Bloodborne - GOTD edition

[Qazimod]

I'm using Ludwig's Blade most of the time now, but I still usually go back to the axe for any large beasts. Swinging it at legs is always pretty reliable as you don't need to be too accurate with it. It has good range too with the R2 charge attack. If the first swing misses, the second usually hits.

Yeah LHB carried me through most of my first playthrough and dealt with her fairly well but I've missed it as I'm following the guide's order of events this time and it doesn't direct you towards the requisite badge yet Bit of a misstep for them not to say "GO GET THIS SWORD ASAP ITS REALLY GOOD"

[Stig]

Just defeated then BSB and its nearly wiped me out blood vias. Got the chalice and decided to try out a dungeon. Is there any significance to them or are they just side quests you can go on to gain more experience/potential items? I just came face to face with the UG and he kicked my arse.

[jonamok]

UG is one acronym I don't know.

[Let us measure]

On my second playthrough I've stuck almost exclusively with the threaded cane, despite being a LHS advocate in my first run. I thought I'd miss the LHS as I had gotten so used to its rhythm, but the cane is an absolute monster in most situations - love it! Took down A today on my first try, the whip R2 could keep reaching her head whenever she knelt down which opened her up to visceral attacks I heretofore didn't realise could be pulled off.

[Uncle Mike]

UG is one acronym I don't know.

Undead Giant, I think. I faced one in the level one first chalice dungeon.

[Qazimod]

Yeah LHB carried me through most of my first playthrough and dealt with her fairly well but I've missed it as I'm following the guide's order of events this time and it doesn't direct you towards the requisite badge yet Bit of a misstep for them not to say "GO GET THIS SWORD ASAP ITS REALLY GOOD"

Picked up the badge before realising I don't have the Strength requirements because of my Bloodtinge obsession Still, I got the rifle instead and fortified it a bit, then went back and took on VA with the axe. This time the battle went a bit smoother; I dodged more ground strikes and visceral attacks seemed more straightforward. It's still one of my favourite bosses though.

[Davros sock drawer]

Trying not to read this thread for fear of spoilers, but thought you lot might like to know how I'm getting on.

I'd just killed VA before I went away last Friday, so today I headed into the FW. I think this may have been my most enjoyable play session to date. Partly it's that I've been away from the game and was itching to go back, partly it's that the enemies have had a toughness tweak lest I become complacent, but mainly it's just that it's such a complicated web of crisscrossing paths and little nooks and crannies. It begs you to explore it. I mean, just for example:

My initial foray was extremely tentative. I went verrrry slowly, killing each enemy carefully, and trying to remember where I'd been, lest I got lost. I noted a couple of locked doors which reeked of shortcut, and made a mental note of them. Met an NPC who gave me something to help me in the chapel to the right of the Cathedral. Nice! I eventually found myself deep in the woods, in a scary cave full of poison water. Really should have steered clear, but in I went, only to be killed by snakes (no tits though). Lost 35k.

Could I find that cave again? No I could not. Instead I went a completely different way, past some torsos in a mud bath, and then got exploded by a fucking cannon of all things. Another 35k lost. But by this time I'd opened a little shortcut and was able to run back and grab them. After that I explored a creepy windmill, and found a weird guy who seemed to want sanctuary having just killed a family of 3. Back into the windmill and I backstabbed something before I could even find out what it was, and then found a lift. Some weird Plagas snake-headed thing tried to grab me, but the good old Rifle Spear sorted it out before I could see if it had tits.

By this time I was getting really worried about losing my echoes, as I had 85k on me and no sign of another lantern. Nearly got killed by one of those things you first meet in the sewers, only this one had a mezzaluna of all things, and hit hard with a jumping attack. But then, joy of joys, I found a ladder that took me ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE LAMP! Just...sheer bliss! Straight back to the Hunter's Dream I went, and splurged the lot on levels.

I don't think any other game has made simple exploration so risky, and therefore so exciting. I was in constant fear of losing my echoes, and always weighing up if I should try and get back, or plough on. But the deeper you go, and the more enemies you run past, the more you commit...and that's when the tension really ramps up. Suddenly being surrounded by two dogs, or stumbling into a nest of crows is even more terrifying, because of what you stand to lose.

this game.

[robdood]

Awesome story, Davros! Don't forget those bold Hunter's marks, man!

[Davros sock drawer]

Yes, I did think of using one, but bailing out before finding a shortcut would have still left a big ? over the area. Now I can whizz straight back.

[Goose]

Davros - RE: That area you found once -

If you want to find the poison cave - and you do, you really do - Where you meet the the caged dogs (or not caged dogs). As you pass the first couple of cages, take a left and you'll find a corridor/tunnel that leads to the poison lake. There's more in there, have a look around

I think you and I did the FW very similar. The relief of finding a shortcut and being able to cash in was amazing.

[macosx]

I went back to the chalice dungeons today and found I'd missed a door which gave me the missing second chalice.

OP so strolled it, but at least I've got some more game to play. Plus I bought Scholar to dip back into later.

[Davros sock drawer]

I went back to CW to see if the new NPC had made it back.

He was outside, but the old lady inside was gone, with a suspicious blood stain in her place!

Bit worried I caused that.

Anyway, went outside. Looked up.

What. The fuck. Is THAT?!

[Goose]

That video about what you missed in CW is great for NPC stuff.

[Timmo]

Loving my second playthrough.

I'm wearing Gascgoine's hat and basically pretending that I'm Indiana Jones. Being better at the game now I no longer creep around scared out of my mind and stride forward confidently.

Absolutely battered VA:

After having massive problems on my first playthrough, she fell first time and my saw + 5 tore her apart. She had no time to heal as I didn't stop attacking.

I've ignored bloodtinge, arcane and for the most part endurance (just a couple of points, it's no longer vital) and the game is much easier as a result.

The saw is such good fun and a lot faster than the axe. The R1,R2 switch move is amazingly effective and it's far better at crowd control than it initially appears once you get to grips with the moveset.

[Curtis]

Chalice Dungeon Question: When you use the Makeshift Altar and choose Quick Search, is the dungeon type and depth chosen at random from all those available on the server? Or does the game check your progress and give you something in range?

I just 'created' a Depth 4 Ailing Loran via this search and it didn't cost any materials or echoes. That seems almost too good to be true. Especially as i managed to bag some much needed Ritual Blood (5) from inside it, meaning i can completely bypass the Defiled dungeon and crack on with Lower Loran.

Anyway, I've had a decent session today down in the dark (popping back up to Yharnam every once in a while, so as not to feel too claustrophobic). I may have been a bit hasty in judging them as a "dry experience". That said, i still believe they're designed for multiplayer, and the official guide seems to confirm this, stating "you should bring your best co-op team" when tackling Depth 5 dangers.

[Davros sock drawer]

Ok, I'm a bit freaked out now.

Frickin' aliens with laser beams?!

[Graham S]

BSB slaughtered.

[Uncle Mike]

Ok, so I got through to the boss room in FW. And rapidly Bold Hunter Mark'd my way out there, with 53k echoes on me.

That whole last section is fucking crazy. Snakes fucking everywhere, a giant open-plan layout with loot everywhere, fucking alien-looking motherfuckers.

But I got my third shortcut in FW now, so my next run to the boss should be OK. If I can find it again.

Picked up shedloads of runes and Twin Blood Shards also. Got my LHB to +6, and stuck a fair few levels into my RS and T also.

Time to face the SoY next. Scared.

Also, completed level 2 in my first chalice dungeon. On to level 3 next! There's a big fuck-off monster in there.

I'm level 66 now. Nice.

[polygon_monkey]

Chalice dungeon question:

So I'm trying to get the last weapon - the beast claw thing - for the trophy which I gather I can only get from the chalice thing that drops from A but I'm having trouble getting the Ritual Blood (4) to create the dungeon. I've finished off G and only have MP left to do - If I finish off MP and do NG+ and then go back to the chalice dungeon - will I need to collect all the weapons again and beat A again to get access to that dungeon or do I need to do it before I finish off MP?

[Davros sock drawer]

Sounds like you're a bit ahead of me Mike. I'm only level 54 though!

I followed Goose's directions to the poison cave.

Holy fuck, I did not expect to come out there! Talk about playing the long game with that!

[Gorf King]

Chalice dungeon question:

So I'm trying to get the last weapon - the beast claw thing - for the trophy which I gather I can only get from the chalice thing that drops from A but I'm having trouble getting the Ritual Blood (4) to create the dungeon. I've finished off G and only have MP left to do - If I finish off MP and do NG+ and then go back to the chalice dungeon - will I need to collect all the weapons again and beat A again to get access to that dungeon or do I need to do it before I finish off MP?

No, you'll be fine.

You keep all your weapons, as well as all the chalices and chalice materials you have. And the chalice dungeons retain their state, just as you left them. And they don't scale up to NG+.

Also, I got a lot of Ritual Blood (4) in the 3rd depth dungeons. The only thing to beware is that the messengers stop selling ritual blood (and some of the other CD materials, but strangely not all) at the start of NG+ - that seems to reset and you'd have to beat the chalice-bearing bosses again to get stock back. You should be able to get blood type (4) just by farming the depth 3 dungeons though...

[polygon_monkey]

Phew, thanks!

[Goose]

Sounds like you're a bit ahead of me Mike. I'm only level 54 though!

I followed Goose's directions to the poison cave.

Holy fuck, I did not expect to come out there! Talk about playing the long game with that!

It blew my mind. I knew at some point I'd be going back to that area, but not like that.

[Goose]

Make sure you got the

Cainhurst Summons from in the clinic

because you don't want to miss that section, optional or not.

[Davros sock drawer]

Sure did!

[Davros sock drawer]

Well, it's been an interesting day.

I decided to leave CC for later, and instead was curious to see if I could take on DBP.

I could. And I did.

Took me about 10 attempts, but wasn't too bad. Bark worse than his bite.

[Goose]

I don't know who that is, so I wonder what I've missed.....Ahh, got it I think. Though never actually found him.

[Mike S]

I don't know who that is, so I wonder what I've missed.....Ahh, got it I think. Though never actually found him.

Well, it's been an interesting day.

I decided to leave CC for later, and instead was curious to see if I could take on DBP.

I could. And I did.

Took me about 10 attempts, but wasn't too bad. Bark worse than his bite.

Ok, so I got through to the boss room in FW. And rapidly Bold Hunter Mark'd my way out there, with 53k echoes on me.

That whole last section is fucking crazy. Snakes fucking everywhere, a giant open-plan layout with loot everywhere, fucking alien-looking motherfuckers.

But I got my third shortcut in FW now, so my next run to the boss should be OK. If I can find it again.

Picked up shedloads of runes and Twin Blood Shards also. Got my LHB to +6, and stuck a fair few levels into my RS and T also.

Time to face the SoY next. Scared.

Also, completed level 2 in my first chalice dungeon. On to level 3 next! There's a big fuck-off monster in there.

I'm level 66 now. Nice.

We are all at the same point, give or take. Although, as ever, we seem to have wandererd to that point via slightly differing routes. I thought I had FW mentally mapped but there is a place where I can see a glowing pick up on a ledge above me that I can't get to so that's bugging me.

SoY is proving to be a bit of a bother. I'm struggling to manage them..

Goose, you should go find DBP as its a great fight..

[Davros sock drawer]

Yes, have a good look around the HG Goose.

[Goose]

Will do - I've got that to cover, IC, CC and then back to what I assume is the main story with SoY.

I'm trying not to miss anything as it's unlikely I'll go through NG+. I know I've messed up E's quest/storyline by killing her when I fought her and the other hunter. Never even realised there was more to it.

I'm really intrigued now by that shield comment as well. You're going to find out one day that on NG+++ with exactly 61 insight, or an equally obscure set of circumstances, it can stop any attack.