Dark Souls: Initial Thoughts

[Dansen]

Well I just got invaded in a co-op session, it was the lamest thing ever.

We were in Anor Londo right outside the giant church.
The host and the other phantom run down the entrance stairs to kill him, while I took out my Dragon Slayer Great bow and started lining up my shot. The invader takes out the other phantom in three hits, and apparently he and the host used some sort of spell that made it impossible to lock on, so they were running around each other trying to get hits. I took a shot and missed so he immediately notices me and starts sprinting up the steps. I take another shot but he starts rolling up the stairs, so I switch to my spear, only to find out I cant hit him. Then I sprinted around while the invader chased me and the host chased the invader. Eventually I just gave up and he killed me in four hits.

It was incredibly retarded. There has to be level caps placed on invaders because this guy was obviously way stronger. You can't have open level pvps in RPGs, it doesn't work. I wouldn't be so mad because it was actually kind of epic, except now I have to wait twenty more minutes to find a host.

 

[Bat Vader]

Well I just got invaded in a co-op session, it was the lamest thing ever.

We were in Anor Londo right outside the giant church.
The host and the other phantom run down the entrance stairs to kill him, while I took out my Dragon Slayer Great bow and started lining up my shot. The invader takes out the other phantom in three hits, and apparently he and the host used some sort of spell that made it impossible to lock on, so they were running around each other trying to get hits. I took a shot and missed so he immediately notices me and starts sprinting up the steps. I take another shot but he starts rolling up the stairs, so I switch to my spear, only to find out I cant hit him. Then I sprinted around while the invader chased me and the host chased the invader. Eventually I just gave up and he killed me in four hits.

It was incredibly retarded. There has to be level caps placed on invaders because this guy was obviously way stronger. You can't have open level pvps in RPGs, it doesn't work. I wouldn't be so mad because it was actually kind of epic, except now I have to wait twenty more minutes to find a host.

Was the host unable to setup a private co-op match or does Dark Souls not allow those? Can that player be reported or no?

 

[Jfswift]

My experiences and thoughts so far, based on the PS3 version of Dark Souls:

Pros:

- Vast, open world (I *LOVE* exploring old ruins, it is soooooo fun!)
- Lots of loot, including some new weapons to play with
- save zones seem to be in fair locations
- overall gameplay feels mostly balanced and fair if you know what to do (and if not there are forums and guide books to assist you)
- increased difficulty (yes, that's a pro because in Demons some of the more basic enemies just seemed to be flat out retarded, where as in here the AI will make them back up and hide or do sneaky things that I would also do -- and really, who doesn't a challenge)
- Multiplayer is Oh-SO-fun! I love tag teaming bosses and I don't even mind dying from a PVP fight because it just adds to that sense of danger and realism I love, never knowing when someone will invade :3

Cons:
- Framerate is a little choppy but not game breakingly so (it's really a non-issue for me)
- Graphics could have been better but again.. I'm not a huge graphics guy - I can still sit down and play Blaster Master on NES and have fun with it

 

[MisterShine]

guy is doing so much cheap/hacky shit on that speed run video.. he logs everytime he dies to cheat death and keep the mobs he killed dead -- lame

lolwut? The only time that I remember him doing "cheap/hacky shit" was when he fell off of the rafters and exited the game really quickly.

I watched the whole thing, he quits/restarts during several fights to reset the boss positions and to prevent deaths, at least the double boss fight in Anor Londo and the Ice Dragon dude, where he also hides in a little crevice next to the bosses tail to prevent himself from being hit by any attacks.. Yeah, pretty impressive still but he exploited some mechanics. Xbox version doesn't let you do that, trust me -_-

 

[Xyphon]

Well I just got invaded in a co-op session, it was the lamest thing ever.

We were in Anor Londo right outside the giant church.
The host and the other phantom run down the entrance stairs to kill him, while I took out my Dragon Slayer Great bow and started lining up my shot. The invader takes out the other phantom in three hits, and apparently he and the host used some sort of spell that made it impossible to lock on, so they were running around each other trying to get hits. I took a shot and missed so he immediately notices me and starts sprinting up the steps. I take another shot but he starts rolling up the stairs, so I switch to my spear, only to find out I cant hit him. Then I sprinted around while the invader chased me and the host chased the invader. Eventually I just gave up and he killed me in four hits.

It was incredibly retarded. There has to be level caps placed on invaders because this guy was obviously way stronger. You can't have open level pvps in RPGs, it doesn't work. I wouldn't be so mad because it was actually kind of epic, except now I have to wait twenty more minutes to find a host.

Was the host unable to setup a private co-op match or does Dark Souls not allow those? Can that player be reported or no?

No, you can't make a private match. The closest you can come to that is your friend being around 10% of your level and being lucky enough to find their summon sign. No actual invites, which does suck quite a bit.

You can "report" an invader by using an item to indict them. They're added to a list of "sinners" and can be invaded and killed by people in the Darkmoon covenant.

 

[krazykidd]

Well I just got invaded in a co-op session, it was the lamest thing ever.

We were in Anor Londo right outside the giant church.
The host and the other phantom run down the entrance stairs to kill him, while I took out my Dragon Slayer Great bow and started lining up my shot. The invader takes out the other phantom in three hits, and apparently he and the host used some sort of spell that made it impossible to lock on, so they were running around each other trying to get hits. I took a shot and missed so he immediately notices me and starts sprinting up the steps. I take another shot but he starts rolling up the stairs, so I switch to my spear, only to find out I cant hit him. Then I sprinted around while the invader chased me and the host chased the invader. Eventually I just gave up and he killed me in four hits.

It was incredibly retarded. There has to be level caps placed on invaders because this guy was obviously way stronger. You can't have open level pvps in RPGs, it doesn't work. I wouldn't be so mad because it was actually kind of epic, except now I have to wait twenty more minutes to find a host.

Was the host unable to setup a private co-op match or does Dark Souls not allow those? Can that player be reported or no?

Reported for what? Playing the game? Lol you don't get to chose who you invade . And the invasion process is limited , both parties must meet several conditions.

 

[Cananatra]

Also: at the Undead burg at a bit where I have the choice of running across some battlements and being stomped flat by a goat demon or running downstairs and being bi-sected by a demon knight-am I on the right path or is there somewhere slightly easier I should have gone to?

Kill the Taurus Demon by climbing the tower and kill the skeletons that shoot at you as walk outside, before the boss appears. Trigger the boss fight, climb that ladder and do a falling attack on the demon. Rinse and repeat till he's dead.

The Demon Knight is something you want to fight later, and even then he's only defending a rare item, not the next area to go to.

I found (while i stubbornly insisted fighting that knight before the demon) that if you let it chase you back the way you came, you can climb up the ladder and it wont follow you up. From there it was just a matter of shooting it until it died.

 

[Bat Vader]

Well I just got invaded in a co-op session, it was the lamest thing ever.

We were in Anor Londo right outside the giant church.
The host and the other phantom run down the entrance stairs to kill him, while I took out my Dragon Slayer Great bow and started lining up my shot. The invader takes out the other phantom in three hits, and apparently he and the host used some sort of spell that made it impossible to lock on, so they were running around each other trying to get hits. I took a shot and missed so he immediately notices me and starts sprinting up the steps. I take another shot but he starts rolling up the stairs, so I switch to my spear, only to find out I cant hit him. Then I sprinted around while the invader chased me and the host chased the invader. Eventually I just gave up and he killed me in four hits.

It was incredibly retarded. There has to be level caps placed on invaders because this guy was obviously way stronger. You can't have open level pvps in RPGs, it doesn't work. I wouldn't be so mad because it was actually kind of epic, except now I have to wait twenty more minutes to find a host.

Was the host unable to setup a private co-op match or does Dark Souls not allow those? Can that player be reported or no?

No, you can't make a private match. The closest you can come to that is your friend being around 10% of your level and being lucky enough to find their summon sign. No actual invites, which does suck quite a bit.

You can "report" an invader by using an item to indict them. They're added to a list of "sinners" and can be invaded and killed by people in the Darkmoon covenant.

I know Dark Souls is meant to be extremely difficult but not letting players host private co-op matches seems almost unfair.

 

[lapan]

So, I was just going around, minding my own business, when I was summoned to another world as a phantom. While this is just fine and dandy, I couldn't find the guy that I was supposed to be killing. At all. So, I decided to just explore for a while.

Fifteen minutes later, I suddenly get the Rite of Kindling, and the souls of Pricilla, Nito and Seath. Immediately after I get these, I'm transported to yet another world, where everything is just a normal PvP match. After I completed that, I got a duplicate Cat Covenant Ring.

Does anyone know what happened? I mean, I got a trophy for getting the Rite of Kindling, and I kept all of the stuff I got.

EDIT: I just realized that I got every single boss soul up to that point. I currently have two souls of the Moonlight Butterfly, two souls of Quelaag, the soul of an Iron Golem, and two Sif souls.

Matchmaking seems bugged sometimes. I myself once got in an apparently empty game where i could pick up every item but the host was nowhere to be found and i couldn't pass through any fog. In the end i killed myself after picking up everything i could find.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

Well I just got invaded in a co-op session, it was the lamest thing ever.

We were in Anor Londo right outside the giant church.
The host and the other phantom run down the entrance stairs to kill him, while I took out my Dragon Slayer Great bow and started lining up my shot. The invader takes out the other phantom in three hits, and apparently he and the host used some sort of spell that made it impossible to lock on, so they were running around each other trying to get hits. I took a shot and missed so he immediately notices me and starts sprinting up the steps. I take another shot but he starts rolling up the stairs, so I switch to my spear, only to find out I cant hit him. Then I sprinted around while the invader chased me and the host chased the invader. Eventually I just gave up and he killed me in four hits.

It was incredibly retarded. There has to be level caps placed on invaders because this guy was obviously way stronger. You can't have open level pvps in RPGs, it doesn't work. I wouldn't be so mad because it was actually kind of epic, except now I have to wait twenty more minutes to find a host.

Was the host unable to setup a private co-op match or does Dark Souls not allow those? Can that player be reported or no?

No, you can't make a private match. The closest you can come to that is your friend being around 10% of your level and being lucky enough to find their summon sign. No actual invites, which does suck quite a bit.

You can "report" an invader by using an item to indict them. They're added to a list of "sinners" and can be invaded and killed by people in the Darkmoon covenant.

I know Dark Souls is meant to be extremely difficult but not letting players host private co-op matches seems almost unfair.

The devs don't want you interacting with people you know. They want to drive the isolation home by forcing you to team up with strangers.

 

[Itsthefuzz]

Well I just got invaded in a co-op session, it was the lamest thing ever.

We were in Anor Londo right outside the giant church.
The host and the other phantom run down the entrance stairs to kill him, while I took out my Dragon Slayer Great bow and started lining up my shot. The invader takes out the other phantom in three hits, and apparently he and the host used some sort of spell that made it impossible to lock on, so they were running around each other trying to get hits. I took a shot and missed so he immediately notices me and starts sprinting up the steps. I take another shot but he starts rolling up the stairs, so I switch to my spear, only to find out I cant hit him. Then I sprinted around while the invader chased me and the host chased the invader. Eventually I just gave up and he killed me in four hits.

It was incredibly retarded. There has to be level caps placed on invaders because this guy was obviously way stronger. You can't have open level pvps in RPGs, it doesn't work. I wouldn't be so mad because it was actually kind of epic, except now I have to wait twenty more minutes to find a host.

Was the host unable to setup a private co-op match or does Dark Souls not allow those? Can that player be reported or no?

No, you can't make a private match. The closest you can come to that is your friend being around 10% of your level and being lucky enough to find their summon sign. No actual invites, which does suck quite a bit.

You can "report" an invader by using an item to indict them. They're added to a list of "sinners" and can be invaded and killed by people in the Darkmoon covenant.

I know Dark Souls is meant to be extremely difficult but not letting players host private co-op matches seems almost unfair.

The devs don't want you interacting with people you know. They want to drive the isolation home by forcing you to team up with strangers.

Exactly this, which I find more entertaining honestly. It's the same reason none of the enemies have a voice and speak to you in combat, they want you to feel completely alone in an inhuman world.

 

[hazabaza1]

Recent thoughts: Fuck off Blight-town. How the fuck is a framerate drop that massive acceptable in this day and age? Seriously, did anyone fucking test that piece of shit area?

 

[AlternatePFG]

I beat Ornstein and Smough on my third try. (With the help of a white phantom)

Was an awesome fight, but extremely difficult.

I'm not too keen on continuing on though, the next area I have to go through is the Tomb of the Giants, and that is not fun.

 

[Dansen]

I beat Ornstein and Smough on my third try. (With the help of a white phantom)

Was an awesome fight, but extremely difficult.

I'm not too keen on continuing on though, the next area I have to go through is the Tomb of the Giants, and that is not fun.

Still stuck on those guys, all the phantoms I summoned sucked too, now I have almost no humanity.

This is the most obnoxious boss fight since the tartarus demon. If they were by themselves are nothing but together they cover each others weaknesses and even if you kill one the other comes back with full health and more powerful too.

 

[funguy2121]

Um, it is hard, I haven't even made past the opening of the first level.

If only I knew how to take down the giant skeletons, thenI would be set.

You aren't supposed to go that way yet.

Don't let him tell you that!

Don't ever let anyone tell you that you're not supposed to go that way yet. No come on, let's go get some ice cream!

 

[funguy2121]

Well I just got invaded in a co-op session, it was the lamest thing ever.

We were in Anor Londo right outside the giant church.
The host and the other phantom run down the entrance stairs to kill him, while I took out my Dragon Slayer Great bow and started lining up my shot. The invader takes out the other phantom in three hits, and apparently he and the host used some sort of spell that made it impossible to lock on, so they were running around each other trying to get hits. I took a shot and missed so he immediately notices me and starts sprinting up the steps. I take another shot but he starts rolling up the stairs, so I switch to my spear, only to find out I cant hit him. Then I sprinted around while the invader chased me and the host chased the invader. Eventually I just gave up and he killed me in four hits.

It was incredibly retarded. There has to be level caps placed on invaders because this guy was obviously way stronger. You can't have open level pvps in RPGs, it doesn't work. I wouldn't be so mad because it was actually kind of epic, except now I have to wait twenty more minutes to find a host.

Was the host unable to setup a private co-op match or does Dark Souls not allow those? Can that player be reported or no?

No, you can't make a private match. The closest you can come to that is your friend being around 10% of your level and being lucky enough to find their summon sign. No actual invites, which does suck quite a bit.

You can "report" an invader by using an item to indict them. They're added to a list of "sinners" and can be invaded and killed by people in the Darkmoon covenant.

I know Dark Souls is meant to be extremely difficult but not letting players host private co-op matches seems almost unfair.

The devs don't want you interacting with people you know. They want to drive the isolation home by forcing you to team up with strangers.

Exactly this, which I find more entertaining honestly. It's the same reason none of the enemies have a voice and speak to you in combat, they want you to feel completely alone in an inhuman world.

So...Arkham City is the new Castlevania, and Dark Souls is the new Metroid?

 

[wolfcrux]

Been having a hoot reading through this thread, was as tedious and as fun as actually playing DS. Finally managed to defeat the giant troll 'Ghost Whistler' and got a buttload of souls for it. And this weird item 'Tear of Fools'. Must be some kind of talisman, because it seeems to create a wondrous river of salty water.

Anywho, I'd like to thank everyone here for the entertaining read, there are truly diversity in people.

Oombasa