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Dark Souls tips for new players without spoilers

Started by The Boston Crab, October 20, 2018, 03:49:24 PM

Previous topic - Next topic
Combat


If you lower your shield, your stamina will recover more quickly.


Much of the combat is about managing your stamina and timing your attacks.


A well timed roll is often the safest defensive approach.


Be patient when attacking, it's about choosing your moment not overwhelming the enemies.


You can two-hand your weapon for extra damage by pressing X (on Switch). Press again to swap back. You can still block when two handing a weapon but it's less effective than a shield.[/size]

[/size]

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Builds

Your starting class dictates nothing much, you can adapt to any build.


Endurance and health are your most important stats for any build unless you're a pro.


Upgrading gear is more significant than leveling up with one caveat below:


Certain weapons require a particular level in Strength or Dexterity before you can use them.


Extra points in Str/Dex will give damage bonuses depending on the weapon scaling rank (S, A, B, C, etc.) but it's not a massive deal.


If your armour is too heavy, you won't be able to roll for shit unless you level your equip load more via Endurance stat. You're better off wearing less and fast rolling, in general. That said  heavy builds are legit as fuck and serious fun but you need to have the right gear and stats to make it work.




Other


Speak to NPCs until you exhaust their dialogue. This is a game where NPCs are really significant to your progress and engagement with the game and its systems. You get key items from them. You can help them on their quests and you tend to get rewards for this.[/size]


Humanity is needed for several important things, most notably online co-op. You can restore humanity aka reverse hollowing at a bonfire. In the top left of the screen you will see a number, maybe zero. You will acquire one or two or more points as you kill enemies in an area. You can then reverse hollowing at a bonfire and you will become human again. If you have zero, you can also use a Humanity item that you will pick up from time to time, usually after a boss fight or as a reward for helping others. You will still need to reverse hollowing at a bonfire, using the item only adds a humanity point.






Ask questions here scrubs.

biggytitbo

- just fucking run in and twat everything in sight. Worked for me.

Beagle 2

Thanks for this. I will be back.

Just started. Used two healing potions by mistake in the first cell trying out the buttons. Walked down a corridor and got fuck knocked out of me by a big monster. Not before I used another healing potion by mistake.

How do u get the uzi pls?


Sin Agog

Only played the second one, until I got karmic justice for doing that work-around where you quickly switch off the console when shit goes south so you don't lose your souls, only to corrupt the save.  My strategy was ditching the shield, going two.-handed, and concentrating on stamina and dodges.  Bad technique?  Seemed to work OK in DS2, but that's a bit more forgiving.

Thursday

Quote from: Sin Agog on October 20, 2018, 04:21:38 PM
Only played the second one, until I got karmic justice for doing that work-around where you quickly switch off the console when shit goes south so you don't lose your souls, only to corrupt the save.  My strategy was ditching the shield, going two.-handed, and concentrating on stamina and dodges.  Bad technique?  Seemed to work OK in DS2, but that's a bit more forgiving.

No that's actually a very good technique, although not everyone will find that so easy on their first run as they'll want to be more cautious.

Sin Agog

Ta.  It was the only playstyle that made sense to me after dozens and dozens of hours of Monster Hunter.  Both games got significantly easier when I leveled up enough to get dodge boosts.

#6
Tip: Hold A on ladders to slide down quickly. Don't push down on the stick at the same time.

Kelvin

Thanks for this. I'll be getting the game in the next couple of days, and was going to ask for some tips.

No worries, there is a lot to the game we could talk about but I'm very conscious of not spoiling the first playthrough. I'm trying to just give QoL kind of advice and reveal some obtuse mechanical things that I never understood until after I'd finished it, and which basically save a lot of time and frustration.

Combat: Pushing up/towards and R at the same time will do a kick, this will stagger most enemies who hide behind shields. It's worth practising out of combat first til you get the timing right. Extremely useful.

Beagle 2

Right, so my main issue with this is trying how awkward it is trying to control it with the Switch in handheld mode. Instant pins and needles in my hands, it just doesn't feel like it's ever going to have the precision needed for this game. It's not something that's really bothered me in other games, in fact a lot of them have felt much less precise once the system is docked, but this is a different kettle of clive.

Other than that I'm liking it so far. I really don't play these sort of games at all, but it certainly feels like something you will literally get more skilled at every time you play, not just gain spoonfed incrimental rewards.

The music is quite something.

Real talk, it does feel a tiny bit fiddly in handheld for me, too. I'm sure it's something we can get used to but the Pro Controller is a much better fit for this game for some reason.

Thursday



If you're getting pins and needles, you probably want a grip of some sort. The Satisfye one is probably best. Got it off Indiegogo a few months back but should be on general sale next month.

Kelvin

I've just started this, but need to quit and go out. How do you save at the start? Do bonfires save? It's just saying they refill health.

madhair60

Press start, go to exit. It will save your exact position.

popcorn

I got a tip for you Dark Souls players... stop playing it because it's boring!!

BIG LOLS !!

Kelvin

Not the best start. I can't work out how to equip the shield. Given up after 15 minutes of cycling through various screens unable to equip it.

Kelvin

#18
Edit: sussed it. Have to click on the empty slot rather than the item.

I know madhair60 said it already but it auto saves which adds some nice permanent consequences to everything.

Tip: One mad thing I can't believe I didn't mention, if you die and manage to get back to your bloodstain without dying again you will regain your souls and any humanity points. So many games have ripped this off that it's no longer a notable mechanic but just FYI.

bgmnts

You can probably get a good price fo selling it on musicmagpie or something.

madhair60

Also worth mentioning, don't stress too much about souls. There will be times when you lose a shitload and it feels like being punched in the gut, but you can always get more souls. Don't worry about them too much.

New Jack

I loathe death in video games. I like mad power fantasies. Not dying.

... I shouldn't bother, should I


Probably should, it'll fix all the things wrong with your life and psyche.

One of the best things about it is getting some awesome gear and going back to early areas and flattening the buggers. It's both power fantasy and constant shit yourself simulation.

Thursday

Another basic one ( I don't think you can do this until you get out of the first area) But "kindling" at bonfires, means you get 10 rather than 5 estus flask drinks. Doing so is a slightly awkward process where you need to be in human form, so if you aren't already, you need to consume 2 humanities from the menu, and then you'll see a number in the top right corner go up, and you use one to "reverse hollowing" and then a 2nd one to "kindle."

Beagle 2

Somehow I've managed to do that but I don't remember doing so and I don't know what the fuck that means.

"This isn't a game that holds your hand..."

I don't want my fucking hand held, just some basic information about the way it works without having to fuck about on my phone would be nice.

I'm dying a lot.

It looks nice.

It's unplayable on a train.

How do u get uzi

Remember when you were a kid and you shared stories in the playground about Zelda on the NES to work out what to do next? That's this for the ageing young man generation on a forum. This is the community spirit they tried to foster.

Beagle 2


Cold Meat Platter

#28
Use ranged weapons like throwing knives, bows etc. to lure single enemies away from groups, especially useful when they are of the more nails variety.


EDIT: sorry lads/lasses bit spoilery as pointed out

Thursday

Jumping too far ahead there I think, a little bit spoilery.