StarTopic Elden Ring |ST| Go Outside and Touch Grace

[afternoon delight]

I appreciate the advice @afternoon delight! Honestly anything you can tell me about making this a little easier on myself would be appreciated

Oh, an excuse to talk about the lovely facets of ELDEN RING you say?


1. You never lost your way- you simply stumbled into territory you didn't know yet. All FROM feel overwhelming at first, especially the way the map unfolds in ER and its abundance of literally hidden areas, but by game's end you'll see they're actually smaller than they appear upon first blush. I believe every Soulsbournikero Ring game is most sublime and enjoyed when you utilize zero strategy guides the first time through excluding maybe character builds.


2. Sometimes a particular boss or bosses are going to straight up wreck you for long periods of time, everyone has them. Radahn is a perfect example- many demolish him, but I had to summon my friend after twenty or so attempts because the beast uniquely melted my dual sword melee build at the time. For melee, don't be afraid to delve into blood and dark magic to give yourself that extra magical edge, I found great success with Bleeding effects.


3. Take notes about NPCs and talk to them frequently to advance their stories. If you absolutely must and want to see how their particular quest might end, you should look up the answer because FROM is purposefully obtuse. Still, it's pretty generous for a FROM game- and ER features their best NPCs and quests by far, even if I am a sucker for Bloodborne's system.


4. They progressively love to fuck with invisibility as an element in the game, so be aware that you might not necessarily see everything you need to interact with upon first glance. LMAO.


5. Take your time, or don't- each area has a lot to offer and there is generally always golden guidance to light your way forward once you feel you've had enough.

I disagree actually, I don’t think you ever need to grind in any of the Souls games - or at least not for levels. Your weapon and gear are exponentially more important. Elden Ring obviously makes it much easier and more fluid to go do other things and come back to tough spots, but there’s some element of that in every game. There are certainly more choke points in older games, and I really do like how Elden Ring lets you explore elsewhere if you hit a wall, but I don’t think that grinding for levels is ever the answer.

A lot of times for me it's often been "slaughter everything in my path until I'm being stomped by the boss > gain ten levels > go back and kill boss with the upped stats."

I'm also thinking primarily of Dark Souls 3 and the goddamn cathedral angels before the Twin Princes, or say, the forest ghosts before big Wolfy in Dark Souls 1. Or all those wraiths before Artorias.

 

[meatbag]

And as a result (and I could be wrong about this), I lost my saved data and I got a message shortly afterward saying that I have a penalty of 180 days

Haven't played Elden Ring yet, but Dark Souls 3 also handed out penalties to people using cheats/mods while online, so I imagine it's a similar situation

 

[BotenAnna]

Like, the Dark Souls games are designed to make you grind in certain areas if you cannot git gud enough, it’s part of the reason why I hesitate to ever play their linear depths again compared to the fluidity and open nature of ER.

This isn't really true with the exception of things like grass or vials. It's an option and something people can do to help ease the difficulty curve, but there are generally other tools(i.e. kindling, summoning, items) that are far more effective than that. Sammy is more correct in saying that gear upgrade drops will give massive power level increases and would be the fast track to grind up some damage. Elden Ring post patch is particularly forgiving about this now; go explore and find mines or drops that will get you to whatever the reasonable cap for the part of the world you're in.

If you are getting stuck with difficulty, I would always suggest taking the time to look at everything you got in your inventory and attempting to use it. Having upgraded gear and using different talismans goes a long way. Consumables in Elden Ring in particular are kind of insane (Physicks go dummy). Augmenting builds with spellcaster shit you pick up helps. Also maintaining Spirit Ashes in this game is more or less the defacto difficulty scaler option. so like use that. If you add all that together and take the time to come up with a plan for whatever you're looking at it'll curve the challenge on an exponential scale. I have a friend who doesn't have the execution to dodge bosses and punish accordingly, but he beats these games via excel spreadsheeting his inventory and just min/maxing for every encounter. There are a lot of tools there to help you out, and you should be using them if you need to.

If you do want to take the approach to learn these games via execution instead, learning how attack animations work will take you 90% of the way. Souls can be summed up as "invuln through the hit and punish the recovery." You can learn all that stuff in literal minutes and then just build up the execution of it over time. It might seem nerdy or lame or time consuming to bother but Idk that's the skillset these are designed around. It's not prohibitively difficult execution wise, but I find a lot of people literally just don't know what they are looking for.

All else fails, I'd look at what in particular you are struggling with and see what other options in game you have to cover it. If it really is too much and you're on PC you can mod around your particular pain areas without taking too much away.

 

[merp]

Haven't played Elden Ring yet, but Dark Souls 3 also handed out penalties to people using cheats/mods while online, so I imagine it's a similar situation

Yeah, I forgot to play offline.

 

[big lantern ghost]

Oh, an excuse to talk about the lovely facets of ELDEN RING you say?

I was going to wait until I cleared out some other games but I can wait no longer; I’m starting today! I agree I like playing mostly without a guide. Any equipment that stands out to you as being good to grab early on?

 

[merp]

I was going to wait until I cleared out some other games but I can wait no longer; I’m starting today! I agree I like playing mostly without a guide. Any equipment that stands out to you as being good to grab early on?

You're going to enjoy it, trust me.

 

[big lantern ghost]

You're going to enjoy it, trust me.

It feels like the right time to begin again! Just an hour into looking over a few build possibilities over here...

 

[SammyJ9]

I was going to wait until I cleared out some other games but I can wait no longer; I’m starting today! I agree I like playing mostly without a guide. Any equipment that stands out to you as being good to grab early on?

A couple very quick general tips and thoughts:

1) The initial starting area of the game is still huge, but it's sort of a tutorial and gets you used to how the game flows and how a lot of the little side areas and events work. There's also a ton of equipment scattered around it so it's good to explore a lot early and find some stuff you like

2) There's a very early boss that acts as a sort-of roadblock that a lot of players run into like a brick wall. He's tuned to be pretty hard on purpose to get you used to the idea of exploring other places and getting better gear and then coming back later. I would recommend not getting too frustrated if you run into him early - just move on for a while and come back later.

3) Similar, but exploration is the name of the game! Elden Ring is massive and has a ton of things to find and see. You can press on into areas that might be significantly harder than you're really prepared for, and that's okay! Maybe you run around a while and see if there's any cool loot to grab, or maybe you just nope out and decide to come back later. The best feature of Elden Ring is how many different places you can go at any time so things never get stale or you feel like you're stuck.

 

[big lantern ghost]

OK I'm starting now and I have to say: I'm already sort of in love with my character. Meet Ron:

I'm imagining his path through Elden Ring being like the world's shittiest isekai. He has absolutely no idea what is going on, nor does he care. He just wants to kick whatever ass needs kicking to get to that six-pack of Cold Ones back home.

 

[Red Monster]

@big lantern ghost

be sure to fight the giant guy on the golden horse immediately

/s

 

[big lantern ghost]

@big lantern ghost

be sure to fight the giant guy on the golden horse immediately

/s

 

[SammyJ9]

OK I'm starting now and I have to say: I'm already sort of in love with my character. Meet Ron:

I'm imagining his path through Elden Ring being like the world's shittiest isekai. He has absolutely no idea what is going on, nor does he care. He just wants to kick whatever ass needs kicking to get to that six-pack of Cold Ones back home.

Perfect! I’m picturing Ron as basically Scruffy from Futurama, mopping up a hallway and randomly falling into an open cabinet that somehow transports him to the Lands Between.

“Life and death are a seamless continuum. Mhmm.”

 

[afternoon delight]

OK I'm starting now and I have to say: I'm already sort of in love with my character. Meet Ron - I'm imagining his path through Elden Ring being like the world's shittiest isekai. He has absolutely no idea what is going on, nor does he care. He just wants to kick whatever ass needs kicking to get to that six-pack of Cold Ones back home.

Ron when he summons his friends and spirit ashes:

I will say, early game, I found a Twinblade extremely close to the starting area and never looked back from my Darth Maul infatuation and its beautiful strikes.

 

[big lantern ghost]

Ron is getting effed up out there y’all. It’s worth noting I haven’t finished one of these games in some time Am I just too lacking, too…dad? Maybe. I’ll keep at it for a little while longer though.

 

[UnassumingLocalGuy]

Ron is getting effed up out there y’all. It’s worth noting I haven’t finished one of these games in some time Am I just too lacking, too…dad? Maybe. I’ll keep at it for a little while longer though.

What class did you start with? The first time I played, I started as a Confessor, played for a couple hours while struggling a lot, then started another game as a Prisoner and found it a lot more manageable with a ranged spell to attack from a distance. I don’t know how much you’ve played already, but it might be worth considering trying a different class if you haven’t gotten too far in. It mainly makes a difference right at the start since as the game goes on you’ll be able to develop your stats and equipment in whatever direction you want.

 

[SammyJ9]

Ron is getting effed up out there y’all. It’s worth noting I haven’t finished one of these games in some time Am I just too lacking, too…dad? Maybe. I’ll keep at it for a little while longer though.

The beginning of the game can be rough as you get used to everything, it just takes some time to get a feel for it. The nice thing is that there's not really any pressure, you can just keep roaming around and slowly leveling up and gaining some power as you find equipment. Keep at it! Ron just needs find his Isekai feet

 

[merp]

I just beat Margit the Fell Omen in Stormviel Castle (or was it Godrick? I can't tell.) Dude used a dragon's head as an arm and breathed fire at me.

I'm now in the next area entirely (found my first Grace or save-point there).

Also, I decided to go ahead and clear the Weeping Peninsula anyway, even after just losing it not too long ago. @Suswave

 

[SammyJ9]

I just beat Margit the Fell Omen in Stormviel Castle (or was it Godrick? I can't tell.) Dude used a dragon's head as an arm and breathed fire at me.

I'm now in the next area entirely (found my first Grace or save-point there).

Also, I decided to go ahead and clear the Weeping Peninsula anyway, even after just losing it not too long ago. @Suswave

Nicely done! Liurnia might be my favorite area in the game - it’s gorgeous and has a really cool dungeon too.

 

[merp]

Nicely done! Liurnia might be my favorite area in the game - it’s gorgeous and has a really cool dungeon too.

But seriously, was it Godrick I killed or Margit?

 

[Weebos]

But seriously, was it Godrick I killed or Margit?

Godrick is the one with the dragon arm.

 

[merp]

Godrick is the one with the dragon arm.

Then it was Godrick I killed.

 

[merp]

Okay, I'm going to explore the Siofra River (I wonder what that is!) in keeping with the IGN walkthrough.

Wish me luck...

 

[EricTheGamerman]

This game has been sitting on the shelf for a while and I really want to play it, but I'm scared of just how expansive it is. And also, it's been 3 years since I went through Dark Souls 1, 3, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and most of Dark Souls 2. I'm afraid I'm terribly out of practice and that I'll remember like none of how these games work.

If I do start it, what's good to keep in mind for this game versus the older From Soft games?

 

[SammyJ9]

This game has been sitting on the shelf for a while and I really want to play it, but I'm scared of just how expansive it is. And also, it's been 3 years since I went through Dark Souls 1, 3, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and most of Dark Souls 2. I'm afraid I'm terribly out of practice and that I'll remember like none of how these games work.

If I do start it, what's good to keep in mind for this game versus the older From Soft games?

In pretty much all but name, Elden Ring is Dark Souls 4 so a lot of it will feel very familiar to you while at the same time having a lot of new sprinkled in. The main thing I’d say for someone who’s played a lot of other From games is that by being open world now, you have a lot more freedom in how to approach things and when to go places. Exploration is the name of the game, so get out and wander and find cool stuff! Don’t worry about getting stuck on a tough part or boss for too long, and if you do, just go explore somewhere else and come back later.

If you start to get a little weary of the open world stuff and some of the more chalice-dungeon-y mini dungeons, don’t worry, there are still large old-school From levels in the game, too, and they’re excellent.

Lastly, Elden Ring has the biggest amount of build freedom and variety in the series, so try things out and don’t latch onto anything too quickly!

 

[BotenAnna]

This game has been sitting on the shelf for a while and I really want to play it, but I'm scared of just how expansive it is. And also, it's been 3 years since I went through Dark Souls 1, 3, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and most of Dark Souls 2. I'm afraid I'm terribly out of practice and that I'll remember like none of how these games work.

If I do start it, what's good to keep in mind for this game versus the older From Soft games?

If you're worried about the expansiveness eating up time, you don't have to be. You can beat the game in like 20 hours or less just doing the basic ending requirements. If you actually want to not speed through it, there's not much more substantial content than in a Souls game. There is a pretty insane amount of filler in the game, which can push like an all bosses/talismans save file to around 120-130 hours if you want to do that. I would rec not doing that, because when I say it's filler I mean it's like 100 some odd chalice dungeon level content with mostly meh rewards. This is not exactly a bad thing, cause the core game is fun and the rewards can be nice to collect, but there's no need to go hard on it. I would say if you don't fall into the completionist mindset it's about as long to finish as like a playthrough of SOTFS with the DLC included. 50-60 hours? The way NG+ works in this one too means you won't have to repeat any filler content either, so you could split up "seeing everything" that way.

For difficulty stuff, really I'll keep saying it but the tools they give you to modulate difficulty in this game are insanely powerful, so just chill. It's their most "accessible" game by a wide margin as far as tools to lower difficulty goes.

 

[merp]

I'm in still in the Siofra River area.

I'm trying to beat the Dragonknight Kin boss and, damn, is he hard to beat.

Anyone got any tips and tricks for this occasion?

 

[Yazmat]

Started it two weeks ago and still can't decide what I think about it. On the one hand, it's very rich with content, on the other, I don't really like the games which are heavily reliant on stamina system.

 

[amiigo]

I'm in still in the Siofra River area.

I'm trying to beat the Dragonknight Kin boss and, damn, is he hard to beat.

Anyone got any tips and tricks for this occasion?

It's hard to give specific tips without knowing what abilities you've leveled up, what weapons you have, etc etc

I went back through one or two of your posts, and saw you're following an IGN playthrough. I don't know the details, but I can say that following a playthrough religiously can be detrimental for this game, because what makes it so accessible compared to other Miyazaki games is how you can tackle a completely different boss/area/dungeon if you think you're not prepared for what you're currently facing. To that end, if you hit a wall, in general I recommend marking the nearest site of grace with the right stick, and trying to accomplish something else. Don't be afraid to pump levels into health early on, and remember that rolling i-frames have been reduced in comparison to Dark Souls III. Upgrading your weapon probably takes top priority, so always try to explore new areas for those smithing stones. Be sure to not level up more than 2 offensive stats - I recommend a mix of one physical and one magic. Magic is overpowered, as always.

Apologies for this broad set of tips, but I don't know the specifics of your playthrough.

 

[EricTheGamerman]

Finally started this and can't believe I took so long to get around to it. Put 11 hours in already just like 4 days in, so I'm loving it and the world is so captivating. Still learning a lot, but the Souls game logic came back to me pretty quickly all things considered and sorcery seems to have been a great focus for this game (and something I've generally not done a lot of before in Souls, though I did do a Pyromancer in DS3 that had a few sorcery spells to use every now and then). Open world Souls is a design I didn't realize I could be really engaged in until I really had more of the game, combat, and exploration just all click so perfectly for me.

 

[merp]

Finally started this and can't believe I took so long to get around to it. Put 11 hours in already just like 4 days in, so I'm loving it and the world is so captivating. Still learning a lot, but the Souls game logic came back to me pretty quickly all things considered and sorcery seems to have been a great focus for this game (and something I've generally not done a lot of before in Souls, though I did do a Pyromancer in DS3 that had a few sorcery spells to use every now and then). Open world Souls is a design I didn't realize I could be really engaged in until I really had more of the game, combat, and exploration just all click so perfectly for me.

I might play Elden Ring again soon; just taking a break for now.

But yeah, I feel this.

 

[Imitatio]

Open world Souls is a design I didn't realize I could be really engaged in until I really had more of the game, combat, and exploration just all click so perfectly for me.

It's curious to me that I'm entirely on the opposite end here. Replaying parts of DS3 lately made me realise that almost every single issue I take with ER stems from them going open world and the ways that decision intertwines with the usual FromSoft Soulsborne RPG formula. I think DS3 is just so much better (and Bloodborne even better than it) as a Soulsborne game that ER being the new design template for From games going forward will more likely than not make me not bother with their output anymore. (Luckily, titles like Lies of P seem to pick up where From themselves left off, at least).

Here's hoping Sony will remaster BB sometime soon.

 

[SammyJ9]

It's curious to me that I'm entirely on the opposite end here. Replaying parts of DS3 lately made me realise that almost every single issue I take with ER stems from them going open world and the ways that decision intertwines with the usual FromSoft Soulsborne RPG formula. I think DS3 is just so much better (and Bloodborne even better than it) as a Soulsborne game that ER being the new design template for From games going forward will more likely than not make me not bother with their output anymore. (Luckily, titles like Lies of P seem to pick up where From themselves left off, at least).

Here's hoping Sony will remaster BB sometime soon.

Even though I love Elden Ring, I really hope that From still does some tighter more old-school games here and there too. I would love another Sekiro-style gap-filler between Elden Ring DLC (which is surely coming any day now... right?) and the presumed Elden Ring 2. Variety is a good thing!

 

[Imitatio]

Even though I love Elden Ring, I really hope that From still does some tighter more old-school games here and there too. I would love another Sekiro-style gap-filler between Elden Ring DLC (which is surely coming any day now... right?) and the presumed Elden Ring 2. Variety is a good thing!

I hope so, too, but I'm not exactly sure about the way they've set up their development pipelines and teams right now, so it's a bit of a mystery to me what to expect next other than the ER DLC, obviously. Maybe they'll do a new AC instead?
I still need to give that one a try, hah.

 

[SammyJ9]

I hope so, too, but I'm not exactly sure about the way they've set up their development pipelines and teams right now, so it's a bit of a mystery to me what to expect next other than the ER DLC, obviously. Maybe they'll do a new AC instead?
I still need to give that one a try, hah.

The longer we go without hearing anything about the DLC makes me wonder, at least a little bit, if they just decided to Hollow Knight it and went "Oops, actually Shadow of the Erdtree is a full sequel instead of DLC now." Probably not and we'll be hearing about it within the next month or two as game companies have more early-2024 presentations, but I don't think it's entirely impossible either.

 

[Yazmat]

Welp, finally beat it today, all in all it was fun, but the last boss was the worst thing in the game (even Malenia didn't make me feel so frustrated like this giant blob that just runs from you).

 

[EricTheGamerman]

I know it's old news at this point, but I don't remember the last time a game made me go "there's so much more!?" in recent memory. So many open world obsess with showing you everything up front and saying you can go there, but the way Elden Ring just unravels and zooms out of the map coupled with a density that is really impressive is just really keeping me going.

...and now I officially have Souls brain rot again and have spent a lot of time listening or watching Souls related content. Welcome back old friend indeed.

 

[SammyJ9]

I know it's old news at this point, but I don't remember the last time a game made me go "there's so much more!?" in recent memory. So many open world obsess with showing you everything up front and saying you can go there, but the way Elden Ring just unravels and zooms out of the map coupled with a density that is really impressive is just really keeping me going.

...and now I officially have Souls brain rot again and have spent a lot of time listening or watching Souls related content. Welcome back old friend indeed.

That’s one of my favorite things about Elden Ring - the way it starts you in a fairly focused area and then slowly expands the map and makes you say “holy crap this world is bigger than I thought” over and over again. For my money I’m not sure any other game gave me the thrill of discovery and joy of finding new places the way Elden Ring did. The only ones I can think of that come close are BOTW and maybe Xenoblade.