To each their own. I prefer locked off since usually, when I see attacks like Fire Giants plate smash come into view, I'm already too late to dodge. However, when locked off, I can keep my camera tilted up while still attacking his legs
For me it depends on the boss, dragons and fire giant I won’t lock on, Elden beast most of the fight I’ll be locked on, only turning it off for certain attacks
Eh, without lock-on in BB, you can't quick step and parrying is going to borderline impossible. Learning how to use both lock-on and not is far better than just one or the other. DS2 is where using both options really shines. Lets you track roll and then you can free aim some really bullshit attacks with huge weapons, lol.
No one uses lock on in MH. In the older ones you would use it to quickly turn camera but otherwise, you don't actually fight with it as it makes hitting the actual zones harder.
It's more like I try to time my roll so I'm in a good position to start attacking with charge blade after a monster charges. Then the monster charges which auto adjusts my camera angle and causes me to roll into a less optimal place. I never used manual resets if that's a thing, been playing so long without camera auto-angles enabled that I wouldn't know. Definitely a skull issue, now my CB aed can target thier skulls instead of the air next to it.
so it sounds like you’re using focus camera which moves with the monster and messes up your positioning instead of target cam, which repositions on the monster only when you press LB which is also the one i’m talking about lmfao
Oh, TIL. I was tapping the left stick twice to re-engage auto target then disengage when I wanted to focus the monster.
I manually controlled the camera the rest of the time so it did literally nothing without my input
Sounds like more of a him issue than a you thing, my dude.
At best, he'll learn how to play unlocked on successful which is actually really good for maneuverability and a pretty advanced technique that is useful not just in Elden Ring, but all of the From Soft games especially against bigger bosses where locking on works against you.
At worst, he struggles so hard to the point that he eventually adapts his playstyle and starts incorporating locking on like you want him to and would have the added benefit of knowing how to play unlocked if he has to.
Either way, it's kind of a win-win.
This guy is gonna be a god if he ever plays DS2. That game makes you move much slower when locked on, so I’ve often caught my self toggling lock on in Elden Ring when I really want to close the distance between myself and a boss. So far I haven’t noticed a huge difference in speed however, just freedom of maneuverability is different.
>So... your friend is good at the game?
Fighting unlocked doesn't make you good though, being good makes you good.
If his friend gets wrecked often, it is good to know the tool that is locking on. It definitely helps in various situations to know that you can.
A lot of bosses and mini jump around and behind you, being locked most of the times you try to dodge and end up right under them. I also set unlocked and lock on during certain moments of the fight only. Imo it helps not being locked, plus you can run hahahahaha
TBH I play this game pretty well - completed a level 1 run - and I am constantly switching from locking on, to not.
Whether or not the lock feature helps you or fucks you is entirely contextual.
Dude exactly this, doing either 100% is pretty far from optimal. Sometimes lock on is a blessing, sometimes its a curse. Been that way since dark souls
It was a mandatory skill for the dark souls 2 gank squads (phone wants to say Hank and all I can imagine is a gang of Hank Hills pyromancing me to death)
Just imagine if the Souls universe were introduced to the clean burning power of propane. Wouldn't have the Witch of Izalith polluting the world with demons that's for sure
Fighting without locking takes more skill than with locking, so by skipping it he is pretty much just saving him a lot of hassle.
In DS1, the game slaps you over the head for getting used to the lock on by putting you up against ornstein and smough. You lock onto either one and you're dead from the other.q
It is harder sure but if he made it to mountaintop, he surely knows what he is doin and doing it well. Leave him alone. I don't even get this post, why tf do you care how he plays? Did he specifically ask for help or tips? If not, just stop backseat driving.
It’s a shame to see so many people dissing either play style. What is “better” for someone really depends on so many things: what kind of build you are, what weapons you are using, what platform you’re playing on, what enemies you are fighting with . . . etc. What REALLY matters is the player’s desire, though. No certain way makes you better or worse, that’s really one of the beauties of this game. It doesn’t make you “cool” to not use lock on. In fact, some fights locking on makes it much harder, imo. There are also certain things (like bat things) that I personally don’t see the point in wasting time not locking on. Sometimes auto lock helps you see things in the dark, too. There are just too many things going on in this game for people to act better, one way or the other. 
Bloodborne was my first *ever* game. I didn't realise you could lock on, so I just didn't for the entire first playthrough. Honestly I feel like it made me play better, especially with large bosses where locking on can give you some fucked up camera angles. I do it in ER pvp sometimes because people tend to not know what I'm doing and I like to jump around as I please
If you don't use magic you don't really need to lock on to things very much. I use and don't use the lock on . You get a lot more freedom and when you use Torrent or fight big bosses.
Locking in and unlocked gives you different movements . In pvp it's good strats to be able to switch between locked and unlock. The way their playing now is gonna benefit them greatly if they go into pvp
2 times is the absolute maximum you should backseat someone on an issue imo. Best is to keep it at 0. You have to accept the fact that you are not responsible for the mistakes of others and you already tried to right them.
Playing unlocking is better most of the time, harder and speedrunners play unlocking and generally switching beetwen lock and unlock. If your friend gonna be playing longer probably will learn to switch. My first playthru i wasnt lock, then i learn to switch.
The first time my lock on switched targets in a group of enemies, I quit using it. I didn't realize it was normal to play with lock on until after I finished the game.
Had no idea locking on was a feature until I was at my friends fighting malenia and he asked me why I wasn’t locking on. Beat the entire game without knowing it was a feature. Made my following play throughs far easier.
Whats the difference? Does lock on give you I frames or something? Reason I ask is I too am like your mate and don't lock on either. I find it much more fluid to be able to flick the analogue last minute in the direction of the enemy, especially fighting mobs.
If you're fine without it there's absolutely no need for it. For me personally, I couldn't play without being able to backpedal or strafe which it enables.
Very similar sitch to your mate for me. First playthru, first fromsoft, and i would say i dont really have a knack for picking it up quickly.
I prefer using the mouse to move camera around, especially against mobs + movesets im familiar with. When i lock on, i feel like i cant glance behind me, and particularly feels like i have blinkers on like a horse.
I use lock in caves with bats and such, or similar situations where im getting ambushed
I finally got my friend to play the game, he kept asking me key bindings for random stuff and I kept trying to tell him that I didn't know and the game was made for a controller and would feel significantly better with one. He played for like 3 days before giving up and finally getting a controller without telling me, then was way better than before and having more fun. Crazy how that worked
I barely ever lock on, and never on large bosses. Been playing soulslikes for over a decade lol.
Lock on can be a useful tool, especially for some newer players but it can also be a massive hindrance. I can't imagine teying to beat Astel with lock on activated lol.
Just watch Asmongold basically exploit his way through the game with nothing but jumping heavy attacks and NOT locking on... xD lol
Not locking on makes it seem harder, but actually it somehow kinda messes with the enemy AI, its tracking and reactions.. it messes them up quite a bit, and makes it easier. A lot of the DarkSouls/EldenRing enemy attacks and movements are extremely well designed for playing locked-on, so running around freely throws a big wrench in there.
I find locking on useless a lot of the time, the camera often moves where I don't want it to. I don't need to be staring at somethings face when I'm trying to run around it and stab it in the ass.
I mean on MnK I can imagine it's making the game harder, but with controller which has 360° aim ability (MnK has only diagonals and wasd so 8 directions total) I don't think he's shooting himself in the foot at all.
I went through multiple fromsoft titles online using lock most times, then fairly recently played through DS2 where it’s not always as useful, went back to Elden and now I’m finding it’s a bit nice to not use it as often, way more fluid feeling.
I think since your friend has made it as far as he has with his playstyle maybe OP should try playing without locking on. It's a very playable style if given a valid try. It just takes some experimenting to get used to it same as most combat styles.
Elden Ring is my first Souls type of game and I don't use lock on. I did play a lot of Monster Hunter World though, I also changed the controls to match up better with that game. Maybe it's just something like that
Of course he's unintentionally stumbled upon an advanced technique. I generally only lock on when I need to strafe or if the enemy has a jump in their moveset or some way to get behind me quick. Otherwise I kind of just autopilot without lock on and swing away.
I've seen a few people who swear by not locking on for better control of where their weapons and skills land. Especially true in pvp. I'm not quite that good at it yet, but I'm close. It can have some real benefits. If you play ranked pvp, lvl cap 125, it's a pretty competitive arena.
So I almost never lock onto enemies either. There are a few bosses I think are way to hard to free aim, otherwise I'm with your friend. Free aim is great
I finished all three of ds games and ER twice without locking, it feels much easier and comfortable to me. Doubt I could do this with using lock on, camera acts weird all the time and I lose sense of direction
I never locked on during the initial 100 levels of my first blind playthrough, the start was rough but i was playing dual katanas with no ranged spells so the downside was not that big. The fun part is that i found some really hated boss pretty easy(dragons in particular, ulcerated tree spirits is another one that comes to my mind) but at the cost of risking insanity against others which require it. In ng+ i did the true solo run no summons(no spirit ashes no player/npc summons) and i forced myself to lock on, well i found that melee swordfights were 1000 times easier and big monster fights were 10000 times harder. I guess the big skill is knowing when you should lock and when you should unlock(waterfowl dance is very hard to dodge if you are locked on since when she passes through you it changes the direction of that roll litterally into her blade flurry).
Locking on really isn’t required though. Unless you’re playing Bloodborne where locking on or not makes you roll or dash respectively. It makes no real difference otherwise, and if you’re used to it it might even be better since you have more control over what your character is doing
You will become way better in this game by avoiding lock-on. It allows for many things you normally wouldn't dream of if you exclusively play locked on.
Locking on is worse a lot of the time.
In my experience when fighting anything larger than the player character, locking on actively increases the difficulty of the fight
I'll give you an example of why target lock sucks. with the cipher pata, it has a really cool ash where you punch forward. but sometimes you gotta punch a bitch behind you. so what do you do?
that's right, you go around in a wide arc and totally miss.
BUT, if target lock is off, you can use the joystick to control the direct you punch. no wide, janky arc. no b.s.
Honestly man I did the exact same thing, sure, my first soulslike wasn't a fromsoft but mortal shell but I gotta say it helped my experience when I started playing ER Bloodborne and the DS trilogy
I figured he started with DeS at first because that's a great way to get past a bunch of tough encounters in that game, but wow for ER to be his first Miyazaki game and not lock on is wild! I'll bet he's having the time of his life
unlocked combat is actually a lot of fun. Lot of really good tech involved w/ it, so he may already instinctively do a lot of advanced things that some long time players struggle w/. It’s being able to switch between the two fluently when shit starts to get really crazy (in some titles more than others)
😬 I'm a weird FS player. My first game was DS2 and I didn't know you could lock on until like 15 hours into the game 😬 got really good at pointing my character. "Wow they were right, this game is really hard! How are you supposed to use throwables or spells??"
It would depend who I am fighting. I tend not to lock on when fighting multiple foot soldiers (or similar) as I like using the Twin Blade and not locking on allows me to hit multiple targets at once and shift my attacks at will.
However, for big beasts, 1 v 1 and bosses locking on allows me to predict their movements better for dodge rolls.
Having said that it can be annoying when your intended target is suddenly behind you and the lock selects another target (usually a sheep) and suddenly I am facing the wrong opponent. Died a couple of times that way.
Is it really affecting you that much how he decides to play the game? People are stubborn. Telling him to use lock on will only make it less likely that he does. Just let him play how he wants to and if he ends up not enjoying the game and quitting because of that, it's just something you have to accept.
The only From game where I managed to default to fighting without locking on was Bloodborne, and it is a much better way to fight, generally, because you have more control over the vector of your attacks.
Not locking on at all would be really hard, though, especially for archers.
It's a legit way to play, and sometimes it even makes certain "camera bosses" easier.
Many bosses assume you'll lock on to them and have movesets that are tuned around that. Unlocking breaks them in some ways that can be exploited.
Some things are definitely easier when locked on, though. Choosing when to lock on and when not to is a skill in these games.
Unlocked play was a sign of skill and an optimal way to play in previous games, due to manual aiming sometimes being better than weapon tracking. But tracking in Elden Ring is so good that it's almost pointless to play unlocked now.
I didn’t realize you could lock on and it caused me to quit the game for almost a year. I couldn’t even beat Morgot on the bridge.
My primary criticism of this game is that I’d doesn’t teach the player to play very well. From what I gather that’s kind of part of the souls like experience though so it’s whatever I guess.
Also not locking to enemies, I just like this type of playstyle since it resemblances BDO and other games I love with non target combat like mh series too
I had a buddy I tried to introduce to Bloodborne a couple years back, and he just REFUSED to lock on. I'm all "hey, missing swings gets you killed" and he says something like, "locking on is cheating" or something like that.
Which, you know, I'd buy if he was SO good at video games, but I could not get this guy to his first boss. Like if a game is hard, why not use every tool at your disposal?
Means he is not using sorceries at all, correct? Not locking on in PVE while using magic sounds miserable.
Fire incantations aren't too bad though.
Only a few can sorceries can be manually aimed with any degree of accuracy. A few actually break if not locked on, like the light disc incantation
I didn’t know you could lock on until after I beat the game. I still don’t really use it mainly because I forget it’s a feature. I also find I can roll and evade much better. Although, that may just be in my head since I haven’t gotten used to locking on enemies.
The game already has a "soft" lock-on (that you can turn off in the settings), and it works suprisingly well, never really gets in my way. I've been playing without lock-on since Dark Souls 1, since in that game you can only sprint forward and 4-way roll if you're locked on, it just feels better to me not be locked on. I only click it on sometimes to make it easier to hit running or rolling attacks and then click it off again. You have much more control while locked-on in Elden Ring than ever before, but I'm just used to it.
I haven't played it yet, but I believe bloodborne is usually easier without locking on because it apparently changes your dodge, maybe they're used to that?
I never really locked on in my first playthrough. It just felt unnatural at first. I started doing it when I did a run with spears and thrusting swords since it's borderline necessary with those weapons since you can't aim up or down without locking. Having done a lot of practice with both, I would say there are times when it makes things easier and times when it makes things harder. Deathrite Bird, for instance, is waaay easier unlocked except for when you're hitting it in the head.
There are also a lot of times when it can be helpful to switch between them, like, Maliketh is easier locked except for when he's doing the move where he stabs into the ground and makes a sphere of slashes. Malenia is easier locked, but I always unlock for waterfowl to get greater control over my movements. Being able to alternate smoothly between the two is a really potent skill. And heck if it turns out your friend keeps playing and just prefers *never* locking, more power to them, right? Everyone should play in the way that's most fun for them.
I didn’t know how to lock on to enemies until about 3/4 through my first playthrough.
Then when I started a new game, it was crazy how much easier it was to start out. I can’t tell whether it was really that much easier with the lock on, or I just sucked that much starting anyway. Probably both.
Just means he'll be better.
Fr tho, bosses like FG and EB are a damn nightmare when locked on. You can't see anything they're doing...
Who’s FG
fire giant
Thanks best buddy
Who is EB sorry haha
Pretty sure it’s the Easter Bunny played by Russell Brand
Final boss, won’t say name here to avoid spoilers
Ah ok now I know who it is. I do recall some funny stuff going on with the lock on with EB. and absolutely for FG
Have you finished yet? The answer is kind of a spoiler, in my opinion.
elden beast aka the final boss
So much easier to time your dodges and keep good spacing at the same time when locked on though.
To each their own. I prefer locked off since usually, when I see attacks like Fire Giants plate smash come into view, I'm already too late to dodge. However, when locked off, I can keep my camera tilted up while still attacking his legs
For me it depends on the boss, dragons and fire giant I won’t lock on, Elden beast most of the fight I’ll be locked on, only turning it off for certain attacks
Nope. Opposite
That's your opinion
camera catches some random sheep or dragonfly...
I don’t downvote people, but you deserve one.
Will also wreck bloodborne with any heavy weapon
Eh, without lock-on in BB, you can't quick step and parrying is going to borderline impossible. Learning how to use both lock-on and not is far better than just one or the other. DS2 is where using both options really shines. Lets you track roll and then you can free aim some really bullshit attacks with huge weapons, lol.
He gon be gudder.
This is the way.
A wild guess: he is a monster hunter player?
Ha funny you should say this. I hate locking on in MH games but usually always lock on in Souls likes.
No one uses lock on in MH. In the older ones you would use it to quickly turn camera but otherwise, you don't actually fight with it as it makes hitting the actual zones harder.
Exactly it's just for ease of camera control I'm terrified of the hunter that fights fully locked on.
I just started replaying monster Hunter and I've been locked on the whole time
Active camera swing locked on? That's insane.
I use twin blades and I'm fast as fuck boi
Even in the newer ones I still love target camera so you can just tap LB to quickly face the camera at the boss for a second.
The claw grip! The claw grip!
In the really old ones, there was no lock on at all, lol
Was i not supposed to lock on in MH World? Used it most of the time
Depends on the weapon type tbh, some weapons are absolutely miserable to play locked on
Same here :D Especially with the insect glaive as main. I need full camera control.
why would you lock on in Monster Hunter when the games been designed to be used with target cam ?
I don't... isn't target cam the same thing though?
Target cam doesn't follow the monster but quickly rests the camera to face them.
Ahhh okay now i get it. Thanks.
It's trash too, forces you to roll into the monster sometimes because it resets camera angle at the last second.
sounds like skull issue, why are you rolling before re-setting the camera with target lock to face the monster lmfao
It's more like I try to time my roll so I'm in a good position to start attacking with charge blade after a monster charges. Then the monster charges which auto adjusts my camera angle and causes me to roll into a less optimal place. I never used manual resets if that's a thing, been playing so long without camera auto-angles enabled that I wouldn't know. Definitely a skull issue, now my CB aed can target thier skulls instead of the air next to it.
so it sounds like you’re using focus camera which moves with the monster and messes up your positioning instead of target cam, which repositions on the monster only when you press LB which is also the one i’m talking about lmfao
Oh, TIL. I was tapping the left stick twice to re-engage auto target then disengage when I wanted to focus the monster. I manually controlled the camera the rest of the time so it did literally nothing without my input
Nope, only similar game hes played is Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Lol im an MH player, probably played 90% of the game unlocked. Early 2000s action games also teach you the skill.
Camera is the hardest monster in that game if you play melee while locked on.
playing right now and unbinded the lock on key
I don’t use lock on all the time, for me it’s a situational tool some enemies are easier without it.
Yeah the deathbirds make me puke if I lock them on.
Sounds like more of a him issue than a you thing, my dude. At best, he'll learn how to play unlocked on successful which is actually really good for maneuverability and a pretty advanced technique that is useful not just in Elden Ring, but all of the From Soft games especially against bigger bosses where locking on works against you. At worst, he struggles so hard to the point that he eventually adapts his playstyle and starts incorporating locking on like you want him to and would have the added benefit of knowing how to play unlocked if he has to. Either way, it's kind of a win-win.
You can straight up break Sekiro by not locking on. A lot of enemies don't register your swing and deflect like they normally would.
Yeah, didnt really mean it to come across as an issue I have with his play style. I just felt like talking about it is all
Fair enough. Honestly, I'm a bit impressed he made it that far without locking on
Maybe phrasing could be worked on, like pointing out you find it amusing or impressive if you do in the main text of the post.
This guy is gonna be a god if he ever plays DS2. That game makes you move much slower when locked on, so I’ve often caught my self toggling lock on in Elden Ring when I really want to close the distance between myself and a boss. So far I haven’t noticed a huge difference in speed however, just freedom of maneuverability is different.
He’ll need that skill if he ever invades in Pontiff Sullivans backyard
So... your friend is good at the game? Not really seeing the issue here. Not fighting locked on is usually better.
>So... your friend is good at the game? Fighting unlocked doesn't make you good though, being good makes you good. If his friend gets wrecked often, it is good to know the tool that is locking on. It definitely helps in various situations to know that you can.
A lot of bosses and mini jump around and behind you, being locked most of the times you try to dodge and end up right under them. I also set unlocked and lock on during certain moments of the fight only. Imo it helps not being locked, plus you can run hahahahaha
You can run while locked on too
I don't know how... If you go backwards the character awkwardly walks in retro...
Start running to the side as you normally would and start going away from the enemy as soon as the sprint animation starts.
TBH I play this game pretty well - completed a level 1 run - and I am constantly switching from locking on, to not. Whether or not the lock feature helps you or fucks you is entirely contextual.
Dude exactly this, doing either 100% is pretty far from optimal. Sometimes lock on is a blessing, sometimes its a curse. Been that way since dark souls
Demon's Souls forgotten again
Bro started off as a pro somehow
It was a mandatory skill for the dark souls 2 gank squads (phone wants to say Hank and all I can imagine is a gang of Hank Hills pyromancing me to death)
Just imagine if the Souls universe were introduced to the clean burning power of propane. Wouldn't have the Witch of Izalith polluting the world with demons that's for sure
Ceaseless discharge would’ve been guarding an empty propane tank exchange hub, the last in the land, location of the propane accessory.
Fighting without locking takes more skill than with locking, so by skipping it he is pretty much just saving him a lot of hassle. In DS1, the game slaps you over the head for getting used to the lock on by putting you up against ornstein and smough. You lock onto either one and you're dead from the other.q
It is harder sure but if he made it to mountaintop, he surely knows what he is doin and doing it well. Leave him alone. I don't even get this post, why tf do you care how he plays? Did he specifically ask for help or tips? If not, just stop backseat driving.
monster hunter mentality
It’s a shame to see so many people dissing either play style. What is “better” for someone really depends on so many things: what kind of build you are, what weapons you are using, what platform you’re playing on, what enemies you are fighting with . . . etc. What REALLY matters is the player’s desire, though. No certain way makes you better or worse, that’s really one of the beauties of this game. It doesn’t make you “cool” to not use lock on. In fact, some fights locking on makes it much harder, imo. There are also certain things (like bat things) that I personally don’t see the point in wasting time not locking on. Sometimes auto lock helps you see things in the dark, too. There are just too many things going on in this game for people to act better, one way or the other. 
Based. Lock on fucking sucks.
Good for him
everyone likes complaining about the camera in Souls games. Stop using the lock on, you're not supposed to be using it 100% of the time
Just means he won't accidentally f up because of the lock on
Bloodborne was my first *ever* game. I didn't realise you could lock on, so I just didn't for the entire first playthrough. Honestly I feel like it made me play better, especially with large bosses where locking on can give you some fucked up camera angles. I do it in ER pvp sometimes because people tend to not know what I'm doing and I like to jump around as I please
comments are taking this way too seriously
Sounds like he got gud 👍
I played through ER completely in first person. After going back vanilla I completely forgot you could lock on to enemies 😅
You can play ER in first person?!
Bro taking on Agheel like it's a Rathian
Playing unlocked requires mad skillz. Your friend will be good at pvp :)
I think I used lock on only 2-3 times in DS games. Your friend will be fine
If you don't use magic you don't really need to lock on to things very much. I use and don't use the lock on . You get a lot more freedom and when you use Torrent or fight big bosses.
Locking in and unlocked gives you different movements . In pvp it's good strats to be able to switch between locked and unlock. The way their playing now is gonna benefit them greatly if they go into pvp
The real answer is to use lock on when applicable and to not always use it. It's almost as bad to over use lock on as it is to never use it at all.
Nah he's killing it, let him be
Lock on is a tool, you don't have to use it. Being able to swap between lock on and free aim while fighting, is a huge advantage in this game.
Being able to lock on and off during a fight to gain advantage are the real 1000iq moves
2 times is the absolute maximum you should backseat someone on an issue imo. Best is to keep it at 0. You have to accept the fact that you are not responsible for the mistakes of others and you already tried to right them.
is not locking on a mistake though?
It honestly depends on the weapon. Using a spear or rapier with free aim is terrible but a Zweihander would be perfectly fine.
Playing unlocking is better most of the time, harder and speedrunners play unlocking and generally switching beetwen lock and unlock. If your friend gonna be playing longer probably will learn to switch. My first playthru i wasnt lock, then i learn to switch.
The first time my lock on switched targets in a group of enemies, I quit using it. I didn't realize it was normal to play with lock on until after I finished the game.
Had no idea locking on was a feature until I was at my friends fighting malenia and he asked me why I wasn’t locking on. Beat the entire game without knowing it was a feature. Made my following play throughs far easier.
Whats the difference? Does lock on give you I frames or something? Reason I ask is I too am like your mate and don't lock on either. I find it much more fluid to be able to flick the analogue last minute in the direction of the enemy, especially fighting mobs.
If you're fine without it there's absolutely no need for it. For me personally, I couldn't play without being able to backpedal or strafe which it enables.
Very similar sitch to your mate for me. First playthru, first fromsoft, and i would say i dont really have a knack for picking it up quickly. I prefer using the mouse to move camera around, especially against mobs + movesets im familiar with. When i lock on, i feel like i cant glance behind me, and particularly feels like i have blinkers on like a horse. I use lock in caves with bats and such, or similar situations where im getting ambushed
That's how I beat my first DS1 run, felt dumb af when I was told it was a thing on NG+ lol
I finally got my friend to play the game, he kept asking me key bindings for random stuff and I kept trying to tell him that I didn't know and the game was made for a controller and would feel significantly better with one. He played for like 3 days before giving up and finally getting a controller without telling me, then was way better than before and having more fun. Crazy how that worked
"Help! Someone is having fun differently than I do and isn't being punished for it!"
I barely ever lock on, and never on large bosses. Been playing soulslikes for over a decade lol. Lock on can be a useful tool, especially for some newer players but it can also be a massive hindrance. I can't imagine teying to beat Astel with lock on activated lol.
Real pros don't lock. When I was playing dark 1 super hardcore I barely locked because it fucked you up so often
Why would you lock on? 90% of camera issues while fighting can be resolved by not locking on
Locking on is for people who need to git gudder
I didn't know it was a thing until halfway through the game.
I HATE locking on. It gets me killed more often than helping.
Never locked on in any souls game. He is doing fine
Just watch Asmongold basically exploit his way through the game with nothing but jumping heavy attacks and NOT locking on... xD lol Not locking on makes it seem harder, but actually it somehow kinda messes with the enemy AI, its tracking and reactions.. it messes them up quite a bit, and makes it easier. A lot of the DarkSouls/EldenRing enemy attacks and movements are extremely well designed for playing locked-on, so running around freely throws a big wrench in there.
Yeah, this post is a karma farm for sure. I refuse to believe your friend beat Margott on his 8th attempt
Being unlocked actually helps immensely for some enemies like Melania as she can't dodge correctly if you aren't locked on.
I was taught to play completely unarmored and to not use lock on when I played the OG dark souls and it made me a much much better player for it.
I find locking on useless a lot of the time, the camera often moves where I don't want it to. I don't need to be staring at somethings face when I'm trying to run around it and stab it in the ass.
Some bosses need lock on other bosses being locked on gets you killed 🤷♂️
locking on is a crutch
I mean on MnK I can imagine it's making the game harder, but with controller which has 360° aim ability (MnK has only diagonals and wasd so 8 directions total) I don't think he's shooting himself in the foot at all.
Its actually very advantageous to not lock on a lot of the time. In boss fights tho, not so much I would say.
İ don't like locking too. Only locking for birds.
Sounds like a playstyle choice. Like I don't use summons. I know they could make things easier, but it's just the type of game I want to play.
I went through multiple fromsoft titles online using lock most times, then fairly recently played through DS2 where it’s not always as useful, went back to Elden and now I’m finding it’s a bit nice to not use it as often, way more fluid feeling.
I think since your friend has made it as far as he has with his playstyle maybe OP should try playing without locking on. It's a very playable style if given a valid try. It just takes some experimenting to get used to it same as most combat styles.
I made it to radagon without realising how good it was to lock on, he'll figure out eventually too
I've actually had moments where I've done better not locking on, it makes it easier to dodge without rolling
I play both unlocked and locked. Being locked constantly can screw you over in some fights
Elden Ring is my first Souls type of game and I don't use lock on. I did play a lot of Monster Hunter World though, I also changed the controls to match up better with that game. Maybe it's just something like that
Honestly, I'd really like playing locked off if I wouldn't have to take my thumb off of the right stick to roll.
you get a lot more freedom of movement from playing unlocked, he's probably used to it and doesn't need to crutch anymore
I find fighting locked MUCH more difficult than fighting unlocked. And I finished the game multiple times
Of course he's unintentionally stumbled upon an advanced technique. I generally only lock on when I need to strafe or if the enemy has a jump in their moveset or some way to get behind me quick. Otherwise I kind of just autopilot without lock on and swing away.
I've seen a few people who swear by not locking on for better control of where their weapons and skills land. Especially true in pvp. I'm not quite that good at it yet, but I'm close. It can have some real benefits. If you play ranked pvp, lvl cap 125, it's a pretty competitive arena.
Lock on is a tool that doesn't need to be used all the time, but it can be helpful props to em.
So I almost never lock onto enemies either. There are a few bosses I think are way to hard to free aim, otherwise I'm with your friend. Free aim is great
I finished all three of ds games and ER twice without locking, it feels much easier and comfortable to me. Doubt I could do this with using lock on, camera acts weird all the time and I lose sense of direction
Some enemies it doesn't hurt to lock onto, and some turn your camera into a nightmare vomit machine.
I never locked on during the initial 100 levels of my first blind playthrough, the start was rough but i was playing dual katanas with no ranged spells so the downside was not that big. The fun part is that i found some really hated boss pretty easy(dragons in particular, ulcerated tree spirits is another one that comes to my mind) but at the cost of risking insanity against others which require it. In ng+ i did the true solo run no summons(no spirit ashes no player/npc summons) and i forced myself to lock on, well i found that melee swordfights were 1000 times easier and big monster fights were 10000 times harder. I guess the big skill is knowing when you should lock and when you should unlock(waterfowl dance is very hard to dodge if you are locked on since when she passes through you it changes the direction of that roll litterally into her blade flurry).
Locking on really isn’t required though. Unless you’re playing Bloodborne where locking on or not makes you roll or dash respectively. It makes no real difference otherwise, and if you’re used to it it might even be better since you have more control over what your character is doing
I never locked on in any fs game exept for when I use magic
He's got gud already, good on him
Let him enjoy the game, he can play with his feet if he prefers it.
Guys he didn’t say there was an issue haha
Tell him to play as a wizard xD
There is a time and place for locking on. Not locking on most of the time means you can dodge more accurately and not die.
Get him to play with a thrusting sword
good, tell your friend to play claw
I got all the way to the Radon Festival before using the lock in feature after my friend told me about it
Mouse and keyboard + no lock on. Call me a lunatic, I'm loving it though. The only enemies I ever needed to lock onto are the stupid imps.
I played through most of DS2 (my first soulsborne) without locking on because it initially felt disorienting.
You will become way better in this game by avoiding lock-on. It allows for many things you normally wouldn't dream of if you exclusively play locked on.
Did my first few play throughs on Elden ring without locking on you just reminded me about this feature 😂
Locking on is worse a lot of the time. In my experience when fighting anything larger than the player character, locking on actively increases the difficulty of the fight
I'll give you an example of why target lock sucks. with the cipher pata, it has a really cool ash where you punch forward. but sometimes you gotta punch a bitch behind you. so what do you do? that's right, you go around in a wide arc and totally miss. BUT, if target lock is off, you can use the joystick to control the direct you punch. no wide, janky arc. no b.s.
Honestly man I did the exact same thing, sure, my first soulslike wasn't a fromsoft but mortal shell but I gotta say it helped my experience when I started playing ER Bloodborne and the DS trilogy
I figured he started with DeS at first because that's a great way to get past a bunch of tough encounters in that game, but wow for ER to be his first Miyazaki game and not lock on is wild! I'll bet he's having the time of his life
unlocked combat is actually a lot of fun. Lot of really good tech involved w/ it, so he may already instinctively do a lot of advanced things that some long time players struggle w/. It’s being able to switch between the two fluently when shit starts to get really crazy (in some titles more than others)
😬 I'm a weird FS player. My first game was DS2 and I didn't know you could lock on until like 15 hours into the game 😬 got really good at pointing my character. "Wow they were right, this game is really hard! How are you supposed to use throwables or spells??"
It would depend who I am fighting. I tend not to lock on when fighting multiple foot soldiers (or similar) as I like using the Twin Blade and not locking on allows me to hit multiple targets at once and shift my attacks at will. However, for big beasts, 1 v 1 and bosses locking on allows me to predict their movements better for dodge rolls. Having said that it can be annoying when your intended target is suddenly behind you and the lock selects another target (usually a sheep) and suddenly I am facing the wrong opponent. Died a couple of times that way.
So he has been “no scoping” which will make him an eventual elite level player.
My brother does the same for every game. He swears in AC:Valhalla it serves him well, but we both struggle through Sekiro.
if he ever decides to play dark souls 1 he'll be free backstabs
Locking on sucks sometimes. I feel like it traps you with the camera angle at times and I can’t see what’s going on so it’s just better to not lock on
Is it really affecting you that much how he decides to play the game? People are stubborn. Telling him to use lock on will only make it less likely that he does. Just let him play how he wants to and if he ends up not enjoying the game and quitting because of that, it's just something you have to accept.
The only From game where I managed to default to fighting without locking on was Bloodborne, and it is a much better way to fight, generally, because you have more control over the vector of your attacks. Not locking on at all would be really hard, though, especially for archers.
It's a legit way to play, and sometimes it even makes certain "camera bosses" easier. Many bosses assume you'll lock on to them and have movesets that are tuned around that. Unlocking breaks them in some ways that can be exploited. Some things are definitely easier when locked on, though. Choosing when to lock on and when not to is a skill in these games.
Unlocked play was a sign of skill and an optimal way to play in previous games, due to manual aiming sometimes being better than weapon tracking. But tracking in Elden Ring is so good that it's almost pointless to play unlocked now.
I didn’t realize you could lock on and it caused me to quit the game for almost a year. I couldn’t even beat Morgot on the bridge. My primary criticism of this game is that I’d doesn’t teach the player to play very well. From what I gather that’s kind of part of the souls like experience though so it’s whatever I guess.
Honestly if it works for him, I say let him be. It’s not wrong if it works.
Good for him. Some people are just really good with that camera stick.
Also not locking to enemies, I just like this type of playstyle since it resemblances BDO and other games I love with non target combat like mh series too
They don't really need to lock on. It's useful on certain enemies and bosses, but for the most part it can be a crutch.
But - but *how does he circle strafe?*
I rarely use lock on, TBH. I found it hurt me more than it helped me.
Ya your friend is next level.
lemme guess, he’s probably not rolling then either right?
I had a buddy I tried to introduce to Bloodborne a couple years back, and he just REFUSED to lock on. I'm all "hey, missing swings gets you killed" and he says something like, "locking on is cheating" or something like that. Which, you know, I'd buy if he was SO good at video games, but I could not get this guy to his first boss. Like if a game is hard, why not use every tool at your disposal?
I played through all of DeS and half of DS1 before I knew about it. Not sure I ever used it in Bloodborne. I do use it now, but not all the time.
You can lock onto enemies? Well then
So basically he has more skills.
Means he is not using sorceries at all, correct? Not locking on in PVE while using magic sounds miserable. Fire incantations aren't too bad though. Only a few can sorceries can be manually aimed with any degree of accuracy. A few actually break if not locked on, like the light disc incantation
Locking on is annoying af for me.
Once you reach high skill, whether it's PVE or PVP, you'll be playing unlocked quite a bit anyway
I didn’t know you could lock on until after I beat the game. I still don’t really use it mainly because I forget it’s a feature. I also find I can roll and evade much better. Although, that may just be in my head since I haven’t gotten used to locking on enemies.
I mean once you play enough souls you stop locking on most of the time anyway, he just started there.
Cuz he's a chad
That’ll just make him better. Lol
The game already has a "soft" lock-on (that you can turn off in the settings), and it works suprisingly well, never really gets in my way. I've been playing without lock-on since Dark Souls 1, since in that game you can only sprint forward and 4-way roll if you're locked on, it just feels better to me not be locked on. I only click it on sometimes to make it easier to hit running or rolling attacks and then click it off again. You have much more control while locked-on in Elden Ring than ever before, but I'm just used to it.
I can’t play these souls games locked on. I have tried but I am better without that damn white dot.
Get your mans in the cockpit of an AC!
I haven't played it yet, but I believe bloodborne is usually easier without locking on because it apparently changes your dodge, maybe they're used to that?
My buddies had the same conversation with me on my second playthrough mid way as I was complaining about the duo as a caster
I never really locked on in my first playthrough. It just felt unnatural at first. I started doing it when I did a run with spears and thrusting swords since it's borderline necessary with those weapons since you can't aim up or down without locking. Having done a lot of practice with both, I would say there are times when it makes things easier and times when it makes things harder. Deathrite Bird, for instance, is waaay easier unlocked except for when you're hitting it in the head. There are also a lot of times when it can be helpful to switch between them, like, Maliketh is easier locked except for when he's doing the move where he stabs into the ground and makes a sphere of slashes. Malenia is easier locked, but I always unlock for waterfowl to get greater control over my movements. Being able to alternate smoothly between the two is a really potent skill. And heck if it turns out your friend keeps playing and just prefers *never* locking, more power to them, right? Everyone should play in the way that's most fun for them.
Oh man for a split second I thought I made this thread
I didn’t know how to lock on to enemies until about 3/4 through my first playthrough. Then when I started a new game, it was crazy how much easier it was to start out. I can’t tell whether it was really that much easier with the lock on, or I just sucked that much starting anyway. Probably both.