Finally got back to playing the game...

AnCapaillMor wrote:That was the same NPC that invaded you; maneater mildred. If you beat her, she'll always appear as a summon just outside the boss entrance.

There's some pretty cool looking gear\armour if you proceed on in the demon ruins, plus a boss fight. Fight can be tough at the start but it can be cheesed. Hard to call which way to go on a first playthrough.

BTW hang around the swamp a while and farm those slugs. They're your best source of large and green shards for a bit.

I had only really found large ones from killing the Slimes in the Depths, and even then not as often as I have been in the swamp, so I might do that.  Trying to get my armor upgraded some more...but now kind of toying with the idea of using the ninja set and that wanderer sword I found before...but I think I should stick with the basic type of build that has served me so well thus far.  So many options...hell I haven't even dabbled with Miracles, Sorcery or Pyromancy at all.  I wanted to try this using Melee only as I'd heard it was harder than using magic.

Well you're safe with pyromancy, no stat investment needed apart from attunement for more spell slots. The only thing pyro will cost is souls, in order to upgrade the pyro glove. Sorcery or miracles will require you pump points into faith or magic. You're always better off going down 1 path, melee, sorceror, faith build etc and not trying to be a jack of all trades.

AnCapaillMor wrote:Well you're safe with pyromancy, no stat investment needed apart from attunement for more spell slots. The only thing pyro will cost is souls, in order to upgrade the pyro glove. Sorcery or miracles will require you pump points into faith or magic. You're always better off going down 1 path, melee, sorceror, faith build etc and not trying to be a jack of all trades.

I've just never liked using magic in games like this, for whatever reason.  I prefer the idea that just a guy with a sword and some armor can save the world from demons and monsters.

gcates wrote:I prefer the idea that just a guy with a sword and some armor can save the world from demons and monsters.

And you are goddam right!

Please keep it up - very cool to remember my first playthrough.

Some tips i put in spoiler tags, decide for yourself, if you want to read them. I won't tell you details, only some good advice.

There is another option, where to go now:
It's an hidden area, near to no one found in the first playthrough, and on later playthroughs i think 90% only with the help of the wiki.

Spoiler:

Before you go through the gate, that opened after the 2nd bell:

Spoiler:

While tempting, I think I'll avoid the spoilers for now...and I appreciate you hiding them for me.  Funny thing about this game...almost everything can be seen as a spoiler, from enemy placement to simply which direction one is advised to go. 

One cool thing I figured out at Firelink:  riding up the elevator to the Undead Parish, I could see a staircase winding up the structure above where the water is in that room, so I jumped off the elevator and, after some serious trial and error, found my way up there, then got a key on a roof...seems to imply I will either be going back to the Undead Asylum, unless it's an item intended for use in a second playthrough, but I don't know if items carry over like that.

Wow didn't expect you to tackle everything in blighttown so well, keep it up. Yea that key you found can be taken back to the undead asylum for a goodie.

Sounds like you'll be on to bigger and greater things soon.

PaganiniAlfredo wrote:Wow didn't expect you to tackle everything in blighttown so well, keep it up. Yea that key you found can be taken back to the undead asylum for a goodie.

Sounds like you'll be on to bigger and greater things soon.

I think it was slightly easier than maybe it should have been because I did a good bit of both leveling up and upgrading equipment before heading down there (hell right now I'm sitting at level 56 after Blighttown)...but it was without question the hardest part of the game to this point for me.  However, and this is with each area individually, once I've progressed to a certain point within an area, I tend to get comfortable with it.  Combat isn't a huge problem for me with individual enemies right now as I take damage pretty well with my armor set and dish it out pretty well with my +9 Gargoyles Halberd.  Where I run into problems is when I get impatient and move too quickly into an area and get mobbed or, say, poisoned.  I had dumped some points into Resistance pretty early and was at I think 18 when heading into Blighttown, and my Halberd gives me additional resistance I think as well...so that could have been a factor.

The biggest thing about the game is that even though I can kill most enemies easily (not all though...some still create problems for me big time), bad decisions can still lead to death easily...and Blighttown reminded me of that.

Hehe resistance stat. If you get into pvp you'll find out why no one invests in it but for first time pve it's alright. When I go through Blighttown I equip poison res high clothes for that pesky swamp. Curious to see where you head off to next!

Figured I'd do an equipment/stat update since I always forget the exact figures when I come back to update:

Level: 59

Vitality: 23
Attunement: 8
Endurance: 24
Strength: 28
Dexterity: 22
Resistance: 18
Intelligence: 9
Faith: 9

Equipment:

Right Hand Weapon 1: Gargoyles Halberd +9
RHW 2: Long Bow +4

Left Hand 1: Grass Crest Shield +7
LH 2: empty

Head: Elite Knight Helm +3
Body: Elite Knight Armor +7
Hands: Shadow Gauntlets (not sure why those are there...usually have the Elite Knight Gauntlets +6 and will switch back to them)
Legs: Elite Knight Leggings +7


Rings:
Havels Ring
Wolf Ring

Also have Ring of the Evil Eye that seems like it might be of use, but not sure if it would be worth using over the Wolfs Ring. I'll do some experimentation.

That's it for now...might give a better illustration of where my character is at right now.

Be back later with some updates.  I plan on heading toward that gate that I opened after ringing the second bell...only makes sense.

Ring of the evil eye, not worth it, the hp return is meh, wolf ring i rarely not use it. Gargoyle halberd is surprisingly decent, although with that strength you might want to try some of the heavier strength weapons. Namely the great club thats down below in blight town.

I did get a Butchers Knife, a Server, a Great Axe and I think a Club...maybe the one you're talking about.  Will have to look.

The others are ok but the club does more damage and has a pretty sweet moveset. You'd have gotten it from a body guarded by 2 stone thrwoing dudes(just before you get onto queelags area).

Oh, and while I'm here...love how they finally implemented "selling" items into this game, though it was completely random.  Makes sense since I did hear snoring in there earlier and was completely baffled by it.

Now, in terms of the story, since the snoring didn't start till after the first bell was rung and he didn't appear until the second, I assume the "Bells of Awakening" were to wake him up so that you could then learn your true purpose in the grand scheme of things.  He is somewhat obviously named...Kingseeker...but it was a revelation that, supposedly my character is now supposed to be the successor of Gwynn...sadly I don't know that much about Gwynn to this point.

AnCapaillMor wrote:The others are ok but the club does more damage and has a pretty sweet moveset. You'd have gotten it from a body guarded by 2 stone thrwoing dudes(just before you get onto queelags area).

I must have it then as I killed all those guys on my first run through the swamp...I assume it would have been the two off in that corner to the left, kind of hidden.

Well, well...Sen's Fortress.  I feel like I've done well here, have yet to die and am up at the top, there is a white light that seems to lead to a giant boss...however...I have precious few healing items and if I die I will have to start back at the Undead Parish bonfire again and I really don't want to have to do that as the fortress is such a cluster-F of twists, turns, traps, walkways.  I do think I could do it again, but having gotten so far I really, really, really, really just want a bonfire before this boss fight.

Not asking for help, just voicing my frustration at having to go back through the whole level in search of a resting place, then having to fight all the enemies again from there back to the inevitable boss fight.  He's really big, and if the other big guys throwing things at me are any indication, he won't be easy. 

Back with updates in a bit. 

Now, a word from our sponsors.

Ohhh, and those chest enemies...yea, they suck.  I killed the guy, but he's the reason I'm out of Estus primarily.

Another example of brilliant level design here though.  With patience it has made sense and been doable, I just don't want to have to do it all again so soon after reaching the top.

There's a..... Shortcut

There's a shortcut and a bonfire close to the boss gate. Explore a little more; it's worth your time.

Yea, I found it after a long while of searching...though not before I died on my first attempt at the Iron Golem.  Figured I'd give it a shot and I had killed bosses on my first try before, but he swatted me off the platform after a few minutes and I had to redo the entire thing...but it really isn't so bad after all. 

I felt very pleased with myself being able to get through there safely, albeit slowly, through patience and observation...though the huge rolling balls were awesomely unique.  Really had to pay attention to timing, wait, run one way and hope to either find a nook to hide in or turn back in time to escape.  I was disappointed that I didn't run across the guy who was outside the gate earlier in the game though. 

There was an area up top that was empty, across a bridge from the room where you enter the boss fight, and it made zero sense for there to be nothing.  However, after finding the bonfire and reverse hollowing, I did some Sherlock Holmes work and, huzzah, I was right...a summon sign.  Iron Tarkus.  This guy is my favorite Jolly Cooperator thus far.  While I think I could have beaten the Golem without him after another try or two, he made it easier.  He got in on him, prompting me to do the same and we cut him down pretty quick.

Gotta be honest though...what happened next threw me for a loop and I just saved the game after, still haven't gotten back into it yet today (just got back in from being out and about).  The glowing rung, the cutscene, that amazing city...and no way to get back to everything with which I am familiar.  I literally saved exactly where I was dropped off, so haven't explored an inch.  I will today, but I am seriously hoping I can find a way back to those earlier areas at some point as there was much to do yet...but because of that there HAS to be a way back. 

In any case, verycool transition and the first time the game drags you kicking and screaming out of whatever comfort zone you may have been in after defeating a boss.  Feel good about yourself for killing the Golem?  How about we kidnap you and drop you off in the South Bronx? 

It kinda felt like that.

Green__Eagle wrote:There's a shortcut and a bonfire close to the boss gate. Explore a little more; it's worth your time.

There's a bonfire close to the boss in Senn's?? News to me.

And now you're in the coolest area of the game in my opinion.

PaganiniAlfredo wrote:

Green__Eagle wrote:There's a shortcut and a bonfire close to the boss gate. Explore a little more; it's worth your time.

There's a bonfire close to the boss in Senn's?? News to me.

And now you're in the coolest area of the game in my opinion.

So there are two bonfires there?  I found the one by the boss, had no idea there was another. 

BTW, Anor Londo is breathtaking, and the enemies thus far are all basically mini-boss quality, which is cool, hell the Gargoyle after going down the elevator had me saying "seriously...??? already?"

However, it is equally perplexing...but I'm sure the answer is staring me in the face.

OK, sweet, I figured it out. 

After killing the first Gargoyle I was kinda at a loss for where to go.  The jump at the end of the platform looked too far, but there didn't appear to be any other possible routes.  Got naked and took the leap of faith...and of course died.  I did figure out how to get back to Sens Fortress, but instead of going back that way decided I could figure out Anor Londo, or at least try, before going elsewhere.

Went back, wandered around until I got the bright idea of trying to balance on the, dunno what it's called, going up toward the other building to the left...thankfully it worked.  Went in there, killed the dagger guys, made my way across the rafters or whatever, got the bright idea to try to cut down the chandelier (worked, but can't get there yet)...then traversed the white light.

FIgured out the mechanism, killed the second gargoyle, then had to take a break to take care of a few things in life...and decided to update. 

Anor Londo is very cool thus far.  Hoping for a second bonfire before any boss fight, though I have a feeling more Gargoyles await on the long way down.

Up at the top found the golden light door.  I assume that's an end game boss or leading toward one. 

Anyway, off to do some more wandering.

My only problem with AL mirrors Emarrel's.  Like a few other areas in the game, the distance you have to travel relative to the obstacles you encounter is too great.  There are no skill-based shortcuts or difficult runbys, and starting at AL bonfire each time is a real pain if you've already beaten the rafters area.  It would be different if the path to the elevator, down it, and past the rafter mechanism had any challenge whatsoever to it, but unfortunately once you kill the gargs you can deplete several stamina bars worth of running without encountering any traps, enemies trying to kill you, jump shortcuts, anything at all.

The environment/feel is great, boss is great, enemies are great when you do get to them, but that distance is .  2nd half of AL doesn't have that problem as much thankfully.

If you consider only the castle of Anor Londo, I would agree. However, the circular platform is a hub between three different areas: the Castle, the Painted World, and the Moonlight Altar.

You also have a couple of different paths: the shortcut back to Sen's Fortress and the entrance to the Duke's Archives. Consider also that you can get invaded in Anor Londo and you have a huge playground to plan ambushes.

I'd argue more but this isn't the place for it.  I've enjoyed his writeup quite a bit so far and can't wait to see the next installment .

It's also interesting to get a view into the mind of a beginner who takes a cautious approach.  I was much more ambitious with low-level progression on the first play through, and that caused some true road blocks where my skill wasn't up to snuff (I've summoned Mildred and killed quelag with a base weapon these days, but as a beginner holding a winged spear +5 was another story).  Strangely, while gargs flattened me many times Capra didn't give me much trouble back then, as I had upgraded shield + spear at least and could just turtle poke my way through much of the early game including those dogs even at relatively low levels (something that wouldn't work the same way now, since stamina usage on attacks while blocking is higher now).

Turtle poking a giant fire-breathing jumping spider and not knowing how to summon help though?  Well, I could do it now, very tediously, but not back then lol.  At least, not at first!  I didn't even know how to access greatshields...though eagle shield is all you get by then anyway unless you farm a stone + 40 str or get super lucky with a tower lol.  I eventually leaned heavily on pyros after breaking down and farming.  So slow!  It's amazing to read what a more thorough player can do on a 1st playthough, and how different parts of the game become harder or easier.