Bloodborne - GOTD edition

[Broker]

On 27 February 2016 at 9:04 PM, Coltrane said:

Ok, then. I'm all for making something hard as long it's also fair but:

 

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The hunter in the Grand Cathedral...ARE YOU HAVING A FUCKING LAUGH!!!???? I can't get near him to do enough damage. He's too damn fast. I know his hp sometimes drains but he also heals a lot as well.

 

He makes Rom look like a walk in the park. Really not impressed by the fight at the moment but that's because he's wiping the floor with me.

 

Any advice? I'm old and have slow reactions so I think this is going to take me a while unless there's a cheesy way!

 

 

This one?

 

http://youtu.be/e1tQ9r545-M

[Davros sock drawer]

43 minutes ago, JohnnyRyall said:

 

I think it is related to damage. But with some bosses you have to deal enough overall damage to stagger them (LtA), while with others you need to deal enough damage to a particular weak point for it to work (i.e., I don't think you can stagger Amy by hitting her arms, for instance - it has to be her head and you have the land the hits in relatively quick succession to get her to stagger). LtFV and Cleric Beast are both really susceptible to damage to the head, and from my experience a few shots at the start of the battle is enough to stagger them. That said, I'm using a +10 pistol with a lot of points in bloodtinge, so maybe not typical, but it shouldn't take much more than that whatever build you have. Perhaps try using some bone ash to get your damage up?

 

I'll certainly give it a go. I've got 45 points in Bloodtinge and a +10 Evelyn.

[Quest]

I worried for no reason. VA was a piece of piss with a couple of the right items. 

 

This an utterly exquisite video game, by the way. An absolute masterpiece in how to get the best out of a player. I've played a few games recently that I really adored, but they never, ever engaged me in the way that this does at every single moment I'm playing it.

 

My only worry is that I'll hit the limit of my own meagre skills and lose the ability to continue, because that would break my heart a little.

[Mike S]

3 minutes ago, Nequests said:

I worried for no reason. VA was a piece of piss with a couple of the right items. 

 

This an utterly exquisite video game, by the way. An absolute masterpiece in how to get the best out of a player. I've played a few games recently that I really adored, but they never, ever engaged me in the way that this does at every single moment I'm playing it.

 

My only worry is that I'll hit the limit of my own meagre skills and lose the ability to continue, because that would break my heart a little.

 

In some respects you are over the worst.

 

That first hour or two in the game when you are very weak and have no idea what is happening is as challenging as anything later in the game and, along with FG being a very tough boss to start with, sets you nicely up to handle pretty much anything as you move forward..

 

I'm not saying it'll be easy though...

[Hexx]

Not sure I'll continue ng+ - it's not the same without he exploration and discovery...and fear of unknown.

 

+10 Lost Bow is a beast though.

 

Pop blood bullets, stagger, visc (with bullet and health recovery) repeat. It works in bosses too!

[KartoffelKopf]

18 minutes ago, Nequests said:

I worried for no reason. VA was a piece of piss with a couple of the right items. 

 

This an utterly exquisite video game, by the way. An absolute masterpiece in how to get the best out of a player. I've played a few games recently that I really adored, but they never, ever engaged me in the way that this does at every single moment I'm playing it.

 

My only worry is that I'll hit the limit of my own meagre skills and lose the ability to continue, because that would break my heart a little.

 

You'll be fine. It doesn't really get 'harder' as you progress just more intense and everything you've learnt is enough to see you through. Just keep levelling yourself, your weapons and getting those blood gems and you really will wonder why you were so worried. 

 

There is a few sticky moments and you will shout 'fuck off, that's bullshit' a few time but I never felt like anything was beyond me.

 

Except those fucking fish twats but you don't need to worry about them yet. 

[Quest]

Thanks, everyone. What should I do with rubbishy blood gems? Can I just sell them or will they be useful somehow?

[robdood]

Sell them if you want, man.  You do get a ton of crap ones.  You might be able to use them for chalice dungeon materials much later, too.. Can't remember for sure though! Do the gems have a number in brackets at the end of their names? 

 

(So weird that they ended up putting the amount of arcane haze you get from items in the items description in brackets!)

[Coltrane]

2 hours ago, Broker said:

 

This one?

 

http://youtu.be/e1tQ9r545-M

 

Yeah that one. I've left it for the time being to carry on with the main quest. I will come back to him though.

[bagapeas]

3 hours ago, Nequests said:

I worried for no reason. VA was a piece of piss with a couple of the right items. 

 

This an utterly exquisite video game, by the way. An absolute masterpiece in how to get the best out of a player. I've played a few games recently that I really adored, but they never, ever engaged me in the way that this does at every single moment I'm playing it.

 

My only worry is that I'll hit the limit of my own meagre skills and lose the ability to continue, because that would break my heart a little.

 

The game is at its hardest I think at the start in the run up to FG, where it can be pretty brutal.  It took me a bit to adjust to a way of thinking that each death wasn't loss of progress or a waste of time (though my cursing at times before opening up a shortcut might not have always shown that to be true).

 

Those early stages made me think of the movie Edge of Tomorrow, each death leading to doing things slightly differently, making a bit more progress and seeing a bit more of the world and dying again.  Oh and then getting cocky on mastered section and being smashed to pieces ...  I hate to think of how many times I killed that poor guy at the top of the stairs on the way to the FG shortcut and how many rides I had on that lift - the memories came back doing it again in NG+.

 

Once you get past FG though the game really opens up and there were very few sticking points.  If a boss got too tough I could explore a bit more but eventually you have to face up to a fight.  I found the ability to get help, either NPC or other people really helped limit the frustration with the tough bosses.

 

such a great game

[Davros sock drawer]

2 hours ago, Hexx said:

Not sure I'll continue ng+ - it's not the same without he exploration and discovery...and fear of unknown.

 

 

I was very dismissive of the whole concept of NG+ after my first play through, for much the same reasons. 

 

However, after a few months break I kind of get the point of it now. Yes, the exploration is gone (although I'd be surprised if there weren't things you'd missed) but the challenge is still there, and it pushes a whole different set of buttons. 

[Hexx]

I missed NOTHING.

 

Did the Grand Bridge after CB lead anywhere? Even if you just saw the locked gate from the other side? Always seemed odd.

 

[Hexx]

30 minutes ago, bagapeas said:

 

The game is at its hardest I think at the start in the run up to FG, where it can be pretty brutal.  It took me a bit to adjust to a way of thinking that each death wasn't loss of progress or a waste of time (though my cursing at times before opening up a shortcut might not have always shown that to be true).

 

 

See I disagree. I think the opening was terrible = due to the ammo/vial system (which I don't think I've mentioned before but I hated :P).

 

Each death at the start did feel like a step back if you'd used your items - the next attempt massively harder unless you farmed. Failure was a punishment. You didn't get up and try again. You got up and tried again from a worse starting position.

 

Coupled with the fact you couldn't level up unless you had 1 Insight (not that hard when you know how to get it, but at the time could be tricky to get from early play though) and the start can easily feel soul destroying as not only do you make no quantitative forward process, you actually go backwards in some areas.

 

 

[Davros sock drawer]

59 minutes ago, Hexx said:

I missed NOTHING.

 

Did the Grand Bridge after CB lead anywhere? Even if you just saw the locked gate from the other side? Always seemed odd.

 

 

The other side of that door is in the Cathedral Ward, down that spiral staircase near the Church Giant with the ball and chain. There are videos where people have lodged Shining Coins in the door and you can see them from both sides.

 

I don't know why you can't open it. Would have made for a neat shortcut.

[bagapeas]

2 hours ago, Hexx said:

 

See I disagree. I think the opening was terrible = due to the ammo/vial system (which I don't think I've mentioned before but I hated :P).

 

Each death at the start did feel like a step back if you'd used your items - the next attempt massively harder unless you farmed. Failure was a punishment. You didn't get up and try again. You got up and tried again from a worse starting position.

 

Coupled with the fact you couldn't level up unless you had 1 Insight (not that hard when you know how to get it, but at the time could be tricky to get from early play though) and the start can easily feel soul destroying as not only do you make no quantitative forward process, you actually go backwards in some areas.

 

 

 

I agree on the vials.  Having just started dark souls it's been helpful to always have a store of flasks each time but I found it most frustrating in BB when it came to bosses.  When I was exploring I'd pick up vials or echoes by killing enemies along the way and feel like making progress but when it came to certain boss fights when all I could or wanted to do was beat the boss then it was annoying having to stop, farm for a bit then try again.

 

this got better later in the game either because I'd picked up from here that you should spend echoes on supplies rather than levelling up so had more of a stash or because there was lots more to do and then come back later.

[Polmon]

Sooooooo, after finishing the NG+ speedrun that my mates and I were doing, I convinced one of the guys that the only thing left he had to do now was a Waste of Skin playthrough. After he started it and I watched his progress, and found myself wanting to give it another stab, and do the DLC bosses, and maybe the chalices too.

 

And this weekend, I started. Made good progress, tore through the main game up until BSB, where my complacency against him got me killed (first boss death). After being a bit more cautious, I got past VA with no further boss deaths, but then went to Paarl, who pretty much killed me before I could do anything useful. The second attempt went much more smoothly, and he went down (although watching the video back, I looks hairy as hell at times).

 

The chalices were another matter. The first Pthumeru one was no problem, and I coasted through it easily enough, same with the first Hintertomb (although there were some difficult bits in some of the areas). The second Pthumeru one was different though, I was finding that a lot of things would one shot me, so I had to be super careful. Each of the bosses fell in turn though.

 

I have a playlist of all the boss fights so far (missing a couple of Hintertomb ones though - I'll add those soon):

 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvAoroVeLcGnOZtRTz8dplGn2a3fEpUL6

 

Here's the individual fights (gonna spoiler it as it's quite a list already):

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll be back soon with more updates / tears of frustration.

[JohnnyRyall]

These videos are amazing. Are you going to attempt the defiled chalice?

 

I'm kind of tempted to have a go at a lvl 4 play-through but watching your watchdog video I just don't think I have the skill and/or patience. I could probably handle bosses like SoY and BSB where you can just hang back and parry them to death, but bosses like DBP and the Watchdog would have me in tears I'm sure.

[robdood]

Heh, you remember how I was on about 5 hours for a NG+ run? Well Polmon dusted it in about 2.5 hours.  

 

I never finished btw. Fucking Kos. 

[Davros sock drawer]

Fucking LtfV!

 

I tried shooting his head. Took 15 shots to stagger him. I can get it down to two using Bone Marrow Ash, but only at the start of the fight. 

 

Now I'm trying arcane stuff on him. 

 

Waste of time...

[JohnnyRyall]

It's possible I also used bone ash when I fought him, which may be why he staggered for me so quickly - 2 or 3 shots as I remember. I don't know if I recorded the fight but I'll have a look.

 

That said, I fought cleric beast earlier on NG+3 and it took literally one shot (without bone ash) to stagger him, whereas in earlier attempts it's taken a few, so I wonder if it's something to do with targeting. Maybe when they start thrashing about most of the bullets aren't actually hitting them in the head, and you just need to be lucky and get a few clean shots...?

[Davros sock drawer]

Yes, even when he's moving side to side slowly the white targeting dot wobbles around and about his bonce.

 

It's not a tactic that's working for me, regardless.

[Davros sock drawer]

Fucking game. I was up late last night because of LtfV, and then couldn't sleep afterwards. Gah!

 

The main reason is because I had one last crack using the Threaded Cane. I was thinking that the sheer number of hits you can get in might mean I can stagger him through accumulated damage, or if not then at least I could use rally to survive going toe to toe with him. 

 

This worked quite well, and I was able to get him to his final phase a few times, but man, I just struggle so much once there's lava everywhere.

 

However, I think I'm going to blast him with A Call Beyond in the final phase next time. I tried it on his first phase and it got him down to about 3/4 health before I ran out of bullets, so I reckon that would be enough to finish him off without getting too close.

 

These are the sort of thoughts that were going through my head as I lay next to my snoring missus at 1am. Bloodborrrrrrrne!

[Hexx]

Cane in whip mode + Fire paper (no idea if it works on firebeast but it can't hurt right)

 

Step to his right (your left) as he starts spewing lava, there's a small safe spot there

 

Is what i did in NG mode. Which is obviously exactly the same as NG+++++ or whatever you're doing.

Oh and OHB so you can tp through fire rather than roll if you get caught.

[Davros sock drawer]

According to the guide, fire and bolt paper have little effect. I've been buffing LHB with the Empty Phantasm Shell, but it doesn't really help either, and it uses bullets, which I'm now hanging onto so I can blast him with A Call Beyond at the end of the fight.

 

OHB also uses bullets. I've tried it though. I even tried Lead Elixirs for the first time. I was quite hopeful for a while, as they really do deflect a lot of the attacks. But you're so slow while you've got one active.

 

And yeah, I know about standing to his left. Eventually he flips direction though and slams me into paste in one hit. Or I dodge him but end up standing in lava. 

 

I did beat him eventually on NG, but I think other than maybe Kalameet in Dark Souls it's the boss I've died to the most in all of these games. I reckon it's at least 100 attempts now.

[Coltrane]

Made a bit of progress in Yahar'gul (Stage 2) last night but then came up against:

 

Spoiler

Those three hunters in the chapel. For some reason all three aggro'ed me at once and despite getting two of them down to under half health each, they killed me. I guess I need to funnel them one at at a time? Maybe even as far back as the chapel lamp. Doesn't seem a fair fight otherwise.

 

Anyway, it's quite a fun but brutal section. I worked out that you need to kill the bell ringers to stop the respawns but I didn't realise that I missed a key to Upper Cathedral Ward which I will go back for later today. I know where it is now.

 

[Davros sock drawer]

I always use a Blue Elixir to sneak up on the first one for backstabs. Then I usually kite them, as you say, all the way back to the lamp. However, last time I fought them on the spiral steps down to the prison for a change, and did ok despite also running into those zombie werewolves. 

 

The good thing is that they stay dead once killed, so as long as you wipe one of them out on each attempt it doesn't matter if you also get killed.

[Coltrane]

5 minutes ago, Davros sock drawer said:

I always use a Blue Elixir to sneak up on the first one for backstabs. Then I usually kite them, as you say, all the way back to the lamp. However, last time I fought them on the spiral steps down to the prison for a change, and did ok despite also running into those zombie werewolves. 

 

The good thing is that they stay dead once killed, so as long as you wipe one of them out on each attempt it doesn't matter if you also get killed.

 

Yes, Blue Elixir is a good idea. I've got a few of those saved up. I had a feeling they would stay dead so, yeah, I need to work on picking them off one by one. At least one of them is getting a Cannon + Bone Marrow Ash in the face

[SharkyOB]

14 hours ago, Polmon said:veal hidden contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll be back soon with more updates / tears of frustration.

 

Looking forward to it, you're an absolute beast at this game Polmon!

[Quest]

A couple more bosses down and I seem to have hit something of a plateau (again).

 

Spoiler

Beat SoY and Paarl and went back to kill that minigun prick, today. The only options now seem to be some lecture hall, a castle that seems a bit tough or beating Rom.

 

I must've tried ten times to beat Rom and don't seem to get any further. Bloody magic blue crystal attack always seems to get my in the end. Not sure what I'm to do about it, and it's easily the most boring boss fight so far.

 

Eh. I'll work through it eventually.

[Hexx]

Vague hints

 

Rom's got 3 attacks he uses at different ranges. Learn them and what's likely to happen where you are. The crystals from above was the worst for me - just get into close range of him

 

The castle is hard at the start, the WhoreSpiders outside were brutal - but inside isn't as bad and the entire area is a lovely self contained bit.

 

Lecture Hall - I thought it's fine, but it goes someplace horrid