Be Excellent To Each Other

Ages ago. I ain't no chump running round in the dark, although you get better light out the flaming torches.

Anyway, I was looking for a lamp in the forest and if there is one it's very well hidden in this maze of trees and facking snakes and snake headed snake monsters with snakes in their mouths and hands made of snakes. Bloody snakes.

I've been in so many awesome areas though. The graphics are facking top draw and smooth as silky smooth ("Give us silky, give us smooth" - some twat in a tree). I reckon the graphics guys at FROM have been working overtime here with the art which is so varied and numerous. The amount of crap you can break just because you can break it is acebest.

Plus, when you start to get out of the city you start to get those Dark Souls 1 moments, where you see somewhere where you've been and look into the distance and see somewhere where you are probably going to be after a few arduous hours; but then the route is never straightforward and it's down a windy round, up a hill and round several corners and a few shortcuts and many many deaths and you're there. And it's awesome. My only criticism is that the architecture is so complex that sometimes it's difficult to tell where it is that you were. There's a cool section in the forest when there's a Moonlight Butterfly moment (not the boss, that area, y'know when you loop down into that cavern where the hydra is sploshing about and you look up at the castle on your right) but this time you look down to see a building in the distance in the forest and dotted in the forest are tiny campfire that twinkle every so slightly; the wind howling from so high up. I thought it was too far away to be the actual map but, blow me, if you don't cross through all those campfires on the way to the building. It's super fab.

It's better than Dark Souls 2 by a mile but even now I want to get DS2 on PS4 and see if I can two-hand my way through it. I might stop my endless pursuit to just be a tank and not bother putting on all the heaviest defensive gear and get the biggest sturdiest shield I can lay my hands on.

That's how good Bloodborne is. It makes me think I can be better at Dark Souls if I change my playing style.

Weird that.

Today, I took a wander round Central Yarnham, did some jolly co-operation (Father Gascoigne isn't very hard when its 3 against one) and made my way to Old Yarnham. And was doing quite well, until I got cut to bits by that guy with his fucking machine gun.

He's a twat. Looking forward to killing him.

Snap - i'm in the same area - i have unlocked the 'shortcut' and went to where i think i will be going afterwards (basically just past this viewtopic.php?p=856920#p856920 ) however i still need to take him down

On the plus side i'm getting better at dispatching the grunts from this area

This was my typical run



But after many many failed attempts this happened

Hah! Genius!

Out of interest, was that you speed running to the boss? Do you normally clear everyone out on the way? I'm just asking cause when I've had enough of getting mashed up I'll do a properly leg it to the boss which, from DS1, is a legitimate tactic otherwise frustration sometimes sets in after multiple deaths.

There's a quicker route to the boss by just dropping off the front of the first building by the way but it's normally only worth it once you've cleared out the hunter.

Also, in the same area did you find the route underneath to find the rifle gun where the gank squad is?

THING I JUST STUMBLED ON: See what happens when you do a gesture in front of the doll.

I did not go the full route each time because i worked out i was getting around 2000 echos each time and picking them up with the boss so 3 goes would get me a level

Have not found a rifle (although i think i've cleared everything here apart from the boss?)

Later i was just running past virtually everyone to get there (you'll see i only have 500 echos in the 'beat him' video)

And from there i went along to the edge of the other route which was the very next boss and got them to this



before they finally got me - i think i will them them next go

You don't need to kill that hunter guy with the machine gun, btw. In fact you can make him friendly later on.

I've done you a quick video showing the fast route and the secret area with the gank squad.

Thanks - i've been to the area above (with the other hunter) but he was too hard to take down while being shot at - for the gank stuff i thought you were meaning the big area below where they all gather around the pool of blood (maybe 20 in total?)

Here is my run in with the first gank squad

Oh yeah, the second gank squad. They tend to move up slowly in pairs though whereas the guys on the staircase all bumrush you.

Oh, and make sure you go back up where the hunter fell off the roof to collect his loot.

I also went back to the starting area to farm some bullets - and if you had shown me someone doing this last week when these things were kicking me stupid every round i'd have said it was witchcraft

When I'd done absolutely everything I could and couldn't find out where I was meant to go next i blazed through the entire first section, the sewers and the cathedral like it was nothing. The sense of empowerment is crazy (like starting next game plus on DS1). I even managed to stumble across two hunters fighting that weren't there the first time.

Right next stuff in spoilers

Finding progress through Old Yharnham slow, but I have upgraded my weapons to +2, levelled up to 26 and slotted some gems.

Re the spoilers. Happened to me tonight! This game is getting better and better. Really don't want to read up and spoil anything as the surprises are excellent in this game.

The whole chalice / dungeon thing is a whole other new aspect too. Got battered by a big bugger after finally getting what I though was the exit open

Really like how the game is opening up now. From have done a fantastic job again with their shortcuts in the levels.

You all know how to access the 'insight font' at the Hunters Dream?


Also saw the inhabitants of the Stump make an appearance last night too

Fuck those village wolf guys with the big comb.

This game is mayors ive! Mega do this afternoon exploring the Cathedral Ward. Tupped the Vicar with the help of two dongers.

Mayors Ive = mahoosive.

Nice Cthulhu references too.

Two co-opers? I did her with just my lonesome. I've done everyone with just my lonesome so far. Go me!

I've even had a bath.

So I've been checking out one route I forgot about in the woods. The Poison cave area. I wish I'd have done this earlier actually but I thought it might be like all the other poison areas in Demons Souls & Dark Souls 2. Totally slipped my mind what with all the FACKING SNAKES.

Then I tried the tonsile stone after what that bloke said to me, but, again, I got distracted with the forest. All I can say is DAYYUM. Cool beans. He weren't kidding.

I didn't ask for two!

Pretty big standard boss (roll to the back then bang away with the hammer*) so could have done her solo**

*like your mum.

**not like your mum.

At this stage (at least for me) - when you ring the bell - a woman appears somewhere on the level and rings 2 other bells - one is another co-op bell and one is an invasion bell

So asking for help might get you double the help , or might get you invaded

Ah yes! I did get a message about a woman hearing the bell.

Finally got to the Blood Starved Beast. Opened up the shortcut, too.

A large portion of my time tonight has been alternating between

Loading screen

This 40 seconds or so



Being smashed into the ground

and repeat

For some reason (possibly because the 'boss' of this area has already been cleared , or for PSN connection stuff) I cant call in any help here so its round and round

PSN has been a bitch tonight.

I've had a fair few hours this evening and, finally, cleared the Nightmare Frontier and met the boss. That area is a complete ball ache with these big sods throwing rocks in your face and the entire floor area being a pit of poison.

Mind you it's a great place for farming those blood gem things but since I'd already settled on my favourite weapon when I started the game (Axe, init) (and I ain't changing it for nothing) and I only need the ultra rare blood stones to level it up again (I need 8 of the bastard things, hnnng) the level has been wasted slightly on me. I'm sure my axe is now +7 or +8 and hits like a bitch.

The only other weapon I like at the minute is the Rifle Spear. When you two-hand it it still shoots (which is nice, but I'm crap at shooting) but more importantly it has a massive thrusting attack with proper distance on it. I used it exclusively the second time you come to the Grand Catherdral as it was the only thing that'd work.

And I purchased an arm cannon too which uses about 10 bullets per shot. Nice but massively impractical. So bearing that in mind... I've been leveling it up. Tch.

Right, so I'm a place where I can't currently access a lamp, plus I've no blood vials cause I've used them all up and I need them but also my axe has degraded cause, like an idiot, I thought I'd go for power and ignore weapon durability cause that'll never come back to bite me in the ass when I'm stuck in a place without any lamps will it? Fucks sake.

Well fuck me. 2 hours stuck in this place and I've been running past the lamp about 20 fucking times. Amazingly I'd just noticed it after I wrote that post. Dickhead.

Lampoon.

I ran out of blood vials against Vicar Amelia - and i'm playing through earlier sections to farm them (I have the co-op bell run so i've also helped 3 people beat the Blood Beast)

What do you get for a successful boss kill when you help someone out?

Insight - not sure if i also got a share of the boss takedown - plus the chance to help out people who were obviously struggling

Watch your insight, people. Things change, usually for the worse, at high insight levels. For example, once you hit 15, the dudes in Cathdral Ward start firing magic at you.

By a strange co-incidence i'm at 14 , although i have about 9 'skull things' which could add extra on

How much insight do you get though?

I might give this a go later on and maybe even try and PvP someone for giggles.

I had about 20 insight but sold it all for some useless gear that turned out to be lower in defence than I was already wearing. Tch. I've got a shit ton of madmans knowledge stored up though.

Did not know this! They started firing Magic at me after I done the chapel boss so I thought it was connected to that.

Thinking about it during the three hunter fight I got smashed with magic a couple of times but then they stopped. I can't remember but I might have brought some guff from the magic bowl between fights. I can't remember though. Tch, aye?

You get one insight per boss taken down as co-op buddy. You also get stuff that's dropped and blood echoes.(I think it's half for the boss, not sure about Mooks.)

In my game went to the Healing Church Workshop, then the Abandoned Workshop. Then ended up getting bagged. Met Dark beast Paarl. Tonight right back to the beginning, then further explore the Cathdral Ward.

Loads of places opened now, but still finding myself going back to the start to farm blood

Not missing the shield at all now, liking the pace of this game.

Helped 'Come On' Eileen beat up Father Gascoigne's old mate. Found Vicar Amelia. Ouch. Gore discretion shot in a horror game! Then she killed me. Repeatedly.

I had a brilliant fight with a guy on a castle roof. Could I fuck him up? Nope.

I tried everything: lunging with the rifle spear (worked for a time), jumping him with my big axe (worked a bit), going for the big R2 (didn't work at all) but this guy got the better of me time after time after time.

Like most bosses he's changes up his pattern midway through from mildy aggressive to ultra aggressive but this guy changed up about a third into his health bar. And he does this cunty move that basically means you have to linger behind stuff cause all these swords flying round the shop. Goddamn he was cunty.

I even had to farm a load of blood vials cause I'd drained my resources time and again. I was doing the Cathedral run netting about 12,000 souls and about 10 vials on each run. It was amusing to one hit kill all but the biggest arseholes an' all.

And then back I went and got my arse handed to me. I'd smack him with the arm cannon: 500 damage. And miss with the second shot. Fuck. I switched up my weapons: got him down to half energy.

I even called for him but the damage input from me and my ace mate was reduced cause there was two of us getting beat up. (By the way, I finally know what you mean about the woman ringing the sinister bell. And I found the bitch. Didn't get invaded though, shame)

So tonight I'd had enough after 4 runs. Time for Ian to get aggressive. I'm weaving in and slapping him with the axe. I'm dodging blows, trading blows (more dodging than trading to be fair), the bosses slow swipes; I'm timing my dodges better, I'm smashing the sword things away, I'm a fucking hero, his health is whittling down and I've got over 10 vials left, I'm a genius, he swipes I dodge, he swipes I dodge, I'm behind him, I'm chopping him up with short thrusting in his back, he falls. I claim the crown (literally).

This is the most exhilarating game I've played in ages.

I've got 18 insight and the purple light carriers are firing magic at me.

My Arcane stat is 7.

You need 15 to start puffin flames out your holes.

I've come too far to start piling hard earned souls into dabbling with magic. If you want to try magic probably beat to gets the stats in early while they're cheap.

Plus I've killed 3 bosses tonight and I was carrying 70,000 souls during the last one (which was piss easy thankfully). Could have gotten bad though so I had my "wake up" card at the ready.

Then this awesome message someone had left cryptically told me to stick around and find a secret. And find it I did. This was a fine note.

Went back to Central Yarnham and murdered everything. spent all my Coldblood Dew, and got Ludwig's Holy Blade. And leveled it up to plus 3. Then I murdered everything in the Cathedral Ward using it. (except the boss) Kapow!