Write Messages in Dark Souls

Ever see those glowing orange messages on the ground from other players while you're exploring in Dark Souls, but have no idea how to write them yourself? Read on and you too will be able to give tips to other players while they play the game!

Note: Dark Souls is an RPG action game for the PS3 and Xbox 360, similar to the hit Demon Souls.

Steps

  1. Obtain the Orange Guidance Soapstone. The stone can be purchased from the Undead Male Trader in Undead Burg for 100 souls. The trader can be found near the bonfire in Undeadsburg, underneath the two spear Hollows and sniper, before you reach the area with the firebombing Hollows. Break the boxes after defeating the spearmen and go down the stairs, where you find the merchant near the bottom.
  2. Equip the item and use it by selecting it from your inventory or pressing the X button on your Xbox 360 controller while it is equipped. Your character will pause and bend over to write a message on the ground. A menu will then pop up with the options "Write Message", "Rate Message" and "View Your Messages".
  3. Select "Write Message" to write your own message on the ground. You will have options of what to write, such as "Be wary of..." or "Try...". Select an opening statement and you can then select how to finish it, for example "Be wary of... tough enemy" or "Try luring it out".
  4. Press submit and the menu will disappear, and your message will appear on the ground. Your message can now be seen in other worlds and other players can view, rate and take advice from your tip.
  5. Try using the other options on the soapstone's menu.
    • By selecting "Rate Message", you will be able to rate the last message you read. If the message was a good tip, you can rate it and give it a positive score, meaning more people will have confidence in that message. However, if the last message you read was a lie or misleading, you can rate it down to a maximum score of zero, showing other players that it cannot be trusted.
    • By selecting "View Your Messages" you can manage your own messages, no matter where you are. You can choose to remove them, see their rating and where they are. You can also view your messages individually by walking over them and also remove them by this method.
  6. Continue writing helpful tips for new players or if you've discovered a secret whenever you find it. Or if you would prefer, you can choose to mislead other players by writing false tips. Whatever you choose, you now know how to write messages using the orange guidance soapstone and communicate with others in the game.



Tips

  • Like most other things in the Dark Souls universe, even the message system has a secret purpose. If you write down the message "Praise The Sun!", it means that you want an Estus Flask. And if someone then rates this message positively, that person will then receive an Estus Flask as they requested. This extra flask will stay with you even after death until you use it and you can receive many flasks if lots of people rate your messages.
  • The soapstone has unlimited uses, so do not be afraid to rate and write other messages as often as you'd like.
  • There are simply some places where you cannot write a message with the stone, so try to find alternate locations where the message can be written, but will still remain helpful to players reading it.
  • You do not have to be standing on top of a message to rate it - remember when you select "Rate Message" from the soapstone's menu, you are rating the last message you read, no matter where it was.
  • Alternatively, instead of buying the orange guidance soapstone from the merchant in Undeadsburg, you can elect to attack and kill him instead. Along with the stone, he will drop a powerful sword and humanity, along with a couple of other items. However, you will no longer be able to purchase anything else from him and if his body falls off a ledge or similar, you will lose all access to the stone for the rest of the game.

Warnings

  • Remember, there is no pause feature in Dark Souls, so you are still vulnerable while using the orange guidance soapstone. Only use the stone when you are sure you are safe and cannot be attacked.
  • You can only have a maximum of six messages active at a time, so make sure they count! However, you are still able to rate other messages freely.
  • When reading messages from other players, remember they may be misleading. It goes to show you shouldn't believe everything you read!

Things You'll Need

  • Xbox 360 console or PS3 console
  • Dark Souls disc
  • 100 in-game souls
  • The orange guidance soapstone
  • Xbox LIVE or online play connection

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Sources and Citations

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