From Software The Dark Souls Discussion Thread

[Invictus]

I understand the chugging and droped frame here and there when the game is loading a new area or displaying too many firebombs or the dust effect from a demon jumping or smashing its club, but the chugging when coming in from a load screen because of the new textures is something I simply dont care much for a bit of eye candy the game doesnt need much to be honest
I am one of those "30 locked" rather than eyecandy, for a action based game performance to me is king

 

[Perkel]

Took me 80 hours to finish DS1 first time I played it. I don't understand how you people do it in 50. Why rush things, don't you ever explore or just read items descriptions, or talk to NPCs?

First time for me was around 60 hours. And i did all of what you say unless you mean using someting like gamefaq to "see everything" in which case i wish you were raped by throng of dirty Bedouins.

 

[Explorerbc]

Did you found havel's armor on your own ?

Yes, I don't remember if the wall was looking weird of if I saw some message on the floor.

Took me 80 hours to finish DS1 first time I played it. I don't understand how you people do it in 50. Why rush things, don't you ever explore or just read items descriptions, or talk to NPCs?

I don't really think I rushed it until near the end where I was quite OP and just steamrolled everything. I spent a lot of time attempting bosses and backtracking up until I rang the two bells. From what I read 50-60 is the average.

The one thing that probably saved me some time was knowing which locations to visit in what order, but I still saw and cleared everything. Game would have been more atmospheric if I discovered that shit on my own, but there is no way in hell I would have guessed you can return to the asylum, enter the world of Ariamis, find the Ash Lake etc. so I don't regret it.

 

[Perkel]

The one thing that probably saved me some time was knowing which locations to visit in what order, but I still saw and cleared everything. Game would have been more atmospheric if I discovered that shit on my own, but there is no way in hell I would have guessed you can return to the asylum, enter the world of Ariamis, find the Ash Lake etc. so I don't regret it.

Those things are there for replay value exactly. Chance is that for first playtrough that you won't find out about them. But when you roll up new char try things differently you may figure them out.

I found out about ash lake on my own when i first played it because second time i played remembered that some chest were mimics and i hit that second chest illusory wall.

Undead asylum was pretty easy.

What would be hard to find on your own would be Keethe or whatever that snake was called. No way i hell i would go first for 4 kings without taking lordvassel first to Framps

 

[Explorerbc]

Those things are there for replay value exactly. Chance is that for first playtrough that you won't find out about them. But when you roll up new char try things differently you may figure them out.

Yeah I know but I don't really have the time or the interest to replay games anymore. Once I see that credits screen, it's gone, on to the next one. That's why I always feel the urge to complete as much as I can and I end up looking up stuff to make sure I didn't miss something.

 

[Zep Zepo]

Those things are there for replay value exactly. Chance is that for first playtrough that you won't find out about them. But when you roll up new char try things differently you may figure them out.

Yeah I know but I don't really have the time or the interest to replay games anymore. Once I see that credits screen, it's gone, on to the next one. That's why I always feel the urge to complete as much as I can and I end up looking up stuff to make sure I didn't miss something.

I play until the credits roll. I forget what game, prolly some UbiSoft shit game..the credits rolled and I was like "to them" only 20% done? Because I didn't chase down and collect 20,000 whats its or multi-kill 20 guards with only the dildo while blindfolded or some shit?

Fuck that gotta collect em all mentality.

Zep--

 

[DramaticPopcorn]

FPS on other hand in Dark Souls heavily relly on CPU. The faster it is the more places you can get at 60fps. With my i5 i can get almost all of them - parts of demon ruins. People on upclocked K versions said they don't experience slowdowns.

I have an i7 3770k and I had problems with FPS and HD texture pack

 

[Invictus]

Fuck the HD texture pack, the game looks just fine without it
Fucking hard to resist watching those Vaati videos on DS3 right now...looks like they are preparing a greatest hits with a lot of old faces coming back to say goodbye, even from Dark Souls 2
Some may call it fan service but Miyasaki is too cool for that, probably gonna come out with a "history repeats itself until the first sin is fixed"

 

[Perkel]

FPS on other hand in Dark Souls heavily relly on CPU. The faster it is the more places you can get at 60fps. With my i5 i can get almost all of them - parts of demon ruins. People on upclocked K versions said they don't experience slowdowns.

I have an i7 3770k and I had problems with FPS and HD texture pack

let me guess you used SSAO and few other things from DSfix ? Because all of those tank framerate a lot.

 

[DramaticPopcorn]

FPS on other hand in Dark Souls heavily relly on CPU. The faster it is the more places you can get at 60fps. With my i5 i can get almost all of them - parts of demon ruins. People on upclocked K versions said they don't experience slowdowns.

I have an i7 3770k and I had problems with FPS and HD texture pack

let me guess you used SSAO and few other things from DSfix ? Because all of those tank framerate a lot.

Nope. I dicked a lot with DSFix to make HD textures work but it never did

 

[Raghar]

FPS on other hand in Dark Souls heavily relly on CPU. The faster it is the more places you can get at 60fps. With my i5 i can get almost all of them - parts of demon ruins. People on upclocked K versions said they don't experience slowdowns.

I never experienced any slowdowns. And DS is very GFX undemanding, at least until you use DSfix. The only slowdown are when opponents can't find path to you and pathfinding is trying again and again.

SL 107 after 167 hours. Blind first time playtrough. I even saved Solaire. (But missed witch clothes.)

 

[index.php]

Golden Joystick is giving away free steam keys for Dark Souls:

http://store.goldenjoystick.com/free-dark-souls

(UK/EU only)

 

[Ivan]

can someone explain the praise for Anor Londo? I never got the hype. It's much more linear than the previous parts of the game. If it's just for O&S, fine, but the level design was p. meh there imo. Painted World itself > Anor Londo

 

[Jack Dandy]

I remember Anor Londo being "Praised" as the part where the game's quality took a nose-dive.
Only thing it has going for it are Beavis n' Butthead and the pretty vista in the beginning.

 

[Raghar]

can someone explain the praise for Anor Londo? I never got the hype. It's much more linear than the previous parts of the game. If it's just for O&S, fine, but the level design was p. meh there imo. Painted World itself > Anor Londo

It looks cute.

 

[Lyric Suite]

It looked pretty. In game where atmosphere plays a big role, variety in the scenery can be a memorable thing in itself. The contrast was all the more striking considering what came before.

Personally, i think the problem with it is that aside for the cathedral, it was specifically designed for pvp, which i don't think panned out like they thought it would.

 

[Seaking4]

It was the last real challenge of the game. Had some fun enemies to fight along the way with some interesting challenges to overcome. A phenomenal boss fight. I don't know if it is the best part of the game but it sure was great.

 

[Jezal_k23]

The level I personally like the most is, honestly, probably Blighttown, since it was there that I reached what were definitely the greatest heights of despair in my entire first playthrough (being so deep down and so far from Firelink Shrine, coupled with the fact that the level was genuinely fucking tough and also being unable to teleport out like you can from the start in DS2), and the satisfaction that I got from beating it is unlike anything else I've experienced later on. No following area got to me the same way (no, not even Anor Londo and O&S).

Overall though I think the whole early-mid game up to Anor Londo is superb. After that something definitely happens and it's just not as great as before, but I can't put my finger on why exactly (since I also like the Tomb of the Giants quite a bit and also the Duke's Archives except for the Crystal Cave segment). New Londo Ruins is also fine I guess. The worst offender is obviously Lost Izalith though, easily the worst level in the game along with Bed of Chaos which can fuck right off.

 

[Raghar]

Bed of Chaos which can fuck right off.

There is easy way to defeat it.

 

[Kutulu]

Only part i hate is the Tomb of the giants, every other area is ok including lost izalith, just bed sucks massive amounts of cock.

 

[Lyric Suite]

Tomb of Giants was amazing.

 

[Ivan]

Amazing? Hardly.

 

[Cowboy Moment]

Main problem with the endgame is that you go from tentatively exploring an unknown and dangerous world to being given a checklist of things to do and bonfire warping to make doing them more convenient. DS2 had the better idea for endgame structure, but then proceeded to fuck up the execution with the giant memories and other bullshit.

 

[Invictus]

Anor Londo was very atmospheric, and while it is very linear is is supposed to be a respite after Zens and the gameplay presentation of the place is top notch; unlike the other levels that have a very video gamey feel of running through a maze, the sheer size of Anor Londo and the gods who live there works very effectively to make you feel awe. It is one of the less commented parts of the design of the Souls series; having contrasting levels and tone for thise levels just makes the game click.
I used to think Latria was the best level level in the series, and it still probably is, but when you stretch that concept for a whole game (Bloodborne) it loses its efectiveness by having that caustrophobic "anothet gothic ruin" feel and the game becomes kind of heavy handed.
Dark Souls is still amazing with that concept of mixing things up to feel both the dark dungeons, intricate interconected levels and making you feel like a tiny intruder in the realm of the so called gods

 

[DramaticPopcorn]

The Crystal Library was my favourite area ever