Elden Ring

[OCH]

There was an Ulcerated Tree Spirit on the outskirts of the Capital City. Dead now.

Also an aggravating Fallingstar Beast near the main entrance. Also Dead now. Weakness found!

Finally remembered to finish off Caelid - The Evergaol and Crystal Mine. The latter boss being.. another Fallingstar Beast. In a very tiny room. Luckily I have my most reliable Summon group (Raya Lucaria Soldiers +8) to hand. Dead now, also. Now that is Caelid: complete. I know there is another world boss I passed by a while ago, Commander something and a female NPC. But I'm not interested in exploring this area anymore. The worst one of the poison swamp areas From has done to date.

 

I've decided to pursue one of two NPC quests:

Spoiler

Goldmask or Hyetta

 Both of these interest me more, with my Red Mage build, than the Ranni quest or the default. 

 

I'm not sure if I'll go back to attempt the two Gargoyle fight again. I assume it will lead to a new area. But I'm enjoying chipping away at the capital more. I'm sure the area immediately ahead of the Erdtree is the intended path to finish the game.

[OCH]

Speaking of the Ranni Quest...

 

Completely forgot I left this where I did.

Spoiler

Didn't actually explore any of Nokstella. I think I just ran through it. Tons of 10 runes, Gloveworts and enemies very susceptible to my range of attacks. The Claymen are a pain in the ass though. Due to the fact they don't stagger.

I actually think, I'm a bit overlevelled to be here. A few weeks ago, when I first came here. I didn't hit things this hard. Which means I can take my time and clear it all in one go. Which I am. I wish there was more to this area. Definitely prefer these underground areas to Weeping Peninsula and Caelid.

[OCH]

Vengeance was mine!!

 

I went the wrong way in the area above. I did so in the capital too and missed the boss completely. Ending up at a door ( I presume to leave the capital) that was plot-barred... by the boss😩

Anyway, decided to take all the swag I got back to Roundtable and updated some Summons. Now I have three +8's and a +10. Also gained two levels by runes alone. Decided to try killing the Fat Guy on the bridge again. He killed me about 10 times. On this day, I reigned supreme!

Which translated into an ok amount of runes and some pretty worthless novelty armour. At least it wasn't a complete waste selling it to Hewg. Since I looted the prior area completely, I could boldly run past the enemies and found the next bonfire. Only to be killed by a very aggressive invader. 

I really hate the non-optional red phantoms in this game. My mighty Crystal Sword didn't work against him. Tomorrow, I'll try my ...humanoid enemy killing Hatchet.

[OCH]

The Golden Lord is DEAD

So after a couple of attempts, I abandoned the Red Invader path. For whatever reason, I just don't have what I need to beat him. Instead I head back to the capital. Finally find the right way and beat a golden "ghost"? With ease. The balancing in this game really needed more QA. Also realised it is better to run through the capital, grabbing treasures as I go. Instead of wasting my knight fighting the lightning knights. Again, regular enemies more durable than bosses, because..??? 

[OCH]

Big Progress!

Spoiler

Defeated Marge 2.0 and left the Capital City behind. The From twist to unlocking his Rune was fun. Now I'm on my way through a frozen wasteland. To the ..fire?? Slaying another Tree Guardian and Ice Dragon, en route. 

 

As far as NPC quests go. By random chance, I think I've finished Nepheli's? I assume so, as she gave me the ultimate upgrade stone. But not the Somber version, which applies to the weapons I actively use🙄

Goldmask, I'm still working on. I looked up Hyetta's and decided to pass on it. Since it locks you out of all other endings. Goldmask has been the most obtuse, which has intrigued me. So I'll go with that one.

Much like the Capital, the new area doesn't really incentivise me to explore it. My early game 'horse dash from bonfire to bonfire' is back. Honestly, from the two maps I have so far. It doesn't look like I missed much beyond random enemy gank squads. I got a couple nice interactions with Summons, which was fun. 

 

Just hit level 102. 121 hours in the game.

[OCH]

Only time for a quick session today.

 

Spoiler

On a hunch, I decided to follow Death Mountain to the left. Away from the Fort and Volcano Manor. Found another boss for my trouble. Who died first try. Also found a village. That turned out to be basically an enemy camp with buildings.

 

The real discovery came after that (and a second boss).

The Kamehameha. 

The problem with this (apparently) "ultimate spell"? It requires 60 INT. I've currently got 34. I could respec, but I don't really think that reasonable for one spell. Next session, I'm going Glovewort hunting. As I'm pretty sure I can max out my Raya Lucaria Soldiers now.

[OCH]

At a guess, if there were a "Death by Torrent/Horse" counter in the end credits. How high would yours be?

[radiofloyd]

I have to focus on finding my next job at the moment so taking a break from gaming. I’ll be back to it though.

[OCH]

The Twin Gargoyles are DEAD

 

Finally! That took far too long. As it stands I'm at the cusp of two bosses in the Northern Limit. One on a mountaintop and a gank squad in a castle. Had a couple goes on each before deciding to try the Gargoyles again. At least their hitboxes make sense. Also surprised by Round 2 against a dragon on Atlus Plateau. It ran away last time. It wasn't so lucky now.

 

Currently in a new area that follows the Gargoyles. 

[OCH]

About four bosses dead in one session.. I think?

 

That was fast. I went all in, exploring Deeproot Depths. Pretty sure now, after killing another Dragon. That is another NPC quest complete. I think I've only got the two bosses at the Northern Limit now? I know now that there is probably a lot I've not done IE the Red NPC at Roundtable gave me a key to the sewers. I'm just not interested in another Fromsoft Sewer level. It will likely be miserable as hell. More so than Caelid. Might come back and finish Ranni's red invader quest. But I'm not really incentivised to do that either. Pretty sure this game's answer to Tower Knight is the plot wall. So I'll go for him next.

[OCH]

After a few frustrating deaths to ..illdefined hitboxes of this modern Tower Knight. I have taken to wandering the map again. I found a new cave on the Plateau that actually had two separate bosses in it. Which was interesting.

Spoiler

Also had a surprise field rematch against Marge, too. Torrent really does trivialise most world boss encounters. He wasn't anywhere near the threat he was at the beginning of the game.

At this point though. The grind is starting to feel like a chore. So I think this might be it for solo Elden Ring play, for the minute. Instead of putting all my attention into one game and feeling burned out. I think I'll split it between with one of the others I haven't started yet. 

[bellow]

Play RDR2. Forum playthru!!!!

[OCH]

Once bitten and all that.

 

Besides westerns/cowboys don't do anything for me.

[bellow]

😭

[OCH]

Tower Knight is DEAD

In spite of frustrations over the weird hitboxes of the bosses attacks. It turns out, I had a spell all along that made his HP crumble. And yes, he was definitely a plot wall. World changing stuff has happened. Ironic that the boss give 130k runes. Which only amounted to a single level up and change, now. Found myself in a visually busy new area. With cheap and nasty enemy gank squads. Joy. Also another Dragon. Promptly slain. This one didn't even get a boss name. Dipped my toe into the area until I ran out of MP flasks. My Dragon spells make sniping enemies in this area very efficient. Also found all I need to max out my Raya Lucaria Summons now. My own gank squad is now +10!

Next I might go back to the other boss fight in the Northern Limit. Now I can match numbers with high powered numbers.

[DisturbedSwan]

Who are you referring to as the new Tower Knight @OCH ? I'm confused.

 

Been chipping away at this since I got back from Honeymoon and I'm slowly losing the will to live I think. I just want it to end now, it's by far and away my least favourite Souls-verse title. There's so much I don't like about it that I think I could wright a 5000 word essay.

 

But yeah, I'm in the Haligtree now, having explored the Mountaintop of the Giants and taken down the inhabitant of Castle Sol. So I await the jolly inhabitants of this area with joy.

 

I'm just kind of mainlining it now and ignoring a lot of lesser enemies I see knocking about or going on mad runs to boss doors just to get an area over with. It's a shame but I'm determined to finish it, I've almost given up so many times but want to see it to its conclusion.

 

Hopefully I don't have much longer left.

 

Pics:

 

 

[one-armed dwarf]

I think he means

 

Spoiler

Fire Giant

 

Which basically puts him at the end of the game anyway, nothing but a gauntlet of annoying motherfuckers after that

 

Write that rant essay btw 🍿

[Nag]

I'm planning on starting this at the weekend but I have to admit I'm not looking forward to it at all... this whole thread has me wondering how long I'll actually last before jacking it in.

[DisturbedSwan]

4 minutes ago, one-armed dwarf said:

I think he means

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Fire Giant

 

Which basically puts him at the end of the game anyway, nothing but a gauntlet of annoying motherfuckers after that

 

Write that rant essay btw 🍿

 

Ah right, I'm not there yet, I think I know the path to where he is but I chose to go to the Haligtree instead of battle him just yet. Hopefully I'll be able to use Comet Azur by then.

 

Just now, Nag said:

I'm planning on starting this at the weekend but I have to admit I'm not looking forward to it at all... this whole thread has me wondering how long I'll actually last before jacking it in.

 

I think you'll be alright for the first 25-50 hours as long as you explore Limgrave and the island to the South quite a bit before going North to Stormveil and beyond. 

 

It's after that that I think you'll get bored and maybe throw in the towel. I'm a Souls vet and I've almost thrown in the towel probably on about 50 different occasions, it's a decent game that is completely ruined by how needlessly big its world is and how long it is.

[Nag]

I just hope there's a viable build for staying away from enemies and pelting them to death like a coward but still being able to take a hit if they do get close.

 

I'll be doing some build homework over the coming days.