Finally got back to playing the game...

OK...so I killed the Gaping Dragon.  I must say that summoning both Lautrec and Solaire, while cool, was pointless as they did next to nothing and got killed pretty early on in the battle, then it was just me and that massive beast playing tag in that massive arena.  I thought attacking the tail might help, but it was hard to hit with most of my moveset outside the initial R1 downward strike, so I had to change tactics a bit and attack the body behind the back leg to ensure hits every time as I wasn't doing all that much damage to him per hit...he has a lottttt of HP compared to the other bosses thus far.

I did like how he wasn't entirely predictable.  There were some patterns, but some variations in the pattern that had the potential for massive damage...enough to end the fight if I couldn't get away at the last second.  At one point he even broke his pattern completely and chased me down relentlessly, trapping me against a wall.  I nearly was done for, but a few rolls, quick estus swig and some sprinting saved the day.

I ended up killing him on the first go round, but it was a long, long battle and I had to use 7 estus flasks altogether, not to mention the 3 golden pine resins as well.  He definitely gave me a run for my money.

After that battle I almost went to Blighttown straight off, but with no estus and so many souls, I decided to take the shortcut through the sewer to Firelink, then the elevator to the Parish to give Andre the Large Ember I found early in the depths near the cannibals.  While at Firelink I talked to all the NPCs...Lautrec is being decidedly more cryptic...something about going up, some "she" he is referring to no longer being of use...can't remember 100%.  Might be referring to that chick who showed up with those other guys, the Way of the White peeps.  Kinda made me want to join them for their run to the Catacombs, but they didn't offer, so good luck to em.

Saved the pyromancer guy, but I don't plan on using his abilities.  Oh...total weirdness...when I go into the room with the water above the graveyard something is snoring...creepy as hell.  I can't find it for the life of me.

Anyway...that's where I'm at for the time being.

Please keep up on your commentary; I really enjoy it.

Green__Eagle wrote:Please keep up on your commentary; I really enjoy it.

Thanks, and I fully intend to. 

I find that keeping a log of what I've done has been helping me piece together more threads of the story and world than I might otherwise.  I remember minor details that I could have easily forgotten, and especially the random NPC encounters.  Sometimes they are so brief and the dialogue limited and/or cryptic, but just the recollection of the encounter can jar some memory of lore aspects that they may have revealed...which is one of the biggest goals I have for this first full playthrough...piecing together as much of the story as I can based on how I make my way through the world.

gcates wrote:

Green__Eagle wrote:Please keep up on your commentary; I really enjoy it.

Thanks, and I fully intend to. 

I find that keeping a log of what I've done has been helping me piece together more threads of the story and world than I might otherwise.  I remember minor details that I could have easily forgotten, and especially the random NPC encounters.  Sometimes they are so brief and the dialogue limited and/or cryptic, but just the recollection of the encounter can jar some memory of lore aspects that they may have revealed...which is one of the biggest goals I have for this first full playthrough...piecing together as much of the story as I can based on how I make my way through the world.

Sorry it's been a while since I posted but you seem to be doing very well, only dying once to Capra   

Maybe this isn't the right place but I've got to ask where your signature is from?

I think what you're doing is creating a time machine in which all of us "vets" are being transported back into our first run when everything was new.

Pretty damn awesome

CakeThiefPro wrote:

gcates wrote:

Green__Eagle wrote:Please keep up on your commentary; I really enjoy it.

Thanks, and I fully intend to. 

I find that keeping a log of what I've done has been helping me piece together more threads of the story and world than I might otherwise.  I remember minor details that I could have easily forgotten, and especially the random NPC encounters.  Sometimes they are so brief and the dialogue limited and/or cryptic, but just the recollection of the encounter can jar some memory of lore aspects that they may have revealed...which is one of the biggest goals I have for this first full playthrough...piecing together as much of the story as I can based on how I make my way through the world.

Sorry it's been a while since I posted but you seem to be doing very well, only dying once to Capra   

Maybe this isn't the right place but I've got to ask where your signature is from?

LOL...it's actually from the first Conan movie...but I always loved the quote.

skarekrow13 wrote:I think what you're doing is creating a time machine in which all of us "vets" are being transported back into our first run when everything was new.  

Pretty damn awesome

I feel like things are about to get REALLY new for me as there are two logical directions to move in at this point...Blighttown for the second bell and I bought the Crest from Andrei (just realized I've been misspelling it all along) for that door in Darkroot Garden.  I'm thinking Blighttown as I want to see exactly what that "something" the Crestfallen Warrior was referring to when talking about ringing the second bell.

gcates wrote:LOL...it's actually from the first Conan movie...but I always loved the quote.

Oh lol, well it's still a nice quote   

Also do Blight Town, I can't wait any longer 

CakeThiefPro wrote:

gcates wrote:LOL...it's actually from the first Conan movie...but I always loved the quote.

Oh lol, well it's still a nice quote   

Also do Blight Town, I can't wait any longer 

Sounds like a plan.  I was leaning toward going there, in any case.  I should be playing shortly, just finished with all my errands for the day and went out for a bit with my fiancé...so she shouldn't bother me too much about playing, lol.  Sometimes she likes to come over and mess with me while I'm playing, and it's always at a bad time, like when a Giant Rat has me one hit from death or while I'm surrounded by a group of enemies. 

Soon

I do find it funny you almost went with the most meh starting gift and got perhaps the best one.

DyingAce wrote:Soon

I do find it funny you almost went with the most meh starting gift and got perhaps the best one.

Did From intentionally give that ring a false description through all the updates because it sure as hell doesn't restore health over time...

CakeThiefPro wrote:

DyingAce wrote:Soon

I do find it funny you almost went with the most meh starting gift and got perhaps the best one.

Did From intentionally give that ring a false description through all the updates because it sure as hell doesn't restore health over time...

...the Tiny Beings Ring doesn't actually give you more health?  That's a big time troll item then.  It HAS to do something I would think. 

What got me thinking about it was the name...Tiny Beings Ring...made me think of the Furtive Pygmy from the opening cutscene, so I thought it might be of great importance someway, somehow.

Tiny beings ring gives 5% which really wasn't much of an increase on base vit, i picked it too on my first playhrough, i restarted a few hours later and picked master key intead. it was the other item that was the real troll gift.

So...Blighttown.

What can I say so far? 

First off...whenever you walk through a door and are greeted by a giant, ominous hole with a ladder...it's unlikely that what's below is going to be a tea party with unicorns.

Is it a bad thing when you find a bonfire and are unsure if it's even worth resting there? 

The little robed guys shooting darts from a distance, nearly unnoticeable except by tracing the darts themselves back to their origin....yea...they suck.

How about the "bridges" that seem like they're going to break...but I don't know if they really will or not...kinda unwilling to test them.

All those shiny items in the distance, begging for me to go get them, but I just know each one is a trap of sorts.  I have gotten a few Souls of a Proud Soldier though.

How about the way platforms connect in ways you may be unaware of, so enemies can sneak up on you while you're shooting dogs (or whatever they are) with arrows.

I made my way safely to and around the first bonfire...killed all enemies...weighed my options.  Decided to rest there and take a break, maybe smoke a cigarette or two, then get back to it and continue the descent.

It's sick.  I'm not even that far from where I entered and I'm already second-guessing every step.

More updates to come. 

P.S.
From a pure design standpoint, Blighttown is brilliant thus far.

If you'v ever played Demon's Souls this area and the Valley of Defilement are very similar. At one point I said the level design of the valley was a tornado through a lumberyard. The complete lack of conventional "paths" or normal structure is terrifying on the first run. You're the first person I can think of besides me that thinks it's brilliant.  

skarekrow13 wrote:If you'v ever played Demon's Souls this area and the Valley of Defilement are very similar.  At one point I said the level design of the valley was a tornado through a lumberyard.  The complete lack of conventional "paths" or normal structure is terrifying on the first run.  You're the first person I can think of besides me that thinks it's brilliant.   

I loved Blight Town too, along with the Catacombs. Just great fun to explore.

Also am I the only one that the ring still says that it regenerates health over time rather than just giving a small boost to your total because it really annoyed me on my first play through. Luckily I'd started as a thief. 

I'm rather frustrated at the moment.  Initially Blighttown was going alright, though I took a break after the bonfire, and if there are more than one (kinda hoping so), it's the first one you come to.

Progress was slow, but steady at first, looking out for the guys shooting darts and taking out the other enemies either with arrows or just letting them come to me up or down ladders, however they preferred.

The first time I died, it was kinda fluky.  I was on a platform slightly above where you first enter the swamp trying to pick off all the large spider/mosquito things one by one, but a few were just out of where I could aim, so I thought I might switch to the Heavy Crossbow.  When I did that and equipped it, apparently the animation forced me to fall off the platform down to where all the enemies were and I was quickly dispatched by a LOT of fire as I fell right in the middle of them all.

The second time I died I was working my way back to where I had died before, right up to the cave portion where you climb down the ladder to get to the swamp area.   I was locked on to the larger enemy, not sure what they're called, when one of the smaller regular enemies dashed by him, so I switched to take him out first, but the change of camera caused an object to get in the way and I could no longer see my character...so I rolled to get back to somewhere I could see.  I killed the first enemy, but then was backed into a corner with nothing but a ledge behind me and the big guy knocked me off when I absorbed his hit.  Sucks.

Third time...got alllll the way through the swamp, killed all the giant rock guys, got up the thing with the platforms that move...killed the dart shooting a-hole, all the other enemies...even took out the dogs below in the stone path with a ladder just beyond (I assume that was where I was to head next).  HOWEVER...the next way to go seemed to be a tree branch of sorts that was split like a V that takes you to a platform.  I was hesitant, but saw no other way.  Started walking slowly up it, all was well until my guy just slid on down to his death.  Easily the most frustrating death in the game for me so far since I have to start all the freakin way back at that bonfire.  Again.

Blighttown is definitely giving me headaches thus far, but I get further with each death, so we shall see.  Need to take a bit of a breather though. 

With all that being said, totally over worrying about retrieving souls anymore.  I really do not care right now...more focused on progression.

I hate Blighttown, always have always will. I also hated the valley of defilement from Demon's mentioned in an earlier post. Mostly I hate it cause it's just so laggy and glitchy or whatever you want to call it... but wait you're playing on PC right?? If so good for you cause the ps3 version is a nightmare i think. Once you figure it out though the whole level is easily circumvented by shortcuts so you won't have to go through it like you do the first time. There should be two bonfires in Blighttown. 

And hang in there Blighttown is one of the more frustrating areas in my opinion. You're not far from the second bell...

PaganiniAlfredo wrote:I hate Blighttown, always have always will. I also hated the valley of defilement from Demon's mentioned in an earlier post. Mostly I hate it cause it's just so laggy and glitchy or whatever you want to call it... but wait you're playing on PC right?? If so good for you cause the ps3 version is a nightmare i think. Once you figure it out though the whole level is easily circumvented by shortcuts so you won't have to go through it like you do the first time. There should be two bonfires in Blighttown. 

And hang in there Blighttown is one of the more frustrating areas in my opinion. You're not far from the second bell...

I took a breather for a bit and stepped away to clear my head as I was getting more frustrated than I have been in this entire playthrough, and that time made me realize that I actually wasn't that far geographically from where I died, so I could get back relatively quickly now that I know the layout of the area below.  Initial progress is always slow as there is the ever-present fear of the unknown, but once I learn the area I can breeze through (i.e. Undead Parish, Darkroot Garden/Basin).

No lag at all to be honest, and yea I'm playing on my laptop.

I'll probably jump back in shortly and try to push a bit further.  Hope I can find another bonfire before another boss fight pops up.  There is so much real estate between my current one and where I think I need to be.  Luckily I found out the snipers don't respawn.  Thank you From Software for that...if they did Blighttown would be so freakin ridiculous.

Look around on the bottom level of Blighttown, there's another bonfire. Sorry if that's too much info/help for you.

PaganiniAlfredo wrote:Look around on the bottom level of Blighttown, there's another bonfire. Sorry if that's too much info/help for you.

Nah, not too much info. It's a pretty massive area that I still have to explore a bit, so I'd likely have stumbled across it at some point. 

Aren't you glad you rested at the bonfire? :-)

Just keep heading downwards, you'll find your way. It's nice to explore Blighttown the first time, there's lots of goodies just laying around.

Green__Eagle wrote:Aren't you glad you rested at the bonfire? :-)

Just keep heading downwards, you'll find your way. It's nice to explore Blighttown the first time, there's lots of goodies just laying around.

I am.

Loaded back up, started at that first bonfire yet again.  I knew I could make it back to my souls, I just had to be cautious and take my time...getting impatient can prove to be a death sentence in this game, even in areas that you have been through dozens of times. 

I got down to the swamp and headed back toward the moving platforms when I found the bonfire finally.  Just before resting there I got the message that I was being invaded by Mildred something...so I just kinda waited in there with the bonfire before I saw the red phantom headed toward me.  Killed her pretty easily, got a Butcher Knife and some humanity, then I went ahead and rested.

Went directly to the platforms, got up and snagged my souls and worked my way toward the large stone structure back there.  Thankfully I had learned how to zoom in with my bow yesterday so I was able to slowly work in there and take out the bastard snipers toward the back.  Occasionally I'll even absorb a dart on purpose just to stay on target and finish them off.  I think there were four total, including the one in that little corner guarding the Soul of a Proud Knight.

Cheaped out the dogs from above with my bow then went down...found my second Firekeepers Soul which is awesome since I can upgrade my Estus again.  I really thought there would be more to this area than there was, seemed like where a boss fight might be. 

Anyway, went back up, saw a ladder headed upwards so I progressed on into the cave up there...which turned out to be simultaneously a waste of time and a revelation.  If only I had known I could have avoided all the BS earlier by going through the Valley of the Drakes from New Londo...I found it early in the game but never ventured in too far out of fear.  At this point there was only one logical way to go...that hill with the rock-throwing giants with that ominous hole I saw yesterday. 
 
Quelaags Domain or something like that...can't recall completely.  Gotta be honest this place had me on the edge of my seat, so to speak.  The enemies you encounter are strange...not even particularly dangerous until they split into a mass of grubs...but easy enough.  To my surprise, right outside the white light door was a summon sign, which obviously clued me into a impending boss fight.  This was my second time summoning for assistance, and I thought about going solo, but the rest of Blighttown had been such a nightmare to that point I assumed the boss would be ridiculous.  Oddly enough, the person I summoned was the same person who had just invaded me.  Mildred...something.  Nice outfit, by the way.

Nice cutscene...insane looking boss.  Mildred was much more help than Lautrec and Solaire against the Gaping Dragon.  She kept the attention off me initially so I could get an idea of what the attacks were like, but it still wasn't completely easy.  The lava was frustrating as I would keep backing into it while locked on to Quelaag, and she did a ton of damage despite my upgraded armor.  At the end of the day, it was academic.  Move, avoid, get behind, attack.  My Gargoyles Halberd is +9 now so it was going good damage, and she fell easily enough.  I took probably 85% of her health, Mildred was just more of a distraction, but welcome nonetheless.  So I won on the first go 'round and it was great.  I'd put this fight on par with the Gaping Dragon in terms of difficulty...maybe a little easier.

After that was over, went further in up the stairs and found a lever...and alakazam...rang the second bell.  Super awesome, but that cutscene after was crazy.  That huge guy opening a huge gate (which I assume is where that knight with the round head was sitting)...can only be bad things behind there.  I also figure I'll be fighting that monster gatekeeper sooner than later.

Noticed that I could go further down...so I did.  At the bottom of the staircase was a circular thing in the middle of the floor.  I thought this might be an elevator like the one down to New Londo...but it wasn't, lol.  However, there was a door leading to a bonfire...right at the doorstep of what I can only imagine hell would look like. 

The Demon Ruins.

I see lava, an enemy off in the distance that I've never encountered before...looks somewhat similar to the Capra Demon if I recall correctly.  Could be wrong since he was so far away, couldn't even hit him with arrows.

Also some flaming tentacles...? 

Yea, I left after resting at the bonfire and kindling it.  Went back to the swamp, explored a bit.  Killed some slugs that seem to drop titanite with relative frequency then went back to the bonfire.  Figured I'd take a break after that.

Now I have two options...Demon Ruins or back to the Undead Parish to see what's behind that gate...orrrr back to Darkroot Garden to use that Crest to open that door.

Might head back to Firelink Shrine first to see if any of the NPCs have anything new to say.  Kinda curious about that chick who was there before with the Miracle guy and the other two...I suck with names sometimes.  Anyway, he says she went missing and he can't find her, but he certainly isn't trying very hard standing in one place, lol.

So, that's it for now.  More to come.

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.