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[Garcia]

Almost 70 hours playing the game and it just keeps getting better. The sunbro speedruns are becoming epic

Spoiler

, red ghosts

are a fresh challenge, invasions somehow are less common and soul farming is quite enjoyable to do by helping each other out.

I see myself going as far as NG++ in this game, easily.

 

[Easy_D]

Just dodge roll to the right and you can stay untouched.

Eh, maybe I get too greedy, I barely do damage to him. What's even worse is that when I go there to prepare and restore humanity by helping others out, there's always this one asshole who absolutely has to use the balista until I'm dead.

 

[Havel]

I should point out it works perfectly with my DS4 via DS4Tool.

 

[Garcia]

I should point out it works perfectly with my DS4 via DS4Tool.

That convinced me. Will check it out tonight as well.

 

[z1ggy]

Well, i killed 3 of the 4 great souls. This game is amazing. So, for me:

Art: Demons Souls > Dark Souls > Dark Souls II

Gameplay/fight: Dark Souls II > Demons Souls > Dark Souls

Boss: Demons Souls > Dark Souls > Dark Souls II

Graphics: Dark Souls II > Dark Souls > Demons Souls

Music: Demons Souls > Dark Souls II > Dark Souls

Level design: Demons Souls (Nothing is better than Boletarian palace) > Dark Souls > Dark Souls II

I´m ok with this team that give us Dark Souls II.

 

[Mistel]

I hate the pursuer. Ornstein and Smough dont got nothing on this asshole .

Strike damage is good for them should you choose to kill them again.

Here's my character so-far... I'm really enjoying Dark Souls 2 at this point. I've had some hardship, and some troubles... But that's the fun of it!

The iron mask works very well with multiple different outfits it's a great head piece.

 

[Garcia]

I hate the pursuer. Ornstein and Smough dont got nothing on this asshole .

Edit: to make things worse, the one time I got him in position for the balista, I forgot to actually fire it. Lmao

There's an optional battle during NG+ where you fight

Spoiler

2 Pursuers

at the same time.

:3 . . . Good times!

 

[SargerusBR]

I'm starting to get really annoyed by having to wait over 15 seconds when I want to quit the game. How haven't they fixed this after 2 weeks??

Quit Game > 4 sec. to Press Start screen > Press Start > 10 seconds (connecting to servers) > Main Menu > Quit game > You're out.

What the fuck, From?

Alt + F4 automatically saves the game and exits

 

[demosthenes]

Just got invaded for the first time and the guy royally fucked me up. God dammit.

 

[Piano]

I'm having some trouble adjusting to this game after 130 hours of Dark Souls. Well...let's be honest, I'm getting my ass kicked. I'm still in Forest of Fallen Giants.

Issues I'm having:

• I'm hesitant to use life gems because they're limited.
• Back-stabbing feels different, but I can't figure out how, exactly, and can't get it to work consistently. Definitely less invincibility!
• Is there even a Riposte move? I knock the enemy back with a Parry and then...and then...I swing at them?
• Is it like the first game where there isn't much if any need to buy equipment because you can always find good drops?
• Can a weapon from near the beginning still carry you through if you keep upgrading, as was the case in the first? Or, I guess, TWO weapons since the durability is now so low on everything. Any tips on that?

I've already resigned myself to looking up where Estus shards are because, like, I need that shit.

I appreciate any help, or a good beginner's guide to this game. I remember there being amazing "READ THIS GUIDE FIRST" things for the first game, full of spoiler-free tips, but I didn't play it until the PC release so I guess it had been around for a much longer time. So far the ones I've found on Google for this game are sparse and full of common-sense stuff ("don't worry about losing your souls!"), not stuff that helps a vet of the first game adjust to the second.

The Wikis are hit and miss, too. Which one is the better one?

Thanks!

 

[Garcia]

Just got invaded for the first time and the guy royally fucked me up. God dammit.

Did he/she kept spamming spells? Welcome to DS2.

 

[eot]

Booted up Dark Souls for a short bit and after so much Dark Souls 2 the running animation looked like someone was running in place. I wonder if the floatiness of the animations isn't absolute but just something you get used to with each game. The dodges though, feel like they're straight out of Wither 2 heh.

 

[Grief.exe]

Interesting information on some items from Aldia's Keep

Aldia's Key

Key used in the mansion of Aldia.
King Vendrick condemned his own elder brother to the mansion.
They both sought the truth, but through different means, and their fervor meant the eventual withering of their familial ties.

Sunset Staff

"A staff said to have been forged in Aldia. A catalyst for sorceries and hexes. Particularly powerful for casting hexes.
The mysterious Lord Aldia secluded himself inside a manor to conduct various experiments. Those invited to the manor disappeared, replaced over time with malformed beasts that roamed its halls."

 

[demosthenes]

Did he/she kept spamming spells? Welcome to DS2.

Had some sword that was like 15 feet long that looked magical. I could do literally nothing.

 

[DukeBobby]

There's an optional battle during NG+ where you fight

Spoiler

2 Pursuers

at the same time.

:3 . . . Good times!

I cheesed that fight.

Spoiler

One of them hit me with the cursed blade attack and then disappeared. I killed the remaining one, went back to the bonfire, and then killed the second one.

 

[Mistel]

The Wikis are hit and miss, too. Which one is the better one?

Thanks!

Wikidot is the best one. As for life gems you can by an infinite amount later.

Had some sword that was like 15 feet long that looked magical. I could do literally nothing.

Magic greatsword maybe?

 

[Grief.exe]

The Wikis are hit and miss, too. Which one is the better one?

Don't use either wiki! Play through the game completely blind.

Much easier to do in this game too as the boss battles are significantly easier.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I'm having some trouble adjusting to this game after 130 hours of Dark Souls. Well...let's be honest, I'm getting my ass kicked. I'm still in Forest of Fallen Giants.

Issues I'm having:

• I'm hesitant to use life gems because they're limited.
• Back-stabbing feels different, but I can't figure out how, exactly, and can't get it to work consistently. Definitely less invincibility!
• Is there even a Riposte move? I knock the enemy back with a Parry and then...and then...I swing at them?

I appreciate any help, or a good beginner's guide to this game. I remember there being amazing "READ THIS GUIDE FIRST" things for the first game, full of spoiler-free tips, but I didn't play it until the PC release so I guess it had been around for a much longer time. So far the ones I've found on Google for this game are sparse and full of common-sense stuff ("don't worry about losing your souls!"), not stuff that helps a vet of the first game adjust to the second.

The Wikis are hit and miss, too. Which one is the better one?

Thanks!

1. Life gems are "limited" in the sense that early on you can have maybe 10 or so at a time and not find many more. Later in the game some enemies drop them and they're easier to come by imho. Currently I have like 20 something regular life gems, but there's also higher grade ones. Don't go crazy with them, always use estus flask first if possible since those recharge at every bonfire.

2. Backstabbing is probably less responsive since it seems like enemies turn around quicker when you sneak behind them. But yes it feels like there's a smaller window to do them in this game imho.

3. You can parry. Once the enemy is parried/knocked back you can do a stabbing/finishing move that's unique to the parry that does a ton of damage. Most people with smaller weapons tend to switch for a bigger weapon when the enemy is knocked back. Do more damage and all.

4. The wikis are great. I can't recommend the DSII wiki enough. They have a recommended location order list, and each location entry has a guide on what to get and who to meet. Highly recommended for newbies in NG.

 

[Toxi]

I hate Undead Citizens so much. That corridor before the boss of Sin's Rise still is a bitch.

I hate the pursuer. Ornstein and Smough dont got nothing on this asshole .

Edit: to make things worse, the one time I got him in position for the balista, I forgot to actually fire it. Lmao

Don't even try the ballista if you're alone, it's easier to whittle him down by baiting and dodging charges.

 

[Orthogonal]

I cheesed that fight.

Spoiler

One of them hit me with the cursed blade attack and then disappeared. I killed the remaining one, went back to the bonfire, and then killed the second one.

Please leave you Ring of Blades +2 at the door on your way out.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Don't even try the ballista if you're alone, it's easier to whittle him down by baiting and dodging charges.

The ballista alone isn't that bad. I made it. Just stand relatively far away and in front of the right one. Wait for him to charge you and roll/run to the ballista and charge/shoot it. He tends to float slowly towards you and I had enough time to hit him with it.

 

[OminoMichelin]

I only managed to hit the pursuer with the ballista once, but it oldy dealt about half his HP. Maybe I hit his shield?

 

[Lé Blade Runner]

I don't think this game loses to Dark Souls at all. I am just as enthralled and addicted as I ever was to DS. Brilliant gameplay and an expansive gameworld with a lot of content. I am about halfway through and the game-clock is at 34 hours played. I will definitely do a NG+, too.

 

[Orthogonal]

I hate Undead Citizens so much. That corridor before the boss of Sin's Rise still is a bitch.

Try Alluring skulls

 

[Grief.exe]

4. The wikis are great. I can't recommend the DSII wiki enough. They have a recommended location order list, and each location entry has a guide on what to get and who to meet. Highly recommended for newbies in NG.

I'm a firm believer in the Souls games being played completely blind. Takes out a piece of the mystery when you have every step, item, secret, and NPC told to you.

Save the guides for an NG+ run.

 

[zkylon]

Deadzone basically means "the controller is not gonna look at any movement within this zone"

So by default, DSII seems to sort of stick to a grid of UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, and then the diagonals are full analog.

Normally, it would be "ignore small movements near the middle, acknowledge everything else"

Basically it is how far you need to push your analogue stick for the game to register it. Dark Souls 2's was dreadful because you had to push it a big amount before your charcter or camera even moved.

huh ok, i never even noticed

might install it, see how it feels, tho if i'm not having any trouble with it i dunno if i should bother and jinx it

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I'm a firm believer in the Souls games being played completely blind. Takes out a piece of the mystery when you have every step, item, secret, and NPC told to you.

Save the guides for an NG+ run.

Maybe should reiterate that location order list and how to get there is what you should look at. And looking at items and locations of those items is for NG+. But going in completely blind is not for me. I don't want to go to a region only to realize I shouldn't be here until I beat 20 other regions.

 

[Gbraga]

I just buy lifegems all the time, you really get a lot of souls in this game.

Can I love you too?

We already love each other, silly.

Interesting information on some items from Aldia's Keep

Aldia's Key



Sunset Staff

The Guardian Dragon Soul says

Soul of a dragon that guards the path to the shrine.
Do the dragons watch over the land of their own will, or are they in the grip of one of Aldia's spells?
Use the special souls of this dragon to acquire numerous souls, or to create something of great worth.

So,

Spoiler

Aldia is Navlaan and the Ancient Dragon is an illusion? I remember the cat saying the beast of the east was a fake, or something like that. Or maybe Aldia is the dragon? I'll know if I manage to beat it today and read its soul.

The experiments part instantly remind me of Seath, so far I was convinced that Duke Tseldora was one of the heads in Freja, but could he be connected to Lord Aldia, or maybe he is Lord Aldia? I can't believe someone conducting experiments and controlling dragons would have absolutely nothing to do with Seath in a game where Seath exists.

Navlaan being Aldia wouldn't make a lot of sense though since Navlaan is a Royal Something, he even has his own title. It's just that a sorcerer trapped there fits so well with Navlaan.

I should point out it works perfectly with my DS4 via DS4Tool.

Sounds great. Too bad it doesn't fix the camera speed up thing though.

 

[Stet]

The Lost Sinner was super trivial, even in the dark. I summoned Lucatiel just for her quest, but she was mostly useless.

 

[AngryMoth]

Ok just wrapped up my first playthrough on PC. How populated is NG+ right now in terms of pvp? Should I jump right in or wait a few more days?

 

[DukeBobby]

Please leave you Ring of Blades +2 at the door on your way out.

I got the ring after killing the first one. I let out a hearty laugh after doing so.

 

[Feltrol]

IWe already love each other, silly.

But... but... he's not Raku!

By the way, I can't still decide which DS game I liked more. Both are great in my book.

 

[Taruranto]

Man,

Spoiler

Aldia's keep

definitely feels like a huge wasted opportunity in terms of design.

It should have been this huge manor with experiments, secret passages and laboratories, instead we got

Spoiler

3 floors and 1 corridor.

 

[misterhektik]

Son of a bitch.. steam is down

 

[Toxi]

Try Alluring skulls

I do. They work sometimes, but other times it doesn't seem to bait them out properly. I've resorted to pulling them one at a time and running back to dry land.

At least they're not as bad as the later ones...

 

[bob_arctor]

I would highly recommend everyone to download this mod: http://www.nexusmods.com/darksouls2/mods/76/?

It fixes the absolutely dreadful deadzone on controllers. Big difference.

Seconded. I *just* installed it prior to your recommendation and yeah, it's pretty awesome. I had to actually up the dead zone from the default 15 to 25--the left stick of my 360 controller is off so that @ 15, my character would slowly shuffle forward on her own if you slightly nudged it. Aside from that, much more precise control--guard breaks coming out like butta.

Oh, as we are on mods--the one which takes away enemy health bars (you only see yours and bosses) is awesome as well. Definitely makes the game more immersive. One drawback, however--it also takes away NPC health bars, so if you're trying to keep Lucatiel alive during a boss battle, it's a guessing game. I pulled it off against Smelter though so it's not too bad.

 

[Gbraga]

But... but... he's not Raku!

By the way, I can't still decide which DS game I liked more. Both are great in my book.

Man, when Raku gave her the love thing this last episode my heart was melting, uuuuuugh. I can't handle that much dere, it's overwhelming.

I think I prefer the first game, but I wouldn't say that Dark Souls II is completely worse or anything, I think they have different strenghts and I'll definitely keep playing both.

Level design and enemy design are better in Dark Souls I, while for Dark Souls II I really like the online and the combat related changes. The bosses for the first game were a lot more fun, but in the other hand the consistency of the sequel is great for replays. Not having to deal with post lordvessel crap is great.

I wonder if before the DLC people used to just quit once they finished Anor Londo and start a new character. I actually really like New Londo Ruins, but Lost Izalith and Duke's Archives are a pain in the ass. I really enjoyed Catacombs and Tomb of Giants on my first playthrough, and I even liked Duke's Archives, but now the first two are "whatever" and I just rush through them, and Duke's Archives is garbage. If only the elevator skip was easier...

Anyway, I think I definitely enjoy the first game more, but I'm not choosing one, I'll keep playing both.

 

[Wanny]

I should point out it works perfectly with my DS4 via DS4Tool.

Wait what is that??? I have a problem with the DS4 with the redcross dead zone. How do you fix it?

Edit: How do you get the post fix????

 

[phoenix296]

Don't even try the ballista if you're alone, it's easier to whittle him down by baiting and dodging charges.

You can try parrying the pursuer to leave him open for the ballista but that might be harder than just fighting him. I'm trying to get used to parrying and the pursuer is hard enough already.

 

[Vitor711]

Ok just wrapped up my first playthrough on PC. How populated is NG+ right now in terms of pvp? Should I jump right in or wait a few more days?

Pretty dense. I'm definitely getting more invasions than in NG.

Plus, outside of BellBro dual invasion nonsense, none of it has been cheaters/min-maxers who spec purely for PVP. Actually had some decent 1v1 stand-offs that I've won. Community seems really healthy in terms of activity.

But then, when you're the 3rd/4th most played game on Steam, I'd certainly hope so.

 

[DukeBobby]

Damn, just lost 600,000 souls.

 

[Grief.exe]

The Guardian Dragon Soul says



So,

Spoiler

Aldia is Navlaan and the Ancient Dragon is an illusion? I remember the cat saying the beast of the east was a fake, or something like that. Or maybe Aldia is the dragon? I'll know if I manage to beat it today and read its soul.

The experiments part instantly remind me of Seath, so far I was convinced that Duke Tseldora was one of the heads in Freja, but could he be connected to Lord Aldia, or maybe he is Lord Aldia? I can't believe someone conducting experiments and controlling dragons would have absolutely nothing to do with Seath in a game where Seath exists.

Navlaan being Aldia wouldn't make a lot of sense though since Navlaan is a Royal Something, he even has his own title. It's just that a sorcerer trapped there fits so well with Navlaan.

Interesting theory, considering

Spoiler

killing the Ancient Dragon only drops a Giant Soul, while the body in Brightstone Cove drops the Ancient Dragon soul.

The duke in Brightstone could be Aldia as well, but I like the Navlaan theory, some interesting text on his helmet.

"Hood worn by a chaos sorcerer.

He calls himself Navlaan, now."

Also, the Scraps of Life Hex

"An esoteric spell created by Navlaan, the infamous exiled sorcerer. Awakens the souls of the long-buried dead.
The heretic Navlaan was executed along with his entire village, and the mere utterance of his name became a crime. Some say it was because he sought to restore the banned art of resurrection."

Possibly Aldia (AKA Navlaan) succeeded in resurrecting the Ancient Dragon with a Giant Soul

 

[LiK]

Damn, just lost 600,000 souls.

there there

 

[demosthenes]

Wikidot is the best one. As for life gems you can by an infinite amount later.


Magic greatsword maybe?

W/e it was, it's one of the reasons i hate PVP in this game.

 

[demosthenes]

Dark Souls 2 online not working for anyone else?

 

[Willkiller]

Server down?

 

[phoenix296]

Damn, just lost 600,000 souls.

I always wear a ring of life protection when i get >100k souls. They don't disappear on death like in ds1 and can be repaired for 3k. If you die with a blood pool somewhere while wearing the ring, your blood pool is still there.

In NG+ I don't go anywhere without one on since I'm constantly have several thousand souls on me.

 

[Grief.exe]

http://www.issteamdown.com/

 

[demosthenes]

http://www.issteamdown.com/

Steam is up. DarkSouls 2 isn't.

 

[Mistel]

Damn, just lost 600,000 souls.

Why did you have that many on hand?

W/e it was, it's one of the reasons i hate PVP in this game.

You can avoid that if your lucky. Don't know if you can block it though.