Doom878

Sorry I got confused in regards to characters to save.

So now that you beat the game, I can tell you about the souls glitch. Look it up for this game in regards to the dude who stores your shit.

Yumcha

This glitch?

https://www.theloadout.com/demons-so...e-souls-glitch


I have read about the uber-luck one using the gold coin but I understand that a patch has nerfed it. Let me confirm. I may consider to try it though because frankly, the Fool's Idol pwned my @$$ to the tune of 10 tries yesterday. I thought there were safe spots but not really anymore. She has too many clones in the NG+ mode.

Yumcha

Yeah, it was patched: Gold Coin exploit gone.

https://www.vg247.com/2020/12/15/dem...biggest-patch/

Doom878

Yumcha

Hmmm...duplicate some souls to power up?

Yumcha

I'll have to try it.

Doom878

I admit I did it. Again I was very inpatient and wanted to crush all the Souls games. Next time, I'll try it legitimately. Thing is, other Souls games have unlimited Estus drink. Only BB and Demon's Souls do the limited health recovery.

Yumcha

I did a bit more reading but looks like this also got patched. There are no more shortcuts for the PS5 version.

I don't have strong enough magic defense and the armor I wore against the Fool's Idol wasn't strong enough. I need to spend some time powering up my Faith and Endurance stats...this may take awhile. At this rate, it's about 90K per level up. I exited Latria and now going farming in stage 1 of the storm stage...though, the skeletors are WAY stronger now and the dual-sword wielding black ones lop off 80% of my health with one swipe.

In reading players' thoughts about this game, I do agree now...you will give up in some frustration and think you're done but it draws you right back. I thought I was done for sure after taking on the Fool's Idol but back at it yesterday albeit for the 60 minutes I played, it was only enough to level up once.

It's going to take awhile. If the FI is that hard, I can't imagine Maneater or the Fire Boss (the one before the Dragon God).

Doom878

You ever watch YouTube on fighting bosses. I loooooved doing that.

Yumcha

I will for NG+...I need to figure out a tactic for Maneater for sure. And I'll spend a bit of cycles leveling up but I will also watch how to beat Fool's Idol. Phalanx and Tower Knight...I used my past strategies and it was fine with the latter, me using Poison Cloud too to make the fight go faster.

For Fool's Idol, the columns were not helping. She had way too many duplicates shooting Soul shots at me.

Doom878

Did you ever figure out the time cycles thing.

Yumcha

Not sure what you mean by that, Doomie. You mean like when striking an enemy and how certain things should be timed and etc.?

Doom878

Sorry meant Tendencies.

Yumcha

K...well, I'm clearly a "good" guy because my tendency for all my worlds in NG+ is white? I think? It's a bright eyeball.

My character tendency (likely because I killed a couple of NPCs) is mostly bright but not as bright as the worlds'...Having observed this over the course of playing, I know the eyeball starts darker...so, I assume a bad guy would have a black eye. I am unsure how to make my tendency worse but I'm going to read up on it online. I suspect it has to do with basically killing everyone -- good NPCs included.

Doom878

I think you can make it white by killing shadow dudes (red ones).

Yumcha

Yeah, the Black Phantoms help but you need to kill them regardless as they are in your pathway usually.

Spent the day leveling up in my usual spot in the rainy stage. It's gonna be a long grind. I think it's time to upgrade some weaponry. I'm reading the Epoc is really good to upgrade with Crescent powers?

Doom878

I've seen some YouTube videos on fast leveling as well. Early game in World 4, cheesing the grim reaper yields easy souls but I'm sure there are other spots.

I don't even know what the Epoc is.

Yumcha

Yeah, I did both. The grim reapers were not bad as they kept spawning ghosts...but, then...I discovered that giant flock of flying rays in the boss stage after you've killed the boss. And well, with the Stormbringer sword, holy it's easy money. I can't access that stage yet as I need to level up.

Epoc is a rapier-type sword, I think. I'll do some reading online tonight to see what weapon is worth leveling up and what quality (poison, magic, bleed, and etc.).

Doom878

Typically rapier-swords are only good for backstabs and foes weak to "poke" attacks (forgot the stat name). The only one I ever liked was in Dark Souls 2. I'm more of a strength guy.

Yumcha

Me too. I am not a fan of spears. The super heavy weapons are too slow for me...which is why I really like the curved blades as they are fast slashers.

Doom878

Claymore is heaviest I typically go but I do like a heavy basher once in a while

Yumcha

I'm just spending time leveling up now that I've completed all the stages in the storm world. The last stage has all those flying rays which is great to level up...I'm going to pad my Faith and Luck attributes in part to see what the Blueblood Sword does with more luck as the Luck Glitch (no longer works) made you a powerhouse...so, I'm guessing anything north of the 13 I used have would be an enhancement. I'm also increasing my Faith to add to my 2 slots and also increase my magic resistance since the Fool's Idol owned me so easily.

Figures that the one stage that drove me batty (Latria) in the first go-round would impact me again in the second.

Doom878

Which is so Soulsborne

Yumcha

You getting a PS5, Doomie?

Playing this game (again for you) is so worth it...It just pulls you back in. I'm like asking myself what am I doing just leveling up for a couple of nights to replay stages I've more or less finished and explored. Can't explain it.

Doom878

No plans at the moment. My new toy for now has four wheels. Rockstar dying for me to mod it even though I got an extended warranty Maybe later in the year when easier to find.

Yumcha

Yeah, leveling up helped against the Fool's Idol. Still took me two tries as I got caught in one of her traps and then, shot to oblivion by her clones and the real one...

Anyways, a damn break from Latria and leveling up and off to the swamp level and mining/fire levels for a bit. I think I'm strong enough to not need to go farming for a bit now and can just enjoy questing...

Yumcha

Well, cleared all the stages except Boleteria past he giant gates into the city. So, basically 2 more stages and I will finish NG+.


Some observations so far:

• NG+ normal enemies past the initial stage of Boleteria are brutal. You can die in basically 1-3 hits depending on the type. If it is a Black Phantom (i.e. red enemy), hoo boy. The worst of the latter was Garl in Black Phantom form. The exploit method still works but more often than not, because of his mega armor/protection, you're just chipping away at his HP a few slices at a time and he'll eventually be able to riposte and then end you. Took me a bazillion tries before I just gave up and used Poison Cloud when he wasn't looking with the Thief Ring.
• I found a few special weapons in further explorations. Most notably, a neat-looking spear in the mud/poison stage that was guarded by a trio of giant depraved ones. And yeah, these things are just brutal to fight. Taking on ONE is doable but a trio? No possible way other than to draw one out at a time.
• Leveling up was a big part of my replay so far with most of my milking in the Storm King stage by lightening striking all the flying rays. My build right now seems well-rounded though I put a pile into endurance with that at 50. I've brought pretty much every other stat to a minimum of 30 except Luck and Faith which are both at 25.
• My current fave sword is the Blueblood Sword. It has somehow become amazing for me and I know longer use the large and relatively heavy Sword of Searching.
• In looking online, I have taken both the king-swords and made the Norther Regalia. It looks very cool but it's not very strong and I think I need to become Pure White to wield it with all the benefits. I'm not nice enough I guess? I'm close to being Pure White though and I'm wondering what I need to do to achieve that. Maybe after NG+? But, for now, Blueblood is my weapon.
• I tried the game in Fractured Mode after I decided to see what 25,000 offer of souls does at the statue in the Nexus. It flips everything into mirror image which is a neat effect...though, funny enough, it made me a bit dizzy to play for some weirdass reason. I found a Ceramic Coin. Though, in looking online, I need 25 more to get that famed key to the l33t treasure. I am unsure if I'll go through the game enough times to get that. This may be my last playthrough.
• I am hesitate to consume any boss souls and so, spent most of them on weaponry upgrades and spells. Have some neat new weapons but again, Blueblood FTW. The Meat Cleaver is interesting but too slow and heavy.
• Hardest boss was Fool's Idol in this playthrough so far with 2 (well, really, it's 3 if we count the blue dragon) to go? I took on Maneater a bit more "fairly" this time by poisoning to death ONE and then fighting the second via melee. I admit using exploits still is part of my play and I think given how unforgiving this game is, the designers intended there to be exploits in the boss fights. It's not like I used a cheat code. Poison Cloud is really the best magic spell ever though.

Doom878

Wow you've been busy. I never consume the Boss souls. I always try to convert them each NG since in other games they can be converted to 2 or 3 different weapons/shields/spells.

Yumcha

I usually game for about 60-90 minutes after Little Cha is in bed and the housework is done.

Yeah, I've gotten my $$$ worth for this game. Looking at my log, I think 90+ hours?

Yumcha

The Warding spell esp. in melees is a must. And yeah, the Poison Cloud too esp. against bosses that can be hit with it.

One more difference this round, I've kept Ostravia (or however you spell his name) alive and he's in the Nexus. I only wound up with the Mausoleum Key because I think he got killed somewhere in my first go-round in the game. I had left him after I had saved him on the ledge and I guess he went around and got lynched by the mob of Dreglings in the area near his originally trapped location. That's where I had found the key. This time round, I guess no need for it so, I'll keep him alive.

Yumcha

Finished NG+.

Do I want ANOTHER round? I dunno what I'd do and if I'd do much else different but this game is sorta addictive.

Doom878

Damn good shit. How was the fight with the False King? Please don't tell me you poisoned him to death.

Yumcha

Well, I fought him mano-a-mano WITH Poison Cloud.

His uber-move which I was not expecting stole a damn level from me! That was NOT expected. That is just evil. It took me a couple of tries but it was a combo of projectile magic (along with Poison Cloud to start), slashes, and backpedaling. Also had the stamina-regen ring as well as the health-regen ring equipped to go with my Adjudicator's shield to double-up on HP recovery.

I used Blueblood Sword against him which is now my go-to weapon.

Yumcha

NG++ has restarted and I've cleared 3 bosses already...What I need to figure out in this round is how to get Pure White Character tendency. I have Pure White in all the worlds...just not as a character.

In reading online to find out WTF I'm missing, it appears that I either need to enable online mode to allow for invaders (ehhhh...not sure)...or go through with NG++ and kill another set of Demonized NPCs...so, like the Black Phantom non-regular enemy characters. Hopefully I'll attain it this time. The ONLY thing I'm dreading? Yeah, you guessed it...the bane of my existence for this game is Latria and the bosses that wait me. And also, that damn mudpit stage.

Yumcha

Oh, to change it up, I maxed out a kilij (since I have like a few of them) to "Crescent" power...it apparently regens MP too. It is a touch lighter which may help me load up fully in the full Dark Armor get-up without affecting my ability to roll. Though, I may need a few more points to Stamina.

Also, I will try to build up my Faith so I can carry another miracle spell.

Doom878

How far away are you from Platinum trophy?

Yumcha

Pathetic. 57% complete I think. I'm unsure what I need to do to get full 100% and honestly, may not get there?

I THINK this is my last go-through. I think getting Pure Black Tendency is the other set of trophies and so, I need to read up to be extremely evil? I'll see...I thought NG+ was my last round and here I am on NG++...

Doom878

Usually Souls games are about finding ALL the spells which is the most arduous task. You should check to see how close you are.

Yumcha

Yah, that's my intent this time round. I rescued Yuria who I found near the end in my first go-round like super early this time. Boletaria's main gate does not block me anymore right after I kill the Tower Knight so I went into stage 3 of it right afterwards and saved her...I traded in one Demon soul for one of her available spells this time. A number of my boss souls will be going to her this round.

Yumcha

Got a trophy for all the magic spells. I'm down to the final stage of Boletaria (the Blue Dragon stage)...I spent some materials to develop some weaponry. I have a maxed out Dragon wword, Moon katana, Crescent kilij...need a bit more greystone to max out the Great Ax I'm working on...

I also have a maxed out Adjudicator's shield which I think is just faster HP rejen.

Hmmm...other than that, I haven't done any Pure Black World runs and still can't achieve Pure White character tendency. I think for the latter, I need to play online to have invaders.

Not sure if I will do that but I'll be taking a break from the game I think now. I've done enough.