From Software The Dark Souls Discussion Thread

[Black Angel]

This only shows how differently the game is felt by different players, which is a quality I guess.

I find the whole Soulsborne series is at it's best when you don't know what will come from a corner, the threat is up close and personal, and ambience is dark to capitalize on this. So levels like Tomb of Giants and New Londo (and Bloodborne's Upper Carhedral and Forbidden Forest) are superbly tense for me, while Dukes Archives with it's day lighting and long range/no surprise encounters is one of the weakest. And I'm not even counting that dreaded crystal cave at the end.

And really, Dukes Archive reminiscent of Latria? This is a joke right?

Duke's Archives did the tension differently. We can argue that they did the first encounter with Sseth Seath poorly, because dying is for some reason a must. But that first time waking up in the prison tower, with the cutscene where a snakeman pulled a lever to sound the alarm, was truly nerve-wracking to the point of possible panic. Navigating the Archives past the prison tower is also pretty tense because of the levels layout and bonfire placement (we also can't deny DS1 did the bonfire placement the best out of all the Fromsoft's games during the 2010s, not counting Demon's Souls because I haven't personally played it).

Makes sense. But then even Dukes Archives is easy peasy on subsequent playthroughs and you know where to go and what to do. I just did it now by flashing through the chanellers and got to crystal cave in 10 min.

Come on, now. This doesn't apply only to Duke's Archives. We can spend the next few posts and pages discussing how each and every area, in every Soulsborne games, becoming piss easy on subsequent playthroughs, where we know where to go and what to do, and only retards would argue otherwise.

 

[Silva]

Come on, now. This doesn't apply only to Duke's Archives. We can spend the next few posts and pages discussing how each and every area, in every Soulsborne games, becoming piss easy on subsequent playthroughs, where we know where to go and what to do, and only retards would argue otherwise.

That was exactly my point to Luttes, and why I said we should only analyse levels through the lens of unfamiliarity (even if partial/after a long absence):

(quoting my last post) "Overall, I think it's only worth discussing levels quality on the couple first playthroughs or when you're far away from the games a long time and forgot details of the levels. If you know them as the palm of your hand, the discussion becomes moot."

Duke's Archives did the tension differently. We can argue that they did the first encounter with Sseth Seath poorly, because dying is for some reason a must. But that first time waking up in the prison tower, with the cutscene where a snakeman pulled a lever to sound the alarm, was truly nerve-wracking to the point of possible panic. Navigating the Archives past the prison tower is also pretty tense because of the levels layout and bonfire placement (we also can't deny DS1 did the bonfire placement the best out of all the Fromsoft's games during the 2010s, not counting Demon's Souls because I haven't personally played it).

Yeah, the alarm part with the lovecraftian monsters is tense, I give you that.

 

[Strange Fellow]

When I tried a level 1 shieldless playthrough the archives were the location I had the most trouble with, for some reason. Sure, that's a gimmick run, but even playing regularly I've never found them extraordinarily easy, if anything they're a cut above the other post-lordvessel paths for relying on ranged enemies. All levels are easy if you sprint past everything and know where to go.

 

[Silva]

Never tried low level runs. I can see how Archives can be hard that way.

Anyway, it's still an boring type of difficulty IMO, having to dodge long range shit.

 

[NJClaw]

 

[Black Angel]

Should've posted this on DS2 thread, but yeah. Fucking simp.

 

[The_Mask]

eeeeeheheheheheheheeeeeeeeeee

 

[MajorMace]

So many people considering Dark Souls as a farm-heavy game. Tells you much about them.

 

[Caim]

So many people considering Dark Souls as a farm-heavy game. Tells you much about them.

Can be heavy on the farming if you're shit at the game and keep losing your souls. Or you're playing DS2 and want to bang out some of the more unusual armor sets.

 

[Curratum]

So many people considering Dark Souls as a farm-heavy game. Tells you much about them.

Can be heavy on the farming if you're shit at the game and keep losing your souls. Or you're playing DS2 and want to bang out some of the more unusual armor sets.

I like to collect all armor sets I fancy in a game and DS2 has been hell for me.

Good fucking luck with the crow-mask assassin items.

 

[Caim]

So many people considering Dark Souls as a farm-heavy game. Tells you much about them.

Can be heavy on the farming if you're shit at the game and keep losing your souls. Or you're playing DS2 and want to bang out some of the more unusual armor sets.

I like to collect all armor sets I fancy in a game and DS2 has been hell for me.

Good fucking luck with the crow-mask assassin items.

The gauntlets on that set give you a bonus to Bleed damage, which can be as high as 60 when applied to a Bleed-infused weapon that already has Bleed on its own. So there's a reason to farm that thing if you want to pick up the Flamberge or want to make a Captain Falchion build.

 

[Curratum]

So many people considering Dark Souls as a farm-heavy game. Tells you much about them.

Can be heavy on the farming if you're shit at the game and keep losing your souls. Or you're playing DS2 and want to bang out some of the more unusual armor sets.

I like to collect all armor sets I fancy in a game and DS2 has been hell for me.

Good fucking luck with the crow-mask assassin items.

The gauntlets on that set give you a bonus to Bleed damage, which can be as high as 60 when applied to a Bleed-infused weapon that already has Bleed on its own. So there's a reason to farm that thing if you want to pick up the Flamberge or want to make a Captain Falchion build.

I don't do builds, I do fashion. You can wreck people in pvp with almost any weapon if you're good enough and the intimidation bonus of a good fashion outfit is much higher than any item stat bonuses.

 

[Stormcrowfleet]

So many people considering Dark Souls as a farm-heavy game. Tells you much about them.

At the same time, it's one of the good aspect of the game: there is only one difficulty. If you git gud, you can finish it level 1 (or even level 1 without being hit). If not, you can grind it out and enjoy the same content.

 

[wahrk]

So I’m replaying DS1 for the first time since I beat it several years ago, and it’s funny just how bad I was in retrospect. I was constantly lost and the game seemed incredibly brutal and obtuse. The journey to Blighttown felt like it took forever, I died maybe 20-30 times to O&S, and I missed so many secrets because exploring seemed incredibly dangerous and I was just trying to survive to the next bonfire.

But this time? I made it down to Blighttown with hardly any issues (I died from accidentally falling off more than anything else), I beat O&S on my third try... the game is still challenging but I progressed so much quicker this time around. It helps that I know what to expect, but what really surprises me is how the game actually does tell you just about everything you need to know... if you bother to pay attention. I guess I was used to being spoonfed essential info in other games and wasn’t attentive enough to see all the (obvious) direction the game gives you.

Earlier in this thread someone posted an LP of some girl playing this game for the first time and I really appreciated how slowly and methodically she went through the world and how closely she payed attention to everything the game told her. Even though she wasn’t that skilled of a player, she did a whole lot better than I did the first time just by virtue of actually reading shit.

 

[Latelistener]

I don't do builds, I do fashion.

Either noobs write these kinds of comments or they just follow them... Then in the game you meet people wearing fashionable gold-hemmet set on O&S and cannot dodge for shit or you just stun-lock them in PvP.

If you don't know timings well, take a medium armor with a decent amount of poise and a good shield.

 

[Mexi]

So many people considering Dark Souls as a farm-heavy game. Tells you much about them.

I beat it at like SL 5. Not sure how the hell that game is farming heavy. I only struggled with Kalameet, though, in the DLC. I actually had to get some help there. I was 1 HP away from beating him. Sent me into a rage when I died that try, and I just decided to get someone to help me on the DS PlayStation forum.

I think Demon's Souls was a lot harder than Dark Souls, BUT I also had no idea about leveling up anything. I was using an unleveled Halberd the entire time .

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

So many people considering Dark Souls as a farm-heavy game. Tells you much about them.

Its only farm heavy if you are interested in achievements and covenants. If you don't care about those you don't need to farm at all.
If you do care expect having to farm items with a 1% drop rate.

 

[cvv]

Its only farm heavy if you are interested in achievements and covenants. If you don't care about those you don't need to farm at all.

Or if you want to upgrade more than a few weps. Farming some upgrade mats can be p. annoying if you need more than a few.

 

[fork]

You guys never played any mmorpg, right?

 

[Ataraxia]

Here is some nice music video for us dark souls fans to enjoy:

 

[Morenatsu.]

I thought about replaying this the other day. I played a little bit and then remembered why I liked Demon's Souls better. It's because this game is just an extended sewer level with some dumb shit lore I can't even begin to care about. Also ugly colour incorrection, wtf.

Favourite levels were Sen's Fortress, Duke's Archives, and Painted World. Also Ash Lake, but that's only because dragon covenant. In the end the only parts I really liked were dragons and cool monsters. Dragon form is the only way to play. Very hardness-inducing.

 

[Curratum]

I thought about replaying this the other day. I played a little bit and then remembered why I liked Demon's Souls better. It's because this game is just an extended sewer level with some dumb shit lore I can't even begin to care about. Also ugly colour incorrection, wtf.

Favourite levels were Sen's Fortress, Duke's Archives, and Painted World. Also Ash Lake, but that's only because dragon covenant. In the end the only parts I really liked were dragons and cool monsters. Dragon form is the only way to play. Very hardness-inducing.

Imagine being retarded enough to actually like Duke's Archives, while panning more or less all of the other levels.

 

[Morenatsu.]

I thought about replaying this the other day. I played a little bit and then remembered why I liked Demon's Souls better. It's because this game is just an extended sewer level with some dumb shit lore I can't even begin to care about. Also ugly colour incorrection, wtf.

Favourite levels were Sen's Fortress, Duke's Archives, and Painted World. Also Ash Lake, but that's only because dragon covenant. In the end the only parts I really liked were dragons and cool monsters. Dragon form is the only way to play. Very hardness-inducing.

Imagine being retarded enough to actually like Duke's Archives, while panning more or less all of the other levels.

Duke's Archives is cool, stfu. It's like Demon's Souls and it has such a nice dragon in it, too. Much better than other levels, such as:

• Assylum, which is a tutorial
• Firelink, which isn't a level
• Boring undead town
• Boring sewers
• Shittown
• Shitswamp
• Big tree feat. Random death by falling
• Anor Londo is admittedly kind of interesting but also underwhelming and empty. TEH DARKNASSS!!! was a cool feature, though
• New Londo is nice and spooky, but underwhelming again.
• Valley of the Derps, ultimate filler (but have fun grinding for dragon scales lol)
• Darkpiss Basin/Garden, unimpressive filler levels NOW WITH DLC!!!
• Catacombs is okay. Looks a lot better than the sewers.
• Tomb of Gigatards doesn't look like anything at all. I ran through it, which is a valid option, faglet.
• Crystal clusterfuck, the worst level in the entire game. Random death by falling is back and looks like total shit
• Demon ruins, lost izalith... lmaowtf
• Kiln of the whateverthefuck: finally, game is ended. Woooooow.

Overall, the first half of the game may be better designed, but the environments are all such ugly trash. It's fine for a single playthrough, though.

 

[fork]

I thought about replaying this the other day. I played a little bit and then remembered why I liked Demon's Souls better. It's because this game is just an extended sewer level with some dumb shit lore I can't even begin to care about. Also ugly colour incorrection, wtf.

Favourite levels were Sen's Fortress, Duke's Archives, and Painted World. Also Ash Lake, but that's only because dragon covenant. In the end the only parts I really liked were dragons and cool monsters. Dragon form is the only way to play. Very hardness-inducing.

Imagine being retarded enough to actually like Duke's Archives, while panning more or less all of the other levels.

Duke's Archives is cool, stfu. It's like Demon's Souls and it has such a nice dragon in it, too. Much better than other levels, such as:

• Assylum, which is a tutorial
• Firelink, which isn't a level
• Boring undead town
• Boring sewers
• Shittown
• Shitswamp
• Big tree feat. Random death by falling
• Anor Londo is admittedly kind of interesting but also underwhelming and empty. TEH DARKNASSS!!! was a cool feature, though
• New Londo is nice and spooky, but underwhelming again.
• Valley of the Derps, ultimate filler (but have fun grinding for dragon scales lol)
• Darkpiss Basin/Garden, unimpressive filler levels NOW WITH DLC!!!
• Catacombs is okay. Looks a lot better than the sewers.
• Tomb of Gigatards doesn't look like anything at all. I ran through it, which is a valid option, faglet.
• Crystal clusterfuck, the worst level in the entire game. Random death by falling is back and looks like total shit
• Demon ruins, lost izalith... lmaowtf
• Kiln of the whateverthefuck: finally, game is ended. Woooooow.

Overall, the first half of the game may be better designed, but the environments are all such ugly trash. It's fine for a single playthrough, though.

Kinda interesting how Dark Souls is one of the best video games ever, yet still attracts some of the worst retards. Really doesn't feel any different than some random ubisoft game reddit, or the Cyberpunk thread..

 

[Curratum]

Thank fuck the forum has an ignore user option! :D