Just about to start Dark Souls, any tips?
- Thread starter The_Blue_Rider
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When to use a guide.
For me, I used a guide to see what weapons were available and what they materials were used to upgrade them. Since these materials are either rare or expensive, you can limit the grind by knowing what equipment you want ahead of time and putting stuff aside for later.
There are two major secret areas in the game, both of which baffle me as to how anyone found them in the first place. These areas are the Painted World and the Ash Lake. If you've gotten far in the game and haven't found them, it might be worth looking how to access them.
If you've found a covenent you want to join, look up what they are about in the wiki. The game doesn't tell you any details.
The starting classes have discriptions that aren't accurate. The Thief for example doesn't get the promised crit bonus - that bonus is tied to his starting weapon. Likewise, some of the starting gifts aren't discribed properly. Check the wiki to get the real discriptions.
For me, I used a guide to see what weapons were available and what they materials were used to upgrade them. Since these materials are either rare or expensive, you can limit the grind by knowing what equipment you want ahead of time and putting stuff aside for later.
There are two major secret areas in the game, both of which baffle me as to how anyone found them in the first place. These areas are the Painted World and the Ash Lake. If you've gotten far in the game and haven't found them, it might be worth looking how to access them.
If you've found a covenent you want to join, look up what they are about in the wiki. The game doesn't tell you any details.
The starting classes have discriptions that aren't accurate. The Thief for example doesn't get the promised crit bonus - that bonus is tied to his starting weapon. Likewise, some of the starting gifts aren't discribed properly. Check the wiki to get the real discriptions.
Happy 1000th post exactly, this post.CAPTCHA said:
As far as class goes, that's another thing that the OP would probably benefit in knowing: Nothing is class-restricted, and everything from every class is attainable by everyone else given enough time and searching. All the class does is affect your starting gear and stats.
Personally, I like starting as a Depraved with the Pendant to make it as "real" as possible. Starting from scratch, like a real undead would, barring the Pendant he had kept hidden from the guard in his...er...somewhere.
When it comes to Dark Souls the biggest thing you gotta work out at the start is what kind of build you want. All the starting classes are just just preset ups to give what ever you're after a head start. Since your new I recommend to experiment, see what types of weapons do it for ya. Also, very important, stat wise, never pour any points into resistance, its worthless, but vit and end is universally good for all builds, so never feel bad putting points into those. Once you have a rough idea what kind of weapon style you want (Dex for speedy weapons, Str for slow but powerful weapons, Int for spells, or some points in faith if you wanna use some miracles) pour points into the stats you need for your build. Also, on average anything above 40 and you get really small increases at that point, though many people will pump one of those to 50 or higher at times for whatever reason, so don't be afraid to do so if you want.
Upgrading wise you have to get tinitate shards, chunks, and embers for really high upgrades which you get by farming certain creatures, certain spots where they can be picked up, and certain npcs that sell some of the tpyes of materials. You can look up some vids or check the wiki to find out about the different kinds of upgrading paths what they need, but in general, upgrading is one the most key things in doing well in this game. You 40 str wont do you too much when your Demon ax is only +1.
Lastly, and most importantly, have patience. Seriously, if a you're getting your butt kicked by those monsters blocking that hallway, stop and check your surroundings, Take time blocking there hits and seeing when you should dodge, block, and hit back. This is super vital so learn it well, and don't be afraid to die a couple of times if it means you can master the monsters moveset and never be swamped by them again.
There's a lot more I can go on but for the most part these are the key 3 aspects that you'll want to keep in mind when playing. Good luck chosen undead.
Upgrading wise you have to get tinitate shards, chunks, and embers for really high upgrades which you get by farming certain creatures, certain spots where they can be picked up, and certain npcs that sell some of the tpyes of materials. You can look up some vids or check the wiki to find out about the different kinds of upgrading paths what they need, but in general, upgrading is one the most key things in doing well in this game. You 40 str wont do you too much when your Demon ax is only +1.
Lastly, and most importantly, have patience. Seriously, if a you're getting your butt kicked by those monsters blocking that hallway, stop and check your surroundings, Take time blocking there hits and seeing when you should dodge, block, and hit back. This is super vital so learn it well, and don't be afraid to die a couple of times if it means you can master the monsters moveset and never be swamped by them again.
There's a lot more I can go on but for the most part these are the key 3 aspects that you'll want to keep in mind when playing. Good luck chosen undead.
Best advice for surviving is mastering dodging. For me, the O button was the only thing that kept me alive. Sadly, this does constitute a little trial and error because you will not be used to how enemies attack, but a low weight and coherent dodging abilities will get you far. Other than that, go up, not down when you start because Blight town is not the first area and always hold the guard button when not attacking. Builds good muscle memory.
Also, prepare for unfair deaths due to lack of any explanation or hints at some points. It's a really fun game, but it could definitely use some tweaking.
Also, prepare for unfair deaths due to lack of any explanation or hints at some points. It's a really fun game, but it could definitely use some tweaking.
Gotta disagree with this one. Stamina recovers significantly faster when not blocking. Better if you learn to start blocking immediately when enemies start their wind-up if you're not going to go for a parry or dodge.CandideWolf said:
That is a good point. To rephrase, I guess, block as much as you can when you are uncertain of what is around the next corner. Comes back to some of the cheap shots. The one exception is the giant archers, where you just need to run and pray.infinity_turtles said:
Learn to Parry.
I'm not going to say "Don't ever bloc or use a shield", but parrying and rolling are far more effective than blocking if timed properly.
I ditched my shield for a second scimitar the first chance I got.
Of course, I also rented the game and, as such, never finished it because I just got That Lost.
I'm not going to say "Don't ever bloc or use a shield", but parrying and rolling are far more effective than blocking if timed properly.
I ditched my shield for a second scimitar the first chance I got.
Of course, I also rented the game and, as such, never finished it because I just got That Lost.
Keep a couple of humanities active, don't pop all of them at one time, or you'll def. lose them. Don't buy artorias crest until you are confident in your abilities to survive a player.
Actually you should learn how to block in the undead asylum and master how to parry in the undead berg, the starting enemies there won't two shot if you botch a parry. The only time to learn how to parry without getting bored is early on.infinity_turtles said:
Some tips:
1) ALWAYS kindle your bonfires. You do this by becoming human and kindling the bonfire, allowing you to carry 10 Estus Flasks instead of 5. Useful for places like Blighttown.
2) If you find a weapon you like and can use well, stick with it. I myself use a Halberd+8 at the moment and there is nothing I can't kill given time learning the enemy tells. (And dying quite a bit)
3) Learn to upgrade your weapons. Titanite reinforces weapons. Certain types of Titanite reinforce weapons into certain types. Learn the system. Love it.
4) If you're going to explore, attempt to kill everything in sight. It will save you some pain if you need to backtrack and haven't rested at a bonfire yet.
5) Level up as quickly as possible. Should be a no-brainer.
6) Keep your equipment load under 50. Other posters have done a better job explaining what equip load is, so I'm not going to be a broken record.
That's all I can think of.
EDIT- I'm a dumbass. In number 6, I meant equip load instead of Poise.
1) ALWAYS kindle your bonfires. You do this by becoming human and kindling the bonfire, allowing you to carry 10 Estus Flasks instead of 5. Useful for places like Blighttown.
2) If you find a weapon you like and can use well, stick with it. I myself use a Halberd+8 at the moment and there is nothing I can't kill given time learning the enemy tells. (And dying quite a bit)
3) Learn to upgrade your weapons. Titanite reinforces weapons. Certain types of Titanite reinforce weapons into certain types. Learn the system. Love it.
4) If you're going to explore, attempt to kill everything in sight. It will save you some pain if you need to backtrack and haven't rested at a bonfire yet.
5) Level up as quickly as possible. Should be a no-brainer.
6) Keep your equipment load under 50. Other posters have done a better job explaining what equip load is, so I'm not going to be a broken record.
That's all I can think of.
EDIT- I'm a dumbass. In number 6, I meant equip load instead of Poise.
Master Key lets you skip virtually all of Blighttown. So choose that. Because trust me, you're gonna want to get Blighttown over with as soon as possible.The_Blue_Rider said:
Levels don't matter as much as you might think. It's more about the gear. Vitality and Endurance are really the only things you need, unless you need to upgrade stats for a weapon or something.
Until you feel confident in your skills, maybe try playing offline (or staying Undead the majority of the time). There are a lot of players who use twink characters to spoil the fun for newbies. Alternatively, you may want to stay online/human so you can summon help for bosses.
Weapons are upgraded at smiths with souls and Titanite.
EDIT: Feel free to consult the wiki [http://darksouls.wikidot.com/] when it comes to area- or boss-specific strategies, the abilities of certain items, and basically anything else you may want to look up.
I still haven't seen this tip, but it might be the most important one of all, one that if not followed, might kill your feelings about the game way to soon.
This is right after you leave the Asylum and get to the Firelink Shrine:
Don't go down the lift.
Don't go into the graveyard.
Instead, go up the hillside / stairs, and work your way into the Undead Burg.
And from here on, you're on your own. Have fun. Or.... try to atleast.
This is right after you leave the Asylum and get to the Firelink Shrine:
Don't go down the lift.
Don't go into the graveyard.
Instead, go up the hillside / stairs, and work your way into the Undead Burg.
And from here on, you're on your own. Have fun. Or.... try to atleast.
Pick Pyromancer on your first playthrough. It's the easiest class to level up at the start and fire is effective against loads of the enemies.
Summoning is really handy for some of the harder fights.
Learn to enjoy grinding because you'll be doing a hell of a lot of it. Incidentally, being summoned by others to help them with boss fights is a great way to farm large amounts of souls.
Take it slow, rushing will only get you killed.
Joining covenants can get you some really handy gear and spells, so do it whenever you get the chance.
Don't consume boss/fire keeper souls. They're way too valuable for that.
So yeah, that's all I can think of really. Have fun and be warned, you WILL get seriously pissed off at the game at certain parts.
Summoning is really handy for some of the harder fights.
Learn to enjoy grinding because you'll be doing a hell of a lot of it. Incidentally, being summoned by others to help them with boss fights is a great way to farm large amounts of souls.
Take it slow, rushing will only get you killed.
Joining covenants can get you some really handy gear and spells, so do it whenever you get the chance.
Don't consume boss/fire keeper souls. They're way too valuable for that.
So yeah, that's all I can think of really. Have fun and be warned, you WILL get seriously pissed off at the game at certain parts.
Why should you keep your poise under 50? Having more is always better, as long you stay under 50%. With the character I'm playing right now, I'm using the guardian armor from the DLC. My poise is 94 if I recall, and my encumbrance is still medium.thesilentman said:
Keep in mind, I don't really PVP, so I don't know anything about min/maxing, but is there any other reason not to have high poise?
1) The very moment you can, if you don't have a shield that blocks 100% physical damage, find the Undead Merchant in the Undead Burg and buy a Heater Shield. You will love yourself for doing it.
2) Don't walk off a cliff.
3) While sprinting, if you let go and quickly hit the sprint button again your character will do a jump that lets you clear small gaps.
4) Domhnall of Zena is awesome; don't kill Domhnall.
I can't really think of much more. All my tips are really play style specific. :s Also I've always had to play Dark Souls offline because my internet is ass. (That's right, I kicked Snuggles & Ornery in the balls by myself in NG+. Come at me, bro.)
2) Don't walk off a cliff.
3) While sprinting, if you let go and quickly hit the sprint button again your character will do a jump that lets you clear small gaps.
4) Domhnall of Zena is awesome; don't kill Domhnall.
I can't really think of much more. All my tips are really play style specific. :s Also I've always had to play Dark Souls offline because my internet is ass. (That's right, I kicked Snuggles & Ornery in the balls by myself in NG+. Come at me, bro.)