You can farm Humanity in Dark Souls from an enemy that you can find fairly early on and isn't at all strong. It isn't especially cheap if you choose to buy it from one of few merchants that carry a limited quantity, but it's good in a pinch if you don't absolutely need it to remove hollow status or to kindle a bonfire. As well, the Estus Flask is actually pretty okay. You can easily get 10 uses on it from the get go by kindling bonfires (you find more than enough humanity), and you can upgrade that capacity and the strength of the flask itself throughout the game. Honestly, I get screwed over less by my limited use Estus Flask and more by the length of the drinking animation. Against a quick boss or an enemy just waiting for you to heal, it is just as deadly to try to heal as it is to simply try to survive out the fight on whatever remaining HP you have. In Dark Souls 2, they introduce Life Gems. Not super convenient and a touch spendy early on, but much like Humanity, they work in a pinch, although with gradual restoration rather than up front total healing. Basically, both Dark Souls games have a means by which you can heal outside of use of the flask that aren't obscenely difficult to get.
Other then that, on the note of invasion, you can simply stay in hollow form if you don't want to be invaded. Granted, you need to be in human form for certain benefits sometimes, but otherwise staying hollow doesn't have major repercussions. Even then, you're boned nine times out of ten if you get invaded these days anyways. Most of the invaders you'll come across are cheaters breaching worlds that are far below their level (or at the least far below their total stat range, whether or not their level accurately reflects this is a mystery), basically killing newer characters that have no way to truly defend against such overwhelmingly powerful opponents. Regardless, I've spent a fair bit of time safely idling as a hollow, so it's good to go. In Dark Souls 2, they make it so you can use a Human Effigy at a bonfire in order to prevent invading for awhile. Of course, Dark Souls 2 also punishes you for staying a hollow and dying too much in the form of cutting your total HP available until you revive to human (also using a Human Effigy, but sans bonfire). There are balancing tweaks to make it so the punishment works though, so there's that.
And a small thing: you can't fast travel between bonfires in Dark Souls 1 which is a major pain in the ass, but you learn to deal with it. Well, I guess you can actually get a fast travel item later in the game, but it's long after you get used to running around and utilizing all the shortcuts you've unlocked. In Dark Souls 2, fast traveling between bonfires is just something you can do.
Basically, your knowledge seems to be a mix of Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2, as well as having some holes. I mean, if the magic system is the major deal breaker for you, okay, but do recognize that the vast majority of your other nitpicks have remedies built right into the game.
Also, without spoiling too much, there is some magic in Bloodborne. It's basically the main purpose of the Arcane stat, but you don't really get any magic until fairly late into the game in the form of what I believe are unlimited use items.
Now, on to my achievements:
I've been playing a lot of Dark Souls these past couple of days and I have successfully:
- Killed the Taurus Demon
- Got the Drake Sword
- Beat the Gargoyles and rang the church bell
- Killed the demon thing between the church blacksmith and the forest outside
- Killed the giant butterfly boss (okay, the summoned witch NPC did the bulk of the work)
- Beat the Hydra in the Deep Basin
- Explored and survived the forest beyond the sealed door that required the 20k soul item to progress past, at least to the point of joining the covenant
- Killed Havel at the bottom of the tower in Undead Burg
- Gotten almost to level 30 focusing primarily on strength and defense
My goal for tomorrow is to take down the Capra Demon way at the bottom of Undead Burg, but the fight is just mean so it may take awhile. I don't really have the means to survive in most other places right now though, so I need to be able to reach The Depths, you know, assuming I can survive there.
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Veho:
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SylverReZ:
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Psionic Roshambo:
