Tips for a Dark Souls 3 Player

[Nox Tenebris]

Played the ton out of Dark Souls 3 and just got around to grabbing this from the Humble sale. Any tips? What are some big differences between DS1 and DS3 that I should be aware of?

[Krall]

Poise matters a lot. In heavy armor you can pretty much face tank anything including most of the bosses, without getting interrupted by hits. Defense is very efficient as well.

Also you can only have 2 rings on, however they are way more significant compared to DS3. For example in DS3 RTSR increases your damage by like 15%. In DS1 it increases damage by 50%. Same goes for most rings.

Control is a bit clunkier, but you can get used to it. The game itself is easier than DS3, since most of the bosses are pretty simple in terms of moveset and stuff like that.

DS3 is really linear while in DS1 you can pretty much start in any direction, which often leads to getting into zones you're not supposed to be at lower levels. Unless you know what you're doing.

That's pretty much it I guess.

[Nox Tenebris]

So far I've figured out:

No fast travel?
No focus bar? Finite number of spells I can cast?
Slower game feel, the player is slower and the enemies move like they are frozen in time?
Can't walk when using items like estus?
Estus is gotten by upgrading fires, not picked up in the world? (Actually like this)
No weapon skills on R2?
Game lets you find enemies and areas that are far over your level by accident?
Still don't know how to upgrade weapons?
No firekeeper (yet?), level up via bonfire?
The ♥♥♥ is "resistance" stat?

[rolandoftheeld]

Fast travel is unlocked halfway through the game.
Spell uses refresh at bonfires, so it's not very different from focus.
You need to find a blacksmith to upgrade your gear.
There is a fire keeper in Firelink, but she serves a different purpose than in DS3.
Resistance ups your poison and bleed resist and is a complete waste of a level.
Everything else you said is basically correct.

[Nox Tenebris]

Originally posted by rolandoftheeld:

Fast travel is unlocked halfway through the game.
Spell uses refresh at bonfires, so it's not very different from focus.
You need to find a blacksmith to upgrade your gear.
There is a fire keeper in Firelink, but she serves a different purpose than in DS3.
Resistance ups your poison and bleed resist and is a complete waste of a level.
Everything else you said is basically correct.

Well, the main issue I have with the new (old?) spell system is that you can't put points into it to get more uses from it. It isn't like in DS3 where you can level your attunement and get more focus to cast more spells. In DS1 you have 8 fire balls, no matter how high level you are. I get that you can get more uses by rebuying the spell, but still.

[xxivzx]

My advice is, don't give up. There are certain parts in 3 that are cryptic, such as how you're supposed to get to Arch Dragon Peak, and the invisible path that leads to Yorshka. This game is that, but on steroids. There are a lot of things that, IMO, you won't figure out on your own. Just like most people on their first run of DS.

[rolandoftheeld]

Leveling Attunement gets you more spell slots, which is effectively more casts. You just have to be a bit more varied with what spells you bring with you instead of relying only on one that you can spend all your MP on.

Magic is a bit slow in the very early game, but once you find sorcery/pyromancy trainers you can fill up your spell slots with good spells quite easily. You can have 90 casts of soul arrow after two or three bosses, or 16 fireballs and 16 combustions shortly after that. If you're trying to play using magic exclusively, It's going to be pretty rough going until that point.

[Lady Iudex]

Magic is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ awesome in this game

[Nox Tenebris]

Originally posted by Lady Iudex:

Magic is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ awesome in this game

Is it? I have found it kinda limiting cuz in DS3 you can allot your estus and have more ashes flasks for more focus. But in DS1, no matter what I'm limited to 8 fire balls.

Originally posted by xxivzx:

My advice is, don't give up. There are certain parts in 3 that are cryptic, such as how you're supposed to get to Arch Dragon Peak, and the invisible path that leads to Yorshka. This game is that, but on steroids. There are a lot of things that, IMO, you won't figure out on your own. Just like most people on their first run of DS.

That's, uh, good to know lol

[rolandoftheeld]

Originally posted by Nox Tenebris:

Originally posted by Lady Iudex:

Magic is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ awesome in this game

Is it? I have found it kinda limiting cuz in DS3 you can allot your estus and have more ashes flasks for more focus. But in DS1, no matter what I'm limited to 8 fire balls.

Magic is very very good once you're specced for it. Like 1-shotting bosses good.

[Nox Tenebris]

Originally posted by rolandoftheeld:

Originally posted by Nox Tenebris:

Is it? I have found it kinda limiting cuz in DS3 you can allot your estus and have more ashes flasks for more focus. But in DS1, no matter what I'm limited to 8 fire balls.

Magic is very very good once you're specced for it. Like 1-shotting bosses good.

Even Pyro? I am a pyro but I heard that you don't actually put points into a stat to level up the effectiveness of pyromancy, like int for sorceries and faith for miracles. In DS3 it was both int and faith for pyro scaling.

[Kyo]

Pyro gets stronger from upgrading the flame and casting speed increases between 35 and 45 dex. Dmg from pyro is pretty good and you get enough spells/castings quickly.

[xxivzx]

The Black Bead dark sorcery is particularly good, if you're seeking to play as a sorcerer. It's probably the most, if not one of the most OP spells in the game. It's casting speed is ridiculously fast and can one shot most players, provided you use items that boost sorceries such as the Manus Catalyst and Crown of Dusk.

[Kyo]

Not something you can rely on, a good player will rolldodge it, you need to have multiple threats/mixups etc to create situations for it.

[Sokurah]

i just found sometuing helpful.

I also just started this after donig DS3 and was about to quit at the gargoyles.
I finally tried to use may sword with both hand.
In DS3 it feels more like a funny gimmick but i never really needed to use it.

In this game it seems to make a lot more damage.

I had no chance finish the first gargoyle before the second is there and the fight gets uncontrollabel. At least i couldn't find a way to evade, attack and heal in this fight, with two enemies.

Using the sword with two hands and it worked first try because as i said the damage seems to be much more.

[xxivzx]

Which is why I usually pair that dark sorcerer build with strength weapons, i.e. a club, given how the Manus Catalyst scales with strength. The same could be said about pyromancies, maybe even more so. Black bead is exemplary in how fast it's cast even when you haven't leveled up Dex at all. Having the tools on hand is one thing, however being able to use them skillfully and adequately is another. Hell, I'm sure you've seen the combinations people use in PvP - you could win with a dagger and a parry shield, or any other unorthodox build.