How to not be a dick in Elden Ring Nightreign
Elden Ring Nightreign is meant to be played with a team of three. Chances are, they're going to be strangers And, in my experience, they're probably going to act like dicks. Let's talk about how to not do that.
Even with this week's 1.01.1 update that buffs solo players, Elden Ring Nightreign is still meant to be played with a team of three. Chances are, they're going to be strangers — randos, if you will.
And, in my experience, they're probably going to act like non-gender-specific dicks. Let's talk about how to not do that.
(To be clear, I'm guilty of a lot of the below in the past week. I only hope I'm getting better about it. Be the change you want to see in the Lands Between.)
Vote with your pins, not your feet
You don't have any way to communicate directly with your teammates in Nightreign (besides emotes), so it's hard to convey what you want to do and where you want to go.
But, when you open the map, you can set a pin wherever you want to. If a teammate does this, you'll get a notification on your HUD. This means someone is asking to go somewhere specific. When you hover over their pin on the map, you can add your own — and that makes the pin more prominent. You're effectively voting on your destination. You can also just look at their pin on the horizon while running toward it and hold in the right thumbstick to second the destination.
Not everyone (almost no one, in my experience) uses pins, though.
Don't run off on your own
If no one is using pins, things are going to get a little (a lot) chaotic, and you're going to have to either follow someone or lead and just hope your teammates have decided you're the leader.
Sticking together means two people are going to get outvoted by the first person to sprint off. And someone is invariably going to. It's up to you whether you follow them and bail them out, or let them go and (hopefully, but probably not) learn a lesson.
This one is kind of vibes-based, honestly. If your third teammate (miraculously) isn't being a dick, stick with them. If they are, well, first of all, I'm sorry you're dealing with that. Beyond that, pick one and hope for the best. At least you'll get some Relics when you fail. And maybe even the Old Pocketwatch.
The don't-be-a-dick advice here is just: don't do that. At least try to stick together.
Prioritize churches
We mentioned this in our beginner's guide, but it bears repeating: head to every church you can find — even if your teammates are sprinting off in another direction.
Churches are where you gain healing charges for your flask. And you're going to need them — especially if your teammates are dicks. However, people seem to be figuring out that churches are, in this context, very good, and will eventually move to them if you suggest it. If your "friends" have scattered, trying pinning the nearest church on the map and using it as a regrouping oppurtunity.
In each church, there's also a handful of crates with useful items to collect. Which bring us to…
Don't be greedy with items and chests
Sometimes, you'll end up with a teammate that sprints up to every dropped item or weapon and just spams the pickup button with no consideration for what it is. I'm guilty of this on my first couple runs. There's just so much happening and everything feels rushed. But items are shared across your party, and you picking something up means your teammates don't get it.
Look. You don't need all that stuff. Yes, you want healing items, and maybe a throwable or two. But you don't need every one. You and your teammates are all in this together. They need items, too.
And weapons.
Everyone needs better weapons
Yes, you can make it to the first Night Boss with your starting weapon. You might even make it to the second if you're lucky. But it's not the best way to do things.
Castles, ruins, camps, and the other points of interest around the map have chests to find once you clear out the enemies. Those chests have weapons inside. The don't-be-a-dick note here is: Not every weapon is for you. Most characters have a preference for the kind of weapon they use, like the Guardian with halberds and shields. But every weapon also grants you a passive just for holding it in your inventory.
If you're Ironeye, you probably don't need to grab an axe that ups your ability to block attacks. Instead, open your map and ping that weapon for your Guardian. Even if he doesn't use the axe as his main weapon, it'll give him a big benefit while it sits in his inventory.
The rule here is to grab what you need, but also consider what types of weapons and items might be best on your allies. Randomly matchmade teammates can and will let you down in this game, but you have to at least — for you own sanity — give them a chance to impress you.
Share the toys and everyone will find more success.
Mark Sites of Grace when you're ready to level up
There's nothing worse than collecting a boatload of runes only to die by misadventure, lose a level, and then lose the runes as well (more on this in a second). Aside from the occasional Smithing Stone, there's nothing to spend those runes on except leveling up.
Sites of Grace aren't always convenient, though. Like we said in our beginner's guide, there's an icon that appears on your HUD when you have enough runes to level up. When you get a lull in the fighting, mark a Site of Grace as a destination.
Even if they can't level, your teammates could probably use the flask refresh.
Don't pick fights before you're all ready
A weird quirk of Nightreign is that you'll find the lowest level stab-fodder right down the road from a late-game boss. And there's no warning that you're about to get one-shotted.
That means you have to be at least a little vigilant before you take your first swing at something. Having an inconsiderate, stab-first-ask-questions-later teammate means you're going to get drawn into mini boss fights well before you're ready (see the previous few points).
Instead, steer clear of anything bigger than, say, your Raider. Focus on leveling up and getting everyone (not just you) better weapons. That doesn't mean you have to — or even should — completely avoid boss fights. Just give it a few minutes.
But not too many.
Be aware of the Night's Tide
While you're out there looking for the next destination and chasing wayward teammates around, the Night's Tide is closing in. It's easy enough to outrun if it sneaks up on you, but if you're in a tunnel or stuck behind the walls of a castle when it hits, you're going to get stuck. And then you'll lose a level and all your runes (see above).
While you're considering where to go next, keep an eye on that circle. If that castle is close to the edge, maybe look elsewhere.
If you notice a teammate (or two) that's about to get caught in the Night's Tide, start pinging pins on the map in the safe area. Maybe that'll get their attention.
You're not let me solo her
All of this really boils down to, "We're all in this together."
You're playing online. You waited for the matchmaking. You saw the cutscene with two other players. Stop acting like you're playing solo.
Nightreign is balanced for three people. More accurately (and frustratingly), the game is balanced for three people working together.
So, seriously, don't be a dick.
This post originally appeared on BigFriendly.Guide
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