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Dark Souls II |OT| The Dark Souls of Dark Souls

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Anyone posted this already? saw it on reddit

- Summoning range will be determined by a combination of 2 factors: The player’s summoning range and the amount of souls acquired by that player’s character. This means that as you obtain more and more souls your summoning range will increase. If you like to hang out at low levels and gank people, eventually over time, you will be forced out of this summoning range into a higher one where this won’t be possible. This is to try and alleviate some of the ganking of new players.

- NG+ got a HUGE overhaul. Now there are new enemies, harder enemies and new loot in NG+. This is to reward the player for continuing on and extend the longevity of the game. From what I understand the game assumes you know how to play from the very beginning and punishes you throughout. NG++ and up don’t add anything new, only harder difficulty. Another important thing to note is that players in NG+ will NOT be able to play with players who have not reached NG+ or above. As far as I can tell this was done to prevent the use of the more powerful gear obtained in NG+

This sucks. Really cuts down the number of players for PvP and the gear one can use for it. If that means to have optimal gear you are forced to go into NG+ with every PvP character I just find the change stupid as hell.
 
I wonder if the "visual downgrade", so to speak, that we're seeing is due to the different path of development Dark Souls 2 has taken. The first game was specifically developed for consoles in mind (and probably used some visual tricks around that), optimizing it for their performance, while this game is using a new (next-gen oriented) engine with the PC version as the lead platform. Maybe the game didn't downscale as well to the console versions as much as a game specifically tailored to them.
 
I wonder if the "visual downgrade", so to speak, that we're seeing is due to the different path of development Dark Souls 2 has taken. The first game was specifically developed for consoles in mind (and probably used some visual tricks around that), optimizing it for their performance, while this game is using a new (next-gen oriented) engine with the PC version as the lead platform. Maybe the game didn't downscale as well to the console versions as much as a game specifically tailored to them.

I guess we'll have to wait until the PC version is released since I don't see FROM doing a PC exclusive trailer.
 

Yuterald

Member
One thing I had wished for was selectable difficulties. Not much of a fan of the forced higher modes upon clearing the game. One of my biggest gripes with the Souls series has been how pointless equipment has felt on new game+ cycles. Every time I ran Demon's Souls I would dress as lightly as possible and stay in hyper mode because of how much fucking damage you take on higher cycles. They sort of fixed that shit with poise in Dark Souls, but I still feel like you're getting decimated by shit even with some of the best armor. Equipment has always felt more like costumes instead of actual, you know, protective armor.

I've had numerous arguments with a buddy of mine over this and he continues to bring up the fact that Souls is more about player skill and that you shouldn't be able to "get by" with good armor. I somewhat agree, but I believe there's a middle ground that From hasn't found yet with this series regarding equipment. I'm in the camp that believes that the looks of an enemy (their size, what they're physically wielding, etc) should play a role into how powerful they are. I find it really dumb that a grunt zombie can almost kill me nearly as fast as the gaping dragon when the dragon is like 10X the size of that zombie. Stuff like drives me nuts in RPGs.
 

sixghost

Member
This sucks. Really cuts down the number of players for PvP and the gear one can use for it. If that means to have optimal gear you are forced to go into NG+ with every PvP character I just find the change stupid as hell.

Let's hope the PvP isn't about getting optimal gear then. Those changes sound excellent for single player. NG+ in Dark Souls was a huge waste of time. The enemies just didn't scale hard enough.
 

Klyka

Banned
"New enemies" in NG+ are probably gonna be palette swaps or enmies from one area showing up in a different one.

Be careful with the over hype.
 
"New enemies" in NG+ are probably gonna be palette swaps or enmies from one area showing up in a different one.

Be careful with the over hype.

Regardless, it's a huge step in the right direction for replayability value, and FROM could build on it in future titles.

FUUUUUUCK I'm stoked!
 

sixghost

Member
"New enemies" in NG+ are probably gonna be palette swaps or enmies from one area showing up in a different one.

Be careful with the over hype.

It's really not that uncommon in the genre to have new enemies at harder difficulties or ng+. In Bayonetta and Ninja Gaiden Black you'd run into guys you won't ever have seen in lower difficulties, or enemies from later on will appear in earlier parts of the game.
 

Soriku

Junior Member
This sucks. Really cuts down the number of players for PvP and the gear one can use for it. If that means to have optimal gear you are forced to go into NG+ with every PvP character I just find the change stupid as hell.

Going by the Reddit post, it seems all weapons are viable due to the change in weapon scaling. I don't know how practical that is yet, but I don't think what you're saying is clear cut.

One thing I had wished for was selectable difficulties. Not much of a fan of the forced higher modes upon clearing the game. One of my biggest gripes with the Souls series has been how pointless equipment has felt on new game+ cycles. Every time I ran Demon's Souls I would dress as lightly as possible and stay in hyper mode because of how much fucking damage you take on higher cycles. They sort of fixed that shit with poise in Dark Souls, but I still feel like you're getting decimated by shit even with some of the best armor. Equipment has always felt more like costumes instead of actual, you know, protective armor.

I've had numerous arguments with a buddy of mine over this and he continues to bring up the fact that Souls is more about player skill and that you shouldn't be able to "get by" with good armor. I somewhat agree, but I believe there's a middle ground that From hasn't found yet with this series regarding equipment. I'm in the camp that believes that the looks of an enemy (their size, what they're physically wielding, etc) should play a role into how powerful they are. I find it really dumb that a grunt zombie can almost kill me nearly as fast as the gaping dragon when the dragon is like 10X the size of that zombie. Stuff like drives me nuts in RPGs.

Interestingly, they mentioned this in the "Making of" videos on IGN. They said they didn't want players to feel cheated because they tried going after a (relatively) non-imposing enemy but still ended up crushed.

I have no idea how well they handle this in Dark Souls 2. That said, there's something you have to take into account. Theoretically, a monster like Gaping Dragon should be able to kill you really easily. However, it can't be expected for every enemy to scale perfectly as the game still needs to be challenging when you're not fighting a boss. So both smaller enemies like the undead dudes and big monsters like Gaping Dragon still need do a good amount of damage to you.
 

Curious_George

Neo Member
This sucks. Really cuts down the number of players for PvP and the gear one can use for it. If that means to have optimal gear you are forced to go into NG+ with every PvP character I just find the change stupid as hell.

Since you can't PvP against NG+ players unless you're in NG+ I'm not sure how gear is an issue. Either you stay in your first playthrough and use the gear there and face people with the same gear or NG+ and get whatever "optimal" gear becomes available then. I'm sure the PvP community will decide where the action should be at.
 

Fhtagn

Member
"New enemies" in NG+ are probably gonna be palette swaps or enmies from one area showing up in a different one.

Be careful with the over hype.

Considering I'd happily pay $15 for DLC that just took DkS 1 and gave me all new enemy combinations/layouts even with 0 new designs, that NG+ is different in any way from NG is read-my-mind wish fulfillment.
 

Toxi

Banned
It's really not that uncommon in the genre to have new enemies at harder difficulties or ng+. In Bayonetta and Ninja Gaiden Black you'd run into guys you won't ever seen in lower difficulties, or enemies from later on will appear in earlier parts of the game.
I'm remembering the difference between Ninja Gaiden difficulties: Crossbows vs six-barrel rapid-firing rocket launchers that can shoot through walls.

Or was that Ninja Gaiden 2?

jesus this kid can't be human

go to sleep
Once he was human. Now he is marked by the Darksign.
 
Let's hope the PvP isn't about getting optimal gear then. Those changes sound excellent for single player. NG+ in Dark Souls was a huge waste of time. The enemies just didn't scale hard enough.

Depends on what the gear is. If It's gear that can be upgrade further that's one thing. But if it's a sword or piece of armor that you can't get until NG+ that pretty much makes it completely necessary if you want that specific moveset.

You are forced into the decision of getting the weapon you want and losing out on a huge number of players. I hate this decision.

Since you can't PvP against NG+ players unless you're in NG+ I'm not sure how gear is an issue. Either you stay in your first playthrough and use the gear there and face people with the same gear or NG+ and get whatever "optimal" gear becomes available then. I'm sure the PvP community will decide where the action should be at.

Like I said before if this was better versions of existing weapons I don't mind but if it's completely new weapons and armor then yeah I have a problem with that. I also despise anything that shrinks down the pvp player pool and this does it in a big way.
 

Birathen

Member
I.. Shouldnt look at that stream. But I cant help myself. This is going to join Ds1 and monster hunter 3 on the WiiU in my 400+ hour club. 3 more days.. Jesus.
 

krakov

Member
Going by the Reddit post, it seems all weapons are viable due to the change in weapon scaling. I don't know how practical that is yet, but I don't think what you're saying is clear cut.

Well, they pretty much are in Dark Souls already. Though I wouldn't expect anyone to know shit about the PvP balance before the game is even out.
 

sixghost

Member
I'm remembering the difference between Ninja Gaiden difficulties: Crossbows vs six-barrel rapid-firing rocket launchers that can shoot through walls.

Or was that Ninja Gaiden 2?

The example I was thinking of was the black robe ninjas and cat demons. Those two enemies either don't show up at all on lower difficulties or are end game enemies.
 

Hypron

Member
It's really not that uncommon in the genre to have new enemies at harder difficulties or ng+. In Bayonetta and Ninja Gaiden Black you'd run into guys you won't ever have seen in lower difficulties, or enemies from later on will appear in earlier parts of the game.

Huh I can't think of any enemies that only show up on harder difficulties in Bayonetta. Encounters are changed though.
 
Depends on what the gear is. If It's gear that can be upgrade further that's one thing. But if it's a sword or piece of armor that you can't get until NG+ that pretty much makes it completely necessary if you want that specific moveset.

You are forced into the decision of getting the weapon you want and losing out on a huge number of players. I hate this decision.



Like I said before if this was better versions of existing weapons I don't mind but if it's completely new weapons and armor then yeah I have a problem with that. I also despise anything that shrinks down the pvp player pool and this does it in a big way.

wait I thought pvp was gated by the amount of total souls you've collected right? Not soul level in Demon's and Dark Souls?
 

Yuterald

Member
Going by the Reddit post, it seems all weapons are viable due to the change in weapon scaling. I don't know how practical that is yet, but I don't think what you're saying is clear cut.



Interestingly, they mentioned this in the "Making of" videos on IGN. They said they didn't want players to feel cheated because they tried going after a (relatively) non-imposing enemy but still ended up crushed.

I have no idea how well they handle this in Dark Souls 2. That said, there's something you have to take into account. Theoretically, a monster like Gaping Dragon should be able to kill you really easily. However, it can't be expected for every enemy to scale perfectly as the game still needs to be challenging when you're not fighting a boss. So both smaller enemies like the undead dudes and big monsters like Gaping Dragon still need do a good amount of damage to you.

It's something I would never want to figure out/balance, lol! There's ways to make "grunt" enemies interesting/challenging without straight up giving them a high damage output/value. I guess that's where status ailments, enemy positioning/"troop" sizes, etc. come into play. I fee like neither of the Souls game have figured this out yet. I had some of the best physical reduction gear in Dark Souls and little ass enemies were still wrecking me on new game "whatever" and it's just not cool and definitely not fun. Hoping the directors/producers or whomever is in charge hired some new programmers or had a chat with those guys, hah! I guess I'll see when I play it.
 

Clockwork5

Member
So it looks worse than it did in development. Is anyone surprised? Does this not happen with every single high-profile game?

Attention Gaf: every single screenshot or "gameplay" trailer you have seen of an unreleased game is bullshit. They are all bullshit. Games are never released at the resolution or fps that the developer stated before (and usually after) release. You will never get the product you were shown at e3. There, you don't have to worry about this any more. :)
You are welcome!
I can't wait for this beautiful game, thank you FROM.
 
Whoa

There will be an arena at launch and it will be available near the beginning of the game.

This is very cool.
wait I thought pvp was gated by the amount of total souls you've collected right? Not soul level in Demon's and Dark Souls?
Supposedly. If this is the case what happens when PvP players stay locked to say level 100. I collect a ton of souls that I never use does this mean the game will be matching me with guys who have collected the same amount but put them into stat points? Seems like From wants to force you to keep leveling up but that's kinda against what the PvP community tends to do. It's gonna be interesting to see what how all these changes end up effecting fight clubs and such.

BTW I always wished for a Guild Wars style PVP Arena where all players were locked to a soul level completely unrelated to your single player character.
 

Jobbs

Banned
To anyone who watches streams and stuff, are bows and crossbows basically the same as eachother now? Also, are bows and crossbows generally more useful than in DkS1?
 

Grinchy

Banned
So it looks worse than it did in development. Is anyone surprised? Does this not happen with every single high-profile game?

Attention Gaf: every single screenshot or "gameplay" trailer you have seen of an unreleased game is bullshit. They are all bullshit. Games are never released at the resolution or fps that the developer stated before (and usually after) release. You will never get the product you were shown at e3. There, you don't have to worry about this any more. :)
You are welcome!
I can't wait for this beautiful game, thank you FROM.

This wasn't bullshots released a year before release. This is footage from 2-3 months ago that ran fine being completely downgraded for mysterious reasons.

I'm as excited to get this game as the next guy, but I will never understand this weird, strong desire to come on the forum and be such an apologist.
 

RK9039

Member
To anyone who watches streams and stuff, are bows and crossbows basically the same as eachother now? Also, are bows and crossbows generally more useful than in DkS1?

I haven't watched any streams, but yes bows and crossbows are supposed to be way more useful now. I can't wait to see builds that focus on those range weapons, it will be very interesting.
 
Whoa

There will be an arena at launch and it will be available near the beginning of the game.

This is very cool.

Supposedly. If this is the case what happens when PvP players stay locked to say level 100. I collect a ton of souls that I never use does this mean the game will be matching me with guys who have collected the same amount but put them into stat points? Seems like From wants to force you to keep leveling up but that's kinda against what the PvP community tends to do. It's gonna be interesting to see what how all these changes end up effecting fight clubs and such.

BTW I always wished for a Guild wars style PVP Arena where all players were locked to a soul level for completely unrelated to your single player character.

ah ok thanks, yeah it'll be interesting to see what happens
 

AKingNamedPaul

I am Homie
So with the restrictions on invasions and such would it be harder to get a friend into your game as well? To assist you or to pvp, it seems like a more complicated task, right ?
 
ah ok thanks, yeah it'll be interesting to see what happens

Nevermind they say the range is still relevant so you will be matched with people in your SL level range who have acquired around the same amount of souls. So PvP players will probably end up only fighting each other after awhile. =/

So with the restrictions on invasions and such would it be harder to get a friend into your game as well? To assist you or to pvp, it seems like a more complicated task, right ?

I think it's only for invading right? Why should the number of souls attained matter if you are trying to help a person.

These changes personally all sound like care bear shit. They don't want players running into more experienced players at all. I could understand the twinking at low levels but if you are past say level 40 that souls level bs should go away. I want to be to invade anyone in my soul level not just other pvp players.
 

Garcia

Member
I'm as excited to get this game as the next guy, but I will never understand this weird, strong desire to come on the forum and be such an apologist.

Neither will I, although it's only fair to assume that it's just a symptom of being completely poisoned by the hype machine.
 

Seance

Banned
So all those people defending the soul vessel and claiming it would be a one use thing? Very rare difficult to find etc.?
Kenneth has already found 4 and hasn't finished his first playthrough. Yep.
 

Brohan

Member
Nevermind they say the range is still relevant so you will be matched with people in your SL level range who have acquired around the same amount of souls. So PvP players will probably end up only fighting each other after awhile. =/

So the more you pvp the more skilled players you encounter.
How is that a bad thing?
 

akira28

Member
I like the new changes. I hated getting destroyed and backstab one shotted by laggy teleporting invaders and insane weapons.
 
So the more you pvp the more skilled players you encounter.
How is that a bad thing?

That it continues to make your player pool smaller and smaller every single day? Also I don't think an experienced PvP player at level 100 is griefing another level 100 player. The gear you have at that level should be good enough to take on any level 100.
 
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