Controls with Keyboard

[Spirit]

hi , i started this game and have no idea how to open the main menue during the first fight where you have to do various tasks , no i´m stuck there and want to adjust my controls but i cant open the main menue (from a different thread i read you can open it via middle mouse button but it does not work for me) , how can i open it during that phase ?

[Kargor]

Did you try the usual(?), like the ESC key?

[Spirit]

nevermind , finished the first "boss" , now everything work as usual
but another question is : how do skills work ? i only have the basic one (that round house slash) but already purchased a few more , do i need a controller to activate them or is there a trick for keybord users like me ?

[Kargor]

No idea about skills. I saw a level 50 requirement somewhere and figured they are DLC content (I finished the game at 53, IIRC). Maybe I missed something, but I don't have the slightest on how they work.

[Azuron]

Originally posted by Spirit:

[...]
but another question is : how do skills work ? i only have the basic one (that round house slash) but already purchased a few more , do i need a controller to activate them or is there a trick for keybord users like me ?

I wouldn't call it a "trick"... Open the menu, then select "Set Palette". You have to equip new skills to either the Command Palette/Sub Palette (press the associated button to activate the skill) or to the Main Palette (open that one and click the skill to activate it).

Originally posted by Kargor:

No idea about skills. I saw a level 50 requirement somewhere and figured they are DLC content (I finished the game at 53, IIRC). Maybe I missed something, but I don't have the slightest on how they work.

There are a few skills that only become available in the DLC, yes. But those need 25 skill points, you usually won't unlock them right at the start. Be aware that there are more EX skills available than initially shown, too. These hidden EX skills have special unlock conditions, their difficulty varies. Using two swords (Celestial Blades) is one of them, though it's fairly easy to unlock. The most powerful EX skills in the game are all hidden.

Furthermore, there are quite a few sword and battle skills that can be unlocked by other means and don't show up in the skill tree.

Calling the game finished at Lv53 is a bit of a stretch: The DLC's are less some nice-to-have bonus content and more a direct continuation of the story that should have been in the main game. All the interesting features of the game are part of the DLC (Sacrament Dungeons, Enigma Orders, Paragon weapons, Fusion Skills, enemies that are not made from papier mâché).

The Main game is really more like prolonged tutorial as it lacks any difficulty whatsoever.

[Spirit]

interesting , so dual wielding exist ? yay
now i need to know how to unlock that skill
but a different question : where do i find the black market ?
or do i unlock it with gameplay and story progression ?

[Azuron]

You'll unlock Dual Wielding automatically if you're using 1H swords. Here's a guide listing all hidden EX-Skills and their unlock conditions.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1184183383
Celestial Blades is great later on, but before diving into the DLCs Sacred Cross and Warmonger are probably the most powerful ones.

The black market can be found at the central plaza. It's a merchant with a helmet sitting a bit left of the path to the Market Place. Not sure if he's around right from the start, though.

[Spirit]

is there a indicator/counter on how often i have to do skills to unlock dual wielding ?
that part still confuses me because i lost track on that (lvl 28 and still one handed)

[Azuron]

Yes: Sword Skills become stronger after 100, 1'000 and 10'000 uses respectively, indicated by the number of stars (0-3) you'll find at the upper right of the skill description. Next do the stars you can the number of uses of that skill.

Just add up these numbers across all 1H-Sword Skills and you'll have a good estimate. For improving the skills you don't have to actually hit enemies. However, for unlocking Celestial Blades you have to hit them. That's why it's just an estimate not your actual progress.