from Firelink -> Graveyard or Castle?

[The Counter of Strikes]

I know both ways are probably viable, but is one more beginner friendly?

I started pyro and went left to the graveyard, and with my starting axe I can barely touch the skeletons... I've figured out that strong attacks break them, giving you an extra few hits in, but weak hits are super weak, and I run out of my fireball quickly if I spam it. I tried running away once and ended up stuck up above, then when I fell, the stupid covenant guy just watched me die as the skeletons followed. I farmed up a bit of souls, and got a few stat points, but it seems really unsustainable.

The zombies on the castle seem way easier to fight (along with a disgusting giant rat -- it's gonna be one of those games I guess lol). I came up to a wall of light though and turned back to save, not realizing that everything just respawns.

I'm guessing the path up to the castle is probably the intended first playthrough path? Really liking the game so far though once I figured out a good KBM setup (mouse 4 and 5 for strong attack and parry rather than shift), rebound Ctrl to JUMP to avoid awkward spacebar taps (although I'm not loving the platforming -- I at first didn't believe that going under the bridge was intended until I saw the item glow there -- given how easy it is to fall off lol).

[luntacarsus]

"Intended" path is Undead Burg, which I think is what you mean by the castle. But it's a surprisingly open game with a lot of paths you can try. If you find yourself getting stuck in one direction, you can simply go in another.

[Tikus Tycoon]

castle...graveyard is for high level much later

[yds]

You should go up, but before that you can do a "suicide run" through the graveyard to pick up all the loot, some useful stuff is there. Just make sure you don't have a lot of unused souls on you

[dcy665]

Undead skeletons have always responded better (taking more damage from) maces, morning stars, and divine instruments of mayhem. All the way back to D&D.

First rule of DS1, KILL THE DOGS FIRST

Second rule, if the enemies are too hard, find a different route until you are strong or fast enough to take them on. The game does not hold your hand if you ignore the clues (all those "You Died" messages).

Good Luck.

[The Counter of Strikes]

Thanks friends. Ya, I found a morning star after exploring the area around the monk of the covenant of light, so maybe I'll use that to clear the graveyard and collect the loot. Hopefully I can get to the blacksmith before I break my weapons -- maybe I'm being too cautious.

Any tips on stats. I've been evenly distributing into DEX, END, and VIT currently (although I saw in some guide that I'll need attunement later, and a few points into STR, one point into INT... so leaving that for far later as it becomes relevant).

[Bandy]

Play the game OP, just play the game instead of asking to be spoon fed.

[The Counter of Strikes]

Originally posted by Bandy:

Play the game OP, just play the game instead of asking to be spoon fed.

I am playing the game, but asking for pointers doesn't spoil the experience, in fact the opposite. Wasting time/effort by making big mistakes (such as allocating points into useless things) makes the game experience worse, rather than better.
Your "just suffer through it on your own" attitude is completely uncalled for, but not unexpected. Leaving asinine responses really isn't going to make you feel better about yourself in the long term.

[kat998]

Yes, the castle is the intended path. You can go to the graveyard or the flooded ruins, but you probably won't survive very long. And if you light a bonfire at those places you'll get stuck and will have to find your way back to Firelink Shrine. You can try suicide runs to get all the loot while evading the monsters, but remember to not light any bonfires.

[luntacarsus]

Originally posted by The Counter of Strikes:

Hopefully I can get to the blacksmith before I break my weapons -- maybe I'm being too cautious.

There's a blacksmith available underneath Firelink. Go down, past the Firekeeper, down the lift towards the flooded area. Right before the water, along the edge of the cliff, is Rickert of Vinheim.

[The Counter of Strikes]

Thanks, good to know, I walked into the elevator by accident, and after hearing weird mouth breathing noises I just went straight back up. I just beat Gargoyles, so I'm probably headed that way next:
*from church there's a big castle with gates that wont open,
*under that, a blacksmith, but some OP lightning scorpion demon thing, so probably not that way
*skeletons still kind of strong in graveyard, so gonna check out "lower burg key" or maybe down the elevator again.