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Feb 9, 2019
2,464
Gacha Hell
Dark Souls was my first experience with the series. Friend of mine was luckily going through it at roughly the same time and we just shared tips and discoveries, I guess? It was still a complete trainwreck of a playthrough but even though I was so bad at it I kept going because I just had fun exploring the levels and finding stuff.

And well, I used a bow plus hit and run like hell tactics. A lot. Everything I could damage safely from a distance, I killed from a distance.
 

Roshin

Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,840
Sweden
It took a while before I fully understood how the basic systems worked. Souls, respawning, levelling up, what to put points in, upgrading your gear, etc. Once I had that sorted out, it was much easier.
 
Nov 18, 2017
1,271
Friends to tell me where all the cool shit is, as im just unwilling to look up that much stuff. I want to actually play the game not read the wiki.
 

Riversands

Banned
Nov 21, 2017
5,669
Patience, and knowing when to stop. If you battle a boss and you cannot win, then stop. Take the chance again tomorrow, or hours later, you have to let your brain to process all the boss movements and patterns
 

matrix-cat

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,284
I wasn't really interested in Souls or Bloodborne, but then they went and made the more action-focused Sekiro, which was much more up my alley. I played that game, really liked it, realised I loved From's approach to level design and wanted more of it, so I felt like I had to go on and play Bloodborne (which I figured would be the easiest to get into). Played Bloodborne, loved it, played it for almost a solid month and ended up getting the Platinum, and now I've started on Dark Souls. I've finished DS3 so far, and I'll probably be doing Dark Souls 1 next.
 

dark_prinny

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,374
Don't force your self into games. Some things are just not for everyone.
 

Jimnymebob

Member
Oct 26, 2017
19,566
there a newbie build for the games?

The series clicked with me from the get go, so I can't really offer newbie advice as such, but for builds (and you're making it harder here as you're missing the two games that have super solid early game builds lmao):

For Dark Souls:

People will tell you to grab a Drake Sword. Under no circumstances should you do this. It is good early on, but it's outclassed by so many other things practically instantly. I'd pick up a shield, although I prefer to not use them- just means you should focus on increasing your stamina more. Stats wise, and this sort of applies to all 3, I'd focus on increasing health, stamina, and the main stat of your weapon (which could be 2 stats depending on what you're using). I'd avoid the 2 magic stats, but increase attunement to equip a few different pyromancies. Starting class doesn't matter at all, and take any gift other than the key.

Weapons and equipment wise, I'd try to keep your weight down so you could fast roll, and stick with a weapon that scales primarily with one stat. Most weapons are viable, so just find a moveset you like.

In terms of combat, make sure you manage your stamina, to allow evading if necessary, and try to kite enemies. I don't want to sound condescending, but you want to watch enemies attacks, and attack when they leave themselves open, and for bosses, being under them, if they're big, is usually the best cause of action. Other than that, try to stay behind them, and roll through their attacks.
 

AzureFlame

Member
Oct 30, 2017
4,253
Kuwait
If you want to get good you will, just don't stick with 1 playstyle and try many things till you get it.

My biggest advice for noobs is don't always use the lock on system, sometimes it will be the reason to screw you up and try to memorize the area so the next time you die you can just run through it easily, enemies are easily avoidable.
 

Duffking

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,688
Key to any of these games is realising that they're primarily about stamina bar management. Don't keep attacking when your stamina is nearly empty, don't start attacking if it will deplete your stamina, etc. Other piece of the puzzle is being aware of enemy attacks and getting out of the way, and know when a safe window to attack is.

One thing I've noticed from watching people do badly at souls in videos is that they don't really pay attention to stamina, only really try dodging when an attack has already hit them, and always try and attack enemies even if the enemy is mid combo. It's all about patience and meter management.
 

Nakenorm

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
22,251
I bought Demon and Dark souls around release, but didn't enjoy any of them.
Then came Bloodborne. I think the setting was what made me actually give it a shot to begin with, and then the more offensive and relatively more fastpaced combat was what kept me playing.
After loving Bloodborne I gave Dark souls 3 a shot and enjoyed that as well, but havent gone back to Demon or the two other Dark souls yet.
 

Banana Aeon

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,258
Not using a shield. Seriously. Demon's was a slog and the combat was boring. Then I dropped the shield and everything awoke.
 

Wulfram

Member
Mar 3, 2018
1,478
In Dark Souls 1.

1. Learning that I was going the wrong direction after firelink shrine and that the game wasn't actually as stupidly hard as it seemed
2. Using thrusting weapons, sorcery and a shield that blocks 100% damage, because they're kind of cheesy and overpowered in DS1.
 

Kill3r7

Member
Oct 25, 2017
24,375
Making meaningful progress in Bloodborne after 8-9 hours of trying which allowed for the game/series to finally click.
 

Curufinwe

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
8,924
DE
I only got DeS when it came to PS+, and I thought I was screwed the first I seemingly made a lot of progress only to get killed and end up back at the start. So I started following a build focused on using the bow so I could kill enemies from a distance, and also used this guide that I stil have on my Safari bookmarks for step by step help.

 
OP
OP
Mozendo

Mozendo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,229
Pacific North West
Thanks for all the replies everyone!
I wanted to avoid using walkthroughs just because I wanted to experience the game blind, but I guess there's no harm in getting helf for at least the first few bosses.
I'll start with DS1, and start with Pyromancer
 

_Jelly_fish

Member
Oct 5, 2019
80
Melbourne
Honestly the Speedrunning community. I had always liked the idea of darksouls but lost interest after the first few areas, then I discovered the speedrunning community and even participated in it for a while. Now I have lots of fond memories of back when I had time to play a game over and over again and the folks I met in the community
 

Deleted member 17402

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
7,125
If they ever released bloodborne withou the frame pacing issues at 60fps+, I think I could get into a souls game. I adored the combat in that game, but those issues made it too uncomfortable for me to focus as much as was required.

I've tried all 3 Dark Souls on PC, but the combat has never felt as good and never hooked me.

So I think BB next gen remaster might do it, if it happens. And if I get the bug, I might find other titles from From more appealing.

These frame pacing issues are completely overblown. Some battles do have hiccups and it does run at 30FPS for the most. I think it's so sad that some of you have convinced yourselves that unless a game is 60 frames or more, it's unplayable.
 

LakeEarth

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,167
Ontario
When I mentioned I was finally going to try Bloodborne, my friend was like "oh you wouldn't like it, it isn't for you."

So in my early hours of frustration from constantly failing, I didn't quit. I couldn't quit. Because fuck that guy for saying I couldn't play a game like that.

So to answer your question, spite. Spite helped me. Considerably.
 

Jessie

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,921
Jason had a great series on this. Bloodborne is a tough game to get into, but once it sticks it sticks.
 

Griffith

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,585
For me it was watching the videos of epicnamebro. He used to make really concise and well-thought out guides and playthroughs where he'd not just describe game mechanics but talk about the world, the lore and the implications of finding certain objects in certain parts of Demon's Souls and that, along with my friend's ardent love for DeS are what made me appreciate and understand Souls games better.
 

Duxxy3

Member
Oct 27, 2017
21,662
USA
Honestly not having anything else better to do is what got me into it. Dark Souls was an incredible game mind you, but incredibly challenging as well. At some point I ran out of easier games to play and decided... fuck it, let's play Dark Souls.

It was painful, grueling and my controller was held together by electrical tape by the end, but it was also wonderful. But it's not a game that I would casually get into. I needed to set aside time specifically for the slog. Accepting that I was going to die, a lot.

So put aside a weekend without interruptions. That's what I'd suggest.
 

Teuthex

Member
May 31, 2019
448
For newbies, especially for 1 & 3, a sword and shield knight is the most beginner friendly build.

I had a very difficult time at first with DS1, but I didn't want to be defeated. So stubbornness helped. You might have to accept that these games will take you a long time to beat, and you will be dying more than just a couple of times. I also made liberal use of the wiki, because I like to understand the mechanics of RPGs. People will tell you not to use the Drake sword in DS 1, and they are generally correct, but I also know I would have given up without the early power boost I got from using it.

Also, don't be too proud to use the summoning system. Co-op makes the games much easier, and it is better to co-op a tough part rather than rage quit the game forever.
 

Torpedo Vegas

Member
Oct 27, 2017
22,548
Parts Unknown.
Nothing, by the time Bloodborne hit I had played Demon's Souls, Dark Souls 1 & 2, and Lords of the Fallen. I can't get back into them. By the time I beat Father G in Bloodborne I was done and haven't been back. Played 6 - 10 hours of Sekiro and was done, bought Dark Souls 3 on sale haven't played it. I'm just burnt out.
 

Ponchito

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,222
Mexico City
I started Dark Souls (Xbox 360) and didn't "get it" so I couldn't get around it. Then, with all it's praise, I went all-in for Bloodborne. Loved it and then played all Souls games (except Demon Souls) and even similar games such as Nioh, Sekiro, etc. These are my favorite games of the past decade.

You need to grind at the beginning. I think this is the key. Level up, get a hang of the combat. Understand how to defend or parry.
 

dedge

Member
Sep 15, 2019
2,429
Using a walkthrough helped a lot when starting with Demon's Souls way back and but I actually enjoy using them as a guide for the follow up games too. But the main thing after looking at builds/tips is the mentality. Everything you do is progress, even if you die 20 times in a row to the same thing, or to a basic enemy you otherwise shouldn't, or if you lose a lot of souls (early soul amounts feel like a lot when you lose them for good but in reality it's pennies). With every run you're still collecting souls, building experience, learning patterns and shortcuts. And if you're stuck don't be afraid to just run past an area of enemies to push through either.
 

Figgles

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
2,568
1. Playing through the undead burg a dozen times
2. Realizing I'm going to die a lot, and it's just part of the game
3. Coming to terms with the fact that the games are janky. The game is going to get you with cheap shots, so you need to hit right back with cheap shots of your own.
4. Don't parry
 
Dec 8, 2018
1,911
For me the moment it clicked was when I beat the first boss I had trouble with in Demon Souls back in the day. The feeling of accomplishment coupled with you slowly getting a hang of it leads to you pushing on and improving your skills/knowledge on how the games work and soon you can run through the game on new game+ with ease.

However going into DS3 with platinums and multiple new game+ characters in previous the difficulty is not what it used to be and you more or less had to ad difficulty yourself since when you "get" how to play souls games they are very similar.

Sekiro however is a completely different beast and brought back that feeling Demon Souls provided with even mini bosses providing a challenge until you "figure out" how to play the game.

So if I where to give advice it would be:
1. Learn how to dodge roll!!!

It's the most broken thing in all souls game outside Sekiro and can more or less be abused to...

2.Take it slow and learn your enemies moves.

Never stress and trying to get hits in on the boss/enemy the first time you face them but instead try looking for moves they make that seems to leave them open afterwards and moves that don't so you have a basic idea of when to press your attack and when to back away.

3. Don't be afraid to die.

If and when you die consider those souls you dropped gone and don't "chase" getting them back since that only usually leads to more frustration.

4. Level up.

If you still have trouble just farm up some levels and increase your health and stamina which will both increase the time you can focus on 2.
 

MazeHaze

Member
Nov 1, 2017
8,570
I find the games fun at first, but every time after 5 hours or so I'm done. The gameplay loop relies too heavily on running the same paths fighting the same enemies over and over and over again every time you die. I just can't do it
 

Wintermute

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,051
so i think one of the defining qualities of soulsborne boss fights is controlling and positioning. almost always you end up getting ganked because 1) you get greedy or 2) you end up badly positioned.

bosses in souls have mechanics that punish you hard if you do something wrong. can't say the number of times i've been on the last 1-2% of a boss and died because i got greedy and tried to take one too many hits because i could face tank. counter intuitively some bosses are easier if you stick in close, for all their dramatic swinging about, they're often designed to have spots that, if you hug close to them you can avoid a lot of their mechanics.

iudex gundyr the first boss of ds3 isn't super hard, but when that monster spawns out of his back it's intimidating. keep your calm, watch the attack patterns, dont over extend yourself.

father gascoine from bloodborne is a great example of a technical boss. he's a fucking nightmare for new players, but once you understand the general principles of soulsborne bosses it's pretty easy to lock him down.

and as others have said. watch a guide. EpicNameBro does great playthroughs of the souls series. watch how he approaches fights.
 

astro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
56,861
These frame pacing issues are completely overblown. Some battles do have hiccups and it does run at 30FPS for the most. I think it's so sad that some of you have convinced yourselves that unless a game is 60 frames or more, it's unplayable.
The frame pacing issues made me feel physically uncomfortable, they gave me a mild headache at one point and I didn't want to continue.

I have enjoyed plenty of 30fps games.

Thanks for the weird hostility, though.
 

Deleted member 17402

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
7,125
The frame pacing issues made me feel physically uncomfortable, they gave me a mild headache at one point and I didn't want to continue.

I have enjoyed plenty of 30fps games.

Thanks for the weird hostility, though.
There was no hostility. I simply pointed out your comment because it seemed to exaggerate the game's frame-pacing issues.
 

LiK

Member
Oct 25, 2017
32,026
Watched EpicNameBro's playthroughs. His video guides and walkthroughs helped a lot.
 
Oct 30, 2017
15,278
I first tried Demon's Souls and fell in love with the atmosphere but I was absolute dogshit at the game and it turned me off of ever finishing it (I think I left off at Shrine of Storms). When Dark Souls was announced and I saw the initial gameplay videos, I could not resist buying it at launch because it just looked incredible and had a gothic/medieval vibe that I crave in games. Even if I sucked at it, I couldn't pass it up. I pumped hours and hours into it and beat the game several times.
 

Deleted member 4262

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,633
It took me years to get into Souls, with many failed attempts. Watching Giantbomb play DS1 what did it for me in the end. Gave me a much better understanding of the games and their appeal.
 

headspawn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,605
Just learn from your mistakes, watch how the enemy reacts to your given proximity, figure out the best ways to avoid attacks and which attacks they have that will eventually leave them open to be punished. I'm not good by any means but I can clear most anything by just treating each new boss/enemy encounter like that and analyzing what works... then after a few runs it becomes easier and easier.

There was no hostility. I simply pointed out your comment because it seemed to exaggerate the game's frame-pacing issues.

I don't think someone getting motion sickness from the buggy framerate is an exaggeration; it either happens or it doesn't... I've played a few games myself that have made me physically ill as well, very rare but it was 100% consistent and I very much enjoyed the games and that kept me from going forward.
 

Deleted member 17402

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
7,125
Just learn from your mistakes, watch how the enemy reacts to your given proximity, figure out the best ways to avoid attacks and which attacks they have that will eventually leave them open to be punished.



I don't think someone getting motion sickness from the buggy framerate is an exaggeration; it either happens or it doesn't... I've played a few games myself that have made me physically ill as well, very rare but it was 100% consistent and I very much enjoyed the games and that kept me from going forward.
Okay understandable. I had misinterpreted the comment as saying that anything below 60fps is unplayable.
 

Akira86

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,582
going in naked with naught but a wooden club.

and reading a bunch of lore so I can properly roleplay my nameless wanderer.
 

Martinski

Member
Jan 15, 2019
8,418
Göteborg
Following epicnamebros youtube walkthroughs while playing bloodborne first playthrough.

Had previously tried demons souls but never clicked with it back in 2009/10. But then bloodborne came out and it was the first souls game I beat and ultimately platinumed. Then a friend recommended dark souls 2 which was released year prior. Then dark souls 3 came out year after bloodborne. But it wasn't until this year I finally got i together and got the remaster of dark souls 1 and beat it pretty handily too. But it was also after beating Sekiro as well.