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Chapter 127: Is This Alex's Love?
Unlike the previous online complaints about Dark Souls' excessive difficulty, in the first few days after the launch, the first players who remained in the game completely changed their perception of Dark Souls.
Furthermore, with this group of veteran players as pioneers, subsequent players no longer feel overwhelmed. They have even been able to find answers to some of the game's most basic questions.
For example, after dying once in the Cemetery of Ashes, many new players can find guides from veteran players through search engines, realizing that they are not essential. Even the tips from veteran players on the ground have been helpful, saving many newcomers from major setbacks.
For example, the first treasure chest monster in the attic can still be devoured by new players who enter the world of Dark Souls. There are two main reasons for this.
The first is that they stick to the most authentic gaming experience, ignoring guides and level analysis, and completely ignoring the tips from veteran players on the ground.
The second type is a feeling of skepticism and self-confidence, driven by the desire to test the power of a treasure chest monster. Only after being devoured once do they learn their lesson and avoid it.
After accepting Dark Souls' difficulty, players quickly shifted their focus from simple difficulty to the game's content. For example, various strategy guides, items hidden throughout the map, shortcuts, strategies for defeating bosses and monsters, which character to choose for raids, priority health upgrades for leveling up, etc., have gradually become common topics of discussion among Dark Souls players.
Some topics that were previously hot online are still simmering, but they are slowly calming down.
What surprised many players was that the topic that many had fanned, hoping to see Alex suffer in his live stream, received a response from Alex. Previously, many players had tagged Alex, but few expected him to respond, simply joining in the fun and having a good time. Now, however, he has exceeded all expectations.
An official message was posted on Alex's official Twitter account, and Nebula Games' official account also repeated it.
"Many players want to see me suffer, but a live stream is unthinkable because it would probably reveal game content prematurely. Dark Souls is a game worth enjoying, so I recorded a video showing the progression from the Cemetery of Ashes to the Lothric Walls, as a reference for new players who are still struggling."
Below the text message was a link to the video.
After the publication, many players who followed Alex and Nebula Games' official Twitter account were immediately excited. While a live stream was not possible as they had hoped, having a video was helpful.
The Lothric Walls are well-known to early Dark Souls players. But the key is that it was a video of Alex personally playing it, which made many players curious. 'How did Alex play it in this video? Was it really an official developer guide? Would it be a reference for new players who are struggling?'.
Curious players clicked on the video. After doing so, many instinctively checked the time. It wasn't long, but it wasn't short either, about ten minutes.
At first, many recognized the location. It was the room in front of the boss, known as the Abyssal Watcher. According to normal gameplay, after defeating the Abyssal Watcher, one would face a cliff. But reaching this point required a key item to advance to the next level.
The item could be obtained by talking to an old woman in the room in front of the Abyssal Watcher. Killing the old woman would make her drop a basin. Taking the basin and bringing it to the sculpture on the wall would trigger a boss fight, the Dancer of the Boreal Valley.
The room's floor was a bright red stain, a testament to the countless unsuspecting players who had been massacred there.
Players who, unintentionally, triggered this boss fight, with no intention of actively attacking, would usually use the left click. Upon clicking, they would accidentally end the conversation and slash the old woman with a knife. This led many players to abandon mouse dialogue and adopt keyboard dialogue.
Meanwhile, countless players who had suffered a terrible lesson from the Dancer jokingly called her the second boss of Dark Souls. Well... Gundyr doesn't count, after all, he was just a Guardian.
"One-shot Dancer Tutorial!" The video stopped and a subtitle appeared in the center.
Instantly, all the players were stunned.
"Good grief! A one-shot Dancer tutorial? How fierce!"
"Isn't this supposed to be a beginner's tutorial?"
The character in the video was a useless person, without embers or clothes, and wielding chicken drumsticks in both hands. Many players who watched it were bewildered.
According to current online expert guides, the Dancer of the Boreal Valley is clearly a boss that should be faced in the later stages, as the damage inflicted on him by underpowered weapons in the early stages is truly depressing. Although it is possible to kill him slowly and without damage if you don't make mistakes, it's too difficult.
'Is there a hidden secret?'.
The video quickly cut, skipping the intermediate scenes and going directly into the Dancer battle. The next instant, a ghostly dancer appeared next to the game character and, with a dry slash of his sword, his health bar was instantly emptied.
Hmm... the useless person's health bar was emptied.
The first group of players who saw the video was stunned, but then they reacted.
"Oh my God! I took off my pants and this is what happens to me!"
"I wanted to say something, but I couldn't, because this fits the title perfectly!"
"That's a one-shot kill!"
"So this is a one-shot death tutorial? Without exaggeration, I could do that too!"
"A one-shot dancer's death? Doesn't that require a hand?"
The comments on the video visibly increased. The players laughed and, unconsciously, felt a sense of familiarity. After all, how many times had they died like that in the game?
Soon, the cheerful players were drawn to the rest of the video. In the game, a knight appears in the Cemetery of Ashes. There are still quite a few Dark Souls guides online, and the knight is generally considered the most suitable profession for new players to explore.
By having a shield, sword, and armor, he has a higher tolerance for error than other professions. Of course, if you only focus on Gundyr, the sorcerer, with a shorter arm swing, would be a better choice. But when it comes to the Lothric Wall and the maps beyond, the knight feels more comfortable.
In the video, the knight draws the spiral sword from Gundyr's chest and officially enters the battle. Faced with Gundyr's attack, the game character raised his shield and withstood a single blow. Although his health bar plummeted, it remained intact.
Then, taking advantage of a gap between Gundyr's attacks, he rolled back, creating distance and slowly restoring his health bar.
He found an opportunity to attack again, completely ignoring the delay after Gundyr's attack, simply raising his shield. The video fast-forwarded, surprising many.
This was completely simple, requiring only attention to the health bar; don't raise the shield without thinking. Wait for the boss's attack to finish, then stealthily advance for a single attack and then hold up the shield again.
Many of those who watched the video were shocked by this move, as it was incredibly cowardly and vile! As for shields, most players use them for emergencies or counterattacks.
But hiding behind a shield the entire time, as shown in the video, is something many players have never done. It's like turning a real-time battle into a turn-based one!
In Gundyr's second phase, the Black Flame Pot, a burial item, comes into play. The journey to the Firelink Shrine and then to the Lothric Walls was extremely smooth. Upon facing the Lothric Knight, many players wanted to see how he handled it in a video. After all, the Knight possessed a unique shield slam.
However, in the video, the game character simply attracted the Knight's attention, waited for him to leave the room, and then rolled away. They arrived safely at the Abyssal Watcher's room, just as they had before against Gundyr.
In the first phase, they attacked the groin, and in the second, they held their shield to protect themselves from the Abyssal Watcher's foul breath and his wheels. Then, they simply kept mashing. The entire experience was summed up in one word: firm!
This amazed all the players watching. From that perspective, the game seemed quite simple! It didn't feel like his mind was being unraveled, but his hands were. It was about holding the shield and playing cautiously and safely. It was a bit frustrating, but effective!
This video opened up a new world of possibilities for many new players. It turns out that this game doesn't have to be based solely on raw skill. It's perfectly possible to be a despicable undead. With a shield in my left hand and a sword in my right, I invest all my points in stamina and durability. Wearing armor, as long as I can get it, is enough.
Add other points as you see fit, just enough to hold the shield. In battle, my shield is my home; I will not let go of it as long as my stamina is high. When facing monsters, resist the temptation to repel with the shield; don't get carried away.
Some players who bought the game and then realized they couldn't even defeat Gundyr were encouraged by this scene and quietly reinstalled the game they had uninstalled.
Other players who had not yet bought the game, eager to play but undecided about the difficulty, saw this video and discreetly opened the Nebula gaming platform. Then, seeing the coupon about to expire in their inventory, the video came to mind.
As the last straw, these players clicked on the Dark Souls purchase page, placed their order, and paid. Afterwards, they downloaded and installed the game, immersing themselves in its world. The knight began the game, discreetly hidden behind his shield. He advanced cautiously and firmly.
Soon, players discovered that this tactic worked! Most of the monsters in Gundyr's and the Lothric Walls posed little threat; those they couldn't defeat were simply ignored. Despite the fear, the constant progress and defeats gave them a sense of accomplishment.
Suddenly, many players felt they were experiencing the joy of Dark Souls.
The entire forum was filled with joy. Many players smiled with joy. After the high difficulty, there was a perfect strategy for beginners! Undoubtedly, was this Alex's passion? Online players were delighted.
In Nebula Games, during a work break, a group was also playing Dark Souls.
"This method makes it so much easier! But it also feels a little less challenging!" Jane said, sitting in front of her computer, with a smile as she watched the boss she had defeated.
"Yes!" Lisa nodded.
"Less challenging? You're overthinking it!" Hearing what they said, Alex, who was reviewing the relevant data, smiled slightly, and Eric, beside him, also perked up his ears.
The flow of holding up the shield is, without a doubt, the most suitable for novice players. It is the most brain-dead routine style. But do you really think you won't get abused if you hold up the shield?
"Why do you think it's so easy for players to fight in Gundyr and the Lothric Great Wall?" Alex asked with a smile.
"Because the predecessors planted the trees and the next generation enjoys the shade! Currently, players are more familiar with the monsters of Gundyr and the Lothric Great Wall. Additionally, they have my videos as a reference, and the map of the Great Wall is not complicated."
"But when you encounter unknown maps, monsters, and bosses later on, hehe..." Alex smiled meaningfully.
Hearing Alex's "hehe," everyone shivered. Especially Eric, thinking about the map design of the later levels, as well as the numerical and action design of the monsters, swallowed silently.