Elden Ring - From Software + George RR Martin

Droigan said:

Well after watching the event, it's fairly clear that it's another difficulty spike similar to the winter area. Only the spike is at 150 fully geared. Regular enemies did close to 90% of the health bar from some attacks or combos.

They did what I assume was a dungeon similar to the catacombs.

Spoiler: boss

Boss there was like a dual wielding black knife assassin on crack. No chill. Elajjaz yelled "LET ME PLAY THE GAME" as he kept getting hit while desperately trying to heal, using up 12 pots then dying. Managed to kill him with 0 pots and one hit from death. The weapons they used for the characters at the event were all fully upgraded +25

This will be fun.

As to the fragments you can use in the DLC, they are powerups. I think each one gives a permanent damage up buff while also making the enemies weaker. They did that since people might be entering the DLC at different levels (100-150ish). They are scattered around, so I think you could theoretically run around gathering some of them at the start similarly to the base game where you can run around getting flask upgrades right when you get Torrent. The DLC has two kinds of shards. I think those are the only buffs that don't transfer to the base game as they only scale the DLC. So Rajaah you should be fine at 120.

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Doesn't sound like I'll be fine, it sounds like the DLC is going to be a murder-fest with the kind of difficulty that the game journalists acted like the base game had. I hope they don't go over the top (other people are going to love it if they do though).

Bur yeah, I like the sound of this Sekiro-like system where the DLC has its own powerup progression so a level 120 player is starting from a similar starting line to a 180 player. In theory. We'll see how it goes. I don't even think I'll have time to get to level 120 by Wednesday, and it's more likely I'll be grinding my way through the base game by the weekend or something. Should have gotten this prepared weeks ago instead of playing Souls 3, but it is what it is.

^ Someone drop some runes for my boy!

Nirgon said:

I know who you are Mr Bungie

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I thought this was on Wednesday. It's on Friday? That helps a lot, actually. Might even have some time for it now.

Bald Brah said:

Man I finally got the blasphemous blade and am a little underwhelmed after using ruins greatsword for so long. The BB ash is nowhere near as wide and doesn't throw human sized targets up in the air and flat on their back. Both hit for around 2k with my current setup. I had never really used ruins greatsword before but at +10 it's pretty solid and much easier to take out heavy armored knights with shields. I walked right through castle sol with it no problems. With blasphemous blade dual wielding sword of Milos jump attacks and powerstance is nice but ash-wise I gotta give it to the ruinator.

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The Ruins Greatsword also has a special delayed "mini explosion" if you perform a fully charged heavy attack, you can squeeze a few hundred damage out of for no FP cost.

Souls 3 Update: Defeated Demon Prince, Ringed City is unlocked. Hardest fight that I've won thus far.

Droigan said:

In order to access the DLC, you need to click the sphere behind Mogh, so I assume you'll need to clear up until that point on NG+.

Not to mention, the DLC will probably be NG+ as well. So if the previews of the game have been on NG level 150 with maxed weapons (and it still looks very hard), I don't know what the NG+ equivalent level would be.

If you're at the very start of NG+ it might be easier to just speedrun a new character there.

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This. I'd definitely start over Aazrael and do the DLC on NG instead like I'm doing. If you've got the time between now and Friday it doesn't take super long to run the game again once you know your way around and mostly stick to the required zones. And you'll have to run half the game anyway to get to the DLC unlock with the situation as it is. I'm about a third of the way to where I need to be, with 8 hours on the clock. The main part that'll take up time for me is grinding out levels for the DLC, especially without the final boss sword to blast through the Mohgwyn Palace grind. I'll have to do the rolling boulder grind unless I find something better. Very doubtful I'll get to the DLC until days after it's out, maybe even a week.

In other news, defeated Nameless King in DS3. However I kinda feel like I got gypped out of the fight because I summoned someone outside and it was one of those Let Me Solo Her type powergamers who basically kicked the boss' ass while I was trying to get a word in. So yeah, whenever I do a DS3 replay I'm gonna make it a point to do that fight solo, like I did with Orphan on the latest Bloodborne after a similar experience the first time through that.

Still have to beat Sister Friede, plus Demon Prince again because I made a backup save before that fight, thinking there was a chance Gael's summon sign would disappear from outside Friede's room once I reached the Ringed City, and I was right. Friede completely whooped my ass without summons (got to Form 2 at least) so I reloaded. With Gael I managed to get to the third form before he fell, and I got said third form pretty far down solo before I tripped up. It's definitely winnable, and it's also the hardest fight in the game IMO (Unless RC has something harder). Also one of the best fights in the entire series from an atmospheric perspective. Like damn, Friede's up there with Sword Saint as far as awe-inspiring fights go that, even in a loss, I walk away going "wow".

I might well go for the Ringed City clear this week after all since I'm not gonna make it on ER either way and DS3 is holding my attention pretty firmly. Wish I'd waited to play it like I planned to because it really fucked over my Shadow of the Erdtree plans, though.

Bald Brah said:

I've never really used charged heavies. The ash is so fast and powerful, then follow up with a jumping heavy or 2. Most things are stanced. Then do a guaranteed crit. Can take those giant golems down in a couple hits. Or those annoying octopuses. With carian talisman that lowers FP plus the ceremonial axe or sword of Milo's on your back, 2 handing ruins greatsword your FP will rarely be an issue. Spamming the ash just melts NPC invaders or really any human sized target. They can never get near you or even stand up. And with mimic tear it's a lol-fest. I can't wait to wipe Melania off the map first go.

It's down side is regular attacks are slow and it is ridiculously short ranged for a collosol sword. But man that ash and the jumping heavies make up for it.

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The moment you start rocking Godrick's Talisman and Alexander's Jar Shard in tandem with the Ruins GS (or MLGS), the entire game will change for you. Fast spam to deal with rushers is still an option, but the damage pump from doing that is so massive it makes a lot of PvE a cakewalk. Granted the Mimic Tear won't charge up attacks nearly as much, but honestly Poop Man is way better if you want to summon spirit ash. He is tanky as fuck and holds agro like mad.