8. Keep Calm and Praise the Sun
You may often spot messages on the ground telling you things; particularly that you should praise the sun. This doesn't really mean anything, it's just an old joke from Dark Souls 1. Messages on the ground however are either extremely useful, or extremely dangerous. Like the comments section of any internet article, messages on Dark Souls can be nice and fluffy or can be venomous and want to hurt you. Some may warn you of enemies, lead you to secrets or treasure, while others may advise you to jump off a cliff for no discernible gain, trying to lull you into thinking that there may be a secret if you do so. No matter what, you shouldn't ignore messages on the ground. Learning to read which ones are true and which ones aren't is quite simple; generally the ones with higher ratings are true, while fakes are discarded and have no ratings. You may also see bloodstains on the floor while wandering; these are usually a tell-tale sign that something is coming up soon that can kill you, and other players have died fighting it. In these cases, extreme caution is advised.