I’m stuck on the second boss. This is partly my fault and partly not. Which is the theme of this game, really. Or rather, my reaction to this game.I am stuck on the second boss, and it’s frustrating as fuck. I’ve only actually seen the boss three times. At least I think it’s three. Maybe two? Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s three. I was lucky enough to be carried for a win on the first boss on the first night by two beasts of players. We demolished the boss in a rather quick fashion, too. Even though it wsa three or four hours after the game dropped, they were pros.
Here is my post from yesterday.
The problem for me is that I’m following one or both of my teammates because I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. Still. I mean, I know to hit the churches and the sites of graces, but that’s about it. Some people seem to prefer fighting all the field-bosses to get the perks for that while others just run through all the dungeons to get the perks from that (which includes a field boss at the end).
I have to note that a patch came out today, and one thing they focused on was making solo more balanced. Someone in the Discord posted a pic of their first solo win (after patch) and said it was much more reasonable now. I tried it, and I still didn’t make it past the first night. And this is with my main character. So solo will not be for me.
I had a few runs today on the second boss. Here’s the frustrating thing. Each of my teammates seem to know what they are doing. Then, on the first or second night boss, it all falls apart. To be fair, some of it is my fault because I die to the goddamn ring. This is because oftentimes, my teammates like to fight something that is in the ring, get the rewards, and then hurriedly get out of the ring. Because I don’t know/can’t navigate the map, have difficulty with spatial observation and reflexes, that means I can’t cut it as close to the line as they can.
At this point, I think I need to watch videos on how to optimize if I want to continue playing. Which is no fun for me! I hate all that shit, and it’s antithetical to how I play From games. Other people in the Discord are making it to the third and fourth bosses, and it’s making me sad. I don’t think I’m going to roll credits (I think that’s killing five Night Lords). I can’t even see a way to kill the second Night Lord, let alone the last.
It’s really frustrating to have a really good team that demolishes the first night boss and even the second, but then falls to the Night Lord on the third night. The three times I’ve seen the Night Lord, we did the best on our first run. We got it down to a quarter of its health. The other two times, we got it to the second phase, but just.
It’s really dispiriting to make it half-an-hour through the game and have nothing to show for it. Yes, you get your choice of some shitty relics at the end of the run or a piddling amount of murk (money in this game), and that’s it. Every run, you start as basic as you were in the beginning except for the character-specific relic you might earn.
It’s old-school and it’s very FromSoft, but it’s frustrating as hell for those of us who are mid or below mid. I think it would be better if I had an actual crew to run with. Randos can be great, but there’s no cohesion with no voice chat. And if I have to pick one or the other to run with (if they are doing different things), I don’t know which is better–obviously.
I’m already a bit bored with the loop. I know one way to change that up is to try a different class. I barely know what I’m doing as the Recluse, though, and I’m not someone who can switch on the fly.
This game isn’t for everyone, and it’s not even for all Elden Ring fans. I don’t think I’m good enough to beat the game without a core group of three. Even then, I need people who can carry me. I feel like I’m the drag on any group–and that’s not a good feeling. I mean, I’m not trash–however, I’m not going to be cleaning up bosses solo, either–and some of my teammates have done that.
I think this patch also made gear drops more specific to the character, which I appreciate. However, Id don’t understand why every seal of a certain type has the same basic attack with only a different one for the strong attacks. I wouldn’t be so mad about it if it wasn’t Rejection–an incantation that pushes enemies back. That’s it. it’s not a bad incantation, but for a game like this, I want something that does damage.
That’s the issue in general. I just don’t feel like I do enough damage. I really should switch classes because the Recluse has a steep learning curve. I mean, the basics are whatever, but to truly use her correctly, you have to dedicate yourself to her. Which I have, but it’s still not second nature. Plus, she’s so squishy, it’s hard just to keep her alive sometimes.
I just feel really defeated. There’s no way to ‘git gud’ between runs. It’s pure skill, which is not my strong point. I don’t feel like I’m any better than I was when I first started. That’s frustrating. I haven’t made any progress in two days. After two days of making rather quick progress. I see other people moving effortlessly (it seems) through the bosses, and I feel like I have my nose pressed to the window, wistfully wishing I could be in on the fun.
I feel like I need to watch videos to maximize the chararcter, but I have such an internal resistance to doing that. Sigh.
I might have one more post in me, but I’m done for now.