Board 8 > Elden Ring Discussion Zone 2

(+) Yeah! (+)

CassandraCain posted...

Yeah thinking about it I believe it was the dual wielding sword knights with 10-hit combos that caused me to drop any reliance on shields.

Funny you mention that, those particular enemies were the exact point where I felt Elden Ring was becoming too hard. Not too bad as a strength build, but they are hell on earth to fight when you can't stagger them.

But honestly, I'm kinda glad that strength folks have an easier out against these guys. I feel like all the endgame bosses are just hell as a pure strength build, so they could use a break.

Just beat Radahn that fight was cool as hell! Loved it

Solfadore posted...

But honestly, I'm kinda glad that strength folks have an easier out against these guys. I feel like all the endgame bosses are just hell as a pure strength build, so they could use a break.

Appears I had a similar experience to you as a fellow primary str build.

Although I have gradually turned it into more of a quality build. Including all stats being raised enough for me to use all weapons.

CassandraCain posted...

Appears I had a similar experience to you as a fellow primary str build.

Although I have gradually turned it into more of a quality build. Including all stats being raised enough for me to use all weapons.

Oh no, don't misunderstand me - I went full Dex, the entire way through. Those dual sword knights were the only instance I could find where I felt strength builds had an easier time. Everywhere else, I just felt that as bad as it got, strength builds probably had it even worse.

Explored some more, got a couple more levels, and beat a few more easier bosses. I don't think I can travel to the big area north east of Lyndell at the moment.

Not sure why someone would think I'm underleveled for Altus Plateau. Yes, I'm only 65 but I've got a sword that does ~340 damage so the trash goes down easy. Bosses are a problem but that's a given since I don't think I'm particularly great at the game and mostly rely on caveman strategy.

I went into another Grave with those spinning death machines guarding stairs. Turns out you just need to time them and hide in alcoves to get past. So I made my way through to the boss, which was not one but TWO Crucible Knights! Considering I couldn't beat the one in the Evergaol (though I only tried a few times) I knew this was a fool's errand. I'll try this one again in another 30 levels...

Decided to go back and "clear out" Limgrave and that southern area with Castle Morne. This shouldn't take too long to finish but I didn't do the best job early on of marking what I had and had not completed.

Seanchan posted...

Not sure why someone would think I'm underleveled for Altus Plateau. Yes, I'm only 65 but I've got a sword that does ~340 damage so the trash goes down easy. Bosses are a problem but that's a given since I don't think I'm particularly great at the game and mostly rely on caveman strategy.

It's not that you're underleveled for Atlus, it's that you're overleveled for a bunch of other stuff!

Castle Morne is generally done in the upper 20s. Godrick in the upper 30s!

Solfadore posted...

Oh no, don't misunderstand me - I went full Dex, the entire way through. Those dual sword knights were the only instance I could find where I felt strength builds had an easier time. Everywhere else, I just felt that as bad as it got, strength builds probably had it even worse.

Ooh I see well no str was legit for many fights. Quicker staggers all around. Though I also had backup dual katanas for the times when I needed more speed. And bleed is too good.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

It's not that you're underleveled for Atlus, it's that you're overleveled for a bunch of other stuff!

Castle Morne is generally done in the upper 20s. Godrick in the upper 30s!

Oh...well....that's okay! I'm here to see the sights more than I am to bang my head against bosses.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

It's not that you're underleveled for Atlus, it's that you're overleveled for a bunch of other stuff!

Castle Morne is generally done in the upper 20s. Godrick in the upper 30s!

I did Castle Morne high teens and this is my first Souls game ever and I'm not good at it. Pretty sure it's one of the first "intended" things to do.

I did it way before even knowing about the existence of Margit. Which is fortunate, I was just the right level for that fight (like 30)

I mean that's the beauty of this game, you can do whatever you want.

Just needs to be aware that there's a good chance the boss of Castle Morne might die in 5 hits, lol and every mob in 1, lol.

finally discovering GRRM's true contribution to the game

all the demigods have names starting with G, R, and M

Invading would be a lot more fun if every single one wasn't essentially guaranteed to be a 3v1

Those poor, poor gankers ;(

Altus Plateau (and also Siofra River really) does feel way easier than Caelid..

Also another new life creed
If the run back to the nonstory boss is too bullshit, I am summoning ashes it up

I totally forgot about great runes for a long while, used the massive hp increase to help against the final boss. Hoarfrost stomped em to death.

Not too bad of a final boss, thankfully nowhere near as frustrating as our favorite gal. Elden beast is a beautiful creature, top notch aesthetic design.

Suppose I'll try Malenia a few more times, maybe the great rune will help...

i was making a beeline for the ending

then it started giving me choices without context and i remembered that the endings in these games are never all that

i guess i'll go have fun and kill more than two of the lords...

Me for most of the game: Running away from most conflict, trying to get through as much of it with stealth hit and run tactics as possible

Me after getting Hoarfrost Stomp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPrbccEdI5o

CassandraCain posted...

Yeah thinking about it I believe it was the dual wielding sword knights with 10-hit combos that caused me to drop any reliance on shields.

I found one of these guys but as a ghost version that literally teleports behind you

I did not defeat him

That was in Castle Sol for me so yeah they were ghost versions. Tried fighting the same one over and over til I beat him. As if he was a boss but nah just a regular ghost soldier that can combo you indefinitely for no reason.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C1-nmLj2STI

AHHHH! I beat Melania and as she was falling the rot took me out. My heart froze as I waited and thankfully I still got her rune and trophy the second before the loading screen popped up.

Phew, hoarfrost stomp cheese eventually made it rather doable. I don't feel bad at all for using one single attack the entire fight.

neonreaper posted...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C1-nmLj2STI

So much truth...

Haven't gone through these topics so I don't know if this has happened to anyone else... but I've started to head towards endgame and found my most BS death yet...

https://streamable.com/nph7c3

I got stuck in a tree in weeping pen and that happened too

yep, tried to get on my horse on a rock and was just stuck in midair until i died

Got to Miguel's haligtree

This game never ends

I'm actually a little surprised by some of the playtimes people are saying they're getting, or that they can't believe how long it is.

For one thing, I feel like I did almost everything of note in 70ish hours.

And for another thing, I don't even think that's very long? I guess I play a ton of jRPGs so it seems pretty standards to me.

I guess I just don't get all the post on social media talking about "finally getting to Altus after 120 hours" and that ilk. Like....what were you doing?? There's exploring thoroughly, then there's what I assume must be a stealth only no teleport no horseback challenge.

Altus after 120 hours is slow, but the whole game in 70 hours is fast.

Most people take over 100 hours in the Xenoblade games too though, and you seemed to beat those in a much shorter time than that...

Yeah, if you aren't using guides for most if the game 70 hours seems lightning fast unless you are power leveling and skipping exploring.

I think I'm around 70 and I still have stuff

I'm 120 hours in and at the Haligtree. Still have not done the rest of the snowy area, Volcano Manor, and some chunks of Caelid.

Some of that is idle time but also a lot of unproductive wandering to uncover nothing, messing around with weapons, and dying!

Mac Arrowny posted...

Most people take over 100 hours in the Xenoblade games too though, and you seemed to beat those in a much shorter time than that...

Jesus how?

I don't know if my combined XB1 and 2 were 100 hours, I'd have to check.

I guess I just play games crazy fast?? I don't feel like I did anything in my Elden Ring playthrough to make it go that quick, other than Mimic Tearing my way to cheap victories for most of the end game.

Factoring that and not doing a ton of exploring in the final area since...I basically never do any endgame side content in any single player games when the ending is already viable and in sight, and I could see adding another 10 hours or so.

I wonder how my other average Souls times compare. Off the top of my head, average DeS playthrough is 10-12 hours and average DS3 playthrough is 25-30.

Also of note from what I'm seeing in my second playthrough from scratch in piddling away at, it's....wierd.

Once you know about the free giant dragon kill, it's very difficult to justify NOT doing it as it requires zero effort. As such, basically the ENTIRETY of non mandatory Limgrave and. Weeping Peninsula content becomes irrelevant other than items you want for your build. You'd have to beat 3 or 4 bosses to level up 1 time, and that's just immediately following the dragon kill.

I feel like the game does lose something on subsequent playthrough when the exploration and mystery factor has been lost.

neonreaper posted...

I got stuck in a tree in weeping pen and that happened too

I managed to get my horse stuck in the air against the side of a building once too..
And thats not even the third time I died for no reason

Zigzagoon posted...

Haven't gone through these topics so I don't know if this has happened to anyone else... but I've started to head towards endgame and found my most BS death yet...

https://streamable.com/nph7c3

This happened to me in impaler catacombs. There's a drop you can stand on enough that there are messages down there, but you freeze and then it's like you're falling

I mean that's kind of how all optional content in Soulsbourne has worked in NG+. It sounds like the main differences here are 1) there is SO much more game, 2) almost all of it is optional, 3) the soul pinata dragon makes taking advantage of it more accessible.

This reminds me of the Dark Souls 2 speedrun where the strat is to ignore almost the entire game and just use Ascetics to fight The Rotten enough times until you get enough souls to open the soul door, because it's faster than beating all of the main gate bosses.

Still, doing this on replays just because it's optimal is not typically the approach people have to Dark Souls 2!

Yeah this is the first time a Souls game has given you the ability to get so overleveled out the gate without requiring any glitches or honestly even what one may call a trick.

It's literally just knowing it exists and how to get there. Technically you don't even have to use a warp or even have the horse. The only question is whether or not your starting class can two hand the Flail without leveling since.keed doesn't proc if you can wield the gear, and if you can't then it's just a two minute detour to get the Morningstar instead which EVERY starting class can two hand.

Is this really an argument that the game isn't fun if you specifically look up a guide telling you how not to have fun?

Even knowing you can kill the dragon easily would require a guide. I feel like this is arguing Phoenix Wright isn't fun once you read spoilers for cases

How would knowing you can kill the dragon easily require a guide? It's how you kill the dragon period as far as I know. Nobody told me about it when I did it.

youre supposed to kill the smaller dragons near the big dragon, and each one of them dying does a huge chunk of damage to the big drafon

Oh, huh.

A new thing popped up that I'm not sure was talked about here.

I wanted to get the Taker's Cameo talisman. So I looked up online to see what I had to do. Oh! I needed to finish the letter quest for Red Volcano lady. Alright, let's do that... I mean, I killed Rykard already and she was totally fine with it, even saying that it will be better for them in the end.

I start the letter quest and go looking for her... oh she's gone, maybe she's at the Rykard arena... Oh! There she is... well let's just continue the quest...

OOPS NOPE!

Apparently if you kill Rykard before finishing the letter quest, you are permanently locked out of getting this talisman. And what's even stupider about this is that the snowy mountain area is SUPPOSED to be after you kill the 4 gods or whatever they are called. That area is INTENDED to be done after you kill them all, with Lyndell area being the last one before you head to the mountains.

????????????????????????????

So what, am I supposed to do the Volcano and then be like... whoa whoa whoa, I can't fight the boss of this area yet because something's telling me I need to kill a guy first in an area I can't even access yet. Lemme just hold off on that for another 10 hours and THEN I'll come back to kill Rykard so I don't fuck up the quest.

Not OK man!

The thing with Volcano Manor is that, like...I think they don't expect you to go seeking out that invisible wall??

I think they assume you're going to actually do the while questline proper and that the invisible wall is the SUPER SECRET METHOD....and if so who are they kidding??

It's the only explanation I can come up with for how easy it is to totally mess up the questline. They have all these NPCs involved and this big special area and it all just goes away.

I thought the secret wall was intended!!

That didn't even cross my mind until now lol

I think the secret wall is supposed to be a thing you find

the girl there loudly hints at it

i guess Volcano Manor is intended to be a place you come to and leave and come back to?
It is pretty weird that to complete it you have to do Rykard after the capital

I mean, it's not the end of the world, the talisman is just a quality of life thing so I don't have to use so many pots, but still, that's such a stupid thing.

It's not a big deal from a rewards standpoint, yes, but Volcano Manor being so effortless to fuck up has been brought up quite a bit. Usually a fucked up questline is something that lasts throughout a whole game with a bunch of complicated steps and timing, something like Solaire. Here it's just...if you decide to finish the cool area, the quest you just got in that same area dies without warning. Common sense would tell you that you'd perhaps NEED to beat the area at some point to CONTINUE the questline.

CassandraCain posted...

Yeah thinking about it I believe it was the dual wielding sword knights with 10-hit combos that caused me to drop any reliance on shields.

In Castle Sol? I just fought these guys and shielding them once seemed to stun them. Maybe it only works if you're using a shield with high guard boost?

Did Castle Morne. Also did a couple of areas right in the middle of Limgrave that I apparently just missed. BTW, I killed Patches. Didn't mean to but well, when you're overleveled it doesn't take much time. I suppose I could bring him back but should I?

He has more content.

He doesn't deserve to live though