K&AJones

I admit I've checked some "Help Guide' but there seems to be so much to see and do with twists, turns, levels everywhere, doors, windows I want to explore without a full map....in many cases the Messengers see all over provide just enough help.

The parry with the shotgun is all about timing and I'm still learning myself. Practice on the Townsfolk at first but when you see the wind-up...FIRE!...then R1. You can also stagger them, dash behind for a Back-stab. Done right, a solid thrust to their insides and you'll see blood fly everywhere and the enemy fall flat.....most satisfying....

Emperor Charon

When you ultimately do accumulate your 10 insight, be sure to buy everything that you need from the messengers in the insight fountain. Why is this? Because, once you fall below 10, and exit that window, they disappear again, until you get back to 10. I couldn't decide on buying a full set of gear during a visit to them, exited to compare gear stats, then, they were gone. I couldn't buy the rest of the set.

Also, I have used the "white phantom" (co-op) system 2 times now, via the password system with my brother. We both set our network password to something unique to us, one of us rang the beckoning bell, the other, the small resonant bell (we were at a boss in the Cathedral, which I will not spoil). The first pairing took almost 2 or 3 minutes (the screen pulses, and has a dialogue box telling you that it's searching), but, the second and third summoning took maybe 30 seconds. The downside was that each summoning / pairing brought with it an invader....one for each of us. We were going into the fog gate to fight the boss each time, so the invaders were banished, but, I did notice that it was every time.

mhg83

Of course fanboys come out in droves. It seems a lot of the community have a superiority complex.

Gooter

Invaders are real-life players? They can kill you?

chess

Some tips:

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More and more committed to trying this game out. Maybe that Target sale next week.

Emperor Charon

They are, man. In Bloodborne, rather than just using a stone, they ring the invasion version of the resonant bell (sinister bell?). When a host is looking for help, the sinister bell can answer the "call", too. If the levels are similar (it was usually within ten soul levels in past games), they will be sent to your world to try and kill you. I noticed that, each time, it mentioned that a woman was calling them (can't remember her name) via the sinister bell, so, I am curious, maybe you can kill this woman, and stop the invasion? Because you get a warning, and they don't arrive immediately.

Sorry for not being one hundred percent sure, I am still learning some of the differences between Bloodborne and Demon's Souls / the Dark Souls games!

slop101

I think he has some valid points.

RichC2

He does (especially on combat, which is improved but far form perfect), but some of his complaints are headscratchers. I guess if you play the game in a more traditional manner (clear the room, hit a check point) it could get frustrating, but I'm sure most people realize after the second or third death that this isn't that kind of game. I guess realistically, he seems to have missed one major gate that is greatly detracting from his enjoyment.

Fanboys of what though? I mean I'm all for dissenting reviews, I'm just a bit puzzled that someone could spend a full day with any game and not grasp some basics.

mewmartigan

I like the cane too. There is a badge you can get in the sewers that will allow you to buy the rest of the starter weapons.

I totally missed the area in the sewer where you get the hunter armor. I spent a good 2-3 hours trying to get it and lost 4500 blood echoes somewhere along the way. When I finally got it, the stats weren't much better. The hunter armor is a bit better for melee attack defense but is less on the blood/arcane defense. So towards the beginning where everything seems hack and slash, its probably better than the set you can buy.

K&AJones

So on the co-op part....how long does it last and is it just for a certain area or boss. I'd love to try it but I'm still in the first section just exploring with "The Father Boss" up next. I'm not even thinking the Chalice Dungeons yet which is where I'm certain to use them.

Emperor Charon

Well, in every other Souls get, your helper phantoms stay with you until you die, they die, or you beat the boss for the level you are on. I can only confirm the death part, because I died from an ill advised roll during the boss fight in the Cathedral. Back to my world I went.

mhg83

Wiped the floor with the Cleric Beast on my second try

Emperor Charon

I gave the summoning/co-op another spin today, this time, through Old Yarnham (partially, since I did the beginning solo). There is a particularly annoying individual in the zone that is part fun, part pain in the ass.

We were able to beat the boss for the area, and it's a pretty challenging fight, even with the 3 players. He has a particular element to the fight that is classic in the Souls series (unfortunately), which adds to the challenge. This fight unlocked the Chalice Dungeons option for us.

We were able to set up our first one, and it's fun, but sort of a pain in the ass to get the co-op going on. If you haven't yet done Chalice Dungeons, here's some help:

---Take your chalice to one of the headstones on the right, outside of the workshop (they will all be open at this point)

---Spend the requested items to create your dungeon

---Set the options for online to either "open" or "closed"

---Closed will give you a glyph code, or password. This can be shared with others you want to have the opportunity to play YOUR version of the Chalice Dungeon

---If you want others to join you that you know, normal rules for summons apply...you have to be within 10 levels or so (I presume), and you have to have your password set in network settings to the same one

---Summon as usual with the Beckoning Bell, and small Resonance Bell


Also, one last note (no spoilers here)---for anyone who hasn't play any of the Souls games before, know this trick: If ever an enemy you fight should fall to their death down a pit, chasm, etc, just quit out of the game via the network/in-game options, then reload your game. The gear that the enemy would drop is now back on solid ground for you to claim.

RichC2

Out of curiosity, do you even have to beat the Cleric Beast? I mean, his road dead ends and I don't recall getting much from him outside of another Hunter's Dream entry, which is actually really poorly located.

foxdvd

yes...it opens a new part of the world...

God this game is unreal. I am not sure how many hours I have in this but I just took out a mini-boss that was pissing me off to no end...his shoots you if you want a hint who I am talking about

after dying to the fucker 4 times I looked up how to beat him...everyone said you could but I could not get that to work. finally I just went at him and rolled strike rolled strike and finally took him down. I felt like I was playing Witcher with all that rolling.

I can't get enough of it.

Emperor Charon

That's who I am alluding to in my earlier post. I didn't want to spoil, either. I had more trouble getting to him at first, until I learned the "right" path to get to him. I died on my first try fighting, then, my second time, I got lucky, because .

foxdvd

lol I hate you...

Emperor Charon

It didn't happen intentionally, it was during the course of fighting him. I climbed, he rushed me, we fought, then, what I described in the spoiler tag happened. I almost ended up falling victim to the same death from rolling out of the way.

K&AJones

Thanks for the write up on the co-op. I'm dying to try it and give it a go but I need to still explore the first part, level up my character and give "Father" a try. And thanks for that Trick if the enemy falls off. I did not know that.

And congrads to mhg83 on the Cleric Beast....when you first see him it's like Holy Cr#p...what have I got myself into. Taking him down...utter satisfaction

mewmartigan

So the beginning weapons are worth upgrading right? not like in Final Fantasy where an enemy will drop a much better weapon 10 minutes later?

I just did the second upgrade on my threaded cane and just want to make sure I am not wasting shards. The upgrade should help me with the third form of the second boss which has been kicking my butt.

RichC2

Oh, guess I haven't noticed. A lot was open before killing him. Edit: skimmed a guide, played out of order haha. Killing him is supposed to provide a badge and your first Insight which I had gotten off the bridge near the second boss priorly.

dsa_shea

I have been farming those two werewolves on the way to the Cleric boss and they drop blood shards from time to time. So, I wouldn't worry about using them to upgrade as you will get more.

mewmartigan

Cool, i may have to try that. If you want to take the fun out...or they have almost killed you, apparently if you run into the house they will follow you down the stairs but can't actually enter the house.

I also was in the middle of a mob fight yesterday when I got my first "weapon is in danger of breaking" warning. I totally forgot to repair and my cane was down to 43/200. I ran away....fast...back to a lantern, haha.

adrenaline78

I suck at this game. I'm not even past the first boss.

foxdvd

Once you get to the point between the third and forth boss blood shards drop like crazy. I have two main weapons and they are both maxed to +3 and can only be upgraded with twin blood shards now and I still have 19 regular blood shards left. Twin Blood shards are the rare drops now and I have only received 6 or so at this point.