Dark Souls II review
As played on the XBOX360
Total playing time as of the writing of this review = 1H10M
Last year I had the pleasure of being introduced to a game called Dark Souls. An rpg type game unlike any other I've tried before. I took a liking to it almost immediately and when I heard that Dark Souls II was available for pre-order I rushed to my nearest video game monger and plopped down 5 bucks to reserve a copy. Yesterday Dark Souls 2 was released in North America. (The game will release in Europe this Friday)
I rushed out the door that day and got my Black Armor copy being held for me. The Black Armor copy has some additional weapons and armor that is not included in the base game. So here are my initial impressions.
This game plays very much like the first installment did. Veterans of Dark Souls will immediately be able to play Dark Souls 2 and feel right at home. Those who have not tried Dark Souls before will be gently eased into the game before meeting gruesome death after death Dark Souls style. Dark Souls does not come with a tutorial on how to play but the initial 40 minutes or so of play time allows you to explore the world of Dark Souls without facing too many dangers at first. There are a few enemies to kill once you get past a certain point which I will not spoil for you here. Those enemies however should be no problem for a veteran and only a moderate challenge for a newcomer.
The story is well done so far and it has you starting out as a cursed being who falls into a realm where being hollow/undead is a life where you thirst after souls in order to thrive. When you wake up in this world you are unarmed and unarmored and you will notice that there are some small creatures that look very tempting. I would advise not fighting them though at this point. You will die as I did and unlock an achievement called 'This is Dark Souls', which by the way brought a big grin to my face. If you're a veteran of Dark Souls you'll understand why. ;)
Character creation offers a bit more options to tweak than the first version gave but you're still kind of limited in what you are going to look like. What you can do now though is customize your hair, eye, skin, and beard color. You can also adjust your body style and face somewhat like you can do in Skyrim. You can even choose a name for yourself. There are some new classes to choose from now too. The class I chose was the 'Warrior' who is slightly stronger than a Knight but not as intelligent. There are also magic users and stealthy classes to choose from if that is what you prefer.
I avoided some nasty looking beasts and proceeded to a city area of the world, the first major stop in this game. The visuals are gorgeous even on a last gen console. The world in Dark Souls II is quite different visually than the world in Dark Souls. By accident I discovered a hidden path which lead me to a heavily forested area and it is here where I stopped playing. There are quite a few enemies of unknown strength here and I needed to take a break anyway. So I decided to write up this review while I catch my breath.
If you've never played Dark Souls before you don't have to worry about not understanding what's happening in Dark Souls II. The two games may play similarly but the environment and story are completely different from each other. Dark Souls II in my opinion is a worthy last gen game for that last hurrah before completely entering the new generation of console goodness. I highly recommend this game.
May your many deaths be quick and not too painful :)
I suppose I'll start as a Knight again as I did in DS1.
Quote from: Grimnirsson on March 12, 2014, 05:09:57 PM
May your many deaths be quick and not too painful :)
Most of my deaths so far have been quick and painless. There is one creature you have the option of fighting a little after the beginning who will make sure your death is slow and very painful however. Wait until you see him! :)
Quote from: Grimnirsson on March 12, 2014, 05:09:57 PM
I suppose I'll start as a Knight again as I did in DS1.
I thought about being a Knight again as well but the new Warrior class intrigued me. I hope he fits my style of play.
I played in the tutorial area for an hour or so yesterday but somehow the Knight didn't feel right. Today in the office I thought about it and I think I will start as a Cleric slowly working to make him a Mystic Knight or in my personal DS2 story a Knights Templar. I decided to be Hugues de Payns, the first Grand Master of the Templars. He's now in that cursed and desperate land although he thought he would certainly end up in heaven after death...big mistake it seems, he's a hollow now in what seems to be hell. But he's still a man of faith and a soldier of The Order, so he will bring salvation to the lost souls and creatures in the kingdom of Drangleic...by putting them out of their unholy misery ;)
Yeah, I think that's my story for this journey.
What about yours? :)
That sounds awesome Grim! I'm going to have to think about who my character is and what his story is but you've inspired me!
I started as a Knight too, but I find myself too short on stamina to hit even a three slash combo after one dodge.
The Sword master looks and sounds very cool. I think he might fit my 'stamina heavy' style more. DS1 I always played with Sword and Shield though, so I am not entirely sure yet.
But the Knight does feel a bit clunky, in my hands at least. :)
What a magnificent intro movie the game has btw! Truely epic and sets the grim mood for the game perfectly. I just LOVE the style and world of the Souls games.
Minor spoiler: was anyone able to interact with the Knight sitting next to the tree where the undead mob roams about the pit where you leave the forrest and enter the fortress in the forrest of the fallen area (I believe it is called?)?
And a question about the spellcasters? How do you prepare for a run? With the spells having only limited use (at least at first; perhaps they grow in uses later?) it seems you are also dependent on weapons, true?
Is it possible to create a healing Cleric with item heal back-up?
QuoteWhat a magnificent intro movie the game has btw! Truely epic and sets the grim mood for the game perfectly. I just LOVE the style and world of the Souls games.
My feelings exactly :) I have watched the intro several times because of the perfect mood of despair and feeling lost. That melting face of the women before he could even touch her...just the intro movie to this game is better than many other games out there ;)
QuoteMinor spoiler: was anyone able to interact with the Knight sitting next to the tree where the undead mob roams about the pit where you leave the forrest and enter the fortress in the forrest of the fallen area (I believe it is called?)?
No and I don't want to attack him. Since in the Souls games you can often attack and kill these NPCs realising later that it was a bad idea, I will let him sit there :)
QuoteAnd a question about the spellcasters? How do you prepare for a run? With the spells having only limited use (at least at first; perhaps they grow in uses later?) it seems you are also dependent on weapons, true?
You mean the Sorcerer. Yes, these characters of course need some weapon, because in the beginning the 30 Soul Arrows won't last that long. But a Sorcerer has it easier in the beginning because of the ranged attacks.
QuoteIs it possible to create a healing Cleric with item heal back-up?
It's possible and not a bad idea either. The Cleric with Healing Wares could explore the world in the early stages without much problems a lot further than any other class since he would have 1 Estus Flask (after speaking with the Emerald Herald), 20 Life Gems, 3 Radiant Lifegem, 1 Old Radiant Lifegem and 3 Healing Spells.
My Cleric has the Petrified Something as a gift, because as a Cleric he was intrigued by the mystery around it.
Looking forward to sharing stories and tips in this thread here :)
Praise the Sun!
Sorry to barge in here. I tried out the original Dark Souls on PC and after about 62 minutes of getting my arse handed to me, gave up in frustration. Seeing the rave reviews everywhere makes me really want to try again. Any suggestions? Sorry for the semi OT.
Take a Warrior. (Sword and Shield is the way to go for beginners)
Take your time and do not rush.
Learn to Block in time (be sure to equip a shield with the highest physical damage Block at first, perferably as close to 100 as you can get)
Learn to Riposte (fend off an attack by waving with a shield or weapon in time so the enemy staggers and you follow up with a quick attack that crits)
Do NOT rush.
Stay in the tutorial area to practise and keep All your items on respawn (DS2) or stay in the Undead Burg (DS1) until you are proficient with your weapons and defense moves.
Farm Souls in the mean time.
Take your time.
Take your time and most importantly;
Take your time. :D
I have restarted as a Swordman. I like his quick moves! Found out that the plunge attack only works when taking one of the swords in two hands. Actually makes sense.
Blocking is hard with a two hander though, impossible when dual-wielding.
I also found the big ass beast in Betwixt next to the old Fire Keepers' hut. O_O
^Did you play on PC? Once I reinstall I see that it is recommended to install the DSfix:
http://www.nexusmods.com/darksouls/mods/19/?
What do you guys think of the symbolism in the game?
I believe the 'story' can be explained in different ways.
What do you think the Fire symbolises? What about the link between time, being Hollow and having Humanity. What does the journey you undertake mean? Why do you do it?
I think the intro movie of 2 sheds some light on things if you played DS1.
While its not definitive, my theory is that you play a human being who is on the brink of death, his journey the dangerous Path to Paradise and every time you become Hollow you loose more grip on your Flame of life.
The bonfires symbolise your link with Humanity, life force. And every time you heal or upgrade you are one step closer to the Ultimate form of Humanity; revival.
Ultimately its a story about the schism between Living and (if you give up) dying, or -when you finish the game- still dying, but with a peaceful soul instead of a tormented restless one.
Gus, no I play on X360. Be sure to use a gamepad if you play on PC!
Gus,
the game is only frustrating if you don't respect it as a totally different game experience, expecting a normal action rpg or something and playing it like the games you are used to. It is not an easy game, but it is not the superduper hyper difficult monster some people say it is - but it is an absolutely unforgiving game. If you take your time and you don't make serious mistakes you'll be fine...but if you make a mistake, the game will punish you instantly. There is no other game like this (or these, since it's a game series) and you will not find such a game experience elsewhere (except in one of the other Souls games).
And play it with a pad as was already said - you need absolute control and a certain merging with your in-game character, your hands must become the hands of your character in the game. This is not possible with the mouse point & click controls of a PC game imo.
If you have a console, play it on that on the big HDTV and enjoy a game experience like no other. :)
I simply cannot get the game to run on my PC no matter what I try or do. I know it is a GFWL problem, but I just can't get past the problem. Reinstalling the GFWL client does not seem to help. Very annoying.
We spent the entire weekend with Dark Souls 2, I played almost 6 hours with my first character, then decided to start all over again...
In DS1, I started with Sorcerer Lucius, who was great in the beginning (the soul arrows were really cool because they allowed me to keep my distance from the enemies in the Undead Burg), but he began to fail during mid-game when the Soul arrows became to weak, but I didn't manage to find better spells. After 25 hours, I dropped him and started all over again with a Ranger. The DEX character with bow and poison arrows plus Lightning spear worked perfectly for me and he became really badass.
So in DS2, my natural choice was the Bandit (since there isn't a Ranger class anymore) because he has high DEX, starts equipped with a bow and didn't waste any points on INT (which I don't need anyway because I avoid magic since Lucius' failure in DS1).
As a backstory, I built a former Roman senator who became a Haruspex, a reader of entrails. The plan was to kill my enemies with bow and axe and then to read their entrails afterwards, so I named him Haruspex. Here's a picture of him:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fhomefrontcenter.de%2Fallerlei%2FHaruspex_Portrait.jpg&hash=6cea744032cec4c2d320a05bade0efeeb11025da)
Then, I did many stupid things. First, I wasted all my arrows. I shot the first three of my 20 arrows inside the witches' hut. Then I tried to kill the fat Cyclops in the tutorial area with my bow, brought him down to 10% and then became cocky and decided to finish him with my axe. Result: I died. Then I died again. Then I used up several of my 10 Lifegems.
I then got my first Estus Flask, did some farming and then, when I finally reached the Forest of Giants, I didn't have any arrows left, I didn't have any lifegems left, and I had only 1 Estus Flask, so I never reached the next bonfire. I was so horribly out of supply that I didn't know how to continue.
The Bandit's stats where cool (high vitality, high dex), but since my initial plan was to start with a bow (and I played the first 6 hours without a single arrow), and didn't have any chance to heal myself more than once, I wasn't very happy with him.
The next day, I started all over again. This time, I did something very bizarre. I didn't take the bandit again, despite the fact that I will most certainly go for a strong DEX build again, but took the class which is considered to be the worst and most useless one: the Explorer. I simply didn't want to run out of supply again. And in DS2, it's all about your starting options, you can develop any class into any direction.
We had watched the Tudors Season 2 this evening, so I decided to go for Sir Thomas More this time, who had just died on the scaffold. After being executed by orders of Henry VIII, he was sent to the Limbo. Surprised that he didn't reach neither hell, heaven, nor purgatory, he now has to fight his way through the underworld as an Undead, trying the reclaim his soul.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fhomefrontcenter.de%2Fallerlei%2FMorus.jpg&hash=bc19185df683ef7d0762515bd3edbe45817991b7)
I chose the Explorer because he has a ton of starting items, like healing items, Prism stones, a secret key, poison cure etc. In addition, I gave him the healing kit as a starting gift. By now, I'm about 5 hours into the game with him, I advanced far into the Forest of Giants, got the key for the Smith, and have 32 Lifegems as well as some stronger healing potions and 2 Estus.
His attack stats are crappy (but he has high resistances as well as a surprisingly strong armor), so I'm currently raising his STR and DEX. In the beginning, he's only equipped with a dagger, which is also quite difficult (but fits to my fast and mobile playing style). But by now, my stats are high enough, so I just switched to a short sword. I feel much safer and more comfortable with him than with the Bandit, and I think the Explorer is quite cool. I especially like his weird outfit.
I think starting with a ton of equipment instead of perfect stats is a legitimate alternative in DS. The Bandit's stats were much better, but they were worthless without arrows and without any healing options. Now Sir Thomas More will fight his way through the Tartarus!
OMG. I finally got it to work. Funny how Games for Windows doesn't really work with windows. Go figure.
EDIT: Damn it! Now its crashing after the intro video. Well, at least I know its not a GFWLive problem. What a piece of garbage. I probably won't even like the game.
^The original or II?
Quote from: Gusington on March 16, 2014, 07:33:35 PM
^The original or II?
The original. II isn't out yet on PC.
I seem to remember that the PC port of DS1 has some problems, but at least it should run at all. So you don't have a 360 or PS3?
I have both. It's just more convenient for me to play on PC.
Quote from: Yskonyn on March 16, 2014, 04:10:06 PM
What do you guys think of the symbolism in the game?
I believe the 'story' can be explained in different ways.
What do you think the Fire symbolises? What about the link between time, being Hollow and having Humanity. What does the journey you undertake mean? Why do you do it?
I think the intro movie of 2 sheds some light on things if you played DS1.
While its not definitive, my theory is that you play a human being who is on the brink of death, his journey the dangerous Path to Paradise and every time you become Hollow you loose more grip on your Flame of life.
The bonfires symbolise your link with Humanity, life force. And every time you heal or upgrade you are one step closer to the Ultimate form of Humanity; revival.
Ultimately its a story about the schism between Living and (if you give up) dying, or -when you finish the game- still dying, but with a peaceful soul instead of a tormented restless one.
Any input on this, guys?
After reading the above again I might not be clear, but what I meant is that the whole game (or games) revolve around the principle of life and death in general, but also the question of 'is there a heaven and if so, what journey do we undertake to get there'?
I'd like to see all player characters as people clinging to their last bit of life while already on their dangerous path to salvation/heaven.
Are we able to be revived and return to the mortal world among friends and family, or are we loosing our grip on life and become deceased, running eternally in the schism of earth/heaven/hell (by means of the journey our character makes in the games)?
Quote from: Hiimori on March 16, 2014, 05:58:30 PM
The next day, I started all over again. This time, I did something very bizarre. I didn't take the bandit again, despite the fact that I will most certainly go for a strong DEX build again, but took the class which is considered to be the worst and most useless one: the Explorer. I simply didn't want to run out of supply again. And in DS2, it's all about your starting options, you can develop any class into any direction.
I chose the Explorer because he has a ton of starting items, like healing items, Prism stones, a secret key, poison cure etc. In addition, I gave him the healing kit as a starting gift. By now, I'm about 5 hours into the game with him, I advanced far into the Forest of Giants, got the key for the Smith, and have 32 Lifegems as well as some stronger healing potions and 2 Estus.
His attack stats are crappy (but he has high resistances as well as a surprisingly strong armor), so I'm currently raising his STR and DEX. In the beginning, he's only equipped with a dagger, which is also quite difficult (but fits to my fast and mobile playing style). But by now, my stats are high enough, so I just switched to a short sword. I feel much safer and more comfortable with him than with the Bandit, and I think the Explorer is quite cool. I especially like his weird outfit.
I think starting with a ton of equipment instead of perfect stats is a legitimate alternative in DS. The Bandit's stats were much better, but they were worthless without arrows and without any healing options. Now Sir Thomas More will fight his way through the Tartarus!
Your playstyle probably fits mine too, but I took a different approach;
I went for the Swordsman instead. He has a high 'Finesse weapons' boost, quick on stamina but lower on health. That makes him pretty quick and lethal with the two swords he gets, but also quite capable with a bow; at least I believe so.
Once I get into the fortress in the Forrest of Giants I can see the merchant there and buy a stock of arrows. But I think it will work out just fine.
I also noticed that if you stay inside Betwixt (tutorial area) you will have a full restock on items if you ressurect at the bonfire there. I don't think it works anymore once you have ventured beyond the area, but it does give you some leeway to practise with your character without investing too much other than time.
I am pretty amazed that you actually managed to get one of the big round monster's health to 10%! Swords only make dents in his flesh and soon after his friend joins the fight and you're up against two of them on a pretty small patch of beachlike ground.
Not nice and it ended badly. Still, the boat that's floating at the shore must be something interesting if its guarded that heavily. ;D
But I am not going to try to take those badasses on until I have gained a few levels. The walk from Majula is short enough.
Are these beasts near the water the same as the one you find if you go left up the path with the footsteps prior to entering the shed of the Firekeepers of yore?
Scary things.
I've also found a petrified woman who seemed to get turned to stone just as she was trying to pull a handle to open a gate. There is an NPC nearby who tells you some things about her, but is pretty clueless himself. I am very curious to find out what has happened to her.
I won't spoil the location, but chances are you will miss it the first few times around. ;)
QuoteI am pretty amazed that you actually managed to get one of the big round monster's health to 10%! Swords only make dents in his flesh and soon after his friend joins the fight and you're up against two of them on a pretty small patch of beachlike ground.
She was talking about the beast in the tutorial area "near the water (...) left up the path with the footsteps prior to entering the shed of the Firekeepers of yore". ;)
And the two beasts you are talking about are not that hard to kill but going against both of them on the beach is not a good tactic. Go down the path and lure the hidden one out so he follows you. Go the path up again until you come to the cave, he will follow you. Stand inside the 'door' and attack, then jump back as he lashes out, do this until he is falling on his back, then get in a hard attack or two quick ones, do this until the beast is dead. Just make sure to jump back and not get greedy, a hit with the claws do high damage and a bite can kill you instantly. Then you can go to the beach and fight the remaining beast right there or you use the same tactic as with the first one - voila, there's you boat...
QuoteNot nice and it ended badly. Still, the boat that's floating at the shore must be something interesting if its guarded that heavily. ;D
It's a life-changing thing that you can expect when you check out the boat :)
QuoteI have both. It's just more convenient for me to play on PC.
Not if the PC doesn't run the game :P
Seriously, boot up one of your dusty consoles and play DS. DS2 might be considered easier for beginners because the NPCs explain more and the world is much more populated with other players. Not trying to really get into this series is missing one of the best game experiences ever - imho, THE best game experience. And as I said, the feel is better with a pad in this game because you are not that detached from your character as with the kb/m combo.
Yes and if you wonder wether you should play DS1 before DS2 because of the story, then don't worry. They are seperate.
The games are set in the same Realm, so you will find tidbits of overlapping info in either game, but you can start with 2 and benefit from the activity of players and the fact that the NPC's explain a bit more.
Then play DS1 and then for the Ultimate hardcore experience play Demon Souls which is often regarded as the most difficult of the games.
http://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/Dark+Souls+2+Wiki (http://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/Dark+Souls+2+Wiki)
Quote from: Grimnirsson on March 17, 2014, 02:38:04 PM
http://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/Dark+Souls+2+Wiki (http://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/Dark+Souls+2+Wiki)
Thanks for sharing! The embedded video returns an error for me, so I took the liberty of linking it directly:
How to play Dark Souls 2 (40min) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8mkbwp1F78)
It works now Ys :)
I just bought a ring which should leech life from every killed enemy, but I do not see any gained HP after my kills whatsoever.
I had to farm 4500 Souls in order to be able to buy the thing so I feel cheated at this point! ;) It might be one of those things where item descriptions are misleading; it happens in the Souls games, but it might also be that it only works with certain enemies...
If its the first though, then there probably is a cursed effect too. Should I keep on wearing it?
Quote from: Yskonyn on March 18, 2014, 09:53:40 AM
I just bought a ring which should leech life from every killed enemy, but I do not see any gained HP after my kills whatsoever.
I had to farm 4500 Souls in order to be able to buy the thing so I feel cheated at this point! ;) It might be one of those things where item descriptions are misleading; it happens in the Souls games, but it might also be that it only works with certain enemies...
If its the first though, then there probably is a cursed effect too. Should I keep on wearing it?
I'd say wear the ring if you can afford it (you have 4 slots, so as long as you don't need a slot für a different ring, there's no harm done). Perhaps you discover an effect later. Or the percentage of HP gained is so small that you will only start to realize it when you on higher levels. Or... you don't know, it's Dark Souls ;)
I discovered my 4th Estus Shard yesterday, so by now my Explorer has 4 Estus and about 40 Lifegems. This is very comforting! I almost cleared the entire Forest of Giants and successfully worked towards better DEX stats. I was also able to equip a bow, so I bought 100 cheap arrows. This is extremely helpful.
I also realized that weapons appear to break much faster than in DS1. All my weapons are damaged all the time, and I'm permanently in need of repairs (or resting at bonfires, where the weapons are repaired as well). Carrying repair powder with me is much more important than in DS1 where I almost never used it. Now, my weapons break on my way from one bonfire to the next.
I like the new message system. The messages are now much more complex and when your message was rated, there is immediate feedback by a message and a small increase in HP.
Yeah I will keep wearing the ring I suppose. I have three rings,so its not that I need space. But I do feel scammed.
BTW I managed to kill the beasts at the water in Things Betwixt, guarding the boat. Life changing effect I was warned about when using the boat...
WTH? And I only managed to spot it about two hours later! The only odd thing I kept noticing was a weird sound bug on dying... ;) Bug... Riiight!
4 Estus Shards ? I have found none yet, but then again I haven't ventured beyond the tower yet in the Forrest.
My warrior is progressing nicely. In fact I'm happy with my overall progress in Dark Souls 2 vs. how I did in DS. But it could be due to the fact that I'm practicing a lot more patience this time around and not getting too greedy. Greed kills in this game more often than it gains you anything.
I really should revisit my character in Dark Souls as well. What I've already learned this early in DS2 might even help me tremendously with my character in DS.
Quote from: Yskonyn on March 18, 2014, 04:38:05 PM
Yeah I will keep wearing the ring I suppose. I have three rings,so its not that I need space. But I do feel scammed.
I think you are talking about the Ring of Evil Eye, the cat merchant offered it to me. But since I was warned by you, I didn't buy it (didn't have 4500 souls anyway, I'm currently investing all my souls in upgrading my armor / weapon and arrows).
Quote from: Yskonyn on March 18, 2014, 04:38:05 PM
4 Estus Shards ? I have found none yet, but then again I haven't ventured beyond the tower yet in the Forrest.
I didn't venture out of the Forest yet! I cleared the Forest, but I'm still hesitating to go through the fog wall and fight the boss, so I'm currently farming the Forest of Giants from one end to the other. I found all 4 Estus Shards in Majula and/or the Forest (but I'm a Explorer, so it's my job to explore ;)!
A warning. You should not let your favorite weapon break. My current favorite weapon is a short sword+1, and I once ignored the warning about the imminent breakdown, but was in the midst of a fight. When my weapon broke, I had to repair it for 799 souls (no bonfire repair once the weapon is broken), which was quite expensive.
I also had a typical DS moments yesterday... I tried to provoke the fa black monster with the giant club in the Forest of Giants in order to lure it away, then I stumbled over a barrel und he slew me with his club. I lost about 3000 souls there. No problem, I thought, the bonfire isn't far away. I spawned, moved to the place in a rush... and was killed within sight of my souls bag by a stupid grunt with a spear. I know no other game where i ever shouted at the TV and cried out loud: "Nooooooo! Nonononono! Nooooo!"
Enemies don't respawn endlessly; since I'm currently farming the Forest, I realized that more and more of the standard enemies disappear over time. They don't disappear simultaneously, but after a certain amount of respawns, there are fewer and fewer enemies on your standard routes. So I'm trying to optimize my farming, killing as many as there are around without resting at the bonfire (burning through all crap weapons in my inventory because they degrade so fast).
Quote from: HiimoriEnemies don't respawn endlessly;
That is a great new feature in DS2. It works both ways actually. Sure after a while you can no longer farm souls off of easy to kill opponents but on the other hand you also reduce the number of trouble makers you have to face just before a major boss fight. Since early in the game most people are going to have only 1 or 2 estus flask refills it comes in handy to not have to face so many goons before a big boss fight.
It also makes Souls a finite commodity in a given area. It will be interesting to see how this pans out. But it does force the player to keep on progressing through the areas after a time, which is logical.
Quote from: Yskonyn on March 19, 2014, 12:35:02 PM
It also makes Souls a finite commodity in a given area. It will be interesting to see how this pans out. But it does force the player to keep on progressing through the areas after a time, which is logical.
I wonder how the amount of available Souls in a given area is adjusted to the area bosses. In DS1, I spent years in the Undead Burg and Undead Parish, until I felt strong enough to face a boss. And even afterwards, I returned there all the time.
With finite souls, I should be able to tackle the area boss once the respawning has ended. But what if I spent them wrong, or lost them on my way? This could mean that I'm stuck with a boss or a strong enemy without a chance of levelling up or enhancing my equipment.
But the designers must have thought about this, so I guess there will be a fine balance between the moment when the respawning ends and the level and skills you need to kill the area boss and progress to the next stage.
The Merchant lady in de tower sells Human Effigies, as far as I understand, in packs of 4.
Yet my inventory never shows more than 3 Human Effigies.
Can anyone confirm or deny this?
QuoteThe Merchant lady in de tower sells Human Effigies, as far as I understand, in packs of 4.
What do you mean? If you buy Human Effigies from her you always buy 4 at once? I somehow doubt that's the case ;)
So what does the 4 mean in its icon in the store?
That the merchant has 4 of this to offer, they only have a limited supply of things :)
But the lifegems show 10 and you do buy them in stacks of 10 don't you? Or am I being daft here? ;)
Anyway I am enjoying my exploration so far. I have farmed more Souls and was able to buy the Travelling Merchant's Armor set.
The hood gives a bonus to item discovery and the Armor is better against normal attacks than what I had when I started. Its Elemental and magic resistances are lower though.
I believe this is the same Armor set the Explorer starts out with?
I still have no clue where I am supposed to find Estus Shards, let alone 4 of them, in Majula. I found those rat like things that are hard to kill normally and tricked them into falling in the pit.
I am stuck inside the fortress except to go through the mist, but I dont want to fight a boss yet. But my options a limited cause most Doors I find are locked.
So its either farm some more Souls to buy the Parros' Lockstone, reinforce my gear at the blacksmith and perhaps buy the Falconeer Armor set, or I will have to face what's beyond the mist...
Or I just havent found other options yet. :)
I just found a nice Fire Longsword!
It's hard to gauge te difference in power between it and my old Sword vs the added Fire damage, but I think the stats alone might not tell the whole story.
My old shortsword +1 had 110 physical damage, while the firesword +1 has 85.
Would you take the firesword over the shortsword too?
How does Elemental damage work? Does it stack on top of physical dmg making it effectively a 170 dmg Sword as long as the foe is vulnerable to Fire?
Hi Yskonyn,
That little number 10 next to the Lifegem icon at the merchants indicates how many he has in stock. You buy items one at a time and watch the merchants stock decrease by the amount you have purchased. Hope this clears up the confusion a bit.
Don't give up on thinking you've exhausted all of your exploration options. It sounds like you have not found any estus shards yet? There is one that I know of in Majula. Have you talked to the talking cat yet and exhausted all dialogue options with her? That's the only hint I'll give you lest I spoil the game. ;)
Keep checking your surroundings no matter what location you're in. I've overlooked at least two separate paths in the Forest of the Giants and was pleasantly surprised on how much more of the map has opened up for me.
Another exploration tip you can try requires that you possess either the small white soapstone or the large white soapstone. Equip either of those items in your item slot and use them at various locations around the world. This places a summoning sign that other players will see and use to summon you into their world. In this way you can accompany them on their journey. This will hopefully reveal more of the map to you and how to get there and earn you extra soul income! Give it a try. I got my small white soapstone by joining the Blue covenant.
Some doors that are locked can be opened with force...just sayin' ;)
Quote from: Yskonyn on March 20, 2014, 03:13:34 AM
Anyway I am enjoying my exploration so far. I have farmed more Souls and was able to buy the Travelling Merchant's Armor set.
The hood gives a bonus to item discovery and the Armor is better against normal attacks than what I had when I started. Its Elemental and magic resistances are lower though.
I believe this is the same Armor set the Explorer starts out with?
Yes, it is the Explorer's starting armor set. I think it's a great armor set, light and with useful attributes. I upgraded it to +2 by now and I intend to keep it. There is stronger armor around which offers more physical protection, but I like the special features of the merchant's armor, so I feel no urge to change it against anything heavier or stronger right now.
If you didn't find any Estus shards in Majula, you should keep looking. One of them is quite easy to find (I left a message on the ground indicating the trick) and accessible from the very beginning. Another shard requires some pre-work in the Forest.
For the other shards, listen to Grimnirsson's and W8taminute's advice ;)
I have 4 Estus flasks now and the Soul Vessel, various rings and the Fire Sword and in my next session I will check out what is behind the fog door... :)
So I'm currently level 41 with my warrior and at level 38 an idea popped into my head that made me rethink my warrior strategy. Originally what I was going for was a medium tank build in which I could achieve a balance or armor protection but still have somewhat reasonable speed. Now however I'm kitting and shaping my warrior out to be some kind of Dynasty Warriors meets Dark Souls character. Some kind of fast moving hitting machine designed purely for hack and slash fun.
He's going to be built for speed and agility and carry either a spear or a halberd and that's it. My goal is to make him as light as possible in the equipment load which will enable him to run, roll, dodge, and jump faster than the average loadout. But that spear or halberd he carries will pack a powerful punch. I need to upgrade these weapons however at the blacksmith and I'm currently farming souls to pay for all of this. For those times when the enemy gets close in thereby negating the long reach of the polearms I plan on switching to either bare fists or maybe a small knife.
This plan hinges on both dexterity and the new stat called adaptability. These two stats provide you with faster reaction times as well as some protection against poisoning and bleed weapons. I've also researched online that having a high adaptability gives one more i-frames thus extending your invincibility window during rolls. Can't wait to try this out in PvP but I've got a lot of self training to do first in order to perfect my martial arts. 8)
Level 41...so you already killed a few bosses? :)
41 eh? That's pretty far ahead of me. I am still at level 18, but I do not feel the need to level very much at this point.
I have raised a stat to be able to wield the firesword, but the rest of my Souls have been spent on items and gear. I bought Parros' Lockstone from the old hag Merchant because she is mentioning that she should pick up and leave. Better take that item now then.
I do like the Merchant's Armor as well. It does make me a bit heavier, but as long as you stay below 60% encumbrance your speed is not affected AFAIK.
I am at 56 now.
As for forcing your way through Doors by force; I am not strong enough to wield a big axe or such so I doubt just kicking a door in will work.
Perhaps with bombs, but I have never seen a door break by one before...
I am not sure I want to summon other people or get summoned. The Heide Knight was slaughtered in my world by the last summon while I didn't want to kill him out of fear of consequences.
The means to communicate with others is so limited. They can wreak havoc in your world pretty badly if they want, right?
I think I should revisit the cat in Majula. ;)
Quote from: Grimnirsson on March 21, 2014, 02:04:43 AM
Level 41...so you already killed a few bosses? :)
Actually I've only killed one boss and that silent knight in the Forest of the Giants.
Dark Souls 2 is very different when it comes to soul income compared to Dark Souls. I've made several successful co-op missions with fellow online players netting me a nice sum of souls each time. Because of the fact that enemies in your world do not spawn forever the player is compelled to enter co-op missions with the community as a means of farming additional souls that are no longer available in your own world. So for example at the beginning of the game when your level is low the first part of the Forest of the Giants has some fairly easy to kill zombies that provide you with a nice soul income. Until they stop spawning that is. So what I did once that happened was put down my white summons sign near the first bonfire and waited. Once I got summoned into someone else's world I noticed that the enemies that stopped spawning in my world were still available in theirs.
Although I have not explored the world much I've made a lot of souls through careful farming in each area! Last night I made over 10000 souls farming the Huntsman Copse alone. I would have made more but I lost about 6500 souls because I became greedy and arrogant and got killed 4 times in a row for it as I roamed the land killing enemies for souls. Once I calmed down and played carefully again I was ok. :)
Quote from: Yskonyn on March 21, 2014, 02:49:17 AM
I am not sure I want to summon other people or get summoned. The Heide Knight was slaughtered in my world by the last summon while I didn't want to kill him out of fear of consequences.
The means to communicate with others is so limited. They can wreak havoc in your world pretty badly if they want, right?
After Grimnirsson mentioned he kept the Heide Knight alive I realized I might have made a mistake in killing him just to raise a few thousand extra souls. Oh well maybe my next run I'll keep him alive. And you're right about people coming in wreaking havoc. They most likely killed that Knight when they saw him still alive in your world because it's an easy 2000 souls at least. Never summon white phantoms into your world. Always go to their world and enjoy helping them out respectfully while earning extra soul income. ;)
The first part of the Forrest of Giants are now desolate in my world as well. No respawns anymore.
I am rather scared of those Fire Lizard things in the cave with the Fire Sword and the old gate of the fortress.
Arrows dont hurt it and once it spots you it starts belching great balls of Fire at you at high speed.
Especially the cave makes a dodging approach to the beast quite hard.
The map is getting more restrictive now; I really need to find some new passages.
I only sumon other players in the near of a boss gate and so have them only in a boß fight around not in other parts of my world - so usually no chance for them to cause chaos :)
Quote from: Yskonyn on March 21, 2014, 02:49:17 AM
As for forcing your way through Doors by force; I am not strong enough to wield a big axe or such so I doubt just kicking a door in will work.
Perhaps with bombs, but I have never seen a door break by one before...
I'm a Explorer with about 8 strength (I'm going for DEX, speed, resistance and agility), so I can assure you that you don't need much strength to smash doors. I smashed at least one door which was locked by taking my weapon (short sword +2) into both hands and repeatedly attacking the door with it.
It doesn't work with all locked doors, though, so perhaps some doors require more strength or stronger weapons than others. Or a key ;)
So...the first Boss is slaughtered, the Last Giant, was a pretty easy fight. I suppose for warm up ;) The Pursuer though is another caliber...anyone here who killed him?
Hi Grim,
I fought the pursuer once in my world and failed miserably. But when I was summoned to another players world I helped him and one other summons defeat the pursuer. It was quite easy when it was 3 against 1 but I'm still too afraid to tackle him alone in my world. ;)
Hi Yskonyn,
Are you sure that arrows don't hurt the fire lizard? I was able to shoot him a few times by standing on the bridge overlooking him after you climb down the ladder of the second bonfire in the Forest of the Giants area. I didn't have enough arrows to kill him tough but I was causing 30HP of damage with each shot. He tried belching fire at me but because I was on that bridge the flames didn't reach me for some reason.
Ah I didn't try 2-handing the doors yet. Thanks for the tip.
As for the lizards, my arrows do about 27 dmg, but the health bar of the lizard down below -where you descent the ladder at the bonfire in the tower- doesn't budge.
I haven't tried to dodge the attacks of the one in the small cave where you can find the firesword yet. I have no clue what to expect as far as room space goes. :D
Does anyone know how elemental dmg works? Say your sword does 10 pysical dmg and 10 fire dmg. Does it then do 20 dmg to a foe who is weak to fire (10 normal, plus 10 fire) and just 10 dmg to one who is resistant to it?
Quotebut as long as you stay below 60% encumbrance your speed is not affected AFAIK.
In order to maintain a fast roll, your current equipment load must be 70% or less of your Equipment Load.
QuoteDoes anyone know how elemental dmg works? Say your sword does 10 pysical dmg and 10 fire dmg. Does it then do 20 dmg to a foe who is weak to fire (10 normal, plus 10 fire) and just 10 dmg to one who is resistant to it?
Found this answer, hope that helps :)
"IF your overall damage with the weapon goes up when you infuse it with an element(base damage + bonus damage gives a higher total), then you'll likely do more damage as elemental resistances tend to be lower than physical resistances. This also means that you'll do less damage to enemies particularly resistant to the infused element."
Here's my Hugues de Payens Cleric :)
Nice looking cleric Grim! I'll try to capture an image of my guy and post him here too. ;)
Last night I beat the 'Last Giant' boss. He wasn't as tough as I thought he would be. I only died once in the attempt to kill him. He drops a soldiers key which really opens up the map to the 'Fallen Giants Forest' area.
I'm level 39 now, and there's nothing to do for me anymore in the Forest except to kill the Pursuer. I suppose this will allow further progress then. I killed one salamander (the one guarding the fire sword) but these creatures spawn again when using the bonefire (the second one is pointless to kill because I die when I jump down anyway - the cats ring might help here but it costs 13400 souls). So it's now beating the Pursuer, farming for the ring of the cat or being stuck. DS2 feels a bit more linear, in DS1 there were more optional ways to go or so I think. Maybe it's just the first area and it will open up after that, we'll see.
Quote from: Grimnirsson on March 22, 2014, 01:21:18 PM
DS2 feels a bit more linear, in DS1 there were more optional ways to go or so I think. Maybe it's just the first area and it will open up after that, we'll see.
For a while until I beat the Last Giant I was beginning to think that DS2 was much more linear than DS was. Now I'm not so sure. In DS every area that you explored was big. Nice and big. So far here in DS2 the biggest area seems to be The Forest of the Giants. Huntsman Copse and Heide's area do not seem as big as Undead Burg was in DS. I could be wrong though. Maybe those areas open up later it all depends on beating the mini boss or the boss. It's still too early to judge for sure.
Or maybe it all has to do with the enemies not spawning after a certain while. When the land is empty it feels like you've got nothing to do and now you're stuck until something happens.
Well, it seems there's something broken in the DS2 design. Today I fought the Ruin Sentinels, area bosses in the Lost Bastille and if you defeat them you get 9000 souls. You go to the fog wall, write down your summon sign and you'll get summoned pretty soon. The host usually brings the NPC guy as well so three fighters go in and the fight is incredibly easy. If you win (9 out of 10 fights) you get the 9000 souls and all your estus flasks (and if you use them) all healing miracles are full again. So, you write down your sign, go in, the fight is 5 minutes at the longest, you win, 9000 souls, all healing stuff is full again, you write down your sign etc.. You can do this forever. In a few hours I farmed over 100.000 souls from the Sentinels...do this for as long as you want get your character up to level 150 and what then? I doubt the game would be fun after that. I call that broken but I don't find anything about a Sentinels glitch or something. No review talked about that. So what's wrong here? :o
Seems that this sort of Soul Farming is a legitimate way in DS2:
QuoteBoss Farming
So long as you have the White Soapstone, you can farm bosses indefinitely for Souls. Place your summon sign outside of a bosses fog door, and if you get summoned and defeat the boss, you will get souls rewarded to you. This can be done for any boss, but there will be more traffic at specific, harder bosses, like the Ruin Sentinel, or Nashandra.
http://www.ign.com/wikis/dark-souls-2/How_to_Farm_Souls
Apart from the fact that the Ruin Sentinels are so easy to beat and don't deserve the term 'hard boss' it still feels weird. Even the Bonfire Ascetic nets you 500.000 souls when you clear a certain area which is insane but at least it makes the enemies harder to beat (how much I don't know) and there's the danger that it might crank it up too much if you go into NG+ but to have the opportunity to get so many souls in such a short time is a strange design.
Hmmm...farming for souls with enemies like the zombies you find in the Forest is one thing but bagging 9000 souls every 5 minutes that's another. I would say it's ok to farm souls but if you can boost your character to level 150 after farming an easy half a million souls then I would say the game might be a little broken.
Played a little PvP today against several different players who invaded my world. Did not win a single victory at all despite being at level 51. I need to reinforce my weapons and armor but the blacksmith in Majula doesn't sell titanite shards anymore. :'(
It's clear to me though that the opponents I fought had at least +5 reinforced armor or weapons or both. When I gave them a hit with my strongest weapon I only did 28 to 32 HP of damage. When they hit me once two handed I lost half my HP.
My conclusion, leveling up alone is not the answer. You've got to reinforce your weapon and armor as well. Some weapons and armor scale with your level but where they really shine is when you have reinforced your equipment as high as you can.
Yeah, upgrading stuff is essential, my mace is now doing 180 dmg, the Giant Knights in the Heide Tower need three hits and they are gone. Since I'm pretty strong now I can use the Knights there as well to farm :P
And I wasn't invaded once! I don't wear the blue ring anymore since it's just locking up a ring slot because no one shows up. Also...a...bit...strange...the design philosophy in DS2 is different that's for sure and it's definitely easier than the first one. Seems the head of the design team leaving the company had some effects on the overall design.
^As far as I can tell the only way to get invaded is to invite a player in by clicking on his red soapstone signature. Otherwise things are pretty quite. Today I was fortunate enough to play against other players because there were a lot of signatures in my world.
And I hate to admit it but I agree with you about DS2 being easier than DS. I've played a lot of DS and have not even come close to accomplishing all of the things I have done in DS2. This game is fun but it is no where near as challenging as the first title. :(
As promised here is my character. Oddly his name is W8taminute. He's a soldier who although won a great victory for his king got lost after the last major battle of the war. He stumbled upon a forbidding place in a dark forest and ended up somehow wandering the land of Drangleic with hollow sickness.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1336.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fo648%2FW8taminute%2Fw8taminute2_zpsbe457c63.jpg&hash=c2cebbb6b6603a4a199520c1eb31c0a81ac31865)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1336.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fo648%2FW8taminute%2Fw8taminute1_zps26a186fa.jpg&hash=f79a099939cf085f5b4321eb8726c1bc44929714)
The armor of your character is rather light ;)
I never saw such a red sign either...there are many white signs for coop (which also makes it way easier to rush even through new levels - only drawback is that you might miss a few spots and souls so I usually don't summon players in a new area.) but no PvP for me so far.
I also got the impression that DS2 is easier than DS1. I'm Lv 61 now, and I don't think I was even close to Lv 61 in DS1 after only one week of playing (about 15 hours playing time).
There is almost no limit to farming - thanks to the endless boss farming option where you return with re-filled estus and repaired weapons.
By now, I have 4 Estus plus 65 (!) Life gems plus several stronger healing items. In DS1, it was a permanent struggle between drinking Estus and returning to the bonfire in order to refill the flasks. Here, there's not much pressure or fear of running out of healing items.
I made a run through Heide's Tower yesterday (as Grimnirsson said, the Giant Knights are not much of a challenge). I then summoned a cleric and we killed the first boss in the first attempt. I then moved on to the Blue Crytal tower, where I killed the second boss in the first attempt. I got the strange impression that players are supposed to move to Heide's Tower first, before moving to the Bastille (where I moved after the Giant's Forest). I was also showered with tons of stuff there.
So, even if I'm free to decide whether I want to go to Heide's Tower or the Bastille, the enemies' strength implies that there is a certain linearity of how to approach the game.
I wasn't invaded a single time, but now that I became a Blue Sentinel, I'm curious whether I will be summoned into the worlds of Blue Apostels, when they need help against an invader.
Sir Thomas More with his new weapon:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.homefrontcenter.de%2Fallerlei%2FLv61.jpg&hash=3e83651ac92f6a08fd6fe4342b78011cf7267cd2)
What I find interesting is that several voices on the web say they consider the game as very difficult. Yesterday after one of my Ruin Sentinels farming fights I got a voice message from the dude I was fighting with (we won) and he told me how grateful he was that I was able to help him (I killed 2 of the Sentinels alone while he was in a fight with the third one - sometimes the first Sentinel jumps off the platform and the others then join him on the ground, that's when the situation gets a bit more challenging because usually you kill the first one on the platform then the others on the ground) and that he was struggling with these bosses for hours (!).
I then surfed the web to see what others think about the difficulty of the game and I got the impression that for the majority it is difficult. I suppose that the new features that make the game more approachable and the fact that a Souls veteran (I think after 200 hours into DS1 I count as one ;) ) has lost his 'virginity' so to say is the reason for him the game feels so easy. The thrill of absolute danger and the feeling of being helpless that's something he can not get back, i.e. he starts in a more careful way, he knows what to look for, what to expect as possible traps, how to fight efficiently and tactically, what weapons work best for his personal style to max out combat skills, the way to level up being focused on the kind of warrior he has in mind from the beginning etc.
So, to say the game is broken because of the boss farming options (and the many healing items) is perhaps wrong since so many folks can't do it and die trying. I have now decided to play the game as it works, enjoying the new features and using them and the overall design to my advantage and as a goal having in mind not the last boss or something, but the NG+ experience. Things are supposed to change then, the game getting harder and it's said that the NG+ is not just the same game with stronger enemies, but a different experience, in what way I don't know.
Point is I enjoy the Souls games not only for their difficulty but for their morbid atmosphere and sinister mood and tactical polished combat. That's all fine in DS2 so Drangleic is just another part of the world I already know (and love) from my adventures in Lordran. When I'm through with DS2 and have experienced NG+ I will go back to Lordran and switch back to my second character in that game. Two sides of one coin so to say, giving different experiences on the same rotten ground.
You made some very interesting points the main one is that DS veterans do find this game easier than the first. I agree. Still this is a fun game and I'm enjoying it. It took me 4 attempts to beat the mini boss that guards the Blue Sentinels. I still can't beat the Pursuer though and I have died at least 10 times trying.
My armor is generally very light Grim as you can see. I am going for speed and agility at the expense of armor. Of course when it comes to fighting the bosses or that Red NPC phantom in Huntsman Copse I don my Falcon armor set which I've been quite happy with.
Despite my comments and observations, I also like DS2. As Grimnirsson said, you have to play it as it is and use all its features and concepts to your advantage.
I'm Lv 70 now, and I had a typical Dark Souls moment yesterday...
I'm currently roaming No Man's Wharf and spent the evening farming the area. I only found one bonfire so far (at the beginning of the level), so the way to the boss is quite long. This also means that you get many souls on your way there, even if you choose the most direct path with all available shortcuts.
I left a summon sign at the fog gate and was summoned several times (but I also realized that there are fewer summoning signs than in Heide's Tower, the Forest of Giants, or the Bastille! Obviously, the region isn't very populated). I supported several players in the boss fight, the boss isn't very hard and the battle is over in under a minute and provides me with 3850 souls. I didn't die a single time and didn't see anyone die during the fight. I repeatedly assisted other players in fighting the boss, became human, and then decided to fight him myself.
I waited for summoning signs, but they were rare, and often the summoning failed. I then summoned someone and we waited together for about 3 minutes until a second sign appeared (fortunately, my first guest was very patient). We then moved through the fog wall and attacked the boss.
He was down within 30 seconds... well, almost down. His lifebar was barely visible, and he would have died with only a few more hits... but then he lashed out at me. I stumbled against a wall, lost orientation, trapped myself with my back against a pillar... and was killed by him. Absolutely dumb move!
I guess my guests thought: "what an idiot, how can anyone die in this boss fight, and why seconds before victory?!?". In addition, I lost about 15k souls. So, again, never underestimate an enemy in Dark Souls, not even the apparently weak ones...!
Ashamed, I left the game for the evening. But today... there is still a souls bag to recover, and I will have to regain humanity and make up for this shameful event.
^That's one of the reasons why the Dark Souls series is are great. Even weak enemies can kill the strong if they get too cocky.
This evening I began the game patrolling for the guilty in an attempt to punish them. As a member of the Blue Sentinels Covenant you get to hunt around the online world for people who commit 'crimes' in the game. Alas there were no guilty souls to be found. So I helped some fellow players in coop against the various bosses in the early game. Racked up some nice souls and used them to get me to level 77. I also upgraded my halberd to +4 and boy does it pack a powerful punch.
Then I fought a sparring match in the Blue Sentinel arena and won! My first victory after being defeated 4 times in a row.
I finished the session fighting a red phantom using just my fists. It did not turn out well but I learned some valuable tactics as a result. Can't wait to hunt around again tomorrow!
I was invaded yesterday, for the first time, but I killed the invader within 10 seconds... he wasn't very talented ;)
I discovered a new feature (which was unthinkable in DS1), but I actually like it: when I first entered No Man's Wharf, I accidentally killed the merchant there. This was very problematic, because many items are in limited supply in stock, and this merchant also buys stuff! When I returned there, I found a gravestone at the spot where I killed him. I was offered the option to pray for his soul and to offer 4500 souls (which I did) - and then he was resurrected as a ghost, telling me that he was still dead, but I could trade with him. In DS1, I also killed a merchant once, and he was lost forever.
Yesterday, I decided to fight the 3 Sentinels in the Bastille. I had farmed them for the last few days, and I decided that it was time for me to face them. Together with a summoned knight and an NPC, I killed them off in my first attempt!
After killing them, the world opens up and there isn't much of the linearity left (as I suspected from my first playing hours). The Bastille is larger than I thought, and there is an annoying new enemy type I call the "suicide mummies". There are not very strong, but they throw themselves on you and explode, which drains half of the life bar.
I also found several useful rings by now, one (like Havel's ring in the first game) reduces the equip load (I don't need it, though, I travel light), one that reduces weapon damage (my weapons are damaged all the time, so this ring is very useful for me), and one which protects the life bar from going down to 50% when I die (it now stops at 75%). Cool stuff everywhere, even when I don't wear my Merchan't hat anymore (which had enhanced item detect).
But I still wear my old Merchants coat, now +4. I like it better than all the other shiny armors I found so far.
Two new areas are now open. I explored one with another player (I didn't dare to enter the fog wall and left my summon sign there, and then I realized it was no boss but a gateway to a new part of the world). So there is much to do for me now!
I think I'm about Level 80 now.
You guys play way more than I can. I am far behind on you guys. Still level 20 or so.
I might have to stop reading this thread now in fear of spoilers. :)
Level 96 now ;)
But don't worry, in the Souls games there's no need to rush or so, it's your world so take your time and Praise the Sun! :)
True, and so I do!
I wonder what's more important; leveling your stats or upgrading your gear? The internet seems to be divided on the subject too.
Quote from: Yskonyn on March 31, 2014, 06:07:03 PM
True, and so I do!
I wonder what's more important; leveling your stats or upgrading your gear? The internet seems to be divided on the subject too.
I upgraded my equipment as far as I could, but there is a natural limit to doing this - you simply don't get enough titanite to upgrade it as long as you wish.
By now I'm level 90 and upgraded my 2 favorite weapons, bow and armor as far as I could (+4 for armor and bow, +3 and +2 for my swords), but since then, I have to spend all my souls for leveling, buying arrows, throwing knives and firebombs - I would love to upgrade my equipment more, but at the moment, I don't come across any titanite and the merchants are sold out.
Yeah I'm also starving for Titanite shards. I've got quite a few slabs but no shards. Hopefully we can find another source. Whoever does please let us know!
Last night I discovered the Belfry Luna's thanks to Hiimori's information. I joined their order but promptly left it when I realized that all these guys do is prey on the innocent getting easy kills. It seems whenever someone is in the Belfry Luna members of the order invade them for quick kills to earn Titanite slabs. It's most always an unfair fight too pitting two Luna's against one innocent explorer. My character detests dishonor such as this and he rejoined the Blue Sentinels in order to both protect the innocent and punish the guilty. 8)
Level 103 by now, the Lost Sinner boss is dead (that one took me a bit longer than the others so far, got killed three times before I was victorious.The room was dark, the boss fast and hard hitting and I couldn't get the lockon onto him for long, so I often missed him in melee), the first of the 4 Primal Boss souls (or whatever they are called) collected. I will use it for the 25.000 souls since I don't want to use the weapon one can trade it for. And the higher I come in my level, the less folks seem to hang around in my world...
I killed him yesterday at level 90, but to me, he wasn't too difficult. I died once, but got him in the second attempt. I'm quite fast and rolled around his feet, so he had problems hitting me. His jump attack is dangerous, though.
In addition, I had two good companions with me, who were very helpful (tank types with shields and great sword), so they absorbed most of the damage.
Good work guys! Sounds like we're all in the same point more or less in the game.
I also beat him last night with the help of a Way of the Sun member (praise the sun!) and Lucatiel (NPC character who helps you). Got him on the first attempt. My strategy was to circle around him while he was busy with my helpers and slash at his flanks and back.
Quote from: Yskonyn on March 17, 2014, 08:55:47 AM
I've also found a petrified woman who seemed to get turned to stone just as she was trying to pull a handle to open a gate. There is an NPC nearby who tells you some things about her, but is pretty clueless himself. I am very curious to find out what has happened to her.
I won't spoil the location, but chances are you will miss it the first few times around. ;)
I solved this puzzle yesterday :)
Quote from: Hiimori on April 06, 2014, 04:29:02 PM
Quote from: Yskonyn on March 17, 2014, 08:55:47 AM
I've also found a petrified woman who seemed to get turned to stone just as she was trying to pull a handle to open a gate. There is an NPC nearby who tells you some things about her, but is pretty clueless himself. I am very curious to find out what has happened to her.
I won't spoil the location, but chances are you will miss it the first few times around. ;)
I solved this puzzle yesterday :)
Well done! I havent progressed too far since my last post. So many things to do, so little time... :-(
The power of the cloud...I moved my save file to the cloud because I was living for two weeks at Hiimoris home since I was renovating my house. Now I'm back to my home again, wanted to play after a 3 week hiatus and started DS2. The game checked for the save file after I pointed to the cloud, an update was necessary and logged me out automatically. I had to agree to terms etc. and then was back in the game...but instead of 'continue' there was only 'new game'. In DS1 I lost my character after playing 140 hours because the save file was 'confused'...and started again, am now again 50h into the first game. Now I have lost my DS2 character after 50h...started again immediately, but I am pissed I can tell you... >:(. If a game can not handle a save file in the cloud or the cloud gets a sync and the game is allowed to start an update, what shitty system is that??? No warning, no nothing, the save just gone... :tickedoff:
Damn that sucks Grimnirsson. I remember the pain you went through the last time. Is there no way you can transfer the cloud save back to the hard drive and see if that works? Also what if you uninstall DS2, assuming you installed it to your hard drive, and reinstall? Do not accept the patch and try to run the game in offline mode and search for your saved game which you transferred hopefully back to your hard drive. If it can find it then I would try to install the patch and see what happens.
No that doesn't work, when I wanted to load the save from the cloud there was still only the new game option. I suppose agreeing with the terms and accepting the patch somehow corrupted the save, or the game automatically checked for a save on the HDD and didn't find one so thought I'm starting new...the cloud synced that and gone was my old file...
Happy times! ;D
DS2 is confirmed for PS4! :smitten:
I hope a remastered version (or even a sequel) of Dragon's Dogma will be coming to PS4 too.
Quote from: Yskonyn on November 25, 2014, 05:49:12 PM
Happy times! ;D
DS2 is confirmed for PS4! :smitten:
I hope a remastered version (or even a sequel) of Dragon's Dogma will be coming to PS4 too.
Good news indeed! I'll probably get DS2 for the PS4 but I'm really waiting for that new Souls game they are rumored to be working on. Dragon's Dogma is an excellent game as well and if that ever comes out for the PS4 I'll get that too. Now onto to Google to see if I can find out this news for myself. :)
QuoteGood news indeed! I'll probably get DS2 for the PS4 but I'm really waiting for that new Souls game they are rumored to be working on. Dragon's Dogma is an excellent game as well and if that ever comes out for the PS4 I'll get that too. Now onto to Google to see if I can find out this news for myself. :)
You mean Bloodborne :) I suppose although being in the tradition of the Souls games this plays differently since there's no shield and combat is faster. That could be the first game I consider a system seller for the PS4, but we will wait for a second generation 1 Tb PS4. There's an XO already with 1 Tb and Sony will follow sooner rather than later.
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Or, you can just swap out the Harddrive once the 1TB version is available.
I don't want to shell out money just because Sony comes out with a too small HD...500 Gb was not enough and it should have been 1 Tb in the first gen PS4. I'll wait for that new gen PS4 and for a good bundle later. I have still plenty of games that I have to play on my good ol' workhorse 360 :)