DARK SOULS: if you need me i'll be in an induced coma so mvrch comes tomorrow

release month announced!

new trailer!

other shit!

"11/10 - this game will own"!

deserves own thread!

now yall xboxers can play too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYh8phZ4Dvw

http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/project-dark-untitled/1167469p1.html

http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/64871/dark-souls/articles/74493/dark-souls-preview-welcome-to-the-castle-of-traps/

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/05/dscollector.jpg

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/11/dark-souls-collectors-edition-offered-as-pre-order-bonus/

kinda all over this, hope they didn't decide to be like "OH YOU LIKE IT HARD HUH WE'LL MAKE IT EXXXXXXXXXXXXTRA HARD" and now it sucks

I think that is a distinct possibility given From's spotty overall track record but as good as Demon's Souls was there is zero chance of me not getting this game day one

I only just noticced this is from software -- good to know that they have another great game that they can make progressively shitter over iterations for the next 10-15 years #armoredcore

that said i was supremely jailhouse of my ps3 owning friends and now i can get a demon souls-ish game, NOW ALL I NEED IS VALKYRIA CHRONICLES!!!

http://www.destructoid.com/preview-dark-souls-200954.phtml

gddmn

oct 11th app

makes it sound like it's a "more of the same" sequel that takes into account the fact that you've played the first one and ramps up accordingly, more diverse color palette, more of the same but a lot more
i'm down with that IF THE PUZZLE CHOICES ARE GOOD AND FAIR because if this has enough cheap hits that i notice it, it is not demon souls
i don't mind dying if the game is honest.

i think the fact that it's open world - continuous, varied, full of secret shit to stumble upon - is a big change tbh, and i am psyched about it. i didn't want to hear about them fucking with the actual controls, combat mechanics, etc because all of that was gold in the first game, so i am doubly psyched about that. and a spit polish on the visuals is just gravy.

somehow i missed the open world mechanics; not sure how that'll work, but willing to try
i need to just not work and only play games

awwwwwesome new trailer at http://www.fromsoftware.jp/darksouls/contents/movie3_en.html

http://i54.tinypic.com/25ezpzo.png

forks, pls update thread title to show correct release month "octover"

gracias

YOU WILL REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE AND FUN OF TRIAL AND ERROR

http://www.fromsoftware.jp/darksouls/contents/img/outline/img_outline_en.gif

YOU WILL ALSO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO ROLE-PLAY MUTUALLY IN THE GAME

i welcome these opportunities

I am going to buy this video game

i already did.

owned

this is cool: http://www.siliconera.com/2011/08/17/dark-souls-ten-classes-captured-on-digital-parchment-and-screenshots/

The Deprived! Hardcorest of the hardcore!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yopt1hJtzQU

really looking forward to disappearing into this.

yeh i've been on complete media blackout about this ie not gonna watch that youtube!

^

I really want to play this but after Demon's Souls I have a strong suspicion that I am simply not good enough at video games to make any significant progress. :(

lol

From Software, developers of Demon's Souls and it's upcoming 'spiritual successor' Dark Souls, are taking a characteristically uncompromising approach to players who have managed to get their hands on the game early.
Like Demon's Souls, Dark Souls comes packed with a mechanic that allows players to invade other's worlds. From Software are using this feature to send out maxed-out characters into the early-adopters games and systemically killing them off.

haha

ok a+++ thats awesome

holy fuck. i want that job!!

U DIED

basically i am going to play the fuck out of this game and not eat or sleep is kinda how i break it down to an extent

these are those times where i wonder if i am just wired oddly as a gamer because punishingly difficult isnt a positive in my book

no need to respond to that, i made a different thread to talk about how i am weak-willed and cowardly

i never really found dark souls impossibly difficult. it's hard yeah, but i find it WAY easier and more rewarding than, say, halo. I'm just hardwired to deal well with this kind of shit i guess. I can't get past the first half hour of gears of war or handle bullet hell tho.

wait, so do you have to play this online? p much not interested if that's the case.

don't think you HAVE to, just opens up some elements of bizarro multiplayer

sick.

demon's souls seemed right up my alley but I don't have a ps3. I'm thinking that this might do nicely in its absence.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/undead-days-dark-souls/721426

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/co-op-boss-dark-souls/721543

oh yeah

"You're already dead, and so is everything else, and all of it hates you."

hah is that from the eurogamer review?

Oh man, that reviiew was JUST what i wanted to hear

WHICH CLASS DO I START WITH?>???

I might try thief at the outset but if I get brutally murdered I will explore other options..

We thought you'd like to know that the following item has been despatched and should be with you in a few days.

SO HYPED

i died

My characters name is YOUDIED

play as deprived or feel eternal shame

EXACTLY
damn i gotta check amazon to see when they're shipping my KOLLEKTERS EDISHUN

Delivery Estimate: October 12, 2011 - October 17, 2011
boo

pretty rad game but holy shit are they not lying about the difficulty.

why isn't there a demo of this on the 360?

I cant kill shit

this is pretty brutal. i am desperate for a decent weapon. i have lost way too many souls and humanity points from not getting back to my bloodstains. i was coasting up until taurus demon but it has been straight downhill since the first time i got there and died. and my elation at beating that demon last approx 1 minute before i was fucked over again.

i was coasting up until taurus demon

yeah, this little stretch is what stopped me dead in my tracks. tried level grinding, but that really doesn't help you too much. there's a merchant not too far away, so perhaps grinding some souls for better armor might help a little more? also, just looked up some YouTube videos, and it looks like there's a pretty easy way to dispatch of that Taurus monster.

what is it abt this game drawing some purple prose shit out of reviewers: (from destructoid)

You are undead, one of the chosen few tasked with saving a world which has very nearly seen its demise. The primeval, life-giving power of fire which holds back the darkness threatening to once again consume all existence, has almost flickered out and you are the prophesied last hope, sojourning to the legendary land of Lordran to reignite the flame. Between you and the fate of the world lies hundreds of mindless beasts intent on killing you, which they will succeed in time and again.

so am I correct in noticing this goddamn game wont tell me how many souls you need to level up?

yeah, i am not appreciating that change

its easily googleable but wtf

aw fuck this. if you lose your connection to xbox live the game completely craps out and restarts..

hey, interesting question, why the fuck is the collector's edition coming out two weeks after the regular one and WHAT THE FUCK

to jingle + forks both: bc it's so damn hard, see??

forks not sure what you are referring to but i got the CE y'day

this game is terrifying to play, and rules

yeah, i really dig it. though at my current rate of progress i'll probably complete it in 2014. been looking at YouTube videos whenever i get stuck and i end up kicking myself for not seeing pretty "duh" (in retrospect) solutions. game requires cautious and thoughtful play. every group of enemies and step of the way demands some sort strategy. and, yeah, it's absolutely punishing. i'm only a sliver of the way though, so we'll see how i feel down the line, but right now i'm finding it addictive and i'm glad something like it exists in 2011.

i was discussing with a friend how, with the open level design and because every area or boss you get past just leads to more and harder enemies, the most tangible reward in the game is finding a shortcut so that you don't have to wade through the same bunch of assholes over and over again. finding the ladder between the bonfire in undead burg and the start of undead parish, and then the elevator from undead parish back to firelink shrine, were the most triumphal moments i have experienced so far.

I've been doing so much hard time in undead burg that my goddamn dagger is about to break and I have no idea how I'm supposed to fix it.

you can get a repair kit from the vendor in undead burg that lets you repair your weapons at any bonfire. costs 2k souls i think. essential purchase. so far i have found a couple of npcs who can also repair equipment. the easiest one to reach if you are not in undead parish yet is at the start of the londo ruins (stairs down from the shrine bonfire, elevator, head right to path down the cliff face and npc is behind bars in the cliff)

amazon is not mailing my shit on time i guess.
anyways i guess i'll be waiting a bit.

i feel like i just got over the hump with this game. i think i went too far in one direction and hit a bit of a brick wall but i got passed it and now i have some decent weapons and spells. now going through a couple areas i maybe should have visited earlier and the going is almost comfortable. altho i'm sure i'll be made to regret even thinking that.

this does feel a bit frontloaded in the difficulty department. though i'm not sure how much can be attributed to getting better at the mechanics/having decent equipment vs. the game itself getting a bit easier. still quite challenging, i'm just not being brutalized like i was at the outset. not at the endgame yet, so maybe i should bite my tongue.

anyway, i totally love it. haven't been this into a game in years.

does it make sense to horde humanity or should I be spending it to kindle bonfires.. I keep getting pwnt by the second boss but I should be able to beat his ass if I had 10 estus flasks..

i do tend to stockpile humanity but there are plenty of opportunities to get some as you go along. sometimes you will randomly get +1 in your humanity counter from defeating an enemy and usually if i am at a fire i will use up a stored humanity so i can kindle it (i am basically never not hollow so it always costs me 2 humanity to kindle). i would recommend kindling the fire in the middle of undead burg. you come back there a few times and you can quickly get there from the fire in undead parish with the ladder shortcut, so no need to kindle that one.

this is a handy resource for upgrading weapons: http://i51.tinypic.com/wthr92.jpg

This game is so good.

YOU DIED

http://images.instagram.com/media/2011/10/14/745e43ebc7424528a85aec5f9967fcf6_7.jpg

been playing this all night. also ordered the swank hardcover strategy guide the other day. i've never bought a strategy guide in my life.

so i preordered so i could play during my vacation from work and the game was delivered this monday... to my job.
I DIED

Ugh, I am so bad at this game. :(

this is sitting at home waiting for me to make time for it. Sadface.

Still haven't played this cos my copy got lost in the post >.<

If I accidentally hit Oswald at the bottom of the Gargoyle tower is he gonna be mad at me for the rest of the game? He started fighting me and I ran away.

afaik NPCs respond differently to abuse. reset at a bonfire and go back to say hi.

gonna go right out and say this is my favourite game ever. the depth is stunning. i am figuring my own way thru first time and then maybe will get the guide for subsequent runs. it looks really nicely put together from the preview pdf. i am already looking forward to not making the same terrible mistakes again (e.g. fucking up so i get no fire at firelink shrine has been a paine in thee asse.)

that's definitely the one NPC you don't want pissed off as he's the one that can de-aggro other NPC's if you accidentally whack them. i don't know how to fix that.

xpost

Yeah I went to the Blacksmith bonfire and came back and he immediately started getting ready to Hadouken me, wondering if going to a different area and coming back later might reset him. I guess if the worst comes to the worst I kill him and take his humanity, and then lose it by falling off a ledge while locked onto something

I spent a lot of time meaninglessly pumping stats and learning to fight in the Burg, then went to the trouble of getting [Overpowered Early Level Weapson], so by the time I got to the Parish it wasn't as tough as I was led to expect

But then I turned an important guy against me so I'm probably fucked like eight hours down the line when I get poisoned or accidentally hit another NPC

get no fire

Fire?

I have been dying over and over again in the burg, but at some point I leveled up and suddenly it seems like the guys I had been cruising through got inexplicably harder all of the sudden? Does that happen?

no, mobs in a particular area don't ever scale, which is a delight when you go back later. possibly you were getting cocky? that's how it usually happens to me

by fire i meant bonfire

The guys with spears seem to get more turtly and have higher endurance as you progress through the burg

Complacency is definitely a thing though, I lost the first humanity I got for hours trying to blast a knight out of my way on a staircase leading to a boss fight, I've literally turned up thinking the result's in the bag and it's literally bit me in the arse

I killed the shit out of Oswalt at the bottom of the church belltower.. its the games fault not mine! How was I supposed to know he wasnt trying to murder me?

so i finally got this game and only died twice in the first hour, what the hell they've really dialed back the difficulty huh .... and then omg YOUDIEDYOUDIEDYOUDIED

The free strategy guide is worth downloading for people who got given the special edition for no reason

finally rang the first bell. SO HARDDDDDD. then someone invaded me and i absolutely kicked their arse. SO SATISFYING.

i joined the covenant that lets you invade ppl who invade others to avenge them but i never found anyone. combination i think of the indictment system being too obscure and prob invaders staying hollow all the time.

next up, the covenant where supposedly you can make other people's games harder at random...

so, i am moving on at last. platinum trophy just to draw a line and give myself an excuse to stop playing.

comparison with demons souls:
demons was harder overall. the bosses were generally harder, the level design was more brutal. the addition of the bonfire checkpoints was a big part of what made dark a bit friendlier, and were a great addition i think. i did not miss often having to do the whole level over each time you fought the boss as in demons.
platinum was a TON harder on demons. some of that rare ore farming...horrible memories. i didn't do a single thing for a dark souls trophy that wasn't fun.
dark souls unquestionably had some cruel shit in it. the curse was nasty but well advertised and mostly avoidable, except where i got cursed of course (first seath encounter) which was evil, altho i was also a bit stupid. and there were a few other nasty things in there, but overall i would say nothing worse than world tendency in demons, which could really lead you into despair.
less terrible platforming bits in dark

so, for all the talk of them aiming to make dark souls harder than demons, it turns out that was bs. but they definitely improved the experience overall. the variety of the environments and the way they were knitted together was just breathtaking. it really felt like an incredible adventure to explore it. the combat was already great in demons - really better than anything in any other action rpg style game, if you can really lump these in there - and they made it smoother and really went to town on giving pretty much every weapon a unique moveset and feel. ppl need to stop talking about the difficulty and start talking about the peerless combat physics.

the multiplayer elements were so well done. it is one of the design joys (or flaws for some folks) of the game that after the basics everything is left for you to figure out, and it is a shame that a lot of people won't have the patience or the level of interest to really explore the mp options. helping other players with bosses is always great, but being part of the forest pals and getting summoned back there to protect it was superb, i just wasted so much time on that. and invading players as a spirit of vengeance was hilarious fun.

it will continue to draw some criticism for seeming opaque at times, whether in terms of aspects of gameplay or of the story, such as it is. i love the abstract vagueness of the story. by contrast the messy vomit of exposition in dragon age 2 was fresh in my memory. it's an acquired taste thing i know, but i liked just getting little clues as to what's going on from npcs or from the direction of the game itself. i will say that they probably took it too far with one of the two endings, which was bizarrely blunt and ambiguous.

my own criticism of the game would be around balancing, which they got so right in demons and then got so wrong in dark, to the point that certain character attributes were essentially useless to upgrade. and in fact, the importance of upgrading your weapons completely eclipsed leveling for much of the game, especially as the results you can get from the non-scaling upgrades dwarfed the scaling ones for really the bulk of the game. unfortunately, that is definitely something that a lot of people seem to be missing. certainly it isn't intuitive, although having played demons was a big help in this regard. but i guess the new patches are going to address some of the balancing issues, so this problem will be addressed to an extent.

anyway, bottom line is that this shit was amazing and felt like it was designed specifically for me to play and it is without question the best game i have ever played.

FIN

ugh that was longer than i expected

so the deal is that my life is VERY busy and skyrim took precedence and this is still sitting as yet unplayed on my tv.
i'm kind of ashamed

goty

High level guys keep invading me and casting some sort of fuckofffirenapalmofdoom spell right in front of my face and then i lose all my souls and humanity and hate people for a bit because i'm still using the starting dagger.

been doing some co-op tonight; helping players out with the gaping dragon. so much easier, and quicker with buddies

making good progress now - just got to hoddit & doddit. 26 hours in, SL55

co-op is amazing

bring this to vita

system seller

dlc rumours doing the rounds

I will never be good at this game. I may not even be competent.

just started playing finally. i love it. kinda want to take a week off.

I can't tell if I'm insanely irritated or in love with the game. Probably both.

Plus reading through some walkthroughs, I'm missing a ton of stuff. I need to find these elusive merchants.

Getting better at this. Still don't understand the advantage of humanity/kindling/etc.

kindling means you get ten usages out of an estus flask when you camp at that fire. you can't kindle unless you're human.

I wish I could pause the game!!!!!! I hate having to find a safe area where things won't attack me every time I have to use the bathroom.

bathroom breaks are for sissies
REAL YOU DIED MEN piss the floor while they play

i started with a "deprived" and made him fat. he is a sad protagonist.

Ok I had had been playing this offline, but as soon as I go online and turn human some asschunk invades and kills me while I'm fighting other enemies. Really annoying.

"Dark Souls : Prepare to Die Edition" coming to PC. New bosses, August release date.
Maybe Blighttown will have a playable framerate now!

~quicksaves~

Man, I just stopped cold on this about 3/4 of the way through. Combination of Skyrim coming out and a hesitancy to go back because it's a bit of a time investment to fight your way to the next save point. Still maybe the most fun I've had with a video game in years though. I know it's cliche at this point, but its difficulty makes it genuinely rewarding in a way I remember games used to be. Feel like a big part of me losing interest in gaming in general is just how easy shit is these days. Anyway, want to go back but I'm honestly a little scared.

Feel the same way. Having a hard time going back after mass effect.

honestly spent 15 minutes trying to decide between arkahm city and this at gamestop yesterday. i'd read the back cover of one before reading the back cover of the other, before actually picking up both copies and flipping them atop eachother in my hands while i pretended to look at other games and not appear insane. finally i just remembered how fucking frustrated i was on the very first level of demon's souls and figured my quality of life would be better with a beat-'em-up

still tempted, tho. secretly hoping i can beat batman in a week's time and return it, claim all my cash back, and buy a copy of DS. the catwoman levels make such a move very hard.

i mean in demon's souls, i died in the fucking tutorial. boleteria (?) i attempted 6 times before returning it a friend, congratulating him on every bothering with the game, and vowing never to think masochism in videogaming is an admirable thing. in a weird sense, the souls series almost bears akin to videogaming's equivalent of jock-like behavior: pushing yourself too the limit, "quit being a pussy", struggling through shit. everyone who vehemently vouches for these games often come to remind me that even videogamers need opportunities for really being macho/masculine.

and yet still, i want this shit bad as ever.

the fuck did i write

There's a steep learning curve but once you get past it the game isn't THAT hard. It's not the hardest game ever. You just have to learn how to play it.

Speed run!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO8RAEGnBGM

you may have overstepped a bit with the macho thing, but i feel ya, there aren't enough AAA games anymore designed around the enjoyment of a difficult game. i think the last game i played in that vein was... Viewtiful Joe?

will probably get DS at some point, though i might wait until it hits $5 on steam or something now that it's gonna be on PC. holiday sale 2012 gooooo

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/dark-souls-for-pc-announced-masochism-begins-august-24/

quick glimpse of new stuff in pc release trailer. have to assume they will cash in and dlc this to consoles.

i'm about 60 hours into this and it's pretty much one of the best games i've ever played

the mood of the game fits it so perfectly: i'm having a hard time trying to put it into words but it kinda feels like what i would imagine dying and living in some weird purgatory would feel like. the combination of limited music, bleakness, melancholy, darkness and light, phantoms, and endless monsters all come together in this amazing aesthetic environment

yup. so good

not to mention it's has probably the best and most fair battle system i've ever played

the difficulty is so overplayed too. it's just right. hard & doesn't pander, most of its difficulty is because it refuses to patronise

totally

but thats not to say that i havent rushed into boss battles and got my ass handed to me instantly. that's part of the fun: learning to be patient and thoughtful in battle, leading to much higher sense of accomplishment and reward

I think I've given up. Can't beat the doggy with the sword or some other dragon either.

okay, RUN PAST THE DRAGON
and utilize the jump from high and chop attach for the doggy
that chop attack drove me nuts, wasn't in the first game but integral to this one

do you guys summon phantoms for boss battles? i tried for the first time last night and immediately fell off a ledge /:

i did and dude killed like six major guys and i was standing around going uhhhh UNDO UNDO UNDO
i didn't want THAT much help!

finally beat taurus demon. i thought that sense of elation you'd received would be kind of negated by the fact that i've read so much of it and naturally couldn't expect myself to go "the part where everyone's happy? it's going on right now! ok, be happy!". so i was pretty surprised when i beat him first try, received a serotonin surge, (in a day... it must've been my 4th try, realistically) and threw out a victory fist, which is something i don't think i've ever done in much anything

http://maxgif.com/Jj

I think this is a better example of "video games as art" than whatever Xbox Arcade Indie titles striving for that sort of thing. Such a weird, mysterious thing.

-a thing

i can successfully go for about 2-3 deaths before quitting and starting back up again the next day

each DS session lasts me about 45minutes. this is mostly good in terms of retaining a social and physical life.

just beat this.

best game evar.

congrats and otm

i'll beat it someday, i feel sure of it.
i need a little vacation.

congrats btw

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/122/1224905p1.html

additional PC content confirmed as console dlc

is it worth getting the flying dragon sword? i finally got up to that dragon but it seems like a huge PITA going back and forth getting enough arrows to shoot his tail off. nb i'm playing a pyromancer w/ heavy focus on melee

i shot his tail off, so

at that stage of the game, the drake sword is a huge upgrade - i say that having struggled without it in my first run thru.

you've run thru more than once!!!

lol

Trying this game out. Was far more intolerable before I got my game pad working.

The approach of Japanese gamedevs doing a Western-looking rpg is neat.

Dark Souls 2 announced.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

PREPARE TO DIE

…AGAIN

Rad

http://speeddemosarchive.com/demo.pl?DarkSouls_Resets_3245

Dark Souls in 32 min

I just started playing Dark Souls this week

YOU DIED
YOU DIED
YOU DIED
YOU DIED
YOU DIED
YOU DIED
YOU DIED
YOU DIED
ooh ooh you made it past that guy
oh wait
YOU DIED

FFS

best game

this fuckin' game

I keep telling myself I should go back to it. But I don't want to have to learn how to play all over again. And keep losing to that dog with a sword in its mouth.

I'm doing the new game plus at the moment, and have cruised it up until the Capra Demon with his stupid dogs. Goodbye tens of thousands of souls!

best game tho right?

right

oh yes, pretty much. Very few other games have the combination of oblique storyline, deep mechanics, beautiful graphics, unique atmosphere and of course brutal difficulty. Really looking forward to the sequel, I hope they retain these aspects of it.

http://i.minus.com/iAAZ2MpXTZdEa.gif

lol

i'm finally getting around to playing this! you can get it on demand now for $19.99.

i am so, so so bad

i am getting better! rang the first bell last night after defeating the...forgot the name. the two beasts on the rooftop. at that point i decided to stop referring to strategy guides whenever i got hopelessly stuck. i then spent 30+ minutes wandering around trying to figure out where to go next. then i looked at a strategy guide and figured out where the basement key could be used so i could move on. sigh.

i grabbed the drake sword, but i'm kinda regretting it. it's very powerful and it made things a lot easier as soon as i grabbed it. all that's nice, but i'm also a wanderer (supposed to be more of a dex character) and i have to level up my strength a bunch to use the drake sword. i feel like now my character is a kind of weird hybrid class that isn't terribly good at anything.

THIS FUCKING CAPRA DEMON

my shield isn't strong enough to block his attacks, apparently, and i keep getting killed while messing up the targeting system (targeting the demon instead of his fucking fuck fuck dogs, or targeting nothing at all on accident and flailing wildly) and the shitty camera in the tiny ass room

vicariously enjoying yr torment! those fucking dogs. are you using the plunge attack?

YOU DEFEATED

phew. i was getting kinda pissed there. nah, my guy's strong enough that once i eliminated the dogs, it was relatively easy to just do hand-to-hand combat with him. i guess my shield was strong enough for most of his attacks, just not his initial two-handed megalord crushing blow that he unleashes the second you walk through the magic mystery door of suffering

best game

http://24.media.tumblr.com/f9ca541f1d70950f8828e393d359e969/tumblr_mkoo6d3Iwp1qbper1o1_400.gif

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa835Dmwxtk

basically more of the same, obviously some changes to certain mechanics but the contiguous areas/bonfires design is still there. visually very impressive. great to hear that one of the main things they wanted to do was think of more varied ways for the player to die

whatta game

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j6q3TXJfO4o/UFgTtkwEmCI/AAAAAAAACBQ/ResGBlJ3xyk/s1600/2012-08-25_00011.jpg

me and a friend have been co-oping thru this, but only at the weekend because of time difference. and so inevitably i ended up doing another solo run in the meantime, with the self-imposed limitation of using no magic and no ranged weapons except crossbows. i was told i have to wait for my friend to play the dlc for the first time tho. this being my 7th(?) play thru of the rest of the game i can p much do it with my eyes closed now but there is always something new to learn. it comes a little easier when you have learned what you can get when, e.g. how to get a 300 damage sword before you face the first boss. it is awesome to find that the game is still so busy with other players to interact with. it has said before, by me and possibly by cozen iirc, but best game ever.

i think i may need to restart this; i got about eight hours in and got distracted and relearning where everything was sounds less fun than a fresh go

http://24.media.tumblr.com/7c0978fc5a3a1819b1c9a02b5e417d8b/tumblr_mms15rKty61rk5dgco1_r1_500.gif

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywyll7GUG5Q

i thought i saw this on this thread but i guess not. p funny

lol i was watching skulled shuffle vids earlier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4-OfhdYw80

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I6fmvp37TU

that is something else

shd i feel bad for using that darkroot garden exploit where u round up the dudes and make em jump to their deaths like lemmings

No way, I did that for hours and hours.

helping other ppl beat bosses is prob a more fun way to reap souls, tho maybe not quite as efficient. for example you get 20k for helping beat iron golem, which is super easy with 2 or 3 people. 25k for beating ornstein and smough and there are people lining up to summon help on those duds so you barely have to wait around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9DavWwwnyE

i love that guys videos

no kidding, i was just going thru a bunch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWgaCPm9oXQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4LlLUFfa6Y

1 more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyA8odjCzZ4

that griefing at the archers is basically the most fucked up thing you can do to someone in this game

I played through this game twice and I don't get these videos at all! is this like the video game version of Lil B

I didn't pvp like at all though, so I think there's things going over my head

u casul?

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2013/06/xdark-souls2march2014.jpg.pagespeed.ic.nouWreuM8_.jpg

wtf March why are you so far away

Yeah it was due October this year I thought. Obviously pushed back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxSTb7lBRNw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pXlqTvDFF4

New ad for part 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ecITYi40tA&feature=youtu.be

YOU BEYOND DIED

forks if you were still mod powered you could change octover to april why have you forsaken us

I DIED

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3PQE88Akug

thought u were going to be posting these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtmY86i0ZH8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu9vgT13MV8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDBt00Z9iIg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKZfVnaooqc

these came out as 1 video during e3, they've just been chopped up. i love the idea of the roll-around 2-knives guy but you'd have to be a total masochist to play these games without a shield imo.

fixed ur title

much appreciated and hat tip on the execution but i consulted my annual planner and i believe release is scheduled for march

hrrrm

march 31 according to amazon, so it is the finest of hairs to split

HA!

i play without a shield btw

well have i got the mother of all pro-tips for you

these came out as 1 video during e3

ah i thought it was recent footage. anyway love the turtle knight enemy

yeah great design, kind of like a steel armadillo. i am almost disappointed to know about its attack when you're behind it. that would be a guaranteed death the first time. and probably still will be.

also, i believe i read that these 'levels' were created specifically for the e3 demos, so the particular locations won't be in the finished game.

i don't know how much difference that makes to anything, it's not like i felt anything was spoiled by seeing the gargoyles on the rooftop in the dark souls previews. it's a nice bit of consideration anyway.

Namco is quick to point out that the limited enemy AI in the previous Souls titles has been spruced up significantly. Enemies now react to your behaviour by doing such things as charging you while you're healing, or kicking your legs out from under you and initiating a backstab if you try to run away at close range.

fuuuck

Namco went on to point out YOU DIED.

the combat looks quite a lot more fluid than the first instalment, which is a good sign IMO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmlIy8kPx7M

that's really good work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9ymysN3qQ8

Just bought this for PC but I've heard a controller is a better interface than the keyboard/mouse. Is this the case?

i would say yes since it was a console game ported to pc. the combat seems particularly suited to a controller and its easier to throw against a wall if its wireless

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcxaaePJOA1qeqnbqo1_500.jpg

otm

that guy is a dick

going back in guys, wish me luck

gl

that guy is a dick

― Roberto Spiralli, Tuesday, July 23, 2013 1:20 PM

why

he gets so pissy if you side with the other serpent. "wah wah i knew you weren't the special one all long". asshole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liEVgucjDIk

all of the hallmarks of the no fucking clue first time run at a boss

dude blames the controller at the end... go home noob

YOU DIED

http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/meatbun/Untitled-4.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqacyIaq27o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd4JnDKGj_Y

Kept hoping someone would put on the same costume and join the tribe.

so good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXp8Th41rBs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXp8Th41rBs

orz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrGvknSRY0Q

OTL

yeah that is just being a dick. invading someone in undead burg is being a dick no matter how you slice it tbh. i'm surprised you can even do that.

Why is invading in undead burg being a dick?

it's unfriendly to newbs

yeah it is too early. 99 times out of 100 if you are invading in that area you have deliberately game planned to restrict your level to stay within range of the new players, meanwhile scooping up advanced weapons and spells to grief them with.

i dunno, the creative griefing of Demon's Souls / Dark Souls has given me no hope for art trolling

there's something adorable about that knight wandering around not sure what to make of the barrel

http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/30/4573578/dark-souls-first-person-view

dnw

my god, how unplayable does that look

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRgIwYGRHX0

http://i.imgur.com/RdVkQ.gif

perfect

http://www.thesixthaxis.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/rsz_ds2nextgen.jpg

Wow, $20-25 more for the PS4/Xbone models, that's very kind of them!!

$85!! you have got to be shitting me

why am i so surprised?!!

this made me lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjnGH7MPvH4

i won. hi ng+ :)

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0sjrlYwol1rqfhi2o1_400.gif

good work dude

What did you decide to do with the fire?

during the gwyn battle did you just run around that rock formation and poke him thru it?

hell no.... i used it to chug juice ;)

i went dark lord ending, the other one is for chumps

i need to resume my demon's playthrough, only got about halfway

ditto but for dark souls
might start from scratch once i have the time

http://i.imgur.com/Fl9POCd.gif

i'm not the mask of the father!

this is a great twist on low-level griefing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtT2xYZbWBs

idgi but i want to understand

what's the video game music at the start of that
slipping my mind

Zelda, Ocarina iirc

thanks, was escaping me

idgi but i want to understand

pvpers sometimes restrict their level and grab high-end gear so they can invade new players and trounce them. he's using the beginner knight gear and fumbling around like a new player to bait the invader into being over-confident

oh sick thx

that's nice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkfB67GAzWg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVtIb8lkAxc

i love this series aesthetic so much

me too. have to say tho these trailers make me nervous with all the browns and greys. hoping they keep the wild variety of environments intact

i imagine they're there, just varied. the jungle is often hidden in brown and gray places and they are, as you note, good about switching it up every hour. the vistas always fill me with a weird childish zest, like I'm looking out on a country field and everything is possible. then I DIED

trailer is v tasty. march 11 confirmed for NA. all of the gameplay vids and trailers seem to have been in the same general area so far. as release gets closer we will start to see more of the environments and bosses etc.

like the idea of cloth map & artbook, have zero interest in figurines. hmmmm.

http://i.imgur.com/oahG6Fd.jpg

"Collectible art book" for special edition I is trash, I am not into this.

"authentic cloth"

some decent demo footage

http://www.gamersyde.com/stream_dark_souls_ii_tgs_showfloor_gameplay-30825_en.html

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/27/you-beta-be-ready-for-dark-souls-2/

tons of info here, inc:

you can be invaded even when you're undead (!)
consecutive deaths whittle down max health when you're not human(!!)
players who are summoned into other players games are allotted different amounts of time for co-op play (rather than automatically exiting after defeating a boss)

consecutive deaths whittle down max health when you're not human(!!)

gonna need a cling ring

yup. thing is, when you went to 50% you knew you it wasn't getting any worse. this sounds like getting cursed but every time you die.

i think i read it stops around 50% here as well

whatever this is looks awes

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/12/599xNxbmuploads2012-12-07759darksouls206.jpg.pagespeed.ic.PzreGB36i2.jpg

oh ok, that is a little more sane

that's a cool pic. looks vaguely dragon god-y

beta footage! dont watch if u h8 SPOILERS. so amped for this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQsoMWNF2ZQ

part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1w8AXUoDvM

i got invited to participate in the closed beta of ds2. i didn't apply for it, i just got a PSN msg out of the blue. so either 1. i was specially selected because of awesome, or 2. invitations were sent out randomly

i got one too. the code has already been redeemed :( i think it was first 5000 ppl this time around. maybe i'll get in next time

congrats on being awesome too. the play window is midnight to 2am ET tomorrow night so i don't think that was gonna happen anyway.

i can wait. i've been doing a sl1 run in dks, going pretty good so far

nice! sounds terrible. what gear are you even using?

pyro class w/ fully ascended flame and uh reinforced club lol

i'm at sen's, i predict my stopping point will be fatboy & slim

cool how they've retained the sound effects, one of the reasons the first one was so atmospheric. Really looking forward to this!

consecutive deaths whittle down max health when you're not human(!!)

apparently with each consecutive death u get more n more hollow-looking

anyone else doing the next beta test ; )

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/204/b/c/four_knights_dance_by_alo81-d6euom2.gif

did you get on? i heard they had some problems

north & south america didn't get in. total waste of time

supposedly they are going to set up another one

NAMCO BANDAI America ‏@namcogames 27 Oct
Everyone who was in this test will be allowed in for the next Dark Souls II PS3 Network Test. Your spot is secure.

Just picked up the Collectors edition of Dark Souls for cheap.

By now this will just be NG++ death machines roaming the online servers looking for level 1 n00bs like myself to show up?

I messed with Demon's Souls a bit but wonder if i should cut out the middle man and just hurl it in the bin in rage now.

You should be okay, in my experience you tend to spend a lot of time bumbling around whilst hollow, meaning you can't be invaded. It's when you get mid-levle that things get interesting in that respect, though when I played it through (admittedly last year) I was never plagued with invasions.

i would suggest u don't totally avoid the multiplayer aspect, its rly fun. you can still stay hollow to avoid invasions while also dropping a white sign for people to summon you to help them at no loss to you

u on pc or console? i've heard pc has a lot of action now because of a recent steam sale but theres still a ton of ppl on ps3

http://i.imgur.com/CsNHH3S.jpg

made it to the end on level 1, kinda weird to realize in this rpg leveling and armor isnt all that important

nice!

yeah it's important to realize there are often better things to do with souls than level, and movement is more important than armour

spent about 4 hours on this....

seems easier than Demon's. loads more options to heal, and the bonfires are like Typewriters in Resi.

killed the Taurus Demon last night and then YOU DIED by the Dragon.

I'm playing a cleric build, but seem to have used up all my talisman, Can it be recharged?

also not really getting the hollow thing at all..... DmnsSouls seemed to be clearer when you were human and when you were not.

trying to keep from torrenting the strategy guide, but I really needed the equipment and enemy guides for Demons.

http://darksouls.wikidot.com/

spells and miracles recharge when you rest at bonfires

if youre hollow ur face looks like bacon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPe1sBZtZ94

i was in the last ds2 beta, it was fun but too short. didn't get very far in the area they had open but i did a bunch of invasions and got summoned to help with a boss twice (died immediately both times lol) it looks great. combat feels different, lock-on doesnt restrict your angle of attack anymore which i found really hard to get used to.

hmm interesting. do you think that will be a positive change overall tho? i did get the invite again but the timing is no good.

hard to say if its a mechanic that needs getting used to or why they implemented it. all i know is that i'd be locked-on to someone and if i hit attack while backing up it would stay locked-on but the attack would go in the direction behind me. my guess is it might help with mobs if they now have more unpredictable ai

oh that doesn't sound good at all. what is that even trying to do? maybe it nerfs cheap backstabs? but yeah, i guess need to evaluate it in the context of how the rest works.

i pulled off some backstabs but its not as easy now. didn't even try parrying but i know its still there as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI-Ke2UhfcA

ha, i am looking forward to this experience

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3665/11128327976_86415eb4f5_o.gif

So Dark Souls 1 is a legit masterpiece and maybe the best game of its generation. 80 hours in, one playthrough completed, still totally enamored. I feel like I'm just getting started.

welcome friend

real dark souls begins when you start drinking

best combat system

Have a feeling that people super into this game are the same people who try to eat those gigantic burgers you get a free tshirt for finishing

have to admit i do appreciate the nuance, atmosphere and finely honed mechanics of eating a large burger

Eh. It's easy to make a game hard, not so easy to make it hard while keeping people playing and enraptured. And even though the struggle and elation of overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges was the drug that got me hooked, on second playthrough (which has been fairly easy so far) it's the sheer fun and variety of combat, uncovering new things about the world, and multiplayer encounters that are my main source of enjoyment.

It's a compelling artistic achievement too, I think. Its harsh, lonely austerity, the cryptic lore and mechanics, haunting traces of other people's struggles in parallel worlds. The multiplayer elements somehow both provide the relief of shared experience while furthering your sense of isolation. Add to that the unease of knowing that half of your fellow spirits want you dead along with the rest of your environment. The game's deep, but never showy about it. It's refreshingly mysterious and subtle.

And, yeah, a game like this lives and dies by its combat and its unbeatable here. Elegant and tactile with seemingly endless methods and builds to experiment with.

real dark souls begins when you start drinking

DS w/ booze is a guaranteed fun night in. OTM.

the difficulty is so overplayed too. it's just right. hard & doesn't pander, most of its difficulty is because it refuses to patronise

― ༼◍ྀ ౪ ◍ི ༽ (cozen), Thursday, April 26, 2012 4:02 PM

^^^

circa did u do the dlc too?

tried playing dark souls high a couple times, i felt the ~flow~ of the battle system much better but i kept walking off cliffs

Yeah, that czn quote gets at it nicely. I've become (mostly) bored with video games through the past decade or so and I just assumed I was growing out of them or whatever, but after getting completely absorbed by the Souls games, I think it's because I just don't get a lot of enjoyment out of the trend towards coddling and hand-holding. The challenge and stakes are low and the sense of excitement and satisfaction is minimal because of it. At least for me.

I played through the DLC too, yeah. A bit steep in price for the amount of content added, but it was all quality material, so I wasn't too bothered. I loved the weary giant blacksmith. Great character and dialogue. Spent WAY too much time trying to cut off the dragon's tail for a sword I didn't even need.

Have any of you guys encountered a vagrant? Never even knew they existed until I read something about them the other day.

http://darksouls.wikidot.com/vagrant

yes! only seen two but one succeeded in killing me cuz its projectiles made me roll off the bridge in the kiln

ha theres photos of the exact location near the bottom of that wiki

the other was in anor londo by the broken window. they're very strange looking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-2cBprCfnE

I tried playing this and have probably sunk an hour or two dying on the first half dozen bad guys over and over again before just giving up. Maybe playing all these Final Fantasy games has made me lose my dungeon grinding edge.

Platinum Trophy-d Dark Souls on Christmas evening. Started a new STR based Zweihander-wielding (fun!) character not long after and played up to Blighttown before deciding maybe I should take a break for a while. After 2 months of near-obsessive Demon's and Dark Souls playing, I'm ready to maybe scale it back to casual. Until DS2 hits, anyway.

i died

so yeah, i finally tried playing this and don't think i'm cut out for it either, even though i love the idea and the atmosphere. i got to the firelink shrine and spent awhile getting killed by those skeletons, then a friend told me that i wasn't supposed to be able to beat them at all yet. idk, maybe i'll give it another shot but i just don't think i have the time to give this game the obsession it deserves.

i almost gave up after my first decent run against the asylum demon, when my internet cut out (which happens all the time) and i got booted out of the game. wack.

i think a good amount of ppl myself included ran into that early on, where u just get stuck or frustrated. i had to put it away for awhile and come back to it before it really clicked

It might be worth it to run down to the graveyard with the skeletons to snatch a few items, but you're gonna want to take the stairs up the side of the mountain in Firelink to progress.

xxost

Also, yeah, it can be a good idea to just walk away and come back later with a cool head sometimes.

thanks guys, i watched a video and i won't give up yet. in fact, since there won't be many more decent games for 360 maybe i'll just play this forever, 30 frustrating minutes at a time.

quick and pretty easy way to get a head start in the game early, requires a little research but will head off some initial frustration for sure and introduce some important concepts:

start the game with a high faith class and the master key. level your initial stats to make sure you have str 10 dex 10 fai 14 and go get astora's straight sword as soon as you arrive at firelink. look up how to join the warrior of sunlight covenant and help other ppl kill bosses as a white phantom until you meet the entry requirements. look up where to find crystal lizards early on so you can upgrade your sword. put points in end and fai. make sure your item weight is less than half your max so you can move and roll properly.

reading up on mechanics / menus / stats / weapons / etc goes a long way and is almost necessary, but its best to avoid level walkthroughs unless ur rly lost or stuck

Also, yeah, it can be a good idea to just walk away and come back later with a cool head sometimes.
― circa1916, Monday, January 6, 2014 3:20 PM

for me it was like months before i picked it up again

1 weird tip: forest covenant pvp = fast ca$h! i netted 1 million souls thru killing one hi-level scrub

i picked it up again and beat the Taurus demon (by knocking him off the bridge/getting lucky)! but i feel like i fucked up by not picking the master key at the beginning, no way to get the drake sword (which of course i only know about from looking shit up online). also my main sword is about to break so i'm stuck using one of the many dumb battle axes i picked up (or the claymore with no shield, i guess).

You don't need the Master Key to get the Drake sword. Unless I'm forgetting something? Just get a bow and a ton of arrows and repeatedly shoot the dragon's tail from underneath bridge. Will definitely give you a leg up early on, just don't rely on it for too long because it doesn't scale with your stats.

i didn't have a bow, because i hadn't found the merchant. i started a new character for fun but got stuck on the taurus demon this time, although i did find the merchant, which is totally useful. maybe i'll go back to my knight character now that i can backtrack and fix my sword, although if i can just beat the stupid demon i'll be close to the same spot. this game.

i'd say avoid the drake and stick w/ longsword, claymore or grab the zweihander in the firelink graveyard

hmm i have a claymore for my knight character but i don't think i'm strong enough to use it properly, and losing the shield seemed like a bad idea.

also i feel like i'm much better at backstabbing (and fighting in general) when i don't lock on to enemies -- is this just because i suck?

nah lock-on is only there to help if you need it. a lot of boss fights go better without using it.

if you've haven't reached the blacksmith yet (he sells a longsword) you could just level up strength and dex a couple times to match the claymores 1-hand requirements (the numbers in red in the weapon stats are the ones to shoot for)

solid, thanks

got back into this in a big way for about two weeks in december. most of the enemies i'm up against now are frustratingly difficult: maw dragon, stray demon back in the original asylum, water hydra, running past the ghosts, blue drakes, twin gargoyles (which are giving me more trouble than they should)... wish i had more spare time.

stray demon is total asshole but optional

Stray Demon's a good example of a boss that's easier w/out lock on. Unload eqpmt until you can fast roll and just keep yourself behind him. Might be worth summoning (NPC or otherwise) for Gargoyles and Maw. If you can get your poise up and get yourself a shield w/ decent stability, Hydra isn't too bad. I generally find it easier to fight the ghosts in the Ruins than to run past. They can pile up on you in a nasty way. Get yourself a transient curse and kill a few of them to get more, it's not an uncommon drop. I ended up with way more than I needed by the time I beat that level.

ok i feel like i'm in a better position now, i went back to my original knight and backtracked to the merchant to fix up my weapons, buy a bow, get a key to get that gold pine resin, grind a little, etc. then i was able to get to the next bonfire (by the blacksmith). lots of scary looking paths available now.

glad to hear those ghosts drop transient curse... i used all mine up and tried to run around them. i have one left, may go farming.

u can buy them too from the creepy lady in the cell

doesn't she run out?

new DS2 trailer

http://youtu.be/svZBy_scUdg

so I'm finally playing through DS 1 (I got it last year, played up until the Taurus demon and got so frustrated I put it away until a few weeks ago) and I have found that there's little more liberating then going into new situations with few souls because otherwise I'm freaking out about losing 30,000 and then I lose them and I want to pack it in.

http://a.psblogstatics.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/01/The+average+Dark+Souls+day_bd22d9_4810083.gif

rang the first bell! i mean, after not being able to quite take the gargoyles solo, so i kept clearing out the church area until i had some humanity, then left my character in a 'safe' hallway to help my girlfriend bring in the groceries, came back to find that i died, did it all again, and summoned lautrec to help me.

is it wrong to feel like i just finished the 'tutorial' and the game is only really starting now?

I just made it to Anor Londo and I'm thinking this is the halfway point? Maybe more?

i made a low-level darkwraith (red invader) and kicked someone off the drake sword bridge

also invaded the forest and found 2 nude ppl fist-fighting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Yvy1HgL1I

this is on sale for 4.99 for xbox gold members right now

whoa cool, I will finally try this then

see u in the burg ;]

Large Edge feature on DSII
http://www.edge-online.com/features/dark-souls-ii-fromsoftwares-quest-to-create-the-last-great-adventure-of-the-ps3-and-360-generation/

whoa cool, I will finally try this then

― Euler, Tuesday, January 21, 2014 7:02 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You don't try Dark Souls, Dark Souls tries you......

So Dark Souls “celebrity” EpicNameBro has been hired by Future Press to work on the DS2 guide. Supposedly he’s the only one outside of From who’s played through the entire thing and he had this to say:

https://twitter.com/epicnamebro/status/424709538025967616
https://twitter.com/EpicNameBro/status/424750288684077056

Slight conflict of interest there, but for a guy who’s spent so much of his life dedicated to digging deep into this series, that’s notable.

blighttown.

:(

bring purple mosses

i spent a long time in the garden so i have plenty, haven't had to use any though since i've been dying moments after getting poisoned/made toxic. only had about 20 min to dip my toes in though.

i watched a couple youtube videos on it this morning, less to get specific strategies or routes than to reassure myself that it can be done.

Go back to the undead asylum and get the rusted ring. it'll let you walk/sprint normally in the swamp.

i have it! the next trick will be making it down to the swamp.

Do you know the back way in? Easier then going through the sewers and you can just run past the big club guys.

the poison dart guys don't respawn after they're killed, if you haven't noticed that already. also, the spider shield is your friend.

blighttown is intimidating at first, but it's really not too bad once you get an idea of how it's put together.

Do you know the back way in?

nah, but googling indicates that i either need the master key (which i don't have) or need to go through some scary areas where i haven't been yet?

yeah it's amazing how psychological this game is, it's not only learning the enemy attack patterns etc but being relaxed/familiar enough not to choke and make dumb moves.

Yeah, possibly. I think you have to go all the way down and then up again in Blighttown to get out and grab the key from a corpse.

yeah, best to proceed from where you came in at this point. also, if you happen to stumble across a place called The Great Hollow, DO NOT mess with it at this point in the game. i got myself in a nasty mess in there on first play through.

done & done

I don't know how you'd stumble across it, it's incredibly well-hidden imo!

yeah, i did the master key to get there.
i really wanna get back to playing this. dark souls requires month breaks to calm the soul(s).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TowEGaVreLM

i'm gonna die

the lighting during that fight looks so cool. man, this is like 6 weeks now? if this was coming out on next gen too i think i'd be buying a ps4

i might have to put aside DS1 to give it a shot, i like the idea of playing it before everyone's discovered every little thing.

^ precisely why i preordered a copy

I know what you mean about the next gen thing Roberto, but it's great this will be the 360/PS3's final hurrah.

I played DS for a bit yesterday, took down the Gaping Dragon on new game plus mode, got cocky and plunged into Blighttown, died with 6 humanity and a load of souls. This game!

Burial OTM:

http://pitchfork.com/news/53781-burial-posts-selfie-and-long-note-teasing-new-music/

Hopefully by the end of most years I have done some tunes that are decent enough to release. but Dark Souls 2 is on the horizon soon so I'm not sure if I will have many new tunes for a while because I need to play that game a lot. But I'm going to try to get some new tunes together before it comes out.

that is AMAZING.

yeah, that pretty much made my morning.

keeping it real

XD

"Why do games like Dark Souls become geek status symbols?"

http://www.avclub.com/article/what-are-you-playing-this-weekend-january-31-2014-107414

“If I came into your game and saw you wearing Solaire’s armor, I would kill you immediately.” lol

"But one of the notes another player left on the ground told me to attack him."

lol, see also: various notes saying "try jumping"

dark souls blog: i'm at sen's fortress in the central boulder room after many deaths, and i reaaally want to make it to the next bonfire so i don't have to do that again. i think we all know that's not going to happen.

sadly you are correct. the next bonfire is hidden too. sen's was a horrible nightmare for me the first time.

oh it's not hidden if you have the internet, i have no shame about this.

\ [†] / ☼

i'm at sen's fortress in the central boulder room after many deaths, and i reaaally want to make it to the next bonfire so i don't have to do that again. i think we all know that's not going to happen.

HEY GUYS I DID THIS THING!

truly an exciting moment in my life. now i feel like i can explore around and die with impunity.

well done my friend. Am NG+ -ing it at the mo, just beat Queelag then fell of that waterwheel thing

ty. does NG+ feel a lot harder? i could see playing it again for sure but feel like i'd rather try a different character type rather than NG+.

NG+, with the exception of a few bosses, was a lot easier then regular NG for me. Knowing the ropes and being leveled up/equipped out from the start generally outweighed the increased enemy strength.

i tried ng+ on a level 1 char last night and most things could one-shot me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABfFWKSgNVU

So you're one of those crazies who completed a SL1 run on NG?

i did!

presumably you can do some mad levelling up whenever you manage not to get killed?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mElcgzq2Nm8&

http://youtu.be/mElcgzq2Nm8

one of these days i'll figure out how to embed a youtube video

No "s"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mElcgzq2Nm8

thanking you

Anor Londo :)

so is it just going to be bosses as regular enemies from here on out?

good job. some early bosses do reappear as reg enemies later throughout

have fun with the archers on the roof, I got stuck on that bit for aaages in Anor London

Yeah, that's what shut down my first run. Well, Skyrim came out too.

Spent the afternoon getting through the painted world, that was brutal at times. After finally getting out I was an idiot and didn't use the homeward bone, figuring I could silently backstab all those dudes back in the church. So I lost 38k souls, nbd.

that is THE WORST feeling

http://i.imgur.com/nu501fV.jpg

Awe that was supposed to be an animated gif, found here http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2014/02/invading-knight-lautrec-of-carim.html

made it past the archers. :) i underestimated how hard that would be because none of the other archers in the game so far had been shooting giant spears. taking off all my armor for speed ended up being the key for me.

nice, its all downhill from there

haha

i just beat the gaping maw dragon and the bell gargoyles and finally got the gumption up to run past the goddamn bridge dragon, so there's a new shortcut.
i did the ghosts for about two hours until somebody dropped a ghost blade, which is great: no more transient curses. got as far as finding the guy on the roof, then slipped and fell off a cliff
fucking hell this game. i'd like to be finished before the sequel but it's a long shot.

where are the ghosts? i haven't run into any yet.

down at the bottom of the steps from Firelink Shrine, or at the top of the lift from Queelag's Domain. Christ I know too much about this game :-/

New Londo Ruins

er, what he said

oh i see -- apparently i just missed the door after taking that elevator from queelag, and couldn't get past the drakes going the other way, so i ended up going back up the way i came in through blighttown.

Even though it wouldn't be a complete waste of time fighting through New Londo Ruins right now, you won't be able to access the boss until you clear Darkroot Garden.

xpsts to forks

you have to complete anor londo to access the boss. however, you need to go through new londo ruins to drain the water at some point anyway, and after that to reach the boss you are best starting at the bonfire between darkroot and valley of the drakes and just sprinting past the drakes.

wait, are we talking about the hydra? i have no idea how to beat that bad boy.

There is a way to beat New Londo Ruins w/out completing Anor Londo iirc. Darkroot Garden is a necessity however.

Hydra's the Darkroot Basin boss.

oh, the giant butterfly then? yeah, i beat that sometime back.

Funny that jordan and i appear to each be about half done, but different halfs

giant butterfly is p easy if I remember. Maybe I should give up on Sen's Fortress for the time being and give that a go...

Sif is the boss you need to kill to gain access to New Londo Ruins boss. Sorry for opening up that can of spoilrz.

it's surprising how much a difference leveling up and beefing up your armor/weapons makes. So many close call deaths are nicely averted by a little push toward making myself tougher... you'd think that would be self evident but the constant loss of souls makes it hard to remember to occasionally grind.

i dunno who or what sif is so no spoilerz!

ah yes of course you can get to the four kings without placing the lordvessel. alternate ending!

everyone knows they have to finish the game at least twice right?

Funny that jordan and i appear to each be about half done, but different halfs

ha totally

am doing the ng+ at the moment, with Artorias of the Abyss DLC.

ah yes of course you can get to the four kings without placing the lordvessel. alternate ending!

I think what you do or don't do with the Lordvessel only determines if you can join the Darkwraiths. What ending you get depends solely on your actions after the final boss.

you have to complete anor londo to access the boss. however, you need to go through new londo ruins to drain the water at some point anyway, and after that to reach the boss you are best starting at the bonfire between darkroot and valley of the drakes and just sprinting past the drakes.

― Roberto Spiralli, Tuesday, February 11, 2014 4:10 PM

nah u can warp from the abyss w/out lordvessel, only precursor to four kings is to kill sif

oh someone said that. also i find firelink to four kings shortcut (jumping down to darkwraith area near start of new londo) easier than running through drakes

just touched some "Dragon Remnants" and got invaded by a dragon guy who killed me. Assume it's a covenant thing. Anyone else seen that before?

Yeah, that's the summon sign for Dragon Covenant dudes. I don't think I've ever actually seen one.

okay, this fucking great hollow

don't bother with The Great Hollow until you have the Lordvessel.

well what the hell else can i do? Only avenue i see now is this spider queen on the hill.

she should be next on your list.

CURSED FUCK FUCK FUCK this is the worst

I messed around in the hollow but didn't go past the basilisks at the bottom, just got a bunch of swag swag. The cloranthy ring has been indispensable.

Heh didn't mean to write swag twice but it works.

now i'm trapped here and can't get out one way or the other with half hp. what the fuck

TOLD YOU.

first play through i went to The Great Hollow early on, got cursed, made it to the fire all the way at the bottom, realized it was next to impossible for me to kill the boss down there in that state, found out it's a dead end, then had to run all the way back up through that mess. don't fuck with it until you have the Lordvessel to warp yourself out. and a purging stone or two.

well, like Jordan said, it might be worth grabbing some loot in the upper areas, but don't push it.

ugh that's exactly what happened to me - made it to bottom of the Hollow cursed, found it was a dead end and it took forever to get back up again. Never again oh wait it's almost March ^_^

well, i escaped but it took a fuckin' hour. now i gotta raise 5k souls to go get that curse break as i still can't quite get to dude on the rooftop at half health.

i didn't find the bottom bonfire so it was a question of climbing back up outta blighttown and figuring out how to evade the three club wielding shit monsters up top

Ruuun. I invaded Lautrec and killed him with my dying swing. I'll take it but that's my worst habit in this game, going for broke when I think someone's almost dead and leaving myself open.

me too. that's how i lost to the spider queen. One hit away!
Now that i got the fire keeper's soul, the bonfire in firelink shrine is gone. Fuckin'... ahma kill that shithead knight.

you can use the firekeeper's soul on your flasks a couple other places (like the spider queen's sister if you find her nearby).

ornstein & smough down, but i only did by venturing into co-op for the first time (and then mostly staying out of the way). now i'm past the hydra and getting killed by giant kitty cats.

blog update: i had an easier time with sif than any boss so far, go figure. now i'm in ghostland...i made a cursed sword, which i don't have near the stats to wield but it seems to work just fine nonetheless (as far as killing the ghosts in one hit goes).

i beat the spider queen (with a summoned friend) and am now trying to determine if I should go back to that newly opened gate or instead go through the sewer system to the other half of blighttown. i think i may have to step away from this for a few weeks...

probably not worth sticking around in Blighttown, I'd get above ground and give Sen's Fortress a go...

I will when i have the time. quick straw poll: new thread for dark souls 2? anyone want to start it?

i vote new thread

seems superfluous, this one has less than 500 posts. but it is not 2003 and i am not ned so please start as many threads as you wish.

gonna go out on a limb and say this is going to get heavy traffic when the sequel drops so a new thread is sensible.

new thread would be a good idea imo.

four kings :(

load up on poise (havel's armor does the trick) and tank 'em. their sword swipes do less damage the closer you are. if you've messed with Pyromancy, Power Within helps. this is a boss where summoning generally makes it more difficult, so don't bother.

i somehow beat these guys no sweat on first attempt. gave me hell on NG+ tho.

Havel's Armour plus Havel's Ring is an excellent combo generally IMO

thanks, i'll give it a shot, though i'd have to lose my cloranthy ring. also not sure if i should use one of my lightning/fire/divine weapons that are all much weaker than my main black knight sword, it's hard to experiment when just getting to the boss is such a pain (i think i have my route down now though).

make sure you're two handing your weapon too.

i like putting on low-weight armor so can fast-roll dodge + crest shield then get up close and whack them

^my initial strategy

you can take their hits up close but gotta watch out for the grab and the aoe blast

oh yeah, Green Blossom is a big help here too. probably the time to use those if you have 'em.

btw i put some Dark Souls in this mix i made, s/o to this thread:
https://soundcloud.com/do-the-astral-plane/chants-mix-for-the-astral-plane

(7:00)

:) is that the moonlight butterfly

indeed

sweet

four kings went down on the first take last night, havel's armor + ring did the trick, thanks guyz. in the late game it seems like the having the right gear combination is way more important than before (which makes sense, because now i've acquired all this random shit that i would otherwise not have reason to use).

Havel's Armour is p much the best in the game, only problem is it can't get upgraded and is mad heavy. His greatshield requires strength of 50 to wield!