From Software Elden Ring - From Software's new game with writing by GRRM

[KIss My Ass]

It's pathetic that it is taking me so long

She's the hardest boss in the game and probably one of the hardest bosses ever, strictly because of cheap cheesy bullshit, and you're doing lvl 1 run because you hate yourself apparently. It was always going to take a long time. I hope you don't expect this crazy feat to get you pussy. You will be disappointed my friend.

 

[Lyric Suite]

Well, there's also the fact i'm totally burned out and bored to shit with the game now.

I wanted to take a few days off but now i can't go back to the game at all. I'm kinda bipolar when it comes to games i get obsessed over them for a time then once i come crashing down it's like i can't even think about them anymore without flinching in disgust.

I'm not gonna take seven months like last time to get back to it but i need some vacation time, as after Malenia i still have Farum Azula and several bosses still it's too much for me to handle right now.

 

[KIss My Ass]

Well, there's also the fact i'm totally burned out and bored to shit with the game now.

I wanted to take a few days off but now i can't go back to the game at all. I'm kinda bipolar when it comes to games i get obsessed over them for a time then once i come crashing down it's like i can't even think about them anymore without flinching in disgust.

I'm not gonna take seven months like last time to get back to it but i need some vacation time, as after Malenia i still have Farum Azula and several bosses still it's too much for me to handle right now.

I don't know why you would attempt that shit in the first place. Sounds like the exact opposite of fun. I'd rather chop my dick off.

Might I recommend you try the new Zelda? It's enjoyable in alot of the same ways Elden Ring is minus the masochistic qualities. I felt like Elden Ring borrowed some ideas from BotW and TotK is the same game but better.

 

[Lyric Suite]

I don't have a problem with masochism. I actually enjoy it. What broke me down is the size of the game, not the SL1 challenge per-se. I was already sick of the game before i reached Malenia and when i couldn't beat her after several days the burn out just came crushing down on me like a ton bricks. Just gotta take several weeks off to reset myself.

 

[Skinwalker]

Wait, why were you doing a SL1 run of Elden Ring???

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

Wait, why were you doing a SL1 run of Elden Ring???

It's kind of a challenge in souls games, or rpgs in general, to complete the game without leveling up. It's also kind of encouraged by the inclusion of a level 1 class with no equipment, all of the others have better levels and stats and starting equipment. Similarly, there's a "only use your starting weapon" challenge. There's this dude who made a no hit run through all the souls games too.

 

[Skinwalker]

Yes, but Elden Ring is so huge...

 

[Skinwalker]

Finally made it to the actual Haligtree. Such a welcome change of scenery after endless snow... except I'll still have the eastern side of the mountaintops to explore after that.

I stand by what I said previously: the snow level is too big and not visually varied/interesting enough to be warranted in such amounts. It's like Ashes of Ariandel 2.0, with similar problems (including highly understated/underdeveloped questlines, Latenna cumming into a giant sleeping version of herself was underwhelming to say the least).

Bad studio, bad! Repeating same mistakes every time! No lunch or dinner this week! Fat cow! *cracks whip*

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

You're getting closer and closer to Malenia :D What level are you?

 

[Ivan]

looking forward to the DLC/ 2nd playtrhough. I never found the fire/lava castle. I was just transported to snake boss via the chick

 

[Skinwalker]

You're getting closer and closer to Malenia :D What level are you?

 

[Caim]

45 Vigor? Oh dear...

 

[mediocrepoet]

I was more noting that he likes playing an almost naked muscle guy. I find it profoundly unsurprising.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

I was more noting that he likes playing an almost naked muscle guy. I find it profoundly unsurprising.

does the majesty of a well toned muscular man upsets you in any way?

 

[Skinwalker]

45 Vigor? Oh dear...

40 Vigor. I have talismans equipped that give me +5 to physical stats and +3 to spellcasting ones. Yes, I know they make me take more damage.

I was more noting that he likes playing an almost naked muscle guy.

I tried to make my PC look as similar to me IRL as possible.

 

[Skinwalker]

I see why people have been hyping up Malenia. Difficult, but entertainingly difficult boss fight. Took about 30 attempts, experimenting with various talismans and status effects, until I decided to capitalize on parrying her attacks to stagger her (and bleed grease). After that, it went fairly straightforwardly. Reminded me of Nameless King and Midir: every time you lose, you feel like you learn a little bit more about your opponent, until you eventually git gut.

Spoiler

Oh, and Millicent's quest ended about as pointlessly as all the others. Turns out, *gasp*, she was Malenia's "daughter" (probably, some kind of clone), but didn't want to be controlled by the needle... or something? Wasn't she already taken over by the rot? How is that any better? Oh right, it's a soulsgame, every NPC has to die at the end of their questline.

FS really has only one character quest that they copy endlessly with minimal variation.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

FS really has only one character quest that they copy endlessly with minimal variation.

What part of

These quests never have any satisfying endings, do they?

Welcome to the Souls series!

did you not understand?

 

[Dhaze]

FS really has only one character quest that they copy endlessly with minimal variation.

I've previously put forth the notion that for all the imaginativeness in the series, there's also a weird sort of 'creative bankruptcy' at work when it comes to FromSoft and Demon's Souls / Dark Souls 1 – 2 – 3 / Elden Ring.

And it's not only the typical character quest almost copy-pasted all over the place. It's more than that, and some people call it winks or easter eggs, or homages, or simply an efficient re-use of assets; but I think literally transposing names, ideas, and wholesale characters, from game to game, is something different.

– Miralda recycled into Mildred recycled into Melinda recycled into Madwoman recycled into Anastasia.
– Capra Demon recycled into Omen Killer.
– Boreal Outrider Knight recycled into Bloodhound Knight.
– Storm Ruler copy-pasted into Storm Ruler recycled into Serpent-Hunter.
– Vanguard Demon recycled into Asylum Demon recycled into Erdtree Avatar.
– Giant Blacksmith recycled into Iji.
– Thralls recycled into Imps.
– Alvina recycled into Sweet Shalquoir.
– Yuria being literally copy-pasted.
– Imperfects recycled into Monstrous Dogs.
– Phalanx recycled into Shielded Silver Tear.
– Kaathe and Frampt recycled into Two Fingers and Three Fingers.
– Lautrec's armor recycled into D's armor.
– Blind girl named Irina of Carim, defended by a knight from Morne, recycled into blind girl named Irina of Castle Morne.

Etc, etc, etc. That's just off the top of my head; fresh from my Elden Ring playthrough I had dozens of examples in mind. And to a much smaller degree it even reaches into Bloodborne and Sekiro: Manus / Cleric Beast / Demon Of Hatred are basically the same horse with a different wig.

That's in big part why, when I finished playing Elden Ring, I sadly felt as if I had already played it numerous times. Because in a way, I had.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

FS fans are aware of that, they just wanna fight more things. Gameplay is the key preoccupation of the fanbase and stuff like lore or story is pretty secondary, no matter what Vaati might want you to believe. You have people playing games "for the story", but this isn't common in Souls games.

 

[Elttharion]

 

[Dhaze]

FS fans are aware of that, they just wanna fight more things. Gameplay is the key preoccupation of the fanbase and stuff like lore or story is pretty secondary, no matter what Vaati might want you to believe. You have people playing games "for the story", but this isn't common in Souls games.

I don't know how mentionning lore and story pertains to what I said. Possibly, you misinterpreted my point? I'm a gameplay-first kind of guy; never cared much for what story there was in those titles, and can't stand people like Vaati who will elucubrate for hours about nothing.

 

[Skinwalker]

– Miralda recycled into Mildred recycled into Melinda recycled into Madwoman recycled into Anastasia.
– Capra Demon recycled into Omen Killer.
– Boreal Outrider Knight recycled into Bloodhound Knight.
– Storm Ruler copy-pasted into Storm Ruler recycled into Serpent-Hunter.
– Vanguard Demon recycled into Asylum Demon recycled into Erdtree Avatar.
– Giant Blacksmith recycled into Iji.
– Thralls recycled into Imps.
– Alvina recycled into Sweet Shalquoir.
– Yuria being literally copy-pasted.
– Imperfects recycled into Monstrous Dogs.
– Phalanx recycled into Shielded Silver Tear.
– Kaathe and Frampt recycled into Two Fingers and Three Fingers.
– Lautrec's armor recycled into D's armor.
– Blind girl named Irina of Carim, defended by a knight from Morne, recycled into blind girl named Irina of Castle Morne.

Much of these are simple reused assets, which are explainable by cutting costs related to creating new 3D models/movesets/etc.

The creative bankruptcy when it comes to things like writing, otoh, is inexplicable. Is it really that hard to find someone who can write more compelling questlines and characters?

Ranni's questline is the only one that seems like a little bit of effort went into it. Some weeb must have really had a hard-on for witch dolls, or something.

 

[Skinwalker]

Not entirely sure how I ended up in Crumbling Farum Azula (story-wise, that is), or what this place is even supposed to be (other than weird and messy), but I'm spending way too much time trying to find every possible path in this level. It's clearly a re-tread of the Archdragon Peak from DS3, but not nearly as good as that area was.

The infamous Godskin Duo went down in two attempts. Reduvia works wonders on those fat fucks.

Oh, and Alexander got smashed. Rest in pieces. You were a sympathetic side-character in a souls game, therefore your questline was to invariably end in death. FS doesn't know of any other way to end a character's story.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

Not entirely sure how I ended up in Crumbling Farum Azula (story-wise, that is), or what this place is even supposed to be (other than weird and messy), but I'm spending way too much time trying to find every possible path in this level. It's clearly a re-tread of the Archdragon Peak from DS3, but not nearly as good as that area was.

The infamous Godskin Duo went down in two attempts. Reduvia works wonders on those fat fucks.

Oh, and Alexander got smashed. Rest in pieces. You were a sympathetic side-character in a souls game, therefore your questline was to invariably end in death. FS doesn't know of any other way to end a character's story.

the beast you fight is basically Marika's Blaidd. With him gone, the path to him/her/it is clear.
When you dispose of him, go to that weird church thing in Caelid. The one where you give the death roots.

 

[Nathir]

Not entirely sure how I ended up in Crumbling Farum Azula (story-wise, that is), or what this place is even supposed to be (other than weird and messy), but I'm spending way too much time trying to find every possible path in this level. It's clearly a re-tread of the Archdragon Peak from DS3, but not nearly as good as that area was.

The infamous Godskin Duo went down in two attempts. Reduvia works wonders on those fat fucks.

Oh, and Alexander got smashed. Rest in pieces. You were a sympathetic side-character in a souls game, therefore your questline was to invariably end in death. FS doesn't know of any other way to end a character's story.

What?? Farum Azula is way better than Archdragon peak... It's not even close. As for the story, I too don't know why you reappear in Farum Azula. I mean, I know you have to go there to kill the final boss, and why you have to kill him. And that Melina is the one who sends you there. But I have no explanation how it works, and there is some time fuckery involved aswell, probably.