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[Oracle Dragon]

Hi guys, just want to ask for some advice

First time playing this series. I picked Knight.
Just finished off the first boss - and got a load of souls.

Wondering, what stats should I level up?

Spoiler

IMO, level up just enough to use a weapon stronger than your starter. I recommend a blunt weapon like a mace or the morningstar, it will help a lot in the next few areas since the opponents have lots of armour. Don't level up too much, spend more souls on buying shards and buffing your gear from the blacksmith, it will be more valuable for you. When doing stats I level enough to get my weapon I want, then put most into endurance to boost stam, and some HP, followed by buffing whatever scales well with my weapon. However I'm typically not putting many points into str/dex/etc until my weapon is leveld up as much as I can make it. That doesn't mean +10, but appropriate for the area, example going to the 2nd area you should have a +4 (or +5 if you are lucky) weapon.

 

[LiK]

Spoiler

Smelter Demon

was a toughie. Seems to be a boss magic people could excel on, but I had to resort to Resin. Lucatiel tanked him better than any summoned players, haha.

she was beefed up after the last patch. before then, she would die in like 5 hits from him, lol

 

[HeelPower]

Dark Souls 2 is making me hope that someday FROM will go hog wild and straight up make a PSO style Dark Souls MMO.

They're sooooooo close with it too.

that's not hype though...

The series has always been single player first.

Personality I never even use the online stuff unless I want to grind some souls.

Really dumbs the hell out of the game.

 

[jourdy]

Spoiler

IMO, level up just enough to use a weapon stronger than your starter. I recommend a blunt weapon like a mace or the morningstar, it will help a lot in the next few areas since the opponents have lots of armour. Don't level up too much, spend more souls on buying shards and buffing your gear from the blacksmith, it will be more valuable for you. When doing stats I level enough to get my weapon I want, then put most into endurance to boost stam, and some HP, followed by buffing whatever scales well with my weapon. However I'm typically not putting many points into str/dex/etc until my weapon is leveld up as much as I can make it. That doesn't mean +10, but appropriate for the area, example going to the 2nd area you should have a +4 (or +5 if you are lucky) weapon.

Thank you.

What are shards?

I didnt realize you can upgrade weapons, but after looking at the Majula blacksmith.. II guess you can! Question though - how do you know which weapons to upgrade? I am under the impression that throughout the journey I could just find stronger weapons than what I have? Or is that not the case at all? I have the black weapon/armor set included when I bought the game.. should I upgrade that?

 

[ElFly]

So Belfry Luna just trolled away my boss souls -.- I get up to 3 invasions when I head there right now, so what would be a good alternative route until it's actually managable to survive there?

You don't need to go there, unless you are finding the next boss in bastille toooo hard.

From the bonfire before Belfry, don't go downstairs, just look for a door that's not the one you came in from the boss room.

That boss room has some secret walls, so go back and push the interact button on them.

 

[LiK]

that's not hype though...

The series has always been single player first.

Personality I never even use the online stuff unless I want to grind some souls.

Really dumbs the hell out of the game.

i played Demon's and DkS1 primarily offline. But I have to admit that the coop in DkS2 has been a lot of fun.

 

[wrongway]

Haha, the

Spoiler

Ruin Sentries

are rough in co-op. Thought I'd try a few rounds of it before calling it a night, and it's amazing how many people eat shit 10 seconds into the fight. Definitely not a good fight for gathering souls, but it's pretty funny.

 

[burgerdog]

Is Lost

Spoiler

Sinner

a major boss? And what's this primal

Spoiler

fire?

 

[Odrion]

The series has always been single player first.

The series is two games old, and the second one is way more multiplayer focused. Many of the significant changes in this game (fast travel, the death system, the plethora of bosses, scarcity of resources, covenants being rad as fuck) have been designed around pushing players into the online aspects of the game, and the biggest improvements this time around has been about making the multiplayer not just acceptable but really enjoyable.

 

[Rhaknar]

this

Spoiler

Pursuer Greatsword

sucks compared to my normal +5 Greatsword, the mats needed to upgrade boss weapons seem to be rare, AND the requirements to use it are shit... think I made a mistake in buying it

in fact none of the boss weapons this time around seem that good, am I missing something?

oh and also, what the FUCK is up with the

Spoiler

pharros stone mechanism in Earthen Peak, it only activated a fountain

>_> did something else happen somewhere else?

Is Lost

Spoiler

Sinner

a major boss? And what's this primal

Spoiler

fire?

Spoiler

yes one of the four

 

[LiK]

this

Spoiler

Pursuer Greatsword

sucks compared to my normal +5 Greatsword, the mats needed to upgrade boss weapons seem to be rare, AND the requirements to use it are shit... think I made a mistake in buying it

in fact none of the boss weapons this time around seem that good, am I missing something?

Spoiler

yes one of the four

Pursuer Greatsword is definitely not that great. Kinda wish it had that cool curse blue glow effect as a Strong Special attack but it doesn't.

 

[wwm0nkey]

Co-oped LS like 10 times and just farmed him. So easy.

 

[Hypron]

that's not hype though...

The series has always been single player first.

Personality I never even use the online stuff unless I want to grind some souls.

Really dumbs the hell out of the game.

Yeah I don't want a multiplayer only game. I like playing by myself. I like the way FROM is handling it right now. You can play through the whole thing yourself but if you want to play with someone else you can seamlessly start summoning people to help you.

 

[Jintor]

This fucking lizard in iron keep is doing my head in. I can't tag him and I want that twinkling titanite :T

 

[YianGaruga]

Na that's not it. I'm going through the same area over and over again so the enemies are static. And I'm getting kicked right as the summoner goes through the fog gate with a message that he has left the area, not based on time/enemies where you get the duty completed message.

That happens when the host that summoned you has already beaten the area boss. It'll kick you out if he goes through the fog gate again.

 

[Levyne]

Ugh. I got the fire resist pyromancy to try to get the chests in Iron Keep in fire, but it's just not helping

 

[Crab Milk Mickey]

Spoiler

LGKnight

boss fight with ENB mod + wickfut configs:

http://youtu.be/Z1-AqwrJNJE

Now all that's needed is a mod that restores the Mirror Knight to his former self:

 

[HeelPower]

Yeah I don't want a multiplayer only game. I like playing by myself. I like the way FROM is handling it right now. You can play through the whole thing yourself but if you want to play with someone else you can seamlessly start summoning people to help you.

Its essentially easy mode.Its good that they are not planning to make the games any easier since summoning makes everything buttery easy.

 

[Yoshichan]

Now all that's needed is a mod that restores the Mirror Knight to his former self:

What's different?

 

[YianGaruga]

Ugh. I got the fire resist pyromancy to try to get the chests in Iron Keep in fire, but it's just not helping

Use the pyromancy, + fire resist gear if you have it +

Spoiler

hit some of the water urns in the area and get wet

. The res stacks.

Spoiler

Then, walk on the lava and lose 1/2 health and run back to safe ground. Pop 2 lifegems and start running on the lava again while it's still regenerating. You shouldn't lose any health at all now.

 

[Sullichin]

Ugh. I got the fire resist pyromancy to try to get the chests in Iron Keep in fire, but it's just not helping

You need to

Spoiler

soak yourself in water, either by rolling through water vases or standing in the pool the pharros contraption activates. Even with this you are still going to want to use flash sweat and use a life gem or elizabeth mushroom beforehand.

 

[Cannon Goose]

I am completely unsure about what patches this version has. Spoilers for roughly 3/4 of the way through the game:

In

Spoiler

Shrine of Amana

the first of those

Spoiler

crazy lock-on mages

you find is no longer there, however, all the other ones you find still have their

Spoiler

crazy lock-on

and

Spoiler

firing range

. I thought that stuff was all patched out on the PS3 but I guess there are some differences.

 

[Sober]

Thank you.

What are shards?

I didnt realize you can upgrade weapons, but after looking at the Majula blacksmith.. II guess you can! Question though - how do you know which weapons to upgrade? I am under the impression that throughout the journey I could just find stronger weapons than what I have? Or is that not the case at all? I have the black weapon/armor set included when I bought the game.. should I upgrade that?

Shards = upgrade materials. The Smith and Majula sells some small Titanite shards, which will carry you to +3. Make sure you check the panel at the bottom of the store/reinforcement window, it will tell you how many materials you need. Eventually to get closer to +10 you need different materials, and also different stuff is required if you want say a fire/lightning/magic weapon.

You will find some 'stronger' weapons but the thing with Dark Souls is that it is still an action game, so you can carry nearly any weapon to the end of the game as long as you upgrade it. I'm using a simple longsword (one you can buy off the same smith); there's not reason that or a simple club can't help you get to the end of the game just as much as a Warhammer-sized fuckoff weapon can. As long as you like the moveset of the weapon (and you understand its strengths and weaknesses) then you should upgrade it.

 

[O.DOGG]

Fuck No Man's Wharf.

 

[Oracle Dragon]

Thank you.

What are shards?

I didnt realize you can upgrade weapons, but after looking at the Majula blacksmith.. II guess you can! Question though - how do you know which weapons to upgrade? I am under the impression that throughout the journey I could just find stronger weapons than what I have? Or is that not the case at all? I have the black weapon/armor set included when I bought the game.. should I upgrade that?

Titanite shards, you probably found some in a chest or maybe even random drop by this point, and the blacksmith sells 10 of them as well. They upgrade "normal" weapons and armour. You will find stronger weapons as the game progresses, but it's well worth your while to buff up the ones you are using now. Shards are cheap and easy to get, any weapon you are using with any consistency will serve you well as a +4, if you go higher it starts to use harder to get materials. Having a +4 to +6 weapon you like will make getting those powerful weapons later much easier

When you are new into the game, stuff like defeating the first boss and having 8, 000 souls seems like a ton... but in short order you will have way, way more. And it's easy to get more, just drop your sign in front of a boss door and help other people do it... you get the souls for killing the boss. For example after I killed Last Giant, I stick around for 6-7 more summons helping people out, and got a lot of souls for doing it (plus its very fun).

Your starting armour can be ok for a little bit, though TBH it doesn't make that much difference to upgrade armour, the game is still mostly about not getting hit. Always upgrade your weapon first, as far as you can, before looking into other upgrades.

As for which weapons to upgrade, just pick ones you like, you will be using them a lot. Most of the low-tier / normal weapons are quite similar damage wise (obv 1h vs 1h and 2h vs 2h), so basically pick one that you like the moveset of (overhand smash, thrust attack, etc).

 

[Garcia]

My body told me to stop. I couldn't put the controller down for hours in this last session.

I swear to god it is the last time in my life that I dare to buy a console release of a game that will be later on ported to PC. I'm enjoying this new experience so much. SL 116, 22 hours in, just about to collect the

Spoiler

4th. Great Soul

.

A question about Soul Memory: Is it bound to your SL? If I keep leveling up quickly will my Soul Memory increase? Or is it only increased by doing Co-op regardless of the current level?

 

[HeelPower]

Fuck No Man's Wharf.

why do people hate it ?

Its a really well designed area and pretty fun to explore its ins and outs.

Not gonna lie though, you need to tread carefully and watch out in a certain lethally studded house.

I think its a pretty elegant area.

 

[YianGaruga]

My body told me to stop. I couldn't put the controller down for hours in this last session.

I swear to god it is the last time in my life that I dare to buy a console release of a game that will be later on ported to PC. I'm enjoying this new experience so much. SL 116, 22 hours in, just about to collect the

Spoiler

4th. Great Soul

.

A question about Soul Memory: Is it bound to your SL? If I leveling up quickly will my Soul Memory increase? Or is it only increased by doing Co-op regardless of the current level?

Soul Memory increases for every single soul you pick up. It's basically the amount of souls you'd have if you never spent/lost any.

 

[Vuze]

Sigh, still no patch. *does morning workout by unplugging and replugging HDMI cable*

 

[Oracle Dragon]

Fuck No Man's Wharf.

I thought it was great! A number of surprises, nice atmosphere, and quite stressful as

Spoiler

there is no bonfire from the start all the way to the boss (and only 1 shortcut that I could find, and it isn't that short).

 

[Lord Phol]

I've tried installing sweetfx with the configurator, it works fine in the menus, but when I start or load a game it crashes. Anything I'm doing wrong or need to think about?

 

[sirap]

Weapons in Souls games are like Pokemon, sometimes the best ones start out the weakest,

 

[Garcia]

Soul Memory increases for every single soul you pick up. It's basically the amount of souls you'd have if you never spent/lost any.

Crap :-/ ... That means it won't matter if I do a SL1 run just to keep Co-oping eternally; as long as I kill enemies and collect souls, my Soul Memory will increase, right?

I don't like that mechanic at all. It's stupid how it hinders your ability to do Co-op later on.

 

[Crab Milk Mickey]

What's different?

His armor always being the darker version in the area you fight him in unless he steps on those pillar stumps. He was a lot shinier in the gameplay reveal, and if you wear his armor elsewhere then his gear does have that polished sheen to it, like you expect it to. The 'reflection' of his shield also isn't pitch black either if you equip it in other locations.

 

[elfinke]

How many of you useless Grey spirit fucks do I need to kill? Who are these people?!? And they keep breaking against my +5 mace.

Urgh, I kept getting summoned to the point I was just throwing myself in the river so I could get on with my own progression, lol. Now the 'vanguard' has been wrecking my shit.

Ugh. I got the fire resist pyromancy to try to get the chests in Iron Keep in fire, but it's just not helping

I ended up tanking the shit out of him, with the help of a Sunbro member. Changed my armour for a bunch of heavier gear with better fire resist, used a huge shield and took it nice and slow. He was tough! Those three swipes when his sword is on fire wrecks!

 

[Animator]

I missed the way of activating the boss area in No mans Wharf and the person I summoned was awesome and walked me through the entire level and showed me how to complete it. Some of the people playing this game are awesome.

 

[kewlmyc]

Wow I suck at this game. The guys at Heide's flame tower are giving me a super hard time. I try again tomorrow I guess.

 

[YianGaruga]

Crap :-/ ... That means it won't matter if I do a SL1 run just to keep Co-oping eternally; as long as I kill enemies and collect souls, my Soul Memory will increase, right?

I don't like that mechanic at all. It's stupid how it hinders your ability to do Co-op later one.

Yep. Soul memory is a great thing for invasions, since it preventrs the crap that happened in DkS, but it's really not helping for co-op. I think the only way to make both work is that the game should calculate a "power level" based on your level and current equipment. SM is defiitely not the perfect solution.

 

[Mechazawa]

It's hard to take the Blue Sentinels seriously when you have to be human and you never get summoned anyways.

Spoiler

Bell Covenant

is way more fun because of how active it is.

 

[ElFly]

Does anyone have the dual wielding chart handy?

 

[Oracle Dragon]

Wow I suck at this game. The guys at Heide's flame tower are giving me a super hard time. I try again tomorrow I guess.

Spoiler

If you can, use a blunt weapon. I went there with a +4 halberd thinking I was unstoppable after trashing the Last Giant with it, and it hardly made a dent in those armored giants. I went back with the same character, same stats, and a +4 mace I bought from the smith (same as cleric starting weapon), and I was trashing those guys, 2-3 hits when 2H the mace... well worth it!.

Yep. Soul memory is a great thing for invasions, since it preventrs the crap that happened in DkS, but it's really not helping for co-op. I think the only way to make both work is that the game should calculate a "power level" based on your level and current equipment. SM is defiitely not the perfect solution.

It would be useful (even great!) if it was only used to determine if you could invade someone or not, and nothing to do with good 'ole jolly cooperation.

 

[dsk1210]

Anyone who is having problems playing on HDMI on Nvidia cards follow this. it works.

It was posted by KingZephir on the steam community


"I found a way for ppl, who doesnt have the "GPU" Option at the Nvidia Card.

http://afriendlyfox.com/2013/02/04/...dia-3d-vision-on-passive-3dtvs-edid-override/

Use this, it enabled the GPU Option at my Nvidia Control Panel, and now Dark Souls 2 is working.

Sorry, for my bad english, hope it helps some guys."

 

[O.DOGG]

why do people hate it ?

Its a really well designed area and pretty fun to explore its ins and outs.

Not gonna lie though, you need to tread carefully and watch out in a certain lethally studded house.

I think its a pretty elegant area.

It's fun to explore the first time. After dying there what feels like 15 times (I truly believe the enemies should've started to disappear already) I'm sick of it. Every time it's something different. This time it's a fucking flame arrow and oh, look I was doused in oil without knowing it. Next time it's fucking poison in jars. Surprise! The third time is falling in the fucking water because I couldn't see where I was walking because it's so fucking dark. It's getting ridiculous.

EDIT: And yes, there should've been a shortcut after

Spoiler

ringing the bell and calling the ship

. Having to walk through that nightmare every time is just poor design, I think. The original was better at opening shortcuts after difficult areas.

EDIT 2: Oh, and the best part? Your weapons break halfway through the fucking area. Hope you brought a spare, motherfucker! I would've gone through it the first time if my sword hadn't broken in the middle of a fight. So annoyed with this area right now!

EDIT 3: Oh, there is a shortcut.I just found it. That changes things somewhat.

 

[Garcia]

I missed the way of activating the boss area in No mans Wharf and the person I summoned was awesome and walked me through the entire level and showed me how to complete it. Some of the people playing this game are awesome.

Something similar just happened to me a couple of hours ago. Instead of No Man's Wharf, I got scorted to the 2nd bonfire in the

Spoiler

Black Gulch

(which I had completely forgotten about).

Great community. Really polite and helping; makes you want to pay it forward constantly.

Yep. Soul memory is a great thing for invasions, since it preventrs the crap that happened in DkS, but it's really not helping for co-op. I think the only way to make both work is that the game should calculate a "power level" based on your level and current equipment. SM is defiitely not the perfect solution.

It should only have a direct effect on invasions. Co-op should be treated separately.

It would be useful (even great!) if it was only used to determine if you could invade someone or not, and nothing to do with good 'ole jolly cooperation.

Agreed.

 

[lucebuce12]

I've been having an issue lately and I'd appreciate it if somebody can help.

Apparently, I can't go into other people's worlds. I can get invaded fine ( have gotten invaded a bunch of times in the belfry) and I can summon other people, but whenever I try to invade someone, or drop a summon sign and try to get summoned, the game spends 2 minutes in a loading screen, and it says " the multiplayer session has disconnected" or something along those lines.

This was never a problem in Dark Souls 1, despite GFWL and the whole network being P2P based.

EDIT: Just tried using a Cracked Blue eye orb, and it's been in the loading screen for 5 minutes now, even though I can see that there are packets of data constantly being sent online and I have no other online app running.

 

[Maxwood]

You really have to use the roll in this Souls game and i'm terrible at it, which causes me to find DSII the hardest game in the series to date. Haven't even found a 100% Physical block shield yet.
Stuck at The Pursuer fight. :/
I did level quite nicely because of it, though. Lvl 35. Found a mace, they handle quite differently then in previous games, really like it. Sticking with my +4 Longsword for now, though.

Playing as an explorer may not have been the smartest option.

 

[YianGaruga]

It would be useful (even great!) if it was only used to determine if you could invade someone or not, and nothing to do with good 'ole jolly cooperation.

It should only have a direct effect on invasions. Co-op should be treated separately.

That could still totally break your game though. When helping against (boss spoilers)

Spoiler

Guardian Dragon or OIK or even the final bosses

for example my miracle/hexer makes the fight already last no longer than 30 seconds. A NG+++ character could totally take those boss experiences away from you completely.

 

[Necromanti]

Y'all better not be hating on the Wharf.

Playing as an explorer may not have been the smartest option.

Us Explorers are the hipsters of Drangleic. Embrace the roll.

 

[toastyToast]

You really have to use the roll in this Souls game and i'm terrible at it, which causes me to find DSII the hardest game in the series to date. Haven't even found a 100% Physical block shield yet.
Stuck at The Pursuer fight. :/
I did level quite nicely because of it, though. Lvl 35. Found a mace, they handle quite differently then in previous games, really like it. Sticking with my +4 Longsword for now, though.

Playing as an explorer may not have been the smartest option.

You can get a 100% block shield...

Spoiler

right after the Pursuer fight

 

[burgerdog]

Question about petrification statues: Is the item to break it one time use? I found the item and used it on a sorcerer in lost bastille >.> Now I don't know what to do about the other statue near the dwarf with a blue sword.