I completed Dark Souls 3 NG+7, and will play through NG+8 to see if in fact, NG+7 is the hardest difficulty, as there's some claim that NG+9 (Journey 10) is the hardest. I can make this determination once I get to the Grand Archives Bonfire. This is the area of the best grinding spot in the game. With my soul-boosting items, each of these Obese Angels gives out 96,665 souls in NG+7, so all three are worth 289,995 souls. If the soul count is the same on NG+8, then we know that 7 is the highest difficulty.
Going through NG+7, I found that fighting one of the bosses, the Demon Prince, was very problematic, as you have to fight the camera most of the time. My strategy is to run away from the Orange activated Demon (Demon From Below) and wait until the Orange one is burnt out. Then tackle the Red one (Demon in Pain), since the final form of Demon Prince is much easier if you take out the Red one first.
The problem is while running away from the Orange, you have to move the camera to see where he is. However, your finger is off the face button when you move the camera, so you can't run while switching your viewpoint. Often, since you're walking and not running when adjusting the camera, the Orange demon then catches up with you and swipes your back.
On the lower NG levels, the damage is not that bad, and you can run away and heal. However, on NG+7, despite wearing all Havel's pieces, except for the Winged Knight Gauntlets (this seems to be the go-to default armor I've been using), he took out more than 1/2 of my health even in embered form at VIG 50 (health).
In NG+7 and the previous NG's, I run blindly in a straight line, moving out of the way of the poison blasts, and when the noise of the demons decrease (which means the Orange one is finally burnt out), I then fight the Red one. It worked, but I don't find this ideal or satisfying.
Therefore, I decided to bite the bullet and use the Elite's paddles, as I was avoiding them because I thought it would be too difficult to learn, and may not really add to the game-play. At any rate, I kept the same exact default configuration, where the left upper paddle corresponds to A (X on PS4), right upper goes to B (Circle), left bottom is X (Square) and right bottom is Y (Triangle).
However, I assigned the A (X) button to Right Analog Stick click (R3). It's very intuitive to press A to lock-on the enemy and then RB (R1) to attack. Since you only lock-on when you're facing the monster, it's okay if your fingers are off the right analog stick since you don't have to move the camera in that situation. I just hate pressing R3.
I didn't realize I can un-map the face buttons until I read advice on how to get used to the Elite controller, and found that many forum members recommend that strategy. Indeed, I keep pressing the face buttons, but since nothing is registered, it reminds me to use the paddles, and I learned exponentially faster than when I didn't un-map them.
I then practiced this configuration in the grinding spot of the 3 Angels, and it makes a huge world of difference! I can control the camera any time I want to while running at the same time! No more stopping, then moving the camera to go up the next flight of stairs! Further, for some reason, I'm able to dodge faster as the paddles seem to be more exact than the face buttons, and faster to push (i.e. the paddles have leverage, if that makes sense). Sometimes, when I was using the B (Circle) button, I'll be running and then I want to roll, but I jump instead. This doesn't happen with the paddles.
After getting a bit more used to the configuration within the safe confines of grinding, I then fought Slave Knight Gael, in a trial by fire! I felt that this will definitely force me to get used to the paddles fast since it's so easy to die to him even with small mishaps. I was surprised that I beat him after 3 tries, whereas before, it would take me at least 10 attempts. I think it's because I was able to dodge with less effort and more successfully, with full control of the view.
I'm still getting used to the paddles as it's not yet muscle memory, but even so, it has improved my game-play to the point where I did pure melee on Champion Gundyr after Gael. My strategy before was to do melee during the relatively predictable Phase 1, and then Dorhy's Gnawing in phase 2. But, because the paddles make dodging so precise and fast, with complete camera control at all times, it was easier for me to dodge and then swipe with the very fast Refined Broadsword.
I really think that the next-gen consoles should incorporate these paddles in their standard controllers. I think whoever does this will have a leg up on the competition.
At any rate, if you own an Xbox Elite controller, I would force yourself to use the paddles so you can have access to the analog sticks at all time. To learn as quickly as possible, un-map the face buttons. Although difficult at first, you get used to them very fast, and it's so worth it!
The How of Happiness Review
Going through NG+7, I found that fighting one of the bosses, the Demon Prince, was very problematic, as you have to fight the camera most of the time. My strategy is to run away from the Orange activated Demon (Demon From Below) and wait until the Orange one is burnt out. Then tackle the Red one (Demon in Pain), since the final form of Demon Prince is much easier if you take out the Red one first.
The problem is while running away from the Orange, you have to move the camera to see where he is. However, your finger is off the face button when you move the camera, so you can't run while switching your viewpoint. Often, since you're walking and not running when adjusting the camera, the Orange demon then catches up with you and swipes your back.
On the lower NG levels, the damage is not that bad, and you can run away and heal. However, on NG+7, despite wearing all Havel's pieces, except for the Winged Knight Gauntlets (this seems to be the go-to default armor I've been using), he took out more than 1/2 of my health even in embered form at VIG 50 (health).
In NG+7 and the previous NG's, I run blindly in a straight line, moving out of the way of the poison blasts, and when the noise of the demons decrease (which means the Orange one is finally burnt out), I then fight the Red one. It worked, but I don't find this ideal or satisfying.
Therefore, I decided to bite the bullet and use the Elite's paddles, as I was avoiding them because I thought it would be too difficult to learn, and may not really add to the game-play. At any rate, I kept the same exact default configuration, where the left upper paddle corresponds to A (X on PS4), right upper goes to B (Circle), left bottom is X (Square) and right bottom is Y (Triangle).
However, I assigned the A (X) button to Right Analog Stick click (R3). It's very intuitive to press A to lock-on the enemy and then RB (R1) to attack. Since you only lock-on when you're facing the monster, it's okay if your fingers are off the right analog stick since you don't have to move the camera in that situation. I just hate pressing R3.
I didn't realize I can un-map the face buttons until I read advice on how to get used to the Elite controller, and found that many forum members recommend that strategy. Indeed, I keep pressing the face buttons, but since nothing is registered, it reminds me to use the paddles, and I learned exponentially faster than when I didn't un-map them.
I then practiced this configuration in the grinding spot of the 3 Angels, and it makes a huge world of difference! I can control the camera any time I want to while running at the same time! No more stopping, then moving the camera to go up the next flight of stairs! Further, for some reason, I'm able to dodge faster as the paddles seem to be more exact than the face buttons, and faster to push (i.e. the paddles have leverage, if that makes sense). Sometimes, when I was using the B (Circle) button, I'll be running and then I want to roll, but I jump instead. This doesn't happen with the paddles.
After getting a bit more used to the configuration within the safe confines of grinding, I then fought Slave Knight Gael, in a trial by fire! I felt that this will definitely force me to get used to the paddles fast since it's so easy to die to him even with small mishaps. I was surprised that I beat him after 3 tries, whereas before, it would take me at least 10 attempts. I think it's because I was able to dodge with less effort and more successfully, with full control of the view.
I'm still getting used to the paddles as it's not yet muscle memory, but even so, it has improved my game-play to the point where I did pure melee on Champion Gundyr after Gael. My strategy before was to do melee during the relatively predictable Phase 1, and then Dorhy's Gnawing in phase 2. But, because the paddles make dodging so precise and fast, with complete camera control at all times, it was easier for me to dodge and then swipe with the very fast Refined Broadsword.
I really think that the next-gen consoles should incorporate these paddles in their standard controllers. I think whoever does this will have a leg up on the competition.
At any rate, if you own an Xbox Elite controller, I would force yourself to use the paddles so you can have access to the analog sticks at all time. To learn as quickly as possible, un-map the face buttons. Although difficult at first, you get used to them very fast, and it's so worth it!
The How of Happiness Review
I was the same with the Steam controller, only with that you almost need them with the right pad being your mouse and camera control's, you don't have a way of really interacting with your face button's most of the time. Rare expections would be like pausing the game, going into a menu, stuff like that, so in a way it pushed you into using the paddle's on the back for things like interacting with stuff or jumping in games. Playing through dishonoured with it was an absolute joy because I had my jump bound to right paddle. There was one distinct moment where I had just almost been spotted but a guard, overseer I believe. I had milliseconds to react before he fully seen me, split second decision told me to go back the way I came. I turned around with mouse precision, I jumped to get vision of where I came from with right paddle, blinked back around the corner, turned back to face him, crounched with the left paddle, hid under a cart, all with the control I expect from keyboard and mouse. All my fingers were in the right place at all times, and that enabled me to pull off way more than I would've hoped to accomplish with other controllers.
ReplyDeleteYou gave such a great example of the genius of paddles! You do have more control and can quickly squeeze the paddles since your fingers are already there. Whereas with Face Buttons, you only have your thumb to press the buttons. There's no way you can pull off those moves as it takes time for your thumb to travel to another face button.
DeleteI do hope that PS5 and XBox 2 will have paddles.