I know I'm kind of late, but I've decided to play it this weekend. (I won't be online.) So, any advice for someone who has never touched this game before?
BrobyDDark Gentleman Spidey
Member
Seen
2 yrs ago
You will die before the first ten minutes are over.
OP
Overwatch The Lord of Black Flames
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4 yrs ago
BrobyDDark said
You will die before the first ten minutes are over.
I already assumed this. I'm drinking lots of water, and eating salty foods filled with iron so that I can safely cry bloody tears.
Ace of Spades ♠Class 'A' Offender♠
Member
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8 yrs ago
Overwatch said
I know I'm kind of late, but I've decided to play it this weekend. (I won't be online.) So, any advice for someone who has never touched this game before?
You'll probably get killed by the basic enemies in the tutorial level.
And the first boss.
And possibly again when you actually fight the first boss.
OP
Overwatch The Lord of Black Flames
Member
Seen
4 yrs ago
Ace of Spades said
You'll probably get killed by the basic enemies in the tutorial level.And the first boss.And possibly again when you actually fight the first boss.
I understand. And I can accept that. What's so bad about dying though, if you come back?
Overwatch said
I know I'm kind of late, but I've decided to play it this weekend. (I won't be online.) So, any advice for someone who has never touched this game before?
1) Everything is important
2) Nothing is as it seems
3) Prepare to die
OP
Overwatch The Lord of Black Flames
Member
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4 yrs ago
K-97 said
1) Everything is important2) Nothing is as it seems 3) Prepare to die
1) I am very perceptive
2) Fuck, that perceptiveness might not help
3) I understand it's hard. That's part of the reason I wanna play it.
Turtlicious
Banned
Seen
7 yrs ago
More info incoming...
Turtlicious
Banned
Seen
7 yrs ago
- You lose souls (currency and xp combined) and humanity on death, but you can retrive them by absorbing the green orb left at your corpse. If you die on your way there though, they're gone. So. Early on, don't hold on to thousands of souls, especially if you're going into uncharted territory. Spend them on items and levels, you don't lose those.
- In the same way, you can consume the soul items to gain souls the currency, only use them right before you level or buy something.
- You can wear heavier armors but the big thing is blocking and dodging, especially dodging. How fast you can roll and otherwise get the hell out of the way of an attack that is almost certainly going to wreck most of your health is dependent on your Equip weight. Dark Souls appears to have several more levels of equip weight than Demon Souls, and I think the fastest one we know of is at 10% of your equip weight.
- For the love of god, get the Orange Soapstone (or whatever it's called) from the first merchant, because without it you can't write messages or rate them. And writing messages (whether to be helpful or troll newbies) is one of the best parts of the online. Also, rating messages positively will make them stay around longer, which is good for the ones that are actually helpful.
- You must have a specific item to cast spells. Pyromancy, Miracles, and Sorceries each require a different item (Pyromancy Flame, Talisman, Catalyst respectively). You can refill your casts of a spell by resting at a bonfire.
- By offering Humanity to kindle a bonfire (must not be Hollowed to do so), you can increase how many Estus Flask charges it will give you to rest there. By default, it gives 5, but you can upgrade it to 10, 15, and I believe it maxes out at 20, but I'm not that far into the game myself, so someone can correct me on those if necessary.
- Class only determines your starting class, items, and soul level. Soul level determines how much it costs to buy the next level - going from 1 to 2 is cheaper than going from 2 to 3, and so on.
- The pyromancer is probably the best bet for new players, starting as it does with a decent weapon and pyromancy right off the bat - fireball is very handy for much of the early game. Pyromancer also starts at soul level 1, the only class to do so, so you level up faster initially.
- Really, though, one could make a case for any class at all except the deprived, which starts with no armour and shit weapons. It ceased to matter what your class was after an hour or two.
- You pick a gift at character creation. All of the items can be found elsewhere, and most are dubiously useful. The Skeleton Key is the best gift, because it will be a while before you're able to buy it, and it's handy from the get-go.
- Oh, and general tip - you will die, you will lose souls and humanity because you couldn't get back to where you died. This is not a big deal. Try not to stress because you've just lost 10,000 souls and 7 humanity and died a second time. You'll make that all up again before too long.
- In the same way, you can consume the soul items to gain souls the currency, only use them right before you level or buy something.
- You can wear heavier armors but the big thing is blocking and dodging, especially dodging. How fast you can roll and otherwise get the hell out of the way of an attack that is almost certainly going to wreck most of your health is dependent on your Equip weight. Dark Souls appears to have several more levels of equip weight than Demon Souls, and I think the fastest one we know of is at 10% of your equip weight.
- For the love of god, get the Orange Soapstone (or whatever it's called) from the first merchant, because without it you can't write messages or rate them. And writing messages (whether to be helpful or troll newbies) is one of the best parts of the online. Also, rating messages positively will make them stay around longer, which is good for the ones that are actually helpful.
- You must have a specific item to cast spells. Pyromancy, Miracles, and Sorceries each require a different item (Pyromancy Flame, Talisman, Catalyst respectively). You can refill your casts of a spell by resting at a bonfire.
- By offering Humanity to kindle a bonfire (must not be Hollowed to do so), you can increase how many Estus Flask charges it will give you to rest there. By default, it gives 5, but you can upgrade it to 10, 15, and I believe it maxes out at 20, but I'm not that far into the game myself, so someone can correct me on those if necessary.
- Class only determines your starting class, items, and soul level. Soul level determines how much it costs to buy the next level - going from 1 to 2 is cheaper than going from 2 to 3, and so on.
- The pyromancer is probably the best bet for new players, starting as it does with a decent weapon and pyromancy right off the bat - fireball is very handy for much of the early game. Pyromancer also starts at soul level 1, the only class to do so, so you level up faster initially.
- Really, though, one could make a case for any class at all except the deprived, which starts with no armour and shit weapons. It ceased to matter what your class was after an hour or two.
- You pick a gift at character creation. All of the items can be found elsewhere, and most are dubiously useful. The Skeleton Key is the best gift, because it will be a while before you're able to buy it, and it's handy from the get-go.
- Oh, and general tip - you will die, you will lose souls and humanity because you couldn't get back to where you died. This is not a big deal. Try not to stress because you've just lost 10,000 souls and 7 humanity and died a second time. You'll make that all up again before too long.
Turtlicious
Banned
Seen
7 yrs ago
Q: Oh shit, I got invaded! What do I do?
A: Hope your invader isn’t a real jerk. This being unlikely however, your options depend on the type of invasion. Some invasion methods allow you to challenge the boss, banishing the invader back to their own world. If that’s off the table, go gloriously to your death (or victory!) and make your way back to your bloodstain. Note that your invader will not be hurt by the monsters in your world, so be cautious!
Q: What are the different covenants?
A: As of this writing there are nine covenants with a rumored tenth covenant in the Prepare to Die edition. Each covenant can be joined through one NPC. Joining another covenant while you are already bound to another can put a “black mark” on your “record” and the “Honor Police” might come to “write you” a “ticket”. There is a guy who will help you fill out all the proper paperwork to leave a covenant without incurring this penalty, so use him! Note that Clerics and Knights both start off in the Way of the White.
Q: How do I summon people?
A: Soapstone! Red soapstone will summon hostile phantoms for PvP (up to three at a time). White soapstone will summon people for jolly cooperation and assistance with bosses. White and red soapstone are gained at different points in the game, you do not start with them.
If you see a white or gold summoning sign on the ground, touching it might make a friendly player join your game. If you see a red or blackish-grey sign on the ground, touching it will summon a PvP opponent. If you see a big pulsing eyeball on the ground, touch it for fun and see what it does!
Q: What are these messages that I can read everywhere? Can I make one?
A: Those are messages left by other players that can warn you about dangers or tip you off to hidden items or areas. Keep in mind that you are playing a game on the internet, and it might not always be wise to trust the messages. You can leave your own messages with orange soapstone, which can be bought from the first merchant you (should) encounter.
Q: I can’t find anyone for coop!
A: (Thank you to MoonwalkInvincible for this oft asked for answer.)
In general, these levels, with about 10-15 levels difference will get you consistant summons for the bosses of these areas.
In a more mechanical sense, GFWL w/ Dark Souls uses a P2P system. Your best bet for multiplayer in Dark Souls is to load the save you want to play and leave Dark Souls running at a bonfire for 15-20 minutes, or do something else in game.
_____________________
FAQ: Advanced Survival Tactics
Q: What can I do at a bonfire?
A: What can I do at a bonfire?
At the bonfire you can;
- Level up
- Unhollow
- Kindle the bonfire you’re at
- Manage your inventory
- Repair and upgrade equipment (once you have certain items that can be gained fairly early on)
An additional bonfire function is gated by late game progress, but is extremely helpful!
Q: My weapons suck! How can I upgrade them?
A: Find or buy titanite and give it to a blacksmith! There are
Titanite Shards: Used in lower-level upgrades of regular weapons and armor
Titanite Chunks: Used in higher-level upgrades of regular weapons and armor and lightning weapons.
Titanite Slabs: Exceedingly rare (like one or two per playthrough, so don’t waste them), one of these will upgrade your weapon or shield to the highest level in the Normal or Lightning path (or Raw or Crystal but seriously don’t do that).
There exist titanite shards, chunks and slabs in different colors, too! Just in case you were wondering if this could get any more complicated! Also twinkling titanite, demon titanite, and dragon scales can be used to upgrade weapons, armor, and shields.
Note: the ONLY titanite upgrade materials that can be purchased from vendors in the game are Titanite Shards, Green Titanite Shards, and Twinkling Titanite, so spend them ducats wisely!
Q: What is the best build for (PvP, PvE, looking boss)
A: For your first playthrough, just go with whatever feels natural and looks cool. We have players in the other thread that have beaten the game at level 1 with no shield and only using fist weapons. Literally any build is viable for PvE. PvP is a whole other kettle of fish, but don’t worry about that for now!
Q: What is poise?
A: Poise is what you get by wearing heavy armor and it allows you to resist stunlock. Poise is extremely important for PvP and not so important for PvE. The higher the number the better, but there is no need to obsess over it on your first playthrough. If you are an absolute sperglord statwhore and need to know NOW, then good Poise breakpoints to shoot for are 53 or 76.
Q: What is shield stability?
A: Shield stability is a very important stat for both PvE and PvP. It represents the percentage of damage that the shield will absorb; the rest gets transferred to Stamina or Health. The higher the number, the better!
Q: How does weapon scaling work?
A: Each weapon scales in effectiveness with one or more stats. The scaling modifiers are (from best to worst): S, A, B, C, D, and E. The better the modifier, the higher bonus damage you get. Upgrading certain weapons can better the scaling modifier.
Q: What is up with all of these upgrade paths? What do I spend all of my precious shards on?
A: Elemental weapons (Fire and Lightning) LOSE stat scaling but add significant elemental damage. Magic and Enchanted weapons will change to scale heavily to INT. Divine and Occult weapons will change to scale heavily into FTH. Chaos weapons will gain some Fire damage and additional damage based on your liquid humanity (the number in the black circle at the top left of your HUD). Crystal and Raw weapons will increase your noob status and make it more likely for experienced players to taunt you.
Q: I found a Dragon Scale!
A: Cool! Those can be used to upgrade certain rare weapons and for leveling up in a specific covenant. They are hard to get, hold onto them.
Q: I found an Eye of Death!
A: These are very handy for our poor, oft abused Gravelord friends. They are only used for PvP purposes in the Gravelord Servant covenant. That covenant is a broken piece of shit and the eyes are hard to come by. Trade them for TF2 hats and Magic: The Gathering rares.
Q: Some jerk just invaded me and made fun of me! He had this really cool shrug and I want that shrug.
A: This is the Dark Souls gesture system. You start off with several of these, accessible by a menu wherein you can set your favorite gestures for easy access. You can learn more from NPCs, though a few are locked behind covenant ranks. Praise the Sun!
A: Hope your invader isn’t a real jerk. This being unlikely however, your options depend on the type of invasion. Some invasion methods allow you to challenge the boss, banishing the invader back to their own world. If that’s off the table, go gloriously to your death (or victory!) and make your way back to your bloodstain. Note that your invader will not be hurt by the monsters in your world, so be cautious!
Q: What are the different covenants?
A: As of this writing there are nine covenants with a rumored tenth covenant in the Prepare to Die edition. Each covenant can be joined through one NPC. Joining another covenant while you are already bound to another can put a “black mark” on your “record” and the “Honor Police” might come to “write you” a “ticket”. There is a guy who will help you fill out all the proper paperwork to leave a covenant without incurring this penalty, so use him! Note that Clerics and Knights both start off in the Way of the White.
Q: How do I summon people?
A: Soapstone! Red soapstone will summon hostile phantoms for PvP (up to three at a time). White soapstone will summon people for jolly cooperation and assistance with bosses. White and red soapstone are gained at different points in the game, you do not start with them.
If you see a white or gold summoning sign on the ground, touching it might make a friendly player join your game. If you see a red or blackish-grey sign on the ground, touching it will summon a PvP opponent. If you see a big pulsing eyeball on the ground, touch it for fun and see what it does!
Q: What are these messages that I can read everywhere? Can I make one?
A: Those are messages left by other players that can warn you about dangers or tip you off to hidden items or areas. Keep in mind that you are playing a game on the internet, and it might not always be wise to trust the messages. You can leave your own messages with orange soapstone, which can be bought from the first merchant you (should) encounter.
Q: I can’t find anyone for coop!
A: (Thank you to MoonwalkInvincible for this oft asked for answer.)
In general, these levels, with about 10-15 levels difference will get you consistant summons for the bosses of these areas.
In a more mechanical sense, GFWL w/ Dark Souls uses a P2P system. Your best bet for multiplayer in Dark Souls is to load the save you want to play and leave Dark Souls running at a bonfire for 15-20 minutes, or do something else in game.
_____________________
FAQ: Advanced Survival Tactics
Q: What can I do at a bonfire?
A: What can I do at a bonfire?
At the bonfire you can;
- Level up
- Unhollow
- Kindle the bonfire you’re at
- Manage your inventory
- Repair and upgrade equipment (once you have certain items that can be gained fairly early on)
An additional bonfire function is gated by late game progress, but is extremely helpful!
Q: My weapons suck! How can I upgrade them?
A: Find or buy titanite and give it to a blacksmith! There are
Titanite Shards: Used in lower-level upgrades of regular weapons and armor
Titanite Chunks: Used in higher-level upgrades of regular weapons and armor and lightning weapons.
Titanite Slabs: Exceedingly rare (like one or two per playthrough, so don’t waste them), one of these will upgrade your weapon or shield to the highest level in the Normal or Lightning path (or Raw or Crystal but seriously don’t do that).
There exist titanite shards, chunks and slabs in different colors, too! Just in case you were wondering if this could get any more complicated! Also twinkling titanite, demon titanite, and dragon scales can be used to upgrade weapons, armor, and shields.
Note: the ONLY titanite upgrade materials that can be purchased from vendors in the game are Titanite Shards, Green Titanite Shards, and Twinkling Titanite, so spend them ducats wisely!
Q: What is the best build for (PvP, PvE, looking boss)
A: For your first playthrough, just go with whatever feels natural and looks cool. We have players in the other thread that have beaten the game at level 1 with no shield and only using fist weapons. Literally any build is viable for PvE. PvP is a whole other kettle of fish, but don’t worry about that for now!
Q: What is poise?
A: Poise is what you get by wearing heavy armor and it allows you to resist stunlock. Poise is extremely important for PvP and not so important for PvE. The higher the number the better, but there is no need to obsess over it on your first playthrough. If you are an absolute sperglord statwhore and need to know NOW, then good Poise breakpoints to shoot for are 53 or 76.
Q: What is shield stability?
A: Shield stability is a very important stat for both PvE and PvP. It represents the percentage of damage that the shield will absorb; the rest gets transferred to Stamina or Health. The higher the number, the better!
Q: How does weapon scaling work?
A: Each weapon scales in effectiveness with one or more stats. The scaling modifiers are (from best to worst): S, A, B, C, D, and E. The better the modifier, the higher bonus damage you get. Upgrading certain weapons can better the scaling modifier.
Q: What is up with all of these upgrade paths? What do I spend all of my precious shards on?
A: Elemental weapons (Fire and Lightning) LOSE stat scaling but add significant elemental damage. Magic and Enchanted weapons will change to scale heavily to INT. Divine and Occult weapons will change to scale heavily into FTH. Chaos weapons will gain some Fire damage and additional damage based on your liquid humanity (the number in the black circle at the top left of your HUD). Crystal and Raw weapons will increase your noob status and make it more likely for experienced players to taunt you.
Q: I found a Dragon Scale!
A: Cool! Those can be used to upgrade certain rare weapons and for leveling up in a specific covenant. They are hard to get, hold onto them.
Q: I found an Eye of Death!
A: These are very handy for our poor, oft abused Gravelord friends. They are only used for PvP purposes in the Gravelord Servant covenant. That covenant is a broken piece of shit and the eyes are hard to come by. Trade them for TF2 hats and Magic: The Gathering rares.
Q: Some jerk just invaded me and made fun of me! He had this really cool shrug and I want that shrug.
A: This is the Dark Souls gesture system. You start off with several of these, accessible by a menu wherein you can set your favorite gestures for easy access. You can learn more from NPCs, though a few are locked behind covenant ranks. Praise the Sun!
Overwatch said
3) I understand it's hard. That's part of the reason I wanna play it.
I hope to god you are a masochist.
The multiplayer is generally shit, because (unlike Demon Souls) Dark Souls didn't get a dedicated server, so don't expect a lot from it. Often, when you -do- finally see a summon sign, the summoning will fail.
If you want to do multiplayer co-op, the best bet is to go to the Steam forums. Get a mod for Dark Souls that allows you to connect to friends more easily (also, get some friends for the game) and read a couple threads that give you tips about the online stuff (e.g. you -don't- want to restart the game in hopes it helps your connection, that actually hurts the chance you'll find someone do to the way the IP pool works).
If you see a player enemy, there's a large number of them (on the PC) that are hacked to be overpowered and still able to invade you. Those players will be literally impossible to beat. In the case you want to be certain you don't lose anything, it's best to close(/exit?) the game really fast, or turn off whatever you're using to play it.
Read the stuff you see, don't skip it, and try to pay attention to detail. It usually matters. You'll get rewarded more and punished less that way.
Leveling up is not the only way to beat the game. A lot of the game is 1) Equipment, and 2) Knowing what you're doing. There are people who can play through the whole thing, all on Level 1.
If you're stuck, ask the Internet, or look up the wiki. That'll help a lot for number 2.
There's a lot more. I guess I'll just add:
Equipment weight matters for dodging, speed, and (as I recall) stamina.
Don't piss off useful NPC's, or they're useless for good.
If you want to do multiplayer co-op, the best bet is to go to the Steam forums. Get a mod for Dark Souls that allows you to connect to friends more easily (also, get some friends for the game) and read a couple threads that give you tips about the online stuff (e.g. you -don't- want to restart the game in hopes it helps your connection, that actually hurts the chance you'll find someone do to the way the IP pool works).
If you see a player enemy, there's a large number of them (on the PC) that are hacked to be overpowered and still able to invade you. Those players will be literally impossible to beat. In the case you want to be certain you don't lose anything, it's best to close(/exit?) the game really fast, or turn off whatever you're using to play it.
Read the stuff you see, don't skip it, and try to pay attention to detail. It usually matters. You'll get rewarded more and punished less that way.
Leveling up is not the only way to beat the game. A lot of the game is 1) Equipment, and 2) Knowing what you're doing. There are people who can play through the whole thing, all on Level 1.
If you're stuck, ask the Internet, or look up the wiki. That'll help a lot for number 2.
There's a lot more. I guess I'll just add:
Equipment weight matters for dodging, speed, and (as I recall) stamina.
Don't piss off useful NPC's, or they're useless for good.
OP
Overwatch The Lord of Black Flames
Member
Seen
4 yrs ago
K-97 said
I hope to god you are a masochist.
I just want a game that is genuinely hard. most shit nowadays is just a fucking cakewalk. It's boring to have things easy! I want to have a challenge, get my ass kicked, and earn my victory. I want to solve puzzles with my wit, and, be proud of the things i achieve through hardship.
that or i'm a masochist.
Turt, i fucking love you now.
Turtlicious
Banned
Seen
7 yrs ago
Overwatch said
I just want a game that is genuinely hard. most shit nowadays is just a fucking cakewalk. It's boring to have things easy! I want to have a challenge, get my ass kicked, and earn my victory. I want to solve puzzles with my wit, and, be proud of the things i achieve through hardship.that or i'm a masochist.Turt, i fucking love you now.
Really? I thought I had to be underage for that reward.
:p
Turt's showing everyone up on helpfulness.
Awesome list of info.
I haven't read through everything Turt put up, but Dark Souls punishes the player way more for dying than the average game.
Going off memory:
You're set all the way back to wherever the last bonfire you sat at was. Any souls you earned (the currency and experience points of this game), that weren't used are lost when you die. Doesn't matter how much you had, it's all gone. You have a second chance to get what you lost, but it requires you not dying again before you pick 'em up.
If you're human when you die (and this requires using humanity (or beating a boss?)), you go hollow. Most prefer it this way, since it loses the risk of invasion from enemy players and such, but that cuts down on your health bar's maximum amount of HP.
I can't remember if you lose any humanity on you when you die or not. Been too long since I've played.
Awesome list of info.
Overwatch said
I understand. And I can accept that. What's so bad about dying though, if you come back?
I haven't read through everything Turt put up, but Dark Souls punishes the player way more for dying than the average game.
Going off memory:
You're set all the way back to wherever the last bonfire you sat at was. Any souls you earned (the currency and experience points of this game), that weren't used are lost when you die. Doesn't matter how much you had, it's all gone. You have a second chance to get what you lost, but it requires you not dying again before you pick 'em up.
If you're human when you die (and this requires using humanity (or beating a boss?)), you go hollow. Most prefer it this way, since it loses the risk of invasion from enemy players and such, but that cuts down on your health bar's maximum amount of HP.
I can't remember if you lose any humanity on you when you die or not. Been too long since I've played.
Turtlicious
Banned
Seen
7 yrs ago
Oh yeah.
After you kill the boar, right before you go into the church, head to the right across the bridge. There is a bonfire you can use that will make it easier to splat yourself against the boss, and a blacksmith who will upgrade your shit.
If you can run past the dragon, you can grab one of the best weapons in the game, (One of the dead guys on the bridge have it.)
After you kill the boar, right before you go into the church, head to the right across the bridge. There is a bonfire you can use that will make it easier to splat yourself against the boss, and a blacksmith who will upgrade your shit.
If you can run past the dragon, you can grab one of the best weapons in the game, (One of the dead guys on the bridge have it.)
Turtlicious
Banned
Seen
7 yrs ago
Overwatch said
Also. I plan on playing offline.
That's going to be hell, you're not going to get Soapstone help which you really need, and you won't be able to summon people who will just wreck fights for you.
OP
Overwatch The Lord of Black Flames
Member
Seen
4 yrs ago
Turtlicious said
Oh yeah.After you kill the boar, right before you go into the church, head to the right across the bridge. There is a bonfire you can use that will make it easier to splat yourself against the boss, and a blacksmith who will upgrade your shit.If you can run past the dragon, you can grab one of the best weapons in the game.
Thanks. What's the weapon?
OP
Overwatch The Lord of Black Flames
Member
Seen
4 yrs ago
Turtlicious said
That's going to be hell, you're not going to get Soapstone help which you really need, and you won't be able to summon people who will just wreck fights for you.
I would if I could, it's just that we lost internet a little while back at the place I'm going to.
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