Annoyed and frustrated by Taurus demon. I should just give up, shouldn't I?

[Terminus]

So I've got ten hours in on this game, eight of which were from an earlier playthrough several years ago which I quit because, shocker, I was getting annoyed and frustrated. I realize that this is the first boss of any note and there are worse to come. Bottom line, I'm getting tired of having to fight the same enemies the same way from the same bonfire each time I misjudge the demon's tells, or get stuck trying to roll, or whatever, and having to spend five minutes each time to get back to him. As I understand it based on the forums here, Reddit, and elsewhere, that's the game's main mechanic: each death "teaches" you something, and eventually you become a better player.

Here's the thing. I've got even less time now than I did four or five years ago when I first played the game. I have 70+ games installed on my computer that I haven't finished or are still actively playing. Steep learning curves don't bother me, but wasting time does. If this is pretty much what the rest of the game is like, I'm out.

So, should I just shelve this sucker and move on? Or is there some magic moment where everything clicks and it starts feeling like I'm making progress, or at least feeling like it's worth continuing?

Inb4 "git gud": I've got like three hours a night that I can spend doing whatever I want, more or less. If I spend that time working out, I get stronger, which benefits me in all kinds of ways. If I spend that time making beer, I wind up learning more about brewing and eventually wind up with beer. If I spend that time playing any other game where I'm enjoying myself the whole time, I'm at least happy and relaxed. But if the best I get out of spending that time playing Dark Souls and banging my head against a wall is that I "git gud" at playing Dark Souls, that's a waste, and I'd be better off sitting on the couch and binge watching Lost.

tl:dr; If it isn't fun for me now, will it ever be?

[WickedRequiem]

We're talking about the minotaur looking mini-boss at the bridge, right?

In that case, it's not so much "git gud" as "look around the environment".

To be more specific
Climb the tower (there's a ladder right behind you when you look back after exiting). Climb the ladder and kill the skeleton archers. Lure the minotaur to the tower, and drop down on him from the top with "drop attack" (push attack button while falling). Then, get back on top of the tower quickly. Repeat as necessary until the demon is dead.

The "lesson" to be learned from this boss is "look around and use the environment to your advantage, not just try to fight head on".

Honestly, the game does get easier as you progress because you learn basic strategies and lessons. But, until you do, it's a pretty hard game.

Personally, I think it's better to view this game as a "puzzle game" instead of an action game /rpg.

[Terry]

Cheese your way through with taurus demon. There's a ladder oy our right after the fog gate. Get up that ladder and jump-attack on him when he's near enough. Repeat 'till he's dead

[Terry]

*on your right

[Rays of Apollo]

Originally posted by WickedRequiem:

We're talking about the minotaur looking mini-boss at the bridge, right?

In that case, it's not so much "git gud" as "look around the environment".

To be more specific
Climb the tower (there's a ladder right behind you when you look back after exiting). Climb the ladder and kill the skeleton archers. Lure the minotaur to the tower, and drop down on him from the top with "drop attack" (push attack button while falling). Then, get back on top of the tower quickly. Repeat as necessary until the demon is dead.

The "lesson" to be learned from this boss is "look around and use the environment to your advantage, not just try to fight head on".

Yoooo, could you make gaping dragon try to slam you near the edge so it charges off and falls to it's death?

[NightmareGats]

it's because you're in the start, when you get deeper, like 60/100 hours, you'll know how to go somewhere without even fighting anyone, with Dark Souls you need to be patient, isn't a game where you play for some hours and thinks that it's the best game ever made, Dark Souls takes some time to enter our souls.
Be patient, continue playing, you'll understand what i'm taking about :D

[Little Bird]

It isnt too difficult to trick him into leaping off the side of the wall. It feels quite anticlimactic, but its better than grinding.

[WickedRequiem]

I have no idea. Never tried (mostly because I was so afraid of accidentally rolling off the cliff.. as I have done, many many times. Gravity, the toughest enemy in the game).

[Chang Thunderwang]

Absolutely. I hated the game the first I played it for the exact same reasons. And then I got it. The enemies are slow are molasses, you can use this to your advantage by running past, or if getting blocked, killing 1 enemy and then running past. Keep at it and you will warm up to it. Its my favorite video game series of all time now.

[Terminus]

Originally posted by NightmareGats:

it's because you're in the start, when you get deeper, like 60/100 hours, you'll know how to go somewhere without even fighting anyone, with Dark Souls you need to be patient, isn't a game where you play for some hours and thinks that it's the best game ever made, Dark Souls takes some time to enter our souls.
Be patient, continue playing, you'll understand what i'm taking about :D

Ok, that resonates. I put a bunch of time into Europa Universalis on faith until I reached a point where I "got it", and now I love it and the rest of the Paradox grand strategy games, so the patience part isn't an issue as long as there's a payoff somewhere.

Originally posted by Yo Mama:

Cheese your way through with taurus demon. There's a ladder oy our right after the fog gate. Get up that ladder and jump-attack on him when he's near enough. Repeat 'till he's dead

I tried that once and must have gotten the timing way wrong, because I walked off the ledge, swung, whiffed, hit the ground and took damage, then got curbstomped. Maybe I'll give it another couple of whirls and if I can't get it just try to get him to charge off the bridge.


Thanks for the responses, everyone. Once more into the breach, then.

[The Fountaineer 🖋]

*places hand gently on your shoulder*

My son.








Become proficient.

[Terminus]

Originally posted by Mr. Carcosia:

*places hand gently on your shoulder*

My son.








Become proficient.

Behold my narrowed gaze...

[Groen90]

Originally posted by Mr. Carcosia:

*places hand gently on your shoulder*

My son.








Become proficient.

inb4 ban for spam

[CazadorDeLobo]

If it isn't fun for you now, will it ever be? Well, ultimately that is a matter of choice. Do you want Dark Souls to be a "hard game [you] will get back around to eventually"? Or do you want to realize the scheme of the game and get yourself into the frame of mind where the challenges make sense, and do not leave you unreasonably frustrated? You're not supposed to blow through the game by any means. The struggle of surviving and progressing, and the feeling of success afterward is the draw of Dark Souls. If you cannot give yourself a pat on the back good enough to cope with the crap this game hands you, then it will never be fun. You have to want to have fun.

[CherryKakyoin]

You can run past most of the enemies on this game, no need to kill them again once you know the way.

[The Fountaineer 🖋]

Originally posted by Groen90:

Originally posted by Mr. Carcosia:

*places hand gently on your shoulder*

My son.








Become proficient.

inb4 ban for spam

Ban for best advice. Ban for no advice at all. Ban!