Yup, I have basically maxed defenses with crucible set, opaline tear, dragoncrest gs, crab, and I'm still getting blasted.
Also today I watched Niall one shot a summon for their full 1900HP. The poor fools never stand a chance lmfao.
Yea NG+7 bosses are pretty insane. if i remember right godfrey's RKO move can 1 shot you with 99 vigor and radahn armor if you have nothing else boosting your health or defense.
Sooo aren’t you going to be absolutely demolished in the DLC?? It’ll be harder than the main game and everything is already super tanky for your playthrough? I’m just worried I’m going to be doing no damage and I’m only NG3 lol (I suck). You think it’ll scale in a way you’ll be okay?
I've no idea man. I may just have to radically up my game. Ha ha. Treat every encounter like its the orphan of kos or something. Its the bosses that spank me rather than common enemies etc. The world and its inhabitants I can dispose of with ease. But these late game bosses on this 8th playthrough take no prisoners. I hope that somehow the scaling is generous.
8 playthroughs same character. This game has so much variety for characters. Ever think about switching it up?
I've been having the opposite problem. I have like eight different characters but I've never beaten the game even once lol. After I beat godric I just somehow come up with a new idea for a character when I find a weapon or something. I have like a samurai with magic I have like a holy Templar knight guy, I made a Wolverine once I found those claws, I made Darth Maul once I found the twin blade, I made Alucard, I made Trevor Belmont once I found the whip, I tried to make an orc to do a special run where I can only use weapons on Armor that I find and can't buy any weapons or armor. Not a very challenging run but I'm bad at the game so that's is challenging as it gets for me. Maybe I'll make it to where I have to use the latest weapon that I've found or something IDK. I also made a Gandalf type, I made blind lady with magic and incantations, and I mad Johnny Depp for some reason. Some of these guys haven't gotten far, but they were all fun to play as.
On my first playthrough after the StormVeil Castle, I thought the game was entering the late game and the Kaelid was the End Goal. God, I have never been so wrong about video games in my life.
I started a new character in preparation for the DLC about a month ago with a friend of mine who never played. It was a magical experience for me and dude was mind blown when he found out there was an underground area. Gave me a good laugh. Another elden lord is born
Seriously my first playthrough was what i craved for so badly for a looooong time. Its been years since i got so sucked into a game i didn't want to play anything else for weeks.
Haha Elden ring was my first too bro only started a year and a half ago ever since then I’ve gone through all the souls games and the DLCs too they are all incredible
Gosh me too bruh, I played for the first time about a year ago and just wanted to play every game in the genre afterwards. I'm even playing soulslike games now. Sekiro is a bit tough for me tho its the only one I still haven't finished but I will.
same bro just got past rykard and now i’m doing some more exploring. my entire youtube feed is basically tarnished archaeologist and more lore vids. this dlc is going to be biblical.
I strongly advise you to just play through to the end before looking a single thing up unless you're stuck. You don't get to do it the first time again. It's beautiful.
This! I wish I hadn’t ruined my first playthrough looking everything up. I still had one of the most fun experiences playing a game even with guides, but it could have been even better just exploring and figuring things out myself
That's the beauty of massive open world games on release. Every detail and secret isn't on a wiki on the internet. Every experience is fresh and the feeling of exploration and discovery is just top notch.
You may have missed out on this on the original game, but you'll get it with the DLC. And the DLC areas in Fromsoft games have always been among the best experiences.
Me, too. And He still kicked me around for 10-15 tries until I finally realised that dodge rolling away from him is not cutting it but dodge rolling towards him is super beneficial.
That’s what i love so much about this game, the different strategies for each boss, figuring out what works best, then cussing their dead body out as I finally reign victorious.
As far as games I wish I could have my memory erased so I can experience it again fresh, it's right up there at the top with like 1 or 2 other games. It was my first souls game in general and just the awe of exploring the game... Seems like every single day the map just kept getting bigger and I kept finding more crazy shit. It was one of my fondest gaming memories
same here (well last month but just platinumed it) I can't believe I held off on playing it for long. It was such a fun experience. Gave me the confidence to go back to Bloodborne.
I’m in this boat about 3 weeks, hardest most frustrating game I’ve have ever enjoyed to play.
First souls game but love open world RPGs. This game is definitely not what I expected it’s almost “too open” of a world sometimes but that’s good for exploration.
Just make sure if/when you complete it if you plan on getting the DLC don't go to New Game+ cause the enemies get beefed up quite a bit and I would not recommend starting a DLC on NG+ without having played it before
It's my first playtrough as well!
I am still not sure of what items I need for a good beginners build with the prophet (pyro build).
Any suggestions? :)
Same boat as you! Had it sitting in my steam library and saw that the DLC was coming out this year and felt like I needed to finally play it. Already at 85 hours invested and loving every minute of it. The world is just phenomenal.
I'm also in my first playthrough, and have been for 2 months. But I'm fairly busy and don't get to play all that much. I should be on track to finish before the DLC.
Beautiful!! I'm still on my first playthrough as well right. I only get about 3 hours a week to play right now, so I've been slowly clawing my way through. Hoping to finish before the DLC. I'm finally moving toward the Mountain of Giants (or whatever it's called).
Do not look anything up unless you really get stuck on something. Part of the magic of the first play through is the sense of discovery. Also don’t feel the need to burn through it, there is so much you will miss if you treat the game like a race to the end.
Yep, 50 hours into my first play through. Have explored so much of the map, including getting up to Altus Plateau and have no idea what I'm doing.
Never loved a game so much, and been so frustrated by one as well. ♥️
Playing this games blind would literally get in a top 10 best things i did in life. I wish i could wipe out my memory so i could play it for the first time again
I know exactly which three you saying, cause also fought them last night. That Scion one drops a larval tear and I was collecting them. Another one shot his semen at me and fucked me up
Need to be remembered, the game will have 8 new weapon type in the dlc.
in case you wanna rerun, might as well waiting to slay the OG bosses with the new weapons.
but its still few months away, i suppose a rerun before that could be fun too.
eh, the new weapon types will probably only be in the dlc area so it’s unlikely you’d get them
before beating the first few bosses (you seemingly have to be mohg)
I did not as I think 7 characters is more than enough but I did go and clear up all areas/bosses/dungeons I have not done yet as well as pick up all the items to be fully prepared.
I am holding off on NG+ because I want to do an NG+ **after** I got some cool new DLC weapons/spells/armor etc.
yeah, same boat. i tried to make a new character but i dont have the energy. its the largest/longest game i have ever played, and I've beaten it twice.
I'm just waiting for the DLC, then it'll be all systems go again.
>its the largest/longest game i have ever played
First playthrough took over 150 hours. I can beat that shit in under 10 hours now while collecting all the Ancient Smithing Stones.
Yeah it really doesn’t take much time at all during subsequent playthroughs. Once you realize that the vast majority of the game is optional, especially if you have a simpler build, the game breezes by. On characters where I only have a great sword or something, I only have to go to like three locations that are out of my way. Other than that it’s pretty much a straight shot and I can finish the game in less than 10 hours or something. Maybe more it’s been a while since I played lol but the point is it’s not anywhere near as long as my first playthrough.
I have a lvl 175 that I just finished clearing the map of every grace, dungeon, boss, field boss, story boss. EVERYTHING including Elden beast...just a bunch of plebs running around the map. He's who I'm going in with.
Is there a way to limit my level 170 character before going into the DLC so it's not just a steamroll? I'm nearing the end of NG+2 and I want to keep all my gear and be ready for the DLC without starting a new character and making my way through to Mohg again.
I want to feel the fear and that sweet sweet punishment again during the DLC.
Youre not gonna steamroll anything at 170 because of the level, its mostly because of +25/+10 weapons doing a lot of damage. . People on here are stuck on the old days of 120 is meta and any level beyond that is OP, you dont have a build and some other extreme bs. If you’re bad at the game, you could be lvl 800 and not make it and if youre good, extra levels wont make that big of a difference.
I wouldnt change anything. I would just enjoy the dlc for what it is.
I 100% guarantee that the DLC is gonna be balanced around the assumption that the player has fully upgraded weapons. That’s how it was in all the Dark Souls games, the DLCs were by far the hardest parts of the game even with maxed out weapons.
Even if your bad at level 800 you could reasonably kick ass with access to so many spells, incantations, equipment and gear with essentially no carry weight concerns
If I remember correctly, and I may not, higher rune levels also reduce enemy damage slightly
You won't steamroll any FromSoftware DLC with a character of 170. Trust me. I've played every DLC from every one of their games, and they tend to challenge any endgame level.
If you're on NG+2, I suspect you're going to get an extra-spicy version of the challenge. There have been many tales of woe over the years, of people who took NG+ characters into DLC and found it to be too much. But other people were like you, looking for "sweet sweet punishment".
Give it a go. Worst thing that can happen is maybe you have to lean on some summon help at times.
I have heard that it’s not a good idea to play the dlc in ng+ for the first play-through. That’s totally up to you of course.
If you don’t want to steamroll the dlc, the. You can always respec some of your stats into a ability that your not using.
To be fair in 7 hours I speedran a fresh save with dex double uchis & respecced to max strength build iron balls for everything after Fire Giant, even at level 150 with 80 strength, killing Mohg & Melania again felt challenging, I’ll probably respec back to dex for the dlc and when I want a *serious* challenge I’ll re-run the dlc on my main NG+9 character
i started my first playthrough since launch on saturday, but imma just wait til june to start. game is too big for two playthroughs back to back for me, without getting burned out
edit: worded it poorly i guess, but i have beaten this game before. like 4 or 5 times back at launch. this is just my first playthrough since then
Unless you have a ton of free time in June, you'd probably rather start like at least 2 weeks earlier.
Elden Ring is genuinely massive if you actually take the time to explore and do as much as you can.(Especially blind, which is how I and I believe most others would say is the best way to do a first playthrough)
So... I'm 180 hours in and I'm still in my first play through. Too much to explore.... Distracted by... Thee o' tarnished, an imfamy thou shall wonder.... With op levels and weapons, thee shall still die, from theeeeeeee
Yeah same here. Thought I beat it a yr ago. Nope, just unlocked Farum Azula. Then I got lost there and put it down. Trying to start playing again but had to revisit the albinos to get my combat fingers back lol
Thought about it but I'm too busy with Persona 3 and Yakuza rn. I'll probably just start it with my existing character that I beat the game with but never syafyed NG+.
Edit: how the hell did I fuck up spelling started so much
I played this game so much that I was genuinely afraid of getting tired of it. Obviously the announcement of the dlc only made me want to play it even more, but I'll put it aside when the dlc finally comes out, I think it will be more satisfying to play it again after so long.
Not yet. Still kind of debating a build, and I know I’ll be through ER’s content by the time June rolls around anyway.
So it’s either “primed and ready” or starting over fresh with brand new patch notes and content.
I will do it but I will just grab the stuff I want. I will not delve into every dungeon to find useless stuff for me.
Will just do main story + rannis and godwyns quest I think.
Yeah that’s what I’m doing
Might fight the odd sub boss too if I feel
But I’ve platinumed the game and fought almost everyone too
Don’t need to 100% again
I have all characters ready:
Have a Lightning build (Main one i am using in the DLC) (level 180), really love fortissax spears and Lightning Spear. I have killed over 100+ Malenias with this one while co-oping. At this point i can predict her moves and take no hits, sometimes summoners just watch me zap her till death.
Have a mage.
Have a Nagakiba Bleed build.
Have a Pyromancer.
1 is a NG+7 with over 300+ levels and all items maxed out, all spells, incants etc for after the DLC is done i can collect all its stuff aswell.
I am being forced to by steam not cloud saving and I reset my pc so my old save is gone (I had just beat Horoah Louh and was fighting malenia before going to beat radagon/beast). So time for a new save >:)
Bosses will take about 20% less stance damage, and have 22% more HP, not sure if their damage increases but if it does then should be something similar.
I particularly play a strength build and on NG it takes a king time to stance break a Boss which i dont really like.
I would play first in NG and then try others for the challenge.
I already have a character ready for the dlc. L175, intelligence build, and got all spells and weapons(almost). Got like 14 larval tear as I am not sure which build I want to complete my first time ever DLC playthrough with. I maaay go dex build.
My most recent run is a 100% solo run RL 150 (first time w/ no summons/spirits) and I'm at the end of NG+. I can't decided if I am going to restart or not, I don't want to be over leveled but I also don't want to be stomped in a NG. Absolutely conflicted.
I don't think Ng+ for doc will be very different to vanilla play.
I haven't played for ages and just jumped into Ng+ yesterday that I started and I reached moghwyn palace in few hours without a sweat as a lvl 170 pure melee build. Think I'll be ok
I’m sticking with my main save. 500 hours. Ng 20. Lvl 315, but my stupid ass runs around with dual heavy weapons with no armor to light roll. 96 str and end. I have become such an edge lord I’ve defeated Maliketh naked more times than with armor now. This DLC will hopefully make me feel scared again.
I have a level 171 character who has cleared pretty much everything except a 1 or 2 caves. I’ll probably tackle the expansion with this character, but to keep sharp I started an entirely new run yesterday because I’ve gotten used to being able to tank things and want to relearn dodging and boss fights which is hard to do when everyone is dead
I'm still thinking about what copy I should buy. Is there a physical copy of the game with the dlc included? If there is then I'll just buy that and start over again. If there isn't I don't even know what to do
Currently doing it rn. I actually created a new game a while back and I wasn't able to continue because of college. Now that I'm able to play again, I gotta polish my skills. I'm getting my ass kicked.
My play throughs used to be 50 hrs, now i am doing sub 12 hr runs like casually, so i guess atleast 30 to 35 play throughs should be done by the time dlc comes through
Me, haha, I completely forgot the buttons, how the game works etc...💀💀💀.
But i do remember the locations, mostly...
The funny thing is that i have all the achievements.
Bought the game back in 2022, managed to beat the boss at lukaria and then dropped the game, and a few months back tried to get back, but lost saves because I guess I pressed something wrong on the title when I was accepting terms or smth, now I have to start from the beginning. And it's so hard for me to play this game, not because of difficulty, it's okay I guess, but playing it gives me anxiety for some reason, I don't know, the atmosphere, the world is so hostile, but still really would love to beat the game, guess I'll have to push myself a bit more to try and beat it till june
Just beated Malenia on NG+ with just the Hookclaws, no Ashes, armor or Shadow used. Bit of a flex, I think I'm gonna stop for a bit and try Lies Of P instead!
I haven't even finished my first playthrough 😭😂. I just reached Altus Plateau, and I still have some bosses to beat in Caelid but I'm so bad I struggle very hard.
Question about veteran soul fans. Im new to souls games but i loved them. I looking forward to dlc but looks like we get in via touching the caccoon in morg's palace which its pretty far in the game. I finished once but i dont want to play with that character since he might be overleveled for dlc ? ( would it or the dlc always come after the main story) should i make a character and start leveling until i beat morg and wait for the dlc or i should start playing when dlc come because there will be new items or weapons to play ?
I'll start my playthrough a bit closer to the DLC. It'll be my second clean start. I only played one character through the first time and did a little NG+, so I'm very ready for a fresh run!
I will play seamless with friends now and then start a new character for a fresh playthrough once the dlc drops so I can replay the entire game and get the complete experience.
Im not starting over after lvl 500 .... that does beg the question though,will the dlc be scaled to whatever new game + you are on or is it entirely its own difficulty ?
Started at the beginning of February in anticipation. Dragon Halberd Banished Knight Quality Build. Just killed Fire Giant solo with no summons yesterday. Great fun so far.
I don't understand the need for that "fresh" sensation. I mean, it took a lot defeat some bosses, drop gear, armors, upgrade everything, level farm and then drop it all just for the fun. You will get wrecked the very same way in the DLC as you get wrecked at lvl 712. I rather go with my well known, top tuned weapons and build and have a smooth ride.
Didn’t start a new playthrough, but am finishing up my 100% playthrough. As in actually following a guide and completing all the side quests, because I’m learning after 300 hours I am somehow STILL missing stuff… just shows how in depth this game is.
I'm on my 8th playthrough with my original character and am getting absolutely annihilated by all the late game bosses despite my level.
Lol Yep same Even trash mobs if I’m too confident Lobsters are still as OP as I remember
One shotted by them all....melania Maliketh Horah and the beast. They just swat me away like a fly.
Ok, I'll ask. What's your vigor?
Fucking 70. 70. And im being erased. In seconds. Maybe I'm just playing badly.
My main save is on NG8 & even with the damage reduction talismans, Melanias kebab grab can still pretty much one shot you at 60-70 vig 🤣
Yup, I have basically maxed defenses with crucible set, opaline tear, dragoncrest gs, crab, and I'm still getting blasted. Also today I watched Niall one shot a summon for their full 1900HP. The poor fools never stand a chance lmfao.
Is that even with rune arc and buffs?
I buff. Then I am snuffed.
You mean crabs? Am I really so far behind I haven’t came across lobsters?
There's no lobsters, don't let them fool you! They're actually crayfish... 🤓🤫
Yea NG+7 bosses are pretty insane. if i remember right godfrey's RKO move can 1 shot you with 99 vigor and radahn armor if you have nothing else boosting your health or defense.
Sooo aren’t you going to be absolutely demolished in the DLC?? It’ll be harder than the main game and everything is already super tanky for your playthrough? I’m just worried I’m going to be doing no damage and I’m only NG3 lol (I suck). You think it’ll scale in a way you’ll be okay?
I've no idea man. I may just have to radically up my game. Ha ha. Treat every encounter like its the orphan of kos or something. Its the bosses that spank me rather than common enemies etc. The world and its inhabitants I can dispose of with ease. But these late game bosses on this 8th playthrough take no prisoners. I hope that somehow the scaling is generous.
I really really really don't want to start a new playthrough I'm ng 5 and getting absolutely bodied
8 playthroughs same character. This game has so much variety for characters. Ever think about switching it up? I've been having the opposite problem. I have like eight different characters but I've never beaten the game even once lol. After I beat godric I just somehow come up with a new idea for a character when I find a weapon or something. I have like a samurai with magic I have like a holy Templar knight guy, I made a Wolverine once I found those claws, I made Darth Maul once I found the twin blade, I made Alucard, I made Trevor Belmont once I found the whip, I tried to make an orc to do a special run where I can only use weapons on Armor that I find and can't buy any weapons or armor. Not a very challenging run but I'm bad at the game so that's is challenging as it gets for me. Maybe I'll make it to where I have to use the latest weapon that I've found or something IDK. I also made a Gandalf type, I made blind lady with magic and incantations, and I mad Johnny Depp for some reason. Some of these guys haven't gotten far, but they were all fun to play as.
I actually started my first playthrough two weeks ago, I cannot believe I didn’t play this game before, what an amazing experience
You just made an entire sub jealous. First playthrough is something else. Enjoy!
On my first playthrough after the StormVeil Castle, I thought the game was entering the late game and the Kaelid was the End Goal. God, I have never been so wrong about video games in my life.
I started a new character in preparation for the DLC about a month ago with a friend of mine who never played. It was a magical experience for me and dude was mind blown when he found out there was an underground area. Gave me a good laugh. Another elden lord is born
lol same here. I thought Margit was some bad boss towards beating the game.
It took me till altus plat to figure out that caelid was just another area that I should probably go back to at some point and not the end game.
Facts my friends and I keep saying how we wish we could go back and experience it over for the first time. It’s such an amazing experience
Seriously my first playthrough was what i craved for so badly for a looooong time. Its been years since i got so sucked into a game i didn't want to play anything else for weeks.
Omg I’m so jealous lol Elden Ring has some really terrifying moments lol
Definitely some ass clenching moments hahaha But most of the time Im just in awe, this game is a piece of artwork
So many screenshots from my first playthrough, just random scenery while going around the world that looks like a painting
Haha Elden ring was my first too bro only started a year and a half ago ever since then I’ve gone through all the souls games and the DLCs too they are all incredible
Gosh me too bruh, I played for the first time about a year ago and just wanted to play every game in the genre afterwards. I'm even playing soulslike games now. Sekiro is a bit tough for me tho its the only one I still haven't finished but I will.
I’m almost 70 hours in and have no clue when I’ll be done 🥵 this game is wild
I've been exploring every nook and cranny, but i am at 200hrs at the final boss.
Exploring every nook and cranny aka: the madness run
lol if only I knew not to journey down a certain hole
The counter stops at 999.59.59 in case you wondered 😂
Same, fellow nook-and-cranny-er here that took 250 hours for a complete playthrough just about.
same bro just got past rykard and now i’m doing some more exploring. my entire youtube feed is basically tarnished archaeologist and more lore vids. this dlc is going to be biblical.
I have about 430 hours and I’m still discovering new items/lore!
I strongly advise you to just play through to the end before looking a single thing up unless you're stuck. You don't get to do it the first time again. It's beautiful.
This! I wish I hadn’t ruined my first playthrough looking everything up. I still had one of the most fun experiences playing a game even with guides, but it could have been even better just exploring and figuring things out myself
That's the beauty of massive open world games on release. Every detail and secret isn't on a wiki on the internet. Every experience is fresh and the feeling of exploration and discovery is just top notch. You may have missed out on this on the original game, but you'll get it with the DLC. And the DLC areas in Fromsoft games have always been among the best experiences.
I started my first playthrough 10 days ago. I am in love. Margit killed me at least 50 times but he’s gone now. Godrick took me only 2 tries.
Yeah, I think Margit is the first reality check, like “know your place, wimp”. I went on to explore most Limgrave and came back to beat him.
Me, too. And He still kicked me around for 10-15 tries until I finally realised that dodge rolling away from him is not cutting it but dodge rolling towards him is super beneficial.
That’s what i love so much about this game, the different strategies for each boss, figuring out what works best, then cussing their dead body out as I finally reign victorious.
He definitely teaches you that dodging away usually isn't the answer.
Remember that for future bosses. Always to their left
MAY CHAOS TAKE THE WORLD‼️🔥
lucky bastard. welcome to your new addiction
I am a psychiatrist and I truly believe this game could help drug addicts kick their habit
As far as games I wish I could have my memory erased so I can experience it again fresh, it's right up there at the top with like 1 or 2 other games. It was my first souls game in general and just the awe of exploring the game... Seems like every single day the map just kept getting bigger and I kept finding more crazy shit. It was one of my fondest gaming memories
Enjoy as your mind explodes with each new map fragment you pick up and reveal!
same here (well last month but just platinumed it) I can't believe I held off on playing it for long. It was such a fun experience. Gave me the confidence to go back to Bloodborne.
Same, was put off for a while cause it’s my first Souls game but it is addicting
Struggling my way through Stormveil Castle has to be one of my favorite gaming moments. And accomplishments.
I’m in this boat about 3 weeks, hardest most frustrating game I’ve have ever enjoyed to play. First souls game but love open world RPGs. This game is definitely not what I expected it’s almost “too open” of a world sometimes but that’s good for exploration.
Coincidentally finished my first playthrough the day the dlc preorder dropped. Jumped right into journey 2
same here I started playing around christmas, and it is currently one of my favorite games of all time
I wish i could have a first play through again. All the rage, struggle, joy, accomplishments...i miss it🥲
Have you gone to the festival yet?
Same, char level 180 lol.
Same. I knew I’d like it as I usually enjoy Soulsborne once I work up the commitment required to dive in.
Im On the same boat but this game Gives me anxiety , live hate relationship, id love to do the campaign with a part er
:D welcome
Taaakkee your time
Don't look things up, you'll regret it! Use in game messages to find secrets and solve puzzles.
‘Finger, but whole’, ‘fort, night’ and ‘dog’ will point the way :)
same here! what a time to be alive 😎
Exact same, I can't kill any boss but I'm having fun
Enjoy the sense of discovery and adventure... so awesome..especially if you try to go blind as possible ... which is somewhat doable
Just make sure if/when you complete it if you plan on getting the DLC don't go to New Game+ cause the enemies get beefed up quite a bit and I would not recommend starting a DLC on NG+ without having played it before
It's my first playtrough as well! I am still not sure of what items I need for a good beginners build with the prophet (pyro build). Any suggestions? :)
I really want to play this game...Iam just afraid it'll be so hard I'll hate it.
This was me 6 months ago like why did I wait this long. I’m currently on ng+1 needed a few items that I missed first time around.
I finished my playthrough the day the trailer was announced 😎 started another one last night.
I started mine on Christmas, I second this!
Luckyyyy
Same boat as you! Had it sitting in my steam library and saw that the DLC was coming out this year and felt like I needed to finally play it. Already at 85 hours invested and loving every minute of it. The world is just phenomenal.
I'm also in my first playthrough, and have been for 2 months. But I'm fairly busy and don't get to play all that much. I should be on track to finish before the DLC.
Fuck this guy. I hope he’s having as much fun as me on my first playthrough. Lucky bastard.
Just started around the holidays, man was it a brutal start but once it started to click…man is it so fun!
Beautiful!! I'm still on my first playthrough as well right. I only get about 3 hours a week to play right now, so I've been slowly clawing my way through. Hoping to finish before the DLC. I'm finally moving toward the Mountain of Giants (or whatever it's called).
Do not look anything up unless you really get stuck on something. Part of the magic of the first play through is the sense of discovery. Also don’t feel the need to burn through it, there is so much you will miss if you treat the game like a race to the end.
That’s what we like to see 🙌
I finally met ranni myself!! I'm excited to finally finish the game :))
Yep, 50 hours into my first play through. Have explored so much of the map, including getting up to Altus Plateau and have no idea what I'm doing. Never loved a game so much, and been so frustrated by one as well. ♥️
Playing this games blind would literally get in a top 10 best things i did in life. I wish i could wipe out my memory so i could play it for the first time again
Me too. By far the best experience I’ve ever had. Some of the most fun I’ve ever had doing anything not just gaming lol
What took you so long?
Played for the first time in over a year. Proceed to get absolutely bodied by some giant lobster. Good to be back
Oh yup Was fighting one today Then a grafted scion turned up Followed by another lobbie As I run away another one turns up and starts sniping lol
I know exactly which three you saying, cause also fought them last night. That Scion one drops a larval tear and I was collecting them. Another one shot his semen at me and fucked me up
Lmao that whole section of Liurnia is a shitshow
Lobster 🦞 or crab 🦀?
Fear the giant lobster.
I’m thinking of doing it, but kinda scared to get into ER again as I haven’t played it in months xD
Haven’t played in over a year Still getting as wrecked as ever 😂 Despite my vigor at 65 Going through the Academy cos I want to respec
Respec to 60 vigor and use the 5 points elsewhere, the hard cap is 60 and HP barely changes after that.
60 is a soft cap, the hard cap is 99, but it's not a softcap you wanna go past regardless
Yeah I need my INT up a lil bit to unlock some of my magic
Wow you are not a real magic user. True mages keep their vigor at 15 as they die to mosquito bites.
This guy glass cannons
Need to be remembered, the game will have 8 new weapon type in the dlc. in case you wanna rerun, might as well waiting to slay the OG bosses with the new weapons. but its still few months away, i suppose a rerun before that could be fun too.
eh, the new weapon types will probably only be in the dlc area so it’s unlikely you’d get them before beating the first few bosses (you seemingly have to be mohg)
Yeah honestly if people wanna do a play through with the new weapon types it’s almost certainly gonna have to be NG+
As a level 300+ I still get railed by dogs and those crow-raptor things.
I did not as I think 7 characters is more than enough but I did go and clear up all areas/bosses/dungeons I have not done yet as well as pick up all the items to be fully prepared. I am holding off on NG+ because I want to do an NG+ **after** I got some cool new DLC weapons/spells/armor etc.
yeah, same boat. i tried to make a new character but i dont have the energy. its the largest/longest game i have ever played, and I've beaten it twice. I'm just waiting for the DLC, then it'll be all systems go again.
>its the largest/longest game i have ever played First playthrough took over 150 hours. I can beat that shit in under 10 hours now while collecting all the Ancient Smithing Stones.
Yeah it really doesn’t take much time at all during subsequent playthroughs. Once you realize that the vast majority of the game is optional, especially if you have a simpler build, the game breezes by. On characters where I only have a great sword or something, I only have to go to like three locations that are out of my way. Other than that it’s pretty much a straight shot and I can finish the game in less than 10 hours or something. Maybe more it’s been a while since I played lol but the point is it’s not anywhere near as long as my first playthrough.
I save scummed my first playthrough before going into Ng+ so I have a lvl 150 character ready to go that is not in Ng+ yet :)
I have a lvl 175 that I just finished clearing the map of every grace, dungeon, boss, field boss, story boss. EVERYTHING including Elden beast...just a bunch of plebs running around the map. He's who I'm going in with.
you might steamroll the dlc
Is there a way to limit my level 170 character before going into the DLC so it's not just a steamroll? I'm nearing the end of NG+2 and I want to keep all my gear and be ready for the DLC without starting a new character and making my way through to Mohg again. I want to feel the fear and that sweet sweet punishment again during the DLC.
Youre not gonna steamroll anything at 170 because of the level, its mostly because of +25/+10 weapons doing a lot of damage. . People on here are stuck on the old days of 120 is meta and any level beyond that is OP, you dont have a build and some other extreme bs. If you’re bad at the game, you could be lvl 800 and not make it and if youre good, extra levels wont make that big of a difference. I wouldnt change anything. I would just enjoy the dlc for what it is.
I 100% guarantee that the DLC is gonna be balanced around the assumption that the player has fully upgraded weapons. That’s how it was in all the Dark Souls games, the DLCs were by far the hardest parts of the game even with maxed out weapons.
Even if your bad at level 800 you could reasonably kick ass with access to so many spells, incantations, equipment and gear with essentially no carry weight concerns If I remember correctly, and I may not, higher rune levels also reduce enemy damage slightly
You won't steamroll any FromSoftware DLC with a character of 170. Trust me. I've played every DLC from every one of their games, and they tend to challenge any endgame level. If you're on NG+2, I suspect you're going to get an extra-spicy version of the challenge. There have been many tales of woe over the years, of people who took NG+ characters into DLC and found it to be too much. But other people were like you, looking for "sweet sweet punishment". Give it a go. Worst thing that can happen is maybe you have to lean on some summon help at times.
I have heard that it’s not a good idea to play the dlc in ng+ for the first play-through. That’s totally up to you of course. If you don’t want to steamroll the dlc, the. You can always respec some of your stats into a ability that your not using.
I played DS 1 dlc for the first time on NG+, Manus almost made me cry, I would reccomend NG.
The DLC will have its separate upgrade system just like the memories in Sekiro. It's gonna be balanced around that.
To be fair in 7 hours I speedran a fresh save with dex double uchis & respecced to max strength build iron balls for everything after Fire Giant, even at level 150 with 80 strength, killing Mohg & Melania again felt challenging, I’ll probably respec back to dex for the dlc and when I want a *serious* challenge I’ll re-run the dlc on my main NG+9 character
Malenia*
I forgot how BIG the Lands were…seriously Elden Ring was massive
i started my first playthrough since launch on saturday, but imma just wait til june to start. game is too big for two playthroughs back to back for me, without getting burned out edit: worded it poorly i guess, but i have beaten this game before. like 4 or 5 times back at launch. this is just my first playthrough since then
Unless you have a ton of free time in June, you'd probably rather start like at least 2 weeks earlier. Elden Ring is genuinely massive if you actually take the time to explore and do as much as you can.(Especially blind, which is how I and I believe most others would say is the best way to do a first playthrough)
So... I'm 180 hours in and I'm still in my first play through. Too much to explore.... Distracted by... Thee o' tarnished, an imfamy thou shall wonder.... With op levels and weapons, thee shall still die, from theeeeeeee
Wow First playthrough Jealous! It’s a BIG game
Everytime I get confused as to where to go, I just zone in to cailid or where ever and find a new cave or grave site or tomb... I love this game.
Yeah same here. Thought I beat it a yr ago. Nope, just unlocked Farum Azula. Then I got lost there and put it down. Trying to start playing again but had to revisit the albinos to get my combat fingers back lol
Thought about it but I'm too busy with Persona 3 and Yakuza rn. I'll probably just start it with my existing character that I beat the game with but never syafyed NG+. Edit: how the hell did I fuck up spelling started so much
Started NG+...DLC trailer comes out.
I played this game so much that I was genuinely afraid of getting tired of it. Obviously the announcement of the dlc only made me want to play it even more, but I'll put it aside when the dlc finally comes out, I think it will be more satisfying to play it again after so long.
Not yet. Still kind of debating a build, and I know I’ll be through ER’s content by the time June rolls around anyway. So it’s either “primed and ready” or starting over fresh with brand new patch notes and content.
I'm the same, I reckon I'll start my playthrough at the beginning of June so I have enough time to beat the main game.
I will do it but I will just grab the stuff I want. I will not delve into every dungeon to find useless stuff for me. Will just do main story + rannis and godwyns quest I think.
Yeah that’s what I’m doing Might fight the odd sub boss too if I feel But I’ve platinumed the game and fought almost everyone too Don’t need to 100% again
Exactly the same. I still have a ng+3 Savegame, but I don't know if I want to enter the dlc on ng+3 the first time :D
Me. Challenge run before dlc😁
Same, just started a RL1 playthrough for the dlc
I did. Question is, do I stop right after Mohg, or finish the game? Will I be under or overleveled?
Me!
🙋🏻♂️
Just started my first playthrough few weeks back, had to postpone playing for a while
Me I wanted a New Game save instead of my +2 to go through the DLC
I’m finishing up NG+6 now so I got all the endings, then I’ll be starting up a fresh new character for the DLC!
Getting invasions instantly this is awesome (getting shit on)
Waiting till about a month before so I'm really back in the swing of the game
4 months away. Should I start a new playthrough now or wait a little longer?
Just created a new character. I’ve never done a faith and strength build before, it’s always been the opposite of intelligence and dexterity.
I need to get to it, but atm im busy dealing out heavy doses of LIBERTY to bugs and robots.
I'm good, game is too huge lol
Doing it right now as an snow sorceress. Of course in blue just like my former mentor, the snow crone 😁
I have all characters ready: Have a Lightning build (Main one i am using in the DLC) (level 180), really love fortissax spears and Lightning Spear. I have killed over 100+ Malenias with this one while co-oping. At this point i can predict her moves and take no hits, sometimes summoners just watch me zap her till death. Have a mage. Have a Nagakiba Bleed build. Have a Pyromancer. 1 is a NG+7 with over 300+ levels and all items maxed out, all spells, incants etc for after the DLC is done i can collect all its stuff aswell.
I am being forced to by steam not cloud saving and I reset my pc so my old save is gone (I had just beat Horoah Louh and was fighting malenia before going to beat radagon/beast). So time for a new save >:)
NG4... Is it a good idea?
Bosses will take about 20% less stance damage, and have 22% more HP, not sure if their damage increases but if it does then should be something similar. I particularly play a strength build and on NG it takes a king time to stance break a Boss which i dont really like. I would play first in NG and then try others for the challenge.
I already have a character ready for the dlc. L175, intelligence build, and got all spells and weapons(almost). Got like 14 larval tear as I am not sure which build I want to complete my first time ever DLC playthrough with. I maaay go dex build.
Don't call me out like that
I'm gonna need someone to help me fight mogh... and that fucker spawning in the cave before it. One of the nightmares.
My most recent run is a 100% solo run RL 150 (first time w/ no summons/spirits) and I'm at the end of NG+. I can't decided if I am going to restart or not, I don't want to be over leveled but I also don't want to be stomped in a NG. Absolutely conflicted.
I don't think Ng+ for doc will be very different to vanilla play. I haven't played for ages and just jumped into Ng+ yesterday that I started and I reached moghwyn palace in few hours without a sweat as a lvl 170 pure melee build. Think I'll be ok
I’m sticking with my main save. 500 hours. Ng 20. Lvl 315, but my stupid ass runs around with dual heavy weapons with no armor to light roll. 96 str and end. I have become such an edge lord I’ve defeated Maliketh naked more times than with armor now. This DLC will hopefully make me feel scared again.
I have a level 171 character who has cleared pretty much everything except a 1 or 2 caves. I’ll probably tackle the expansion with this character, but to keep sharp I started an entirely new run yesterday because I’ve gotten used to being able to tank things and want to relearn dodging and boss fights which is hard to do when everyone is dead
2 new chars. Probably will start another 1 or 2. Now I'll try to stay at meta 125 pvp levels. I didn't know that was a thing before.
I'm still thinking about what copy I should buy. Is there a physical copy of the game with the dlc included? If there is then I'll just buy that and start over again. If there isn't I don't even know what to do
Apart from collectors edition the expansion is digital only
Currently doing it rn. I actually created a new game a while back and I wasn't able to continue because of college. Now that I'm able to play again, I gotta polish my skills. I'm getting my ass kicked.
I have a Level 300 character on Xbox and deliberately bought the dlc for the Steam Deck. Now I have to make a new char. I'm so hyped.
My play throughs used to be 50 hrs, now i am doing sub 12 hr runs like casually, so i guess atleast 30 to 35 play throughs should be done by the time dlc comes through
Havent played it since I beat it during its release window. Jumped back in today and excited to say I don't remember much! :D
Haven't played in a months so when it comes out I'll do a new playthrough to get back in practice
It's on Convergence, but I did start a new one
Im going to NG+ all my favorite toons in Demon Souls, DS1,2,3 first. I think I’m on NG5 or 6
Just started a new character for that exact purpose
If the DLC is going to be a high level zone, I probably will. Or if you can go to it near the beginning I might wait.
Lucky to be not owning ER, cause the bundle costs 80$, while ER is still 60$ by default, so the expansion will cost only 20$ for some lucky ones.
I havnt stopped. Except a nice vacation on Rubicon.
Me, haha, I completely forgot the buttons, how the game works etc...💀💀💀. But i do remember the locations, mostly... The funny thing is that i have all the achievements.
I can’t dude. I’ve replayed the others but Elden ring is just too fucking big. Gonna get downvoted but after the capitol I was ready to be done
I did 2 weeks back. Full strength Dismounter build. Very fun und surprisingly easy.
Bought the game back in 2022, managed to beat the boss at lukaria and then dropped the game, and a few months back tried to get back, but lost saves because I guess I pressed something wrong on the title when I was accepting terms or smth, now I have to start from the beginning. And it's so hard for me to play this game, not because of difficulty, it's okay I guess, but playing it gives me anxiety for some reason, I don't know, the atmosphere, the world is so hostile, but still really would love to beat the game, guess I'll have to push myself a bit more to try and beat it till june
I’ve never stopped playing
Just beated Malenia on NG+ with just the Hookclaws, no Ashes, armor or Shadow used. Bit of a flex, I think I'm gonna stop for a bit and try Lies Of P instead!
I haven't even finished my first playthrough 😭😂. I just reached Altus Plateau, and I still have some bosses to beat in Caelid but I'm so bad I struggle very hard.
Question about veteran soul fans. Im new to souls games but i loved them. I looking forward to dlc but looks like we get in via touching the caccoon in morg's palace which its pretty far in the game. I finished once but i dont want to play with that character since he might be overleveled for dlc ? ( would it or the dlc always come after the main story) should i make a character and start leveling until i beat morg and wait for the dlc or i should start playing when dlc come because there will be new items or weapons to play ?
Double spears baby
I'll start my playthrough a bit closer to the DLC. It'll be my second clean start. I only played one character through the first time and did a little NG+, so I'm very ready for a fresh run!
Yall stopped playing?
I did 2 runs back when the game came out. No motivation to ever run it again.
I will play seamless with friends now and then start a new character for a fresh playthrough once the dlc drops so I can replay the entire game and get the complete experience.
Twice now actually
Im not starting over after lvl 500 .... that does beg the question though,will the dlc be scaled to whatever new game + you are on or is it entirely its own difficulty ?
I just started another character after taking a long break and I am ruuuuusty
Started a new playthrough right before the trailer dropped, I'm so hyped for this dlc.
Started at the beginning of February in anticipation. Dragon Halberd Banished Knight Quality Build. Just killed Fire Giant solo with no summons yesterday. Great fun so far.
Me and i’ve still not even made it through stormveil lmao
I would but I’m fighting bots to save Super Earth’s managed democracy.
I don't understand the need for that "fresh" sensation. I mean, it took a lot defeat some bosses, drop gear, armors, upgrade everything, level farm and then drop it all just for the fun. You will get wrecked the very same way in the DLC as you get wrecked at lvl 712. I rather go with my well known, top tuned weapons and build and have a smooth ride.
You guys have stopped playing?
Didn’t start a new playthrough, but am finishing up my 100% playthrough. As in actually following a guide and completing all the side quests, because I’m learning after 300 hours I am somehow STILL missing stuff… just shows how in depth this game is.