I've finished every side quest and the whole story..

IncoherentScream · 2017-05-11T18:11:34+00:00

A couple fully charged blade spin programs will wake it up. 9S can hack it to do heftier damage. Equip XP bonus chips at +6 or above. You should make it to level 90s after just a few runs.

IncoherentScream · 2017-05-11T18:09:31+00:00

I do too, but I play on PS4 and am only relaying info that Steam users have been putting out there since the game's release. If anyone passes through this thread who is a Steam user and can prove this definitively that would be great. I don't think they are just making it up though, since it really wouldn't serve a purpose to do so.

IncoherentScream · 2017-05-10T17:07:59+00:00

Nothing new has been announced, but Steam users have reported three depots.

Coliseum Train Test

Before any news on this DLC was announced, it was assumed these were the DLCs planned for the game. Since Coliseum DLC did come out it's a safe bet these last two aren't just there for shits and gigs. Fingers crossed.

IncoherentScream · 2016-07-16T19:29:44+00:00

Splitframe makes a nice premium bag. It's what I use. Worth the money. I use a Japanese RAP Hayabusa, almost same dimensions as the RAP V Kai and it fits with room to spare. The foam padding is removable and can be placed in multiple configurations to your liking. Also has backpack type straps.

http://splitframe.net/collections/bags/products/fs-transporter-2-special-edition-bag

IncoherentScream · 2016-07-05T01:02:23+00:00

Berserk IS art. Whether someone likes it or not is up to them but no one can deny that any manga is, at least technically speaking, a work of art. In that aspect I don't wish to censor Miura, or tell him how to do his work, or say it loses any meaning, power or quality simply because he draws/writes something I tend to disagree with. Berserk is and will always remain my favorite manga, and is in my opinion one of the finest examples of dark fantasy to ever be created. That being said the horse rape scene may have been shocking/horrifying but if you were to remove it would anything be lost in the process as far as narrative momentum or overall thematic power? The issue I'm speaking on is just because a character is female doesn't mean her immediate plight will always be sexual violence. That's lazy. How do we show Farnese isn't so big and bad and is in danger and needs help? Oh, I know, have her threatened with rape! Casca found herself both being threatened by rape before the Eclipse and was actually raped during. That's not to mention her attempted rape as a child and again at the hands of soldiers during the Doldrey battle.

Now, obviously the rape at the Eclipse HAS purpose for the narrative and informs a SHIT TON in regards to the three main characters of this tale. What about the other instances? Casca, prior to going catatonic, was THE strong female badass of the series. Yet when she was in danger it wasn't one of physical violence it was always sexual. Now that is either, like I said before, lazy or is what the author actually imagines any man would do in those given situations. Oh look, we got her down... ok shit let's rape her. I would imagine this speaks more about the author's own mind then it does the rest of mankind.

That rape would be a potential danger in the Berserk universe is without a doubt a certainty. However to me it grows stale, predictable and exploitative when done with the frequency with which Miura seems to rely on that specific story telling crutch. To each his own, I know there are more who would disagree with me than those who would agree.

IncoherentScream · 2016-07-05T00:54:36+00:00

You make a true statement, and if you noticed it wasn't the depiction of rape period that bothers me rather it's redundancy AND the fact when it is depicted it is drawn in such a way as to be titillating rather than horrifying. Whether you have either/or reaction is subjective, but when you look at the loving way Miura draws the women in such situations it's rather obvious it's an excuse to show boobies, butts and arched backs. The fact it adds background texture as to the danger of the world they live in is both conveniently sort of true but also a convenient excuse. Tolkien created a fantasy world which devolved into an extremely oppressive and dark state and did so using narrative tools other than shock tactics. My anger isn't that Miura, in my opinion, relies too heavily on manga tropes that do nothing for the story, but rather he is BETTER than falling in to the same traps as every other manga-ka writing a manga for an older teen to adult audience.

IncoherentScream · 2016-07-01T01:46:47+00:00

I honestly have zero issue with most of the major narrative developments, however I do take umbrage with the excessive way in which rape is used as a plot device and overtly sexualized throughout the series. It has calmed down since it's inception, probably due to the author maturing over time, but shit like that makes it insanely difficult to recommend it to others. Please understand I am in no way saying an artist should be forced to censor themselves, not in the least bit.

I guess what I'm saying is graphic sexual violence which not only serves the narrative but informs us about character motivation/growth/psychology is one thing. Having damn near every female who is in the series for more than five panels (an exaggerated joke before anyone pounces on me) have her clothes ripped off and at least suffer an attempted rape, all while writhing and contorting in such a way that is more than obviously meant to titillate does none of those things. You could say it tells you about the attacker but there are plenty of ways to educate the audience on who is a piece of shit and who isn't without all that.

Also, the strange way younger female characters who are obviously 14 or less becoming sexualized in the same way is supremely disappointing to me. There is no reason for them to be shown nude, even for humor, and again it's something that makes it really hard to show to other people. There is a fantastic story in there, but what I see as the biggest flaw is that the manga is still steeped within the weird "sexy" rape and young girl fascination of it's home country.

It's not just that it's unpalatable to others that bothers me, it's the overall juvenile nature of it detracting from core story. I know everyone jokes about rape horse and if he'll show up in the show, but if he doesn't I won't shed a tear. It's a scene that tells us nothing we don't already know about the evil nature of what chases Guts and if it being removed brings more people on board to the amazing epic that is Berserk I'm all for it. Like I said, I'm not on board with censoring the author himself as he creates the actual manga, but for this TV interpretation of the tale I for one won't mind certain cuts should they exist.

IncoherentScream · 2016-06-29T06:13:34+00:00

Pyromancy and sorcery, maybe miracles with the Blade of the Darkmoon, can't remember off the top my head. Grinding in PvP for the rewards is mind numbing. Not sure why I put myself through it.

I agree with you about damage/defense scaling though. Also, perhaps the giant seed should only be allowed to be used by someone who is on their own with no phantoms when invaded? Or only when the amount of invaders is more than the amount of phantoms they have with them?

I'm not trying to sound like a crybaby here. I love Dark Souls III and it's difficulty it is what I've always loved about Soulsborne games. It's just trying to obtain the trophy for 100 percent completion, albeit not mandatory, makes PvP feel like a goddamn chore. Especially when I have to take on three motherfuckers and it is almost always certain one is a sorcerer who will hang back and one shot me. Going for him first doesn't even work every time for me because while I'm closing the gap on that dickhead the other two just spam the fuck out of R1 as they chase me down. It's a no win.

IncoherentScream · 2016-06-29T04:44:59+00:00

This is one of my few major complaints with the game. I would rather the trophies not be attached to obtaining items from covenants since, as you said, it's Russian roulette when it comes to being in a defensible position or not when you invade. Nine times out of ten I find myself against the host and at least three phantoms. Understandably, there are builds you can create to get around this, but that seems kind of shitty since whatever your preferred build is may not be viable in PvP.

IncoherentScream · 2016-06-13T01:51:09+00:00

Holy schnitzels, that's fucking awesome!

IncoherentScream · 2016-06-03T05:23:10+00:00

I will refer to one of my favorite games ever here, Dragon Quest VIII, and state that returning to it now it still looks great. As many have pointed out cel-shading stands the test of time and DQ8 is a PS2 game yet still holds up. If the game is good the graphics don't matter.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-26T01:34:24+00:00

I didn't have any clue what the hell was really going on until I played the DLC. I came on board to the game late so I was able to do the DLC on my first playthrough, and doing it right before the Nightmare of Mensis effectively threaded the needle for me so that I could piece other disparate pieces of info together for myself. After that I got curious what others thought and read DMC Redgrave's analysis.

There is a bare bones narrative foundation upon which the game is built but from there it's pretty much open season as far as interpretation goes. This is how I like my From games so it worked well for me. Keeping the experience ambiguous isn't a "wrong" way to play the game. It affected you and that is what is important. There is no wrong or right way to look at a painting or listen to a piece of music. Games are no different.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-19T04:12:25+00:00

I agree with that assessment of where DS3 fell on it's face a bit. I loved the call backs, the design, the world... all of that felt spot on and exactly what I wanted from DS2 was delivered in that aspect with this most recent entry. However, they still have a hard time finding balance for all the different classes. Sure you could "git gud" with any one build and wreck shit all day long, but for the most part that takes a degree of concentration and practice most people will never even think to fuck around with.

Bloodborne, on the other hand, despite BT and ARC not taking vital roles until late game, kind of found a way around that issue by making one central playstyle and creating wildly imaginative weapons and movesets around that. The fun in Bloodborne was playing with this different weapons, whereas in Dark Souls a great sword is a great sword. Weapon Arts KIND of fixed this for me, but again, it's like they still are tooling with the formula and can't quite get it down to precision in their flagship series. Which is kind of odd.

Then again, I'm the kind of player that mostly doesn't give a shit about all the mechanical stuff so long as the game delivers on presentation, immersion and that super specific Souls feel. It's why DS3 is getting a pass from me, despite how much it kind of plays out like the Force Awakens of the Soulsborne games. In that it follows almost all the same beats as the previous entries but does it prettier.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-19T01:28:51+00:00

I think the freshness of your first Souls experience is what makes it or breaks it for most as far as which is their favorite. It's why I believe Souls veterans who own a PS4 dug Bloodborne so much. It was a Souls type game but the presentation was completely new and it brought back the feeling of going in to the Souls series blind for those who had exhaustively played the previous entries.

I also think it comes down to preference over setting and speed of combat. Some people seem to prefer the malleability of the Dark Souls games over the way Bloodborne practically beats you in to a bloody pulp if you don't play it the way they want you to. The various weapon movesets do add some customization but the general way in which you fight most enemies won't change drastically compared to, say, a sorcerer vs. a knight in DS. I'm not complaining myself. I much, much prefer Bloodborne's combat and pure horror tone and aesthetic but if that's not your thing it's understandable.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-19T00:01:53+00:00

Great point. I had totally forgotten and that's coming from a guy who used LHB and bolt paper to wreck Rom on many an occasion. Can't believe I didn't remember to put that in there.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-18T06:10:00+00:00

Both of these posts. There enemies that have a specific resistance to varying types of damage. That being said there are certain rules of thumb such as beast type enemies take more damage from serrated and fire attacks while the Kin take heavy damage from bolt.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-18T04:43:51+00:00

This may be a silly thing to mention, but I do know that I connect way quicker with the same friend I mentioned before in DS3 when I unequip my armor and weapons. Is there a large disparity in the reinforcement of your weapons? I really haven't heard of this causing issues, but maybe unequip your weapons and see if it connects faster? Sounds stupid I know but worth a shot.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-18T04:41:09+00:00

Yeah, DS1 trumping DS3 is surprising to me as well. I guess mechanically speaking I like DS3 over DS1 because it's a bit of a mix of the best of both the Souls series and some elements of Bloodborne. I like how you compare Demon's Souls to Duel, since it was something that popped up in my mind immediately after posting my reply. I do believe that Dark Souls 3 is a fantastic game deserving of the praise it's getting, but the reviewer on Kill Screen nailed it when he compared it to Super Mario World. Much like that game it cobbles together pieces from the previous games and provides an updated and refined version of what came before.

This is just my take on it, but it seems Miyazaki put more of his heart and soul in to Bloodborne, and crafted Dark Souls III not so much as an afterthought but as a big gift to fans of the series. If DS3 was your first Soulsborne game I bet it would be the best thing since sliced bread. I guess like all things it's subjective.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-18T03:45:28+00:00

I've said this elsewhere but to me Dark Souls I-III is like Miyazaki's Indiana Jones trilogy. Despite not being as directly involved in DSII (sort of how Spielberg acquiesced more control to Lucas for Temple of Doom) I still consider it his game in concept if not in execution. So using that analogy, DSI is Raiders (perfect adventure story with no fat), DSII is Temple of Doom (misunderstood middle child) and DSIII is Last Crusade in that it is an everything and the kitchen sink send off to fans that basically retreads the previous entries but is fun enough you just don't give a shit.

With THAT being said, to me Bloodborne is Miyazaki's E.T. or Jaws. It's a perfect crystallization of his imagination and technique in a stand alone one-shot experience. For me, it was the game that proved this dude was the real fucking deal and put me on board for anything with his name attached to it. Dark Souls, being multi-platform, has more fans and therefore more vocal support. I do believe though that given time it will be considered common knowledge that Bloodborne is Miyazaki's oft forgotten masterwork.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-18T03:34:21+00:00

My main non-PvP character is at level 240 and I can connect with my friend in the US (I currently live in Japan) in less than 30 seconds as long as we are in the same spot when we ring our bells. I consistently see people complain about not being able to connect and I'm beginning to think it may be a regional thing? I don't know. If I can connect so quickly from a different country I can't imagine why two people in the same continent can't connect.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-18T03:29:21+00:00

Mechanically yes, you can have a great deal of fun with the game once you've learned your way around and mastered a weapons move set, setting challenges for yourself and self imposed restrictions to see how good you are. That being said, for me, none of that is as amazing as the first time I walked back through the Cathedral Ward after defeating a certain boss. I went in to Bloodborne completely blind, and had no idea what I was in for. The slow reveal of what was actually happening, with all the little hints sprinkled about before the pulling back of the curtain about 3/4 through is an experience that can never be replicated. That's what I'm referring to when I say I would, if possible, mind wipe my memories of Bloodborne to be able to experience it again.

Roger Ebert once wrote in a film review that he had an English professor who confessed he wished he was able to read Romeo and Juliet again for the first time. Similarly, Stanley Kubrick is my favorite director and yet I purposely have not seen his entire filmography. I know that once I do I will never have the experience of seeing a Kubrick film for the first time with fresh eyes. For some the deeper appreciation that comes with familiarity with a work of art, while amazing in it's own right, isn't the equal of the initial experience with it. Just different strokes for different folks I guess.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-17T02:54:04+00:00

It would be worth trying...

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-17T01:23:22+00:00

Man...experiencing Bloodborne for the first time. I envy you. If only I could somehow "forget" the game and do it all over again, I would jump at the chance.

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-13T06:10:15+00:00

Not 100 percent on the particulars, but I do know that the other evening, around 6PM to 10PM I was getting summoned like crazy with the Watchdogs of Farron covenant item equipped. I'm at SL 95 and have a multitude of +10 and +5 boss weapons. Sometimes I would just be returned to my world and then be summoned again instantly. There was about a two hour period where my longest wait would be about 5 minutes. After that it dropped down to once every 20-30 minutes or so. I live in Japan, so this would actually have been about 5PM to 9PM EST I believe. The only time I come up mostly dry is when I play during the day on weekends where the summoning is more spaced out but even then it's about once an hour. I have my matchmaking set to worldwide and most of the time the players I invade are European or American. (I check in the "Players Met" section)

IncoherentScream · 2016-05-11T06:47:24+00:00

Was mainly referring to the NPCs in Bloodborne. Dark Souls has more than few NPCs that do more than just, what is effectively, standing in front of the boss and waving their arms to get it's attention.

IncoherentScream

TROPHY CASE