Dark Soul's: Prepare to Die Edition (PC)

[TehBluebear]

I've been on there before, was tempted by the GABEN shield I have to say

EDIT: How can you see the names of NPC's and places? Didn't even know the 'starting' area after the Asylum was Firelink Shrine until I checked the wiki.

EDIT2: How important is timing to do a parry and risposte? Every time I try it, it just looks like a normal block and then a seperate light attack?

 

[Winky_The_Winking_Turtle]

I've been on there before, was tempted by the GABEN shield I have to say

EDIT: How can you see the names of NPC's and places? Didn't even know the 'starting' area after the Asylum was Firelink Shrine until I checked the wiki.

EDIT2: How important is timing to do a parry and risposte? Every time I try it, it just looks like a normal block and then a seperate light attack?

For places, I thought when you enter a new area it say at the top of the screen "Firelink Shone" for example? As for NPC's, they will drop name's into conversations. That's what I love about dark souls story, it's there, present in the world around you, but it isn't forced upon you, if you want to learn about the lore, etc, the game drip feeds you sippets of story that you as the player has to patch together (or ofcourse, look at the wiki )

You will want to get good a parry/riposte. If you preform a good parry, the should hear is before anything. It makes like a "bwoah" sound D) and the enemy will remain defenceless for a few seconds. Attack when he's open, use R1 (dunno xbox, using PS£ controller) and you shall receive the satisfying animation of plunging your weapon straight through the enemies chest

 

[agnes]

I'm cack at parrying! I'm more of a blocking person, need to learn how to dodge roll as well! Never bother with it! Guess because my endurance isn't high enough thus I mid roll.

 

[Winky_The_Winking_Turtle]

I'm cack at parrying! I'm more of a blocking person, need to learn how to dodge roll as well! Never bother with it! Guess because my endurance isn't high enough thus I mid roll.

I would suggest practising parrying on the undead in the undead burg. Parrying takes some time to get used to, but it is vital (well, not really , but it is useful to know) to get the basics down for later in the game.

 

[Moothead2]

I would suggest practising parrying on the undead in the undead burg. Parrying takes some time to get used to, but it is vital (well, not really , but it is useful to know) to get the basics down for later in the game.

Pfft, they're harder to parry than Gwyn . The easiest enemies to parry in my opinion are probably the Black Knight (Sword) and the Silver Knights in Anor Londo.

 

[TehBluebear]

Having serious problems with Dark Souls now. Got home, started it up, and it's just point blank refusing to work, with or without DSFix. Goes straight into 'Not Responding' as soon as it starts up, nothing is displayed other than a black window.

 

[Witcher1979]

Having serious problems with Dark Souls now. Got home, started it up, and it's just point blank refusing to work, with or without DSFix. Goes straight into 'Not Responding' as soon as it starts up, nothing is displayed other than a black window.

Did you add the cdkey to steam? if so try to verify the files.

 

[TehBluebear]

Did you add the cdkey to steam? if so try to verify the files.

Yes, CD key is in Steam and Windows Live.

Every time I verify the game, it always says one file was missing, with a GfWL Redistributable kicking in if I start the game after. Still crashes, no matter how many times I redo the game file verification.

It was working fine last night. Windows has done quite a few updates since however, could that have caused it?

EDIT: going to uninstall GfWL and re-install, hopefully that does something.

EDIT2: It was still crashing after the GfWL re-install, in a last resort I tried to start up the game without the 360 controller plugged in, and wahlah!, it was fine. Plugged the controller back in, and the game still ran fine, so no idea what happened there!

 

[Davey_Pitch]

EDIT2: How important is timing to do a parry and risposte? Every time I try it, it just looks like a normal block and then a seperate light attack?

If it looks like a normal block (ie, your guy holds his shield straight up) then you're using the wrong button. You have to use LT/L2, and your guy will swing his shield out. If you time it right, you'll do the parry. Best to practise on the guys up the stairs from the first bonfire in Firelink, as if you screw up and die you can easily get your souls back.

 

[Davey_Pitch]

I'm cack at parrying! I'm more of a blocking person, need to learn how to dodge roll as well! Never bother with it! Guess because my endurance isn't high enough thus I mid roll.

Heh, if you want to learn dodge rolling, try a playthrough like mine! With base level health and endurance, I don't have enough stamina to hold block continually, nor enough health to take more than one or two hits. You learn to get good at dodge rolling very quickly!

Speaking of my playthrough, Sif, Ceaseless Discharge, Demon Firesage and the Centipede Demon all done in one hit each. Only a few bosses left to do now, though I think I might have to settle for 2 hits on a couple of the bosses as they simply have too much health.

 

[n3vrmind]

They key to parry is to watch the enemy's attack animation because it will be split into two parts

the part where they draw back/prepare to swing, if you panic and hit parry then its going to be too soon and you'll miss

the part where they actually attack/lunge forward is when you want to hit the parry button

 

[Davey_Pitch]

Yup, I'd say it's much more important to watch the hands of your enemy rather than the weapon itself. When the hand swings towards you, parry that. It's a trick that certainly helped me get better at parrying.

 

[TehBluebear]

By the way, I didn't even know about the ability to sprint and jump until I asked a mate how on earth to get to a ledge in Undead Burg... Did I miss that completely in the 'tutorial'?

 

[Davey_Pitch]

By the way, I didn't even know about the ability to sprint and jump until I asked a mate how on earth to get to a ledge in Undead Burg... Did I miss that completely in the 'tutorial'?

I think (it's been a while since I paid any attention to the tutorial) that it does show up, perhaps when the Asylum Demon first drops down.

 

[agnes]

Heh, if you want to learn dodge rolling, try a playthrough like mine! With base level health and endurance, I don't have enough stamina to hold block continually, nor enough health to take more than one or two hits. You learn to get good at dodge rolling very quickly!

Speaking of my playthrough, Sif, Ceaseless Discharge, Demon Firesage and the Centipede Demon all done in one hit each. Only a few bosses left to do now, though I think I might have to settle for 2 hits on a couple of the bosses as they simply have too much health.

What sort of playthrough are you doing???? Lol, please explain in dummy details Are you making your self overpowered to get these 1 hits but sacrificing your health and endurance?

They key to parry is to watch the enemy's attack animation because it will be split into two parts

the part where they draw back/prepare to swing, if you panic and hit parry then its going to be too soon and you'll miss

the part where they actually attack/lunge forward is when you want to hit the parry button

Yup, I'd say it's much more important to watch the hands of your enemy rather than the weapon itself. When the hand swings towards you, parry that. It's a trick that certainly helped me get better at parrying.

I struggle though, I always do it too early lol. I guess it's because I just don't know the speed or what attacks will be coming my way yet. Don't know the game well enough

 

[Davey_Pitch]

What sort of playthrough are you doing???? Lol, please explain in dummy details Are you making your self overpowered to get these 1 hits but sacrificing your health and endurance?

Hmmm, am I making myself owerpowered? That's a yes and no answer. I'll explain.

My current challenge was posted on YouTube by Vageta311, and it's a low-level, one shot boss challenge. The aim of the challenge is to earn points you can use to level yourself up, by killing main bosses in 2 hits or less (you earn 2 points for a one hit kill, and 1 point for a 2 hit kill), and by killing mini bosses in one hit. If you can't defeat any given main boss in less than 2 hits (or 3 hits if you're facing the Belfry Gargoyles, Orn and Smough, or Four Kings), then the challenge ends.

In practise, this means that before you can level up even once, you have to be able to kill at least one boss or mini boss in one hit. The only way to do this is by utilising some of the shortcuts (such as going via New Londo Ruins, to Valley of the Drakes, to Darkroot Basin, to Andre the Blacksmith) in the game to get your equipment and pyromancy levelled up as much as you can (as there is simply no way to defeat any of the early bosses without upgrading your equipment).

The trouble with the challenge is that you're always limited on how much you can level up, so you can't simply grind for souls then get to SL120 before blowing through the game. You have to plan ahead, know where and how to upgrade your equipment, and know how you want to level yourself up. I'm currently SL55 in my playthrough (with enough points spare to level up to SL64), and the only stats I've increased are Attunement, Strength, and Intelligence. I've still got base level Vitality and Endurance as I don't want to "waste" points on those stats, as they don't help me output more damage.

At this point in the game I really feel like a glass cannon. I can output tons of damage by using various buffs (Red Tearstone Ring, Power Within, Crown of Dusk, Dragon Torso Stone, etc), but I can rarely take more than one hit. It's made me very good at dodge rolling, riposting, and generally not taking much damage at all.

It's a fun challenge but it's certainly not for everyone. I've had to do at least 10 hours worth of farming in the game, which was really boring. I've grinded for souls, for upgrade materials, and for Dragon Scales, and there were times when I wanted to just end the challenge. It was all worth it though for the feeling I get when I take out someone like Knight Artorias or OnS in one hit.

Hope that explains the challenge enough. I've been recording my efforts and will be uploading to YouTube at some point I think, but if anyone wants to see a particular kill I can upload it separately.

 

[agnes]

Sounds like a lot of fun! I would love to try something like that, first, I would need to learn the game haha.

 

[Davey_Pitch]

Oh, it's definitely a lot of fun, as long as you don't mind the initial grinding. Once you've fully upgraded your Pyromancy Flame and aquired your Dragon Torso Stone (pretty much pre-requisites for the challenge), that's pretty much all the farming done. The trouble is getting the 30 Dragon Scales required can take some time, as they're pretty rare drops, even with maximum Item Discovery. After that, pretty much the main skill is knowing how to get yourself in super-hyper mode (less than 20% health so Red Tearstone activates, while using Power Within) and then killing the boss inside 20 seconds or so. If you can't do it that fast, chances are you won't do it at all. As I said, challenging, but a hell of a lot of fun

 

[Moothead2]

I've decided anyone who dies to the Asylum Demon should be removed from the gene pool . Got my sister's boyfriend to play and told him the controls. He downed all 5 of his Estus before entering the fog gate like an idiot and didn't even do the dropping attack. He killed it and only dodged about 3 of it's attacks .

I am disappoint, Dark Souls.

 

[Davey_Pitch]

To be fai, the Asylum Demon is designed to be difficult, but not overly so. It won't one hit kill you, even with base level Vitality, and if you get a few good hits in you'll have his health down really quickly.

Next time take him down to Havel, that'd be more fun to watch