Rage...hope...fear...loss...sun. All this and more await you within the world of Lothric.
You arise from your grave for one purpose, to conquer the Lords of Cinder and stop the Age Of Dark...or not.
Dark Souls is a game that has been giving players hard as balls gameplay and subtle yet deep lore. The third entry in this successful series is nothing less than it's previous games (well...it didn't take much to be better than 2 ;) ).
One of the things that brings many players and undead together is the deep and interesting lore that these games bring, and with Dark Souls 3 arriving, /r/Darksouls3 arrived as well.
First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.
/u/jwilliams108 I'm /u/jwilliams108 and have been an avid gamer since first encountering Zork in the early eighties. I currently live in the future (and upside down) in Australia, but originally hail from Canada.
/u/valoutingskull I'm a collection of atoms assembled in a manner so as to, in aggregate, create a sentient being. This sentient being loves the soulsies.
/u/e_0 im /u/e_0 and I'm a little too obsessed with the Soulsborne series! I currently reside in the US, and am an avid night owl... and morning person. Come to think of it, I don't really sleep much at all. I'm currently working to save up to go to school for Computer IT, and in the meantime spend a little too much time on my PC and PS4 alike.
/u/street_ronin I'm /u/street_ronin! I used to be a web designer, but I've grown more interested in community management through my time on Reddit. I mod a bunch of stuff including all the 'Souls[borne] subreddits, some Twitch streams, some Discord chats, and some PSN Communities, all of which are related to 'Souls.
/u/Creeper_Reaper13 An avid PC gamer and the youngest member of our team, I was brought on board, along with /u/Red_Eye_Stone, during the subscriber boom immediately prior to the Dark Souls III release date. As a long time lurker, I'd quietly watched our community become something wonderful, so I applied to help keep it that way. I currently live in the US, and hate nothing more than an early morning.
/u/Red_Eye_Stone I'm /u/Red_Eye_Stone and I am married with two children, and currently residing somewhere near the center of the United States. Some of my past hobbies (obsessions) have included: surfing, golfing, living through my “gotta go fast” phase with motorcycles (which surprises pretty much everyone), reading science fiction and fantasy novels, and, of course, gaming my ass off since receiving a Pong home console back in the mid-1970s. I was treated to scenic tour of the world—including a couple of years living in Italy—by the United States government during the time I spent on active duty in the Navy.
How did you get into the Dark Souls (including Bloodbourne) games?
/u/jwilliams108 I had first heard about this game that was meant to be crazy difficult, with a really interesting online component and decided to try it out. I got hooked immediately, and stumbled across /r/darksouls while I was trying to make sense of the game mechanics. This led me to getting heavily involved in PVP (fight clubs, tourneys, etc.), and along with another Redditor we started /r/darksoulspvp. Not too long after, /r/darksouls was looking for new mods and I joined up. Two sequels, Bloodborne and even buying a PS3 just to play Demon's Souls later, and here I am, still playing.
/u/valouringskull I got into Dark Soulsies because, like most of us, I am a terrible person who appreciates nothing but disappointment and pain in life. Someone once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. With that, then, I submit we are all insane.
/u/e_0 I went over to a friend's house sometime last April, and he was playing Bloodborne. I was absolutely blown away by the atmosphere of the game. Despite its difficulty at the time, the punishing, but fair, combat mechanics also caught my attention. I asked if the developers (FromSoftware) had created any similar titles, and he pointed me in the direction of Dark Souls.
Before I knew it, I had platinum'ed (got every achievement) for each game, spent FAR too long (is there such a thing as 'too much' with the Soulsborne Series?) with each installment, purchased a Ps4 for Bloodborne, became a moderator of every subreddit excluding /r/demonssouls, and eventually played a big role in organizing Dark Souls' Global Restart Day which is now an annual event under the title of 'Return to Lordran.'
/u/street_ronin Demon's Souls. I know, I'm such a hipster. Back in 2010 I had seen a few screenshots and heard a few things about this cool "Roguelike with graphics" called Demon's Souls (thanks to a very old thread on /r/dwarffortress). Went halfsies on a PS3 with a roommate, played it, got frustrated, came back a month or so later after playing through IWBTG with a much higher capacity for patience. Been hooked to the series ever since.
/u/Creeper_Reaper13 I was browsing Steam one day on my mid-2010 craptop when a new game within my spec and price range appeared in my queue for just $9.95. That game, as you may have guessed, was Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition. I was hooked from my first taste of the series' trademark "brutal but fair" difficulty having come from a roguelike background, and have followed the series religiously since. My one regret as a PC gamer is never having the opportunity to play Bloodborne or Demon's.
/u/Red_Eye_Stone I walked into my local GameStop and told the clerk that I was sick of shooters and desperately looking for something new. The clerk handed me a copy of the newly-released Demon's Souls. I rushed home and got my ass kicked, but I loved it. The rest, as they say, is history lore...
What is it you love about the Dark Souls community?
/u/jwilliams108 The general welcoming attitude and desire to share a pretty great experience. There are so many ways to play and enjoy the game, different challenge runs, PVP, invading, co-op; and lots of unique content creators and personalities. Sure, we all complain about certain game mechanics, weapons and playstyles, but at the end of the day this community is about uncovering all the hidden layers, sharing thoughts and ideas on the games and hanging out with other people who also love Dark Souls.
/u/valouringskull See above.
/u/e_0 This was a bit more prevalent whenever the series was more of a niche interest, but still stands today to a degree. I love the connection that most Souls players have with one another. I absolutely love that we have writers, artists, content creators, and general community members who share the same passion that I think all of us here on the mod team have towards the series. In short, my favorite thing about the community is the respect many of us have for one another simply for being a part of the community. I've established a lot of great friendships simply from connecting with people over the series.
/u/street_ronin /u/jwilliams108 really hit the nail on the head with his response to this question. It has also been a joy watching the community grow and expand in new directions since the days of Demon's Souls. I've met so many awesome people and made so many great friends since those days of stressing over Pure Bladestone drops and World Tendency events.
/u/Creeper_Reaper13 Our unique subculture. It's just incredible to me that our shared games can bring together such a vast number of talented individuals to share their own take on lore theories, post a PvP montage, draw fanart, or any of many other things that keep the community alive and kicking.
/u/Red_Eye_Stone The thing that I love about the Souls community is its sheer randomness, which is very closely followed by its silliness. You never know what you are going to get when you connect with another Souls player. One minute you are fighting to the death, then everyone breaks out a Channeler's Trident...
Favorite boss in Dark Souls 3, go! Also, why not in the whole Dark Souls games?
/u/jwilliams108 The Nameless King - how can you go wrong with a lightning swordspear-wielding, dragon-riding adversary? As for across all the DS games, I might have to commit blasphemy and go with a Bloodborne boss - Gehrman. That setting, his weapon and his motiviation all combine to make it my favourite.
/u/valouringskull I'd say without a doubt, across the board, gravity is the greatest boss in soulsies. Try as I might I have yet to defeat it.
/u/e_0 My favorite boss in Dark Souls 3 has to be a tie between Dragonslayer armor (for the atmosphere) and the Soul of Cinder. As for the SoC, I feel as if he's a great throwback to the original Dark Souls, and sort of "finishes," the series in a spectacular fight that feels both emotional and nostalgic every time the Gwyn verse of his soundtrack comes on. As for the entire series? It's a tie between Ornstein & Smough and Artorias the Abysswalker. Artorias' lore as a whole is absolutely soul-crushing (in the best type of way), while the O&S Bossfight is one of the most memorable boss fights and soundtracks I've ever had the (mis)fortune of experiencing. I can't choose between the two. If we're including Demon's Souls and Bloodborne into this - I'd have to vote for Penetrator and Lady Maria, respectively.
/u/street_ronin In 3, Either Nameless King or Soul of Cinder. Both are pretty exciting from the get-go and have awesome second phases. In the whole series? It may be nostalgia talking, but False King Allant in Demon's Souls is still my favorite. That fight is all style.
/u/Creeper_Reaper13 It's a close win for the Abyss Watchers over Soul of Cinder. Everything from the boss's design and lore to your intricate, melancholy dance with a Lord stands precisely for what makes Dark Souls so wonderful and enchanting. Across all three games, Dragonslayer Ornstein & Executioner Smough. As a fledgling player, this was my real make it or break it moment that would end either with putting the game away forever or "gitting gud." I'm still here, so you know how that ended.
/u/Red_Eye_Stone I really enjoy a challenge, but my favorite boss fights evoke an emotional response. In Dark Souls it was that certain feeling of guilt in finishing off a whimpering, limping Sif who was only protecting his companion's grave in honor of a bond that had survived through the Abyss and back. It was the first and only time I have ever cried because of a video game.
With Ashes of Araindel on it's way as the first DLC for Dark Souls 3, what are you looking forward to?
/u/jwilliams108 All of From Soft's DLCs have been absolutely stellar, and I'm definitely looking forward to the new weapons and armours that will (hopefully) shake up the status quo.
/u/valouringskull The influx of high-quality contributions to the sub that will elevate the conversation and bring our community into the forefront of human expression.
/u/e_0 I'm simply looking forward to seeing what FromSoftware has up their sleeves next.. ESPECIALLY with the bosses, as those have always been my favorite aspect of each game.
/u/street_ronin More fashion, of course! And new and different weapons, hopefully with some unique properties and movesets! Also interested in seeing what the lore architects on the subreddit can dig up once all of the DLC is released and we have a full picture.
/u/Creeper_Reaper13 The possible lore connections to Ariamis and the change of visual theme a snowbound setting ushers in. Watching Vaati's breakdown of the trailer only got me even more hyped for the expansion to come. I'm particularly interested in the new Cryomancy-styled sorcery showcased in the trailer.
/u/Red_Eye_Stone New weapons and armor, and, of course, wreaking havoc while invading in new areas!
You have to make a Deprived class and you can level up 50 times immediately, but, you have to make the class a pain to play (yet fun). What do you do?
/u/jwilliams108 Here's a go at a Pyro/Luck/Bleed SL50 that would be a bit of a challenge, with its short-range weapons :)
/u/valouringskull Pound all the points into luck. Bring it on, useless stat!
/u/street_ronin Level up? What kind of scrub needs to level up? ;) I'd spend all those souls on dung pies and toss them at the people I invade!
/u/Red_Eye_Stone I would put the 50 points into endurance and Kirk-roll everything to death!
Finally, anything else you would like to tell future subscribers?
/u/jwilliams108 The Souls games and community may seem a bit intimidating to newcomers, but definitely come by and join in. After you get told to 'git gud' a couple of times, you'll find a great bunch of people happy to share their experiences and advice with you.
/u/valouringskull I swear it was like this when we got here.
/u/e_0 I would simply tell them to enjoy this great community that you've stumbled upon. Like with any community, there can be rough patches here and there - but as a whole I've found that the SoulsBorne community has some of the smartest and most talented people littered throughout it who are more than willing to share their Soulsborne experiences with you and lend a hand with anything you could ever want to know about the games. Don't be afraid to play the games how YOU want to play, as FromSoftware has designed the game to be as difficult as you make it - entirely dependent on how you WANT to play it.
/u/street_ronin Seriously though, just come on by and poke around the place. If you like Dark Souls, you'll find something to catch your interest.
/u/Creeper_Reaper13 Lean on the community. There are people of all sorts here, some friendly and helpful, some not, but we're bound together by a common interest. If you need help with a boss, want to ask a question, or anything along those lines, don't hesitate to ask!
/u/Red_Eye_Stone “Try tongue, but hole” sums us up pretty nicely.
Time to rest up, refill your Estus and Ashen flasks.
Then head back in.....and probably die again....and again....and again.
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