Completely New to Dark Souls. Can't beat Katana Guy

[ThatNickGuy]

So I got this game through Humble Bundle. I've always been hesitant to try these games because I'm not a great gamer. I enjoy playing gmaes on Normal diffulty and just enjoying the story, gameplay, etc. But I figured I'd try this since I got it.

I struggled with the first boss. Only died I think three times. But I can't even make a dent in the katana guy after lighting the bonfire in the temple.

Maybe this game just isn't for me.

[ZeroSbr]

Just fight him later. He's an optional fight regardless. I didn't even know about him until like halfway through the game, at which point I fought him and utterly destroyed him.

[WickedRequiem]

That katana guy can be really easy or very difficult depending on your class (or, rather, the starting equipment).

Knight, for example, starts off with a shield that gives 100% protection against physical damage.
Katana does physical damage.

So... if you started off with a knight (or later come back with such a shield), katana guy becomes very easy. Tedious, but easy.

[♤ S p a d e Ƨ ♤]

He will season you well for npc fights, but you really don't need to bother with him. You can be testing the waters as you lvl up, although he'll be just as easy to beat unleveled, he just hits hard is all

[SamYes]

parry him, or try to be near the edge of breakage and when he starts attack rollout he must fall

[Darth Invader]

Let me tell you about a katana guy of my own that made me want to quit. A boss from DS2 by the name of Sir Alonne. He was the only boss in all 5 Soulsborne games I had never beat. So many times I thought "f*ck this sh!t, I'm done".

But, I did not quit. I kept trying to learn, and after a good 30 attempts (the path just to get there is brutal, btw) I finally killed that basterd with a hammer.

Just keep chipping away at the game and GL!

[plant]

Katana dude (Sword Master) is insanely powerful, given his location. You might want to come back later, or attempt to knock him off the cliff.

[ThatNickGuy]

So I learned that the only way to progress, aside from Katana Guy, is fast traveling to a new location.

Design-wise, this makes absolutely no intuitive sense. Fast traveling is meant to get you to places you've previously visited. There was absolutely zero indication that I could see that I was supposed to do that.

[ZeroSbr]

Originally posted by ThatNickGuy:

So I learned that the only way to progress, aside from Katana Guy, is fast traveling to a new location.

Design-wise, this makes absolutely no intuitive sense. Fast traveling is meant to get you to places you've previously visited. There was absolutely zero indication that I could see that I was supposed to do that.

Uh, there was every indication that you were supposed to do that. My first time playing, I figured it out instantly. There's a pit in the middle of this place that looks sort of like the two previous bonfires, you activate it, and explore the menus it gives you. This was a failure on your part, not the game's.

[Sabi The Worst Player Ever]

Sword Master suffers from same problems as Havel once and other similar characters - severe case of anixiety. One of the signs is fear from changing environment and in Sword Master case, its his extreme shyness preventing him from goining inside Firelink Shirine (will chase you until the entrance, however).

I think he just have crush on Firekeeper and is too afraid to get close.

[folko1]

Originally posted by Sabi The Worst Player Ever:

Sword Master suffers from same problems as Havel once and other similar characters - severe case of anixiety. One of the signs is fear from changing environment and in Sword Master case, its his extreme shyness preventing him from goining inside Firelink Shirine (will chase you until the entrance, however).

I think he just have crush on Firekeeper and is too afraid to get close.

Ah then him and I are much alike XD

[ThatNickGuy]

Originally posted by Alucard:

Originally posted by ThatNickGuy:

So I learned that the only way to progress, aside from Katana Guy, is fast traveling to a new location.

Design-wise, this makes absolutely no intuitive sense. Fast traveling is meant to get you to places you've previously visited. There was absolutely zero indication that I could see that I was supposed to do that.

Uh, there was every indication that you were supposed to do that. My first time playing, I figured it out instantly. There's a pit in the middle of this place that looks sort of like the two previous bonfires, you activate it, and explore the menus it gives you. This was a failure on your part, not the game's.

There was a travel option, but why would I choose it? I had no reason to double back to the areas I'd been before. I had no way to know that there'd be a new travel option because there's absolutely no intuitive reason that it'd be an option.

[ZeroSbr]

Originally posted by ThatNickGuy:

Originally posted by Alucard:

Uh, there was every indication that you were supposed to do that. My first time playing, I figured it out instantly. There's a pit in the middle of this place that looks sort of like the two previous bonfires, you activate it, and explore the menus it gives you. This was a failure on your part, not the game's.

There was a travel option, but why would I choose it? I had no reason to double back to the areas I'd been before. I had no way to know that there'd be a new travel option because there's absolutely no intuitive reason that it'd be an option.

You could've checked it anyways. Seriously, you remind me of my brother. You both get hung up on the smallest things and cry about bad game design.

[folko1]

Originally posted by ThatNickGuy:

Originally posted by Alucard:

Uh, there was every indication that you were supposed to do that. My first time playing, I figured it out instantly. There's a pit in the middle of this place that looks sort of like the two previous bonfires, you activate it, and explore the menus it gives you. This was a failure on your part, not the game's.

There was a travel option, but why would I choose it? I had no reason to double back to the areas I'd been before. I had no way to know that there'd be a new travel option because there's absolutely no intuitive reason that it'd be an option.

If you would go upstairs you would see a message: "The Bonfire will deliver thee to Lothric".
The devs were prepared for players wandering around cluelessly in the shrine exploring everything they can.

Also if you would talk to the fire keeper I believe she would hint you about going to Lothric as well.

[ZeroSbr]

Originally posted by folko1:

Originally posted by ThatNickGuy:

There was a travel option, but why would I choose it? I had no reason to double back to the areas I'd been before. I had no way to know that there'd be a new travel option because there's absolutely no intuitive reason that it'd be an option.

If you would go upstairs you would see a message: "The Bonfire will deliver thee to Lothric".
The devs were prepared for players wandering around cluelessly in the shrine exploring everything they can.

Also if you would talk to the fire keeper I believe she would hint you about going to Lothric as well.

Well, there you go. Two failsafes.

[folko1]

And also how about trying to interact with the bonfire? Imo there is a reason why firelink shrine is disconnected from the other places.

The Shrine is you safe zone.
The entire world of dark souls is connected. If you would keep walking you would notice that you would just keep walking forward without any kind of loading screens between areas. If firelink shrine would be connected to the rest of the world the mobs would just march in slaughtering everything and everyone if they felt like it.