A question for Dark Souls fans

[lithiumvocals]

Yesterday I bought Dark Souls because from what I've seen, it's the most goddamn metal game ever. Stone dragons, big burly dudes chucking lightning bolts, Sauron, and a dead guy made up of the corpses of a thousand dead guys. I mean, that is insanely cool in the silliest way possible. So far I've been enjoying it outside having to go back to the bonfire every time to refill your Flask, which in turn spawns back all the enemies for you to use your Flask again, because that gets annoying. Also, the camera's a little wonky inside small rooms and hallways.

The odd thing is that I don't find it as hard as people say it is. It's definitely not easy, but I have a fairly firm grasp on the combat. I thought it might be because I was using the Knight class, but that's just a theory at this point. But now I'm off point.

So here's my question for you avid players of the game. What do you think is the easiest class to start the game with and what is the hardest class to start with? Oh and reasons for each would be nice.

 

[Bleidd Whitefalcon]

Pyromancer is probably the easiest. Pyromancy doesn't scale with stats and is pretty powerful so you've got good stuff right off the bat. Plus you have full control over your levelups since you start at level 1 with that class.

 

[I Stomp on Kittens]

I've only used one class and that is the pyromancer, the extra damage from the Fireball spell is helpful for most of the game, I ditched the use of fire spells for a more melee focused build.
I think once you get in the mindset it isn't too hard for any class.

I believe Pyromancer or Cleric to be the easiest. The extra damage from Fireball is great. The Cleric starts with a healing spell and more health in Dark Souls could mean that you beat that boss and don't have to fight your way there again. The hardest I'd have to say would be Deprived, they start with a club and a wooden shield, that's it, no added bonus, and nothing special on their side.

 

[TrevHead]

Easiest Pyro with the key. Since you only level up your glove not your skills, it gives you more freedom in character builds. Pyro is the best class to fight The Four Kings boss and that big wolf.

IIRC hardest is that dude in the loincloth (I forget the classname) Not using magic in the game will make play more difficult.

Classes are only important at the start of the game or if you plan on keeping your characters level to a minimum as souls are plentiful later into the game.

 

[Erttheking]

I haven't played with that many classes, but I would suggest the knight, he's a stone wall, high defense but slow mobility, good for someone who isn't used to dodging, which includes new players. They pyromancer is good because of the pyromancy, which isn't dependent on stats for getting stronger, so you can spend experience on other stats. With a cleric, you can use miracles, which does require a stat to make them stronger (Faith) but with them you can heal without using a flask. Anyone who has run back to a bonfire to fill them should know how valuable that will be.

The hardest class? The Wanderer, a class with hard hitting capabilities but low defense. But even harder is the Deprived. Ironically, stats wise it's the most balanced, but it has the crapiest equipment. It's a guy in a loincloth with a club and a piece of wood, I imagine it will be a lot better when you get some better equipment. Remember, classes only affect how you start off, as time goes on you'll be able to mold your character into whatever you want. I gave my warrior a high faith build and he stopped using heavy armor and two handed swords mid battle to crouch down and use miracles. With the balanced stats of the Depraved, he can be considered, as TV tropes would describe it, a Lethal Joke Character.

Also, get the Master's key. Always, ALWAYS get the master's key.

 

[Judgement101]

Easiest Class? Knight, by far. He starts with the best starting armor in the game allowing him to tank more damage, not much more, but more none the less. And GET THE MASTER KEY! Blighttown is annoying as hell, trust me, there is nothing of value down there anyway.

 

[hazabaza1]

The one that lets you fuck up with the fewest repercussions is Knight. Good armour, take off the helmet and do medium rolls, solved.
Myself, I like Wanderer or Hunter.


And again, Master Key.

 

[Windcaler]

Yesterday I bought Dark Souls because from what I've seen, it's the most goddamn metal game ever. Stone dragons, big burly dudes chucking lightning bolts, Sauron, and a dead guy made up of the corpses of a thousand dead guys. I mean, that is insanely cool in the silliest way possible. So far I've been enjoying it outside having to go back to the bonfire every time to refill your Flask, which in turn spawns back all the enemies for you to use your Flask again, because that gets annoying. Also, the camera's a little wonky inside small rooms and hallways.

The odd thing is that I don't find it as hard as people say it is. It's definitely not easy, but I have a fairly firm grasp on the combat. I thought it might be because I was using the Knight class, but that's just a theory at this point. But now I'm off point.

So here's my question for you avid players of the game. What do you think is the easiest class to start the game with and what is the hardest class to start with? Oh and reasons for each would be nice.

Well to start I agree with you. IMO the game isnt so much hard as it is unforgiving.

Anyway, easiest class IMO is the Knight because it starts with some really great gear. Lots of armor, and the broadsword is a really strong starting weapon. Plus the heater shield has the 100% physical block on it.

The hardest class, I want to say is the deprived but I actually havnt played a deprived yet. Ive played everything else though and for me the hardest starting character was the sorcerer. Sure you have magic but the lack of armor allows for even fewer mistakes and you start with quite possibly the worst weapon in the game, the dagger and the shield is pretty bad too. Although the dagger is easy to replace as soon as you get to firelink by grabbing the estoc in New londo ruins

 

[ImperialSunlight]

I find bandit to be the easiest class as it gets some incredibly powerful weapons (the spider shield/the battle axe) and decent stats early in the game. The weakest in my opinion is (excluding the deprived) is the sorceror, since at the start of the game you have no useful melee weapon (the dagger can pretty much only backstab/riposte effectively). The sorceries aren't as useful as you would think, as long as you're confident enough with the melee system.

People often exaggerate the game's difficulty, though. It isn't hard so much that it doesn't go out of its way to hold your hand.

 

[Punch You]

My first character in this game was deprived with the old witch's ring.

Needless, to say, but I had a very hard time. Did you play this game blind, like I did? It's more fun that way he first time.

For starting classes, Deprived (high level, terrible equipment) and thieves (meh equipment, you should be picking the master key anyway) are probably the worst, while Pyromancers (low soul level, good starting equipment) and Bandits (high soul level, but very good equipment) are the best. Everything else is sort of in the middle, though sorcerers make PvE very easy as you progress through the game, since their best spells aren't tied to any covenant.

 

[Starbird]

As people have already said, Pyromancer is probably the easiest on a first playthrough, going from start to finish. The spells you start with are nifty and you save yourself some fair hoop jumping to do certain things later.

The best thing though is that you can also distribute stats more freely, a big deal in this game.

As for difficulty, it's "Hard" in that there is an actual penalty for death, rather than just "hit F9 again to quickload". Oh, and there are some very cheap moments too

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

For advanced players? Thief. Starting out with the Master Key and something like the Old Witch's Ring is insanely helpful.
For new players? Pyromancer. You can wreck early game enemies fairly easily.

 

[Pink Gregory]

I've not even finished my first playthrough, but I'm playing a faith-focused cleric, and being able to heal as well as use estus flasks certainly keeps you going for a while; not many other useful miracles at low levels though, so probably not cleric.

 

[Quazimofo]

Easiest Class? Knight, by far. He starts with the best starting armor in the game allowing him to tank more damage, not much more, but more none the less. And GET THE MASTER KEY! Blighttown is annoying as hell, trust me, there is nothing of value down there anyway.

really? not the red wizard robes or the replenishment sorcery? not power within, or the pimpin' second pyromancy trainer? not the ninja garb, or all them titanites?

blighttown is a *****, no question. but there are tons of goodies on the way down, and the swamp really isnt that bad if you have some moss, or accept that you WILL be poisoned, no matter what you do.

 

[Wayneguard]

Generally people start as a Pyromancer cuz dat glove. Hardest would definitely be a pure melee just because every engagement has the potential of going south and resulting in huge damage to you. And yeah, the game is REALLY not as hard as people make it out to be. Dying means nothing and you can always run back the way you came, rest at the bonfire and try again for no cost at all.

 

[Quazimofo]

I've not even finished my first playthrough, but I'm playing a faith-focused cleric, and being able to heal as well as use estus flasks certainly keeps you going for a while; not many other useful miracles at low levels though, so probably not cleric.

i believe force can be an incredibly useful miracle early level, or whenever you are fighting enemies small enough to be knocked back or staggered by it. especially those damn skeletons in the catacombs.

 

[Quazimofo]

Generally people start as a Pyromancer cuz dat glove. Hardest would definitely be a pure melee just because every engagement has the potential of going south and resulting in huge damage to you. And yeah, the game is REALLY not as hard as people make it out to be. Dying means nothing and you can always run back the way you came, rest at the bonfire and try again for no cost at all.

unless you had just killed a boss, in which case you lose a good few souls, which can be really frustrating at times.

other than that, yeah i agree. just be careful not to try to go full ranged as an early player, because melee is pretty much unavoidable. the good news is, even with 80% of the enemies shooting for bashing your face in, pyromancy and sorcery are still the cats tits. dat great chaos fireball. great heavy soul arrow is nice too. thats why i use both (but not all the time. dont got that much attunement)

 

[Starbird]

Generally people start as a Pyromancer cuz dat glove. Hardest would definitely be a pure melee just because every engagement has the potential of going south and resulting in huge damage to you. And yeah, the game is REALLY not as hard as people make it out to be. Dying means nothing and you can always run back the way you came, rest at the bonfire and try again for no cost at all.

It really depends. Losing your souls in an unlucky/bad position between bonfires is always a possibility (Blighttown), as is not having the correct item to help you past a certain point.

The Smough/Ornstein fight was also quite possibly the hardest fight I've had in either game.

 

[Quazimofo]

As people have already said, Pyromancer is probably the easiest on a first playthrough, going from start to finish. The spells you start with are nifty and you save yourself some fair hoop jumping to do certain things later.

The best thing though is that you can also distribute stats more freely, a big deal in this game.

As for difficulty, it's "Hard" in that there is an actual penalty for death, rather than just "hit F9 again to quickload". Oh, and there are some very cheap moments too

which is why i ALWAYS stab a chest before trying to open it. ALWAYS.

even then, a damn mimic roundhouse kicked me from across the room when i went to heal. it was a dick move, but it was also funny as all hell