*** Official Elden Ring Thread - Tips, Tricks, Builds... Calling it now - 2022's Game of the Year. (1 Viewer)

[IvanKaramazov]

Ive done so much exploring and hoping around I have no idea where/what I’m supposed to do next. 
 

Now rocking the great stars+15 with flame ash. Not sure if I’m going to stick with it. 

Have you killed Radahn yet?  If not, you should almost certainly do that now and then tackle the underground area.  If you haven't done Siofra River yet, do that first, then Radahn, and then start with Nokron and just keep going.  

Here's a handy guide that shows roughly what level you should be in each region.  This is also a nice check-list to make sure you're doing stuff before you get over-leveled for it.  For example, I didn't realize that Weeping Peninsula was considered a starting area, so I didn't go there until I was like level 40 or something.  That kind of ruined it a little.  

 

[jwb]

Well, there's definitely a step up in difficulty after Leyndell, but my goodness do they throw runes at you.  I just barely started the Mountaintops of the Giants, and I've already gained like 3-4 levels in maybe -- very generously -- two hours of gameplay.  I'm currently at level 110, and I feel fairly confident that I'll get to ~150 by the end of the game.  That's with almost no farming whatsoever.  I did farm a bit to be able to buy smithing stones and things like that, but all my levels just came from playing the game normally.

On one hand, that's great.  The fact that this game gives you so much to do and is so well-balanced means that you can just sit down and play the game without worrying a lot about over- or under-levelling.  On the other hand, I wonder what it would be like to start a new game from scratch.  Do I really want to do all those catacombs, caverns, forts, and little encampments again just for the XP?  Because you'll need those XP for the late game regions it seems.  It might be better to respec and just do a new character in NG+. 

This is what I am thinking. I don't mind doing it all over again, but I don't want to do it all again being really weak.

Plus, it's fun in this game to be a bit overpowered, because the game will let you do that until it doesn't. I did farm a bit - I killed that one boss with the poison hill early on, I farmed the gatefront ruins over and over, I farmed the bird until I got bored. I farmed my smithing stones and Ghost Gloveworts. I know I over-leveled a bit because most bosses went down on the first or second try.  

But now Mountaintops of the Giants is becoming an equalizer. I'm also having a heck of a time with that one boss that gets you the Black Knife Tiche summons - he just wrecks me. He's so fast and always in your face that he's not a good opponent for a dodgy/slightly squishy Glintstone spellsword build.  

 

[IvanKaramazov]

But now Mountaintops of the Giants is becoming an equalizer. I'm also having a heck of a time with that one boss that gets you the Black Knife Tiche summons - he just wrecks me. He's so fast and always in your face that he's not a good opponent for a dodgy/slightly squishy Glintstone spellsword build.  

 

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I have a hard time with all the bosses that keep constant pressure. I spend entire fights just rolling and chugging. 
 

To be fair I’m just not very good and lazy.  I might have been able to do this when I was 15 but at 45 I mostly tank bosses and hope to stagger them. 
 

When I fought that boss linked above he just mops the floor with me. Hell, he’s even killed me a few times at the bottom of the mountain when I ran like a 4 year old girl. I still haven’t beaten him.

ETA -  I’m not 44. Lol. 

 

[Mile High]

But now Mountaintops of the Giants is becoming an equalizer. I'm also having a heck of a time with that one boss that gets you the Black Knife Tiche summons - he just wrecks me. He's so fast and always in your face that he's not a good opponent for a dodgy/slightly squishy Glintstone spellsword build.  

I got him by standing on the far side of the circle area from where he spawns. Just took a step off into the grass and back on. That started him to spawn. Used Terra Magica and and the thing that let's you cast without using FP burned him down with a Comet Azur before he could even move.

 

[jwb]

I got him by standing on the far side of the circle area from where he spawns. Just took a step off into the grass and back on. That started him to spawn. Used Terra Magica and and the thing that let's you cast without using FP burned him down with a Comet Azur before he could even move.

Heh, I juuuust got that spell last night. Time to go back!

 

[Mile High]

Heh, I juuuust got that spell last night. Time to go back!

Here you go follow this.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2XAWVuFq81M

 

[Hoos First]

People have beat the game using only the Ash of War: Ground Slam, which if you dont know is  jumping in the air and slamming the target with your butt.  Haha! The things people can do.

 

[jwb]

Here you go follow this.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2XAWVuFq81M

That worked. Thanks. Onto the Fire Giant. Let's shoot him the face now. 

Edit: actually beat him without Comet Azur. Just a lot of dodging, hitting his ankle with the Katana, some rock slinging when he rolled away, and crazy aggressive Tiche constantly drawing his ire. Good times. 

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Second day in a row I’m getting the failed to load save data. 
 

Fix for the Xbox is to close out the game using the Xbox button. 

 

[Mile High]

That worked. Thanks. Onto the Fire Giant. Let's shoot him the face now. 

Edit: actually beat him without Comet Azur. Just a lot of dodging, hitting his ankle with the Katana, some rock slinging when he rolled away, and crazy aggressive Tiche constantly drawing his ire. Good times. 

I beat the giant with Rotten Breath and Tiche doing most of the damage.

 

[jwb]

Endgame is definitely challenging. 

I also ran into my first "i hate this area and I'm leaving" place - there's a ghost village in the optional snowfield area next to the giants. You have to light 4 towers. Archers from all angles wreck you on the roofs (and shoot impossibly far), and on the ground, invisible assassins attack you. 

 

[IvanKaramazov]

It took me a while, but I finally beat Alecto using the subtle but finely-honed skill of getting her stuck on a rock so I could nuke her with Comet Azur.  Not exactly the fairest fight in the world, but that particular boss is solidly in the "oh this is bull####" category.  

On the other hand, most bosses in this game are ridiculously easy by the standards of the franchise considering how spirit ashes trivialize so many of them.  I can't complain too much about having some tougher fights mixed in there.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Endgame is definitely challenging. 

I also ran into my first "i hate this area and I'm leaving" place - there's a ghost village in the optional snowfield area next to the giants. You have to light 4 towers. Archers from all angles wreck you on the roofs (and shoot impossibly far), and on the ground, invisible assassins attack you. 

Saw a video where you can use the mimic spell (the one that turns you into a statue ) to get up close or past the archers. Might work there. 

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Endgame is definitely challenging. 

I also ran into my first "i hate this area and I'm leaving" place - there's a ghost village in the optional snowfield area next to the giants. You have to light 4 towers. Archers from all angles wreck you on the roofs (and shoot impossibly far), and on the ground, invisible assassins attack you. 

Pretty sure I just did this area.  It's as if the guys at FromSoft were like "The players really liked those archers in Anor Londo -- it was all they could talk about.  We should incorporate that into this game!"

And then they followed that up with "Okay, now here's a level where you have to navigate your way through a big giant tree, fighting enemies and collecting loot as you go, but one false move means you fall to your death."  Nope, not today Elden Ring.  I played the Great Hollow before, and I'm not having that right now.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I swear, it's like the developers at From Software listen very carefully to player feedback and then intentionally put stuff in the game just to make people mad.

Players: We've had just about enough of poison swamps.

FS: Here's 17 new poison swamps for you to explore.

Players: It's cheap and kind of frustrating when you put magical archers who can one-shot high-level players in exactly the right spot to cover the one and only route you have to pass through to advance the game.

FS: Got it.  More archers.  Will do.

Players: Running everywhere gets a little old.  Can we get some better travel options?

FS: Here's a horse.  It has no i-frames and almost no ability to dodge anything.  It dies constantly, cannot be upgraded, and you have to sacrifice a flask to respawn it.  Use of the horse will be more or less mandatory for certain fights.

Players: Very dark areas with limited visibility aren't really fun -- they're just irritating.

FS: Let's make a whole area where players can't see where they're going and torches don't help.

 

[jwb]

It took me a while, but I finally beat Alecto using the subtle but finely-honed skill of getting her stuck on a rock so I could nuke her with Comet Azur.  Not exactly the fairest fight in the world, but that particular boss is solidly in the "oh this is bull####" category.  

On the other hand, most bosses in this game are ridiculously easy by the standards of the franchise considering how spirit ashes trivialize so many of them.  I can't complain too much about having some tougher fights mixed in there.

Yea, the summons definitely change everything, especially for a caster who can essentially sit back and sling spells, only occasionally having to dodge when the boss notices you. Then your summons hits them in the back and you're all clear to nuke again. 

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I don't know what Black Knife Tiche does exactly, but he managed to trigger some sort of status effect on a boss that drained off thousands and thousands of HP over the course of 10 seconds or so.  It feels like the Mimic Tear does a better job of holding aggro, but Tiche is obviously capable of soloing a lot of bosses.  Also, he seems to be nearly unkillable.  

 

[IvanKaramazov]

So I made it to the bottom of the Haligtree and, well, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with that boss.  Weirdly, I got her down to about 1/2 health in her second phase on just my second try, but then I got destroyed on the next half dozen or so tries.  Admittedly most of those "tries" were just experimenting with different strategies and ash spirits, but still.  I'm going to come back to this one later on, if at all.

 

[GAlmgren]

Fire Giant is wrecking me.

Alecto did also, but finally got through with moonblade and phalanx.

 

[GAlmgren]

Fire Giant is wrecking me.

The drinks of beer between deaths are making this impossible, will have to revisit tomorrow.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I skipped most of Mountaintops of the Giants, and instead went down the path that goes Consecrated Snowfield --> Miquela's Haligtree --> Elphael Brace of the Haligtree.  I can't easily beat the boss at the end of that path, so I went back to Mountaintops and now I'm working my way through Crumbling Farum Azula.

YMMV, but I'm pretty sure I was supposed to go this way and I wasn't supposed to go the way I went.  The route that takes you through the Haligtree is quite a bit harder than Crumbling Farum Azula IMO.  Now it could be that I leveled up enough thanks to following the route that I did that that's the reason why CFA feels relatively easy, but I also notice that regular enemies seem to be dropping fewer runes, so that's another sign that I went down a rabbit-hole earlier. 

I know I have quite a bit left to do, including a return to the capital and a trip to the shunning grounds (got my ### handed to me there earlier).  But I'm already thinking about what to do next.  Re-starting a fresh game is out of the question because no way am I pouring in another 100 hours just to get a decent build going.  I'm just going to respec shortly before I head into NG+, or first thing in NG+ if that's possible -- haven't checked yet.  Leaning toward a bleed build because I'd like to do something with status effects.  Then again, I haven't even touched faith and some of the incantations look cool.  I've got like 10 respecs in the bank and I plan to bring enough upgrade materials over into NG+ to max out a suite of new weapons.   

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Incidentally, how epic is it that one of the harder bosses of the game is hidden behind a puzzle and then you have pass through three full zones to get to her?  That boss basically has her own little campaign.  If that had been standalone DLC, nobody would have batted an eye at paying $20 for that content.

 

[need2know]

I skipped most of Mountaintops of the Giants, and instead went down the path that goes Consecrated Snowfield --> Miquela's Haligtree --> Elphael Brace of the Haligtree.  I can't easily beat the boss at the end of that path, so I went back to Mountaintops and now I'm working my way through Crumbling Farum Azula.

YMMV, but I'm pretty sure I was supposed to go this way and I wasn't supposed to go the way I went.  The route that takes you through the Haligtree is quite a bit harder than Crumbling Farum Azula IMO.  Now it could be that I leveled up enough thanks to following the route that I did that that's the reason why CFA feels relatively easy, but I also notice that regular enemies seem to be dropping fewer runes, so that's another sign that I went down a rabbit-hole earlier. 

I know I have quite a bit left to do, including a return to the capital and a trip to the shunning grounds (got my ### handed to me there earlier).  But I'm already thinking about what to do next.  Re-starting a fresh game is out of the question because no way am I pouring in another 100 hours just to get a decent build going.  I'm just going to respec shortly before I head into NG+, or first thing in NG+ if that's possible -- haven't checked yet.  Leaning toward a bleed build because I'd like to do something with status effects.  Then again, I haven't even touched faith and some of the incantations look cool.  I've got like 10 respecs in the bank and I plan to bring enough upgrade materials over into NG+ to max out a suite of new weapons.   

Haligtree is the hardest area of the game.   

But that prayer room area is great for leveling up

I haven't played in weeks but am thinking of doing another run just cause the game is so much fun

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Maliketh is down.  That was a really annoying fight not because it was that hard, but because that guy is just so aggressive that I was getting killed in the first 10 seconds of the fight while trying to get set up, specifically by summoning in Tiche.  I also fell off the side of the arena a couple of times right at the start when I tried to dodge the boss's initial attacks by rolling sideways.  Once I managed to slop my way through the very opening seconds, I melted him with Stars of Ruin.  That is a great boss-killing spell if you're a mage and you've got it. 

Since I'm nearing the end, I thought it would be fun to share my build and a few thoughts about it.  

• Level 136
  
• Vigor = 40
  
• Mind = 40
  
• Endurance = 15
  
• Strength = 16
  
• Dexterity = 13
  
• Intelligence = 75
  
• Faith = 7
  
• Arcane = 9
  
• Main weapon = magic-infused Claymore + 25 with Giant Hunt usually
  
• Staffs: Carian Regal Scepter +10 for most stuff, Lusat's +10 for bosses
  
• Armor: Black Knife set
  

This is primarily a mage build that uses a heavy weapon for melee.  I really like big weapons in these games.  I'm sure that my claymore is not the ideal min-max type choice, but I like the moveset and its ability to break poise.  My understanding is that Wing of Astel will do better DPS, but I like being able to do stagger damage and I really like being able to select my weapon art, which you can't do with most unique weapons.  Giant Hunt is fantastic for beefy/tanky/shielded humanoids, which is what mage builds need help with.  You have to experiment with it to get the timing down, and you're going to eat the occasional hit from time to time, but you can spam it against a lot of enemies once you catch them. 

I use a ton of Greater Glintstone Shard or whatever that upgraded pebble spell is.  A lot of Loretta's Greatbow, along with the upgraded version.  I only recently backed off of Rock Sling -- that spell was money for a large chunk of the game.  Stars of Ruin is great, as mentioned above, and it replaced Rock Sling as my main "this thing needs to die while I dodge around" spell of choice.  I picked up Night Shard and Night Comet to deal with ####### enemies who dodge every other spell you throw their way (they still can't dodge Rock Sling very well though -- they dodge on cast, not on delivery).

Personally, I find Comet Azur along with all the setup to be highly situational to the point of not really being very helpful.  If something is going to sit still long enough for you to nuke it with Azur, you probably don't need all that firepower to begin with.   

I'm wearing the Black Knife set because the stealth aspect is mildly useful.  Also I think it looks cool, which is more important.  FashionSouls always takes priority over min-max.  

If I were continuing with this build, my next plans would be to top off my INT at 80, so that I can dispense with the INT-boosting talisman.  Vigor to 60.  I might want to boost my Endurance a bit, but that's basically it.  The main thing is that any good PVE build in this game needs a good melee option and a good ranged option -- these don't need to be equal, but you need both.  This build nails the ranged component and performs pretty well in melee even though that's not its main focus.  My next build will probably be melee-first/ranged-second.

 

[Mile High]

that spell was money for a large chunk of the game

It's still money if you put the Meteorite Staff in your off hand and cast Rock Sling with your main staff in your right hand. 

 

[jwb]

Ok, game beaten. 3 of the 4-boss gauntlet at the end were easy enough - killed all three with one death.

I knew from online that the final boss was a two-boss fight with no rest between. I tried it the "real" way once or twice, but by the time you finish the first boss, your summons  is half dead, and you're sitting there with 2/3 of your flasks gone. Then the elden beast shows up. Really unfair. I mean, I suppose I could keep at it and learn every attack and dodge them, but I don't have a week to win this fight.

I saw the cheese for the first boss online and used it. Essentially, you run up to him and he won't attack you. Then (for my build), you just drink the "endless FP" mixed potion, and melt him with Comet Azur. Then you can fight the elden beast straight up with all your flasks and a full summons. 

And even then, it's a tough, tough fight. Took me and Tiche maybe 10-15 tries. But I knew I'd get it. Got the Ranni good ending, because I finished her (pretty awesome) quest.  

 

[jwb]

Some thoughts now that I finished.

I ran an almost identical build as @IvanKaramazov, and finished at level 136. Spellsword was definitely fun. I used a katana throughout, starting with Uchigatana ( I started as a Samurai to get that weapon) and later getting Moonveil, which i finished with. Great weapon, with a superb power. I too used the black knife set once I got it, because yes, it looks cool. Before that it was a patchwork of stuff that looked cool and let me roll. 

I slung a lot of spells, and kept my flasks almost even / slightly skewed towards FP. For spells, I mostly used  glintstone shard, and Loretta's bow for long range, which carried me far. Bosses and other big stuff got a steady diet of rocks, which wrecked them. Later I got stars of ruin, which I agree is a great spell. I also found the comet somewhat useless - it did help me cheese two bosses (the black assassin and the second to last boss when he's just standing there), but otherwise I never used it. 

Tiche was the best summons. I used Luthel for most of the early/mid game (and she was great), and while I was excited to get the mimic, I never really took to it. I found its AI maddening, and no matter how I tweaked my loadout it stood around waaaay too much. I also liked the swordstress  / night maiden puppets (or whatever their name is) - they were pretty aggressive and drew aggro, but Tiche is insane, just charging in constantly and almost soloing bosses.  I will use her exclusively now. 

As far as the game itself, it's 10/10, and easily in my top games of all time. The souls concept worked so well with the open world, and I'm looking forward to doing more exploring. The polish of this game is off the charts, and the fun factor is high. 

Early game can be a bit of a grind because you are so weak, but that ends pretty quickly, and if you farm just a little bit (or heck, just explore), you can get "strong enough" fairly fast. Mid game, say from level 25 to around level 100, is an absolute joy. You always feel strong, but you can die easily too. It's also really fun to read about, say, the meteorite staff, and then go get it. I did this with countless items, seeds, flask upgrades, etc.  

Endgame... once you get to the Giants and the areas that open up at that point, the difficulty ramps up. Those areas are challenging, and you start having to play grace site to grace site like you would in Dark Souls. I didn't care for the snowy areas much, but the fire giant was a fun fight, and Crumbling Farum Azula was pretty cool. Once I finished that I went straight back to the capital for the end bosses. 

Now that I finished, I'll run around a bit and collect whatever bells I missed and tinker with respecing before starting NG+. Kind of wanting a big weapon/shield/faith build now.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Endgame... once you get to the Giants and the areas that open up at that point, the difficulty ramps up. Those areas are challenging, and you start having to play grace site to grace site like you would in Dark Souls. 

I was just thinking about this.  After you finish the capital, it's like the game becomes more like Dark Souls 4.  There's not much "open world" at that point.  The two Haligtree "regions" for example, are really just one extremely large dungeon that you progress through more or less linearly.  And it's not as if Crumbling Azula actually connects to the rest of the map or anything either.  Sure, there are branching paths here and there, but the late game is a much more directed experience than the early and mid game were.

Not a complaint at all.  By the time you reach that point, being given some direction is honestly kind of welcome.

 

[jwb]

OMG disaster.... I turn on my game today, and I'm at level 123. And just starting the Giants... Huh??

The game has one save/profile. Did I dream the last week-plus of play and beating the game? No - the XBox achievements are still there. It's bizarre. 

Ok, it's a videogame, but damn, this just crushes me. I lost a ton of progress and items. Tiche... comet azur,  Lustats staff, higher smithing stones/bells/gloveworts... I gotta get them all again.

I know the "one save" thing is part of the game - you can't save, kill someone, then say "do-over"... but wow, for times like this, that "feature" is brutal. I chatted with support. Got the "there's nothing we can do. Sorry". 

I'm reading a patch was just released... bet that did it to me. 

 

[jwb]

Ok, I'm back to where I was, kind of. I just bull rushed the Giants and Farum... I'm sitting at the  second to last boss fight (Godfrey). Since they patched the cheese for the Radagon part of the last fight, I might go level up some more and do the Snowfield/Haligtree areas first.

Important Note: They said my issue was likely due to me not exiting the right way, which yea, I usually just hard quit due to the Xbox's quick resume feature. But the patch fouled that up, so it reverted to my last "official quit save", which was easily a week prior. 

So I learned: do the "proper" exit every time. 

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I took a couple of breaks from this because of travel commitments, and also to avoid burning out, but I finally beat the last bosses and moved into the "let's clean up some stuff before NG+" stage.  I was at level 160 when I beat the Elden Beast.  Some thoughts for anybody who's still playing:

• Obviously this is the 2022 GOTY but that's too low a bar.  The issue is where Elden Ring ranks all-time.  This is a masterpiece and I'm happy to have the opportunity to experience it fresh. 
  
• There is a ridiculous farming opportunity after you beat the final boss, if you want to load up for NG+.  Use the last remembrance to pick the sword for 20,000 runes.  Level it up to +9 (don't waste a +10 stone on it) and equip whatever talismans or gear you need to wield it.  Take it the bird farm (start of Mohgwyn Palace), and use the weapon art, which shoots a golden arc like the Elden Beast did.  For my current character, one single L2 will kill every one of those dudes on the hill, which gets you about 30,000 runes in literally 5 seconds.  The grace is right there, so you can instantly reload the area and repeat the process.  My plan is to use this farm to buy a boatload of regular and somber smithing stones to carry over.  You can also top off any levels that you feel like you're missing. 
  
• Melaina.  Holy ####, Melaina.  That boss is some serious, grade-A, FromSoft bull####.  I simply could not beat her with the sorcery build that I used for the rest of the game, so I saved her for the post-game clean-up part.  I was going to respec into an arcane/blood build anyway for NG+, so I went ahead and did it, and that completely changes how that fight goes.  You need the right gear to make this build work, but this is end-game so you should have most of that stuff already, and you can always look up how to make a good blood build.  The weapon art for Rivers of Blood hits like a truck and pretty much trivializes the first stage of the fight if you're using your mimic.  The second stage is still a little tricky, but no big deal if you avoid the dive-bomb and don't get RNG'ed by her waterfowl dance move.  
  
• I didn't so much as even look at the trophy list until yesterday, and I was surprised at how close I am to the 100% completion.  All I need is a handful of legendary weapons, spells, talismans, and spirit ashes, like about 7-8 or so in total.  And I missed one optional boss that I think I can still get.  A couple of the legendaries are gone until NG+, but I can get this platinum for sure if I'm willing to blow through to the ending a couple more times.  (I know you can just reload saves, but one of the endings seems completely incompatible with the others and I think I'm going to have to finish it legitimately at least twice).
  
• One underrated part of this game is how awesome the map is.  The way it looks like an actual map and helps you navigate the environment and find points of interest without doing Ubisoft stuff like highlighting everything and shoving waypoints in your face is top notch game design. 
  
• Extending on that point, this is the most un-Ubisoft like open world game I've ever played.  Whether that's a compliment or not depends on whether you like Ubisoft games, I suppose.  
  
• I can't believe they shipped this much content in a normal-priced game.  Elden Ring has got to be essentially Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, Dark Souls 3, and all their respective DLC combined in total length.  EA would carved this up into a season pass or something.  I definitely don't mean that as a compliment to EA.
  

Certainly one of the top 5 or so games I've played, and I've been gaming since the Atari 2600 era.  

 

[Captain Cranks]

I haven't gamed since the early 2000s but was considering getting back into it as something new to do with my 14 year old (who has already beaten Elder Ring but would have no problem replaying with me). What I don't want to do is add to the stress in my life which I find FPS usually do. 

Can this be played on a relatively low stress mode or should I look elsewhere?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I haven't gamed since the early 2000s but was considering getting back into it as something new to do with my 14 year old (who has already beaten Elder Ring but would have no problem replaying with me). What I don't want to do is add to the stress in my life which I find FPS usually do. 

Can this be played on a relatively low stress mode or should I look elsewhere?

It's not an FPS, and there is nothing "fast paced and hectic" about this game.  But it is challenging.  If you liked Dark Souls, you'll like this.  If you didn't like Dark Souls, honestly you won't like Elden Ring either.  

It can be quite relaxing.  There were a bunch of full days of gaming where I just wandered around looking for upgrade materials and exploring random dungeons as I found them.  Nothing stressful about that.  But you will die a whole bunch.  It's just of these games.  

Having a 14 year old around who's already beaten it will be like having cheat code on the couch next to you, though.  I imagine that will greatly simplify things, if for no other reason than he can explain what various things do and how to build a character.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I tried co-oping Melania for a little while, and went 0-6 on six attempts.  Although one of those was three players against the boss, and I died when she was down to like 20% health.  I assume the other two guys finished her off without issue.  

One dude who summoned me was trying to beat her with Rock Fling.  Yeah, good luck with that, buddy.

 

[Captain Cranks]

 Having a 14 year old around who's already beaten it will be like having cheat code on the couch next to you, though.  I imagine that will greatly simplify things, if for no other reason than he can explain what various things do and how to build a character.

Thanks. Perhaps the most stressful part will be hearing him constantly ask, "can I get the controller a sec?"

 

[jwb]

Certainly one of the top 5 or so games I've played, and I've been gaming since the Atari 2600 era.  

I agree with everything you wrote. This is an all-timer. 

Yes, get lots of smithing stones first - I thought I had enough before staring again, but forgot you need a ton of the normal types per item, so I ran low.

I respeced into a str/fai knight, with heavier armor and the blasphemous blade, which has been a lot of fun. After light armor and no END with the mage, it's nice to be able to take a hit or three.  

Once I started NG+, I went after the tree sentinel right away, to see how tough NG+ was. I beat him pretty easily. In fact, I ripped through everything in NG+ pretty handily until I got to the capital and eternal city.... now it's starting to get more challenging. 

Oh those poor guys at Gatefront ruins... every time I want to test a new item or something, I go there and wipe them out (and judging by video I see, I'm not alone there)

 

[Hawks64]

It's not an FPS, and there is nothing "fast paced and hectic" about this game.  But it is challenging.  If you liked Dark Souls, you'll like this.  If you didn't like Dark Souls, honestly you won't like Elden Ring either.  

It can be quite relaxing.  There were a bunch of full days of gaming where I just wandered around looking for upgrade materials and exploring random dungeons as I found them.  Nothing stressful about that.  But you will die a whole bunch.  It's just of these games.  

Having a 14 year old around who's already beaten it will be like having cheat code on the couch next to you, though.  I imagine that will greatly simplify things, if for no other reason than he can explain what various things do and how to build a character.

I didn't like Dark Souls, in fact hated how hard it was. I love Elden Ring.

 

[Hawks64]

I tried co-oping Melania for a little while, and went 0-6 on six attempts.  Although one of those was three players against the boss, and I died when she was down to like 20% health.  I assume the other two guys finished her off without issue.  

One dude who summoned me was trying to beat her with Rock Fling.  Yeah, good luck with that, buddy.

It's because she's so susceptible to stun, trying stun and then hit her with whatever is in the opposite hand would be my guess.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

It's because she's so susceptible to stun, trying stun and then hit her with whatever is in the opposite hand would be my guess.

Yeah, on second thought this is potentially viable with the right partners.  I got summoned into a 3-on-1 where two of us were bleed builds and the other guy had the blasphemous blade.  The guy with that weapon kept knocking her down with the weapon art, and then me and the other guy would wail on her a bit.  When she recovered and opened up a little space we repeated the process.  That worked really well.

 

[jwb]

I didn't like Dark Souls, in fact hated how hard it was. I love Elden Ring.

I think the open world changes it a lot, even if it's still the tried and true "die a lot / git gud" souls formula. It makes it a lot less stressful when you can just shift gears and go somewhere else. Or just wander / explore / farm. 

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I think the open world changes it a lot, even if it's still the tried and true "die a lot / git gud" souls formula. It makes it a lot less stressful when you can just shift gears and go somewhere else. Or just wander / explore / farm. 

Good point.  In Dark Souls, you had to figure out how to get past those archers.  And you had to beat Ornstein & Smough.  There's no other option, and there's nothing else for you to do.  You either git gud and work your way through that choke point, or you quit the game.  Those are your two choices.  In Elden Ring, you can just go do something else and come back when you're stronger.  Or, for that matter, the large majority of bosses in this game are technically optional.  You don't have to beat Melania if you don't feel like banging your head against that particular wall.

The spirit summons change things a lot too.  A lot of encounters that would be very challenging solo become way more manageable with a good summon.  It's basically a difficulty slider without being labeled as such.  (I used a sprit summon on, I think, literally every boss except the one in the tutorial -- no judgment here).

 

[fasteddie_21]

Rented this from the library and start it tonight. Samurai build I’m thinking. Should be fun…I hope!

 

[Hawks64]

Rented this from the library and start it tonight. Samurai build I’m thinking. Should be fun…I hope!

Rented it? How long do you get it for, hopefully for 6mths. I'm not done and already have 180 hours in

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Don't worry -- you'll bang it out in a weekend.   

 

[fasteddie_21]

Wasn’t a fan of the older series so this way got a chance to try it first. Got it for a month and can always buy it afterward

And not rented, but checked out. My library is awesome that they have the latest/greatest games

 

[fasteddie_21]

Ok, I’m enjoying it. It’s hard as hell, struggling with the first camp (dude with the kite shield is a PITA) and the scary dude at the storm castle thing. Oof. Oh and #### archers. 

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Ok, I’m enjoying it. It’s hard as hell, struggling with the first camp (dude with the kite shield is a PITA) and the scary dude at the storm castle thing. Oof. Oh and #### archers. 

There is a cave nearby that you can rest at and kill the guards with backstabs before they ever see you to gain some levels. 
 

 

[fasteddie_21]

Y’all have no idea how excited I am for tonight. I have 6 uninterrupted hours coming of playing. Can not wait!

 

[fasteddie_21]

About a dozen hours into thing and Margit has been vanquished. Only afterward did I learn about Margot’s bindings or whatever. And the invasion dude in the water confused the hell out of me, but got him. And Patches was surprising too. 
 

Enjoying this more than I expected to be.