Elden Ring - Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion Announced

[Jamie John]

It turns out the capital is replete with cunts of all manner and description.

Spoiler

Knight cunts.

Imp cunts.

Misbegotten cunts.

Lion cunts.

Undead cunts.

Crucible Knight cunts.

Footsoldier cunts.

Spider cunts.

Perfumer cunts.

Crossbow cunts.

Trumpet-playing spherical cunts.

Giant fucking ulcerous cunty snake cunts.

 

Who knew?!

 

[Davros sock drawer]

2 hours ago, robdood said:

Hehe, I was gonna suggest you check out my streams after you asked about lets players the other day!  Glad you also play the game properly, mate. 

 

 

I had to stop watching as you were about to head into an area I've not yet explored. Our maps were identical before that though, although I've not done Redmane Castle, don't know if you have (or indeed if you done loads of other stuff I've not).

 

The atmosphere when I cleared the Windmill village was quite different due to the time of day. Lovely evening skies:

 

Spoiler

 

 

I just checked and I'm level 65, so we're about the same I think. I've just dawdled!

 

 

Map uncovered so far. I'm guessing the top right is going to be huge!

 

Spoiler

 

 

And Christ knows how much there is underground. Haven't been in ages!

 

[spanx]

2 minutes ago, Jamie John said:

It turns out the capital is replete with cunts of all manners and descriptions.

  Hide contents

Knight cunts.

Imp cunts.

Misbegotten cunts.

Lion cunts.

Undead cunts.

Crucible Knight cunts.

Footsoldier cunts.

Spider cunts.

Perfumer cunts.

Crossbow cunts.

Trumpet-playing spherical cunts.

Giant fucking ulcerous cunty snake cunts.

 

Who knew?!

 

also…

 

Spoiler

Useless cunts. Me

 

[Benny]

I'm pretty sure you could probably reduce the play time of the game drastically as well if you wanted, with sequence break warping or even just making a beeline to certain parts, even just running past everything. Though of course, like Bruce Lee said: "concentrate on the fingers, and miss all the heavenly but hole".

 

Though that's still all player choice how much you want to discover and it's amazing.

[5R7]

3 minutes ago, Benny said:

I'm pretty sure you could probably reduce the play time of the game drastically as well if you wanted, with sequence break warping or even just making a beeline to certain parts, even just running past everything. Though of course, like Bruce Lee said: "concentrate on the fingers, and miss all the heavenly but hole".

 

Though that's still all player choice how much you want to discover and it's amazing.

indeed you can! especially on NG+, you can get to atlus very quickly!

 

although, one of the skips the speedrunners use to get to radahn (if they are doing all bosses) is quite amusing, as it involves something which must have happened to somebody accidentally at least once as it involves

Spoiler

falling off a cliff...

Spoiler

and then being given the option to load at a stake ...

 

 

as ive had it happen! not there, but in other places when i haven't noticed the icon lol

[cassidy]

Just did Radahaan on my first go. Think I'm a smidge over levelled at L80. 

 

 

[Captain Kelsten]

1 hour ago, spanx said:

Is there a general agreed order to tackle areas that roughly align with your levelling. The city might be a come back later type deal but not entirely sure where else I can go. I’ve explored Caelid a fair bit although not the castle at the bottom right yet, and I can’t seem to find routes elsewhere. 

Roughly the following order, but you can do anywhere on this list anytime:
 

Spoiler

Limgrave

Weeping Peninsula

Stormveil Castle

Finish Limgrave

Liurnia of the Lakes

Caria Manor

Raya Lucaria Academy

Altus Plateau

Royal Capital

Mt Gelmir

Volcano Manor

Caelid

Redmane Castle

and then onwards from there…

 

 

[Goemon]

Is anyone finding (possibly with in last update) there’s an occasional slight delay in inputs (PS5)?

 

I was questioning it earlier but after fight a boss this morning I’m convinced it’s there. It’s not all the time but sometimes I feel the roll taking a split second longer to come out than it should.

 

The best way I’ve found to notice it outside of boss fights is if I hold up on the stick and aim to roll the instant I’m standing again. The this case the first and second roll is fine but on the third roll I see the slight animation of walking before the roll occurs. You can’t just mash roll, you have to time it as you stand again.

 

Anyone else?

[Orococco]

I haven't followed the thread closely, but dipped in and out and picked up a few good tips. 

 

One I wish I'd followed is 'keep a notebook'. Sounds like a cool idea, I thought, but did I? Did I fuck, and now I'm hopelessly muddled about what I've done, what still needs doing, who asked me to do it, etc etc. I love the open world, but temperamentally sometimes I feel I'm more suited to the linear structure of the previous games.

 

One other observation: I wonder if I'll regret not having to work very hard for the bosses so far. Wolf gank pack + npc summons + overlevelled has equalled some guilty easy wins. Maybe it won't feel complete without an Amelia-type roadblock I have to really knuckle down to beat - maybe the game's giving me too many options to pussy out. Perhaps I'll live to regret the sentiment though. I kinda hope it'll really test me at some point. 

[Don Wiskerando]

1 hour ago, Jamie John said:

It turns out the capital is replete with cunts of all manners and descriptions.

  Hide contents

Trumpet-playing spherical cunts.

 

I've been calling these 

Spoiler

Jazz Dumplings.

but I like your name better.

[Qazimod]

20 minutes ago, Orococco said:

One I wish I'd followed is 'keep a notebook'. Sounds like a cool idea, I thought, but did I? Did I fuck, and now I'm hopelessly muddled about what I've done, what still needs doing, who asked me to do it, etc etc. I love the open world, but temperamentally sometimes I feel I'm more suited to the linear structure of the previous games.

 

The custom map markers help as well. Did you run into an area for the first time and a boss health bar appeared without warning and you got wrecked? Add a skull icon next to where your runes are.  

[dug]

Question about volcano manor

 

Spoiler

Firstly, why does she say I came here uninvited when I have an invitation right here in my inventory? Even the inbred-looking girl who gave me the invitation says something like "shame you didn't come her on my say so." I literally did!

 

Anyway, that's not important. There's obviously more to the manor than the invading NPCs questline, but to access the rest of the manor, do I need to complete that questline? Or can I ignore that questline entirely and still get in? Or somewhere in between those two extremes?

 

[Captain Kelsten]

5 minutes ago, dug said:

Question about volcano manor

 

  Hide contents

Firstly, why does she say I came here uninvited when I have an invitation right here in my inventory? Even the inbred-looking girl who gave me the invitation says something like "shame you didn't come her on my say so." I literally did!

 

Anyway, that's not important. There's obviously more to the manor than the invading NPCs questline, but to access the rest of the manor, do I need to complete that questline? Or can I ignore that questline entirely and still get in? Or somewhere in between those two extremes?

 

re your first point:

 

Spoiler

If you follow that questline properly you find that girl again and she teleports you to the manor. Going there yourself prior to that, even if discussed with her and with the invitation, seems to break the game’s  logic. 

 

[Alask]

Fighting two gargoyle bosses at once? I can’t even fight one very well, plus they seem to have a massive poison cloud. I’ve sacked that off, getting absolutely nowhere on that.

 

I even fought them by the waterfall for a bit to see if one might fall off to his doom, but no such luck.

[Mystacon]

12 minutes ago, Alask said:

Fighting two gargoyle bosses at once? I can’t even fight one very well, plus they seem to have a massive poison cloud. I’ve sacked that off, getting absolutely nowhere on that.

 

I even fought them by the waterfall for a bit to see if one might fall off to his doom, but no such luck.

I did wonder if a lot of people may have missed that fight. I thought that section felt a bit tucked away. Did it though!

[df0]

I spent hours and hours helping people there. The 12 second Azur Meteor (that Mage laser beam) tears through the first one before the second one in good and ready. Not much help for you I know, just hoping you get a Mage as summon.

 

Am on Fire King now. So I guess that's the "massive boss where you have to stay close resulting in having no bloody clue what's going on" box on the Dark Souls Bingo Card ticked.

[dug]

27 minutes ago, Doctor Shark said:

re your first point:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

If you follow that questline properly you find that girl again and she teleports you to the manor. Going there yourself prior to that, even if discussed with her and with the invitation, seems to break the game’s  logic. 

 

 

Ah, cheers. Now you mention it I do vaguely recall her saying something about meet up with her again and she'll take you there? That was probably 60-odd hours ago though, and I'm one of those fools who doesn't bother with notes.

[dug]

 

 

"You know that Shaded Castle?"

"I am aware of the location, yes."

"That's where you go on holiday, that is."

[Number 28]

15 minutes ago, Mystacon said:

I did wonder if a lot of people may have missed that fight. I thought that section felt a bit tucked away. Did it though!

Where was this? I can't remember.

 

I finally got to the... (very deep under the capital spoilers)

Spoiler

bottom of that post-Mohg hole by pure luck! I spent hours trying to get down there and on the 100th fall to my death I somehow caught a ledge on the way down. Fuck having platforming in this game, it's exactly as janky as it was in the original Demon's Souls.

 

[Vulgar Monkey]

6 hours ago, Jamie John said:

I think I'm getting fatigued with it, then I end up playing it for four hours in one sitting on a Friday night and can't wait to do the same thing the following night .

 

 

Same. I've been rinsing it for the last fortnight, but despite feeling a little fatigue at this point am not playing or looking forward to playing any less. Pretty sure that's the definition of an addiction.

 

1 hour ago, Goemon said:

Is anyone finding (possibly with in last update) there’s an occasional slight delay in inputs (PS5)?

 

I was questioning it earlier but after fight a boss this morning I’m convinced it’s there. It’s not all the time but sometimes I feel the roll taking a split second longer to come out than it should.

 

The best way I’ve found to notice it outside of boss fights is if I hold up on the stick and aim to roll the instant I’m standing again. The this case the first and second roll is fine but on the third roll I see the slight animation of walking before the roll occurs. You can’t just mash roll, you have to time it as you stand again.

 

Anyone else?

 

I noticed a bit of trouble with certain moves against the first boss, and since then double-tap any essential moves.

Supposedly it might be because they redid the inputs to make room for jump - so now sprint and roll are both B, therefore the game waits until you let go of the button to register it as a roll and not a sprint. I also read a comment on reddit somewhere where someone reckoned they'd gated it so that too short an input wont register at all, but that I couldnt confirm.

 

Anyway, 100hrs in and the only real complaint from me is that their fashion-souls game feels a bit weak compared to earlier games.

[Vulgar Monkey]

6 hours ago, Doctor Shark said:

For anyone who has found the sewers in the Royal Capital

 

  Hide contents

And found the catacomb underneath at the bottom of a long lift

 

  Hide contents

And beaten the fake Mohg boss there

 

  Hide contents

Try rolling into or attacking the altar behind him…

 

 

 

 

Whuuuuuut!?

 

Also, wait:

Spoiler

Whaddya mean 'fake' Mohg?

 

[Number 28]

Great, I think I fucked my game now...(spoilers for deep beneath the Capital)

Spoiler

Milena has gone off in a strop because I joined the three fingers.

 

Edit: *Melina...I don't deserve her do I?

 

I'm really torn about when to do 'the thing' in the north as well, because I hear...

Spoiler

It alters the world and fences off some NPC quests? Is it wise to leave it till you've exhausted all other areas? I've not fully worked my way through the Haligtree yet. At least it turns out you didn't need Melina to do it after all.

 

Edit: I did the thing...

 

[robdood]

Going live now with a new Str build from the beginning if anyone's up for coming along and saying hi!

 

https://www.twitch.tv/robdood

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/robdood2

 

Agh typed this over an hour ago and forgot to press post, lol

 

[QuackQuack]

Had no Larval Tears and the game has just thrown 5 at me in the space of half an hour

 

Tempted to try something new

[Retroid]

Yay, I'm stuck in hell with a bunch of Smithing Stones that I can't use and I'm being forced to fight what's basically Ornstein and Smough but without the pillars and my glass-cannon bleed strategy is just completely useless.

 

Yay!

[pinholestar]

Well, after scouring the entirety of the map for pretty much everything I could find and after the following playtime:

 

 

this has finally happened: (END BOSS SPOILER)

 

Spoiler

I SAID END BOSS SPOILER!

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

I'll do a proper write-up in the 'Games You've Completed' and GOTY 2022 threads when the time comes, because there is so much to say about this game.

 

For 80% of its truly enormous span it was nailed on as being the best video game I'd ever played. Pretty much everything up to and including the Capital was God-tier and an open world take on a Souls game that effortlessly vaulted beyond all my wildly high expectations. The artistry and craftsmanship on display is breathtaking and it's an astonishing achievement. To me there was no question that this was Miyazaki's magnum opus.

 

Sadly I think the endgame stretch drops the ball and it sullied my overall impressions a little. That's not to say that it suddenly ceased to be one of the greatest video games of all time because it absolutely is and that's something worth revelling in, but that spectacularly consistent quality that had been almost incomprehensibly present throughout such an enormous game just dropped a few notches in the final furlongs. The final areas and the end boss were a disappointing slog for the most part and I didn't find them much fun, I have to be honest.

 

But this is the first Souls game that I've completed entirely solo without summoning human help (Ashes Summons don't count alright...) and I'm pretty damn proud of that, because my creaking bones are not really built for elite level action games any more. Admittedly the one boss I haven't beaten yet is Malenia, who I fear may just be beyond my capabilities, and I almost succumbed to calling for help with the end boss but held firm in the end, so a big pat on the back for me. It's a claim that's been made to death over the years, but there really is absolutely nothing in games that can match the sense of elation and triumph that comes from achieving a hard fought victory in a Souls game. They truly stand apart.

 

I'm fucking exhausted after hammering the living shit out of this game for three weeks and need a lie down. Thanks for a mostly truly unforgettable journey Miyazaki, you mad genius bastard.  🙌

[df0]

After 109 hours and being level 100 I'm done. What a massive letdown for a new franchise. My expectations were through the roof, a brand new IP from the developer that brought us Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro. Three very distinct series with their own DNA. Impossible to confuse the three.

 

What is Elden Ring supposed to be? It's a poor Dark Souls with a mediocre open world and a story that I can't even remember. I genuinely do not even know what I'm fighting for. Have we now reached the point where not having radio towers (it's even worse in Elden Ring, you just ride to the icon on the map and pick up the map item. A radio tower at least provides a (fun) little gameplay puzzle) and hand-holding is seen as the greatest evolution of the open world genre? Where the hell do these dozens of 10/10 come from?

 

Very disappointed. By far From's worst output.

 

edit: seems @pinholestarand I have very different opinions about this here game.

[Vulgar Monkey]

I've actually still got DS3 and Sekiro on my to-do pile for after this, so the comparison will be interesting.

The fact that a part of me wants to launch straight into them without a break says something.

[Captain Kelsten]

14 minutes ago, df0 said:

After 109 hours and being level 100 I'm done. What a massive letdown for a new franchise. My expectations were through the roof, a brand new IP from the developer that brought us Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro. Three very distinct series with their own DNA. Impossible to confuse the three.

 

What is Elden Ring supposed to be? It's a poor Dark Souls with a mediocre open world and a story that I can't even remember. I genuinely do not even know what I'm fighting for. Have we now reached the point where not having radio towers (it's even worse in Elden Ring, you just ride to the icon on the map and pick up the map item. A radio tower at least provides a (fun) little gameplay puzzle) and hand-holding is seen as the greatest evolution of the open world genre? Where the hell do these dozens of 10/10 come from?

 

Very disappointed. By far From's worst output.

 

edit: seems @pinholestarand I have very different opinions about this here game.

I think you and about 95% of the game playing world have different opinions about this here game. 

[Vulgar Monkey]

Aaaand double crucible knights down on like the third try of the day. Feels good man.

 

After all this is done, I will be interested in one day seeing a breakdown of the lore and who actually contributed what. And what drugs they were on. Because I dunno about GRRM, but some of this is weird even for FROM standards.