Yumcha

I guess I'm one of the first peeps in here to get this game?

Would've started sooner but had a busy weekend assisting in-laws who have COVID right now. Anyways, looking forward to starting it in the next day or so...

Yumcha

Started playing this a couple weeks ago and man, is it immense...and brutally hard...given the openness of the game, it's a bit tricky to figure out what is next and whatnot but I think I've gotten the hang of it and recently started to grind to "hulk up" a bit...too easily killed...

@Doom878 ...you need this game.

Doom878

Dying for it. $35 used but I didn't pull the trigger. I promised myself I'd wait until at least getting NG+ in DS

Yumcha

Hurry up!

Doom878

I've been watching random clips of Dunkey playing on youtube. It looks badass with the jumping. He did a strength heavy-sword build pretty much spamming jumping R2's.

Yumcha

While my skillsets from DS is somewhat transferable into this game and helped with some of the learning curve, it's still like a brand-new experience...I'm dying alot and despite hulking up and spending quite a few hours leveling up to 72 already, I have yet to find the "mega-boss" because I'm not sure where I'm going yet. I am running into plenty of "bosses" as those are the ones pwning me routinely if I'm not ready for it and/or figured out how they operate but yeah...

I don't mind riding around a bit aimlessly finding caves, castles/forts, and etc. to raid and/or find NPCs to give me mini-missions and/or whatever. But clearly, I'm not on the main path because my game progress is at 1% and I have already logged 20+ hours.

Yumcha

While my skillsets from DS is somewhat transferable into this game and helped with some of the learning curve, it's still like a brand-new experience...I'm dying alot and despite hulking up and spending quite a few hours leveling up to 72 already, I have yet to find the "mega-boss" because I'm not sure where I'm going yet. I am running into plenty of "bosses" as those are the ones pwning me routinely if I'm not ready for it and/or figured out how they operate but yeah...

I don't mind riding around a bit aimlessly finding caves, castles/forts, and etc. to raid and/or find NPCs to give me mini-missions and/or whatever. But clearly, I'm not on the main path because my game progress is at 1% and I have already logged 20+ hours.

Yumcha

So, I think I finally made it to what major progression point (still only 2% done despite putting in 30 hours of playing time already) after "aimlessly" exploring what I can in the world (and often regretting what I ran headlong into)...I've clued in enough on the NPC convos that I've made it to what is one of the key stages of the game: Stormveil Castle. And momma-mia...is it vast.

One development from playing From's products that I don't get from other video games like ever: Sweaty palms. This game is stressful...that fear hanging over your head of dying at a second's notice is frightful. There is no Poison Cloud exploit that I've figured like from DS that I can use but I've still, when possible, played keepaway from what I could...using a combo of spells and swordwork...

This game is definitely harder than DS.

Doom878

Hmm interesting. Curious what the consensus says in difficulty. I follow all the DS subs except ER.

Yumcha

It's still manageable. Given you are a From vet, you will be just fine. You'll likely be like me though, at times, just moving/plodding forward in "fear"...full shield/defense mode as something will jump out at you.

In the castle, which I'm still exploring -- though I think I found the location of the boss room given the yerrow cloud veil outside of it -- I entered a dark room and some sh*thead NPC locked me in it after snickering at me. And some hulking night came barging out and attacked in the darkness from behind all the boxes. FFS. The issue now is that most of the castle has been cleared by me but I'm down to my last bottle of HP replenishment and with no MP left (have nothing that recharges it gradually except the drinks I've used up) and almost all out of arrows from sniping the soldiers everywhere...So, I'm still exploring the grounds mostly unambushed BUT, I need to stop at a Grace Site (basically a 'save' point) which is the only way to replenish the HP and MP drinks...If I do that, all the enemies I've cleared out the last 3 days return I believe. The bigger ones, maybe not but, still...that's a sh*t-ton of baddies.

So, I need to figure out when I can do a rest...but, the castle exploration isn't over and I don't have much healing left, LOL. Great, just great.

Doom878

3 days to clear a castle? Holy shit You are ballsy as hell going in blind. I admit I tended to use guides but I didn't have time to explore and experiment.

Yumcha

3 days and likely part of this weekend...I know I have another portion I have not scoped out yet because I hear enemy noises whenever I pass it from below.

Spending hours tanking up has helped...and as I have mentioned, going forward slow. I am usually in a crouched, sneak mode to avoid attention. Also, consistently pressing down on L3 to get the game to lock into an enemy if there is one that I don't see but is there, helps. I think in going exploring so much and getting lost, I have lucked into some decent armor and a strongly modiifed flaming katana. But, I died...alot. Still do. I have not reached a point (except the castle) that whenever I reach 5 digits in exp., I immediately phase out to the farming location to just level up because I know if I die, I won't risk losing it if I don't get it all back on my second attempt...

Dude, you need to get this game. Hurry up!

Yumcha

Castle cleared out on Friday evening. First mega-boss I think...and momma, was he something. Took a couple of tries and a combination of bringing in "help" via the NPC character I could summon right in front of the doorway and the Spirit Ash knight I had ready. With those 2 charging in against the king, I hung back and shot magic until I ran out of MP and then, well, he finally was down enough for me to duke it out...still, stressful fight.

After clearing up the castle, I had to do some figuring out on how the Great Rune works and I think that's out of the way for now. Not converting the spoils into $$$ as I learned the importance of hanging onto big-boss spoils from Demons Souls and etc. Over the weekend, I wandered into some underground lake and I think I've cleared that out (dealt with 2 giant bosses in there but I think these are field-types given they don't have the CG movie like the king I took out). Anyways, figuring out where to explore next but I suppose, the vast land mass right outside of the king's throneroom probably is it (duh?)...

Fun game.

Doom878

Me wanting to play this game

Yumcha

What's stopping you? DO IT!

I started exploring the region behind the giant castle and yeah, it's...vast. Apparently, the land of magic? So far, getting lost on a giant lake and I will admit, got destroyed by a giant lobster. And not some humanoid-looking thing, but yeah, a lobster...maybe it's karma for all the ones I've eaten in my life. But, man did that thing king me the first couple of times I took it on. It's not even a field boss, I don't think.

Had to resort to spamming magic via a run-and-gun approach.

The thing about this game, which makes it so...amazing and time-consuming is that the world literally does not end. You go exploring and voila, there are some ruins and oh, an underground staircase...or, what's this hole along the side of the cliff? Let's walk into the cave...I've learned enough to know that almost every one of these has a boss-type enemy in them and so, going into them is always a bit nerve-wracking as you just don't know what you're up against. I dealt with a giant fire-breathing lizard wielding a giant sword/cleaver last night and man, stressful fight. Outlasted it by one hit, I think.

Yumcha

Still exploring this vast lake/marshland...

I swear, if the format is like BB or DS and this is indeed the "2nd stage/world"...I think I'll be 60 by the time I finish this game. Clocked in nearly 60 hours already. Just defeated a giant@$$ field boss that's this flying skull/monster bird...Took forever and again, beat it by luck I think.

Found the castle for this stage and can't get in...need some sort of key which means...more exploration of this vast lake/marshland...

Doom878

Is the marshland poisonous because I heard there are two huge seas of that

Yumcha

The initial part of this marshland/lake-land is not poisonous but on western side, it's definitely a poisonous swamp which I'm not looking forward to. I'm focused on the central part (the marsh/lake) for now and will get to the swamp later if what I'm looking for does not turn up...I found a map hint on a dead person leading to some small islands and I am pretty sure, knowing how sick the creators are, that I must fight something awful to get it.

Yumcha

'Stage 2' exploration still in-progress.

Again, I will say that the vastness of this game is someting I have never experienced before. Ghosts of Tsushima is close but there is a repetiveness to the game that this one does not quite have. Sure, there are similarities in some mini-dungeons/caves but the layouts are different and so is the difficulty scale involved. I think the latter requisite is that fear of instant death at all times as I wander into another crypt or cave.

Anyways, long weekend meant a bit more gaming when the kid was in bed and I think I took out the stage's megaboss albeit, prematurely. Oops. I found the key that unlocked the castle's barrier and so, hey...why not, right? Anyways, took out the boss and now back exploring the vast marshland which is now a cliff-like, rolling hills/mountainness terrain. I've come across some nice dropped armor courtesy of farming and trying to level up in a new spot which is very good-looking and also quite the upgrade over my mishmash of stuff so, this is helping so far but being level 97 now also is a boon, I'm sure. Yes, I do believe in tanking up and at least having some edge. I have a new-found love of this spell called "Rotten Breath" -- which...takes timing to pull off but if it works and is done right, it's basically a nuked version of poison in DS and starts to take down the enemy's health. It's helping alot against some of the difficult enemies that I've run into. Anyways, what a game. What a game.

Doom878

It's done. I just ordered through Gamefly for $35 shipped plus tax. Probably will come next week or the week after. Let the new challenge begin (assuming I don't break my controllers in Demon's Souls NG+).

Yumcha

Awesome stuff, Doomie. I'll do my best to help you when you get started but note I'm still just in the second world at the moment.

I'm back to leveling up again as I feel some of the fights are just a bit too close for comfort and recently discovered another elevator down into a vast underground stage (not quite like a mini-cave/dungeon). What lies in that big underground is well, I can just imagine.

Yumcha

To quickly segue RE: the NG+ on Demon's Souls, I wonder if you are under-leveled as though, NG+ was definitely harder but it was manageable for me overall and I ended up finishing the game a couple of times. You may want to now build yourself into a part-projectile/mage character?

Doom878

In DeS I'm at SL76. Online some were at like 90 or so. I need to get my defense up but I like to roll around. I also need to strengthen my magic to kill the bosses easy mode.

Yumcha

Yeah, you need to go grinding to level up and increase some skill areas then. And also, if you have access to some stronger armor.

Yumcha

Well, took literally 50 minutes to do but, a kill's a kill?

Spent a chunk of tonight (the 50 minutes) taking on a giant Ent-like tree boss in this reddish, corrupted place in the eastern part of the Elden Ring world. This wasn't the only one I've dealt with but, well, the toughest...everytime it does a power jump, the landing causes splash damage in the form of this effect called "Scarlet Rot"...worse than poison...

Poison effects obviously do nothing at all to this thing...So, basically after I got brave enough tonight, snuck up to it...did my strongest magic spell until it depleted my MP, turned and ran in the opposite direction, hid...replenished MP, repeat...until, well, I ran out of potions. Then, it was with bow and arrow...get close enough to shoot a couple to get some damage, it turns around, charges, and I run for my life again...hide...repeat. Yeah, 50+ minutes to do. But, finally rid of the crossroad of this monster who was a bane of my side. Not proud of my approach but, hey...a kill is a kill.

This eastern part of ER is actually, my place to farm...when you start playing, @Doom878 ...if you are curious where I go to level up routinely, let me know and I can tell you how I discovered this sorry place. I think my discovery of it, while allowable is, well, premature...this is a very difficult stage overall but, there are areas you can exploit to get the runes (i.e. souls) to spend to level up.

Yumcha

Found another large castle...still in the lake/swamp/cliff stage...so, this place has TWO castles?!?

Anyways, the courtyard was all sorts of heebie-jeebie funness...there are these 'spiders' that are basically grotesque hands linked together that come out of the ground or just pounce on you if you don't look up against walls...the small ones are fine but some are freaking huge. I think I cleared out the giant courtyard and have found stairs up to the ramparts and other parts of this castle...that's for...maybe tonight.

Yumcha

Castle done. The boss was not as horrid/scary as I thought. From talking to NPCs post-castle, I was directed to the poisonous swampland next...this is the area I had found pockets to level up...so, yikes...time to now explore this region fully.

Doom878

Shipping says Saturday but not I'm busy in NG+ of Demon's Souls. Decisions, decisions.

Yumcha

LOL...well, tell you this: If you give this game a couple of hours, good luck putting it down.

Yumcha

Not surprisingly, my starting class is samurai.

Yumcha

I want to gather yours would be either Hero or Vagabond, Doomie?

Doom878

I always start with a strength melee guy. I like slow hard bashes. Sometimes you get that stagger too which helps.

Yumcha

Yeah, I'm more into quickness and peripheral fighting if possible. The Samurai is fun as an FYI but he's definitely not a brute-force character.

Doom878

Ok so this game is crack Going in blind for now.

Ok so started with the Strength guy. Started with leveling up Vigor to get the HP up and then some Strength to hit a little harder.

Got the horsey, love riding around. Reminds me of an old Zelda game. I could ride around for hours collecting shit and poking bad guys and running. Love how you have options to blow off some steam and explore areas you're not supposed to be in. Did you find the ghost bull area with the stars in the sky underground. The art in this game is insane!

Did you find the hidden underground beast that comes out of the ground when you go to kill some zombie dudes. Shit is hilarious how the environment is interactable. The sleeping bear guarding the treasure was fun too. Love the sneaking aspect of the game but not as precise as MGS of course.

Found the castle where the golden seed is and beat the blood art mini-boss guy. Interesting how once he's dead, the enemies don't respawn there. I liked that area to collect runes so I have to note that in the future.

Tried crossing that heavily guarded bridge and got grenaded. I love this game. I found a mini-boss warp buy the caterpillar balls. Not ready for that lol.

My only gripes so far is that triangle is the acknowledgment button as I'm used to X. And sometimes I do a gesture when I hit triangle too many times. Also when I hit the center button for the map, I always hit it a second time to get out but it just pulls up another menu. To get out I have to press O so my muscle memory is a little out of wack. I have to get used to the horse control too. I had a hard time fighting that one dude on the horse at one of the encampments nearby.

Yumcha

Awesome stuff, Doomie.

Yeah, I found the underground place where the stars are in the sky -- that place is quite vast actually. Fought this giantass 'ghost' moose for a boss after running around lighting some altars...the moose was not the problem. It was the super-sized giant that's also in that stage that gave me the most problem. I suggest you to go back later in this underground city when you're stronger.

I'm not quite sure who you're referring to about the underground beast that comes up from the ground when you kill zombies...not quite ringing a bell but there are dungeons where if you don't find the necromancer, the skeletons just keep coming.

In regards to the gesturing when you don't want to, it drove me crazy and nearly got me killed a few times because it triggered when I didn't need it. So, just remove all your gestures and only add the one you intend to use when you need it. Otherwise, leave the slots empty.

Over the weekend, I fought Radahn. And beat him. In this vast, vast, VAST open field where there are armor, weaponry, spears strewn all over...it is clearly a major battlefield. The fight was awesome...I also had the ability to summon NPCs who I had spoken to throughout the game to help...just epic. This boss was...epic. And I fought him on horseback for parts of it too. Caelid is more or less cleared...now, where to next?

If you need to place to level up quickly, Doomie, let me know and I'll pass you some tips to where to go.

Doom878

It's some random giant porcupine near the huge lake where the giant crab is chilling. There's a road next to it where the knight on the horse goes back and forth. After the road there's a small mountain where some villains are holding torches and chilling. If you run by there, the beast jumps out of the ground and starts thrashing your ass. You have to pony out of there. It's freaking hilarious.

Thanks for the gesture tip. I'll consider your offer. Going to play some more and see if I can do this flying blind thing.

Yumcha

Ugh...sorry, a lack of sleep (kid's sick with a bad cold that kept me up most of the evening) here...what region is this porcupine? Still drawing a blank...I'm sure I would have encountered it because I know I cleared out most of Limgrave and the Liurna Lakes. Either way, you sound like you ran into a field boss. Watch out as well, yeah, they do have a popensity for establishing dominance if you're not strong yet.

And absolutely, part of the joy and nutbarness of this game is the uncertain wide-open approach. This is how I've basically dumped a sh*t-pile of hours before I actually took out the first boss...it's the non-stop exploration and oh-what's-this-place curiosity. Sounds like you're doing exactly what I did...just exploring the world. You'll eventually make it to a place where the land is...reddish. That's the area and if you keep going -- if you're brave and insane -- you'll find spots where leveling up is well, easy -- so long as you take caution in fighting the enemies. In the early stages, the minute you think you got it, well, the game will flex its muscles at you...so, never give up your caution.

And watch out for dragons.

Doom878

Yeah I'll take a pic and send it next time I play. What's your PSN? Mine is Doom-878

Yumcha

I'll add you later, sir.

Yumcha

So, cleared up this underground location called Nokron after a meteor basically put giant hole into the ground.

What a stage. This game is...unreal.

Anyways, I'm now exploring a network of ladders, caves, and etc. towards the northern part of the lake-ish world I had been before that I forgotten about. We'll see where this leads me. I have some side-quests to fulfill and I think I found one of the key items back in Nokron. I'll go exploring first before advancing the story.

And oh, @Doom878 : This is not giving away much but, you should get used to hitting walls and smashing the ground sometimes. You'll find hidden chambers and etc. I discovered that recently by chance fighting an enemy...I had forgotten this was a From "quirk". Now, it makes me wonder how many places I've missed hidden rooms in.