random games

More FromSoft jokes. They just don't end.

Actual conversation I had with a friend this afternoon:

Diego, [11.04.19 17:56]
I'm still at the second ape encounter

Random, [11.04.19 17:56]
There’s a second-

Random, [11.04.19 17:56]
whoof

Diego, [11.04.19 17:57]
Wait

Diego, [11.04.19 17:57]
Is he optional??

Random, [11.04.19 17:58]
Do you mean just when the ape comes back to life?

Diego, [11.04.19 17:58]
yes

Random, [11.04.19 17:58]
Ok

Random, [11.04.19 17:58]
I was like

Random, [11.04.19 17:58]
“dog do not tell me there are more monkeys”

Random, [11.04.19 17:58]
“I don’t think I can deal with more monkeys”

Spoilers: There are more monkeys. Although I guess it's the same one. Not sure why I couldn't stab it with the Mortal Blade the first time? Miyazaki...

Anyway. Great example of one of those fights that looks terrible at first (how could it not be when the one ape seemed bad enough?), but once I died a few times and walked into the fight willing to observe, things crystalized. First, I'm doing more damage, and the ape probably has more health. It also seems to open itself more often to stun, which helps the first phase go quickly.

Then the mate arrives and this is a whole new puzzle. Even though it seemed like they were pressing me into a corner and bludgeoning me to death, I think what was actually happening is I was letting myself get cornered. They do have a way of taking turns with each other, partly to make the fight winnable, and also probably because they don't want them clipping through each other. Not in a game like this where the hitboxes are actually so fair.

So the fight I ended up putting together still wasn't very clean because I actually won on the attempt where I was experimenting, so I once again was at low health and had no healing, but I pulled it off. For one, waiting for the headless ape to do its terror AoE is the signal for the mate to come charging in, which I punished with the charged up flame cannon (only solid use I've actually found for that attack). That plus the burn does like a quarter of her health. I ran out of spirit emblems, so I had to finish her the old fashioned way and I'm not actually sure how I did it with the other ape swinging in every now and then. But with her out of the picture, it's back to a very manageable fight.

Now I've got all the Ninjutsu.

I did a few runs through Mibu but stopped myself fairly early on, and I'm glad I did. For one, I realized I probably don't actually want all of the prosthetic upgrades. With the money I got, I was able to buy the Terror gourd (will help with future Headless fights), plus the Gouging Top and the Okinaga Flame cannon (pretty rad, probably impractical). That opens me up to buy the flame shield (I'm like, so positive this is gonna be necessary, I haven't fought a fire boss yet and there's always a fire boss). But now I'm actually short on crafting materials, so I'd say I'm safe to press onward.

I have also found what I think is a better skill point farm. I've noticed more of those white ghost enemies popping up in places (I'm guessing it has to do with the day progressing and the sun going down), and there are two Nightjars immediately before the Hidden Forest idol. You can get a free deathblow on one and then quickly finish the other one for about 1200 exp total. Takes like thirty seconds. Rest, rinse, repeat. So I guess I'm gonna do that until I get all the skills that I want.

There's an item on a ledge above the double ape fight that I don't know how to get. That's kinda the only other loose end I can think of at the moment.

Should be poised to make good progress this weekend, in any case.