Elden Ring - Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion Announced

[Tequlia]

26 minutes ago, Minion said:

 

You have group passwords you can set and if someone in the group defeats a shardbearer or becomes elden lord you get a boost to your discovery until you die or for 5 minutes or something. My passwords are:

 

rllmuk

reddit

potboy

straydmn

 

Which are all from subreddits except for rllmuk of course. it means I am nearly always getting a buff to discovery, good for getting drops off of enemies.

 

Cheers 👍

[PikaStu]

8 minutes ago, Minion said:

 

Sekiro is excellent well worth £25, have you played the other soul games? Dark Souls 3 is amazing.

I have Dark Souls Remaster on Xbone, never really got on with it. The samurai setting of Sekiro appeals to me more than the more depressing DS setting.

 

Apart from a couple of hours with DS Remaster, ER is my first From / Souls game. I almost didn’t buy it, but now here I am 150hrs into it and still loving it!

[Minion]

37 minutes ago, PikaStu said:

I have Dark Souls Remaster on Xbone, never really got on with it. The samurai setting of Sekiro appeals to me more than the more depressing DS setting.

 

Apart from a couple of hours with DS Remaster, ER is my first From / Souls game. I almost didn’t buy it, but now here I am 150hrs into it and still loving it!

 

If that's the case you may be surprised and delighted by Dark Souls 3 it's definitely a game to play if you've enjoyed Elden Ring. Sekiro has an amazing atmosphere too but it's combat system is rather different to Elden Ring and many have found it to be their toughest game. However a lot of those people, including myself struggled possibly because we were so accustomed to the combat in Dark Souls and Bloodborne so perhaps it is a good one to play next. Either way you can't go wrong with Sekiro, Dark Souls 3 or Bloodborne they are all fantastic.

[Stoikovich]

40 minutes ago, PikaStu said:

I have Dark Souls Remaster on Xbone, never really got on with it. The samurai setting of Sekiro appeals to me more than the more depressing DS setting.

 

Apart from a couple of hours with DS Remaster, ER is my first From / Souls game. I almost didn’t buy it, but now here I am 150hrs into it and still loving it!

After your 150 hours on Elden Ring, I think you might get on with DS1 a bit better now!   While it lacks the open world it’s all so tight and choreographed, especially early game areas.   Check down the first well

[Anne Summers]

What on Earth happens to Sorceress Sellen at ...

Spoiler

The end of her questline? One moment she is happily reinstated at the Academy, the next she is transformed into a giant ball of heads and doesn't seem to happy about it! I went through the questline doing everything she asked because she seemed like a decent sort. So not sure if I did something wrong? Also I have seen the giant ball of heads somewhere else but not sure where. Anyone got any idea what's going on here?

 

[Benny]

This was my take:

 

 

Although it also turns out

 

Spoiler

Renalla never dies anyway and is around when Sellen is still normal in the room.

 

[Minion]

Spoilers for end of Sellens questline

 

Spoiler

I know it feels wrong after helping her but if you instead invade to kill her Jerren gives you an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone for doing it. Totally worth killing her in my view...

 

 

[Number 28]

It's the old Bloodborne again isn't it? Arrogant scholars tinkering with things they cannot possibly comprehend and inevitably getting stung.

Spoiler

And being stung usually means transforming into a horror show. I liked the little touch that Sellen's mask is visible on one side of the sphere. I'm pretty sure it's not on any other sphere enemy. I do wonder if the implication is that all those spheres are the other mages that strayed towards the heretical arts (or whatever they call them).

I suppose Sekiro has a lot of it too. Monks obsessed with immortality become living corpses riddled with centipedes, villagers similarly obsessed become weird soul-sucking squidmen. I guess you could call it the Icarus thing? If only I could be so grossly incandescent.

[Wiper]

48 minutes ago, Minion said:

Spoilers for end of Sellens questline

 

  Hide contents

I know it feels wrong after helping her but if you instead invade to kill her Jerren gives you an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone for doing it. Totally worth killing her in my view...

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

I'm just amused at people thinking Sellen is a decent sort. She's a power-hungry maniac pursuing an outlawed form of magic that leaves its users as husks and planning to usurp Renalla and Ranni! No way I was helping her at the end.

 

[Number 28]

But, but,

Spoiler

Jerren's outfit!!

 

That's basically what it boiled down to for me. Fashion. Like the end of Ghost of Tsushima where I was like (GoT spoiler below),

Spoiler

"Sorry Uncle, I prefer the red outfit" *CHOP*

 

[Alan Stock]

51 minutes ago, Number 28 said:

It's the old Bloodborne again isn't it? Arrogant scholars tinkering with things they cannot possibly comprehend and inevitably getting stung.

  Hide contents

And being stung usually means transforming into a horror show. I liked the little touch that Sellen's mask is visible on one side of the sphere. I'm pretty sure it's not on any other sphere enemy. I do wonder if the implication is that all those spheres are the other mages that strayed towards the heretical arts (or whatever they call them).

 

 

Spoiler

I actually checked this yesterday when I encountered one of the normal blobs, and couldn't see a female face on it, so I think its unique to her ending. I got the impression the other blobs out there are indeed either failed or punished scholars. Grim!

 

[Davros sock drawer]

5 hours ago, Goemon said:

Surprised no one has really talked about the Catacombs/Heroes Graves in the game.

 

People talk about their favourite areas and I think these are mine. I know they’re repeating art assets but the level design is amazing. Proper old school, sneaky/hidden path, setup/trap heavy, single grace areas that have you on the edge of your seat.

 

Really feel like a thief sneaking around those areas and some of the setups had my mind fried.

 

Really under appreciated I think

I enjoyed these for the most part. The Gelmir one was my favourite I think. But those chariots can do one! 

[StephenM]

Maliketh is incredibly painful! Even with my mimic friend. 

[Alan Stock]

Yeah I did two more of those last night for a break and although I like the design, it does get very tiresome getting one-shot by the traps and sent right back to the start. The main problem I have with them is that they involve a lot of exploration, sometimes you won't know where to go, but making the wrong choice in where to go is often certain death. Although at least they have allowed for shortcuts and timed the trap cycles so you can skip a few waiting periods. Still, they're a nice change of pace and it wouldn't be From without a death trap. I did find myself laughing at times as I tried futilely to jump over the traps when I knew I was screwed!

[Kryptonian]

I had a number of goes against Melania tonight after a couple of weeks off due to covid. Resorted to trying to summon help as I was getting annoyed and although I didn't beat her, I had to same coop buddy twice who then messaged me about some tactics which involved Borealis's Mist (this was over xbox messages). I didn't have that but we met up over by the boss you need to kill to get it and did that - and were also invaded by some knobhead who we killed. So whilst not achieving what I set out to do, it wasn't totally unpleasant.

 

I did have a solo round against her where I got to phase 2 with a full healthed mimic but got caught with her initial attack and died instantly which was annoying as I was in great shape at that point. After a real shit day it was nice to have *some* positivity and maybe I'll do that thing where I get her right away tomorrow (I won't)  

[DeciderVT]

Fire Giant down on my first attempt! Quite funny in a way as I decided to have a throwaway go before bed and I ended up thrashing him with the TV on mute and a cat blocking part of the screen toward the end. He kept rolling away from me instead of over me as well. Either way, job done.

[fattakin]

7 hours ago, Kryptonian said:

 Borealis's Mist

I might try that one as I’m at her now and not getting too far. Can get to her 2nd stage often enough but start panicking. 

[Uncle Nasty]

5 hours ago, DeciderVT said:

Fire Giant down on my first attempt! Quite funny in a way as I decided to have a throwaway go before bed and I ended up thrashing him with the TV on mute and a cat blocking part of the screen toward the end. He kept rolling away from me instead of over me as well. Either way, job done.

 

Cries in scottcr

 

Dunno whether to take my character into NG+ or park him for the DLC and go into NG with a fresh start. All main bosses done and helped out on loads. Currently mopping at 244 hours and still finding Graces and Catacombs - saw a Grace deep in a ravine in Caelid that I have no clue how to get to. That's getting lit tonight.

[scottcr]

30 minutes ago, Uncle Nasty said:

 

Cries in scottcr

 

Dunno whether to take my character into NG+ or park him for the DLC and go into NG with a fresh start. All main bosses done and helped out on loads. Currently mopping at 244 hours and still finding Graces and Catacombs - saw a Grace deep in a ravine in Caelid that I have no clue how to get to. That's getting lit tonight.

Giving ER a break for a bit and playing Kirby. Cleanse the palate before I go back in.

[Minion]

1 hour ago, Uncle Nasty said:

 

Cries in scottcr

 

Dunno whether to take my character into NG+ or park him for the DLC and go into NG with a fresh start. All main bosses done and helped out on loads. Currently mopping at 244 hours and still finding Graces and Catacombs - saw a Grace deep in a ravine in Caelid that I have no clue how to get to. That's getting lit tonight.

 

New character! That's what I did and I prefer this one even more than my OG. Plus you can coop all the way at every boss and stuff rather than be restricted to late game bosses or the ng+ pool.

[Triple A]

17 hours ago, Goemon said:

Surprised no one has really talked about the Catacombs/Heroes Graves in the game.

 

People talk about their favourite areas and I think these are mine. I know they’re repeating art assets but the level design is amazing. Proper old school, sneaky/hidden path, setup/trap heavy, single grace areas that have you on the edge of your seat.

 

Really feel like a thief sneaking around those areas and some of the setups had my mind fried.

 

Really under appreciated I think

I'm glad you brought this up.

Yes they're really well done - something I liked about the level design of ER's tombs as I'll call them, is the way they have that smidge of puzzle solving as part of the mix, yet don't go 'full Zelda' in such a binary go/no-go  or  blocked/open approach.  I experienced a really good feeling of flow as a result.

[scottcr]

16 hours ago, Goemon said:

Surprised no one has really talked about the Catacombs/Heroes Graves in the game.

 

People talk about their favourite areas and I think these are mine. I know they’re repeating art assets but the level design is amazing. Proper old school, sneaky/hidden path, setup/trap heavy, single grace areas that have you on the edge of your seat.

 

Really feel like a thief sneaking around those areas and some of the setups had my mind fried.

 

Really under appreciated I think

 

I liked them at first - but they're very samey - just like Skyrim caverns.  Find hidden walls, find levers, hit fire breathing things, use them as lifts and fight a wee boss.  
 

[Minion]

Bug fix update out now, think it fixes Malenia's healing during coop and also the bosses dying early if proc'd with a status at end of first phase for 2 phase bosses like Fire Giant.

[Stig]

Two of the guys on our Podcast finished the game and wanted to talk about it in great and spoilerific detail. If anyone's interested you can listen on any podcast app, Spotify or YouTube. Please enjoy.

 

https://audioboom.com/posts/8073218-elden-ring-spoilercast

 

 

 

[Uncle Nasty]

1 hour ago, Minion said:

 

New character! That's what I did and I prefer this one even more than my OG. Plus you can coop all the way at every boss and stuff rather than be restricted to late game bosses or the ng+ pool.

 

I think I will go new character and do something completely different to my Faith/Strength build. Never really found NG+ in any Souls game that satisfying or interesting, I end up rushing and being careless. I saw some Phantoms in full Ranni gear which looked ace so will probably go caster.

 

Can't believe that after over 240 hours I'm ready to start all over again and am actually excited about it. Game of the forever.

[Minion]

7 minutes ago, Uncle Nasty said:

 

I think I will go new character and do something completely different to my Faith/Strength build. Never really found NG+ in any Souls game that satisfying or interesting, I end up rushing and being careless. I saw some Phantoms in full Ranni gear which looked ace so will probably go caster.

 

Can't believe that after over 240 hours I'm ready to start all over again and am actually excited about it. Game of the forever.

 

Yeah it's crazy I wondered how long it would be till I burnt out on it and whilst the very early stages were a bit of a struggle from an interest point of view once my character started coming together around the time of Caria Manor I was loving it and here I am over 100 hours later on the new character mopping up consecrated snowfield! I've loved cooping with people and approaching the game in a different manner and trying to break bosses which I struggled with last time like Alecto. Malenia I hope you're ready! I think I will try a caster next too, it seems there is a lot of options for Int.

 

 

[Davros sock drawer]

1 hour ago, scottcr said:

 

I liked them at first - but they're very samey - just like Skyrim caverns.  Find hidden walls, find levers, hit fire breathing things, use them as lifts and fight a wee boss.  
 

 

I don't agree. Most of them have multiple hidden routes, more than one boss, and more variations on the theme than those you list.

 

I particularly enjoyed 

Spoiler

The one where you have to make the shadow enemies visible by coaxing them into the light.

 

They're nothing like Skyrim dungeons, regardless, which have nothing like these environmental or thematic puzzles.

[Triple A]

1 hour ago, scottcr said:

 

I liked them at first - but they're very samey - just like Skyrim caverns.  Find hidden walls, find levers, hit fire breathing things, use them as lifts and fight a wee boss.  
 

I'm more than happy with ER's quantity vs variety ratio.  This sort of criticism of the game doesn't hold much weight I don't think.

I had more issue along the lines you mention, with BotW's shrines.  (No fanboy shit they're both great games ofc.)

[Stig]

The spoilsports blocked off the ledge to the 115k rune glitch with the latest patch. Bastards. 

 

 

[Uncle Nasty]

Is the bird farming spot still active? Planned on hitting that for a few DEX points tonight.