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Old 19-10-17, 21:36   #901
Yuna´s Wish
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@Blackmoor: Have a go at those blue Crystal Lizards! They give a decent amount of souls and some important crafting materials. They do not respawn, though, so don't count on them to farm anything.

It's good that you managed to kill the Curse Rotted Greatwood (the tree with the sacks of eggs) He's optional but beating it is necessary to unlock some helpful features.

I always ignore the dragon I don't quite remember using a bow in DS3 either! (though I've done it in DS2, in some parts where it's extra helpful to draw certain enemies' attention without luring others) If it's there, it's usable and it's up to the player to choose how to fight.

About dying a lot, it's wonderful that you understand it's (95% of the time) due to your actions or lack of attention. Those who get that will have a better experience than those who keep blaming the game (that can, of course, provide a troublesome camera from time to time...but other than that, all it does is offer a huge playground with basic mechanics to traverse through).

On the undead corpsey look you got for levelling up "for free" and dying afterwards, you can get a definite solution to it without equipping the ring...but it costs and it'll lock you away from some hidden mechanics. There is a third path though: if I remember correctly, the same character that sold you the ring also sells Purging Stones. Buy a few. One will reset your appearance after consumption (but they won't heal your condition). That way you can look alive and have another ring allocated in that slot! Using Purging Stones won't lock the mechanics I mentioned before.

Feel free to talk about it! I like reading your thoughts, plus you're doing great for your first DS game! Having reached the Abyss Watchers means you've gone through many difficult moments and lands...like the dreadful swamps right there. My first experience with a game of the series wasn't as "smooth" as yours!

About DS2, try to play it after you're done with DS3. They're different enough and you might get a bit confused. DS3's gameplay is way more flexible and dynamic. And DS2 can be quite unfair at times, something the other games almost don't do at all.

I'd have gone for Bloodborne. You say you don't use shields...and BB has no shields (I think there are only 2, and they are part of the DLC, and I think they don't quite act as shields). So you might feel more at home there.

@domino: I was also surprised by the no shields statement. It's a playstyle I don't usually choose in DS (unless it's against certain bosses where a shield is as useful as an umbrella in a hurricane).

Last edited by Yuna´s Wish; 19-10-17 at 21:42.
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Old 23-10-17, 16:27   #902
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Just had an amazing couple of sessions completing the Cathedral. Well, I think it's completed, I've finished the boss (which was brilliantly spooky and tension inducing, although not too difficult) but am not totally sure I've covered every little bit.

What I'm really liking about DS is the interconnectedness of the level designs. Locked doors that you have to figure out how to get to and open from the other side, which then become short-cuts. It reminds me of the older TR games - where you're just plonked somewhere and you have to fathom your way through to the bits you can see above or below you, or over there in the distance. And as dominio says, "isolated ruins".

It's extremely rewarding to cover every little nook and cranny. Meanwhile the game doesn't go easy on you, and so actions always have consequences, which makes you (me!) feel extremely apprehensive at all times. I am constantly alert for those little creatures with wizard hats that hang off walls and ceilings ready to pop out on you.

I really struggled on the Crystal Sage boss. I kept getting killed in the crossfire of the supporter mages that were summoned. After about 8 or 9 attempts, I did a summoning, my first and only one so far, and together we did it in about 20 seconds! He deflected a lot of the magic attacks whilst I walloped the thing once and for all.

And it had a very pretty soul. Which is something I always look forward to seeing after defeating a boss! And what I can get for them of course from the small king at the main shrine area.

The Cathedral has felt the trickiest in some ways so far. There was one stretch that I had to repeat a few times because it had this long stretch of different enemy types one after another. It was great though.

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Originally Posted by domino92
Also, you made it this far without a shield on your first playthrough!? May the dodges be good to you, good sir.
Thanks. It's only because I'm even more useless with shields. At one stage I sold them all to get some souls for levelling up... I've now kept a few just in case I need them later.

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I don't quite remember using a bow in DS3 either!
Omg, how can you not have used the bow? I never use bows in games if I can help it, but with this game it's constantly out. I'm such a scaredy cat that whenever I see something big I see if I can pick it off from a distance. I swear some of these enemies terrify me. Even today I have literally yelped when this large spider creature popped out on me.

I decided to not buy the cure for my hollowing - it's too expensive - so I'll just keep the ring on. I get the feeling (rightly or wrongly) that none of these buffs and things you get from rings and damage protection you get from clothes are that brilliant, so I won't miss a ring space I think. I don't seem to notice a massive difference from wearing these things. But maybe that's just me.

My DS2 copy has arrived, but I won't play it until I've finished DS3. I got it because I've seen enough of DS now to know that I love the general gameplay. And that even if I can't manage it past the truly hellish bosses of DS3 (that I just know are coming later, ), I can still play the early bits of the games and have fun.

Last edited by Blackmoor; 23-10-17 at 16:38.
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Old 23-10-17, 21:50   #903
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The question I had in mind to ask you after you finished was whether you found exploration to be more tombraiderish than anything branded TR today (it's also way more residentevilish than Resident Evil to me). I'm yet to play a series with better exploration circumstances. It proves that a game doesn't need to be open world or with huge hubs filled with pointless collectibles to have you 'exploring'. This is one of the (many) reasons why I think these series (seemingly over) remain as one of a kind among nowadays games. I'm happy you found something TRish about it

Like you point out, exploration is rewarding. For whatever reason it is. You might find souls. Or amazing enemies. Even rings or cool armor pieces or weapons (which could turn out to be or not of use...but there is variety to cater to everyone's stats and/or likes). Or maybe all of the above! Dark Souls wouldn't be afraid to throw a couple of T.rexes in China because they don't give a ****. And it's not to say things are random...oh, no, there's a story to everything, but it's so cleverly told that you THINK it's random (though, to be fair, a couple of things MUST be random, no matter how much we read between lines. But fan theories are always amazing to read about).

And you play the entire game with the (so rare these days) fear of DEATH. You DON'T want to lose your souls! Hell, it's such a simple concept. And if you screw up, TRY AGAIN, from your last haven!

About level design, if you ever end up buying the first DS...well, you'll find DS3 to be pitiful. Bloodborne and DS1 do a much better job with their level design. I hope you end up playing both to see what I'm talking about!

And about the bow...wait until you lose your fear. You'll want to go all close and personal with every creature, no matter how many teeth or how rotten they are or how fast they move. You'll gain confidence and melee everything

Oh, and the path to the Cathedral is madness. There are quite a few similar moments in the series. After a few retries, you might find that running all the way without killing anyone (or as less as possible) is the best and most fun way! You also become more confident at dodging, and you get to learn how the enemies move and attack, and how much they are willing to follow you! When jumping across narrow bridges and ledges, it can be quite a dance! If you haven't tried it yet, do it! Even running is rewarding, for the adrenaline it entails.


EDIT: and you might be doing it already, but be sure to read as many items' descriptions as possible. Mainly those of bosses' souls, weapons and magic. The lore told through them is fascinating. And much more is to be found across every other piece of equipment and key items, but they are so many that it can take quite some time...so take these as 'optional', if you please.

Last edited by Yuna´s Wish; 23-10-17 at 21:56.
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Old 24-10-17, 14:34   #904
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Y'all getting me tempted to get DS3 for ps4 as well, even though I'll be well busy for quite a while with Bloodborne still.
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Old 24-10-17, 15:59   #905
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^Go on, do it, it'd be nice to have someone else playing whilst I am.
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Old 24-10-17, 18:05   #906
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Y'all getting me tempted to get DS3 for ps4 as well, even though I'll be well busy for quite a while with Bloodborne still.
Do it!!!

Though this is your first time with BB, isn't it? You told me you didn't have a PS4 some time ago, right? If so, and if you intend to get all the juice out of BB, it'll be a long time until you touch DS3

I'm playing DS3 too, Blackmoor got me in the mood! I'm about to move to NG+ with my character "Geralt" (who looks nothing like The Witcher, but I like the name for a videogame character. Even a "Geralt of Rivia" would be perfect, since NPCs are called in such manner -Yuria of Londor, Irina of Carim...-) but I have to do some clean up before moving on. I'm lvl 107 and I wield a katana (paired up with the Shield of Want, that gives more souls). Nothing extraordinary, but I'm comfortable with this playstyle.
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Old 24-10-17, 18:46   #907
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Sure is. And I'm moving through BB at a dreadfully slow pace - still barely getting used to the controller over my trusty k+m. :'( I mean Father Gascoigne took nearly 20 attempts mostly because I'm still so useless with it.

I only clocked a little over 12 hours at it, and am only at the Gatling gun portion of Old Yharnam. I actually started playing the game nearly 4 months ago...

But to be fair on myself I only recently resumed gaming, and at the moment am overly occupied with replaying The Witcher 3 on the console anyway. I bought a bunch of other games I already played in the past on PC, it's a habit at this point, so might as well add DS3 to the mix.
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Old 24-10-17, 19:03   #908
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Father Gascoigne is brutal. Easily the toughest beast in the soulsborne games for a first boss. I think it's not about playing with k+m or PS4 controller, it's that he's brutal

I can see the Witcher taking your time. How was your PC? Is playing on PS4 an upgrade in comparison or you had a more powerful machine?
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Old 24-10-17, 19:22   #909
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Originally Posted by Yuna´s Wish View Post
Father Gascoigne is brutal. Easily the toughest beast in the soulsborne games for a first boss. I think it's not about playing with k+m or PS4 controller, it's that he's brutal

I can see the Witcher taking your time. How was your PC? Is playing on PS4 an upgrade in comparison or you had a more powerful machine?
Oh PS4 is definitely a downgrade, but it's basically an involuntary one anyway. I moved to a different country, couldn't have been arsed taking my PC with me, and the PS4 was already here, so...the rest is history.
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Old 24-10-17, 20:05   #910
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Oh PS4 is definitely a downgrade


I hope you have a good time with it though! And that it has more exclusives that grab your attention besides Bloodborne
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