From Software 'n such

[Blinge]

Do people still play BB online??
I remember the PvP was whack.

as for difficulty Stevens man c'mon everyone knows Sekiro doesn't count

Once I knew the layout the magic was kind of gone for me. The money is on that initial blind play through.

I get that, but for me money is also on the replay and the mastery, just like you did with Sekiro, which now counts..
Two currencies.

[Stevens]

Yeah clearly that was my post Dark Souls opinion since I played through Sekiro up to NG +4 and my BB character from February is almost done with NG + 5.

It's always funny going back to a new character or in Sekiro's case NG when you have no abilities. With my new BB character (I think I'm almost level 60) I stormed through everything up to where I'm at - Shadows are up next and I don't anticipate them being a problem. Downed the Witch after Amelia which was even easier cause I 0 insighted her for the first time.

Then I went to the DLC. I didn't get my ass handed to me, but the spike is very noticeable, especially with damage done to hunters. I went at it with Ludwig a few times solo and got him to the second phase twice in maybe ten tries. Really only doing damage cause beast blood and fire. Ultimately I summoned Valtr - I figured the low level was a fair trade - and got him on the second try. Oh I'm still wearing all foreign garb:D!

Nightmare Amelia and friend I'll go back to after a few more levels into skill as my viscerals do so little damage to them. Ultimately the reason I'm in the dlc now is cause I want ma church pick.

I can't speak for PvP but co op is pretty OK. r/huntersbell is a decent spot, but I went with the new character just on the shot that I'll get more blind rings in the main game if I'm a lower level. Ludwig and Orphan are pretty much the only spots I'll probably find someone in need of help with my 272 guy and that's fine. Might be one of the few reasons I was able to power through Ludwig with Valtr at bl 50 sumthin' - I fought Ludwig close to five times a day for three weeks.

This character will ultimately be a scaled down version of my 272 - max vit and ski and a few other points in maybe end (still at base). Figure around bl 190 when all is said and done.

[Blinge]

Downed the Witch after Amelia which was even easier cause I 0 insighted her for the first time.

omg, I didn't know this was a thing!!

Ultimately I summoned Valtr

Get out.

I'll probably find someone in need of help with my 272 guy and that's fine. Might be one of the few reasons I was able to power through Ludwig with Valtr at bl 50 sumthin'

.. i thought you were the chosen one.

[Stevens]

Downed the two assholes guarding the Research Hall. Was a lengthy encounter as I had to kite lhb into the hallway where the cells are. That fight took a good few minutes cause it was fucking dark for openers. Just some back and forth to wear that fucker down. Once lhb was dealt with Nightmare Amelia was easy.

Stomped through the Research Hall albeit slowly. So Shadows or Failures next. Oh I need that damn cell key!

[Steamflogger Boss]

Forgive me father for I have sinned.

There there Flogger, what did you do?

Used Gael in the Friede fight.

[Ajora]

After getting every achievement in Dark Souls, I thought I was done with the game. And yet I'm still fiercely addicted to the PVP. I don't see this ending any time soon.

[Blinge]

Forgive me father for I have sinned.

There there Flogger, what did you do?

Used Gael in the Friede fight.

yuh i feel like Freide by herself is harder than pretty much anything DS1 can throw at you, combat wise.
I tried to argue with an annoying friend about this but they just replied "LOL I BEAT HER FIRST TIME"

Take heart my wayward son, thou art forgiven if thou hath slain her once on thine own merit.

Also she's a great place to farm sunlight medals if you need them. The amount of people desperately clamouring for help. HAH!

[Steamflogger Boss]

yuh i feel like Freide by herself is harder than pretty much anything DS1 can throw at you, combat wise.
I tried to argue with an annoying friend about this but they just replied "LOL I BEAT HER FIRST TIME"

Take heart my wayward son, thou art forgiven if thou hath slain her once on thine own merit.

Also she's a great place to farm sunlight medals if you need them. The amount of people desperately clamouring for help. HAH!

So I don't remember any bosses in DS1 where I had to walk away for a bit, do something else etc I would say without a doubt Friede and Nameless King are harder than anything in DS1.

I was looking over the boss list and yeah 3 is a lot harder, I've fully come around on this. I'll be playing it again on a fresh NG but I feel this will be proven correct. Coming in right off playing DS3 I should be super sharp too.

The logic of your friend is shit. That would be like me saying Ludwig (or Ebrietas but that never happened u can't find it in this thread m8 so don't look) are super easy because of my own experiences with them.

I don't play online at all so I'm glad that if you really want to you can farm out covenant items through drops in this game.

[Stevens]

Research Hall cleared. Fishing Hamlet basically clear - just the Orphan is left. In the main game I'm up to the Unseen Village, but can also head to Upper Cathedral, or most likely Cainhurst will be my next stop.

Started the Research Hall at bl 60 something (65ish?) and was in the mid 70's by the end. Living Failures took me two tries, again shitty solo boss, but fun co op. Don't know why I didn't co op.

Maria took I would say 10 - 15 tries. At least half the fights went like this - Maneuver into Maria's face, r1 with short pick, shoot, parry, take two steps forward and do it all over again. I don't know how it is with other weapons (There's really only two weapons I've used a lot - church pick is by far my most used with threaded cane in second place) but with the pick if you connect the r1 and then shoot you're probably scoring a stagger. It would take 10 - 15 of these to get her to the last phase. I would maul her the whole fight and then she would kill me in a combo. The fight I didn't die I used my last bolt paper as she went to her phase and it was enough.

I also discovered a new move with the pick fucking around with different button combos and timings. After a transformed charged r2 you can charge l2. Devastating damage if both connect and if you hit the r2 they're going to both connect. Farmed some 22% gems from the lanterns in the hamlet too. Church Pick is ridiculous, I might be biased but I think it is one of the best weapons in a game where everything is pretty viable for PvE.

Then I went to my favorite ringing spot - Ludwig and did some co op:D

[Blinge]

So I don't remember any bosses in DS1 where I had to walk away for a bit, do something else etc I would say without a doubt Friede and Nameless King are harder than anything in DS1.

I was looking over the boss list and yeah 3 is a lot harder, I've fully come around on this. I'll be playing it again on a fresh NG but I feel this will be proven correct. Coming in right off playing DS3 I should be super sharp too.

When they got exasperated and said about DS3 - " WHAT CAN EVEN HURT YOU THIS GAME!? "
I dropped the conversation.

Erm the lock-on is a big factor that I haven't mentioned earlier, because i basically didn't consider it. Omnidirectional dodging while locked on isn't in DS1 (or DeS) .
For this reason I fight most of the time unlocked. Tweaking that second analog constantly is very natural to me though.

Another point for the other side is that DS3 always gives you an NPC summon whereas 1 doesn't.
Although that's overall difficulty and not so much the combat.

[Steamflogger Boss]

So I don't remember any bosses in DS1 where I had to walk away for a bit, do something else etc I would say without a doubt Friede and Nameless King are harder than anything in DS1.

I was looking over the boss list and yeah 3 is a lot harder, I've fully come around on this. I'll be playing it again on a fresh NG but I feel this will be proven correct. Coming in right off playing DS3 I should be super sharp too.

When they got exasperated and said about DS3 - " WHAT CAN EVEN HURT YOU THIS GAME!? "
I dropped the conversation.

Erm the lock-on is a big factor that I haven't mentioned earlier, because i basically didn't consider it. Omnidirectional dodging while locked on isn't in DS1 (or DeS) .
For this reason I fight most of the time unlocked. Tweaking that second analog constantly is very natural to me though.

Another point for the other side is that DS3 always gives you an NPC summon whereas 1 doesn't.
Although that's overall difficulty and not so much the combat.

There is no NPC summon for Nameless King. There is one in the area but he fights in the area and will not join you against the boss. Wolnir and Greatwood are super easy but I don't recall seeing summons for either of those.

Unlocked is pretty monkaS, how hardcore.

[Blinge]

nooo it's easier, it means you can roll where you want and aim-correct your swings more easily!

What i also like doing is inputting a sprint attack or long animation, then hitting lock on because the game will then aim it for me.
This is great with halberds.

anyhow i use no lock vs O&S here.
https://youtu.be/FJbueiWQd5Y?t=483

[Steamflogger Boss]

Midir is a man vs camera fight.

[Stevens]

Bloodletting Beast and Midir Vs. Player - the camera would just spin in circles.

[Steamflogger Boss]

Soul of Cinder more like Soul of Hueg Baby Back Bitch. Obliterated Gael as well.

[Blinge]

I find Gael is like...
the quintessential love letter to the fans Souls boss.

Also the rhythm of his attacks is just so.. I don't know. I synced up with it on my blind play almost instantly. It just feels very good to fight him.

[Steamflogger Boss]

I find Gael is like...
the quintessential love letter to the fans Souls boss.

Also the rhythm of his attacks is just so.. I don't know. I synced up with it on my blind play almost instantly. It just feels very good to fight him.

Great fight totally agree.

There was only one bad fight (church spear) in the entire DLC. The wolf one I would say is okay. The other 4 are great.

I need to play some non-Souls games I bought. Why do I buy other games? So I think I'll bang one out then do DS1. I was thinking of a magic build this time.

[Blinge]

I've had some epic moments being the church spear boss though! Like the time I nearly, neeeearly beat both the host and his two white phantoms.

[Steamflogger Boss]

I've had some epic moments being the church spear boss though! Like the time I nearly, neeeearly beat both the host and his two white phantoms.

Yeah I guess that's really an online fight. That is pretty neat for people that enjoy online play with these games.

[Blinge]

you never fuck with online? It can be pretty cool.

this channel is fucking dope
https://youtu.be/xjSdznWNTUQ

[Steamflogger Boss]

Nope, internet is rubbish and it's even worse now with everyone being stuck inside. Basically unusable at night now. Only thing I play online is MTG.

[Stevens]

Yeah took forever to co op yesterday even with passwords.

Now I'm torn - do I go to NG+ to get some ritual material I need from the Lecture Hall (take about an hour) or do I go through Lower Loran and then farm some shit?

Edit -

Lower Loran it is!

[Blinge]

Eurgh trying to co op with a mate in BB was bad at the best of times, too.

Speaking of co-op..
Jumping R2 Club Part 2 is up.. https://youtu.be/Ked3Ad0QOBY

[Steamflogger Boss]

Eurgh trying to co op with a mate in BB was bad at the best of times, too.

Speaking of co-op..
Jumping R2 Club Part 2 is up.. https://youtu.be/Ked3Ad0QOBY

Amazing channel avatar m8.

Video made me giggle at several points, good shit.

[Stevens]

Finished my second character, basically the build I had made previously except I put nothing into Bt. Vit 98, Sk 50 End 17.

Did the chalices, but god I forgot how fookin' long it took to unlock Ihyll root and how many carrots you have to follow to get there. Finally got it though. I promptly went and got two runes that I like to run with and called it a day.

I'll farm for better gems eventually, but I don't need them right now.

[Blinge]

Do you even need to farm for NG+ shit?

I'm gonna run BB up to NG+6 eventually and don't know the point i'll have to start farming.
my main char from years ago is on +3

[Stevens]

No I don't think so. My bl272 is a the end of a +5 cycle. He has 31% thrust gems in a church pick.

My newer character has 21/22% physical gems, should be ok for a while.

That said if you decide you want some jolly co op when you start playing again lemme know.

[Blinge]

Will do.

also,
NG+7 Super Ornstein isn't real, Blinge.. he can't hurt you.
edit: fuck me that was horrific.

edIIt: been watching some Sunlight Blade's PvP kill videos. Great stuff..
Pyro looks awesome in DS3 might have to try!

EdIIIt: Yuppp. Dark Souls 1 NG+7 all bosses ded. 66 hours thereabouts.
Sanctuary Guardian took more attempts than any other DLC boss LOL.

Now other than some online shenanigans, i'm not touching this game for a good long while.
My Adol Christin cosplay will have to wait.

[Stevens]

I made my own FRC Root Chalice and decided to play through it cause it was well mine.

Holy RNG fuckery. Witches and Mad Ones on multiple layers and even more than once on the same layer. Lots of running passed.

Definitely not a dungeon I would play for fun, or again. One of the bosses did drop a 31.5% thrust gem (-11% against Kin) though. I'm not using it yet cause only NG+, but nice to know I have it.

[Blinge]

The witches that summon red phantom enemies in the chalice dungeons give me conniptions