VGchartz's Demon's Souls thread

[lestatdark]

There are many ways not to die in this game, but death is an inevitability in most cases. Plus, being in Soul form actually has it's advantages over Physical form, trust me ;)

If you really don't want to die, then I suggest a few things:

1 - Master dodges and timings. This is the most important aspect of the game, all moves, all attacks and all spells can be dodged and timed correctly so that you don't suffer any damage or that you won't be left open to enemy counters. You'll have to practice on the game a lot to actually get them correct, but once you do, it's a very satysfying feeling

2 - Use a 100% Damage Reduction shield, with high Guard Reduction %. This is extremely important at the early stages of the game, or when you play on NG+ and are not planning to go as a spell caster. Shields are your friends, a 100% DR shield means that no damage will be passed unto your HP, but rather it will go to your stamina. That's the reason for a high GR % because the stamina drain of most attacks is really huge, even if your shield as 50% GR. My suggestion is upping your endurance and strenght so you can use a Purple Flame Shield correctly.

3 - Never be above 50% encumberance. Trust me, this makes all the difference between being able to outrun an opponent, or having them hitting you all the time. Also, when you're over 50% encumbarance (equip burden), you won't be able to dodge correctly, as your character will be left on the ground for far too much time.

4 - Use Spells/Ranged attacks if you don't trust your melee skills too much. Spells are an excellent way to attack from range, since spells like Soul Ray, Fireball, Firestorm and God's Wrath can mean wipping out enemies before they even get the chance to come near you. Bows work in the same way, even better if you build up your dexterity, since you can aim them manually, allowing you better shots.