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Old Souls [Dark Souls 1 + 2][No DS3 Talk At All]
Houn
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Welcome to the NOT Dark Souls 3* thread!
*Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Dark Souls 2 only!
OP Shamelessly stolen and modified from Fawst.
IAQ (Infrequently Asked Questions):
What is Dark Souls?
Dark Souls is a third-person action RPG*.
* Really Pretty Getup (simulator)
So it's kind of like (insert game here)?
Probably not. Most third-person action RPG's tend to be pretty fast with the combat. The thing about Dark Souls is that you need to mean what you do and do what you mean to do. I've heard Monster Hunter is similar, but I've never really played any of those. In this case, if you take a swing or cast a spell, you're committed. Using a big two-handed weapon and you timed it wrong? Yeah, you're gonna get punished.
Punished? That seems harsh.
It is and it isn't. It's more fair than bullshit, but there's plenty of BS moments to go around. Or at least, they'll feel that way until you "git gud."
There are plenty of other games I could be playing that wouldn't be punishing.
Sure are. And not a single one of them will fill you with the same sense of accomplishment that these games will.
That's a bold statement.
I stand by it. I cannot think of a single game where I have ever felt as pumped/relieved/excited to get through something as I have with these games.
OK, I'll give it a shot. What's the setting like?
Dark fantasy. Pretty grim. These are worlds on the brink. Whatever your goal may be, it's pretty likely that you're saving the world by destroying it. Maybe not overtly, but...
Er, spoilers?
No, not really. There is a narrative, but it's not given to you outright. There is a lot of reading between the lines and paying attention in order to put everything together. Some things are open to interpretation. Others are blatant. As for the final goal? Depends on the game and your perspective.
Well that doesn't sound all that interesting. | That sounds awesome!
You're wrong. | You're right! Really, the game lets you use your imagination in a lot of ways. While some things are very clearly laid out, others are not. You can infer so much from simple things such as where you obtain an item and its surroundings, or you can just plow through and not realize that X character died here.
Wait, huh?
Time is ... weird in these games. It's not a guarantee that you are interacting with someone in the "here and now." Rather, you may be interacting with them here and now, but that's not to say they're not already/soon will be dead in another location. At the same time. Yeah...
OK, so it's a punishing, obscure, dark fantasy third-person RPG. What can I do?
A lot. You can be a beefy tank plowing through enemy damage and laughing at how little it affects you. You can be a glass cannon mage, one-shotting the toughest of enemies while praying a stiff wind doesn't cut you down. You can be a sneaky ranged fighter, using gear to enhance your abilities. Or you can say "screw all that" and just punch your way to victory. At level 1. Because you're a masochist.
I take it there are a lot of classes to choose from?
Nope. There are starting classes, sure, but all they do is give you a template to work from. Pretty much any class can become anything along the way. All you're limited by are your stat points and your gear. You assign points to your stats and in turn your stats dictate what gear you can use (effectively).
I hear you die a lot?
Constantly. And while you'll lose progress of a sort by dying, you'll gain knowledge. And knowledge, unlike many other games, truly is power here. So you've rushed into a room and found yourself full of arrows and died? Well now you know not to rush into that room. Now you know that you can probably sneak inside and take out the archer at the back before they even know you're there. You found a strong weapon not that far from the main hub of the game? Now you know that on your next character (you'll probably make more than one) you can rush that spot and focus on getting the stat points you need right away to use it.
So dying isn't that big of a deal?
It can be. When you die, you lose some stuff. Namely the souls you've collected from enemies you've killed and your humanity.
Explain.
When you kill an enemy, you gain souls. These are currency. You spend them on stats to increase them. You also use them to purchase items from any vendors you may find. When you die, you lose all the souls you are carrying. And no, you can't bank them anywhere. On the plus side, you leave behind a bloodstain where you die that contains all the souls you were carrying when you died. If you can reach your bloodstain without dying again, you can pick up all of the souls you lost. Die and they're lost for good.
Is this the punishment you talked about before?
Pretty much. It's going to feel like a punch in the gut the first time you lose "a lot" of souls (it won't be a lot; not your first time through, and not early on). Souls are easy to come by, though. It's more the progress you were making from point A to B that will eventually sting the most.
There's a lot more you're not telling me, isn't there?
Yes, a ton. If you're just kind of interested in the series, play Dark Souls first. If you want to dive in head first and have a PS3, play Demon's Souls. While the two are similar, Demon's Souls is a more raw experience. It's not quite as refined as Dark Souls, but it has plenty of fantastic systems in place. I personally wouldn't start with Dark Souls 2 over either of those two games, but it's better than not playing any of them.
Dark Souls is a third-person action RPG*.
* Really Pretty Getup (simulator)
So it's kind of like (insert game here)?
Probably not. Most third-person action RPG's tend to be pretty fast with the combat. The thing about Dark Souls is that you need to mean what you do and do what you mean to do. I've heard Monster Hunter is similar, but I've never really played any of those. In this case, if you take a swing or cast a spell, you're committed. Using a big two-handed weapon and you timed it wrong? Yeah, you're gonna get punished.
Punished? That seems harsh.
It is and it isn't. It's more fair than bullshit, but there's plenty of BS moments to go around. Or at least, they'll feel that way until you "git gud."
There are plenty of other games I could be playing that wouldn't be punishing.
Sure are. And not a single one of them will fill you with the same sense of accomplishment that these games will.
That's a bold statement.
I stand by it. I cannot think of a single game where I have ever felt as pumped/relieved/excited to get through something as I have with these games.
OK, I'll give it a shot. What's the setting like?
Dark fantasy. Pretty grim. These are worlds on the brink. Whatever your goal may be, it's pretty likely that you're saving the world by destroying it. Maybe not overtly, but...
Er, spoilers?
No, not really. There is a narrative, but it's not given to you outright. There is a lot of reading between the lines and paying attention in order to put everything together. Some things are open to interpretation. Others are blatant. As for the final goal? Depends on the game and your perspective.
Well that doesn't sound all that interesting. | That sounds awesome!
You're wrong. | You're right! Really, the game lets you use your imagination in a lot of ways. While some things are very clearly laid out, others are not. You can infer so much from simple things such as where you obtain an item and its surroundings, or you can just plow through and not realize that X character died here.
Wait, huh?
Time is ... weird in these games. It's not a guarantee that you are interacting with someone in the "here and now." Rather, you may be interacting with them here and now, but that's not to say they're not already/soon will be dead in another location. At the same time. Yeah...
OK, so it's a punishing, obscure, dark fantasy third-person RPG. What can I do?
A lot. You can be a beefy tank plowing through enemy damage and laughing at how little it affects you. You can be a glass cannon mage, one-shotting the toughest of enemies while praying a stiff wind doesn't cut you down. You can be a sneaky ranged fighter, using gear to enhance your abilities. Or you can say "screw all that" and just punch your way to victory. At level 1. Because you're a masochist.
I take it there are a lot of classes to choose from?
Nope. There are starting classes, sure, but all they do is give you a template to work from. Pretty much any class can become anything along the way. All you're limited by are your stat points and your gear. You assign points to your stats and in turn your stats dictate what gear you can use (effectively).
I hear you die a lot?
Constantly. And while you'll lose progress of a sort by dying, you'll gain knowledge. And knowledge, unlike many other games, truly is power here. So you've rushed into a room and found yourself full of arrows and died? Well now you know not to rush into that room. Now you know that you can probably sneak inside and take out the archer at the back before they even know you're there. You found a strong weapon not that far from the main hub of the game? Now you know that on your next character (you'll probably make more than one) you can rush that spot and focus on getting the stat points you need right away to use it.
So dying isn't that big of a deal?
It can be. When you die, you lose some stuff. Namely the souls you've collected from enemies you've killed and your humanity.
Explain.
When you kill an enemy, you gain souls. These are currency. You spend them on stats to increase them. You also use them to purchase items from any vendors you may find. When you die, you lose all the souls you are carrying. And no, you can't bank them anywhere. On the plus side, you leave behind a bloodstain where you die that contains all the souls you were carrying when you died. If you can reach your bloodstain without dying again, you can pick up all of the souls you lost. Die and they're lost for good.
Is this the punishment you talked about before?
Pretty much. It's going to feel like a punch in the gut the first time you lose "a lot" of souls (it won't be a lot; not your first time through, and not early on). Souls are easy to come by, though. It's more the progress you were making from point A to B that will eventually sting the most.
There's a lot more you're not telling me, isn't there?
Yes, a ton. If you're just kind of interested in the series, play Dark Souls first. If you want to dive in head first and have a PS3, play Demon's Souls. While the two are similar, Demon's Souls is a more raw experience. It's not quite as refined as Dark Souls, but it has plenty of fantastic systems in place. I personally wouldn't start with Dark Souls 2 over either of those two games, but it's better than not playing any of them.
THIS THREAD IS FOR SOULS SERIES DISCUSSION FREE FROM DS3 SPOILERS.
Current DS3 thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/204774/dark-souls-3-has-some-deep-difficulty
Thanks!
Houn on
+4
Posts
Srsly, hotly anticipating DS3 but strongly considering unsubbing from DS channels on youtube given all the early access flying around...
Anyway, should get on and finish my SOTFS 100%:
Which really means I spent most of the weekend standing around waiting to get summoned in front of Jabba the Hutt's fog door. I also tried dropping my summon sign near Medusa, but only got two hits in an hour for that one. Considering that I am now sick of killing Hutts, I guess I should finally go venture into Iron Keep and find a new boss upon which I may SunWhore myself out for those last ten medals.
At least Licia gave me a free set of priest armor, of which I'm only wearing the hood. FOUR LIGHTNING BOLTS, YAY!
I've been considering doing another DS2 playthrough quickly before DS3 comes out. Not sure what build I would do. Nothing gimmicky since I don't really care about challenging myself, but I know if I don't have something specific in mind i'll just go with my usual Hex build that i've already beaten the game three times with.
Gentleman Cestus Boxer, no magic/miracles/hexes/pyromancy.*
Just two iron-clad fists against the world.
*Amendment: Maybe self-buffs/heals, if you really wanna. Can one Crystal Magic Weapon their fist?
The path leading to his boss fog is 100 times worse than the boss himself in my opinion. After Fume Knight, Alonne was like a mini boss to me. I beat him on the first attempt, and that was without doing well. Just kept getting hit, but he doesn't hit hard enough or follow up fast enough to punish healing like Fume.
From my sunbroing experience, first boss of Iron Keep was a good place to get summoned a lot.
And I have to say, after almost exclusively playing Bloodborne for a while, using a shield really takes some getting used to.
Also one of the most iffy in terms of the host surviving the fight from my very recent experience.
I went to gamestop the other day and saw demons souls and dark souls 1 for like 17 bucks each. Are those good deals? Should I go in order of release and go for demons souls first?
Let you know how it goes!
Fuck you, Dennis.
If you're playing Dark Souls 2 and you enjoy it then yes absolutely. Personally i'd say they are worth full price but then I bought Dark Souls twice so i'm not exactly objective here.
I'm doing this.
Fucking guardians and tracking overheads.
Underwhelmed by the ending. Collecting the lord souls in 1qy have involved some boring level design but at least I felt I had a goal.
In DS2 I just keep going forward and then there's a dragon and now the queenie has disappeared and bow she's purple and that's it?
I made a game, it has penguins in it. It's pay what you like on Gumroad.
Currently Ebaying Nothing at all but I might do in the future.
The DLC does a lot better at pulling everything together.
DS2 really needs the DLCs and SotFS to complete the story.
Without the DLC/SotFS - You gotta be paying close attention to your item descriptions to even understand that Nashandra is a fragment of Manus, and what that means, and how she was the reason he stole the giants and had to lock himself away. I disagree that it doesn't make sense, but it does feel abrupt, especially if you didn't pick up on Nashandra's badness when talking to Chancellor Wellager and meeting her for the first time.
With the DLC/SotFS - You realize it wasn't just Vendrick, there were 4 different kingdoms all affected by fragments of Manus, and you find out about what happened to Aldia, you have to collect all 4 crowns, etc.
This game must be massive.
The game is more front-loaded than DS1 in that you'll get the four Lord Souls first. The "second half," while still pretty beefy in content, is shorter. It took me ~40 hours of play time for me to beat it the first time. Now it takes ~15-20 hours depending on what I'm doing.
But it was my first souls game, so there was a lot of time just spent learning to suck less.
And as well the gameplay effect that doing all those things has is massive both from a character/player perspective and a lore perspective, and i'm really excited about what it means going forward into Dark Souls 3.
but there's a BB thread somewhere.
full of DS3 spoilers!!!
Watched a brief video on getting Flynn ring and it looks like Sunken area is just super massive.
I don't particularly care if you want to talk some BB in here, though really, someone should just flag a mod in the BB thread and ask if it can be designated spoiler-free. There's a DS3 thread already.
I have no idea how Dennis is not a meme. I mean, it only took me maybe 5 tries to kill him, but when you combine the name "Dennis" (which just sounds lame) with spawning him in the same area as another NPC invader that you'd previously killed so you're not expecting it, and setting his spawn trigger on "after you go through the door", AND the fact that he's an "Armorer" but mostly just uses big spells?
Yeah, everything about Dennis is just designed to be dickish.
I ain't even mad, it's just pro-level trolling.
The sunken king DLC is fantastic, but the enemies there are really hard to stagger and it can be brutal. The first time through it if you don't know where you're going, it can take a while to explore fully.
I'd say if you're keen on the flynn ring for your build, go there first, but otherwise just do whichever you feel seems most interesting to do next.
All that's left for me now in sunken king are two dlc end bosses.
And I've been too lazy to do the 3 guys properly yet.
The dragon at the end of that DLC is tough but not all that hard. The worst part is just getting him to stay on the ground long enough for you to kill him. He likes to fly back and forth a lot.
The guardian dragon before the Dragon Aerie was airborn pretty much 95% of the time against me. I was very glad I had got the Dragon Rider bow and had upgraded it.
I made a game, it has penguins in it. It's pay what you like on Gumroad.
Currently Ebaying Nothing at all but I might do in the future.