Most of the basics has already been covered pretty well here, but I'll share my two cents.
- Don't get bogged down with too much/heavy armor, I guess except if you're going for full-out tanking everything.
- Tying into the above, mobility is good.
- Try to get enemies into one-on-one
- Exploit the environment; drop attacks (stepping off of a ledge above an enemy and pushing RT/R2 with a melee weapon) does massive damage. Watch out for falling damage to yourself, though.
- Related to the above; find chokepoints, bottlenecks and places where you can kick people off ledges.
- Master the basic moveset (dodging, kicking, jump-charge attack - all of which are in the tutorial), and weapon-specific movesets
- Upgrade your weapons by finding and talking to blacksmiths - this is vital.
- You cannot parry, kick or backstab things that are more than 150% your size, approx.
- Watch your stamina bar.
- Kill the dogs first. You'll know what I mean.
- Find something that can illuminate dark areas.
- Explore, but be sure that you can retreat.
- Study enemy attack/defense patterns.
- Some moves cannot be blocked, no matter how good your shield or poise.
- More poise = more good.
- Red and black-glowing people are dicks who will invade you given the chance.
- Blue and black-glowing people are likely also dicks, but harder to get invaded by.
- When you die, your bloodstain won't be where you died, but rather where you were a few seconds before dying.
- Don't get bogged down with too much/heavy armor, I guess except if you're going for full-out tanking everything.
- Tying into the above, mobility is good.
- Try to get enemies into one-on-one
- Exploit the environment; drop attacks (stepping off of a ledge above an enemy and pushing RT/R2 with a melee weapon) does massive damage. Watch out for falling damage to yourself, though.
- Related to the above; find chokepoints, bottlenecks and places where you can kick people off ledges.
- Master the basic moveset (dodging, kicking, jump-charge attack - all of which are in the tutorial), and weapon-specific movesets
- Upgrade your weapons by finding and talking to blacksmiths - this is vital.
- You cannot parry, kick or backstab things that are more than 150% your size, approx.
- Watch your stamina bar.
- Kill the dogs first. You'll know what I mean.
- Find something that can illuminate dark areas.
- Explore, but be sure that you can retreat.
- Study enemy attack/defense patterns.
- Some moves cannot be blocked, no matter how good your shield or poise.
- More poise = more good.
- Red and black-glowing people are dicks who will invade you given the chance.
- Blue and black-glowing people are likely also dicks, but harder to get invaded by.
- When you die, your bloodstain won't be where you died, but rather where you were a few seconds before dying.