Support NeoGAF

[sixghost]

Oh! Can you tell me where to get it with spoiler tags?

It's not just the parrying dagger. There are a few small shields that have the added parry frames, like the target shield and the buckler. I think even the normal dagger has the extra frames as well.

Spoiler

the parry dagger is in the statue room in Bastille

 

[Polioliolio]

I don't know if it bothers anyone else, but the stiff, 8 way direction feeling analog stick in this game makes controlling the character far more awkward than in Dark Souls. Have gotten used to it, but wish it could be as smooth as it was in the Dark Souls port.

Here's what someone posted in the steam forum in regards to attempting to fix it:

Well, there's a workaround, but you lose the force feedback and you can't use both triggers simultaneously. It's possible using x360ce and upping the antideadzone to a specific value. Here's the config that works for me - ds2deadzonefix[www.dropbox.com]. Extract this into your DS2 "Game" folder, where the main executable is.

This fix eliminates the deadzone entirely, which means that both character and camera will be moving all the time, which is annoying. That's why you have to finally force a proper deadzone with either motioninjoy, ds3tool or scp xinput wrapper, whatever you're using basically. Try a deadzone between 10 and 20 to see what you like. I don't know how to force the deadzone with the official xbox 360 controller drivers though (I'm using a DS3 via scp xinput wrapper). Btw, the deadzone setting in x360ce won't work, so don't bother. Anyway, if you did it correctly, you should have a similar feel to the first DS.

And for those wondering why DS2 has such a ♥♥♥♥ty implemented deadzone, well, thank microsoft for their default xinput deadzone implementation, which is beyond stupid. Instead of evaluating both x and y axis to see, if they are in the deadzone range, it checks the deadzone for each axis separately, so you lose the range in both x in y axis even when the thumbstick is nowhere near the center. Thanks Microsoft! And yeah, the same problem plagues the Xbox 360 version as well, and many other games that use xinput.

What do you think. Does that explain it? I don't know the technical aspects, but can anyone with PS3 version experience do a comparison, and then compare to the original Dark Souls controls?

 

[Alo81]

Lock onto a unit and do a circle strafe and focus on the feet. It looks like you are moon walking.

I understand the desire for things to be as good as possible, but from a practical sense this is such a complete non-issue, at least for me.

There have been near 0 instances where I was locked on to an enemy I was fighting, and strafing, and also intensely looking at my feet and not the enemy.

 

[Sullichin]

My mastodon halbert just broke for the third time. As I was fighting a smaller enemy, after a direct hit, the image popped up saying that my weapon may be at risk (which basically states that it has about 4-5 points left). This was, I believe, the seventh enemy I encountered. I IMMEDIATELY, without attacking a single time, switched to a different weapon and finished the enemy off. When checking up on it, it was broken.

That would mean that the final single attack (stab, no wall or ground hit) drained multiple durability points, would it not?

If the same hit puts it at risk and breaks it, I THINK you only see the at risk message. I've definitely had broken rings and weapons without seeing the broken message.

 

[JLeack]

I have a question. I'm currently SL 113 and am noticing some pretty heavy diminishing returns on VGR, END, VIT, and STR. Would it be a good idea to put some points into FTH or INT and get a couple magic spells in my arsenal?

I'm a "strength build" by the way.

Here are my stats:

 

[zma1013]

Also if I get summoned for Looking Glass Knight and you still have to go up that slow elevator... I'm leaving.

Put your summon sign past the door they have to open and you'll never have to worry about that again.

 

[Gazoinks]

If the same hit puts it at risk and breaks it, I THINK you only see the at risk message. I've definitely had broken rings and weapons without seeing the broken message.

Yeah, this has happened to me a few times. It's a pain.

Could someone remind me whether lost souls add to your soul memory? If so, that's stupid.

 

[Zeliard]

Yeah, this has happened to me a few times. It's a pain.

Could someone remind me whether lost souls add to your soul memory? If so, that's stupid.

Every soul you get regardless of how you acquired it or if you even used it at all is added to your soul memory.

 

[M3z_]

I have a question. I'm currently SL 113 and am noticing some pretty heavy diminishing returns on VGR, END, VIT, and STR. Would it be a good idea to put some points into FTH or INT and get a couple magic spells in my arsenal?

I'm a "strength build" by the way.

Here are my stats:

ADP

 

[MMBosstones86]

You need effigies to fight that boss I spoiler tagged.

ah sorry. Not that far yet. Assumed it was the typical "im out of effigies" complaint.

You have to repair through a merchant when the item actually becomes broken.

Fair enough, but with how generous the bonfire placements are...you really have to be going nuts to break an item. I've only gotten to RISK once or twice in a few of the larger, no bonfire, areas.

 

[Sullichin]

I have a question. I'm currently SL 113 and am noticing some pretty heavy diminishing returns on VGR, END, VIT, and STR. Would it be a good idea to put some points into FTH or INT and get a couple magic spells in my arsenal?

I'm a "strength build" by the way.

Here are my stats:

I'd bring ADP to 20.

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

I have a question. I'm currently SL 113 and am noticing some pretty heavy diminishing returns on VGR, END, VIT, and STR. Would it be a good idea to put some points into FTH or INT and get a couple magic spells in my arsenal?

I'm a "strength build" by the way.

Here are my stats:

I know for strength people generally stop recommending stats at level 40.

I'd say some faith and intelligence is worth it for some pyromancies.

edit: and yes please, your ADP is very low D:

 

[JLeack]

ADP

Roger that. Thank you!!!

 

[Hawkian]

It's not just the parrying dagger. There are a few small shields that have the added parry frames, like the target shield and the buckler. I think even the normal dagger has the extra frames as well.

Spoiler

the parry dagger is in the statue room in Bastille

Well, I don't like shields, but that's good to know. As far as the normal dagger, I tried and haven't been able to get it to parry at all in the left hand, let alone with extra frames. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Aspirations26]

Haha, the NG+ version Is so evil

Not as evil as the

Spoiler

Lost Sinner NG+.

But apparently they nerfed it in the recent patch. It's a shame because that was one of the few tough situations I faced in this game.

 

[Rhaknar]

question about after the 4 greatsouls

Spoiler

this morning i asked where to go and someone said shaded ruins. Is it shaded ruins or shaded woods? because I just found a path that I hadnt seen before in the bonfire fork, its where there was a big guy at a dead end, and 1 of those guys with giant ball sacks sneaks in from behind, I just noticed theres actually a little path where that guy sneaked from, which took me to a silver shrine or something like that? is that the way to go with the 4 souls? the door opened without me clicking so I assume so?

esit: nvm just got to

Spoiler

Drangleic Castle

from that path, so this must be it

 

[LiK]

Not as evil as the

Spoiler

Lost Sinner NG+.

But apparently they nerfed it in the recent patch. It's a shame because that was one of the few tough situations I faced in this game.

Yea, didn't have a lot trouble with that boss you mentioned in NG+. More space made it easier to dodge them.

 

[Arjen]

question about after the 4 greatsouls

Spoiler

this morning i asked where to go and someone said shaded ruins. Is it shaded ruins or shaded woods? because I just found a path that I hadnt seen before in the bonfire fork, its where there was a big guy at a dead end, and 1 of those guys with giant ball sacks sneaks in from behind, I just noticed theres actually a little path where that guy sneaked from, which took me to a silver shrine or something like that? is that the way to go with the 4 souls? the door opened without me clicking so I assume so?

esit: nvm just got to

Spoiler

Drangleic Castle

from that path, so this must be it

Yep!

 

[Jackben]

1 of those guys with giant ball sacks

lmao I love that the official community name for the goblin monsters has become "ball sack guys".

 

[sixghost]

Well, I don't like shields, but that's good to know. As far as the normal dagger, I tried and haven't been able to get it to parry at all in the left hand, let alone with extra frames. What am I doing wrong?

I think the dagger needs to be two handed to parry, for whatever reason. Also, the parry dagger is pretty useless as a weapon, so there isn't much difference between using that and a shield if you just want it for the parry. If you want a decent weapon to parry with, I think the rapier has the extra frames.

Parrying is just tough in general in this game. The active frames are further along in the animation, so it's more difficult to parry on reaction, you really need to know the attack animations.

 

[Sullichin]

I find it much easier to land a guard break riposte in PVP than a parry riposte.

 

[Grief.exe]

lmao I love that the official community name for the goblin monsters has become "ball sack guys".

My first thought on seeing those guys was they really should go see a doctor about that issue.

 

[Hawkian]

I think the dagger needs to be two handed to parry, for whatever reason. Also, the parry dagger is pretty useless as a weapon, so there isn't much difference between using that and a shield if you just want it for the parry. If you want a decent weapon to parry with, I think the rapier has the extra frames.

Parrying is just tough in general in this game. The active frames are further along in the animation, so it's more difficult to parry on reaction, you really need to know the attack animations.

The rapier is a whole different story as far as I know, I think its parry is on the R2 when in the right hand. I don't like rapiers at all personally, but it's a good weapon.

I want to dual wield and be able to parry, so I need something that can parry from the left hand. Then again I don't quite know how this works with power stances yet.

 

[Cyrano]

To be fair, the console version has a slew of minor technical foibles that the PC version was able to gloss over through brute force.

Also, the running animation is terrible. Strafing is even worse. Lock onto a unit and do a circle strafe and focus on the feet. It looks like you are moon walking.

Yeah, I'm really unsure how to feel about it. Like, at the end of the original Dark Souls it was a pretty meta decision to not use the lock-on system in order to engage targets and yet now it seems like it's almost expected for certain encounters due to how some of the encounters occur. There are certain enemies that you just have to "know" that lock-on isn't a good solution for in Dark Souls 2, even if it's still a workable solution. The targeting system also seems particularly awkward on large enemies in that it seems like where the "target" is centered by the player-character is completely nonsensical.

I personally think the thing that frustrates me most is that there are a LOT more enemies in this game that, if they "catch" you in some way with certain things, you just die and have no recourse. Yes, that is technically more difficult and those animations tend to be obvious and very avoidable, but just the fact that they are so much more common is what makes the game, particularly in certain areas, needlessly more difficult.

I also agree with the criticism that shortcutting to bosses is now completely gone and that definitely bothers me, especially when it's clearly a thing they don't mind doing given that some bosses are literally right next to bonfires.

Enemies with a limited number of respawns also seems frustrating when farming, particularly in that it begs the question, "why require farming at all and not just let them buy these somewhere? Leaving it up to RNG to get items they want/need to progress seems like it just wastes the player's time, and if that's the goal we could just put them at a vendor and make them cost a lot of souls."

 

[Rhaknar]

how does infusing work guys? I have my greatsword at +10, I went to talk to mcduff and I notice that when I go to infuse, i loe a ton of dmg and resistances? whats up with that

 

[Hawkian]

I find it much easier to land a guard break riposte in PVP than a parry riposte.

Whoa, i don't know what that is, explainsies?

 

[BadTaste]

I'm stuck and don't know where to go, just having killed the

Spoiler

The Duke's Dear Freja

.

 

[Arjen]

I'm stuck and don't know where to go, just having killed the

Spoiler

The Duke's Dear Freja

.

Depends what you already done, you got all the

Spoiler

old souls

?

 

[Razzorn34]

I don't really see the point of restricting the usage of the torch.

You are already hamstrung by not having a shield equipped, the ability to go two-handed, or use spells (I have my chimes in my left-hand now due to Sunlight Blade), but you also get a ugly UI element to boot.

Agreed. The benefits are worth it though. I just have to be more aware of the torch time I'm spending.

Spoiler

The Sinner's Rise

area and boss was pretty cool. Then

Spoiler

No Man's Wharf

where the

Spoiler

Dark Stalkers are afraid of your torch

. I can't wait to see the

Spoiler

Mirror Knight

.

I couldn't imagine playing Dark Souls 2 any other way at this point.

 

[Cannon Goose]

how does infusing work guys? I have my greatsword at +10, I went to talk to mcduff and I notice that when I go to infuse, i loe a ton of dmg and resistances? whats up with that

Check out the wiki.

 

[rybrad]

What is the deal with people summoning help without even trying a boss first? I got summoned on the last boss today, got the cutscene and then the host died about 4 seconds after it ended. What is the point of even playing the game if you aren't even going to try something on your own at least once? It definitely wasn't someone who had just played through on consoles either, the mechanic they died to made that really obvious.

 

[Facism]

FINALLY beat NG+

Spoiler

Freja

for my MLGS. That was probably not worth the effort, but I certainly feel good finally beating it! Dark Souls! Annoyingly, I had 140,000 souls but I got killed by the spider after I beat the boss and then got killed on my way back, so I lost all that. ;_;

it was worth it before they nerfed it

 

[MMBosstones86]

Check out the wiki.

Damn that's some math. Excellent information though. Thanks.

 

[TheCongressman1]

What is the deal with people summoning help without even trying a boss first? I got summoned on the last boss today, got the cutscene and then the host died about 4 seconds after it ended. What is the point of even playing the game if you aren't even going to try something on your own at least once? It definitely wasn't someone who had just played through on consoles either, the mechanic they died to made that really obvious.

Some people like coop better than playing alone, probably. I really enjoy coop, but I wish it didn't make doing everything a breeze.

 

[ugoo18]

Looks like i was worried for nothing,

Spoiler

Harvest Valley

was a breeze. The poison i was dreading was hardly worth the worry as long as i had enough life gems.

Currently in

Spoiler

Iron Keep

and just ran into the

Spoiler

Smelter Demon

, i think i'll go get my 2nd set of Soul Spears before taking him on.

 

[Orthogonal]

Oh! Can you tell me where to get it with spoiler tags?

Spoiler

Lost Bastille side area. Need the antiquated key.

 

[BadTaste]

Depends what you already done, you got all the

Spoiler

old souls

?

Hmm I don't think so, I wish I was more knowledgeable at this game as some people here xD

 

[fluffydelusions]

Got question...those sort of phantoms you see running around sometimes. I'm not talking about the ones who fight you but the random ones. Are those other people playing in real time or what is that?

 

[HighJumpBoots]

(End game boss spoiler) My

Spoiler

King Vendrick

fight, with

Spoiler

4 Giant Souls because fuck the Ancient Dragon.

Spoiler

you can actually just use a bonfire ascetic in the Black Gulch to make the giants re spawn to get a fifth giant soul.

 

[Htown]

So, uh...

I don't know where to go.

Apparently I'm supposed to head to "the castle", but I don't.. uh... remember where exactly that is.

 

[RK9039]

Got question...those sort of phantoms you see running around sometimes. I'm not talking about the ones who fight you but the random ones. Are those other people playing in real time or what is that?

Yup they are other real players like you doing their thing in their own game. It's been like that since Demon's Souls, but unlike DeS in this game you get to also see the gear they're using.

 

[FloatOn]

So, uh...

I don't know where to go.

Apparently I'm supposed to head to "the castle", but I don't.. uh... remember where exactly that is.

one of the paths leading out from the bonfire in the shaded woods.

not the N64 fog path.

 

[Htown]

one of the paths leading out from the bonfire in the shaded woods.

not the N64 fog path.

thanks!

 

[fluffydelusions]

Yup they are other real players like you doing their thing in their own game. It's been like that since Demon's Souls, but unlike DeS in this game you get to also see the gear they're using.

Is it in real time?

 

[Orthogonal]

Whoa, i don't know what that is, explainsies?

I think he Is referring to the forward+r1 bash attack that breaks guard and then opens for a critical attack.

 

[sixghost]

The rapier is a whole different story as far as I know, I think its parry is on the R2 when in the right hand. I don't like rapiers at all personally, but it's a good weapon.

I want to dual wield and be able to parry, so I need something that can parry from the left hand. Then again I don't quite know how this works with power stances yet.

So put the rapier in the left hand when you dual wield. You really don't have that many choices if you want an offhand weapon that can parry. You cannot parry if you are powerstanced.

 

[Uthred]

- Disappointed in the enemy design so far, which was a real strong suit for DS1. There is some cool stuff in there but not nearly as diverse and awesome as the last game.

How you like the design is a mater of opinion but DS2 has about 40 more enemy types than DS and a lot less recycled (i.e. skeleton with sword, skeleton with bow, etc.) ones at that. I think overall so far the bosses have been a little weaker design-wise in DS2 but that theres a lot more variety and a not more cool looking, normal enemies.

 

[killertofu]

Damn the

Spoiler

Chariot boss

was a nice boss.

 

[Sullichin]

Spoiler

you can actually just use a bonfire ascetic in the Black Gulch to make the giants re spawn to get a fifth giant soul.

Good to know. He's not too bad

Spoiler

with 4 souls though

 

[MMBosstones86]

Is it in real time?

probably pretty darn close to it. I had it once where I opened a chest the same time another guy did. Pretty cool stuff.