Official Elden Ring Thread

[Oyeve]

Finally got the Mimic Tear. My god, I love it!

 

[KentState]

Finally got the Mimic Tear. My god, I love it!

Should have seen it back in the day. A few patches ago, they reduced it's IQ by 50%.

 

[Oyeve]

Should have seen it back in the day. A few patches ago, they reduced it's IQ by 50%.

Yeah, I heard that. My son was on my ass a couple of weeks ago urging me to get it, hes a From Software hardcore player and I am not, but even patched its still pretty sweet. I have it at +7 and need to get more higher level stones to level it up more. I just felt great beating Rahdan and getting this tear. I felt like I accomplished so much! But I know there is still a long way to go. I am looking forward to finishing this game and then doing a game+ run-through.

 

[JujuFish]

From what I hear, Black Knife Tiche is the best spirit summon after the Mimic nerf a couple patches ago. I never tried it, since I went pure melee and never upgraded FP, so only secondhand knowledge here.

 

[Oyeve]

From what I hear, Black Knife Tiche is the best spirit summon after the Mimic nerf a couple patches ago. I never tried it, since I went pure melee and never upgraded FP, so only secondhand knowledge here.

Yep, I am pure melee. Never updated any magic stuff. Just strength, endurance and dex

 

[purbeast0]

Hmmm I will upgrade mine and try it out since I have a shitload of glowstones lol.

 

[purbeast0]

I'm at the final boss on my NG+2 and once I beat it and get the frenzied flame ending, I will have the platinum trophy and probably won't play the game again since there is really nothing left to do.

This boss is going to be a bitch though lol. We will have to see how I can do against the final boss. It's just a boring fight.

 

[KentState]

I'm at the final boss on my NG+2 and once I beat it and get the frenzied flame ending, I will have the platinum trophy and probably won't play the game again since there is really nothing left to do.

This boss is going to be a bitch though lol. We will have to see how I can do against the final boss. It's just a boring fight.

Not going to help you, but in general, you can get all three endings and platinum the game in one play through. Just disable cloud saves when you get the to the Ashen Capital. Grab the cloud save after each ending and replay the final fight. You can get to the frenzied flame by jumping down the well.

 

[purbeast0]

Not going to help you, but in general, you can get all three endings and platinum the game in one play through. Just disable cloud saves when you get the to the Ashen Capital. Grab the cloud save after each ending and replay the final fight. You can get to the frenzied flame by jumping down the well.

I don't really care about getting trophies just to get em. Doing what you are saying seems like it wouldn't be any fun and just basically "cheating" to get em.

I like that the trophies have given me a reason to play more though because the game is just incredible. Since I won't have any other goals once I have all trophies, I won't really have anything to do in it.

I also missed the one weapon in the Capital on my play through so I had to go back there anyways.

After my first play through, I did mess with some wrong warping stuff to jump ahead though. It was pretty cool to see how that stuff works and even crazier that people can figure out that crap.

 

[Oyeve]

Having major trouble defeating the second half of Melania battle and the second half of the last boss. My DEX is over 80, endure, strength are all over 50. My level is like 190. My mimic is maxed as is the Bloodhound's fang sword and the Rivers of blood sword. I must be too old and my reflexes suck. My son is proud of the fact that I made it this far (he platinumed the game long ago and is on his 5th NG+)

 

[purbeast0]

Having major trouble defeating the second half of Melania battle and the second half of the last boss. My DEX is over 80, endure, strength are all over 50. My level is like 190. My mimic is maxed as is the Bloodhound's fang sword and the Rivers of blood sword. I must be too old and my reflexes suck. My son is proud of the fact that I made it this far (he platinumed the game long ago and is on his 5th NG+)

Pretty sure I read that elden beast doesn't get affected by blood, so the rivers of blood is not a good weapon to use.

I ended up hacking away at him with my sword of night and flame. Not using any of the magic stuff just straight up using R1 to attack him in the belly for most of the damage.

For pretty much everything else in the game I was using my blasphemous blade.

At level 190 though if you are on your first run, you should be destroying him lol.

 

[JujuFish]

Having major trouble defeating the second half of Melania battle and the second half of the last boss. My DEX is over 80, endure, strength are all over 50. My level is like 190. My mimic is maxed as is the Bloodhound's fang sword and the Rivers of blood sword. I must be too old and my reflexes suck. My son is proud of the fact that I made it this far (he platinumed the game long ago and is on his 5th NG+)

I'm betting Malenia is healing a ton from your mimic, since the mimic's AI is kinda dumb. You might have better luck trying a different summon, one that isn't so easy for Malenia to hit and heal.

 

[JujuFish]

I like that the trophies have given me a reason to play more though because the game is just incredible. Since I won't have any other goals once I have all trophies, I won't really have anything to do in it.

Now you'll get to wait for DLC like the rest of us. FromSoft DLC is usually the best part, too.

 

[KentState]

I don't really care about getting trophies just to get em. Doing what you are saying seems like it wouldn't be any fun and just basically "cheating" to get em.

I like that the trophies have given me a reason to play more though because the game is just incredible. Since I won't have any other goals once I have all trophies, I won't really have anything to do in it.

I also missed the one weapon in the Capital on my play through so I had to go back there anyways.

After my first play through, I did mess with some wrong warping stuff to jump ahead though. It was pretty cool to see how that stuff works and even crazier that people can figure out that crap.

I did a play through on both the PS5 and PC so I had enough of the game at that point. Just wanted to offer that up for folks that don't want to play the game entirely multiple times just for an ending.

 

[purbeast0]

I did a play through on both the PS5 and PC so I had enough of the game at that point. Just wanted to offer that up for folks that don't want to play the game entirely multiple times just for an ending.

I was around like 144 or so hours I think when I beat it the first time.

Then it took me a total of about 16 hours to beat it twice lol.

Just crazy how small the game feels when you aren't exploring and know where to go.

 

[KentState]

I was around like 144 or so hours I think when I beat it the first time.

Then it took me a total of about 16 hours to beat it twice lol.

Just crazy how small the game feels when you aren't exploring and know where to go.

I did a NG+ twice since I missed a legendary weapon on both systems. The game is really small once you know the map and major boss fights. Feels like I can do a run in NG+ is under 5 hours now, just like the other titles. I think some of the length is initially because you are lost or finding the item necessary to progress isn't straight forward plus all the deaths. It's not long like a Ubisoft game where there are 1,000 things to check off a list which suck up unnecessary amounts of time.

 

[Oyeve]

I finally beat Melania. My son actually hugged me! He is really amazed that an old fart like me plays this game. Level 220. I'm pretty OP now.

 

[MoragaBlue]

Just picked up this game and looking forward to playing it. Though, before I start, can you guys offer some insights and views on controller vs keyboard & mouse?

I'm comfortable with either, really. Grew up during the FPS Quake & Unreal days where the standard WASD & mouse have become second nature and played enough controller games where I'm equally comfortable with them too. Just depends on the game, I guess. For instance, for God of War, I find the keyboard & mouse better, especially for the Axe throws because I'm so used to right click aiming on the mouse & just retrieving it with the mouse wheel down.

I could try both and figure it out myself, I suppose; but, I'd rather that part of the learning curve and just get to the game, hopping you guys here can offer some pros & cons of each.

Thanks!

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Just picked up this game and looking forward to playing it. Though, before I start, can you guys offer some insights and views on controller vs keyboard & mouse?

I'm comfortable with either, really. Grew up during the FPS Quake & Unreal days where the standard WASD & mouse have become second nature and played enough controller games where I'm equally comfortable with them too. Just depends on the game, I guess. For instance, for God of War, I find the keyboard & mouse better, especially for the Axe throws because I'm so used to right click aiming on the mouse & just retrieving it with the mouse wheel down.

I could try both and figure it out myself, I suppose; but, I'd rather that part of the learning curve and just get to the game, hopping you guys here can offer some pros & cons of each.

Thanks!

Since you're in the console forum we're all playing with controller most likely. Probably get better answers on the PC Gaming forum. Though FromSoft games are always made for console first with PC an afterthought, so I wouldn't have the highest hopes for keyboard and mouse control.

 

[JujuFish]

I play on PC, but I use a controller. I can't imagine using keyboard and mouse, but I guess I've never bothered to try. On a related note, From games are one area where controllers with paddles on the back really come in handy, since you have to do a weird-ass claw grip if you want to sprint while controlling the camera without them.

 

[MoragaBlue]

Though FromSoft games are always made for console first with PC an afterthought, so I wouldn't have the highest hopes for keyboard and mouse control.

I play on PC, but I use a controller. I can't imagine using keyboard and mouse, but I guess I've never bothered to try. On a related note, From games are one area where controllers with paddles on the back really come in handy, since you have to do a weird-ass claw grip if you want to sprint while controlling the camera without them.

Thanks, guys. This is very helpful.

This is my first game from these guys and I'm probably one of the few here who has never played Demon Souls. So, I think I'll start with a controller since it appears this game was made almost specifically for it. I did take a quick look at their default keyboard bindings and it's interesting. F for Jump, switching weapons on the arrow keys rather than 1, 2, 3, and 4 and game doesn't realize if I've plugged in a controller or not.

Steve's "afterthought" observation was spot on!

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Steve's "afterthought" observation was spot on!

PC was such an afterthought to From Software that the original PC port of Dark Souls from 2011 was locked to 720p 30fps. Had to use mods to get to 60 fps and even then my system with a Xeon E3-1231v3 (think i7-4790 minus 200 MHz) and a GTX 970 that was pretty awesome for 2014 much less 2011 would have drops into the 40s all the time. Thankfully there is a quality PC port of Dark Souls 1 now, the remaster, and it's a great game.

Elden Ring kind of plays like a Dark Souls but with Skyrim like exploration and it's easier because it's an open world where you can just go somewhere else if the area you're in or the boss there is too tough.

If you find you like it and want to try something inspired by Dark Souls but which plays very differently so you don't feel like you're playing the same game again so soon, I highly recommend Sekiro Shadows Die Twice also. Same dev as Dark Souls series and Elden Ring but a completely different game with wildly different combat. Also the hardest of the FromSoft games IMO.

 

[MoragaBlue]

If you find you like it and want to try something inspired by Dark Souls but which plays very differently so you don't feel like you're playing the same game again so soon, I highly recommend Sekiro Shadows Die Twice also. Same dev as Dark Souls series and Elden Ring but a completely different game with wildly different combat. Also the hardest of the FromSoft games IMO.

Oh, just checked it out, and it looks like a game I'd like to play.

This is from long ago, but Ninja Gaiden on the old PS3 was one of my all-time favorite games. To this day, I still find the combat in that game the best, from the intricate timing to complex series of button combos and the many creative ways to attack or be attacked. So, hard in the sense of having to be very quick, time, block and choose when to strike is definitely something that I find very appealing. Ironically, one of the reasons I picked up Elden Ring is because some have complained that the combat is too hard, which probably means it's more like the ole Ninja Giden experience than, say, most of these modern games where you just pick a weapon and click the attack the button mindlessly.

Initially, my hope was to play this game on a PS5, but, of course, I can't seem to find one for the last two years. After never getting an invite from Amazon or the PS Store, I just decided to build a PC (since GPU prices have fallen somewhat), rather than waiting. At this point, I've waited this long, mind as well wait for the PS5 Pro.

Tempted to start paying tonight.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Oh, just checked it out, and it looks like a game I'd like to play.

This is from long ago, but Ninja Gaiden on the old PS3 was one of my all-time favorite games. To this day, I still find the combat in that game the best, from the intricate timing to complex series of button combos and the many creative ways to attack or be attacked. So, hard in the sense of having to be very quick, time, block and choose when to strike is definitely something that I find very appealing. Ironically, one of the reasons I picked up Elden Ring is because some have complained that the combat is too hard, which probably means it's more like the ole Ninja Giden experience than, say, most of these modern games where you just pick a weapon and click the attack the button mindlessly.

Initially, my hope was to play this game on a PS5, but, of course, I can't seem to find one for the last two years. After never getting an invite from Amazon or the PS Store, I just decided to build a PC (since GPU prices have fallen somewhat), rather than waiting. At this point, I've waited this long, mind as well wait for the PS5 Pro.

Tempted to start paying tonight.

God I really gotta play Ninja Gaiden Black on XBox. I hear that's supposed to be the best version of the game. Sekiro is just straight sword combat and there is only one way to play: namely, get good at deflecting and parrying or just don't make it past the first few hours of the game. There are a few bosses you can beat without that style but good luck ever getting to them if you're not good at anticipating, deflecting, and parrying attacks. You, as well as every enemy, have a posture bar that gets filled when you block, when your attacks are deflected or parried, etc, like a measure of how tired you're getting in the fight. And when it fills up you're pretty much defenseless or the enemy is and then can go in for the kill.

Elden Ring also has this posture bar but it's hidden and less important than in Sekiro, though still a major part of the game. But you have many different ways to fight in Elden Ring. For instance, I never even bothered with deflections and parrying because I love the move set that comes with dual handing a katana for example and you can't parry using it defensively in this game. So I relied more on buffs and debuffs I could apply while dodging attacks. But you could do a build focused on parrying. Or one focused on being a tank just blasting through. Or a build focused on magic. There is so many ways to skin a cat in Elden Ring whereas Sekiro there is one and only one way to successfully play the game.

Elden Ring is IMO the best game I have played since Bloodborne, which came out on PS4 in 2015 and is another FromSoft game based on Dark Souls but which pushes you to play very aggressively and master parry timing or die. Though plays very different from Sekiro. I rate Elden Ring the 11th game I have ever played, dating back to the early 80s, that I'd rate a perfect 10/10. Even Sekiro is more a 9.5/10 in my book, though Bloodborne is another 10/10.

 

[MoragaBlue]

I rate Elden Ring the 11th game I have ever played, dating back to the early 80s, that I'd rate a perfect 10/10. Even Sekiro is more a 9.5/10 in my book, though Bloodborne is another 10/10.

I can see where your high praise is coming from after my initial several hours of gaming. As with all games, there's always learning curve, and one of the additional reasons it made sense to jump in with a controller. I didn't want to use up my 2-hour Steam refund period (in case it just doesn't run well on my rig, for whatever reason) on remapping keyboard & mouse bindings.

Thus far, I'm impressed. The graphics are incredible, game appears very responsive and probably better with a controller. Though I probably could get used with a mouse & keyboard, there really isn't a point to do so.

So far, I'd have to say the 10s are well deserved.