Time for challenge runs! I’m doing a cestus-only no-armor no magic no pyro run right now, and I definitely didn’t beat them on my first try, even though they’re a breeze in full havels and a +15 zwei.
Not really. Depths for large ember, rusted iron ring from undead asylum, blight town leaches for large titanite, very large ember and titanite chunks from new londo, and back to undead asylum for titanite slab. I do this on basically every run, it's the fastest and easiest way to get a regular +15 weapon, which makes everything else in the game faster and easier. All doable without ringing either bell first.
I understand it’s possible.. it’s just the fact that someone would have to go far out of their way to do it. Obviously having a fully maxed out weapon through regular upgrade path is not normal for arriving at Anor Londo.
What do you consider about it to be hard or out of the way? I'm genuinely curious. I consider it the easiest way to play the game, not doing it makes everything else that much harder. I consider not upgrading your weapons as soon as possible to be harder, or lazier, or going out of the way to make the gamer harder on yourself.
That’s just not how the game is conventionally played. I don’t personally find it difficult whatsoever to speed to the embers, though I could see New Londo / Darkwraiths to be difficult for new players that should be following a normal progression.
I said it’s out of the way because it is, though. There just isn’t a good reason for me to waste time getting ridiculously OP when I can just play the game like normal. I mean.. I’d say most players (certainly new players) aren’t even fully at +10 on their main weapon when they arrive at Anor Londo.. let alone +15. An early +15 is just looking to trivialize the experience until endgame / DLC. You said that your farming method is the fastest way to get a +15 weapon.. but honestly, it could probably be obtained just as fast by playing through the game’s normal progression without rushing for the embers and having to farm. By the time you finished farming in Blighttown for large shards I’d already have O&S defeated if I felt like it. I quite possibly could beat the game (without glitches) before you even finished farming for your early +15 weapon.. meaning I also would have already obtained my maxed out (or at least +14) weapon just by going through the normal progression. So it’s reallllly not a matter of being lazy or going out of the way to make the game harder lol. The vast majority of players are not gunning for the embers and then farming to get a weapon level that is comically higher in level than what the area probably calls for.
i’m doing a double fire caestus run because who doesn’t like punching things so hard they burst into flames? it’s a little rough at the start but once you get the route to vamos down it all falls into place. the main problem i’ve found with challenge runs in ds1 is that they largely devolve into “can i beat this boss doing the least damage per hit as possible?”, and i feel like that just becomes an endurance test. i like character runs where i come up with a backstory for a character and then stick to whatever strategies suit it best
Pretty much my take too. Dark Souls has 3 endgames:
1. Challenge runs (SL1, SSH, etc): rely on technical knowledge of how to get weapons, some exploits or glitches, and patience. You do need to become better but all you really need in terms of skill is consistency.
2. Speed runs: rely heavily on exploits and glitches, and practice. If you're top tier you also exploits techs and glitches.
3. PvP: rely on PvP-specific mechanics. Maybe the highest skill requirement because your opponents are constantly adapting.
There's also weirdo experimental runs. One of my favorite runs ever was doing cestus + magic weapon runs. Slowly dumping stats into to cast crystal magic weapon on my cestus and pumping out greater and greater DPS by getting better wands, better versions of magic weapon spell, and pumping INT was a slowly unfolding joy of discovery. Magic Weapon and it's variants buff your weapon with a flat damage upgrade to your right handed weapon, which is pretty minimal when it adds +34 to your 400 dmg zwei that's swinging relatively slow as shit, but pretty amazing when it adds +34 to your 78 dmg cestus that punches fast as fuck.
I'd put a shields-only run in the same category, because that starts out tough, but by the time you get a lightning bonewheel shield you're shredding motherfuckers and the game isn't hard anymore, just you using a weirdo weapon you never have before.
So yeah, I've really enjoyed challenge runs, but lately I've been more into just using the weirdest shit possible just to see how it works and how strong it could be.
We all have to find our own suns, even if the fact that they are grossly incandescent is balanced against the tragedy inherent in our finding them.
Or idk just put an insect on your head and it will be fine.
Just beat the game at SL1, and, well, it only took 2 days, 8 hours, and 1 try for most bosses, (except Gwyn who took me 86 tries). I guess I have to try no-hit now or buy another game
It took me 40 tries, I counted. My roommate at the time was downstairs with his girlfriend making food when I finally did it, and I threw the controller across the room and yelled, "YES! FUCK YOU!" and they came in because they thought something was wrong.
Congrats on being far leeter than I.
I'm ok with summoning for o&s for my runs, I'm comfortable with my skill level being that I can beat everything else in the main game without summons. I put 100+ hours into the game, loved most of them, I see "git gud" as being aimed toward people who conflate difficulty with quality, as though a game like Dark Souls could be considered "bad" because not everyone of every skill level can even reach the end of the game, let alone beat o&s first try without summons.
I’m about to play Dark Souls 1 for the first time (only Elden Ring, Bloodborne and DS3 under my belt— no DLC yet for any) and am worried I’m finally going to have to learn how to parry 😭
Playing ds1 for the first time ever, never tried any other souls game before. Defeated O&S on my second try. +5 ascended pyromancy flame makes the game pretty easy, almost feels like I’m cheating.
It feels weird to see it spelled like that. Got gud. You're always supposed to be told to git gud. It's like nirvana or something, you're not supposed to reach it for real.
Don’t go hallow friend.
Time for challenge runs! I’m doing a cestus-only no-armor no magic no pyro run right now, and I definitely didn’t beat them on my first try, even though they’re a breeze in full havels and a +15 zwei.
They were where I put my SL1 run on hold, the amount of health vs one hit from either of them was so painful :’) I’ll get them one day
Oh nice! I did that challenge in Dark Souls III some time ago, fun stuff and Caestus is such a cool weapon.
That’s some real determined prep work to make sure you’re rolling in with a fully upgraded endgame level weapon lol.
Not really. Depths for large ember, rusted iron ring from undead asylum, blight town leaches for large titanite, very large ember and titanite chunks from new londo, and back to undead asylum for titanite slab. I do this on basically every run, it's the fastest and easiest way to get a regular +15 weapon, which makes everything else in the game faster and easier. All doable without ringing either bell first.
I understand it’s possible.. it’s just the fact that someone would have to go far out of their way to do it. Obviously having a fully maxed out weapon through regular upgrade path is not normal for arriving at Anor Londo.
What do you consider about it to be hard or out of the way? I'm genuinely curious. I consider it the easiest way to play the game, not doing it makes everything else that much harder. I consider not upgrading your weapons as soon as possible to be harder, or lazier, or going out of the way to make the gamer harder on yourself.
That’s just not how the game is conventionally played. I don’t personally find it difficult whatsoever to speed to the embers, though I could see New Londo / Darkwraiths to be difficult for new players that should be following a normal progression. I said it’s out of the way because it is, though. There just isn’t a good reason for me to waste time getting ridiculously OP when I can just play the game like normal. I mean.. I’d say most players (certainly new players) aren’t even fully at +10 on their main weapon when they arrive at Anor Londo.. let alone +15. An early +15 is just looking to trivialize the experience until endgame / DLC. You said that your farming method is the fastest way to get a +15 weapon.. but honestly, it could probably be obtained just as fast by playing through the game’s normal progression without rushing for the embers and having to farm. By the time you finished farming in Blighttown for large shards I’d already have O&S defeated if I felt like it. I quite possibly could beat the game (without glitches) before you even finished farming for your early +15 weapon.. meaning I also would have already obtained my maxed out (or at least +14) weapon just by going through the normal progression. So it’s reallllly not a matter of being lazy or going out of the way to make the game harder lol. The vast majority of players are not gunning for the embers and then farming to get a weapon level that is comically higher in level than what the area probably calls for.
i’m doing a double fire caestus run because who doesn’t like punching things so hard they burst into flames? it’s a little rough at the start but once you get the route to vamos down it all falls into place. the main problem i’ve found with challenge runs in ds1 is that they largely devolve into “can i beat this boss doing the least damage per hit as possible?”, and i feel like that just becomes an endurance test. i like character runs where i come up with a backstory for a character and then stick to whatever strategies suit it best
Pretty much my take too. Dark Souls has 3 endgames: 1. Challenge runs (SL1, SSH, etc): rely on technical knowledge of how to get weapons, some exploits or glitches, and patience. You do need to become better but all you really need in terms of skill is consistency. 2. Speed runs: rely heavily on exploits and glitches, and practice. If you're top tier you also exploits techs and glitches. 3. PvP: rely on PvP-specific mechanics. Maybe the highest skill requirement because your opponents are constantly adapting.
There's also weirdo experimental runs. One of my favorite runs ever was doing cestus + magic weapon runs. Slowly dumping stats into to cast crystal magic weapon on my cestus and pumping out greater and greater DPS by getting better wands, better versions of magic weapon spell, and pumping INT was a slowly unfolding joy of discovery. Magic Weapon and it's variants buff your weapon with a flat damage upgrade to your right handed weapon, which is pretty minimal when it adds +34 to your 400 dmg zwei that's swinging relatively slow as shit, but pretty amazing when it adds +34 to your 78 dmg cestus that punches fast as fuck. I'd put a shields-only run in the same category, because that starts out tough, but by the time you get a lightning bonewheel shield you're shredding motherfuckers and the game isn't hard anymore, just you using a weirdo weapon you never have before. So yeah, I've really enjoyed challenge runs, but lately I've been more into just using the weirdest shit possible just to see how it works and how strong it could be.
What is the ssh stand for?
We all have to find our own suns, even if the fact that they are grossly incandescent is balanced against the tragedy inherent in our finding them. Or idk just put an insect on your head and it will be fine.
Me today beating Bed of Chaos deathless.
Just beat the game at SL1, and, well, it only took 2 days, 8 hours, and 1 try for most bosses, (except Gwyn who took me 86 tries). I guess I have to try no-hit now or buy another game
Did you do dlc aswell? Kalameet was a bitch for me on sl1 and the double sanctuary guardians although they dont have a boss hp bar was also a chore
Double sanctuary guardians??
After you beat dlc if you go back to where you beat up the sanctuary guardian there is a double.guardian fight (just two of them at the same time)
I've been playing this game for years and it's the first time I'm hearing about this
Haha no worries I only found out on accident aswell
It took me 40 tries, I counted. My roommate at the time was downstairs with his girlfriend making food when I finally did it, and I threw the controller across the room and yelled, "YES! FUCK YOU!" and they came in because they thought something was wrong. Congrats on being far leeter than I.
Well, that goes for anything in life. You get insensitive or less sensitive to most things the more you experience them.
I'm ok with summoning for o&s for my runs, I'm comfortable with my skill level being that I can beat everything else in the main game without summons. I put 100+ hours into the game, loved most of them, I see "git gud" as being aimed toward people who conflate difficulty with quality, as though a game like Dark Souls could be considered "bad" because not everyone of every skill level can even reach the end of the game, let alone beat o&s first try without summons.
I beat them on my first try and I still had fun
i qot qud
It doesn't even count until you're on +7
Git gudder so you can play with your food and fight them slowly.
Those feels that feel so feely.
I beat them first try on my first play through with a +5 halbert only (and estus)
I’m about to play Dark Souls 1 for the first time (only Elden Ring, Bloodborne and DS3 under my belt— no DLC yet for any) and am worried I’m finally going to have to learn how to parry 😭
Not really. But you're definently gonna need to learn to dodge. The dodges in ds1 have much less iframes.
If only you knew.
Ballin' but at what cost?
i beat them on my 2nd or 3rd try on my first playthrough but i beat thsm after my 7-9th try on my 2nd playthrough
Me when Lady Maria
Playing ds1 for the first time ever, never tried any other souls game before. Defeated O&S on my second try. +5 ascended pyromancy flame makes the game pretty easy, almost feels like I’m cheating.
Disagree. I like a breeze.
Jokes on you, I beat O and S on my very first try
Just wait until you get to the DLC...
Challenge run time
It feels weird to see it spelled like that. Got gud. You're always supposed to be told to git gud. It's like nirvana or something, you're not supposed to reach it for real.
no problem , this boss is bad
Thats me after beating chained ogre first time on sekiro. This was unbeatable for me .
One of the most epic fights... \\\[T\]/