Dark Souls - I'm Prepared To Die (Again)

[Xprimentyl]

Congrants on seethe, just one more and your pretty much at the end, though you maybe have chosen the most difficult till last, four kings realy is a DPS check if such a thing exists in dark souls, advice wise i'd say make sure you've got some green moss for stamina recovery on your quick bar, two hand your weapon and just keep up your attacks, estus when you need to obviously, you wanna hug the kings to avoid most of the damage from the sword but do watch out for the grab attack it's pretty fatal, also keep hitting the kings even after death, you can get some extra damage on them as they disipate. Also despite the name being four kings you can infact end up facing more than four because of how the shared health of the boss works.

If your stuggling you might want to consider changing to heavier armor, even if it makes you fat roll, tanking through the bosses damage on regular new game is a totaly valid tactic. As for what armor you wear, personaly i did it in elite knight, but i know havels is very popular for that fight.

The only reason I left Four Kings for last was because I really don't like the New Londo Ruins. Between the Depths, Blighttown, The Catacombs and Tomb of the Giants, Dark Souls has taught me to rue the dark, claustrophobic areas. Plus, the friggin' ghosts are a pain in the ass! As for the Kings themselves; I think I'm tank-y enough and my +5 BK Halberd is hitting pretty hard; I'm hoping to put the hurt on them; might put a couple more levels into my STR just for peace of mind...

Personaly i like the voice acting, i never found it bad, probably just personal preferance but i always liked the fact the most of the npcs laugh at the end of dialouge, it makes some of their motivations less obvious and gives them a eerie feeling like somthing just isnt quite right about them.

I don't dislike the voice acting on the whole, just at certain points, lines and characters, it feels "off." And I'll disagree on the laughter; I think it makes their motivations almost TOO obvious. With rare exception, pretty much every NPC that laughs ends up having a sinister bent.

Without getting too spoilery i suppose this is realy a matter of debate, but being the chosen undead in dark souls realy is a lie, i'd read the description on the big key you get after tutorial demon it may give you a small glimmer of insight into what i mean.
As for the static npcs and so on is a fairly common problem is pretty much any game, sure they could have given npcs more active ai when in town but that 'might' lead to cheesing enemies into npcs and whittling them down to make easy kills. Not realy a problem as there are plenty of ways to cheese the ai already.

Thanks to the insights in this here thread, I'm more than aware that the "chosen" isn't what they'd have you believe; I meant that sarcastically; I was just setting up my disappointment that the NPCs seem to have no interaction in the world at all. Like watching the mosquitos and fire spitting thingies in Blighttown walk right past Siegmeyer to attack me or the skeletons from the graveyard chasing me around the bonfire with literally no interest in the Crestfallen Warrior or Lautrec, just makes it seem like this epic tale of fates entangled with a changing of the Ages is kinda... phoney? And I see where you're coming from where it might be a design choice to keep players from cheesing NPC by kiting enemies into them, but I think there might have been a way around that; I mean, we're all pre-hollow undead, right? Couldn't they have been scripted to fight back and if they died, maybe they come back 3 times, hollow on the third hence closing off their storyline and aptly punishing the player?

[li]Then there?s Frampt and Kaathe; they just look silly and out of place in a world inhabited by grave atrocities like demons and dragons; what place is there for goofy, snoring phallic symbols with floppy jowls and bucked teeth? Granted, I?ve never seen a ?real? primordial serpent and that might be exactly what they look like, but their design looks like something better served in a kids? game[/li]
[li]I love the variety of enemy types throughout the game, but the two that make no sense to me are the Mushroom Parents/Children and the Mimics. Who decided Dark Souls needed Goombas and a lanky, cackling treasure chest with a slapstick tongue hanging out of it? Similar to the primordial serpents, they just look silly and out of place with the tone of the game.[/li]

These last two honestly i don't have a problem with it, the world is already populated with outlandish monsters, demons, giant mosquitoes and leeches, dragons, fire breathing spider things, half people half spiders, giants, litteral stone gargoyles that to come to life, hydras and so many more things that the primordial serpants, mushroom people and mimics just dont realy seem that special or out of place to me.

From a gameplay consideration it's obvious why mimics were added, to fuck the player over and to teach players observation. As im sure you know mimics do have a different appearance to regular chests, easily spotted when you know what to look for. From soft is always giving players the chance to learn, either about enemies or the enviroment all you have todo is stop and look around, you will spot somthing 'important' either that or see somthing shiney and be ambushed as a result of going to loot it.

I agree they only add to the variety, I just think aesthetically, they don't fit; they look silly. Conversely, could you see something like the Gaping Dragon in a Super Mario game? I understand the purpose the Mimics serve; they're brilliant and sum up the Darks Souls experience fairly succinctly, but the tongue is just too much; it's something straight out of Looney Tunes. It's personal preference, but I'd have preferred something more vicious looking.

 

[Xprimentyl]

[li]Then there?s Frampt and Kaathe; they just look silly and out of place in a world inhabited by grave atrocities like demons and dragons; what place is there for goofy, snoring phallic symbols with floppy jowls and bucked teeth? Granted, I?ve never seen a ?real? primordial serpent and that might be exactly what they look like, but their design looks like something better served in a kids? game[/li]]

I'm gonna disagree here. I felt they looked weird and a little disturbing. The uncanny valley face(plus human looking teeth with no lips). Not to mention we never see much beyond the head. God knows what the rest of them looks like, or how far down their body goes. I really wish the other games shed more light on the Serpents, especially since 3 keeps teasing their continued existence(or maybe legacy?).

I agree the serpents look disturbing, just not in a way the suits the tone of the game on the whole; they're more "Five Nights At Freddies" than "Silent Hill." I feel a less goofy look would have served their epic, primordial lore better, like a drake or even a more directly serpentine appearance. Again, it's my personal aesthetic opinion.

Oh, the mimics instilled a sense of paranoia in me about opening any chest. I quickly got into the habit of smacking every chest I came across with a BIG sword(or better yet, a polearm) before trying to open it. Not to mention how creepy their movement is.

As for the toads(I think they look more like toads then goombas), maybe it's Miyazakis idea of a lethal joke like the cats? Sure, they look cute, but harass them and they will run crying to their parents, who will beat the crap out of you given the chance. And then you have the humiliation of being beaten down by a mushroom.

Oh, I know exactly the paranoia a Mimic instills; the first time one grabbed me was a singularly memorable moment of terror, but when it stood up started walking around with the silly-ass tongue hanging out, I lost some respect for it. and the Mushrooms have to be a joke; I certainly didn't take them seriously until a Parent one-shotted me.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Seath the Scaleless is now Seath the LIFELESS.... only one more Lord Soul to go!

And now that I am nearly a proven Dark Souls expert/veteran, I?d like to level some minor critiques...

[li]NPCs...[/li]

[li]Then there?s Frampt and Kaathe; they just look silly and out of place in a world inhabited by grave atrocities like demons and dragons; what place is there for goofy, snoring phallic symbols with floppy jowls and bucked teeth? Granted, I?ve never seen a ?real? primordial serpent and that might be exactly what they look like, but their design looks like something better served in a kids? game[/li]

[li]I love the variety of enemy types throughout the game, but the two that make no sense to me are the Mushroom Parents/Children and the Mimics. Who decided Dark Souls needed Goombas and a lanky, cackling treasure chest with a slapstick tongue hanging out of it? Similar to the primordial serpents, they just look silly and out of place with the tone of the game.[/li]

I know what you mean, but like others have said part of it could be a bit of tone lost in translation, and also the director having an...oblique sense of humor (Elvis said that to Steve Martin once, good line haha). The game does have a dark tone, but it is offset by things like Snuggly the Crow, and...some funny looking creatures that you wouldn't expect in a game like this. It wouldn't be as memorable to me if Frampt was a typical demon guardian type of creature seen in countless other games. When I first saw him I did a "...WTF? chucklechuckle". He's conjured many thoughts of whether to kill him, laugh at him, feel sorry for him, or plain old like him for who he is.

I kinda feel bad killing the Mushroom parents, who are just looking out for their kids, but they are aggressive from the get-go so there's that. The mimics have taught me to always just two-hand a good weapon at every chest I encounter, just in case. They occasionally drop something worthwhile anyways.

The NPC's are sort of the game's only comfort in knowing you're not completely alone in this thing, barring online play. They can turn hostile if provoked, but are mostly there to help you, with a few notable exceptions.

As for nearing the end-game, it may be tempting to just rush to the final encounter after getting that last Lord Soul, but perhaps a few points to ponder...

Spoiler

Check out the NG+ Checklist at the bottom [http://darksouls.wikidot.com/new-game-plus]

 

[Xprimentyl]

As for nearing the end-game, it may be tempting to just rush to the final encounter after getting that last Lord Soul, but perhaps a few points to ponder...

Spoiler

Check out the NG+ Checklist at the bottom [http://darksouls.wikidot.com/new-game-plus]

Ugh, I'm so glad you posted this; I would never have thought to do half of this stuff. I keep thinking NG+ is just an opportunity to play again, slightly harder while keeping all your crap, but I never thought about the once-per-playthrough stuff.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I remember my NG of Demon's Souls was pretty much blind outside of some boss tactics before really checking out all its layers. Was still able to Platinum it within the min. number of play through's, without the Stockpile Thomas glitch.

Buy yeah, it's a bit of a kick in the nads, which is to be expected anyways from these games anyways! They are best enjoyed as marathons, or more specifically gifts that keep on giving. I'm actually glad the series ended because otherwise it would be too overwhelming for completionist types.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

The mimics have taught me to always just two-hand a good weapon at every chest I encounter, just in case. They occasionally drop something worthwhile anyways.

You might know this already, but there is a visual differnce between regular chests and mimics. You can see the mimic chest breathing slightly and also their chains are arranged in such a way to be pointed at the player while regular chest chains curl away.

 

[Xprimentyl]

The mimics have taught me to always just two-hand a good weapon at every chest I encounter, just in case. They occasionally drop something worthwhile anyways.

You might know this already, but there is a visual differnce between regular chests and mimics. You can see the mimic chest breathing slightly and also their chains are arranged in such a way to be pointed at the player while regular chest chains curl away.

I never really took the time to notice haha. I always slash first, ask questions later regarding these suckers.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I remember my NG of Demon's Souls was pretty much blind outside of some boss tactics before really checking out all its layers. Was still able to Platinum it within the min. number of play through's, without the Stockpile Thomas glitch.

Buy yeah, it's a bit of a kick in the nads, which is to be expected anyways from these games anyways! They are best enjoyed as marathons, or more specifically gifts that keep on giving. I'm actually glad the series ended because otherwise it would be too overwhelming for completionist types.

While I?d like to think I?m a completionist, it?s only when feasible and I don?t see myself having the time, patience or skill to complete Dark Souls; there?s just too many ways to permanently screw up too many things. Speaking of which, instead of NG+, I've been entertaining the idea of just starting another NG with the same build, now wiser for the wear, using hindsight and tips from you fine folks in this thread to correct my many, many, oh-so MANY wrongs. Here are a few that gnaw at me:

- I didn?t really understand weapon scaling at early levels and failed to commit to a single weapon, so ended up spreading myself thin across Dexterity and Strength equally when I think I should have favored one or the other and Stamina. And I'll admit it; I'm the guy who put 2 points into Resistance. I DIDN?T KNOW!!

- I fed the Moonlight Butterfly, Iron Golem's and Smough?s souls to Frampt instead of making a unique weapon (really kicking myself for that last one..)

- I fed Frampt a BUNCH of titantite chunks for shards not realizing chunks were the next resource in the upgrade paths (and no, I had no reason NOT to realize that.)

- I used Gwyndolin?s soul to make the Darkmoon Bow, a weapon I couldn?t use due to my low Faith stat, then I unmade it back to the +10 Black Bow of Pharis LITERALLY wasting a unique soul item twice in a single playthrough because I?m a friggin? genius.

- As far as I can tell, I ruined damn-near every NPC?s questline, most notably Siegmeyer?s so I can?t get his titanite slab.

- I died at the same time as the Stray Demon, so I lost his titanite slab, too.

- Just a general misappropriation of resources; i.e.: I?ve got about a dozen weapons at +2 to +4 which I used maybe ONCE before deciding I didn?t like them.

As much as I likely will start a NG+ with my current character, I can already tell it?s gonna be a half-assed attempt because in my mind, I?ll be yelling at myself that I?m only making it harder on myself trying to do the things I messed first time on the harder NG+.

 

[Xprimentyl]

To get my Dark souls fix while at work, I?ve been watching a playthrough called ?Dark Souls with James? on GameFront?s YouTube channel. James attempts a blind playthrough of Dark Souls while his co-worker Mitch (who?s played before) advises him without spoiling the surprises. It is HILARIOUS!! There?s not much room for me to talk, but James is AWFUL, and watching him get frustrated and argue with Mitch for the past 186 videos has been priceless. They start off trying to keep it PG, but it doesn?t take long before the language goes no holds barred; James is constantly yelling at and blaming Mitch for everything he does wrong, and he does a LOT wrong? ALL the time.

Here?s James Panicking in The Depths:

Spoiler

And here?s a clip of James attempting PvP:

Spoiler

 

[Seishisha]

-snip just for space also i wanna talk specificly about these points.

- I didn?t really understand weapon scaling at early levels and failed to commit to a single weapon, so ended up spreading myself thin across Dexterity and Strength equally when I think I should have favored one or the other and Stamina. And I'll admit it; I'm the guy who put 2 points into Resistance. I DIDN?T KNOW!!

- Just a general misappropriation of resources; i.e.: I?ve got about a dozen weapons at +2 to +4 which I used maybe ONCE before deciding I didn?t like them.

As much as I likely will start a NG+ with my current character, I can already tell it?s gonna be a half-assed attempt because in my mind, I?ll be yelling at myself that I?m only making it harder on myself trying to do the things I messed first time on the harder NG+.

To be fair there are plenty of quality weapons that use both str and dex, how you spend your stats is only 'bad' if you dont make the most of them afterward.

As you learned the hard way, weapon scaling is for the most part less important than upgrading, unless using a weapon that has either S or A scaling maybe B at the worst, i peronaly wouldnt invest much more points beyond what is needed to actualy use it. Generaly speaking you will gain far more damage on a weapon by upgrading it over dumping points in stats.

As for wasting upgrade mats, i wouldnt worry about it so long as you don't waste chunks, small and large shards both have vendors that sell an infinite amount, for that matter twinkling is also available infinitly. There is nothing wrong with upgrading a temp weapon atleast partialy, somtimes they last for a while and a back up weapon can come in handy.

Even if you don't go into NG+ your character can be used to try out different weapons and such before commiting on a new character, assuming ofcourse you did want to try somthing alittle different.

Good luck with whats next man, don't give up you can do it.

 

[vallorn]

If you really want a Dark Souls LP series, allow me to give you nearly 58 hours of brilliance. Plague of Gripes is actually a pretty good player at the game but the reason it takes so long is;
1. Because he does EVERYTHING possible in the game.
2. Because he digs into the lore involved in everything, analyzing how piles of bricks are stacked to say "this area was still being built", etc That sounds a bit dull but he's actually good at it.

So, if many hours of listening to Plague Of Gripes interests you, enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPBmbs-JPhHeG6O1CbPn8TqFAZmZvpGT8

Also, he did that Story Of Dark Souls animation people posted earlier.

 

[Fox12]

If you really want a Dark Souls LP series, allow me to give you nearly 58 hours of brilliance. Plague of Gripes is actually a pretty good player at the game but the reason it takes so long is;
1. Because he does EVERYTHING possible in the game.
2. Because he digs into the lore involved in everything, analyzing how piles of bricks are stacked to say "this area was still being built", etc That sounds a bit dull but he's actually good at it.

So, if many hours of listening to Plague Of Gripes interests you, enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPBmbs-JPhHeG6O1CbPn8TqFAZmZvpGT8

Also, he did that Story Of Dark Souls animation people posted earlier.

I love how plague will sit there and criticize something for an hour, and then casually admit that it's his favorite game of all time.

 

[DeadProxy]

To get my Dark souls fix while at work, I?ve been watching a playthrough called ?Dark Souls with James? on GameFront?s YouTube channel. James attempts a blind playthrough of Dark Souls while his co-worker Mitch (who?s played before) advises him without spoiling the surprises. It is HILARIOUS!! There?s not much room for me to talk, but James is AWFUL, and watching him get frustrated and argue with Mitch for the past 186 videos has been priceless. They start off trying to keep it PG, but it doesn?t take long before the language goes no holds barred; James is constantly yelling at and blaming Mitch for everything he does wrong, and he does a LOT wrong? ALL the time.

Here?s James Panicking in The Depths:

Spoiler

And here?s a clip of James attempting PvP:

Spoiler

If you want even MORE dark souls for all the times your not playing it, I totally recommend the Super Best Friends lets plays of Dark Souls 2,3, Demons Soul, and bloodborne. They just started Dark Souls 1 not too long ago, so that could also be fun to watch.

It's basically the same set up as those gamefront guys. You have Pat, the know-it-all who knows nothing, guiding Woolie, who's never played the games before, as they explore, fight, and just talk about random shit and reacting to the bosses and cool stuff.

 

[Xprimentyl]

To be fair there are plenty of quality weapons that use both str and dex, how you spend your stats is only 'bad' if you dont make the most of them afterward.

As you learned the hard way, weapon scaling is for the most part less important than upgrading, unless using a weapon that has either S or A scaling maybe B at the worst, i peronaly wouldnt invest much more points beyond what is needed to actualy use it. Generaly speaking you will gain far more damage on a weapon by upgrading it over dumping points in stats.

As for wasting upgrade mats, i wouldnt worry about it so long as you don't waste chunks, small and large shards both have vendors that sell an infinite amount, for that matter twinkling is also available infinitly. There is nothing wrong with upgrading a temp weapon atleast partialy, somtimes they last for a while and a back up weapon can come in handy.

Even if you don't go into NG+ your character can be used to try out different weapons and such before commiting on a new character, assuming ofcourse you did want to try somthing alittle different.

Good luck with whats next man, don't give up you can do it.

Thanks for the words of encouragement; I've come too far to give up and am far from discouraged. I've got but the Kings and Gwyn left; my plan is to report back my resounding successes on both fronts to you all in a couple of days!

 

[Dalisclock]

To be fair there are plenty of quality weapons that use both str and dex, how you spend your stats is only 'bad' if you dont make the most of them afterward.

As you learned the hard way, weapon scaling is for the most part less important than upgrading, unless using a weapon that has either S or A scaling maybe B at the worst, i peronaly wouldnt invest much more points beyond what is needed to actualy use it. Generaly speaking you will gain far more damage on a weapon by upgrading it over dumping points in stats.

As for wasting upgrade mats, i wouldnt worry about it so long as you don't waste chunks, small and large shards both have vendors that sell an infinite amount, for that matter twinkling is also available infinitly. There is nothing wrong with upgrading a temp weapon atleast partialy, somtimes they last for a while and a back up weapon can come in handy.

Even if you don't go into NG+ your character can be used to try out different weapons and such before commiting on a new character, assuming ofcourse you did want to try somthing alittle different.

Good luck with whats next man, don't give up you can do it.

Thanks for the words of encouragement; I've come too far to give up and am far from discouraged. I've got but the Kings and Gwyn left; my plan is to report back my resounding successes on both fronts to you all in a couple of days!

Out of curiosity, are you planning on doing the Artorias DLC content(assuming you own it)? If so, you kinda have to do it before you take down Gwyn. Personally, I liked it because of the Artorias Boss fight and the creepy-ass descent into the town being consumed by the abyss.

 

[Fox12]

Do you plan on playing the DLC? I know some people dislike added content, but Fromsoft makes it well worth the price, and it has two of the best bosses in the series. The lore is phenomenal as well.

As for the 4 kings, I reccomend a good old fashioned DPS race. Two hand your strongest weapon, put on medium or heavy armor, wear a ring that increases your poise, and just go to town. It still may take a few tries, but this strategy made it much easier for me.

 

[Dalisclock]

To get my Dark souls fix while at work, I?ve been watching a playthrough called ?Dark Souls with James? on GameFront?s YouTube channel. James attempts a blind playthrough of Dark Souls while his co-worker Mitch (who?s played before) advises him without spoiling the surprises. It is HILARIOUS!! There?s not much room for me to talk, but James is AWFUL, and watching him get frustrated and argue with Mitch for the past 186 videos has been priceless. They start off trying to keep it PG, but it doesn?t take long before the language goes no holds barred; James is constantly yelling at and blaming Mitch for everything he does wrong, and he does a LOT wrong? ALL the time.

Here?s James Panicking in The Depths:

Spoiler

And here?s a clip of James attempting PvP:

Spoiler

If you want even MORE dark souls for all the times your not playing it, I totally recommend the Super Best Friends lets plays of Dark Souls 2,3, Demons Soul, and bloodborne. They just started Dark Souls 1 not too long ago, so that could also be fun to watch.

It's basically the same set up as those gamefront guys. You have Pat, the know-it-all who knows nothing, guiding Woolie, who's never played the games before, as they explore, fight, and just talk about random shit and reacting to the bosses and cool stuff.

Their longplays are a bit more fun to watch then their one off videos. The short videos tend to be very choppy at times and some of the jokes aren't that good compared to hearing them actually discuss things.

Though calling the Black Knights in Dark Souls Sauron stuck with me. Especially because the Black Knights just don't let up.

Also, as someone who was very disappointed with FFX, I was rather happy to hear them trash it.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Out of curiosity, are you planning on doing the Artorias DLC content(assuming you own it)? If so, you kinda have to do it before you take down Gwyn. Personally, I liked it because of the Artorias Boss fight and the creepy-ass descent into the town being consumed by the abyss.

Do you plan on playing the DLC? I know some people dislike added content, but Fromsoft makes it well worth the price, and it has two of the best bosses in the series. The lore is phenomenal as well.

As for the 4 kings, I reccomend a good old fashioned DPS race. Two hand your strongest weapon, put on medium or heavy armor, wear a ring that increases your poise, and just go to town. It still may take a few tries, but this strategy made it much easier for me.

Damn! I forgot the DLC! Yes, I plan on getting it, fortunately you guys posted this before Gwyn because...

I just beat Four King on my FIRST try!! I was shocked! Took me two tries to find them (lost in New Londo) and ONE try to take them all out! The last King had a sliver of life and I whiffed a couple swings nearly depleting my stamina; he wound up for a kill shot (I had 1/4 my life,) I said fuck it and used my last stamina for a hail mary and took him out; It was incredible!

I even went into the Kiln of the First Flame to get the Black Knight armor set, thought about trying Gwyn, then remembered the NG+ checklist, so backed off. Glad I did because I forgot the DOC!

Also, another stroke of luck, during my first descent toward the Kings, luck of all lucks, one of the Darkwraiths dropped what?? A titanite SLAB!! Hot damn, I should have played the lotto today!

 

[Xprimentyl]

Congrats on the Kings. Yeah I also found that New Londo Ruins itself was more difficult of an obstacle to them than fighting them. And yes, the Darkwraiths are some of the best enemies in the game for valuable drops.

Also, if you still plan on gaining some levels as well as upgrading stuff, make a trip back to Painted World of Ariamis. The phalanx horde makes for some good soul farming coupled with the Covetous Silver Serpent Ring, and the Heavy Knight on the way to the exit always drops a Large Titanite Shard. Just be sure to keep ignoring Priscilla if you didn't bother her on this play through. Or if you do want to get her soul for a rare weapon, make sure you don't defeat her with one blow, because there is a small chance the game could glitch out preventing you from leaving if you rested at the Painted bonfire! She gets stuck in a dialog that prevents the cut scene from being played when you leave if you kill her with one blow, so chip away at her a bit at first if you plan on fighting her. It's possible it's been patched out, but I'd play it safe!

 

[Kingjackl]

If you want even MORE dark souls for all the times your not playing it, I totally recommend the Super Best Friends lets plays of Dark Souls 2,3, Demons Soul, and bloodborne. They just started Dark Souls 1 not too long ago, so that could also be fun to watch.

It's basically the same set up as those gamefront guys. You have Pat, the know-it-all who knows nothing, guiding Woolie, who's never played the games before, as they explore, fight, and just talk about random shit and reacting to the bosses and cool stuff.

Second that. It was their LP of Dark Souls 2 way back when that got me into the Souls series. Having an expert on hand (in so much as you can call Pat an "expert", but he gets what makes the games good at least) to show a newbie the ropes gives a good insight into all the little lessons you need to learn to enjoy the game.