Dark Souls

Noopti

Just reached the Gargoyles last night, tried to defeat them once and was killed so called it a night as I was too tired to concentrate properly. I was using a longsword but I think I might grind to up my strength so I can equip the drakesword in one hand.

Loving the game so far. It is tough and you end up repeating sections but I don't actually mind because the combat is so satisfying.

Kirby

Leaving the gameplay aside for a moment, I have a technical question.

I got it on the 360 because I've more mates on xbox live. I'm noticing alot of frame-rate drop and stutter on the 360. At times, it can get quite bad. like 10 fps bad.

Is anyone having a better time of it on the ps3 version? Graphically they look similar and I've had a look at some comparisons but I'm talking about stuttering and smoothness.

Apart from a few bits with huge bosses and the red dragons swooping flame dive, I never noticed this much slowdown with the original Demons souls on the ps3. Now I know its a cross platform game now which is why the original is better looking and Dark souls will have a few issues......but still it seems a little jarring to come round a corner and have the game struggle to render the background.

ShaneU

Just survived my first invasion, the guy kept trying to cast a very close range spell on me, didn't get me once. Wasn't using a catalyst so I assume it's pyromancy

I definitely notice the slowdown in open areas, I'm on ps3

Questions:

Anyone who's killed a black knight, do they respawn like normal enemies?

In Undead Burg on the stairs leading up to the tower (where the boulder comes down) there's a hole in the side of the stairs, if you drop down there can you reach the cave in the side of the cliff?

Raze_them_all

finally getting some play time in the darkroot area, getting killed by white spell thing and crystal golem type creatures!

YouSavedMyLife

Kirby wrote: »

Leaving the gameplay aside for a moment, I have a technical question.

I got it on the 360 because I've more mates on xbox live. I'm noticing alot of frame-rate drop and stutter on the 360. At times, it can get quite bad. like 10 fps bad.

Is anyone having a better time of it on the ps3 version? Graphically they look similar and I've had a look at some comparisons but I'm talking about stuttering and smoothness.

Apart from a few bits with huge bosses and the red dragons swooping flame dive, I never noticed this much slowdown with the original Demons souls on the ps3. Now I know its a cross platform game now which is why the original is better looking and Dark souls will have a few issues......but still it seems a little jarring to come round a corner and have the game struggle to render the background.

At what points in the game are you getting the Frame Drops? Im on PS3 and pretty much the whole of Blightown had low FPS till you get to the swamp at the bottom but that was it really. PS3 doesnt get an install, so maybe you should try install it on the Xbox, might help some. Oh yeah some FPS issues when another person joins for coop. I helped 2 other guys do Gaping Dragon in coop and it dropped frames, but solo it was fine...

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

Real men take him out with the broken sword hilt.

On a side note, Bit pissed off, i just learned there's no kijii in this game, there is an uchitana though.

+10 Broken Hilt sword actually transforms into a very powerful sword with a certain boss soul!
Have yet to find the Uchi but there is a Daikatana called the Iaito halfway down in Blighttown near the first bonfire. You need to make a jump to it but its easy enough.

Noopti

ShaneU wrote: »

Anyone who's killed a black knight, do they respawn like normal enemies?

I killed the black knight in the tower at the start of the undead parish and he hasn't returned.

Kiith

ShaneU wrote: »

Anyone who's killed a black knight, do they respawn like normal enemies?

Black Knights don't respawn, which is annoying because none that i've killed have dropped any of the armour/weapons that they can drop.

Raze_them_all

*reaches land of drake*

*gets hit by attack*

*runs away from land of drake*

YouSavedMyLife

ShaneU wrote: »

Anyone who's killed a black knight, do they respawn like normal enemies?

Apparently in the last area of the game they respawn. I wonder is it possible to get their armour as i already have the sword and shield.

AnCapaillMor

Raze_them_all wrote: »

*reaches land of drake*

*gets hit by attack*

*runs away from land of drake*

Ditto, although i did pretty much watch my sword bounce off a dragon to little or no effect, then i ran.

Yeah that kight sword is collossal, got 2 shields off the other guys which are pretty handy.

Kiith

****ers...i've killed 4 (5?) Black Knights, and they've dropped nothing. Stupid random drops.

AnCapaillMor

Actually does the drops thing work in this game? you know you get summoned or summon someone and you can drop an item for them to pick up.

Gunmonkey

Lone Stone wrote: »

I have the spider shield and im thinking about buying the poison & Bleed resistant rings, i farmed loads of herbs that say they stop the poison bleeding i got them of those plant mobs but they dont appear to be doing a thing.

What is poisoning you? Because there are 2 types, poison and toxic. There are little bas***d snipers who shoot blowdarts at you that inflict toxic in 2 hits that can only be removed with the purple/white fungus (cost 1000 from the merchant in the waterway). Otherwise, take your time and try not let it get full up, I managed it (with a LOT of cursing) on 13 Resistance.

ShaneU wrote: »

Anyone who's killed a black knight, do they respawn like normal enemies?

In Undead Burg on the stairs leading up to the tower (where the boulder comes down) there's a hole in the side of the stairs, if you drop down there can you reach the cave in the side of the cliff?

Black knights dont respawn, neither does the metal bull in Undead Parish, or the weird mages like the guy on the first floor of the church.

Currently on my way into Sen's Fortress, Drake Sword does sweet F all to the snake heads Lucky I got some Pyro spells as back up, gotta find a merchant for pine resin methinks.

Raze_them_all

there's no way to sell off anything you bought is there?? I can't seem to find it if there is.....


/noob

calex71

Whats co-op like in this guys? Got it on friday but haven't started it yet. Wondering if it's worth doing the game in co-op from the outset.

Big Knox

Kirby wrote: »

I'm guessing thats where the pitch black place is you guys have been cursing about. Not looking forward to that. Don't like the idea of suicide runs.

Don't worry you've a loooong way to go before you get to the "Tomb of I can't see sh1t!!"

Kiith wrote: »

Black Knights don't respawn, which is annoying because none that i've killed have dropped any of the armour/weapons that they can drop.

I've been quite lucky, got the sword off the guy in the undead parish but more importantly I got the Great Axe from the only axe guy in the Catacombs, although no shield yet!!

Raze_them_all wrote: »

there's no way to sell off anything you bought is there?? I can't seem to find it if there is.....


/noob

Once you ring both the belltowers the King Searcher Serpent will show up in firelink and you can feed him items for souls, although you dont get much its good to keep your inventory clear! You can also feed him chunks of titanite and he will give you shards back!!

I'm getting towards the end of the game now, killed two of the "big four" you need last night and i'm loving every minute of it. The game is so so so much bigger than Demon's Souls you keep thinking its getting to the end but it throws more and more at you, some of the later boss fights are seriously amazing!!

Going to stop progress at the last boss and spend some time with the online and covenants side of things before I go onto NG+. Will probably do a bit of invading!! :pac:

Big Knox

calex71 wrote: »

Whats co-op like in this guys? Got it on friday but haven't started it yet. Wondering if it's worth doing the game in co-op from the outset.

It's not by nature a game you co-op through, you can't co-op with friends. It's a summon system done to keep the nature of the game dark and isolated.

The only time you should really summon help is if you get stuck on a particular boss that you can't kill solo. Really good system but just to confirm don't expect to buy the game and co-op through it with friends!!

Noopti

Also by dropping useless items you are helping other players (they spawn as vagrants in other peoples worlds and if they kill them they can get cool stuff).

I got a Titanite Chunk from the black knight in the tower, so I can swap that for shards?

Big Knox

Noopti wrote: »

Also by dropping useless items you are helping other players (they spawn as vagrants in other peoples worlds and if they kill them they can get cool stuff).

I got a Titanite Chunk from the black knight in the tower, so I can swap that for shards?

Yep you can but I would highly recommend keeping it, you can buy shards for souls you can't buy chunks they are quite rare. I actually need a few badly but they only drop from Black Knights!!

Figured out what I was doing wrong and why I was finding it so difficult - I just wasn't leveling up because i wasn't sure when you had to. So now I've been increasing vitality, strength and dexterity and finding it easier - managed to kill the Taurus Demon finally, but only just.

What are the benefits to reversing the Hallowing? I just did it there and not sure. I'm still in Undead Burgh so not sure if I need it yet?

AnCapaillMor

calex71 wrote: »

Whats co-op like in this guys? Got it on friday but haven't started it yet. Wondering if it's worth doing the game in co-op from the outset.

On the being summoned side its handy to scout areas and get souls because if you die you hold onto them, the humanity is andy too. As for summoning very handy against tough bosses.

BTw i read there's 3 roll\maneuvre speeds the slow one, the one below 50% of max equip and a faster at below 25%. Anyone try this and notice a difference?

Big Knox

Deleted User wrote: »

Figured out what I was doing wrong and why I was finding it so difficult - I just wasn't leveling up because i wasn't sure when you had to. So now I've been increasing vitality, strength and dexterity and finding it easier - managed to kill the Taurus Demon finally, but only just.

What are the benefits to reversing the Hallowing? I just did it there and not sure. I'm still in Undead Burgh so not sure if I need it yet?

It allows you to kindle bonfires which gives you an extra 5 flasks for that area but costs humanity!!

You can also summon help while in human form (NPC or another player) the flip side is you can also be invaded!!

Also alot of NPC interactions only happen when you're human. Hope this helps somewhat it can be confusing!!

AnCapaillMor

Deleted User wrote: »

Figured out what I was doing wrong and why I was finding it so difficult - I just wasn't leveling up because i wasn't sure when you had to. So now I've been increasing vitality, strength and dexterity and finding it easier - managed to kill the Taurus Demon finally, but only just.

What are the benefits to reversing the Hallowing? I just did it there and not sure. I'm still in Undead Burgh so not sure if I need it yet?

You become not undead, alive basically. You can summon phantoms now, and are open to invasions. Supposedly your resistnces are stronger and heard somewhere there's better drop rates. When alive and if you've the extra humanity, you can pump a humanity(kindle) into a bonfire to increase estus flasks.

Spunge

I dont think you have to be human for better drop rates, just have humanity.

Big Knox

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

On the being summoned side its handy to scout areas and get souls because if you die you hold onto them, the humanity is andy too. As for summoning very handy against tough bosses.

BTw i read there's 3 roll\maneuvre speeds the slow one, the one below 50% of max equip and a faster at below 25%. Anyone try this and notice a difference?

Yeah there's actually 4.

Equip Burden < 100/75/50/25

Below 25% is the fast roll from Demon's Souls and it progressively gets slower the higher you go up.

Even though armour is alot more effective in this I can't play without having fast movement and rolls, below 50% is fine to work with. Havel's ring helps with this alot, it greatly improves your equip burden. You can get it by killing Havel at the bottom of the tower in the Undead Burg at the entrance to Darkroot Basin, you need the basement key to open it!!

kearneybobs

Oh god, what have I let myself in for? Started it last night and just kept dying. The combat is something that I've yet to master.
No pausing? What is up with that?

Anyone got any tips for starting off? Finished the tutorial level and the bird has just dropped me off.

F1ngers

calex71 wrote: »

Whats co-op like in this guys? Got it on friday but haven't started it yet. Wondering if it's worth doing the game in co-op from the outset.

Big Knox wrote: »

It's not by nature a game you co-op through, you can't co-op with friends. It's a summon system done to keep the nature of the game dark and isolated.

The only time you should really summon help is if you get stuck on a particular boss that you can't kill solo. Really good system but just to confirm don't expect to buy the game and co-op through it with friends!!

I don't know if you can co-op the whole game with a friend, but I see no reason why you can't.

For example, F1ngers and calex71 are both level 10 - I go to some obscure spot, smash a box/crate and drop a summon request, calex71 knowing where to look see's my request and accepts.
No point in doing it on a main pathway as anyone can then join you.

It should work.

kearneybobs wrote: »

No pausing? What is up with that?

Haha..
I remember the first time I "paused" Demon's Souls and the fight kept going on with me dying in the end...lol.

Big Knox

F1ngers wrote: »

I don't know if you can co-op the whole game with a friend, but I see no reason why you can't.

For example, F1ngers and calex71 are both level 10 - I go to some obscure spot, smash a box/crate and drop a summon request, calex71 knowing where to look see's my request and accepts.
No point in doing it on a main pathway as anyone can then join you.

It should work.

While technically you could do that it would be ridiculously unpractical. As a phantom you don't get the boss kill so you would have to take turns summoning each other in every area killing the boss twice. Also you would need a humanity for every area so you can keep changing to a hollow and back and you would run out fairly quick!!

AnCapaillMor

Big Knox wrote: »

Even though armour is alot more effective in this I can't play without having fast movement and rolls, below 50% is fine to work with. Havel's ring helps with this alot, it greatly improves your equip burden. You can get it by killing Havel at the bottom of the tower in the Undead Burg at the entrance to Darkroot Basin, you need the basement key to open it!!

Ah the dude with the giant dildo, must've backstabbed him 12 times. Very handy ring as leather armour was the best i could equip. If dark is anything like demons, armour won't matter in NG+.

Big Knox

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

Ah the dude with the giant dildo, must've backstabbed him 12 times. Very handy ring as leather armour was the best i could equip. If dark is anything like demons, armour won't matter in NG+.

Yeah that's him the slowest man in Dark Souls!! :P

Armour has changed this time around, straight up turtle builds are viable. Versions of Hyper armour are in which gives huge physical resistances and allows you to not get interrupted when attacking and with the changes to Resistances and resistances now being a stat itself early indications show armour will make a difference which is good to see!!