SoulsERA |OT| So the world might be mended

[ClearMetal]

Im playing DS1 and Sen's fortress is a ridiculous jump in difficulty D: i feel like im doing little damage with my Halberd +8 , problem is i always think its pretty difficult to switch weapons in these games because you need to 'invest shards and souls, and with how rare large titanite shards are im not sure if its a good idea to change plus i like the long range halberd has.its annoying because you do get some interesting weapons in your playthrough.

Any tips? Or should i play other non story areas instead

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For what it is worth: you can farm Large Titanite Shards relatively quick from the leeches in the swamp of Blighttown. There are like 20 of them in total and they can easily be one-shotted. Make sure you have the Rusted Iron Ring for max run speed in the swamp and you could kindle the bonfire there for 10 estus flasks if you haven't done so already. With that much estus on hand you don't even need to bother with purple moss to heal the poison. I would ignore the mosquitoes as well since you can just outrun them. From bonfire > leeches > back to bonfire only takes a few minutes and I tend to get at least 1 - 2 Large Titanite Shards on average per run.

Also note that any active humanity, up to 10, raises the chance enemies drop items. So it might be worth consuming some humanities if you want to speed up the process. (Note that your form — hallowed or human — doesn't matter; the humanity just has to be visible on the counter next to your health and stamina bar).

 

[Hydef Hyrule]

thank you thats really helpful, im not used to backstabbing, been trying to use the traps its a bit tricky but it works wonderfuly, gonna look for that bonfire , maybe watch a walkthrough later

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Don't spoil yourself with a walkthrough! Your first playthrough should embrace the mystery and magic of this series.

By the way, backstabbing is insanely OP in DS1. It's your most valuable attack in most cases, and most humanoid enemies that are around the size of the player are susceptible to it. Not only does it do a shitload of damage, but you're invunerable during it.

 

[Sub Boss]

^
i try, but idk how you are supposed to beat these games without a guide from time to time, they are too hard to not use one a little :P
Because they can be pretty vague and exploring a new area is cool but then you don't know you are supposed to retreat two areas and use that rusty key on a random door to progress.

For what it is worth: you can farm Large Titanite Shards relatively quick from the leeches in the swamp of Blighttown. There are like 20 of them in total and they can easily be one-shotted. Make sure you have the Rusted Iron Ring for max run speed in the swamp and you could kindle the bonfire there for 10 estus flasks if you haven't done so already. With that much estus on hand you don't even need to bother with purple moss to heal the poison. I would ignore the mosquitoes as well since you can just outrun them. From bonfire > leeches > back to bonfire only takes a few minutes and I tend to get at least 1 - 2 Large Titanite Shards on average per run.

Also note that any active humanity, up to 10, raises the chance enemies drop items. So it might be worth consuming some humanities if you want to speed up the process. (Note that your form — hallowed or human — doesn't matter; the humanity just has to be visible on the counter next to your health and stamina bar).

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Oooooohhh, thats good to know, gonna get the ring and then some swamp grinding 😃

 

[Noema]

^
i try, but idk how you are supposed to beat these games without a guide from time to time, they are too hard to not use one a little :P

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Practice, trial and error and learning from mistakes. The best way to approach these games is by thinking of each new area as a test.

The snakemen are actually pretty easy. They are very very vulnerable to backstabs, but also to parries, because of how telegraphed and slow their attacks are. You can try practicing with the ones at the entrance to the Fortress since it's so close to the Undead Parish bonfire.

I agree with Hydef Hyrule : there's a lot of magic in experiencing these games for the first time. Don't spoil it with a walk through.

 

[LakeEarth]

Well I'm done with Dark Souls 2. Beat the 3 DLCs, got the crowns, made the king's crown a slightly better one. Only thing I didn't do was beat the two pets at the end of The frigid wastelands. Died twice, and I just couldn't stand going through that area again.

 

[Noema]

What are your final thoughts LakeEarth? Now that you've played 3 of the games, how'd you rank them?

 

[LakeEarth]

What are your final thoughts LakeEarth? Now that you've played 3 of the games, how'd you rank them?

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Well I haven't played Demon Souls or Dark Souls 1 yet, but...

Number one is Bloodborne by a large margin. Mainly due to the environment, the lore, and the bosses. Just top notch, and the Lovecraft themes are right up my alley.

Second place is rough. Dark Souls 3 is clearly more refined, but it's such a straight line. DaS 2 is pretty much four straight lines that unlock a fifth, but I liked my initial impressions where I had options at the start of 2 that I didn't have in 3. DaS3 has better bosses by a wide margin.

So I might go 2 over 3. Though you have to consider that I borrowed Dark Souls 3, which made me feel like I needed to finish it quickly. Also I didn't try its DLC which really makes us an unfair comparison.

 

[LakeEarth]

Tried The Surge since it was free on PS+. Pretty meh. Tons of the same enemy over and over, no real story to hook me in the early game. I can't quite articulate it, but it wasn't hooking me. The idea of a futuristic Souls game intrigued me but... Nah.

 

[Morrigan]

Tried The Surge since it was free on PS+. Pretty meh. Tons of the same enemy over and over, no real story to hook me in the early game. I can't quite articulate it, but it wasn't hooking me. The idea of a futuristic Souls game intrigued me but... Nah.

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Yeah, it's the only Souls-like that I played that I didn't finish and just abandoned. I gave it a fair shot, but it was just really boring.

 

[Deleted member 1120]

I watched a pacifist run of Dark Souls 2 and god DAMN. The amount of options was ridiculously cool. I see why people would miss these options not being in Sekiro.

 

[Noema]

Tried The Surge since it was free on PS+. Pretty meh. Tons of the same enemy over and over, no real story to hook me in the early game. I can't quite articulate it, but it wasn't hooking me. The idea of a futuristic Souls game intrigued me but... Nah.

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Yeah, it's the only Souls-like that I played that I didn't finish and just abandoned. I gave it a fair shot, but it was just really boring.

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I downloaded it since it's on PS+ and I'll eventually play it, though my expectations are very low.

 

[ClearMetal]

The returning conundrum of starting a new DS3 playthrough: what weapon and build to choose? I am actually considering a Caestus if only for the novelty of punching all sorts of monsters and even the occasional demigod to death.

 

[Rex_DX]

The returning conundrum of starting a new DS3 playthrough: what weapon and build to choose? I am actually considering a Caestus if only for the novelty of punching all sorts of monsters and even the occasional demigod to death.

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I'm actually at this point too. My ritual has always been to roll deprived but now I'm not sure. Whenever I fail to plan ahead I always just end up with a quality build in this game.

 

[LakeEarth]

"Once of these days I will actually try being a mage, an archer, a pyromancer... hey, I've never tried a club before..."

Me, every single time.

 

[AnansiThePersona]

"Once of these days I will actually try being a mage, an archer, a pyromancer... hey, I've never tried a club before..."

Me, every single time.

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Funny enough I started as a pyro my first time through DS3 and had a blast. I just started a basic STR/DEX run and am thinking "Holy shit I was missing out on THIS?!?" so many weapon skills I never used...

 

[Morrigan]

The returning conundrum of starting a new DS3 playthrough: what weapon and build to choose? I am actually considering a Caestus if only for the novelty of punching all sorts of monsters and even the occasional demigod to death.

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Do it. Fist weapons are pretty fun. The demon fists weapon arts pack quite a punch (pun intended), and claws with Carthus rouge have a decent chance of inflicting bleed, too.

 

[ClearMetal]

It is great to have so many options, but it can work paralyzing.

I still want to do a FTH playthrough once, but I can't get myself to commit to it. I usually end up doing a semi-quality build while treating my miracles as utility at best.

Do it. Fist weapons are pretty fun. The demon fists weapon arts pack quite a punch (pun intended), and claws with Carthus rouge have a decent chance of inflicting bleed, too.

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I have given it some thought and I would like to do another Pyromancer playthrough. With my first I ended at 40/40 INT/FTH with little to no investment in STR/DEX. This time I could go for 30/30 INT/FTH and 20/20 STR/DEX to wield both the Demon Fist and Witch's Locks. Both which work very well for Pyromancers lore-wise and are a nice departure from the usual sword and board play style.

"Once of these days I will actually try being a mage, an archer, a pyromancer... hey, I've never tried a club before..."

Me, every single time.

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Sounds familiar.

"Wow that unconvential weapon looks like a ton of fun! I am totally going to plan a build around it."

A few hours later...

"So shall I make my Claymore Refined or Heavy/Sharp?"

 

[ClearMetal]

"So shall I make my Claymore Refined or Heavy/Sharp?"

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So I was joking when I wrote this, but three guesses which weapon I currently use.

Even worse, I already used the Claymore in my recent DS1R playthrough. Like, almost the entirety of it.

In my defense, it is mostly a means to an end, and I will ditch it the moment I get my hands on the Astora Greatsword or hell, maybe even the Exile Greatsword or Black Knight Greatsword. Not the most original choices, but I just find them to be the most fun to play with. Same goes for quality builds in general. Being able to wield almost all weapons, carry all shields, etc. is a big plus in my book.

Edit: As of today, Vordt has the honor of being the second boss in the franchise I was able to beat without getting hit, tutorial bosses excluded. (The first one was Oceiros, surprisingly enough.)

 

[Xiaomi]

(The first one was Oceiros, surprisingly enough.)

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Fucking. How. That dude was like the only wall I hit in my first DS3 playthrough, before the DLC came out. Sliding piece of shit. Nice job, though. I was playing a shieldless caster or a pyromancer I think so I was often just rooted to the spot.

 

[Noema]

So I was joking when I wrote this, but three guesses which weapon I currently use.

Even worse, I already used the Claymore in my recent DS1R playthrough. Like, almost the entirety of it.

In my defense, it is mostly a means to an end, and I will ditch it the moment I get my hands on the Astora Greatsword or hell, maybe even the Exile Greatsword or Black Knight Greatsword. Not the most original choices, but I just find them to be the most fun to play with. Same goes for quality builds in general. Being able to wield almost all weapons, carry all shields, etc. is a big plus in my book.

Edit: As of today, Vordt has the honor of being the second boss in the franchise I was able to beat without getting hit, tutorial bosses excluded. (The first one was Oceiros, surprisingly enough.)

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I have a very hard time weaning myself off heavy slow strength weapons in these game. In DS1 and 2 you can just hyperarmor through everything.

One of the hardest habits to break for me in Sekiro (other than trying to mash cicle to dodge) is realizing you can't just poise-mash your way into damage (since pretty much nothing you do has any hyperarmor)

 

[ClearMetal]

Fucking. How. That dude was like the only wall I hit in my first DS3 playthrough, before the DLC came out. Sliding piece of shit. Nice job, though. I was playing a shieldless caster or a pyromancer I think so I was often just rooted to the spot.

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For what it is worth: I don't think I could routinely copy the feat. But from what I remember I was able to stick to his legs/crotch and roll through all of his swipes. This usually gets me caught by an attack at least once because sometimes you roll too early or too late. But this was one of those times everything somehow worked out.

I have a very hard time weaning myself off heavy slow strength weapons in these game. In DS1 and 2 you can just hyperarmor through everything.

One of the hardest habits to break for me in Sekiro (other than trying to mash cicle to dodge) is realizing you can't just poise-mash your way into damage (since pretty much nothing you do has any hyperarmor)

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I have the same problem, but with backstabs. I am so used to just strafing around an enemy and backstabbing them that I am utterly out my element when I am forced to approach the fight in a different manner. It is telling that this is like my dozenth playthrough and it took me until now to find out that you can just stunlock Lothric Knights with two-handed R1 spam if you time your initial attack right. Before I always fished them for backstabs. Same goes for the Swordmaster hobo outside Firelink. I either lured him off the cliff or tried to parry him. Turns out you can just repeatedly bash him with a club.

 

[LakeEarth]

Alright, fired up Demon Souls for the first time ever. Surprised how great it feels, considering it was the originator. Weird how it actually starts you fat rolling.

Gonna try to use Shields more for this one, and parry more, two things I've never gotten used to doing in any of the other games. I know magic is OP in the game as well, so I'll give that a spin as well (though I'm not committed to it).

 

[Noema]

Alright, fired up Demon Souls for the first time ever. Surprised how great it feels, considering it was the originator. Weird how it actually starts you fat rolling.

Gonna try to use Shields more for this one, and parry more, two things I've never gotten used to doing in any of the other games. I know magic is OP in the game as well, so I'll give that a spin as well (though I'm not committed to it).

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My guess is that was sort of the way they expected you to play the game, at least with knight-type characters. The knight in DS1 also fat rolls from the start. Limiting movement and rolling would certainly encourage the slow and methodical sword-and-board gameplay around which a lot of the game is designed. I don't even remember my first DS1 playthrough all that much but I probably fat rolled for most of the game since I kept using the armor with the highest defense values I could find.

Of course eventually people figured out that mobility is far, far more useful than any defense or hyperarmor you could get from gear, since that's pretty much the only benefit since there are no item bonuses (for the most part). Defense and poise don't mean much if you don't get hit in the first place. Bloodborne seems deliberately built around these mechanics and DS3 seems to suffer from a strange squitzofrenia in that it still offers a ton of heavy armor sets that end up being kind of useless other than fashion since defense and poise have been nerfed to the point that rolling is always the best defensive option.

I wonder what Miyazaki and the designers feel when they see every souls speedrun or challenge run is a naked dude running around with a halberd. I guess that's why they made dodging so punishable and risky in Sekiro.

 

[Noema]

Also, man I wish I had a PS3 to play Demon's Souls. The other day I was kind of tempted to pick up a barely used Slim 2.0 for $100ish but I can't really justify that expense right now, specially since there are literally no other games on PS3 that I would ever play.

Plus I know the minute I finish the game on PS3 will be the day they finally announce that goddamn remaster.

 

[Red Liquorice]

Alright, fired up Demon Souls for the first time ever. Surprised how great it feels, considering it was the originator. Weird how it actually starts you fat rolling.

Gonna try to use Shields more for this one, and parry more, two things I've never gotten used to doing in any of the other games. I know magic is OP in the game as well, so I'll give that a spin as well (though I'm not committed to it).

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That's class dependent iirc? DS1 Knight starts off fat rolling too. The Royal and other light armour classes have the fast roll.

Parrying in DeS falls somewhere inbetween to me, not quite as nice as DS1 but not as bad as DS3. DS3 having that start-up delay animation and DS1 being much more instant.

 

[LakeEarth]

Beat the first area of Demon Souls, and I can upgrade my character now. Was lost looking for the Monumental, because I didn't notice one of the monks was still alive. After running around in circles, I was just spamming X and just so happened to walk over him while doing so.

This game does seem to have way more drops than other games. Like the Phalanx boss was pretty easy because I was more than willing to use all these firebombs that the enemies have been dropping.

I previously stated that I was suprised how polished the game feels, despite being the first in the series. The only thing about this game that is notably worse than the other games is the camera. Especially in tight areas. This has definetly been improved over the years.

 

[Morrigan]

Alright, fired up Demon Souls for the first time ever. Surprised how great it feels, considering it was the originator. Weird how it actually starts you fat rolling.

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Depends on the class. IIRC only the Knight and Temple Knight start with heavy armour and fatroll. You can always take off pieces of armour until you fight lighter gear, in fact I recommend it, mobility is essential in this game. :)

 

[LakeEarth]

Depends on the class. IIRC only the Knight and Temple Knight start with heavy armour and fatroll. You can always take off pieces of armour until you fight lighter gear, in fact I recommend it, mobility is essential in this game. :)

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Yes, I did that right away. I was just surprised, as I've only plalyed DaS2, 3 and Bloodborne. I've actually put on a ring for more equipment load so I could those pieces of equipment back on.

 

[ClearMetal]

So today scientists have proven the existence of the Darksign. It is about as large as our own Solar System and several billions times heavier than our own Sun (praise it), but luckily it is also 55 million light years away from us. Hopefully the curse of the undead won't manifest here soon.

I am sure this joke has already been made a thousand times. But hey, I think this is extremely cool news.

 

[JG_Lionheart]

Ok...this is a dumb but important question. Did they improve the Fire Paper Bolt Paper Fire Resin and Bolt Resin effects in Dark Souls Remastered Switch Port? My purchase depends on this answer!

 

[Noema]

Ok...this is a dumb but important question. Did they improve the Fire Paper Bolt Paper Fire Resin and Bolt Resin effects in Dark Souls Remastered Switch Port? My purchase depends on this answer!

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Only gameplay changes are the Vamos Bonfire and the ability to leave covenants from bonfires.

 

[Zeno]

Welcome home, good hunter.

Hmm, you still have your senses about you? Light the bonfire and talk about anything Demons & Dark Souls or Bloodborne related.

Sick amazing header custom made from the Raging Spaniard himself, you can find more here. Thanks!

Big thanks to Morrigan, our new overlord, as well as Gbraga for the OT title and all the soulsERA discord fam.

Feel free to join our Discord channel here: [Hidden content]

Feel free to post suggestions for OT, ERA community.

There is no path. Beyond the scope of light, beyond the reach of Dark... what could possibly await us? And yet, we seek it, insatiably...Such is our fate

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Replying to get access to Discord!

Edit: Joined!

 

[Pixieking]

Feel free to join our Discord channel here: [Hidden content]

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Also replying for Discord link. :)

 

[Morrigan]

Welcome to you both!

 

[JG_Lionheart]

Only gameplay changes are the Vamos Bonfire and the ability to leave covenants from bonfires.

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Thanks!

 

[ClearMetal]

I love the Greataxe. Rolled a Warrior, invested my first six levels into Strength raising it to 22, farmed the Axe Hollow near the first HWoL bonfire until it dropped its Greataxe and then upgraded it to +1. Everything dies in one hit. This includes the Lothric Knights if you activate its WA and do a fully charged R2, which conveniently can be done outside the Knights' hit range due to the attack's huge forward motion.

Only exception is that Winged Knight in the square, which took two hits to kill.

Time to find out how long Vordt lasts against a lightning buffed Greataxe.

 

[LakeEarth]

Just a quick Demon Souls update, because I'm using this thread as a blog. Beat the second area of world 1, with the dragon on the bridge, and the giant boss fight. Interesting level design, absolutely no short cuts that I could find. There's one area that seemed like it wanted to be a shortcut, but I found no way to open the gate. The boss wasn't too bad, but I died the first time because I didn't expect that shield drop move to do that much damage.

The dogs in the one area were super aggressive, seemingly worse than the dogs in DaS2-3 and Bloodborne. I always had to run away, leading them into a narrow hallway where they couldn't bum-rush me.

Those blobs with shields love to drop hard stones, but the weapon I'm using uses sharpstone for upgrades. I should try out another weapon just to get some use of the 12 hardstones in my inventory.

I randomly tried another world, and ran into these robot fucks that barrel roll straight for you. Damn those dicks are hard to avoid. I think I'm a little weak for this area.

 

[Red Liquorice]

I randomly tried another world, and ran into these robot fucks that barrel roll straight for you. Damn those dicks are hard to avoid. I think I'm a little weak for this area.

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4-1 Shrine of Storms? That's doable early on. The black skellies can cause trouble, but if you remember a trait of skeletons in the series, it will help in this area.

2-1 is also good to do early - very minor spoiler about why (loot) for weapon upgrade materials

 

[ClearMetal]

One of the best things about DS3 will always be Patches's impression of Siegward. From the "Hmm... Hmm" (nice detail: Siegward's are usually spelled "Hmm... Mmm...") to the little chuckle mid-sentence after he declares he is in quite a pickle.

 

[ClearMetal]

At first I wondered if it really had been worth the 6 rusted gold coins (and a dozen normal rusted coins) to farm the Great Mace dropped by the Cathedral Knights, much less to immediately reinforce it to +3 and infuse it with a Blessed Gem. But as I effortlessly ground skeletons to dust in the Catacombs, I knew I made the right decision.

Speaking of the Catacombs: a shame it is such a short level, because it is probably my favorite level in the game in terms of atmosphere.

 

[Noema]

I didn't like the Catacombs that much since I feel that (like many things in DS3) it tried to evoke a concept that was actually better executed in DS1. The catacombs in DS1 are scary, dangerous and immediately available, which means you can go there as soon as you reach Firelink and the make the epic trek back. In DS3 it's sort of just there.

My favorite areas in DS3 are these lavish, architecturally super complex areas that are crammed with detail almost to a ridiculous extent. Cathedral of Blue, Lothric Castle and the Grand Archives. They look so absurdly good and they are a joy to explore.

It's incredible to me how From was able to go from DS2, which is objectively a very drab, flat, ugly game to stunners like Bloodborne and DS3.

 

[DaniThePinguim]

It's incredible to me how From was able to go from DS2, which is objectively a very drab, flat, ugly game to stunners like Bloodborne and DS3.

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To be fair these games evolved from the first Dark Souls.

 

[Noema]

Sure but BB came out just one year after DS2 and it's an absurd quantum leap in graphics and art direction , and I'll always defend that DS1, if a bit plain, is also much better than DS2.

 

[ClearMetal]

I feel the Catacombs in DS3 is actually one of those areas that doesn't try too hard to imitate its predecessors and is better because of it. Both areas are called the Catacombs and are littered with bones (some hostile) but the atmosphere is completely different. In DS1 it is claustrophobic and creepy, in DS3 it is much more spacious and intimidating because of those Carthus Swordsmen openly patrolling the place.

I would say if there is an area from DS1 the Catacombs of Carthus are supposed to evoke, it is Izalith and not the actual DS1 Catacombs.

Personally I am just a sucker for desert settings, which is what makes Carthus so interesting to me. I like how they translated some of the usual desert tropes to a catacombs setting by substituting sand with bone dust for example. Plus I am an Izalith fanboy, so yeah... it gets extra brownie points for that.

 

[Red Liquorice]

Catacombs DS3 looks boxy and gamey to me. It feels like the Chalice Dungeons in BB. Compared to Catacombs in DS1 which is a deep cavern waterfall surrounded by rockedge walkways and rockside chambers cut out of the cliffs. Just more interesting to me with lots of shortcuts and ways back around on itself.
I will give them the comedy elements in DS3 Catacombs - the skellie balls, with the crab inside, the skellies that control them who run away, the ropebridge. The gargle of the pyromancers that look like something out of the Dark Crystal.

 

[ClearMetal]

I am starting to wonder if it was a good idea to tackle Ariandel before even going to Irithyll. Then again, I already made it to Friede so I might as well finish what I started.

Plus the abundance of Large Titanite Shards (I haven't encountered a single Chunk inside the painting) makes me think it was actually meant to be done with a +6 weapon.

Edit: it is going about as well as you'd expect. This is going to be a loooong night.

 

[ClearMetal]

I thought I could tap into my previous knowledge of Friede's patterns, given I fought her over a 100 times before. But it currently feels like I need to relearn the entire fight, phase by phase. I can now get through the first phase without taking damage if I play patiently and abuse the BKGS's charged R2 (the launcher). But the second phase is kicking my ass and I haven't even made it to the third yet...

The problem with Friede, I feel, is that she looks and mostly acts like an NPC, giving you the illusion that your rules are also her rules. And for the most part they are. But she has been given certain advantages over you, not even counting the unlimited stamina and fp, and unique moves.

It is mostly her recovery, which is disgustingly fast. You think you know how much time you have after you hit her with your 2-handed BKGS, based on experience with the weapon, reinforced by her "regular NPC" look mentioned above. But she actually recovers before you do and abuses it by instantly attacking you. Try to roll away? Can't, because unlike Friede you get stunlocked. It constantly throws me off as to when I can hit her without risking 80% health. She also is completely invulnerable after she gets knocked down, another privilege the player character doesn't enjoy (she has this frost cone > jumping attack combo, and if she knocks you down with the latter, the former will actually kill you as you lie on the ground).

Maybe she would have been too easy to cheese without these abilities. But right now I feel they push her too far into the direction of "hard and unfair".

Edit:

Pfffffff.

People say the second phase is relatively easy, but I find it incredibly difficult. Maybe it is bad RNG, but Friede just doesn't leave Ariandel's side. The moment I attack either one of them the other is always close to catch me off-guard and eat most of my health.

But no longer. I am done. Congratulations, Friede. You are the first boss in the entire Soulsborne franchise, in what must be at least 500 hours of gameplay, that has forced me to summon an NPC for help.

I guess it is telling you don't need to be embered to summon Gael.

 

[ClearMetal]

I doubt anyone cares, but status update on Friede: no success yet, though two times I came excruciatingly close. I think she was at around 10% health (third phase obviously) both times, but I screwed it up with bad reads.

The second time was downright frustrating because I was completely controlling the fight; I didn't even need to use healing yet. But I screwed up once, reached for my estus and suddenly she shifted into hyper aggressive chase mode (Champion Gundyr does this as well I believe). Bleh.

At least I know I can beat her, even at this SL and with relatively subpar gear. I just need to improve my timing and hope Gael doesn't die too quick in phase 3 (or worse, in phase 2...)

 

[III-V]

I doubt anyone cares, but status update on Friede: no success yet, though two times I came excruciatingly close. I think she was at around 10% health (third phase obviously) both times, but I screwed it up with bad reads.

The second time was downright frustrating because I was completely controlling the fight; I didn't even need to use healing yet. But I screwed up once, reached for my estus and suddenly she shifted into hyper aggressive chase mode (Champion Gundyr does this as well I believe). Bleh.

At least I know I can beat her, even at this SL and with relatively subpar gear. I just need to improve my timing and hope Gael doesn't die too quick in phase 3 (or worse, in phase 2...)

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Brutal

 

[Deleted member 11008]

I think I'm going to grab Dark Souls Remastered after I finish Bloodborne, I defeated The One Reborn yesterday. I enjoyed Demon's Souls on PS3, but it will be nice my first Dark Souls will be at 60fps.