You can fight him now, but you probably won't defeat him until you have the means to weaken his defenses. There's no special difference in beating him now versus later.
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Dark Souls II |OT2| Prepare to Vengarl
- Thread starter Vazra
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You can fight him now, but you probably won't defeat him until you have the means to weaken his defenses. There's no special difference in beating him now versus later.
Interrobang
Member
Thanks!
I don't do much pvp but wouldn't a shield with high magic/fire/etc. resistance counter those spells?
I'm wondering if the LG Knight shield can do well against casters in PVP.
Tevious
Member
I usually use a tower shield, but I've also used another one (forgot the name) that had some magic resistance. I still took damage and all they need to do is keep their distance and spam you with soul arrow or that lightning spell. I find that I'm much better off roll dodging those spells, but that burns through my stamina and timing is critical. One slip up and you could be dead.
I'll try that, then. Thanks.
Interrobang
Member
Crushed eye orb is stirring near Licia... should I invade? I already got Exiles achievement. Any recommendations before I do? (ie: trigger certain game events first, buy all her spells, etc)
Finn of Ooo
Member
How are the dragonrider twinblades? Wanted to make a char built around them
UpsideDownAce
Member
Definitively buy all her miracles. There are a few that only she sells.
Augemitbutter
Member
sadly, it's true.
Interrobang
Member
What's the deal with fire through the door where you have to be hollow? I can pray at it but nothing happens?
bobawesome
Member
15 hours into my character I finally realized why I couldn't summon others... I joined the Covenant of Champions. Words can't describe how pissed I am right now.
edit: Er, Company of Champions.
edit: Er, Company of Champions.
I laughed at people talking about Magic being underpowered and saying it needs a buff ( a fucking buff) or on even playing field.
It has always been a black sheep type of issue with them since From tends to put more "time" into melee combat and just says whatever to magic and balance alot of the time.
12 million + soul memory is abysmal. I am officially only going up with people who have above 3k health, and I am sitting at level 150. And this isn't even mentioning the havel shield + havel armor clones I've been dealing with for two days now.
I think I'm done with Dark Souls 2 until something happens with the PVP matching.
I think I'm done with Dark Souls 2 until something happens with the PVP matching.
j0hnny_385
Member
SoulsGAF, I need advice on
.
I cleaned
, but haven't touched
yet because I don't want to F it up. 
I really wish to do and get all the sweet items
How to proceed with this the right way? Halp.
Royal Sorcerer Navlaan
I cleaned
Aldia's Keep
him
I really wish to do and get all the sweet items
WITHOUT killing the NPCs.
It says that in order for Cale to give me his hat, I need to defeat Nashandra? Isn't she the end game boss? Can you continue playing the game AFTER you killed the final boss?
How to proceed with this the right way? Halp.
Orthogonal
Member
Sweet, credits are rolling now. Just finished it up. Had a lot of fun, too, me over a month to beat, but that was worth it.
At least you can talk to the cat in Majula and bail on the covenant.
On another note didn't make much progress this weekend but I did clear
Shrine and killed Demon of Song.
That area is one of the coolest so far visually. And that area's boss is one of the most interesting looking bosses of the series. Too bad it was a pretty easy fight. Still neat at least.
ExFalsoQuodlibet
Member
I don't know about the general opinion, but I might say it is so if I weren't a DkS1 veteran: while DkS2 plays differently than DkS1, it's a very similar game and having played the first game for several hundred hours meant to me that my first DkS2 playthrough was easier than my first DkS1 playthrough, Actually, the only way to determine which game is easier would be to have a statistically significant number of people playing DkS2 first without any knowledge of the first game, and then DkS1: thus, you asked them which game is easier.
Also, DkS2 significantly improves over the first game in a number of areas that effectively could have made the first game artificially harder, for example:
- you can change the direction of your hit with a heavy weapon mid-swing;
- you can run sideways while targeting an enemy;
- attunement is much more relevant and gives casters more value for the souls they spend;
- magic is far more available to everyone, and is a tool that should be considered in every build
- there are more items with more useful effects
- it's easier and faster to upgrade weapons, and infusion stones give you more flexibility
- you can reinforce and infuse casting items
In particular, magic is something that basically everyone can and should use this time around: there are rings that raise your faith/intellingence and spices to make you use spells with lower stats (but obviously you still need higher stats to do high damage). I think the whole mundane infusion thing was included to push players to experiment with different strategies on the same build.
One of the things I'm loving more and more is the fact that the entire concept of leveling has been significantly downgraded: in DkS1 leveling every stat always increased your defense in general, while this time around a low level character has more chances against high level players and late game foes. Also, I find the soul memory concept an excellent addition for online play: with soul memory the amount of souls you acquired and spent is the relevant matchmaking stat to consider, and not just the level, meaning that a low level character, overpowered by full equipment reinforcement and plenty of items, cannot take on a character of similar level but with base equipment and no items.
About online play, I'm having 0 problems with it: it plays really differently form DkS1, if you try to play like the first game you'll have a hard time, and adaptability really makes a difference. As I wrote, DkS2 pushes players to not follow a single strategy through the entire game, and balancing you build is great this time around, in a completely opposite fashion in respect to the first game, in which a balanced build is always the worst choice: for example, the fact that scaling has been nerfed means that overleveling a single stat has low returns, and that's to me a good thing about DkS2, and I really don't understand people who want to play this game like the first one - the first one is still there, you can always play it if you think it's better.
I think in DkS2 the bosses could be considered generally easier than the first game, but maybe the main point is the fact that, like in DeS, this time around is easier to follow a different path if you're having a hard time with a boss.
Take Ruin Sentinels. I consider RS a harder boss than O&S, for a few reasons:
- in DkS2 the fact that a weapon does slash damage or strike damage is much more relevant, and if you get to RS with your cool blade you're going to have a hard time;
- RS have very long range with their attacks, and they're fast and agile;
- if you fall down from the platform you find yourself in a relatively small square area with 0 protections, while O&S has the columns that help you control the arena;
- keeping yourself on the platform is very hard, and you have very small windows to hit the RS without getting destroyed after a successful blow;
But RS is not a "wall" like O&S was, you can go back and follow different paths, warping whenever you like, and then return with a higher level and better gear, and you can actually
completely skip RS with the antiquated key and a Pharros' lockstone
and it's not skippable
CountAntonius
Member
So a pure melee build at sl 150 is not really advised huh?
How strong is fire with low stats in magic and faith? still worth the attunement points?
How strong is fire with low stats in magic and faith? still worth the attunement points?
Cloudius12
Member
You still get tons of Pyromancy damage if the glove is fully upgraded. 10 ATT for the first slot, then 12, 14, 16 gives you slots. I believe this is right.
Augemitbutter
Member
ExFalsoQuodlibet
Member
For the first 4 slots is 10 - 13 - 16 - 20
CountAntonius
Member
Dark Souls makes you a damn good Dark Souls player. Not sure what they could've done or if it is even possible to make the game as challenging as your first experience with a Souls game.
bobawesome
Member
Yeah, true. I made a point of abandoning it as soon as I put two and two together. I assumed the problem was with my connection.
Exactly.
When Dark Souls first came out, Demon's Souls players said the same thing about Dark Souls, Dark Souls players are saying about Dark Souls 2 [being easy].
And the cycle continues.
mickcenary
Member
I went through Amana last night for the second time (NG), but this time, with a bow. My lord. The first time I did it with a Gyrm Greathammer and nothing else; it wasn't that bad, really, but the bow made it such a cakewalk in comparison.
I think From nerfed the tracking of the mage's spells a bit too much.
I think From nerfed the tracking of the mage's spells a bit too much.
Join Champions Covenant.
but you can quite easily dodge/block their attacks AND kill them in two swings!
I wouldn't say too easy, but it's easy.
thunker 9000
Member
Killed the
. Man, he was a pain in the ass. 2 bosses to go.
and the
Ancient Dragon
Darklurker
King Dude
UpsideDownAce
Member
It revives you when you have no human effigies in your inventory and your item box
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
Yup I've been saying this ever since I've started to play pvp but the hitboxes are quite bad. I'd agree with all the things you said as well:
- Remove spices or limit it to 5 per spell
- Fix bat fog staff
- Fix phantom crits
- Miracles should scale
- Look into infinite stunlocks. Either remove them or re evaluate the poise system so they are less common or give us a method to escape them. IMO they shouldn't even exist.
- Elemental weapons should always do less dmg than scaling weapons.
if you played through the any of the souls and learned what type of "game" it is, it gets easier. Entering a room is different now, because I'm looking for the trap, I'm looking out for the ambush by moving the camera around and seeing an enemy waiting to jump. I know when entering a boss battle to wait for them to do all their move sets before I actually jump into combat.
It's something unique because you after playing Souls, you feel like you got their rule book and know what they are thinking.For example, Huntsman corpse might startle you at first but seeing how your use to their style of enemy interactions you realize that it's a gloried trap zone.
Oh, I'm not complaining about the difficulty. As a rather impatient gamer, I still suffer from the same issues I did the first two times around. Half my deaths are my own fault. I'm quite happy with the varying difficulty level.
But, I do plan on doing a Champions Covenant run on my next playthrough. I want that ring.
I agree. What I'm pointing out is that despite our awareness of how to tread in this game series, that doesn't make it easier. A reminder of that is watching new players play this for the first time. A sharp reminder of how difficult this game actually is.
I was watching a Devil May Cry player get his ass whopped in this. It was awesome.
Grinchy
Banned
What system are you playing on? I didn't notice any difference in tracking on PS3.
I noticed some things easier and it being more of just having patience to deal with certain bosses then anything. The one thing I do hate is gimmick boss levels where you can't fight on a even terrain or the terrain is like 90 percent hazard.
Also link to the DMC guy playing this? havn't seen any streams of the game yet except the early copies before launch. Interested in seeing everyone else's experience
It was actually in person, a friend who is pretty good at overcoming DMC3 on the harder difficulties. When he realized he couldn't mash away at this game, he started to rage hard.
Tevious
Member
but you can quite easily dodge/block their attacks AND kill them in two swings!
Uh, huh... Just to use a recent example. I was doing PVP in Belfry Luna and was summoned as a Grey Phantom. Came around the corner on the first floor and got like 3 swings on this person wearing some witch's attire (cloth). I have a +10 Gyrm Greataxe. She backs up and immediately casts some soul arrow spell. I roll to dodge it, but still get hit and die instantly. I have over 1100 health, but since I wasn't human before being summoned, it was maybe more like ~900.
Red Liquorice
Member
Runaway thoughts:
Why the hell is the
the boss of Aldia's Keep? On my second playthrough now, and its dawned on me how really damn cool the area is. It oozes with atmosphere, creepiness, and overall is ominous and unsettling from the moment you enter the gate. Bunch of wagons shaking and shit, grotesque creatures, shady looking scientists, blood and bones littered around, several torture devices, a room filled with corpses of Giants - I mean damn! And then you get to the boss - fucking COOOL! Badass looking boss in one of the, in my opinion, best looking arenas. Boom, you defeated him!
No complaints so far. AND THEN, you goto the next area and it becomes painfully obvious that there are
. In hindsight, I wish FROM would have utilized the elements of the area and then created a completely unique boss, cuz the place instantly reminded me of WoW's Blackwing Lair/Naxxramas. /shrug
Why the hell is the
Guardian Dragon
No complaints so far. AND THEN, you goto the next area and it becomes painfully obvious that there are
shit tons of Guardian Dragons flying around - hell, even three additional Guardian Dragons can be fought in Aeries i.e. THE BOSS OF FUCKING ALDIA'S BADASS KEEP IS KIND OF A TRASH MOB
That's like....one Forbidden Sun/Crystal Soul Spear
try wearing some HP and resistance rings until you level it up a bit!It's really really easy to dodge anything a mage throws at you, you don't even have to time it right.
Being a dirty mage myself, I don't even bother casting spells randomly because I know I'm just wasting them. Mistakes/misses is my window of opportunity
ExFalsoQuodlibet
Member
There's a lore reason:
Aldia worked in his experiments to create dragons, and while he managed to do that, he also mistakenly created a bunch of horrors
Augemitbutter
Member
i think the tracking is only nerfed on 360. they haven't changed it on the PS3 (yet).
And supposedly
Aldia is the Ancient Dragon
Rhazer Fusion
Member
Yeah, I reverted it back to normal once I found out that lightning actually made it weaker. I did change my Drangleic Sword into a Raw Drangleic Sword and even though the stats increased, the sword wasn't as powerful for some reason. I am wondering if the Claymore would have the same results.
It's very likely a bug but actually they still respawn but only for phantoms.
I usually summon a shade to deal with them and last night I didn't see the sentinels so I killed the stone knights but I saw the shade I summoned was fighting something I couldn't see. A few seconds later I gained some souls. The shade seemed to be fighting an invisible enemy. He was loosing health, healing, coming back and fighting.
After he finished I sent him a message and he told me he was fighting the sentinels.
I think he took care of 3 of them before his duty was fulfilled.
I get that, but I kinda wished the
boss fight incorporated those horror elements that were found throughout the area instead of a dragon whom, although cool at first, is really only one of hundreds of the same dragons flying around Aerie. I figured an enhanced Ogre or something would've been more appropriate in respect to the area its in
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