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Genocyber
Jun 4, 2012




Demon's Souls is a 2009 action RPG developed by FromSoftware, known for having previously developed... hold on a moment *looks at Wikipedia* King's Field and Armored Core, among other titles. It was a project that went through much developmental turmoil, ultimately forming a product with so much potential that Sony's head of product development remarked "This is crap. This is an unbelievably bad game." and the company did not bother to release it in the West. But then it got picked up by Atlus, word of mouth spread, and here we are nearly a decade later with four sequels that people won't shut the gently caress up about. So let's go back to where it all started (please ignore FromSoftware's previous 20 years of game development) and see just what got the ball rolling.


This is going to be a comprehensive playthrough showing off all of the game's content. For those in the know, yes that includes character tendency, world tendency, and even... pure bladestone. I'll be showing off as much of the online interactions as I can, and if anyone wants to try and invade or be summoned by me I'll be posting when I'm recording here. Note that you have to have the NA version of the game because multiplayer is region-locked and that's the game version I have. Also, the PSN version is 50% off for the rest of the month.

In addition to comprehensively covering the game I also want to incorporate viewer participation. Demon's Souls is fairly open in its progression and provides a wide variety of equipment with which to slay demons, and while I could just show off "the best" items and progress through how I typically do, I think it would be more fun to leave it up to viewer choice. So each update will include a strawpoll asking where to go next, and what to use there.

I'll be updating frequently. Kind of don't have a choice given how close the servers are to shutting down.

Watch the attract movie first!



Genocyber fucked around with this message at 17:57 on Feb 20, 2018

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LordGugs
Oct 16, 2012
I so happy hear to be on the ground floor. I loved your Bloodborne lp since you actually took time to explain everything.

tithin
Nov 14, 2003


[Grandmaster Tactician]



I'll be glad to see how the world tendency works out, I never saw any of that stuff at all.

RVT
Nov 5, 2003
Oh hell yeah. Best thing I've seen pop up on my Youtube subs page in a long time. Really looking forward to this.

Genocyber
Jun 4, 2012

LordGugs posted:

I so happy hear to be on the ground floor. I loved your Bloodborne lp since you actually took time to explain everything.

That's what I aim for!

tithin posted:

I'll be glad to see how the world tendency works out, I never saw any of that stuff at all.

Not surprised, it's very poorly thought out.

RVT posted:

Oh hell yeah. Best thing I've seen pop up on my Youtube subs page in a long time. Really looking forward to this.

:D

NGDBSS
Dec 30, 2009






DeS is a game I keep wanting to play precisely because it's this oddball experimental experience compared to its successors. Unfortunately I tend to stick to the PC for my gaming and Sony loves being a butt about porting older stuff it owns rights for, so instead I have to stick with living vicariously with LPs like this.

Xenolalia
Feb 17, 2016



Nice, I've been on a real DeS kick lately and this will be rad.

some plague rats
Jun 5, 2012

by Fluffdaddy
I'm the one piece of poo poo who voted for barbarian

Crystalgate
Dec 26, 2012
If your character cannot move nimbly in armor, she needs more training: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-bnM5SuQkI

Anyway, before 28:th will be tough. If you make it, the phasing will be really rapid.

Genocyber
Jun 4, 2012

NGDBSS posted:

DeS is a game I keep wanting to play precisely because it's this oddball experimental experience compared to its successors. Unfortunately I tend to stick to the PC for my gaming and Sony loves being a butt about porting older stuff it owns rights for, so instead I have to stick with living vicariously with LPs like this.

I forget who but someone (might have been matthewmatosis) made a pretty good video discussing just that. How Demon's Souls, unfettered unlike the following games, was a lot more free to do weird poo poo.


Crane Fist posted:

I'm the one piece of poo poo who voted for barbarian

Nah, you cool. Now the people who voted Royalty on the other hand...

Crystalgate posted:

If your character cannot move nimbly in armor, she needs more training: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-bnM5SuQkI

Anyway, before 28:th will be tough. If you make it, the phasing will be really rapid.

That's a really cool video!

And yeah the servers'll probably shutdown before I finish, but I hope to at least show off some of the multi stuff before then.

Kaboom Dragoon
May 7, 2010

The greatest of feasts

DeS is the one game in the series I've never been able to make much progress in. I dunno what it is, but I always hit a wall in every area and I can never make any further progress. I think the game just hates me, personally.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


IMO there's a definite route that you should do first to make things a lot easier. Shrine of Storms 1 has a lot of good equipment and Tower of Latria 1 is a decent way to make progress if you're magey (Homing Soul Arrow 420erryday gently caress haters).
The big issue is that there's a definite grinding aspect to this game, and it can take some time before you can get a proper build going. Also the equipment limit, carry weight and item degradation are all stupid mechanics that make the first run a needless chore (and frankly a big reason why mages own in this game).

But yeah, if you find yourself kicking it, chances are you need to pick up a toy in those stages.

Genocyber
Jun 4, 2012

Kaboom Dragoon posted:

DeS is the one game in the series I've never been able to make much progress in. I dunno what it is, but I always hit a wall in every area and I can never make any further progress. I think the game just hates me, personally.

Nah, I can assure that you DeS hates everyone. It's just a matter of taking the pain.

SSNeoman posted:

IMO there's a definite route that you should do first to make things a lot easier. Shrine of Storms 1 has a lot of good equipment and Tower of Latria 1 is a decent way to make progress if you're magey (Homing Soul Arrow 420erryday gently caress haters).
The big issue is that there's a definite grinding aspect to this game, and it can take some time before you can get a proper build going. Also the equipment limit, carry weight and item degradation are all stupid mechanics that make the first run a needless chore (and frankly a big reason why mages own in this game).

But yeah, if you find yourself kicking it, chances are you need to pick up a toy in those stages.

One downside to the game's design is all the unnecessary mechanics going on. You can't get rid of them without removing the game's odd charm, imo, but they make this probably the hardest game in the series to approach. If you go in with a bit of knowledge, even just what you've learned from future games, it's not that bad.

KeiraWalker
Sep 5, 2011

Me? Don't worry about me...
Grimey Drawer

Genocyber posted:

One downside to the game's design is all the unnecessary mechanics going on. You can't get rid of them without removing the game's odd charm, imo, but they make this probably the hardest game in the series to approach. If you go in with a bit of knowledge, even just what you've learned from future games, it's not that bad.

That's good advice. I actually started the series with DkS, then came back and played DeS post-DS2 after a friend gave me a copy. Wound up loving it to death, even with its weird mechanics (although I did hit a wall with the Valley of Defilement at first--that place sucks no matter how many times they reuse it :v:).

Sum Gai
Mar 23, 2013

Genocyber posted:

One downside to the game's design is all the unnecessary mechanics going on. You can't get rid of them without removing the game's odd charm, imo, but they make this probably the hardest game in the series to approach. If you go in with a bit of knowledge, even just what you've learned from future games, it's not that bad.

I always thought Demon's was easiest, and I played the games as they came out. World tendency and item burden can be frustrating, and the upgrade system is sort of a mess, but there's enough upgrade materials just floating around Stonefang to upgrade the dragon longsword to +4, and that's more than enough to beat the game with.

Genocyber
Jun 4, 2012

In today's update we make a fresh start and go beyond the tutorial. This and the next update were recorded as one, but I split it into two due to length reasons. Oh, and as an aside, if you want to see the full poll results, just click on the strawpoll link for that update. Unless I forget I'll have replaced it with a screencap of the results.

Genocyber fucked around with this message at 04:53 on Feb 18, 2018

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


I mean I personally advocate mage or a mageknight build but that's just me and it is kinda cheesy. HELLA FUN, but cheesy. It helps that all you need to do is press those em eff Intelligence and Magic buttens (and Endurance, with some vitality if you're feeling saucy).

On the other hand it means we get to see you suffer through Latria on a low SL character which is part of the :darksouls: LPer experience :)

Seraphic Neoman fucked around with this message at 08:39 on Feb 18, 2018

Genocyber
Jun 4, 2012

I mean, being honest, regardless of what's voted for I don't expect to have much trouble. :smug:

*cue everyone voting for me to use the broken straight sword*

90s Cringe Rock
Nov 29, 2006
:gay:

Genocyber posted:

I mean, being honest, regardless of what's voted for I don't expect to have much trouble. :smug:

*cue everyone voting for me to use the broken straight sword*

sl1 club run

Miyamoto Musashi
Jul 22, 2006

One of the things I love most about Demon's Souls is the excellent voice work. Everyone in the Nexus is a great example. They all have a lot of character, but they all sound echo-y and disembodied too, like they've been sitting there for eons.

The entire Souls series is really good for voices, actually. But I've always thought Demon's Souls was best in that regard.

ashnjack
Jun 8, 2010

FUCK FLOWERS. JUST...FUCK 'EM.
The sound design on this game, and to be honest all of from softwares games, is great. Really builds the atmosphere.

I advocate for the glassiest of glass cannon Mages. The sword and board is cool, but that can be found in dark souls and its ilk.

Also I’ve always had problems going full mage in this game as I would eventually get hit wiping me out. So seeing someone run through this game like that would be awesome.

ashnjack fucked around with this message at 00:10 on Feb 19, 2018

TheGreatEvilKing
Mar 28, 2016





ashnjack posted:

I advocate for the glassiest of glass cannon Mages. The sword and board is cool, but that can be found in dark souls and its ilk.

This. Pure mage it up!

Mazed
Oct 23, 2010

:blizz:


I would suggest making a quasi-pyromancer, complete with leveling as little as humanly possible. Although with most of the dang fire spells locked off in a place you are very much not intended to go in the early game, this could be tricky.

Not that this necessarily stops anyone. :v:

I think the Nexus might be my favorite hub area in the series. It's got this really eerie older-than-old design, and all the humans who've wandered in seem utterly out of place, which just adds to the alien atmosphere.

Spudd
Nov 27, 2007

Protect children from "Safe Schools" social engineering. Shame!

To go along with the magic I would like you to show off a very green greatsword from later on that goes well with that suggestion!

God I love that weapon so much in other games but never saw it shown off in this.

Sum Gai
Mar 23, 2013

Spudd posted:

To go along with the magic I would like you to show off a very green greatsword from later on that goes well with that suggestion!

God I love that weapon so much in other games but never saw it shown off in this.

It's a faith weapon here.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Yeah it scales off Faith, and you need like 20 of it for the sword. It's real dumb since it would have been a great weapon otherwise.

I'm also gonna prob catch poo poo for this but IMO Miracles aren't very good, at least in PvE.

Seraphic Neoman fucked around with this message at 05:43 on Feb 20, 2018

Spudd
Nov 27, 2007

Protect children from "Safe Schools" social engineering. Shame!

Bah I didn't know that

Genocyber
Jun 4, 2012

It's time for the first real level!



As an aside, one more update then I'll be polling again for where to go/what to use in it (might actually couple these together because, as an fyi, some weapons are REALLY BAD for some areas).

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Nonesense, embrace 50% HP life. Using the Cling Ring is weakness :colbert:

I'm surprised you think that about the male/female armor sets. I always thought girls get the short end of the stick with their armor sets.

Crystalgate
Dec 26, 2012
If it's about showing of the online feature, there's quite a big one at Tower of Latria last boss. It may not be worth rushing there though.

Genocyber
Jun 4, 2012

Crystalgate posted:

If it's about showing of the online feature, there's quite a big one at Tower of Latria last boss. It may not be worth rushing there though.

Depending on how votes go (and how fast I actually go through the game) I may or may not executive override to show that off. It's like the defining multiplayer feature of Demon's Souls for me

Spudd
Nov 27, 2007

Protect children from "Safe Schools" social engineering. Shame!

I think you should over ride some of the voting to show it off, especially the big stuff.

Miyamoto Musashi
Jul 22, 2006

A few thoughts I had as I watched the video:

* 1-1, as this level is usually referred to, is one of the best in the game in terms of construction. Everything feels pretty logical, and it's the best at using the shortcuts effectively. I can think of a few other stages that do it well (and quite a few that don't), but this one is the best in that regard. That said, I'm willing to bet there are a lot of people that never made it past that level, because it really is tough, with the half health and the fact that you're still getting used to the controls.

* I like the boulder trap. It's a shame there's not more of that kind of thing in the Souls series.

* Good job to the game showing you rather than telling you what to do when the dregling blows himself up with the torches and the powder keg. Given that you see that immediately after first acquiring the firebombs, it's a really effective tutorial.

* The Phalanx theme is really good. After not having any music through the whole level, to step through the fog door and hear that always felt daunting. Actually, all the boss themes are great, but this one and a couple others we'll hear later always stood out for me.

* Phalanx itself is a great first boss. It's not a pushover, but once you've fought it once or twice and know what to do, it won't give you much trouble at all. I also really like the gate-opening cutscene that introduces it with the giant gently caress-off spear it shoots out.

A great first level proper. I don't have many negative things to say about it, aside from the tedious Ostrava bit. Escort quests will never be fun.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Eh...I have a love/hate relationship with this level.

IMO 1-1 has a lot of really half-baked ideas which future Souls games improved. For one, the first shortcut kinda sucks because when you open it, you are entering it top to bottom. That means enemies have an inherent disadvantage with their firebombs. OTOH, coming back up, the climb becomes A LOT harder because there are a lot of dreglings who can fling the drat things all day every day and taking them all out quickly becomes a chore. I also don't remember the explosive barrels being a thing in future stages. Maybe in like one or two more? If that?

There is also poo poo that the devs put in just to be mean. Like that pit with the souls. Especially since there is actually a shiny down there but you need to get it through a different route, one which involves the Souls Games' famously reliable platforming.
The second shortcut is even worse: they put the boss door on top of the platform but the switch to activate the second shortcut gate on the bottom. This is actually a real big minus because if you die to the blobs, likely due to getting pushed off the ledge by the wonky hitboxes of their spears, you will basically never need to go and unlock the second shortcut. But you'd be screwing yourself out of getting experience fighting the blobs, and also getting crafting materials to improve your weapons. The blobs are also really unfun to fight on stairways. A beginner will likely just end up smashing their weapon on the shield because even if it is slower, it is much safer than circling around them. Something the camera doesn't help with.

Speaking of which, those archers can go gently caress themselves too. Any enemy which requires the player's camera to go wonky like that is bullshit. This is something fixed in future Souls titles. You can snipe them using a bow, but well.

Agreed on the Phalanx, though IMO they really shoulda given you more firebombs. And this stage also gives you the muthafukin' :swoon: THIEF RING :swoon: which you will equip and never take off :v:

ElTipejoLoco
Feb 27, 2013

Let me fix your avisynth scripts! It'll only take me a couple horus.
A little surprised you didn't show any of the "fun" things a player can do to kill the 1-1 Red Eyed Phantom early, even if they happen to be completely hopeless at parrying, backstabbing, or just melee in general.

Here's hoping you find someone to show off co-op with!

Sum Gai
Mar 23, 2013

SSNeoman posted:

Eh...I have a love/hate relationship with this level.

IMO 1-1 has a lot of really half-baked ideas which future Souls games improved. For one, the first shortcut kinda sucks because when you open it, you are entering it top to bottom. That means enemies have an inherent disadvantage with their firebombs. OTOH, coming back up, the climb becomes A LOT harder because there are a lot of dreglings who can fling the drat things all day every day and taking them all out quickly becomes a chore. I also don't remember the explosive barrels being a thing in future stages. Maybe in like one or two more? If that?

The second shortcut is even worse: they put the boss door on top of the platform but the switch to activate the second shortcut gate on the bottom. This is actually a real big minus because if you die to the blobs, likely due to getting pushed off the ledge by the wonky hitboxes of their spears, you will basically never need to go and unlock the second shortcut. But you'd be screwing yourself out of getting experience fighting the blobs, and also getting crafting materials to improve your weapons. The blobs are also really unfun to fight on stairways. A beginner will likely just end up smashing their weapon on the shield because even if it is slower, it is much safer than circling around them. Something the camera doesn't help with.

They're dreglings. Just... let them hit you. They don't do much damage and the game throws grasses at you in fistfuls.

As for the hoplite blobs, they're kind of meant to teach you to two-hand your weapon- it won't bounce off of them when you attack when you do, and makes the whole process much faster. That's a lesson basically nobody learns, though.

I can't exactly defend Demon's camera, but the circumstances under which it flips out- when you're locked on to something directly above you- is something every game in the series has problems with.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


The problem isn't dreglings hitting you, it's them raining firebombs on your head as you're trying to climb up the stairs.

CordlessPen
Jan 8, 2004

I told you so...
I'm really glad that you're doing this; Demon's souls is the only Souls game I haven't played so far (and most lkely won't ever) and none of the other LPs I've seen really tickled my fancy. I loved your Bloodborne videos, so no doubt I'll be following this one.

Genocyber
Jun 4, 2012

A return to the Nexus and meeting many new people today.

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Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Really? You're gonna let people vote for Valley of Defilement first? Well okay! #bloodbloodblood :unsmigghh:

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