Elden Ring: YOU DIED on a horse

can i make a criticism of elden ring?

it is silly to have Ashes in the title of both the thing that you apply to your weapon (Ashes of War) and also the things that you can summon (Skeletal Bandit Ashes, Ancestral Follower Ashes, Glintstone Sorcerer Ashes). it's why I'm 110 hours into the game, i beat a boss and get some Ashes as a prize, and i have no immmediate reaction because i can't remember what it is

Hard agree on that one

I took on Renalla and the whole Raya Lucaria area a long time before fighting Commander O'Neill or getting to Volcano Manor, so I would go do that first off if you can. It's also a great level, like all the legacy dungeons, full of little secret passages and rooftops you can go and get lost around for hours

Oh Ive done all of the actual academy, even the red wolfy guy just not Renalla herself. Ive crawled hither and yon to get runes and ashes and whatever!

She's quite an interesting fight, but not exactly super tough compared to Margit and Godrick

Basically on Radahn - died once & seemed like fun but I thought I'd leave it for a bit and dick around. Exploring, and knocking off a few Caelid/Liurnia dungeons. Also, repeatedly clearing Gatefront with an interesting-looking weapon to see if I like the feel of it. If I do I heavily upgrade it and clear Gatefront again (then sometimes take it out into the world). Relaxing way to burn runes and my god a +12 Great Stars is fun.

On Fringefolk Hero's Grave: I've had many moments of exultation or relief at beating a boss in From games, but nothing so intense as the pure, vengeful joy I took in dropping a pot on that fucking chariot and watching it fall apart.

Basically on Radahn - died once & seemed like fun but I thought I'd leave it for a bit and dick around. Exploring, and knocking off a few Caelid/Liurnia dungeons. Also, repeatedly clearing Gatefront with an interesting-looking weapon to see if I like the feel of it. If I do I heavily upgrade it and clear Gatefront again (then sometimes take it out into the world). Relaxing way to burn runes and my god a +12 Great Stars is fun.

On Fringefolk Hero's Grave: [Hidden text. Tap to view]

ohh yeah I just got there yesterday. I thought I'd leave it for a bit because I had qualms about assassinating my fellow tarnished. Even though I'm not 100% sure what a tarnished is if I'm honest. But it was suggesting I might have qualms, so I thought I should.

Aww thanks fgti! I had already used like 50 rune arcs on the Malenia fight, so I got into a habit of not popping one until I knew it was a decent run. And in phase 1 those long idles give you a lot of time (that was just in time though). I still feel like I only did half the fight but I'm happy to have moved on.

Unfortunately on my first try against Godskin Duo I got a bleed glitch that instantly killed them, something to do with the new patch. I was really looking forward to doing that fight the old-fashioned way too.

Woof, I never figured out how to take out the chariot! I somehow got through a couple of those hero's graves but neither destroyed them nor jumped on top and rode them to victory.

I got fed up with all the moaning and cock-swinging on the FB Elden Ring group I joined, so I've started a new group today just for sharing funny memes and helping each other out with lore, hints, tips etc. It's brand new, but anyone interested can join https://www.facebook.com/groups/tfmf1

I'm never on FB anymore, but I'm down to join in the spirit of jolly cooperation

:-)

ohh yeah I just got there yesterday. I thought I'd leave it for a bit because I had qualms about assassinating my fellow tarnished. Even though I'm not 100% sure what a tarnished is if I'm honest. But it was suggesting I might have qualms, so I thought I should.

Ha, I still don't like playing a big boi colossal weapon + poise style, but some might:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kputDDve75g

seems too clunky but the chunks of health knocked off with each hit are impressive

that first fight in the video is from before they nerfed the colossal weapons - would seemingly do more damage now

i mean, before they buffed the colossals. i'm not used to saying nerfed - i better take a step back here

Yeah, colossal weapons seem to require either 1) totally brain-dead trading, where you just swing and poise/hyperarmor through whatever attack, or 2) really knowing what you're doing because you need to be able to plan your opening in advance, rather than seeing it and reacting with a fast weapon.

Depends on the situation I'm sure. But weapon-blocking rather than rolling looks surprisingly effective. And raptor of the mists + a giant sword looks scary.

Ive had an insanely busy work week (thanks work, for giving half the office the easter week off all at once) so havent touched the ring in a week. I hear the update has buffed magic! Awright!

it’s fine. they love it really. YOU DIED! lmfao me too.

Thought I'd swallow my qualms & try the volcano manor way. Quickly took against the first one they sent me after - constantly hitting me as I tried to heal. I had no compunction about murdering him with scarlet rot (on my seventh attempt, with him ticking over into death after my own 'You Died'. Doesn't matter! He's dead!)

I'm a bit confused about Mt Gelmir and Volcano Manor. I have the inkling I missed a lot of context because Rya teleported me there and I didn't get to smell the flowers on the way so I might do the trek anyway

I've reached the Haligtree, definite "Rivendell after the Elves have left and everything has turned to shit" vibes, and I keep jumping into space. But it's really fun, and great for levelling up, I should have less trouble with that knight in Farum Azula soon.

I think I just got to "that knight".

Now THIS is a Malenia fight, holy shnikes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7EMGrbMDGQ

And here's someone else's rune level 1 version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuC1WH6RBxM

LOL it is painful to watch that and see how little damage the crits do. While I respect the skill, it also doesn't look like that much fun? Anyway, friendship ended with Moonveil; now Darkmoon Greatsword is my best friend. Quite handy at dealing with Omens.

I scord the sword of night and flame and want to use but alas it needs high INT and FAITH and Ive 28 INT but like... 9 faith lol :(

Yes yes I know, respec respec SILL HAVENT GOT THAT FAR ARRGHH

I am so enjoying my low level run

I summoned some high-level friends to help me with gold Godfrey and they found that their damage was mean'd to my own level, so they're hacking and slashing and like "what is wrong with this, I'm not doing any damage suddenly?"

Meanwhile I'm dodging! and finding openings! and it's fun. Their level 300 beefsteak whatever was nice meat for the grinder I guess. (Still haven't beat the guy on this run but that's OK)

Got through a huge amount of the game last night in a mammoth session. Got to the top of Mt. Gelmir and beat the boss. Explored Volcano Manor and pretty much stumbled into Rykard (the shortcut when you get to him is a classic From Soft aha! moment). But before that, I completed all the VM contracts - sadly forgot to talk to Rya before all that and broke her quest. Then basically ran all the way through Mountaintop of the Giants and came across the dreaded Fire Giant, and that's when I had to switch off.

That last VM mission, Mr. Hoslow with the poise and the bleed whips, was a real tough nut to crack.

Fgti, that sounds fun, I've never done a no-leveling challenge in any of these games. The closest I've come is advancing to mid or late game areas on a character I'm trying to keep at a low level for invasions, in order to get some weapon or piece of gear.

Going back home for the weekend and I would literally kill someone for a Steam Deck to play this on the train

Wouldn't be much help as I have it on PS5 but whatever, Limgrave's nice enough right

just curious, what are the ps5 loading times like compared to ps4?

on ps4, when i YOU DIED and start over, i'd guess it takes maybe...20 seconds? 15? 25? in that range.

About the time it takes for two deep breaths, to re-gird one's loins. 5 secs?

Oh god, my life would be ruined with a ps5. I would never stop.

Yeah it's not quite as insanely quick as the Demon's Souls remake but not bad at all

Flashbacks to Bloodborne, especially before the first performance patch, when 1) loading took forever 2) to fast travel anywhere OR level up, you'd have to first go back to hub area, then go where you were headed. You'd have to really weigh whether it was worth the trip.

That last VM mission, Mr. Hoslow with the poise and the bleed whips, was a real tough nut to crack.

Yeah, the others were fairly easy but I had to have a few goes at him

The long load times and occasional drops in frame rates are a bit frustrating on PS4, especially when you're attempting a high level boss and have to wait each time you die. Other than that, it's pretty stable on PS4

yeah, no complaints otherwise! the framerate for the summons drops to like 15 fps sometimes (especially when you're summoning several creatures), but that doesn't bother me. and otherwise, it's very smooth, no weird bugs or glitches or crashes or anything, i've been very content.

honestly the 20-25 second loads are often a good reminder for me to drink from a glass of water or something

the load times are a bit of a pain on PS4 but they do make me think a bit more carefully and focus rather than treating 'you died' as absolutely zero-cost.

I was glad I knocked out Rennala pretty quickly. Load time plus long-seeming run to her was making my heart sink rather than hunger for battle.

Having to run all the way up that marble run each time was annoying even if you defuse the marble. I know there's a reason for no statue of Marika but it's frustrating

It's easier to go the back way -- take the stairs to the left once you unlock the tunnel, then you just have to run past that first group of enemies and the one Burger King sorcerer.

I had the same type of huge one day run in the story at the same point dog latin was (post academy/liurnia), but that was around the time I finally chose to throw all of my smithing stones into the great epee and gloveworts into the shield bro guys. Once I did that I could really steamroll things in the way that I couldn't before

I killed the Farum Azula knight, the most nerve-wracking fight in the game thus far, and made the mistake of going straight through the fog only to be confronted by the Beast Clergyman with no Estus, you can guess the rest

Oh, I guess that's not the knight I was thinking of, since I haven't seen the Beast Clergyman around here.

I was talking about the one before you enter Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, followed by Dragonlord Placidusax etc..

Oh, unless you're talking about the knight on the horse similar to the Tree Sentinel, I haven't gone back to him yet.

lol I didn't realize the rooftop path over the Raya Lucaria was leading me in a big circle. I kept getting torched by the flamethrower crossbow guy at the end of the big hall so thought "I'll just explore the lower level of this building, surely there's something cool down there." I got excited to find a site of grace and then as soon as I rested, realized it was the same site of grace I started from a week ago.

I do wish the map was more useful when you're in areas like Raya Lucaria, even zoomed in they don't really seem to relate to what's actually there that well.

The load screen on PS5 is a snap of the fingers, you don't even notice it. The load screens on PS4 (which generously include some Witcher 3-style play tip splashes) are long enough to be noticeable and annoying over time. About the same number of seconds as a load screen (on PS5) into online play.

Fgti, that sounds fun, I've never done a no-leveling challenge in any of these games. The closest I've come is advancing to mid or late game areas on a character I'm trying to keep at a low level for invasions, in order to get some weapon or piece of gear.

That's mainly why I'm doing it! My plan was to enjoy doing some 1v2 invasions at low level with the full benefit of late-game talismans and armour choices. I restarted and did my muling and then had an "oh, right" moment as I'd forgotten that you start the game with only one talisman option. So, I started progressing through the game at my low level with +0 weapons with the intention of, at least, getting as far as beating Golden Shade Godfrey for a complete set of talisman pouches.

Haven't beaten that Godfrey just yet, he is a chore at low level. His floor stomp requires immediate flask recovery if you get hit, and any axe hits are one-hit death. He's immune to everything, too, which makes my solutions limited