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

You need to keep your wits abut you in the Forbidden Woods, eh?

"Beware of trap" "Beware of fall" Beware of...everything"

I felt like Wile E. Coyote during my first run through!

I've opened the first shortcut now (so I can avoid all the oil/firebomb based antics) so will see how I fare with the rest of it.

I'd found during some exploring of the Unseen Village that switching armour affects how NPCs respond to you. After picking up the White Church set, I tried out speaking to one that I'd found in Hemwick. Previously, they could only be described as...'uncommunicative', switching outfits changed them to a right chatterbox though as they gave me a Tonsil Stone and a cryptic message.

One to check out later!

I've also found the Holy Blade's damage counter will now only rise when I increase my Arcane level (rather than Strength as before). Is raising Strength pretty much useless now? It does still increase my Saw Cleaver attack but it seems like it'll be a secondary focus.

Madman's Knowledge - I have tonnes but don't intend to co-op at all. Does Insight get used for anything else?

I found with the holy blade the when arcane was the only improving stat, then pushing it another upgrade or two past that then scaled again to strength and skill.

Blood Starved Beast and Vicar Amelia fell today. Both were relatively easy compared to Gazza I thought.

Forbidden Woods has been great fun, got smacked by some logs a few times, fell down the odd hole. Had a hefty chunk of echoes, was feeling good then... Huh? Who the strawberry float are the Shadows of Yharnham?

Dead.

Boo.

NBK wrote:You need to keep your wits abut you in the Forbidden Woods, eh?

"Beware of trap" "Beware of fall" Beware of...everything"

I felt like Wile E. Coyote during my first run through!

I've opened the first shortcut now (so I can avoid all the oil/firebomb based antics) so will see how I fare with the rest of it.

I'd found during some exploring of the Unseen Village that switching armour affects how NPCs respond to you. After picking up the White Church set, I tried out speaking to one that I'd found in Hemwick. Previously, they could only be described as...'uncommunicative', switching outfits changed them to a right chatterbox though as they gave me a Tonsil Stone and a cryptic message.

One to check out later!

I've also found the Holy Blade's damage counter will now only rise when I increase my Arcane level (rather than Strength as before). Is raising Strength pretty much useless now? It does still increase my Saw Cleaver attack but it seems like it'll be a secondary focus.

Madman's Knowledge - I have tonnes but don't intend to co-op at all. Does Insight get used for anything else?

Yup.

When you have 10 insight go to the birdbath situated directly beside the lodge. More items will become available as you progress.

Why the hell has the price of molotovs doubled? Bloody hell - this game is unfair at times!

Beaten amelia and now heading for more rural areas where i get attacked in great numbers! I thought i was getting good, but had my ass handed on a plate. Bloodborne!!!

The forest area to the left of the Amelia church is probably the best area in the game. So much to explore, so many tough mobs. The bit to the right of the church is tough as nails.

Ad7 wrote:The forest area to the left of the Amelia church is probably the best area in the game. So much to explore, so many tough mobs. The bit to the right of the church is tough as nails.

The bolt things were hard, but i did them both eventually. Scurried back soon after! Want to try and focus on the area to the left of the grand cathedral.

Saint of Killers wrote:

NBK wrote:You need to keep your wits abut you in the Forbidden Woods, eh?

"Beware of trap" "Beware of fall" Beware of...everything"

I felt like Wile E. Coyote during my first run through!

I've opened the first shortcut now (so I can avoid all the oil/firebomb based antics) so will see how I fare with the rest of it.

I'd found during some exploring of the Unseen Village that switching armour affects how NPCs respond to you. After picking up the White Church set, I tried out speaking to one that I'd found in Hemwick. Previously, they could only be described as...'uncommunicative', switching outfits changed them to a right chatterbox though as they gave me a Tonsil Stone and a cryptic message.

One to check out later!

I've also found the Holy Blade's damage counter will now only rise when I increase my Arcane level (rather than Strength as before). Is raising Strength pretty much useless now? It does still increase my Saw Cleaver attack but it seems like it'll be a secondary focus.

Madman's Knowledge - I have tonnes but don't intend to co-op at all. Does Insight get used for anything else?

Yup.

When you have 10 insight go to the birdbath situated directly beside the lodge. More items will become available as you progress.

Thanks, done!

Armour sets were the only things of interest at the moment so I picked up both the Ashen and Gascoigne ones. I'll add that and the messenger stump to my list of Things in This Game That I Didn't Know Existed.

strawberry float snakes. strawberry float Ganados.

That is all.

Got some help in the second main section on the way to the witches boss fight. TBH I am not sure if I could have gone there and done that bit myself without a bit of levelling up. I had help from two people online. It really adds a new dimension to the game, doesn't it? What felt overwhelming is made easier, but better by more experienced Bloodborne gamers. I then saluted them for helping me out! Brilliant game and will now look to level up a bit in the various areas before moving forward myself.

I now see the relevance of the resonant bell - we lose insight for using it and summoning online help, but by gaining it the enemies become a little tougher and items are also more expensive!

I think it's just progress that deals with item prices. But yeah, insight is more interesting a mechanic than humanity. There was no risk for storing humanity, in fact it boosted some of your stats.

Meanwhile with BB I think insight secretly raises and lowers a stat each. I'll have to look into it more, though.

Met wrote:I think it's just progress that deals with item prices. But yeah, insight is more interesting a mechanic than humanity. There was no risk for storing humanity, in fact it boosted some of your stats.

Meanwhile with BB I think insight secretly raises and lowers a stat each. I'll have to look into it more, though.

Its very well thought out.

The only thing they have cocked up is with the Blood Vials - we shouldn't have to farm them if we use them up and die.

Thankfully I have stored quite a few in my storage to counteract this scenario.

Tafdolphin wrote:strawberry float snakes. strawberry float Ganados.

That is all.

I don't know what Ganados is but I wholeheartedly agree with the first bit.

GET IN THE strawberry floating SEA, SNAKES.

Never thought i would run out of bullets, but i am now. Buying the saw cleaver weapon was a masterstroke on my part - its dispatches enemies with great speed!

So, things have taken a turn for the strawberry floated up: killed the Shadows of Yharnham fairly easily, got them on the third attempt. Got to Rom, beat him on the second attempt. Then, well... what the strawberry float are those giant spider things and why is there a baby crying in the background all the time? It's gone from Victorian Gothic to full on Lovecraft. Unseen Village is also the first time I feel the game's become cheap... strawberry floating no one likes respawning enemies, especially not when they're rock hard versions of previously encountered mobs. Hmm.

Lovely little thing I came across: the first guy you talk to in the game behind that first window... Warped back to Central Yharnham to see how he was getting on and was immediately attacked by a beast that wasn't there before and noticed said window was smashed, from the inside out. Sad face.

1. You have too much Insight.
2. Kill the bell ringers to stop the others respawning
3. If you got the Tonsil Stone from the Forbidden Woods you can now go to the best levelling spot in the whole game.

Played some more this morning - bloody hell I am addicted to playing this game!

After killing the witch and levelling up a bit more I started back at the Grand Cathedral and went all of the way down and into the Forbidden Woods! Now this is what Dark Souls 2 should have looked like!

Managed to kill a few more enemies with the delightful saw cleaver weapon and saw that beautiful unlit lamp and promptly saved for my next playthrough - probably tonight!

I must admit had it not been for some help via the resonant bell, whether it be NPC help or online help I am not sure I would have go so far, so soon! The online help is fantastic and very satisfying, however the framerate is pretty awful when using this option, isn't it!?

Once you get a bit better, killing the enemies is faster, which gives you a real chance to search areas you missed on your first or second go. Knowing the enemy locations and patterns are pretty much what this game is about. Superb game and my favourite game of this generation, easily!

jiggles wrote:1. You have too much Insight.
2. Kill the bell ringers to stop the others respawning
3. If you got the Tonsil Stone from the Forbidden Woods you can now go to the best levelling spot in the whole game.

What do I do with the Tonsil Stone? I got it on the off chance!

You're probably not a high enough level to reach the area you need to, buuut...

When you come out of the Grand Cathedral, swing a left, and head in the opposite direction to the Forbidden Woods. You'll go down some stairs and face off against two hunters. It's a really tricky fight, but they don't respawn, so you can just suicide-run them one at a time if you think you can get them down to 0 HP. Proceeding further down brings you to a rocky area where there's a couple of executioners and some snipers. If you get past that, there's a room with a silver bath in the middle. If you proceed towards the door, you'll start hearing some enemy (invisible if you haven't beaten Rom) start an attack just like outside the main lamp in the Cathedral Ward. Let it grab you and if you have the Tonsil Stone you'll be teleported to the Lecture Building (which is the Blood Echo jackpot, and leads on to the Nightmare Frontier).

If you wait until Rom is slain, you'll get teleported to the silver bath room as soon as you beat her, and skip the tricky fights on the route there.

jiggles wrote:You're probably not a high enough level to reach the area you need to, buuut...

When you come out of the Grand Cathedral, swing a left, and head in the opposite direction to the Forbidden Woods. You'll go down some stairs and face off against two hunters. It's a really tricky fight, but they don't respawn, so you can just suicide-run them one at a time if you think you can get them down to 0 HP. Proceeding further down brings you to a rocky area where there's a couple of executioners and some snipers. If you get past that, there's a room with a silver bath in the middle. If you proceed towards the door, you'll start hearing some enemy (invisible if you haven't beaten Rom) start an attack just like outside the main lamp in the Cathedral Ward. Let it grab you and if you have the Tonsil Stone you'll be teleported to the Lecture Building (which is the Blood Echo jackpot, and leads on to the Nightmare Frontier).

If you wait until Rom is slain, you'll get teleported to the silver bath room as soon as you beat her, and skip the tricky fights on the route there.

Cheers, I have read I need 40 insight, don't I? Will just get through The Forbidden Woods.