Dark Souls 3 - April 2016 : You Died, You Died, You Died

Cleared out the swamp, killed my first black Knight. those crucified guys and crabs might be the first common enemies that are real trouble. Killed those two NPC tag team baddies pretty easily, somehow. I think I've got another area and a boss next.

I still think playing these games totally blind would be a fool's errand. You would miss so much. Secrets and items etc. Even learning about leveling, and weapons, and infusing and so much else, it's still all so inscrutable that even hints don't help so much. You still have to do the work, baddies don't beat themselves. ( Except when they fall off cliffs or whatever; I saw a clip of a guy luring a black Knight into the open to aggro out a ton of enemies!)

This is a pretty good depiction of what playing DS3 in 2019 can be like and why I still do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBNTJDQVTb8

I watched that entire thing and lol I spent the whole time wondering what he was getting at. And then I finished it and ... I still don't get it. He's saying it's been a while since there was a new game from From (not including Sekiro, I guess)? But that soon there will be a new game? And that will be cool? He still seems to be having fun playing this one, even if I'm not sure what his complaints are, exactly. Anyway, I liked DS1 a lot and I like this one a lot, too.

He's basically saying that some of us have been playing the same game for three years, and continue to do so since it provides a unique multi-player experience that you can't get anywhere else. Even though it's definitely changed/declined since there are very few people genuinely playing through the game at this point. But it's still better than anything else, until the next big From game comes out.

Aren't there a lot of multiplayer online games? Or are those all just shooters?

Speaking of Dark Souls, I totally chipped in for the Kickstarter for the the hardback of this: https://kotaku.com/a-closer-look-at-dark-souls-most-difficult-player-creat-1840512938

Seems a fun bit of esoterica to have on the shelf.

was thinking i might do a DS run through this Christmas, either DS3 plus expansion, which I've completed, or DS1, which I still haven't. I *loved* Sekiro, thought was amazing*, but there's no wider connected space for invasions etc. W

*well, mainly amazing, but I couldn't complete one of the storylines because i didn't listen to someone whispering at the right time, which was incredibly vexing, and difficult to know about if you didn't look it up on the internet.

Aren't there a lot of multiplayer online games?

Sure, but not like this. They're all specifically set up to be competitive multi-player games, with things like 'balance' and preset characters. Boring! In these games the multiplayer feels like this side feature that almost shouldn't be happening, which makes it a lot more exciting.

I don't know of another game that lets me take the character that I built, go into someone else's world while they're playing through the game on their own, and engage in this meta-game where you can hinder or help. And after you've played the main game and it's old news, it's a whole new level of thrills to play against humans (with the odds stacked against you, because that's how invasions work) and use the level, whatever tricks and psychology you can figure out, etc.

I do like how there are multiple levels to these games. You can play them offline, unkindled (or whatever they call it in DSIII, embered?), you can play it kindled and get different benefits (different stats/abilities/storylines, summoning NPC phantoms), you can play it online and open yourself to help but also invaders (who all have to be overpowered assholes, right? Because why else would they invade?), you can change your equipment, stats, etc., all of which change not just gameplay but often story. It is pretty neat. But yeah, the reason I don't play online, even if I had PS Whatever, is because I just assume that's where hardcore gamers ready themselves to gank you at a moment's notice, which doesn't sound fun to an engaged but (erm) casual player like me. Novel, sure, but fun? I'll save that for watching others do it in youtube clips or whatever.

One think I don't get about said videos is that the players are often carrying a huge pile of souls, often in the tens of thousands, if not more. Is this because they've been playing so long there is nothing more they need to spend the souls on? Or is it sort of a humblebrag? Or is it a taunt, like, try to take me on, I am so good I carry a balance of 199,283 souls and I am not worried about losing them. Or do you not lose them if you die to an invasion?

Souls just don't matter after a point. If I have an invasion build that's designed for a certain level range, I'm not going to upgrade anymore so the only thing that souls are used for is refilling consumable items (bombs, arrows, charms, etc). And souls are easy come, easy go.

(who all have to be overpowered assholes, right? Because why else would they invade?)

This is what I'm trying to explain. While sure, there are some invaders who get off on easy kills or never losing, the game is designed so that the invader is at a disadvantage.

1) Invaders have half the estus of hosts
2) Invaders have 30% less max health
3) The matchmaking is weighted so that you're much more likely to be invaded if you've already summoned white phantoms to help you. Solo embered hosts only get invaded if there are no groups in the area (or the host as willingly used the dried finger item).
4) Hosts can still summon blue spirits to help after they've been invaded (and whites).

So most of the people invading in DS3 do it because it's a challenge, the odds are against you. The real overpowered gankers are the hosts who summon their overleveled friends (using a password), sit around at the bonfire or having already cleared all the enemies out, and wait for invaders to kill in a 3v1 or 4v1 (and they usually disconnect if they start to lose). It's extra satisfying to win in that scenario because it's so difficult.

I dunno, it seems to me that with players good enough to beat the game blind, or with voice only commands, or with bongos, or at level 1 with bare fists or with no hits or whatever, whatever disadvantage they are at as invaders seems kind of moot. It'd be like playing a pro ball player in HORSE, and starting with HORS already, and them playing in stiff, heavy dress shoes with one hand or something. They're still going to kick my ass.

Still ... fun to watch! And the beauty of these games is that that online aspect is entirely optional.

1v1, totally. But if you summoned 2 or 3 people to help? That takes some doing even if they're all new players, because you can't attack them all at once no matter how good you are.

Also I think the whole challenge/speed run thing is a totally different skill set than pvp. Both fun, but one doesn't really translate to the other.

I was super sloppy fighting the Crystal Sage (or whatever), but once I realized my shield was doing nothing and went two handed, and after a long break and a couple of drinks, it wasn't so bad. It looks like there are a couple of options now, Farron Keep (another swamp?) and Cathedral of the Deep, which seems to be guarded by some real PIA enemies.

One of my favorite areas in the game, and one of my least favorite by far

Lol, there are lots of options, it seems, and there are suddenly a bunch of fires in quick succession. But I did explore some bits sort of piecemeal. Found these lizard things that gave me massive blood loss, found some more crystal lizards, killed a crystal ice monster that I think must have been backed into a corner and easily killed, found these skeleton things that barfed on me. Craziness. Oh, also found an old coot who tricked me into getting sucked into that painting from the first game again. At first I was worried I'd be trapped, but all the warnings (and another bonfire) hinted and allowed me to get the fuck out of there.

One of my favorite areas in the game, and one of my least favorite by far

OK, so the evil winter wonderland in the painting was, predictably, part of the DLC. I suspect I am indeed supposed to wait before taking it on. Which means ... onward to somewhere else! I think my only options remain the swamp or barfing skeletons, so I guess barfing skeletons it is.

which way round? i loved cathedral of the deep as an area but i thought the boss was *rubbish*, whereas i hated farron keep/swamp, but the boss is *amazing*.

Same

Swamp was poisoning me, at least early on. But I don't think I've come across the right moss yet, which is why I'm going the other way first.

Cathedral of the Deep section seems to be ramping up difficulty, at least in terms of speed and number of enemies.

Ha, Cathedral of the Deep is (so far) paradoxically mostly rooftops, but I've made some progress, found a shortcut back to the Cleansing bonfire, and ... came across an angry giant, which seems to be saying "take a break." Maybe I can tell him that other giant is my bud and it will chill out.

Also, so many ambushes.

Oh, one more thing. I was looking over all my weapons (I've been using the Claymore, up to +3 right now), and pretty much everything I have scales at an E or D level, which is nothing special (as much as I can even understand that system). The one exception is the giant butcher knife, which requires a bit more strength than I have but scales at an A, which is significantly better than anything I have. I like the Claymore, but is it worth putting in stats for the butcher knife?

hold out for the deli slicer

The scaling on the butcher knife makes it tempting but it's not that great imo. Use what you like, generally the scaling improves as you level it up.

And since you're playing offline, honestly anything will work. But the claymore has a more versatile moveset and the butcher knife is kinda one dimensional.

Deacons of the Deep: done. First try! I bet they could have made that match tougher, in a more interesting way. Now farting around the Farron Swamp, which is OK, though I did lose a bunch of souls by being stupid in a rush to re-fight the big swamp monster. Made friends with the sleepy wolf, think I'm about to fight a stray demon in the distance.

I haven't played 2, but there definitely seem to be choices 3 made to make things a little easier for players, from more bonfires to a slight potency downshift of bullshit like poison. I'm sure there is bullshit to come, though.

Almost got the Abyss Watcher(s) on my first try, but got greedy and died with plenty of estus and their health bar down to a hair. Ha. But got them on maybe the fourth try. Watching the NPC enemies fight each other is one of this game's early pleasures. Now I'm exploring the catacombs and ... doing OK.

Giant skeleton boss down. Another one that wasn't too bad, as long as you avoid the thing that almost kills you instantly. I assume he was conjuring up those skeletons, too? I also killed a fire demon near a lake, but that lake looks like a pain. Giant monster plus giant arrows shooting at you? Ugh.

it’s not tooooo bad iirc. though made considerably easier if you’ve got the ring that allows you to wade through water without impediment.

Aaaand now Old Demon King done, too. Two tries. Since I was embered anyway, I summoned help, but the phantom took its time and got killed by the giant arrows before it even got to the arena. The second time I embered myself, figuring I was owed a break, since I died the first time to the Demon with extra health but no help. Still, that thing took a licking and kept on ticking!

I know the super-hard bosses must be coming soon. So far the ones that have given me the most trouble have been the ones that disorient you, like the Cleric Clones and giant skeleton.

though made considerably easier if you’ve got the ring that allows you to wade through water without impediment.

This is only in the original game, right? I'm DS3 everyone just equips a dagger and uses quickstep to get through the swamp.

Dagger to be lighter, you mean?

What's quickstep? I just fat-roll around like an idiot.

I don't think I'm in a swamp though, I'm around the lake with the giant worm and giant arrows.

oh wait

/ though made considerably easier if you’ve got the ring that allows you to wade through water without impediment./

This is only in the original game, right? I'm DS3 everyone just equips a dagger and uses quickstep to get through the swamp.

I don't think I'm in a swamp though, I'm around the lake with the giant worm and giant arrows.

I think it's fair to say that the bosses get a bit more challenging from here on out.

just had a quick review of them, and yes, there’s some fantastic treats there.

The enemies down where I spent some time earlier, under the lake, are a real pain in the ass, especially that hallway with three (four?) fire orb casters or whatever. Even when you run away, which you pretty much have to do, their fireballs follow you around and hit you in the back. And them sometimes the monsters themselves follow you, and just when you think you are safe and are trying to get your bearings, you hear them wheezing and growling and then you realize you still have to fight them. That's happened to me a couple of times, and at least once while I was fighting one fire monster another one snuck up and got behind me. And then I died.

Oh, also, I took this alternate route past the basilisks and came across what feels like this game's version of Havel, who kicked my ass with one hit.

If you want, you can summon the phantom version of that guy at the bonfire and eventually have them fight each other.

Also something that you learn as an invader is running forward with the camera looking behind you, to dodge projectiles etc (although admittedly that's much easier when you know where you're going and don't have to worry about npc enemies).

Speaking of cameras, I've had more camera trouble in this one than I had in the first one. Often times I'll lock on to something and it will sort of quickly swing around to me, with a close up on my character, with the locked on enemy off camera and "behind" me (me, the player, perspective-wise). Dunno why this is.

Oh, so it looks like there are *two* hostile NPC characters to (optionally?) fight down here: the heavy shield guy with the giant sword and Horace, who is mad at me for some reason.

Quality Dark Souls cheese: that guy with the ridiculously oversized sword, optional or no, kept more or less one-shotting me, and as I died to him a few times I kept getting sloppier and sloppier, so much so that even the rats on the way back for a rematch started taking me down. So finally I think, screw it, I'm going to make this asshole fight another asshole. I take a breath, go past the basilisks and kite the Black Knight (who is relatively easy, compared to Big Sword) into following me down to the guy with the Big Sword. Of course I discover the knight stopped halfway, because I get back down to Big Sword and ... where's my backup!? I run as fast as I can back to the little basilisk area, and run right into the waiting Black Knight. I immediately turn, roll down the stairs in a panic, get my bearings and ... aggro Big Sword is there again but no Black Knight! So I panic again, tumble *up* the stairs ... right into the Black Knight, who takes a swing at me and chases me back *down* the stairs ... right into Big Sword. I barely know what's going on, so I cross my fingers and roll up the stairs again. Find some space, turn around and ... no one behind me. Phew. I sneak down the stairs a bit, and lo and beyond, Big Sword and Black Knight are fighting like idiots. Even better, they knock each other into the lava, keep fighting (!), and soon both die! Score. Of course I died hopping in to the lava to get the stuff they dropped, but it was worth it.

By comparison, Horace was pretty easy. That giant worm was a pain in the ass, though, even after turning off the giant canon (which I had to look up, it's a pretty involved trek!). Easy to take the worm down, but it took a bunch of ranged attacks from a safe vantage. I'm sure there was a faster way, but all I know is that when I hit him with my sword it looked like I was doing damage but I had no idea how much, and his lightning attack kept kicking my butt. So I did it my way.

Another DS moment: get to Imodium of the Valley, or whatever it is called, and they immediately sic a giant wolf zombie beast on me ... from behind me! Took a few tries to kill that thing, but all the subsequent enemies seem to be tougher, too. And a lot of them seem to penalize you for waiting too long instead of just attacking like a maniac, which makes things a hair more stressful.

Oh, also, accidentally killed the NPC Anri. I was talking to them (her?) when that army of skeletons by the bridge attacked me, and I forgot that not only does talking to NPCs not give me immunity, but that the NPC can be harmed by the baddies, too. But when I was trying to attack these 20 skeletons I accidentally hit Anri, who of course aggroed. So I had no choice but to kill her. Oh well. I wish this game gave you the opportunity to say you're sorry. Wait, doesn't it? Isn't there a way to absolve myself of sin, or is that just the first game? I had to do that once during the first game after accidentally hitting Onion Knight, who is the best hang in the game.

Pontiff Sullivan down! The first time I fought him he kicked my ass fast. The second time I got in a few hits. The third time I think I successfully parried him a couple of times (though there was no gong sound, so who knows), I got his health about halfway down ... and then he did this lame purple AOE that killed me. The next time I fought him I made it past the AOE, but then he spawned a second one (which is like the third or fourth time a boss in this game has done that). After that I just summoned a phantom with a funny hat and the fight wasn't too bad.

I have trouble figuring out scaling in this game, but right now my primary weapon has been a Claymore+6, whose damage and moves do the trick. However, I do have a Black Knight Sword up to +4 (I think), and the numbers imply it deals a lot more damage. Hmm, I may try that one out for a bit. I guess my character is kind of a strength build at this point, though I'm considering putting a few more points into her dex and making her quality, which seems to be a pretty solid route. I mean, people call it quality for a reason! I don't really know what dex does, though.

Dex is just like strength but for lighter, weapons (that generally don't have hyperarmor, meaning it's easier to interrupt their swings). I almost always go for dex in these games.

The next area is Gank City, where you would normally be invaded constantly when embered (there's a covenant that automatically pulls you into invasions there if you have it equipped). Also where people used to have fight clubs back in the early days.

I just made it to Anor Londo after dealing with some BS. Fire casters, those two sleeping giants, a few invisible witches, and those aggro bros. Oh, and also read a tip about an invisible wall, climbed down and had to fight two of those monster alligator zombie dogs, which were honestly tougher than most of the bosses so far. And then right past that point you're immediately rewarded by those silver knights with giant arrows who killed me a lot, which was kind of comical. If there is a plus side to this stuff it's that you amass souls pretty quickly, so I always make sure to spend them down before exploring and dying more. I mean, I've lost some souls, but I can handle losing 4000 at once. I can't handle losing 30,000+.

I did some exploring of a dungeon earlier, I suspect there is more to find there (besides assholes that halve your health). I'm trying to remember if the first game had this many (relatively speaking) progress options.

Beat Aldrich third try. I think I got lucky, because it was only when it was over that I noticed I had no more estus!

Some thoughts right now, having spent a minute in the Profaned Capital: boy, does Dark Souls 3 lean in to the DS reputation. There are lots of enemies that are just perversely difficult or annoying, like invisible enemies, or enemies that suddenly reduce your health bar, or super powerful enemies in cramped rooms (like those fire monsters in the hallway or the giant in the room with respawning rat waves) that you can take down if you really want but which pretty much encourage you to run past, tons of mimics or other things that basically pick you up and chew you up. Having that OP giant alligator dog monster spawn out of nowhere *behind you* in Irithyll, for example, is like a DS programmer in-joke or something. There are of course features that help you out in this game, though, so I guess it's all about the balance.

Unlike the first game, in this game so far Firelink is a pretty lonely place. There used to be a bunch of folks there to keep me company, but not anymore. Weird pilgrim guy is dead and just there. Bloodborne guy has been gone for a while. I had to kill Horace and accidentally had to kill Anri, so they're not there. There's the hooded guy who vanishes for long stretches. There's the sad sorcerer woman who I have no need to talk with. I think I may have missed something important to continue Onion Knight's quest. It's just me, the Firekeeper, the woman selling stuff and Andre. I have no idea whether Patches will show up, but that guy is a dick, anyway.