So with Dark Souls coming out I finally decided to go back and beat this damn thing.
Previously I had beaten Phalanx and kept getting destroyed by the Tower Knight, not really knowing that I could go do 2-1, 3-1, etc. beforehand. I wanted to keep playing, but Borderlands drew me away at the time.
Anyway, now I'm back. I rolled a Templar Knight and completed (in order): 1-1, 4-1, 2-1, 1-2, 3-1, TRIED 3-2 AND FAILED, 2-2, 2-3, 5-1.
Man, Maneater is freakin' rough. I'm glad I at least opened the level so I can just rush to him though. I haven't tried the isolation tactic though, I'll see if that makes anything easier. I've gained a few levels since my last try, so hopefully it's a little easier.
I've mostly been playing with Halberd +4, Crescent Falchion +1, Blessed Mace +1 as my weapons, and then either the Gloom set or the Black set for my armor (Black set mostly when I want to dodge or run better).
I haven't been putting points into Magic, so I'm strictly a melee/faith build, although I can do fine with a bow - I just hate getting all those souls and then buying arrows rather than levelling. I also refuse to cheap bosses to death, e.g. the fog/arrow cheat for taking out the first Maneater.
I think I may finish 5-2 and maybe 5-3 before going back over to 3-2, but I may get 4-2 in there since I hear the soul farming is good there.
EDIT: I've been playing online too, so I don't really care about World Tendency. Since the servers are going away, my first playthrough will concentrate on that while my next one will be played offline so I can concentrate on manipulating tendency.