Question on NG+

I am currently at the end of the game on my first playthrough. I have attempted Gwyn a couple of times to no avail.

Before i eventually beat him I read everywhere that you should prepare for NG+ quite a bit. Meaning to literally do everything you can in that playthough before progressing to NG+. I.E. collecting all items. Upgrading all armour and weapons, kindling all bonfires to the max etc.

As I am quite a way from doing all of this I just wondered if it was really neccessary before I bet Gwyn.

Kindle the bonfires you use the most to the max and use the dark hand on the NPCs to get some humanity.

If you kill him its ng+ right away, so do any of the things you want to do before you kil him.

It actually depends. You're not going to farm the chaneller trident for days if you have a STR build. I mean, only if you want the Knight's honor trophy/achiv. But beware that NG+ is much more dificult and those undeads in burg can hit you for high damage even with full Havel's.

If you do all of that stuff it will certainly make your NG+ experience more even keel and happy. But I wouldn't say it's necessary.

It's just little things like farming demon ti-tan-ite in the tunnel to lost izalith, etc is just easier to do at the end of NG since you've leveled up a bunch and have better gear than when you started (usually). NG+ doesn't offer the same meteoric rise in power for you, even though the enemies all become more dangerous.

As far as kindling bonfires, you lose the rite of kindling when cycling to NG+ so I tend to kindle bonfires as much as I can before finishing up my NG's just so I don't end up going "ah man I only have 5 estus flasks here!?"

plus all the embers respawn in their original locations on NG+ so you will have to retrieve them again to upgrade your weapons, so upgrade to the max plus you should make a spare weapon ot two just in case.