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

I've just had a look on the 'net about the Madman's Knowledge item... man, is there a lot of varied opinion! I hadn't realised that the item crops up throughout the game and offers "insight" stat improvements, but at the expense of (I believe) making the game harder in places.

Anyway, I have "used" it and so I think that has started me on the path of levelling up. Not only is this a challenging game to play, but understanding how things work is tricky, too. I'm enjoying it, though :-)

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You don't lose items, you might have actually spent it by accident as they're a consumable.

Edit: never mind

Using a Madman's Knowledge gives you insight which you can also get by:

encountering a boss (I think?
beating a boss
entering a new area for the first time

You can spend it on items at the insight bath in the Hunter's Dream and you use up 1 insight when you successfully summon someone into your game.

Ad7 wrote:You don't lose items, you might have actually spent it by accident as they're a consumable.

Yeah, Ad, I consumed it but hadn't realised what it had done. When I was killed I wasn't sure if that meant I'd lost it (and/or the benefits)... but, thankfully, it's seems not!

Mafro wrote:Using a Madman's Knowledge gives you insight which you can also get by...

Thanks, Maf. I think this first insight will put me on the road to leveling up. I'll keep an eye open for it cropping up and/or being awarded again!

So, I think now I have to make my way back to tackle the two big werewolves on the bridge again. I gotta figure out a way of combating them one at a time. Last go I tried chucking a stone at one to get his attention and that worked. He came over but, whilst I was fighting with it, the other one also came over and I was duffed up. I think I'll give it another go tomorrow!

Dodge dodge dodge never stop moving. Assume a hit is coming even when you can't see it and dodge.

Ad7 wrote:Dodge dodge dodge never stop moving. Assume a hit is coming even when you can't see it and dodge.

I tried dodging and attacking against the first werewolf and that was kinda working okay but, once the other one arrived, they quickly took me down. I think I need to roll a bit more, as you say.

I wouldn't worry too much about your Insight stat as you're playing the game. The main benefit is that getting the first point means you can now talk to the doll in Hunter's Dream and spend your blood echoes to level up your stats.

sawyerpip wrote:I wouldn't worry too much about your Insight stat as you're playing the game. The main benefit is that getting the first point means you can now talk to the doll in Hunter's Dream and spend your blood echoes to level up your stats.

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. Ah! Cheers, sawyer - I'll take a look at that when I play tomorrow

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jawafour wrote:
sawyerpip wrote:I wouldn't worry too much about your Insight stat as you're playing the game. The main benefit is that getting the first point means you can now talk to the doll in Hunter's Dream and spend your blood echoes to level up your stats.

... . Ah! Cheers, sawyer - I'll take a look at that when I play tomorrow .

No problem. Just remember you mainly want to be using your echoes on:

VIT - Increases HP
END - Increases stamina
STR/SKL - Increases damage (which one to focus on depends what weapon you use)

Don't worry too much about the other stats, from memory I didn't spend any echoes on the other ones. I think they're more suited to repeat playthroughs and trying out different styles of play.

Dang. Right, I've returned to Hunter's Dream and spoken to the doll and so I can now trade blood echoes for stat upgrades (albeit I don't have any bloodstains at the mo!).

But... I then spoke to the little skeleton creatures next to the doll and they're saying that I can "consume insight to enlist the help of other hunters". I didn't want to do this but the only option is "OK"

. Ah, well, I guess it had to be done.

EDIT: Maybe I'm being silly; is insight only consumed if I actually use the "invite other Hunter" option? Perhaps so.

Right, I've now gotta get back to the two werewolves on the bridge and try and do that "Retrieval" thing.

I've made my way back to where the big beast is banging against the locked door and I've kicked his butt. Just found the "Summon Father Gascoigne" thing... :dread:

. I know that he's some kinda boss so I don't think I'll do that yet. I'll stick with my plan to try and get my "Retrieval" stuff back from the werewolves area.

Last edited by Met on Wed Mar 14, 2018 8:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

The help from other hunters thing is just for summoning. I think they gave you a resonant/beckoning bell that you can use like an item. This basically opens the door to your game and lets people join to help (or invade and kill you). If you don't want to deal with that you don't need to ring your bells.

That's actually the friendly NPC summon version of Gascoigne.

Met wrote:The help from other hunters thing is just for summoning. I think they gave you a resonant/beckoning bell that you can use like an item...

Thanks, Met - yeah, that seems to be it - I still have my 1 insight on the stats

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Mafro wrote:(Re: Gascoigne) That's actually the friendly NPC summon version of Gascoigne.

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. Oh, blimey... perhaps I should try it then? I will, next time!

- - - - - - - - - -

Meanwhile... I travelled back and got my lost bloodstains ("Retrieval"). I didn't want to face the werewolves yet and so I thought I'd try and travel back to Hunter's Dream with my bloodstains. Man, I was nervous... I couldn't find a way back and I was battling crows, tall guys in top hats and dogs! Eventually got back to the Central Yharnam checkpoint and so I could get back to the 'Dream. Complete with my newly-acquired 3,035 bloodstains 8-)

. This game! It's a constant mixture of :dread:

/

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EDIT: I've spent the bloodstains and my stats are now VIT 15, END 12, STR 12, SKL 10.

The biggest dilemma in these games is when you've been exploring a new area for an hour and built up a healthy collection of blood echoes - do you retreat to the last lantern to level up, knowing you'll have to fight your way through all the same enemies again, or carry on forward and hope to find a new lantern or shortcut soon, running the risk of getting killed and losing your hard-earned echoes?

sawyerpip wrote:The biggest dilemma in these games is when you've been exploring a new area for an hour and built up a healthy collection of blood echoes...

Oh, boy, yeah - absolutely! I can't believe how few lanterns there are. In most games I'd be saving after every fight... here, you're lucky to get a checkpoint every fifty fights :lol:

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jawafour wrote:... . Oh, blimey... perhaps I should try it then? I will, next time!

Wimp

The Watching Artist wrote:
jawafour wrote:... . Oh, blimey... perhaps I should try it then? I will, next time!

Wimp

...

. I was desperately trying to get my bloodstains back to the 'Dream and I didn't want a big enemy appearing

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I'm up to the Lady Maria boss fight in the DLC myself, and it might be my favourite in the whole game. Bosses that are of the same size as the player and have a similar moveset always tend to be more fun and tense. Haven't managed to beat her yet as she's too bloody fast and I'm running low on vials, so have moved onto Mensis for now.

Yeah I prefer the Hunter-style bosses too. The beast ones are good for spectacle and design, but sometimes it can get a bit too hectic, with screen-filling attacks and movement that means the camera struggles to keep up. If memory serves to, a lot of them I beat by dodging round to the back of them/dodging through their legs, and wailing on their backsides.

The hunters always seem fairer too due to matching the player's movesets like you said. The beasts can feel a bit unfair and cheap until you learn their patterns.

As for the whole "press forward or go level up" dilemma, I am always super cautious and level up. My thinking is that if you level up and die, at least you're statistically stronger than before, whereas if you die with the souls on you, you're just having to do the same stuff with the same stars.

Generally I used to always grind just before the boss, if I was close to leveling up before going in. Usually there's a shortcut that takes you fairly close to the boss fog anyway. I think the CB in Yarhnam is obviously different, but the second one, FG, has a fairly quick run.

Really want to play this again, but only finished it in May 2016. Got a bit of a backlog which includes DS2 so I sort of feel time would be better spent just playing that.

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

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