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I need some advice before playing 'Bloodborne' for the first time
- Thread starter KayMote
- Start date
Read the hints on the floor (by From), they are the tutorial.
Explore, a lot.
Probably avoid the bloodtinge stat on a first play through.
Try not to get frustrated if you lose your blood.
Grinding isn't necessary, but doesn't hurt if you feel like you've hit a wall with a boss (there's likely other places you could explore as well though)
Enjoy!
Explore, a lot.
Probably avoid the bloodtinge stat on a first play through.
Try not to get frustrated if you lose your blood.
Grinding isn't necessary, but doesn't hurt if you feel like you've hit a wall with a boss (there's likely other places you could explore as well though)
Enjoy!
You have nothing to prove to the internet, so don't get intimidated. Everyone struggles with these games at first, but when you learn how to play them properly you will find that they are very manageable and, in most cases, fair. Have fun!
I've seen many players made the mistake of continuing without weapons after their initial demise, so inspect all areas you come across, and read through all the information the game gives to you. That'll make the game easier for you, and decrease the need for questions, since the game provides answers to those who pay attention.
Other handy tips...
Other handy tips...
- There's no need to farm Blood Vials, if you buy them from the Hunter's Dream with the extra Blood Echoes you're bound to have from levelling up. Don't waste too many vials on bosses, before you've learned their attack patterns.
- You can level up before meeting the first boss by finding Madman's Knowledge in the first area.
- You can also find eight Blood Stone Shards there, that can be used to upgrade your weapon twice. It's more important early on, than levelling up your character.
- Don't think of death as a failure, but a crucial part of learning.
- Learn to parry with the gun, it'll make the game much easier in the long run. The large brick-carrying trolls in the first area are good for practise.
- Serrated weapons (like Saw Cleaver and Threaded Cane's whip form) grant +20% damage against beasts.
- Concentrate on three stats to level up; Vitality, Endurance, and Skill/Strength, depending on which type of weapon you like to use.
- And once again, inspect all nooks and corners. There are shortcuts, weapons, armor, and crucial items (like damage-increasing gems for weapons) to find. Some players made the first area needlessly hard for themselves when they didn't do so, and rushed onwards to the harder route. The way the game actively punishes hectic TL;DR players is actually one of the reasons for why I love it so much. :)
The first part of the game is among the hardest bits. Use it for getting a good grasp of the combat system. These are some things to have in mind.
Focus primarily on dodging. It's an essential skill, as you have a short window of being untouchable when you do it.
The gun is not an offensive weapon, but used for parrying attacks. If you use it just before the enemy attacks you'll interrupt their attack and stagger them. When they're staggered just walk right up to them and attack to do a critical attack.
You won't be able to level up until you've gained at least one insight. You get these by either encountering a boss or using an item called "madmans knowledge." Go to the hunters dream and talk to an npc to level up.
Good luck, and have fun! Don't worry if the game seems hard at first, it actually gets easier as you get better, which is part of what makes it enjoyable!
Focus primarily on dodging. It's an essential skill, as you have a short window of being untouchable when you do it.
The gun is not an offensive weapon, but used for parrying attacks. If you use it just before the enemy attacks you'll interrupt their attack and stagger them. When they're staggered just walk right up to them and attack to do a critical attack.
You won't be able to level up until you've gained at least one insight. You get these by either encountering a boss or using an item called "madmans knowledge." Go to the hunters dream and talk to an npc to level up.
Good luck, and have fun! Don't worry if the game seems hard at first, it actually gets easier as you get better, which is part of what makes it enjoyable!
- Take your time to understand how enemies act, where they are, and how to avoid them until you can actually up your stats
- Try different weapons to understand which one adapts better to your playstile, this is super important, it will actually change a lot your experience. Example: I am a disaster with slow but powerful weapons, I platinumed game+expansion with quicker weapons (my love is the initial Threaded Cane, actually used that for all the game... mostly...)
- Don't be afraid to explore, die and lose what you got... you never lose, you actually now know how to reach that point and what awaits you
- if you start to lose patience, just leave the game and come back later
- don't be afraid to summon for help
- BB is about attack&avoid not defense, keep this in mind but don't mean to be careless
- parrying is hard, I never understood how to parry in any FS game, and I still completed them multiple times on higher difficut playthrought... so if you cant do it, dont waste too much time on it... its not mandatory. useful indedd.
The game is hard, but rarely is unforgiving... if you take your time to understand how to manage every difficult part, you will find that is more than doable.
Some boss fights can be really hard, summon if you really can beat them... but believe that every time you beat a boss alone, you understand that after all it was not so impossible as it looked...
- Try different weapons to understand which one adapts better to your playstile, this is super important, it will actually change a lot your experience. Example: I am a disaster with slow but powerful weapons, I platinumed game+expansion with quicker weapons (my love is the initial Threaded Cane, actually used that for all the game... mostly...)
- Don't be afraid to explore, die and lose what you got... you never lose, you actually now know how to reach that point and what awaits you
- if you start to lose patience, just leave the game and come back later
- don't be afraid to summon for help
- BB is about attack&avoid not defense, keep this in mind but don't mean to be careless
- parrying is hard, I never understood how to parry in any FS game, and I still completed them multiple times on higher difficut playthrought... so if you cant do it, dont waste too much time on it... its not mandatory. useful indedd.
The game is hard, but rarely is unforgiving... if you take your time to understand how to manage every difficult part, you will find that is more than doable.
Some boss fights can be really hard, summon if you really can beat them... but believe that every time you beat a boss alone, you understand that after all it was not so impossible as it looked...
I never could master it in DS3, but it was much easier for me in BB. It also made the Hunter bosses much easier to deal with. I don't think I could have ever beaten PD in Ihyll chalice without parrying, and ML would have been much harder without it as well.
You're a scholar among hunters, and very right. It might feel underwhelming in the beginning, compared to the spin-to-win Axe, but its whip form is great for crowd control and against beasts. It certainly made some of the later and optional bosses, like HBLB in Ihyll chalice, easier for me. Not to mention, that visceral strikes do more damage with skill builds.
If you need help or doesn't understand something don't hesitate to check a walkthrough or a guide online.
Besides that, go blind and have fun! Bloodborne is a superb game.
Besides that, go blind and have fun! Bloodborne is a superb game.
OP
OP
So, here's my progress so far:
I have been exploring the first area a bit more and enemies are getting a lot tougher. I've encountered trolls, rats, some demons with spears etc. and I'm dying a lot, but luckily I have discovered the shortcut, so I can reach all the areas rather quick. Sometimes I just try to be lucky and to outrun the enemies. I still have a hard time to parry, since I'm not sure about the time window. Do I have to shoot at the very last moment before an enemy attack, because sometimes it seems that I'm too late. I guess that not every single enemy attack pattern leaves them open to parry?
As for the good news: I have finally found the item in the sewers on my own that allows me to level up, so I'll keep on exploring, but now I'll try to stay near the safe point to bring my echoes home to level up a bit. I have yet to find the boss in this area.
Edit: Found the boss (clerical beast) and beat it on my first try! :D Still feels like I have tons to explore in this area though.
I have been exploring the first area a bit more and enemies are getting a lot tougher. I've encountered trolls, rats, some demons with spears etc. and I'm dying a lot, but luckily I have discovered the shortcut, so I can reach all the areas rather quick. Sometimes I just try to be lucky and to outrun the enemies. I still have a hard time to parry, since I'm not sure about the time window. Do I have to shoot at the very last moment before an enemy attack, because sometimes it seems that I'm too late. I guess that not every single enemy attack pattern leaves them open to parry?
As for the good news: I have finally found the item in the sewers on my own that allows me to level up, so I'll keep on exploring, but now I'll try to stay near the safe point to bring my echoes home to level up a bit. I have yet to find the boss in this area.
Edit: Found the boss (clerical beast) and beat it on my first try! :D Still feels like I have tons to explore in this area though.
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Congrats, Cleric Beast first try is a pretty good start !
As for the parry, it's after they winded up their attack all the way to when the attack connect with you, sometimes you can get a parry yet still having been hit which is okay since you'll get back your life with the visceral.. And yes not every attack is parryable but they are really rare on regular enemies.
OP
OP
Phew.... fuck Pater Gascoigne. I've died around 10 times now and I always fail at the end when he turns into his wolf form. From then on he just keeps playing ping pong with me...
Edit: Okay, finally beat him after a few more attempts O.o Heart was pumping at the end.
Edit: Okay, finally beat him after a few more attempts O.o Heart was pumping at the end.
Some real good tips I here, OP.
Pebbles, don't try take on multiple enemies, shortcuts, insight...there's a tip about the first insight you can get.
Don't do like me and not upgrade your person, weapons, etc. It took multiple deaths to realize this.
Dying can help you farm blood echoes. That's why I said don't be mad, afraid of dying.
Also, I started with the threaded cane. For the speed and range. The saw spear is where I'm at now, it's nice. You're doing better then me OP, I haven't beat any bosses yet, lol
Pebbles, don't try take on multiple enemies, shortcuts, insight...there's a tip about the first insight you can get.
Don't do like me and not upgrade your person, weapons, etc. It took multiple deaths to realize this.
Dying can help you farm blood echoes. That's why I said don't be mad, afraid of dying.
Also, I started with the threaded cane. For the speed and range. The saw spear is where I'm at now, it's nice. You're doing better then me OP, I haven't beat any bosses yet, lol
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- axe or sawcleaver as starting weapon
- upgrade your weapons!
- find the hunter armor/outfit in the sewers (altough I believe you can buy it), you probably already got it
- buy bloodvials/bullets with "leftover echoes" after leveling up
- if exploring a new area, just make sure you're not carrying a lot of echoes and really just try to explore (and evade) enemies and see how far you can go (works for me)
- areas always have shortcuts
- parry: blunderbuss might make it a bit easier, try to experiment what feels good for you
- be nice to the people you send to the Cathedral Ward
- dodging/distance is important part of most combat and enemies
- upgrade your weapons!
- find the hunter armor/outfit in the sewers (altough I believe you can buy it), you probably already got it
- buy bloodvials/bullets with "leftover echoes" after leveling up
- if exploring a new area, just make sure you're not carrying a lot of echoes and really just try to explore (and evade) enemies and see how far you can go (works for me)
- areas always have shortcuts
- parry: blunderbuss might make it a bit easier, try to experiment what feels good for you
- be nice to the people you send to the Cathedral Ward
- dodging/distance is important part of most combat and enemies
Gascoigne's last form is all about not overcommitting, I feel, handling the rush of trying to finish things before they're actually within grasp.
Others have said it but I can't stress this enough...just focus on getting to the first boss. When you do, you will be allowed to start leveling your character. Skill > Level in every way in Bloodborne, but a few levels at the beginning don't hurt at all.
Also, focus on leveling Vitality, Endurance and whatever lines up with the weapon you chose (e.g. Strength for axe) . Leveling each of those 1-2x and then getting serious about tackling the first boss can make the world so much easier.
Also, focus on leveling Vitality, Endurance and whatever lines up with the weapon you chose (e.g. Strength for axe) . Leveling each of those 1-2x and then getting serious about tackling the first boss can make the world so much easier.
Don't listen to this guy.
Arcane is your best friend even if you are just going for slashing and strength.
My first build was no arcane and it was hard.
My second play through was all arcane and it was a breeze.
It was my first Souls game too. I'd say don't worry about the games reputation and just take your time, exploring as much as possible. Parrying is useful but not required (I never really learned it). The first section is tough but if you persevere the game eventually opens up a bit.
Arcane is sort of a nonsense stat unless you plan your build solely around it, and the DLC weapons that support it. Bloodtinge is similar, where it only really affects one main game weapon, but that also increases your guns damage, which is always handy.
You could put bloodtinge on a build comfortably if you're going either full skill or full strength, although you'll have to sacrifice stamina or health (I chose to sacrifice the latter) if you want to stick to level 100-120 by the end.
You're gonna die.
Don't worry about whether or not you're going the "right way". Just pick a direction and go and discover the horrors that lie ahead.
When you get a weapon you like, you are meant to invest into it and upgrade it. You will not get a better version later in the game. For example, the axe is the only axe. You don't get "Bob's Axe of Ultimate Power" later, so if you like the axe, just invest into upgrading the axe.
Don't hoard items. They're there for you to use. You can always farm more if you run out.
If you can cheese, do it. The bosses won't be fair to you, don't be fair to them.
Parrying is scary to learn, but it's a super valuable skill.
Don't worry about whether or not you're going the "right way". Just pick a direction and go and discover the horrors that lie ahead.
When you get a weapon you like, you are meant to invest into it and upgrade it. You will not get a better version later in the game. For example, the axe is the only axe. You don't get "Bob's Axe of Ultimate Power" later, so if you like the axe, just invest into upgrading the axe.
Don't hoard items. They're there for you to use. You can always farm more if you run out.
If you can cheese, do it. The bosses won't be fair to you, don't be fair to them.
Parrying is scary to learn, but it's a super valuable skill.
Dont be afraid to use your gun on the bigger enemies. It can still stagger them and help give you a fighting chance. Some late game bosses became easier when I tried this.
Congratulations, you're 100% ready to tackle the rest of the game now. The only tip I have for you from this point on: the game will introduce some different systems that allow you to customize and strengthen your character further. Don't ignore those.
Bloodborne was my first FROM Game and I moved into Dark Souls from there. It's very fast paced, master the side step and parry, don't be afraid to look up build guides because it gets more and more expensive to level every time. There's also a lot of optional content that you can completely miss if you don't know about it, I would recommend looking it up but I'm not sure how you feel about spoilers in this type of game.
Ignore every enemy to reach the first boss asap. That's the easiest way to kickstart the level-up process, because you gain Insight. Then, every time you have enough echoes to upgrade, return to the hub and do so.
Just play the game and take it for what it is. Hyping it too much or thinking about it too much will only make you look for faults in it.
And the Souls game are not something very different. If anything those games made me feel back in the earlier NES days for some reason. It is a game with many of the basic features of most others.
Stop overthinking it or it will be a detriment to your experience.
And the Souls game are not something very different. If anything those games made me feel back in the earlier NES days for some reason. It is a game with many of the basic features of most others.
Stop overthinking it or it will be a detriment to your experience.
OP
OP
Thank again everyone for chiming in! I'm reading everything and trying to think about it during my playthrough :)
One question: I have now the option to buy all the other weapons that I rejected before. Is it wise to buy as many weapons as possibles and try to equally level them up or should I just master the axe and stick with it for the rest of the game?
One question: I have now the option to buy all the other weapons that I rejected before. Is it wise to buy as many weapons as possibles and try to equally level them up or should I just master the axe and stick with it for the rest of the game?
You won't have enough resources to adequately power up all your weapons in one playthrough, so find your favourites and stick with them.
Your dodge has invincibilty baked into it
A good place to farm blood vials early on (if you happen to run into something difficult you may get low) is great bridge -> central yharnam boss
Treat mistakes as learning experiences
Forget any "code of honor" stuff, that's just gatekeeping
Take in the environment and the vibe
And be sure to ask question if inclined, the systems arent too opaque but they are opaque enough that you might need to look for answers
A good place to farm blood vials early on (if you happen to run into something difficult you may get low) is great bridge -> central yharnam boss
Treat mistakes as learning experiences
Forget any "code of honor" stuff, that's just gatekeeping
Take in the environment and the vibe
And be sure to ask question if inclined, the systems arent too opaque but they are opaque enough that you might need to look for answers
Surely you didn't have an easier time of it in the second playthrough because you were actually familiar with the whole game at that point?
He's right, there's no reason for beginners to bother with Arcane. ARC gems are relatively rare and generally not that great compared to physical gems in the base game, only a couple of non-DLC weapons actually have Arcane-based modes, Arcane scaling is pretty crap in general, and most damage-dealing Hunter tools require significant investment in Arcane (at the expense of other stats) in order to dish out enough damage to make up for their QS bullet cost. I made a pure Arcane build too, and while it was fun, I would not recommend it for new players.
It increases your Item Discovery (essentially the chance that enemies will drop items like blood vials upon dying). You also need a certain Arcane level for what are called "Hunter tools," basically Bloodborne's equivalent of magic. You'll find these scattered throughout the game - they consume quicksilver bullets with each use but they have a variety of functions, from temporarily buffing your weapon to dealing damage from range. Leveling up Arcane will also increase the damage you do with elemental-based attacks, for example molotovs or trick weapons that you've equipped with a fire gem. However, this difference is not very significant unless you pump a lot of points into Arcane, so for now, your best bet is just to level up Vitality, Endurance, and Skill and/or Strength depending on what weapon you're using.
You can buy them all if you wish to try their moveset but stick with 2 weapons for a first playtrough since resources (you can still farm them though but it's not that easy) are limited. Stick with the axe only if you like, I personally don't.
I also started bloodborne about a month ago and it's my first souls game too. I'm near the end and have started on the DLC. I've tried basically every weapon in the game now and the axe is still to me by far the best. It out damages, out ranges, out crowd controls, out rallys basically everything from my experience.
Definitely use two weapons that share a similar build, so two strength, two skill, etc. as you can hold two weapons due to there being no weight limits on this. So if you have a big, slow weapon, having a quicker one as backup can be a lifesaver.
Besides parries you can use the environment at your advantage, it's not hard to get him temporarily stuck into grave stones (until he does an attack that smashes them).
For Fathee G I just kind of stayed tucked behind a tree and hit him with charged 2 handed axe R2 or L2s.
I also wish I would have believed people when they said don't stress about losing blood echoes. They get easier and easier to collect.
I also wish I would have believed people when they said don't stress about losing blood echoes. They get easier and easier to collect.
OP
OP
Alright, I played around a bit in the second area and even though I didn't make too much progress (ran into a lot of dead ends with some cool items and have yet to find any real short cuts) I got a feel for the new enemies there (or the old enemy types that seem to have more HP now?) and feel like I am pretty well equipped. I've reached level 28 so far, I have upgraded my weapon so many times that I need twin blood stones now which I haven't found yet.
I've also managed to finish some sidequests in the first area (telling a woman where to hide and finding the mother of a crying girl, but that didn't have a real pay off, oh well. I've also managed to buy a key for 10k that I think I've already used? Not sure if it was really this particular key that I used, the game didn't specifically tell me - it led me to an area where I was able to gather quite a lot of "insights" (of which I still don't know what they actually do).
I still have the urge to stay as close to a lamp where I can return to it an buy some new stuff after a few enemies, but I guess I should wander around more freely now and just progress without the fear of dying. Also, I have the constant feeling that I miss tons of things around me...so many locked doors, but I already try to cover as much ground as possible, so there's not much that I can do about this nagging feeling I guess.
Game is bloody awesome btw so far! :D
I've also managed to finish some sidequests in the first area (telling a woman where to hide and finding the mother of a crying girl, but that didn't have a real pay off, oh well. I've also managed to buy a key for 10k that I think I've already used? Not sure if it was really this particular key that I used, the game didn't specifically tell me - it led me to an area where I was able to gather quite a lot of "insights" (of which I still don't know what they actually do).
I still have the urge to stay as close to a lamp where I can return to it an buy some new stuff after a few enemies, but I guess I should wander around more freely now and just progress without the fear of dying. Also, I have the constant feeling that I miss tons of things around me...so many locked doors, but I already try to cover as much ground as possible, so there's not much that I can do about this nagging feeling I guess.
Game is bloody awesome btw so far! :D
Pick a single offensive stat and focus on it. for a first time player I would say either strength or skill then use weapons with good scaling in that stat.
There are scaling caps at 25 and 50 in offensive skills, ie taking skill up to 25 is super effective at increasing damage output, going from 25 to 50 is a good increase per point spent and going past 50 is poop.
Likewise Vitality starts to fall off at 30 and then 50.
Likewise Vitality starts to fall off at 30 and then 50.
Blood Vials heal a percentage of your health. More health, more healing.
OP
OP
Just out of curiosity:
I just encountered a pretty wild fight - it was near the entrance of the huge staircase to some sort of cathedral (?) and past that was an area where I encountered two of the strongest enemies so far. One with an electric weapon (the first one in the game) and another shooter who was constantly shooting heavy ammunition from the distance. I managed to lure the electric guy to a narrow passage where I could kill him after several healing sessions, but the other guy is just too strong and I have no idea how to reach him and to deal damage. Am I supposed to be able to kill him? I'm around level 30 now.
As for my progress, I have covered quite a lot of ground in the cathedral area, managed to find some short cuts and open some gates (haven't found any now lamp though and also haven't found the courage to enter the door of the huge cathedral, because I was carrying around 20k echoes with me :D
My strongest problem with the game so far is that I'm getting tons of items that I have no idea how to use them. What about the eye apple and the telescope? And I still haven't found a use for my key that I bought for 10k :D
I just encountered a pretty wild fight - it was near the entrance of the huge staircase to some sort of cathedral (?) and past that was an area where I encountered two of the strongest enemies so far. One with an electric weapon (the first one in the game) and another shooter who was constantly shooting heavy ammunition from the distance. I managed to lure the electric guy to a narrow passage where I could kill him after several healing sessions, but the other guy is just too strong and I have no idea how to reach him and to deal damage. Am I supposed to be able to kill him? I'm around level 30 now.
As for my progress, I have covered quite a lot of ground in the cathedral area, managed to find some short cuts and open some gates (haven't found any now lamp though and also haven't found the courage to enter the door of the huge cathedral, because I was carrying around 20k echoes with me :D
My strongest problem with the game so far is that I'm getting tons of items that I have no idea how to use them. What about the eye apple and the telescope? And I still haven't found a use for my key that I bought for 10k :D
You need to avoid the machine gun, there is a way to avoid the line of sight. You will be able to climb the tower and kill the shooter eventually, don't forget to loot him !
To answer your previous question, I wouldn't buy too much weapons cause you'll need to master the one you have and to upgrade it to make it stronger. The last phases of the upgrade need quite rare materials so it's best if you upgrade one weapon at a time.
Better use your blood to level up your character IMO. My build for the axe is: lots and lots of vitality, some strength and some stamina. The most important aspect of this game is to stay alive, so vitality is the most important stat in my opinion. Also if you have problems with parrying, don't worry, I did my first play-through without parrying once.
You can kill those two hunters, but they're very tough (hunters like that are generally some of the hardest fights in the game).
I always get mixed up with what that key opens, because I never use it, but I think it's the gate from:
Start at the Cathedral Ward
Take the door to the left and go into the courtyard.
Go past the enemies and to the big staircase with the giant.
And it's the gate at the top of there.
It leads to the courtyard that has all the giants in that's at the bottom of the giant staircase leading to the door you haven't opened yet.
Take the door to the left and go into the courtyard.
Go past the enemies and to the big staircase with the giant.
And it's the gate at the top of there.
It leads to the courtyard that has all the giants in that's at the bottom of the giant staircase leading to the door you haven't opened yet.
Considering you're at the closed door/those two hunters, chances are you've already opened it from the other side.
OP
OP
Thanks, I guess I opened it from the other side then and spent 10k in vain, oh well.
So, I have just beat the boss in the cathedral after a few attempts - short cuts really come in handy.
What I wanted to ask: do you recommend to visit and search through all the old areas after beating a boss? I have found my way up to Hemwick Charnel Lane and it looks like it will lead me away from the cathedral area. I'm just wondering how much I missed, since they are still some locked doors (at least one in the chapel as the starting point).
edit: Ha! Managed to kill the second hunter with his big gun! :D Didn't drop any cool stuff though.
So, I have just beat the boss in the cathedral after a few attempts - short cuts really come in handy.
What I wanted to ask: do you recommend to visit and search through all the old areas after beating a boss? I have found my way up to Hemwick Charnel Lane and it looks like it will lead me away from the cathedral area. I'm just wondering how much I missed, since they are still some locked doors (at least one in the chapel as the starting point).
edit: Ha! Managed to kill the second hunter with his big gun! :D Didn't drop any cool stuff though.
My advise is to not play to progress but to explore and improve and learn the enemies, you if try to push and keep dying you'll only get frustrated. The very beginning of the game is a good teacher telling you that rushing will get you killed when you rush through that mob. Take your time, take enemies one at a time and feel them out and you'll be fine and before you know it the combat becomes second nature.