Dark Souls Catch-All

Fedaykin98 wrote:

psu: Yeah, I'm more of a block and counter guy than a dodger. Another reason for me to not attempt an SL1 game.

What an amazing game, though. So good.

I'm pretty meh on dodging, but that didn't really pose a very large problem.

Sen's Fortress was fun, it reminded me of an old mac game called Beyond the Dark Castle. Towards the end of it I fell off a lot though. I doubt I'm the only one hehe.

What's the point of the large shields or great shields..?

Is it only stability versus the smaller shields?

manta173 wrote:

What's the point of the large shields or great shields..?

Is it only stability versus the smaller shields?

Pretty much - they have significantly higher stability which is no small benefit.

Yeah, I don't know what the underlying math is but I noticed a big difference when I started trying to get more stability. To me it seems to work like a resistance would, say you have 70 stability then you take a stamina hit proportional to 30% of the damage. That's pure speculation, I haven't tested it, but it feels that way because getting say 15% more stability makes a huge difference, more than 15% less stamina lost per hit would.

Maybe I need to look at them and their upgrades... The Baldur sheild I got looked like it would trump most others if I upgraded it.

I cleaned out most of blighttown and got the Eagle shield, but it isn't 100% physical damage reduction, it made me pause because if I turtle up and it doesn't stop the big hits them I'm going to be in trouble.

I am ready for Quelaag, but I wanted to get flash sweat and maybe be summoned a few times before I go human and start in on her.

The fact you can tank a hit and take another outweighs the 5% phys damage reduction. Say an attack does 350 damage, letting 18 damage through is no big deal. Blocking all the damage and in the process getting staggered and then taking the next 330 damage is a big deal on the other hand.

Obviously there are other considerations; you can't parry with large shields, and weight/stat requirements do come into play.

Oh, and don't forget to consider the elemental and magic resistances when gearing for a particular fight

manta173 wrote:

Maybe I need to look at them and their upgrades... The Baldur sheild I got looked like it would trump most others if I upgraded it.

I cleaned out most of blighttown and got the Eagle shield, but it isn't 100% physical damage reduction, it made me pause because if I turtle up and it doesn't stop the big hits them I'm going to be in trouble.

I am ready for Quelaag, but I wanted to get flash sweat and maybe be summoned a few times before I go human and start in on her.

Small shields typically have lower stability and often do not block 100% damage, and have a parry function. Large shields usually block 100% physical, but as mentioned, have more stability, but there are more resistances built into some of them as well. I think some small shields also have a longer parry window (ie. target shield) so it is easier to parry attacks with it. The great shields are highest in stability, and but do not have a parry function, instead they have a slam function. Some large shields (pierce shield for example) also have a slam function instead of a parry function.

EDIT: Baldur shield is pretty much the best for the weight for a general use shield, but if you have the strength for it, the silver knight shield has a tiny bit more stability when upgraded and higher fire resistance, and is only 1 lb heavier.

imbiginjapan wrote:

The fact you can tank a hit and take another outweighs the 5% phys damage reduction. Say an attack does 350 damage, letting 18 damage through is no big deal. Blocking all the damage and in the process getting staggered and then taking the next 330 damage is a big deal on the other hand.

I think that's situational. I just fought some extra tough version of those scorpion looking dudes and I basically had to block 3-5 attacks for every 1-2 hits I could get in. If I took 5% damage every time I don't think I could've killed them. That was a bit of an extreme case but still.

kyrieee wrote:
imbiginjapan wrote:

The fact you can tank a hit and take another outweighs the 5% phys damage reduction. Say an attack does 350 damage, letting 18 damage through is no big deal. Blocking all the damage and in the process getting staggered and then taking the next 330 damage is a big deal on the other hand.

I think that's situational. I just fought some extra tough version of those scorpion looking dudes and I basically had to block 3-5 attacks for every 1-2 hits I could get in. If I took 5% damage every time I don't think I could've killed them. That was a bit of an extreme case but still.

circle strafe + backstab ftw

I have never gotten a backstab. I have stabbed a lot of things in the back, but never for bonus damage. It is really frustrating.

manta173 wrote:

I have never gotten a backstab. I have stabbed a lot of things in the back, but never for bonus damage. It is really frustrating.

Best guess? You need to lower your shield about a half second before executing the backstab. If you have the shield held up when you attack you won't backstab. Since you mention turtling I bet you have your shield up most of the time.

Also the hit box is based on the position of the enemie's legs, not the back... if that makes any sense.

imbiginjapan wrote:
manta173 wrote:

I have never gotten a backstab. I have stabbed a lot of things in the back, but never for bonus damage. It is really frustrating.

Best guess? You need to lower your shield about a half second before executing the backstab. If you have the shield held up when you attack you won't backstab. Since you mention turtling I bet you have your shield up most of the time.

Also the hit box is based on the position of the enemie's legs, not the back... if that makes any sense.

That's a big detail I was missing. I always have my shield up. I'll watch the legs too.

If I'm going 2 handed and the shield is on my back do I benefit from the elemental resistances, are those only for when I'm blocking in the direction of the attack?

manta173 wrote:
imbiginjapan wrote:
manta173 wrote:

I have never gotten a backstab. I have stabbed a lot of things in the back, but never for bonus damage. It is really frustrating.

Best guess? You need to lower your shield about a half second before executing the backstab. If you have the shield held up when you attack you won't backstab. Since you mention turtling I bet you have your shield up most of the time.

Also the hit box is based on the position of the enemie's legs, not the back... if that makes any sense.

That's a big detail I was missing. I always have my shield up. I'll watch the legs too.

If I'm going 2 handed and the shield is on my back do I benefit from the elemental resistances, are those only for when I'm blocking in the direction of the attack?

Blocking is the only way to activate the resistances. Also, imbig, I think you have to be a little more ridiculous about backstabs - the legs don't entirely capture it either. Basically, you have to figure out which way the creature is facing based on where they were last, and ignore any animation, whether it's feet or torso or any other thing.

Dakuna got it covered.

Thanks!

EDIT: Oh crap I'm an executive now... need to look busier than those lazy juniors. *shuffle papers*

Man, this game is kicking my ass!
I started dark souls and played for 1u en allready died more than..(i'm not gonne say it)
The controls are something i have to get used to. I'm hitting the wall more than those skeletons.
But other than that i think i'm gonne stick with this game. It has a strange attraction:)

kyrieee wrote:

Yeah, I don't know what the underlying math is but I noticed a big difference when I started trying to get more stability. To me it seems to work like a resistance would, say you have 70 stability then you take a stamina hit proportional to 30% of the damage. That's pure speculation, I haven't tested it, but it feels that way because getting say 15% more stability makes a huge difference, more than 15% less stamina lost per hit would.

I've gone over the math before in this thread. I can't be bothered to look it up on this phone right now, but what you outlined is pretty close to accurate.

That's why we Greatshield of Artorias users emphatically recommend it for anyone with the strength to use it. It comes with 88 stability with no need for upgrades. You feel nearly invincible using it after any smaller shield.

Kr7stof wrote:

Man, this game is kicking my ass!
I started dark souls and played for 1u en allready died more than..(i'm not gonne say it)
The controls are something i have to get used to. I'm hitting the wall more than those skeletons.
But other than that i think i'm gonne stick with this game. It has a strange attraction:)

Utilize the lock-on feature. This will make you life so much better.

So I'm planning on playing through Dark Souls again very soon, and hopefully finally beating it, and I had some questions about the PC version. I wanna play the Artorias of the Abyss DLC and my options are to buy the 360 DLC for $15 ($20 actually if I have to buy MS points still) or picking up the Prepare to Die edition on Steam for $30.

So how much, if any, of an improvement or difference will the PC version make? Are the frame rate issues sorted out? How well does it support a gamepad (I have the 360 wireless receiver all set up). The extra $15 would be worth it to me if the PC port is hands down a better version, but I recall hearing when it launched that it was something of a rush job, barebones port and that the frame rate issue were still the same.

Utilize the lock-on feature. This will make you life so much better.[/quote]

Oh i use the lock-on but i think i must time my attacks better. And i'm not using my shield in the best way.
I need to adjust to this playstyle.

Thanks for the advice:) i have a feeling i will come back with other questions. This is a great source.

Can't comment on how it compares to the 360 version as I have only played it on PC, but the 360 gamepad support is seamless. There are occasional framerate slowdowns but I honestly don't even notice them anymore. I also know a bunch of people here swear by the DSfix which makes the game look better but it gives me motion sickness so I've stuck to the base game.

Well the biggest frame rate issues on the 360 were in Blighttown where it was in the single digits at times. As if Blighttown weren't difficult enough.

MojoBox wrote:

Well the biggest frame rate issues on the 360 were in Blighttown where it was in the single digits at times. As if Blighttown weren't difficult enough.

Hmmm maybe for a second here and there. I do remember Blightown being worse for that. Still didn't usually affect gameplay much.

The PC version with DSFix is undoubtedly the definitive version of the game. I didn't have any framerate issues, even in Blighttown. Go PC for sure. It is absolutely gorgeous if you have a semi-decent rig. Controller works perfectly fine on the PC.

$30 sounds a bit pricey for the PC version at this point though. It has been $7.50 - $12.50 regularly in the last several months. If you're in no rush, I'm sure it will be cheap again soon.

Renji, did you mess with many of the settings with DSFix? I would think there should be a way for you to use it without the motion sickness problem. There are a lot of options to mess with.

I can't give any rational explanation as to why I want to play this game in September, but I do. I know I could wait it out for a sale but, meh, $30 isn't exactly breaking the bank so I may just go for it. Thanks for the input, very helpful.

Regarding the PC version, I've heard that there're notable issues with people using hacks when invading as black phantoms, making online play overly frustrating for some people. I only have the PS3 version, so I don't have any first hand experience with this, but have those of you with the PC version run into any such problems with hacked invaders?

No, but it has been a while since I last played. That could be a more recent development. It wasn't an issue when I went through the game last year.

I've been invaded only once and I fell off a catwalk while trying to get to him... sooo after 25ish hours in game I don't think it's a big deal.

Dyni wrote:

Renji, did you mess with many of the settings with DSFix? I would think there should be a way for you to use it without the motion sickness problem. There are a lot of options to mess with.

Can't say that I did. I think I still have it installed, just disabled. Maybe I'll mess around with it a bit when I get back to my shieldless ninja SL3 playthrough.