Bloodborne - The Nightly Hunt begins... (The Old Hunters DLC out Tuesday!)

Quick tip about the bloodgems: they just slot into your weapons and provide a passive buff. They can be swapped at will so there's no worries about wasting them.

Met wrote:Quick tip about the bloodgems...

Thanks, Met. I'd wondered if I'd waste it on something silly... but it seems I can't go too far wrong. Will try it out next time I play!

jawafour wrote:

Met wrote:Quick tip about the bloodgems...

Thanks, Met. I'd wondered if I'd waste it on something silly... but it seems I can't go too far wrong. Will try it out next time I play!

One thing I forgot about, sorry: you need a gem workshop tool to fit them and you pick it up after the first or second boss, depending which path you take.

Then you slot them in at the workshop table in the hub area.

Met wrote:One thing I forgot about, sorry: you need a gem workshop tool to fit them...

Ah! I stumbled across that hub workbench and it said a tool was required. I guess I'll need to go get it!

Mafro wrote:

Tragic Magic wrote:Already had Bloodborne but this has got me in the mood for a replay so I've bought the discounted DLC. Can I access the DLC if I continue with my old NG+ or do I need to start with a fresh game?

You can access it in NG+ but it might be pretty tough at that level.

Hmm, I'll probably finish Kiwami first anyway as I'm living and breathing that game right now. Gives me time to decide whether to start completely fresh, which I think I probably will. Then maybe I'll jump into an NG+ properly.

It's basically end game content but you can access it just after the Cathedral Ward bonfire early in the game.

sawyerpip wrote:

jawafour wrote:Dang it.

How do I equip a weapon? I've got a weapon for each hand... they're in my inventory... but when I use the R1/R2 or L1/L2 buttons I just swing my fists. I've gone into Inventory and can see the weapons listed, but when I press X on them I get a Use/Discard option and Use doesn't do anything.

So embarrassing .

I've been playing games for 25 years and consider myself half-decent at them but I also went through this struggle

I went on to complete the game so hope is not lost Jawa!

25% of SoulsBorne is trying to understand the menus and how things work. Another 25% is spent trying to locate the gooseberry fool you pick up. 20% is dealing with the camera and lock on. 30% is combating bizarre hitboxes and walls that are not actually walls. A further 20% is being trolled. About 10% is actually making progress whilst an additional 50% is swearing at the banana spliting thing.

BB also luckily comes with a special bonus of about 500% increased farming.

Started a new save tonight and beat the Cleric Beast and Gazza on my first go. Being able to remember my way around Central Yharnam and where hidden enemies were after almost 3 years speaks volumes about how good this game is.

Wait, this game can't be three years old?!

The Watching Artist wrote:(percentage break down)

.

Right, I'll be returning to Yharnam in a moment. I was kinda thinking "Perhaps I could wander around this starting area and keep re-battling the monsters so that (a) I get used to the controls and (b) I level up a bit." Is this sensible thinking?

The Watching Artist wrote:...BB also luckily comes with a special bonus of about 500% increased farming.

Would my plan tie in with this "farming" suggestion?

SugarDave wrote:Started a new save tonight and beat the Cleric Beast and Gazza on my first go...

Nice going, Dave. Seems like a few GRcadians are discovering / re-discovering the world of Bloodborne .

jawafour wrote:

The Watching Artist wrote:(percentage break down)

.

Right, I'll be returning to Yharnam in a moment. I was kinda thinking "Perhaps I could wander around this starting area and keep re-battling the monsters so that (a) I get used to the controls and (b) I level up a bit." Is this sensible thinking?

Good luck with that. Something has to happen before you are allowed to do that.

The Watching Artist wrote:

jawafour wrote:...I was kinda thinking "Perhaps I could wander around this starting area and keep re-battling the monsters so that (a) I get used to the controls and (b) I level up a bit." Is this sensible thinking?

Good luck with that. Something has to happen before you are allowed to do that.

Ah... so I won't actually get any benefit from beating the monsters a few times? Hmmn, I may still wander around for a short time just to try different things with the controls and get comfortable with them.

jawafour wrote:

The Watching Artist wrote:(percentage break down)

.

Right, I'll be returning to Yharnam in a moment. I was kinda thinking "Perhaps I could wander around this starting area and keep re-battling the monsters so that (a) I get used to the controls and (b) I level up a bit." Is this sensible thinking?

The Watching Artist wrote:...BB also luckily comes with a special bonus of about 500% increased farming.

Would my plan tie in with this "farming" suggestion?

I don't think you ever really need to farm on this game as the echoes you get from normal play are generally more than enough for you to get by. However, bumping up a few extra levels won't hurt and getting used to the controls and game mechanics is a good idea.

In terms of levelling up, there's a lot of stats you can mostly ignore on a first play through. From memory you want to focus on:

VIT - increases your health bar
END - increases your stamina bar
STR/SKL - these increase the damage you do. The one you want to upgrade more depends on what weapon you're using and whether it's affected more by your STR stat or your SKL stat. You can find this on your weapon stats where it will have a grade for each stat.

EDIT: What TWA says is right, you can't actually level up until you either encounter a boss, a find and use an item called Madman's Knowledge.

Your idea is sound, but as the watching scrub says, you need to have done a certain something before being able to spend echoes.

sawyerpip wrote:(leveling up info)

Thanks, sawyer'. I haven't really looked too closely at the stats yet and I haven't done anything with echoes (no idea how many I have). I was kinda thinking that "If I beat enemies I will level up" but that was probably a bit too simplified lol! Taking up the point that you, TWA and Ad made about needing to encounter a boss (and / or discover that item) I will wander around the area once and then try and progress.

jawafour wrote:

sawyerpip wrote:(leveling up info)

Thanks, sawyer'. I haven't really looked too closely at the stats yet and I haven't done anything with echoes (no idea how many I have). I was kinda thinking that "If I beat enemies I will level up" but that was probably a bit too simplified lol! Taking up the point that you, TWA and Ad made about needing to encounter a boss (and / or discover that item) I will wander around the area once and then try and progress.

Yes the first area is designed to teach you the mechanics of the game. Don't get too disappointed if you die numerous times and lose your Echoes, you're supposed to as you learn the fans, and the amount of Echoes you lose you'll easily make back up later on.

One thing to note in Bloodborne (and Souls games) is that you should always be on the lookout for shortcuts. As you progress further in an area, generally you'll unlock a shortcut back to the lantern by opening a locked door or activating a lift. You'll almost always find a shortcut somewhere just before a boss - this is so when you repeatedly die on the bosses you don't have to fight your way through the same enemies and areas again and again just to have another go.

There are few feelings in life more euphoric than opening a gate, looking around for a second and realising you know where you are while carrying enough souls/blood to level.

sawyerpip wrote:

jawafour wrote:

The Watching Artist wrote:(percentage break down)

.

Right, I'll be returning to Yharnam in a moment. I was kinda thinking "Perhaps I could wander around this starting area and keep re-battling the monsters so that (a) I get used to the controls and (b) I level up a bit." Is this sensible thinking?

The Watching Artist wrote:...BB also luckily comes with a special bonus of about 500% increased farming.

Would my plan tie in with this "farming" suggestion?

I don't think you ever really need to farm on this game

Oh he will. Only it will be for vials and antidote and the like.

jawafour wrote:"If I beat enemies I will level up" but that was probably a bit too simplified

When you kill gooseberry fool (and use certain items) you collect Echoes. This is your currency which you use to buy stuff from midget skeleton guys who you can give top hats to as well as pay for upgrades and levels. You drop Echoes when you die.

Thanks for the tips, guys!

The Watching Artist wrote:...When you kill gooseberry fool (and use certain items) you collect Echoes. This is your currency which you use to buy stuff from midget skeleton guys who you can give top hats to as well as pay for upgrades and levels. You drop Echoes when you die.

Now that's interesting as, in that opening area, I have seen a couple of top hats on the ground but I (don't think I) could do anything with them. Maybe that will change later!

Right, chores done and so now it's time to enter Bloodborne .

Oh, and I gotta say that the "Hunter's Dream" theme is terrific .


Edit: Man, I wish there was a photo mode in the game. I'd love to pan and zoom around the wonderful environments.