Dark Souls - Combat?

Finally took the time to properly configure the M+KB mod so I can give the game a fair shake. Put a good 5 hours into it. Not a bad game but I have to say not a particularly good one? With a game this focused on combat and supposedly the spiritual successor to Severance BOD I have to say that's simply not the case. It is not even close to the strategic melee system of Severance. I only have two swings? Its limitations are horribly apparent in close combat when I'm stupidly hitting walls with wild swings I have not choice but to make since there is no direction swing control like Severance. Also the hit box is enormous and the combat effectiveness seems random or perhaps is actually based party on RND? Rarely is there a visual indication of HOW I'm breaking an enemy's shield guard it just "happens" sometimes and sometimes not. I'll still play it and see how progression goes since I'm enjoying the premise and progression system and dying I've embraced as an interesting game mechanic. But I'm also fairly underwhelmed with the combat system? Am I alone in this?

I've never seen anything about Dark Souls being a spiritual successor to Severance. Where did you hear that?

Darks Souls is the successor to Demons Souls, and I'd be suprised if anyone in From Software was familiar with a 17+ year-old PC-only title like Severance.

Everybody and his cousin compares the two. Admittedly not the developer but its a very common comparison.

Dark souls is the direct successor to demon souls which is usually considered the spiritual successor to kingsfield.

Shields have stability ratings. Different shield will have different ratings thus the reason different shields will break at different times. Just as different armor has different poise ratings that will result in staggering and stuns when poise is broken.

You will hit walls in narrow passages if you have either a big weapon or a small weapon with a wide swing. switch to a thrusting weapon when in confined spaces. Many weapons will have trust as well as swing move sets so you don't have to change weapons just use thrust attack. you shouldn't be swinging wildly either you'll run out of stamina. Pick your spots and use short bursts.

Not sure what you mean by only having 2 swings? All weapons have movesets with multiple kinds of swings. Stamina will dictate how many swings you have until you tire and will need to restore your stamina. Logically larger weapons take more stamina and can be swung in succession less times than small weapons.

Amor will also affect stamina usage. Also will effect movement and roll speed along with poise rating.

The combat is actually pretty complex and strategic. movesets, poise, roll speed, I frames, stamina management, positioning, parry & riposte, stealth backstabs, etc.

A different weapon and armor choice can totally change how combat plays. for instance ornstien and smough handed my ass to me for hours trying a minimal armor bandit dagger approach. when I switched to a 2 hander, great shield and heavy armor and turtled them I beat them first attempt. Also pay attention to elemental protection armor offers as have the right protection can also swing the fight in your favor.

I'm a huge dark souls fan as is probably well known here but it took me several attempts and I had to finally stick it out for about 15 hours in one playthrough until I started to get the hang of things and see how all the parts fit together. There's a deep combat system there if you want to dig in to all the stats and figure it out.

Originally Posted by ToddMcF2002
Everybody and his cousin compares the two. Admittedly not the developer but its a very common comparison.

Weird, if that was the case I'd think I would have seen it a little more often.

There might be a few overzealous Severance fans who tried to attach that label, but I don't think it fits at all.

I loved Dark Souls combat. For me at the time, it was a refinement of the perspective and style from what I'd experienced in Gothic-Gothic II but with the additional challenge of learning bosses in a darker, more foreboding world.

There were great posters celebrating the combat here when the game came out.
Saki was probably a bit later on the scene but posts well on the topic. Earlier posters who described it well include JonNik, DeepO, SpoonFuLL, TheMadGamer, SirJames. Ovenall's story is also an interesting one.

I posted at length my experiences and impressions with the first two games.
DS 1: https://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15214
DS 2: https://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26999

Glad you guys are enamored. I think they should have given it the title "Dark Souls: trapped in a corner by Taurus and other cheap deaths". Tactics are nearly impossible when there is no room to move. Fighting a boss's crotch what a tactic!

Originally Posted by ToddMcF2002
Glad you guys are enamored. I think they should have given it the title "Dark Souls: trapped in a corner by Taurus and other cheap deaths". Tactics are nearly impossible when there is no room to move. Fighting a boss's crotch what a tactic!

Well the Taurus demon is one of the easiest bosses in the game. Use your environment. Hint: drop attack or throw black fire bombs from above. He telegraphs his moves pretty easy. I found a fast character was best for him but he’s beatable with any build i assume.

This is a game you have to take time to learn. If you’re not willing or interested in taking that time that’s fine. There’s plenty of room on that bridge to create distance. Unless you are wearing heavy armor. You want to keep your encumbrance under 30%.

Anyway, i wont try to convince you. You can play the game and decide yourself or not. No harm in that. Even though i love the series I understand their not for everyone.

My point wasn't that he's a difficult boss. I'm just surprised the designers make the area so constrained. A lot of the areas in the game are too small for mobility. Fighting would be more strategic with more open areas. At any rate I did drop on him. He surprised me the first time jumping up on the tower though. That was unexpected.

I misunderstood then.

If you think that’s a cramped area your in for some bad suprises. There’s no doubt that small areas are used to increase difficulty for some bosses and other encounters.

I didn’t mind the design decision though as there’s also plenty of large areas you’ll find. Seems its a good mix imo.

Originally Posted by ToddMcF2002
Glad you guys are enamored. I think they should have given it the title "Dark Souls: trapped in a corner by Taurus and other cheap deaths". Tactics are nearly impossible when there is no room to move. Fighting a boss's crotch what a tactic!

Funnily enough, on my first playthrough and my first attempt at him, I took one swing at him and he fell off the bridge. I couldn't stop laughing.

Dark Souls' world building and atmosphere are absolutely top notch. The combat takes a bit of getting used (and even then, I basically turtled my way through most things), but once you get the hang of it it can be quite rewarding… I am not sure how many attempts I needed for S&O or for the Stray Demon, but man, once they went down it felt good.

I remember my first time with the taurus demon, didnt even hit him, got too scared and started running till he one hit killed me haha ; those were great times, going into the game blind without reading any stuff.

Atmosphere is indeed top notch, definitely in top 3 for me, and add the great lore and marvelous map design and you got a fantastic world.

I woke up with the urge to play this &$@*% game. So that’s how it’s going to be eh?

Yes some areas in DS1 are small which sometimes make the fight harder. If you find this hard now, leave it, explore elsewhere, level-up or upgrade your gear and return back later.

For DS1, it might be worth consulting a guide not to cheat but at least get a good item/weapon early on the game to make life easier (e.g. shooting tail of dragon gives you an excellent sword early on that can be handled with relatively moderate stats).

It might be too late now, but I would have recommended playing DS2 or Demon Souls as a start as they have more comfortable space and routes to progress, with easier bosses.

Originally Posted by ToddMcF2002
I woke up with the urge to play this &$@*% game. So that’s how it’s going to be eh?

And so it begins….

I gather “go to bed pissed and wake up determined” is common for Dark Souls

Abandoned my Knight for a fast moving Bandit and ended up surpassing my Knight 12+ levels earlier. I really like the Undead Parish enemies. One parried me last night which scared me to death and left me on life support. I was not expecting my tricks to be used against me! I’m getting a lot of Titanite Shard drops so I added 2 levels to my battle axe keeping a bunch of shards for later. Or should I spend them? I’m going strength I think. I do have the heal miracle which is a HUGE benefit. But otherwise I plan to stick to melee.

I played as bandit in many playthroughs and like the battle axe. I think it is worth using the titante shards to upgrade your axe up to the maximum allowed with these shards. I think that you will need that. Later you will be able to infuse it with fire/lightening/poision .. etc as necessary (but be careful as you might lose strength/dexterity buffs of your weapon with infusions).

I would also recommend leveling up dexterity to enable you to use bows - extremely useful and can be very powerful early on and later.

I would also keep an eye on poise, as it can be a decider in many battles to avoid precious time wasted when being hit-staggered. I would also suggest to keep your equipment load to 50% or lower for fast movement and lower expense of stamina.

Damn, you guys are making me want to give DS another shot.

Originally Posted by ToddMcF2002
I gather “go to bed pissed and wake up determined” is common for Dark Souls

Yes and it is also good for your hand muscles to recover (otherwise you will die more often with continuous play).