why is every piece of equipment worse than what I have from the start?

[Greenagon]

seriously. I'm struggling to find a weapon that does more damage. everything I find from helmets to shields is worse in every way and somehow still weighs more??

[Columbus]

Exactly my problem with the FromSoftware games. Why would I switch to another weapon or armor when I just can upgrade the starting gear?

[Laffle]

They aren't worse or better, just different. You need to upgrade weapons individually if you want them to be stronger. You'll never find a piece of armor or weapon that is straight up better than what you have, the exceptions being a couple of pre-upgraded weapons.

[Columbus]

I can kind of understand this after finding a staff that if for elemental spells. I do hate it when games do like Borderlands and have you bombarded with loot that you barely event use before it becomes obsolete.

[Aeiku]

Originally posted by Greenagon:

seriously. I'm struggling to find a weapon that does more damage. everything I find from helmets to shields is worse in every way and somehow still weighs more??

Technically every weapon is "good" you just need to upgrade them. Some are better than others and specific weapons reach a meta or weird combinations that break the game such as the Erdtree Greatshield with an Incantation gimmick. It just depends on what you want to use.

[Veolfen]

There's no everything is worse or stronger.
It's all related to weight & defense. The lighter pieces are worse defensively and the better defensive pieces are heavier. Wanting to use heavier armor will mean sacrificing the ability to use heavier weapons. If you take the heaviest weapons it will force you to sacrifice some armor etc...

[Grenthy]

Wretch gang. Everything is an upgrade.

On topic though, it's because most things in souls games are sidegrades and heavily depend on playstyle. Some weapons of the same class have differing combos and scaling from others of their type. Try out every weapon you find, you might find one with a differing moveset that helps with you better than others.
As for armor, it's mostly about the fashion. Some pieces do get benefits and poise can be useful, but wear whatever looks good/silly/edgy/adjective.

[Mike]

I don't understand this post. In most fromsoft games its not really that you find some weapon that is 100 times better then your starter it is that almost every weapon is unique and allows for new builds. Every weapon can be upgraded to do viable damage by the end game but it is the unique weapon skills and damage types that makes finding or changing to a different weapon fun.

There are weapons you find all of the time that you can make a completely new and unique build around. For example I am focusing on heavy axe's (dual wield) and I just now decided to try the Golden Godfry great axe that allows you to use his ground smash AOE. I upgraded this bad boy as high as I can and I am literally able to destroy full enemy mobs with its AOE attack (most satisfying thing).

Its simple if you find a new weapon check its stats, unique weapon skill, damage type ...etc and you might be surprised what cool playstyles this game has.

FIrst time in a souls like where I am comfortable aggroing mobs and using my Axe's AOE's to knock them in the air like ragdolls lol

[Columbus]

Originally posted by Mike:

I don't understand this post. In most fromsoft games its not really that you find some weapon that is 100 times better then your starter it is that almost every weapon is unique and allows for new builds. Every weapon can be upgraded to do viable damage by the end game but it is the unique weapon skills and damage types that makes finding or changing to a different weapon fun.

There are weapons you find all of the time that you can make a completely new and unique build around. For example I am focusing on heavy axe's (dual wield) and I just now decided to try the Golden Godfry great axe that allows you to use his ground smash AOE. I upgraded this bad boy as high as I can and I am literally able to destroy full enemy mobs with its AOE attack (most satisfying thing).

Its simple if you find a new weapon check its stats, unique weapon skill, damage type ...etc and you might be surprised what cool playstyles this game has.

FIrst time in a souls like where I am comfortable aggroing mobs and using my Axe's AOE's to knock them in the air like ragdolls lol

That's what I didn't understand at first. Almost every other game you find stuff that is better than what you have. In these games it's about finding what you want to use and upgrading it. It takes getting used to some. I didn't understand it for years.

[Snap]

Gotta reinforce them, level them up. Most weapons work just well with damage, but at a base level when you're getting them later in the game, they aren't gonna be too useful unless they're strengthened a bit.

[Tr0w]

Originally posted by Columbus:

Exactly my problem with the FromSoftware games. Why would I switch to another weapon or armor when I just can upgrade the starting gear?

Easy you don't start with Elite Knight in DS1 or Faraam in DS2, why wouldn't i switch to those sets and then upgrade them?

[Drahknon]

What on earth are you talking about, op?

[ImHelping]

None of the classes start with a greatsword category weapon and a torch.

That said, this fanbase likes to wildly spiral between "It is tough but fair! unlike an MMO your starting equipment probably isn't trash!" and "Ugh you baby with your OP starting gear ugh you baby who thought taking off your elite knight armor to put on hard leather armor meant anything ugh"

Granted, that shameless revolving door of changing your opinion moment to moment based on what you think makes you sound like a store brand hardcore gamer is hardly unique to souls games.

Beat artorias on the first go with his own big shield, oh you baby real gamers parry and use starting gear. Drop down to the starting gear and parry gwyn to death, oh ♥♥♥♥ did we say parrying was git gud we meant it was OP for babies as is starter gear it only counts if you do a naked SL1 run.

[mewlynx]

Originally posted by Columbus:

Exactly my problem with the FromSoftware games. Why would I switch to another weapon or armor when I just can upgrade the starting gear?

That's part of the appeal to some people. The idea that every weapon is viable to some extent if you upgrade them enough. Your weapon choice is usually dictated more from the scaling of a weapon rather than it being strictly better, and not everything you pick up will be an upgrade for your specific build.

[Target]

Did you upgrade it? Un upgraded weapons will never deal the same raw damage as upgraded ones.

[Shucks]

Mines legit different. Started hero. Every item was so much better. Every big weapon was doper and doper. Im wearing a bosses armor set. And im definitely gonna keep upgrading.