyway, started with my usual knight, this time with the master key as initial gift.

->Open Spoiler<-

Nabbed the Astora Straight Sword and Drake Shield, defeated Havel for his ring, out of four Black Knights defeated I've only got one Halberd, killed the Red Wyvern, got the Drake Sword, got the Red Tearstone Ring, the Elite Knight armour, and rang the first bell.

[Atticus]

When in Sen's you should look at trying to get behind the Lizardmen and backstabbing them, they do take their hits over normal enemies.

Good call. Takes 2/3rds of their health Bandit's Knife is definitely performing better with a bit more dex too.

[ItsThere]

Smashed through the DLC now, it was great. I had to resort to some online help to figure out how to get there though, it seems even more intrusively designed than the rest of the game. Fantastic area though, good bosses and a nice place to farm items as well.

[Atticus]

At which point in the game do you experience/access the dlc?

[Adam]

At which point in the game do you experience/access the dlc?

Shortly after you enter the Dukes Archives I think? Which is about 60-70%, through the game.

[briareos_kerensky]

Yep. You need to get to the Duke's Archives,

->Open Spoiler<-

kill a Crystal Golem just after the very first bonfire there, and collect whatever it drops. In Darkroot Basin go past the Hydra to the cave with a gold Crystal Golem; kill it if you haven't done already, reload if need to, enter the black hole.

[ItsThere]

Yep. You need to get to the Duke's Archives,

->Open Spoiler<-

kill a Crystal Golem just after the very first bonfire there, and collect whatever it drops. In Darkroot Basin go past the Hydra to the cave with a gold Crystal Golem; kill it if you haven't done already, reload if need to, enter the black hole.

Just to add to that:

->Open Spoiler<-

I had to do it the other way around. The Duke's Archives golem didn't drop the item until I had killed the Darkroot Basin golem first.

[Atticus]

Thanks guys, I've already killed

->Open Spoiler<-

the Darkroot Basin Golem (the golden one at the back of the lake)

... so I expect the rest will fall into place as it comes along.

Going to start exploring Sen's next.