After so many years, I'm finally giving into the meme. What should I know before I start for the first time?
>>340176762
Online is dead.
Don't invest in resistance. Ever.
Don't use bows/crossbows, ranged is shit.
That you should drop it and play Demon's Souls instead
>>340176915
Sounds good
Not worried about online anyways
It's unfair, artificial difficulty, people who "beat it" without using a trainer are fucking liars
>>340176762
Pump vitality and endurance up to~20-30 before focusing on any other stats. It'll save you a few headaches in the early game.
>>340176762
Listen to >>340176943
>>340176762
Start with Demon Souls, the real first game in the series. Dark Souls is a legally distinct sequel that is inferior and is just made to get a wide release instead of just PS3.
>>340177047
lmao
>>340176943
Fucking faggots who don't play a series through from the beginning really triggers my autism. Yeah man, play the fucking spiritual SUCCESSOR first.
>>340176943
don't listen to him, best build for first time is high resistance and crossbow, start with thief class, use about half of your souls to stock up on bolts, level up resistance to drastically minimize those pesky poison and fire effects.
also always go for parry, even on small enemies
>>340177070
I'm eating up as many tips as possible. Probably going to start with a knight for that high HP.
>>340177047
Lol
>>340176762
The only good Souls games are Demons, Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3.
1 is only praised because it's the first game that most people got to play but in reality the game turns really bland halfway through.
2 is already agreed to be shit by everyone.
>>340177027
Also remember to start with Master key, it's far more useful than the other items.
Don't pick the HP ring, it only boosts hp slightly, the description is wrong.
Rolling or parrying is better than using a shield
Not using a shield lets you 2 hand weapons for more damage as well
>>340176762
Don't pick up the master key for the first run. Other than that just have fun.
After you finish it, either play 3 or bloodborne, avoid 2 like the plague
Use your common sense. Seriously the legion of morons who claim they entered the graveyard first and kept trying for ours are liars.
If you see a location you can and will eventually go there, if said place is too hard try a different path.
Also Miyazaki loves traps, take your time and again apply your common sense
>>340177432
DaSII (with DLC) > Bloodboon > Demons > DaS1 > DaSIII
Resistance is useless
Master Key is OP
Drakesword is only good until Capra Demon
Rolling>Blocking
>>340176762
Play something else instead. The dark souls games are putrid garbage.
Pick the Master Key
Get the claymore on the drake bridge
gg ez
>>340176762
Don't start with the master key it ruins the progression. Go up after getting past the tutorial. You don't need to do the graveyard until later.
>>340177713
>>340177674
So, masterkey or not?
>>340177215
Fuck this guy
Start with Kings Field, the first real game in the series. Demon Souls is a legally distinct sequel that is inferior and just made to get a wide graphical increase instead of PS2
>>340177728
An add-on section of DaSII doesn't fix the rest of the game anon
>>340177432
Demons also only gets praised by the contrarians and people who want to look cool
They're both good but you MUST suck on that teet for attention otherwise no one will give you your well earned gamer cred
>>340177953
master key
put some points into STR and DEX, don't worry about your build the first time around. Just try to get a feel for the different weapons and find out which ones you like.
>>340177953
Don't pick it up. You don't need it to break progression, but if you don't know what you're doing you probably will skip areas. That's my advice anyway
>>340177953
Nah, it's more fun to wait for loot and find things for yourself
Take the master key
Ignore all the people saying otherwise and go to the graveyard after you get to firelink, there's good shit in there.
>>340176762
you should know that you're late as fuck loser
>>340176943
Don't do this. Demon's Souls is fucking awful. It has some cool and unique bosses, but that's all there is to it. It's just fucking awful.
>>340177953
>>340177953
It's good for 2nd playthroughs since you can sequence break, but you also can buy it later in the game so if you want a vanilla experience and aren't going to be using guides then take something else. Also you keep the key once you buy it in new game plus.
It's the same debate were people want you to play malkavian first in VTM:B when all you're really doing is being told by vets who have played the game 20+ times to play the game their way.
Don't pick the locket if anything since that has no purpose what so ever. People will lie to you and say it does but it's one of those jokes Miyazaki threw in as a false flag
Don't use master key on your first playthrough
You don't need to play Demon Souls first, it's like a slightly worse Dark Souls, you can play it whenever
Don't go to the graveyard right away
Upgrading weapon is more important than leveling up
If you have less than 25% equip burden you can roll fast
Bows aren't completely useless but don't use them as your primary
Don't ignore VIT and END, it might make end game harder than it should be
>>340178510
>>340178392
>Demon's is worse
More like way better. more original. Better levels. Easier. Much faster combat and running speed. More video gamey. More fun.
DS is a bit of a slog. III and Bllodborn are bettter.
>>340178510
>don't use master key
I really disagree with this one. I picked it on my first playthrough and it makes the game seem less linear. There's nothing wrong with opening up and a place and finding out that the enemies are too strong.
>>340177953
Don't pick it. Black Firebomb is sort of useful for the first two bosses and Old Witch's Ring unlocks some new story content so one of those is probably the way to go.
>>340178621
WHO GIVES A SHIT
Seriously no one should say demons is bad I agree but OP is asking about the other one. Why does that trigger you people into oblivion?
>>340178154
Listen to this anon. I fucked up and wound up in Blighttown before I ever even saw the Capra Demon or anything in the Depths.
>>340176762
When you meet Solaire, get the white soapstone then kill him.
If he's alive he's summonable for like 2 bosses and you'll usually be hollow. But killing him gets you some great gear early on.
>>340178664
>using guides
>>340178892
??
>>340178795
Don't kill Solaire. Don't kill any of the NPCs
>>340176915
DS online is more alive than DS2 on PC.
>>340177047
>he never got good
You can beat the game at level one, console players did it long before you even got a port pcuck
>>340178776
Demon's is a way better introduction. Faster, better levels, more fun, and easier. Dark is kind of harder and slower and can turn people off.
Endurance is your favorite stat. It is what allows you to sprint, to roll, to block with a shield, to attack. If you have to choose between vitality and endurance, choose endurance.
Learn to parry! You will get a ton more damage once you get a parry and riposte going on humanoid enemies of similar size to you. It's significantly more than backstabbing, too, and it's incredibly satisfying to land.
Explore. Explore, explore, explore. Pay attention! You will die, and many times, but pay attention to how and where you die. Too many quick deaths in one area indicates you should try elsewhere.
Don't try to blast through new areas. Every area is a training yard and it's there to teach you new things. Don't skimp on training.
Try many different weapons. Look at what stats they depend on and scale with. Go for one handed, for two handed, for spear or sword or club. Figure out what sorts of playstyles work for you in what areas against what enemies. Nothing needs to be set in stone.
If one strategy doesn't work, try another one. It's worth it to spend time learning to dodge and roll and avoid attacks instead of trying to go pure offense. The game is about learning how enemies move and act: take the time to appreciate that and you won't be butting your head against a wall but rather taking notes.
>>340177953
Don't take the master key. It might be the most useful item, but not on your first playthrough.
Bows aren't useless at all, they're great for luring enemies. Just don't use them as a main weapon.
Don't read a guide.
Anyone who tells you otherwise about the master key should be shot and his extended family gassed.
>>340178621
I beat DeS 3 days ago. Combat feels the same as DaS. Whole world 5 is shit, so is 4-2. Estus flasks are much better than grass, since not having enough grass makes the game too hard, and having too much makes it too easy.
DeS did feel easier and shorter but I wouldn't list that as a pro or a con since it might be just cause I was already used to Souls.
Upgrading weapons in DeS is also very complicated with the 50 different kinds of ore, so I ended up ignoring that for the most part and finishing the game with a Bastard Sword +5
>>340178664
He might end up skipping some of the content with the key, but in the end it's not a huge deal whether or not he picks the key as long as he explores the game.
>>340179169
Is it weird that I've played up to NG+++ and have never parried once?
>>340179169
Thank you.
>>340179359
As long as he explores then it's all good.
Like
>>340179169
says. Try different weapons, explore, train a bit, have fun.
>>340177913
Where is the claymore?
>>340179443
I never did NG+ but I beat the game 2 and a half times without bothering with parrying. It's too risky and rolling is all I need
>>340179443
I guess it's weird if you've never at least tried it once before realizing that it's simply not worth it.
>>340179359
>Combat feels the same as DaS.
The pace and movement is much more like Demon's.
>>340179810
That was more or less my experience. Tried it on some of the Knights before the first bell and realized >>340179694's point of rolling being better
Resistance is useless.
Stats have caps past which you get either literal or approximate jack shit. For example, for strength and dex it's 40. Don't mindlessly pump shit.
Don't summon on your first playthrough.
Rolling>blocking.
Keep your weight at least below 50% so your rolls aren't useless. If you go below 25%, you get the best rolls.
Upgrading weapons>leveling
Stick to the normal upgrade path and increase the stats your weapon scales on, elemental weapons have split damage which kinda sucks.
After Firelink you need to find a path upwards and through an aqueduct. Don't go to the skellies. Don't go down.
Vit and End are always useful, as long as you're not at the softcap.
If a boss is raping you, try to approach it methodically and figure out its patterns. They all have tells for their attacks and windows that are safe to punish.
Two-handing your weapon makes it so your strength gets a 1.5x bonus when calculating damage and meeting requirements.
Learning to parry helps with certain enemies.
Keep a bow and 50-100 arrows on you, you won't use it as a main weapon, but it's useful in certain situations.
Pretty much every weapon is viable in PvE, just pick something that looks cool and has a moveset you like.
>>340179943
Can you rephrase that, I don't understand. The pace and movement of what is like Demon's Souls?
kill the dogs first
>>340179995
I had a hard time of it before I got to the forest with the guardians and then I just started practicing. After a while I could do it with ease and now it's my favorite way of taking care of knights.
>>340178967
>Don't kill any of the NPCs
Execpt for that Way of White guy.
>>340179995
I pretty much just kick enemies. I think all of the enemies that can be parried can also be kicked and it's a lot faster and safer.
>>340179443
The only "Souls" game I've ever parried in is Bloodborne. And even then it wasn't until defiled chalices when I realized how absurdly strong a ranged parry is.
>>340179694
>It's too risky
Eh, I dunno. If you play the game a lot, you get used to enemy timings. Most of the times when I'm facing a black/silver knight i'll just parry it, because I'm used the their moveset.
The different timings fucked me up real good when I tried parrying them in 3
>>340180319
at least not until you get the dark hand and farm him for humanity
>>340177728
Dark Souls 2 is objectively MASSIVELY inferior to Dark Souls 1 though.
>>340180561
DS2 definitely seems like the weaker of the series.
Admittedly I haven't played DS3 yet.
>>340178217
It's not totally false, there are good loots there
Quite useful depending on your build
Just run, dont kill the skeleton and avoid having a lot of souls, you will die but it will be worth it
>>340180409
Yeah, but on a first playthrough it's completely pointless to try to learn all of the timings when you can just block, roll, or kick. Yeah, a riposte does a lot of damage, but it's just not worth the effort unless you're replaying the game enough times where the learning curve isn't a waste of time.
>>340176762
>What should I know before I start for the first time?
-Choose Pyromancer as your starting class
-Explore
-Talk to all NPC's
-Kill NPC's after you've completed their storyline/purchased all items from their shop
-Always Have the Ring of Favor and Protection equipped
-If you need practice in an area put down your soapstone to play through the area with someone until you get the hang of it
-40 Endurance is the minimum level you need to get the most out of your character
-Try each weapon fighting style for a bit and find which one you feel the most comfortable with
-Don't be a shitter and disconnect if you get invaded, play offline if you don't want to deal with invaders
-Don't give up if a section of the game seems hard
-Git Gud
>>340180750
It was worth it to me because riposting is so viscerally satisfying and once you learn to do it it becomes so much fun.
>>340180878
>-Choose Pyromancer as your starting class
>-Always Have the Ring of Favor and Protection equipped
I don't agree with you on those points, while pyromancer is a good and effective class I think he can choose anything he wants maybe just avoid sorcerer,cleric and thief for a first run
For the ring I left that for preference, I used Havel and Covetous Gold ring for my first run
Damn I missed it now, discovering everything... this game is one of my favorite
Kill Lautrec when you see him.
Kill the dogs first.
Be careful, dont charge into an unknown area.
Explore.
>>340177047
How fucking bad are you?
>>340181241
What's wrong with Cleric for a first run? Sure, you don't get good miracles until later on, but a one-handed weapon (whether you keep the mace or switch to a sword or morningstar) and shield are all you need until then.
That you should skip this piece of half finished garbage game and just play demons souls and dark souls 3.
>>340176915
Online is still alive and well actually. Switch to Luxemborg. Sometimes the latency is an issue but there's still plenty of players.
Play demons souls first you rube. Its a better game.
>>340181654
Eh, I think magic is a tad confusing for a first run in my opinion, a more offensive, focused on weapons class like warrior, knight or bandit is more suited
I'll must make a cleric/thunder character for once
>>340181241
>-Choose Pyromancer as your starting class
I only suggested this for the first playthrough since this class is an intro to spells and can be customized into anyhting
>-Always Have the Ring of Favor and Protection equipped
FAP ring is good for beginners and veterans because of the HP, stamina, and equipment load boost... good for the first run
>>340182005
Nah. None of the early spells are complicated. The magic and pyromancy starter spells are actually great for beginners. And clerics just get healing spells, so they're still essentially warriors in light armor. If anything, I'd think the hardest for a beginner would be the ones who can't attack at long range and don't use shields.
>>340176915
I played it on PS3 a couple months ago and can confirm online is still pretty damn active
>>340176762
That it's best to explore and learn things yourself.
>>340176762
>What should I know before I start for the first time?
Don't look things up online, it ruins the fun.
Dark Souls is really at its best when you're actually exploring and testing shit out
OP here, I attacked the NPC after the asylum and he's wrecking my shit lmao
>>340180029
>resistance is useless
I can never bring myself to use magic. You'd have to put points into INT or FTH, instead of STR or DEX, you also have limited spells you can remember, and you have a limited amount of times you can cast them before visiting a bonfire. So in the end, you're forced to use a melee weapon most of the time, but since you put your points into INT or FTH, you can't melee that well.
>>340177047
weak.
Picked up a good time to start.
https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls/comments/4mgpom/100000_subscribers_and_dark_souls_1_global/
>>340183318
Yes it is
If poison is a problem just take a high resistance set like Crimson set or Queelana set
>>340176762
I did as well because it was on sale for 5 dollars and a friend wanted to play with me. Playing with friends is fun, but it murders the difficulty of the game. Playing by myself isn't as fun though, it feels like the developers tried too hard to be hardcore. It's designed to make you die again and again at the start, and it's just not fun. It might be a bit more fun later once you improve your character and your ability, but I don't know, I think they just tried too hard.
>>340184283
It's designed to make you die if you run in or don't pay attention or try to learn. It rewards cautious and thoughtful exploration.
>>340184283
It is not designed to kill you over and over
The thing is, the game is made to make you watch every of your action to be careful, I think what illustrate this the best is SenFunhouse
And there is nothing wrong to have a friend to play with
>>340184398
It's more fun to just die a lot than to walk slowly despite what memers on /v/ say imo.
>>340184283
Pay attention and use your wits. If anything, the game is designed to punish impatience and recklessness.
>>340184524
This is a lie.
>Wouldn't any modern publisher run a mile at the suggestion of a game that makes a point of killing its players as quickly, creatively and frequently as it can?
>Miyazaki laughs in recognition at this suggestion. "To be quite honest, we didn't really mention that aspect of the game when we did the presentations to Sony," he says, when I ask how FROM managed to get Demon's Souls green-lit in the first place. "We knew that people at the publisher would feel that way, and that they'd make us change it. So in the product concept presentation I didn't talk about it much. Of course I communicated with our producer at Sony, Kaji-san – but he actually agreed with me. He felt that if we were too forthright about all the death, about this game concept, with the marketing people, they would have run a mile. So that's why we had to be a bit sneaky about it."
>>340184398
I've played games that reward caution and thoughtful exploration that aren't as irritating as Dark Souls.
>>340184813
Yeah I know, I've been playing games since 1989, I still remember the old rules.
>>340184883
So why do you keep dying again and again at the start if you're cautious and paying attention?
OP PICK FUCKING DEPRAVED AS YOUR STARTING CLASS
IT TEACHES YOU HOW TO DODGE PROPERLY DUE TO HAVING SHIT EQUIPMENT THAT MAKES YOU NIMBLE BUT FRAIL AND OFFERS YOU THE MOST FREEDOM IN BUILDING YOUR CHARACTER EARLY ON
>>340179169
Reddit is down the hall and to the left.
>>340184883
Then what exactly makes you die again and again? In the starting areas, all you need to do is not blindly rush into groups of 3+ enemies and you should have no problem progressing.
>>340185186
He is just giving advice, sure a faggot and git gud or two would have been more suited for this site
>>340176762
If you want a fun weapon look around the graveyard
>>340185041
Because it happens.
>Walk into room
>There were two enemies hidden in the corner I couldn't see from the outside
>Try to deal with them
>Get cornered and die
>Make one mistake when fighting
>Get hit and stunned long enough to get ganged up on
>Going through a dark sewer
>It's so dark I can't even see the whole that drops me into a Basalisk's den. I only know to look for it afterward because I already fell through it.
I'm not sure why you're afraid to admit that making the player die a lot is one of the design concepts of the game. I mean, it's the point, I wouldn't be afraid to admit that Planescape: Torment is a game that puts talking first and combat second because it's just a fact.
>>340176762
Just play DaS3, they're the same garbage but 3 looks better and online is not dead
>A few years ago people talked about dying all the time in Dark Souls until they get good
>Now there are people pretending that they didn't get killed a hundred times in the early game because "they were careful"
Typical /v/.
>>340185672
Do you not know how to jump back?
Do you pay attention to your poise?
Can you not adjust the brightness settings on your screen?
Making them die a lot if they keep using the same techniques or screwing them up? Sure. Making them die a lot for shits and giggles? No.
>>340180029
>he doesn't block or parry
Never understood roll fags.
>>340185902
Yes, I've learned to do all those things. I didn't say I wasn't getting better, but the point is still that you will and are meant to die a lot at the start of the game. That people are denying this now is sheer fucking lunacy.
The red bell ringing enemies might be the most terrifying enemy in any video game I've played.
>>340176762
Get DSfix if on PC
Don't level Resistance
Rolling > Blocking most of the time
Other than that just play it blind
>>340186037
If you do stupid things and fail to learn, yes. Otherwise no.
I thought the same way for a while and then I started being more cautious and paid closer attention to what I was doing and what I was fighting and where I was and the number of deaths immediately dropped. I still made mistakes upon occasion and died as a result, but that's entirely on my head.
>>340176915
>Don't use bows/crossbows, ranged is shit.
I used bows in all of the Souls games
Bows were even very viable in PvP and amazing for PvE for ton of reasons
>>340185936
For me it was always rolling or parrying. Blocking is just too timid and easy.
>>340185936
>learning to parry helps with certain enemies
>he doesn't block or parry
Never understood illiterates.
>>340177047
i died often, but i beat it myself, whats wrong with you.
Its just hard work, i know not everyone is suited for thatdipshitphil
>>340185936
Block is easy and it's okay to use it
But on the long run, you got a better mobility, you learn to dodge and you consum left stamina
>>340184283
being this bad.
how is this even possible?
>>340185672
>walk into room
>two enemies I didn't see from outside
>walk back out of room
>engage them on my own terms in a known safe area
>make one mistake when fighting
>get hit, but immediately roll away
>maybe run from danger to heal if need be
>not ganged up on because I only engage enemies 1v1
>>340185041
give me an example of this happening at the start?
or anywhere in this game.
>>340185936
>using shields
Kys
>>340186667
Did you quote the wrong person?
>>340185936
Shields are nice, but not if they engender passivity.
>>340183390
You know you can make weapons scale with INT and FTH, right?
>>340186642
>Walk into room
>Before I know it, the unknown enemies block my way out
>This guy doesn't know what being stunned means
>>340177716
>Miyazaki loves traps
I mean who doesn't?
>>340176915
Your advice is shit
>>340186795
Do the unknown enemies magically spawn in the doorway once you've entered the room?
>>340186795
>before I know it
I get the sense that your spatial awareness/reaction times suck.
>>340186795
>Before I know it, the unknown enemies block my way out
The door is behind you, man. How on earth do you get into a situation where you can enter a room and immediately be blocked from exiting? Other than fog gates into boss rooms I really can't think of any area that keeps you from backtracking. Maybe on of those holes in The Depths, but even then the worst thing you'll come across is die-in-one-hit basilisks.
>>340186790
I thought that in the end that would make them do less damage than upgrading them normally. And you'd still have to put enough points into STR and DEX to be able to wield them.
>>340186642
Except Dark Souls is more like
>walk into room
>two enemies I didn't see from outside
>still can't see them inside because it's too dark
>get hit once
>die
Maybe it's better on an HDTV, but on my CRT it was basically unplayable. And I still made it all the way to fucking Anor Londo.
>>340187024
>get hit once
>die
Right.
>>340186719
Yes. I meant to quote the other guy.
>>340176762
Do you talk like that in real life too? You say shit like "that's a meme" or other stupid /v/ phrases? You sound like a cunt.
>>340187024
>>340178621
>more video gamey
what did he mean by this?
>>340187024
I'm pretty sure that was a problem with either your CRT or your eyes because the only place in the game where lack of visibility is a thing is the Tomb of Giants.
>>340176762
KILL THE DOGS FIRST
>>340187158
Yeah. My friend was misinformed and told me that casters are the hardest way to play the game. So I played as a caster, and dumped every single available point in Int.
Literally everything in the game killed me in one hit.
>>340187023
You just have to meet the base requirements, so it's not too much of an investment. You can actually out damage a +15 weapon with a +5 enchanted/divine weapon. However a +15 weapon + a buff will always out damage a +5 enchanted weapon.
http://mmdks.com/87x7
Melee is easier than magic on 1
I thought the game's main appeal was its difficulty when my only knowledge of it was gitgud-fags but after finally trying it I understand the praise it gets. It's fucking beautiful, the world is well built, the weapons are diverse and fun to use (but I played 90% of the game with the zweihander), the boss fights are great. I died a lot and not to the bosses most people seem to complain about (must be a build thing) but if you persevere and try not to repeat your mistakes you'll get through everything
>>340187532
>goes out of his way to play what he was told was the hardest build
>doesn't level up his fucking Vit
>complains about the game being unfair and getting oneshot
Literally what was the thought process that guided you to this series of decisions?
Pay attention to boss animations, there's a boss or two with absolute bullshit attacks that have tells you need to watch out for. You're probably gonna die first time fighting a boss because of these moves so learn them as quick as you can.
>>340177980
if you are doing a blind play-through no, but since you are clearly asking for advice then yes it opens up certain areas early.
>>340187570
Thanks for proving me wrong. I rarely use buffs so this would be an upgrade for me. I'll try making a magic focused build next time I play.
>What should I know before I start for the first time?
NOTHING. Go in blind. Never use a wiki. Just explore and have fun.
Just fucking play it faggot. It's Dark Souls, not System Shock.
Any build can beat the game.
>>340183270
try backstabbing him.
DOIT OP
Honestly, pick a knight or Soldier class and go in blind, its the best way to experience a game like this, the less you know the better.
If anything choose 3-4 stats to level, avoid trying to level everything up, you will suffer for it.
Just play the game
The whole point of playing a game is your own experience of the game, if you're being told what to do then you're not really playing
>>340176762
at least you're starting the artificial difficulty meme correctly.
Demon Souls is a fair game, From Amped the difficulty up after everyone thought Demon's was hard.
>>340176762
Only play the Scholar's version if you play at all.
>tfw started playing SOTFS on steam for the first time
>Impossible to get all the achievements because the online is dead
This is bullshit.
>>340191880
Online isn't dead on PC its like 5000 during the day which workable. Also you can get everything but offline. Sunlight Spear requires sunlight medals but they are not hard to get via coop or farming.
>>340192412
Yeah but how about the pyromancy from Brothers of blood or the spell from Bellkeepers covenant?
