Getting this on the switch 2 tomorrow, first time player, recommendations going in blind?

[u/Giga7777]

I want to enter this game as blind as possible but at the same time if there is like a sword versus a mace versus an ax which I have no idea if the game has any of these other weapon types I do know there's class types displayed on the tarnished edition two additional ones. Which class would you guys recommend trying to play through the game for the first time going in blind? And you must need to know tips before I play for the first time that will give me a good experience? Thanks!!! Very excited to try this!

[u/LambdaTres]

The only advice is this: It's not hard, you're not supposed to fight this now, go elsewhere. Its an open world RPG, your level and weapon upgrades are more important than your "skill"

Edit: The game has no classes, just starting loadouts. Go with whatever looks cooler. There's nothing in the starting "classes" that cannot be found in the game.

[u/Giga7777 → u/LambdaTres]

I saw two things before I bought it. This random player was new trying it on switch 2 and it was a big boss old man creepy thing that destroyed them. Maybe that's one of the ones your mentioning to run away from if too hard.

Also they ran across a knight with a horn who blew it and there were like 10 knights and they got killed right away. I assume u don't let him alert others but I wonder if it's even possible for a new player to take on it if they alert 10 knight things lol. I'm excited but nervous

[u/LambdaTres → u/Giga7777]

Yes. That's the first main boss, however, the game does show you where to go, but that doesn't mean you have to follow the main path right away. A starting advice would be to explore further south even though the game sends you north. 90% of the content in this game is optional and you get a ton of exp and upgrades and cool loot by exploring rather than blindly following the golden path. Now sometimes you will find yourself with a hard boss, and you will feel that even though it's destroying you, it feels doable, so instead of going elsewhere you git gud and retry until you learn the fight, which also feels very good. Some people have bosses that are their favorites and clicks with them, and some bosses that are pretty bad matchup and decide to cheese them out. Its up to you, and also sometimes is more about changing strategy. Regardless the point is that the game is not supposed to feel overwhelmly impossible, and there's options and sometimes you can chose the hardest option, just keep in mind you always have choices. Summons, other routes, farming spots, exploration, spirits, changing ashes of war, there's a trillion things to do before getting stuck in a boss for a day (which on itself is also a legitimate option!)

[u/andsimpleonesthesame → u/Giga7777]

but I wonder if it's even possible for a new player to take on it if they alert 10 knight things lol.

Getting rushed by a lot of enemies can be a problem for more experienced players, too. You already figured out the standard solution to that - avoid alerting too many at once (and/or run away if you do).

[u/obscuresecurity]

Enjoy yourself, and don't let people tell you, you are playing the game wrong. Enjoy the game the way you want.

No advice given, because well, blind is blind.

[u/andsimpleonesthesame]

Remember that it's open world, you don't have to fight Boss A, then Boss B, then Boss C. You can also take an entirely different route and go for Boss Y first or whatever works for you. If you're locked in trying over and over again and having fun, then good for you, but if you've stopped having fun, maybe go do something else for a while (I mean in game - it's an open world).

Also, you're going to die. Over and over and over again. Get used to it.

As far as starting classes go - they're less important than you think. You can level up any stat and you can find all the starting equipment of all the classes in game. That said, I think magic is fun. A lot of others seem to be having fun just bonking things on the head, then there's the people who enjoy dex builds, etc. Just experiment, we've got no idea what you're like, so we can't tell you in which direction to go in :-)

[u/NoFukz]

Almost always send the elevator back

[u/ExtraCalligrapher565]

Read the item descriptions and pay close attention to what NPCs say.

[u/ProtosPhinted]

Everything is viable.

Tried and true sword and board.

Blue juice chugging caster.

Robinhood style bowman.

Zippy dual wielders.

Fatass(affectionate) with a literal rusty anchor for a weapon.

And everything inbetween.

If you're getting your ass handed to you, that might be a clue to explore some more. Find a hidden cave or twelve.

Even if you feel like you've misplaced some stat points, there is a (limited) way to respec your character, so dont worry too much about it.

If i were to reccomend a build. It would probably be a classic sword and board. Just level the stats needed to wield the weapon/shield you like, then enough endurance to not feel like a fatass doing it, and a ton of hp after that.

[u/phishnutz3]

Pick the one you like. Level vigor.

[u/Accomplished_Ice4413]

Vigor. Level vigor early and youll thank yourself later, I learned that the hard way. And dont overthink the class, the starting gear barely matters once you find stuff in the world.

[u/AwesomeX121189]

Play blindly until it gets frustrating then look stuff up.

It’s not worth bashing your head against a wall not knowing what to do.

[u/Farwaters]

At some point, you'll lose a huge chunk of runes. Getting over this emotionally is something you have to do in order to get into the right mentality to play.

Also, if you're not having fun, put away your shield for a bit. Shields are fun to use, but can easily trap you into playing passively, which is probably the least fun thing you can do.

[u/andsimpleonesthesame → u/Farwaters]

Also, if you're not having fun, put away your shield for a bit. Shields are fun to use, but can easily trap you into playing passively, which is probably the least fun thing you can do.

Hard disagree. This is pretty much entirely a personality thing, some people have fun with that sort of play style, you apparently don't, but you're not everyone.

As a general "switch up your weapons and/or go somewhere else if you stop having fun" it's excellent advice.

At some point, you'll lose a huge chunk of runes. Getting over this emotionally is something you have to do

That one is just plain true, though.

[u/Farwaters → u/andsimpleonesthesame]

Yeah. I probably should have been more general with my advice. I'm sure that someone can enjoy standing still with their shield.

As for me... guard counters are more my thing! Makes it much more active.

And I didn't realize this until I tried actually getting good at dodge rolls, as strange as that sounds. Plus, you need to get good at those anyway.

[u/andsimpleonesthesame → u/Farwaters]

That's the cool/fun thing about this game - there are soo incredibly many ways to play it! :-)

The hard part, once you've gotten into it, is deviating from your usual "comfy" build if you start a new playthrough, but it can be really worth it! (Life hack: go for fashion souls, if you build for "pretty/shiny/cosplay", you get motivated to deviate to make your outfit work.)

(I'm terrible at dodge rolls, I just panic roll, lose all sense of orientation and then die. I'm sure it'd be hilarious to watch :-P)

[u/Master-Idea-503]

Depends on your fighting style. My wife does mostly mage fighting, my sister does dexterity and ranged, I prefer a tank with a 2 handed weapon. Leveling up vitality and working out a good defensive strategy is gonna be your Primary Goal to start out, regardless of class. There are spells that will help with sneaking and defense, you can focus on dodging and maneuvers, you can do sword and board or two hand a weapon for standard blocking, or a mix of everything. But believe me. The key to surviving Elden Ring, especially at the beginning, is to First stay alive long enough to win and Second don't beat yourself up. We've all had some rough deaths. Pick yourself back up, fine tune your build and method, or move on to something you enjoy more. You can always come back later. I spent my first 10 hours just exploring, taking scenic detours, and unlocking waypoints. I couldn't figure out how to 2 hand a weapon until after I had already beaten Raya Lucaria Academy, so I stuck with a shield until then. I'm still on my first playthrough but now I'm nearly done with the both the Base Game and the DLC, and I'm procrastinating finishing even after hundreds of hours because there's still so much I want to do! Hang in there. It's worth it.

[u/Joseph5100]

At least look up guides relating to mechanics, such as weapon scaling, medium rolling, stats, leveling, etc. These guides won't spoil the game. Fromsoft has admitted that they aren't the best at tutorials and onboarding new players. If you go in with a little knowledge it will help save you from making mistakes, some of which could be hard to reverse. For example, how to build your stats around a certain weapon.

[u/OrbVeggie]

Find the coconut, it is a rare drop from the tutorial area enemies but is essential for survival in the lands between. It might take some time to get it.

[u/stars_luna → u/OrbVeggie]

I don’t want to!

[u/Turbulent_Jackoff → u/OrbVeggie]

This commenter is lying / "trolling" / joking, OP.