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Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin |OT| Your weapons are weak, old man
- Thread starter VisceralBowl
- Start date
Been playing through this and enjoying the game a lot. Played vanilla version last year and no dlc, so there's a lot to look forward to. Been going at it with strength build, ultra greatsword and no shield. Crossbow mainly for my left hand. Trying to go for a Berserk/Guts-like playthrough. Been having a lot of fun with it. I haven't found the new enemy placements to be too bad, I was honestly expecting much worse based on earlier player impressions. It's different. Doesn't feel better, more difficult. It's just different. The extra npc invasions have been entertaining, too.
Honestly, the only thing I'm not a big fan of is placing a lot more petrified statues all over the place, a few in front of bonfires. Just seemed like an annoying and unnecessary thing to do. Otherwise, I'm loving it so far.
On to the dlc!
Honestly, the only thing I'm not a big fan of is placing a lot more petrified statues all over the place, a few in front of bonfires. Just seemed like an annoying and unnecessary thing to do. Otherwise, I'm loving it so far.
On to the dlc!
Welp, just finished the dlc and was very sad about it being over so I was going to run through prepare to die edition.. What a massive downgrade. Game looks like shit, runs like shit, and controls feels like shit compared to ds2.. Going to have to do a lot of tweaking tomorrow
StoppedInTracks
Member
I killed like 5 Pursuers and forgot about him for 30 hours. Then before the final boss I went to Things Betwixt and unstoned that one statue. Went to the beach, killed the Hippos and I am leaving when The Pursuer appears once again.
Amazing.
prodystopian
Member
As someone who put in a lot of hours with vanilla DS2, the SotFS enemy placements have been fine so far, but the Iron Keep is frustratingly poor. There isn't a reasonable way to run straight to smelter (that skinny bridge is too difficult).
Also, stop dropping armor and give me a damn blacksteel!
Also, stop dropping armor and give me a damn blacksteel!
There's no way to run to Smelter, but I didn't have any problem in Iron Keep. The enemies there have agro range from across the entire area if they are in line of sight so once you know where they are just bait them one or two at a time with body pulls.
I cant get through No Man's Wharf for the life of me. I've probably tried like 25 times now and lost at least 20,000 souls altogether. Cant even get to the shortcut.
EDIT: Oh, and I even used the Pharros Lockstone to ward off the darkdweller fucks up at the top so I could just run by, but this seems to have increased the aggro range for all the enemies, making things more difficult again. I don't know why I bothered.
EDIT: Oh, and I even used the Pharros Lockstone to ward off the darkdweller fucks up at the top so I could just run by, but this seems to have increased the aggro range for all the enemies, making things more difficult again. I don't know why I bothered.
prodystopian
Member
Yes, but it just takes so damn long to do that compared to running through, which you can do for nearly every other boss for the entire series of games.
That area never seemed to bother me, use a longer weapon if you can, I used a winged spear +7 I found and made my way slowly through the area. The boss there is a joke too
My first time playing the game I didn't have much of a problem here.
I'm going through without a shield now, though. And I did switch from my +4 Claymore to my +3 Halberd for the reach, and it's not helping me a ton. Where I've gotten stuck on the past couple attemps was *right* near where the shortcut is, and you walk down some stairs with a pair of Darkdwellers in a small room. They've fucked me up both times, costing me over 5,000 souls each attempt. The problem is that one of them sees me as soon as I walk down so I cant get a sneak on them. Using the Pharros Lockstone seems to have increased aggro range for many of the enemies.
Well Im not sure about the halberd but doesnt it have more slashing attacks than thrusts? The latter is why I went with the spear, I was using a Dark Scythe +10 up until I got to the area. A spear and shield might be what you need. Those creepy looking creatures are afraid of fire so sometimes a torch makes them go back, I just ran past them eventually though.
Jellycrackers
Member
You actually can run to Smelter. You can jump to the broken staircase from the first ledge/platform in the room. It's a little tricky but it's second nature to me now. But you have to get really lucky with the Alonne Captain in front of the fog door in order to make it through though.
I usually jump to the staircase, climb up the ladder, drop to the ledge below, kill the knight there. Then let the other two knights drop down after you (they always come down one at a time, easy). Then I kill the other two knights in the way to the fog door. It's not exactly sprinting through, but it skips a lot of the more terrible parts.
I finally have beat EVERY boss in this game. I even did all of them solo except for the two cats in Frigid Outskirts. That fight and the journey there is just WAY to much of a pain to go solo.
Started NG+ on a character. Going to run it Paladin style. Full Looking Glass Knight Armor and miracles. Mostly buffs. Magic armor/sacred oath/sunlight blade and probably a heal. Anyone have any good recommendations for a lightning weapon early on? I'll probably try and farm a Heide Knight sword or spear and imbue it with lightning. I have a Defender Greatsword +5 but I hear it just isn't as good as it used to be, plus I don't like that it uses up durability for the buff. If all else fails I may just lightning infuse a +10 mace with my one and only bolt stone. lol
StoppedInTracks
Member
If you got all the way down to the stairs can't you just run past them right to open the shortcut?
AuthenticM
Member
I'm at the Fume Knight. He's a fucker. I got him down to 15% but he killed me.
I ended up just killing all the knights until they no longer respawned. Definitely the most aggravating part of the non-DLC game for me.
I didn't really mind the Iron Keep much, the DLC place Brume Tower seemd to have just plain punishing enemy spawns. Guys that pop out the side of the ice, from underneath the snow, and frequently there are 3 or 4 enemies at a time. The area itself was magnificently designed though.
Somehow I missed a single Scorching Iron Sceptre somewhere along the way and that had me frustrated a little, like to complete areas lol. Still beat the boss there though, me and my summons just sprinted from the bonfire area to the boss door. I guess if you haven't placed all the sceptres the fume knight respawns a little health every now and then? Seemed that way at least.
Somehow I missed a single Scorching Iron Sceptre somewhere along the way and that had me frustrated a little, like to complete areas lol. Still beat the boss there though, me and my summons just sprinted from the bonfire area to the boss door. I guess if you haven't placed all the sceptres the fume knight respawns a little health every now and then? Seemed that way at least.
Man. I waited too long and now how the heck do I grind Sunlight Medals? I thought I'd do it vs the Ivory King so I could also grind Loyce Souls but it turns out that fight is kind of hard and some people challenge the boss without the full Loyce Posse...
But then the Throne of Want is a disaster. You have to get through all three(!!) boss fights before you trigger any medals? What a fucken bummer. I haven't yet survived to the end of Aldia once, but I've beaten the Defender/Watcher a few times and Sandra another several, all with no medals...
#jobbersquad
I had the same thought. You return to the smoking armor near the final Nadalia once you have the Ashen Mist Heart. There's one boss left you haven't beaten. By the Smelter Throne bonfire.
But then the Throne of Want is a disaster. You have to get through all three(!!) boss fights before you trigger any medals? What a fucken bummer. I haven't yet survived to the end of Aldia once, but I've beaten the Defender/Watcher a few times and Sandra another several, all with no medals...
#jobbersquad
I had the same thought. You return to the smoking armor near the final Nadalia once you have the Ashen Mist Heart. There's one boss left you haven't beaten. By the Smelter Throne bonfire.
Depends on how far into the game is the person who summoned you.
You can fulfill your duty killing just Watcher and Defender a lot of the times.
I spent some 10 hours helping people there on my last playthrough.
No, but I did figure out I can just hop off the roof instead of trying to fight my through the downstairs room where they are! D'oh!
Finally got both shortcuts open and have tried the boss once. Killed me, even though I found Flexile Sentry one of the easiest in my 1st playthrough. I was alright up til I got his health 50% down, then he just started going off and I couldn't avoid the attacks.
Overall, I've lost over 30,000 souls in this level. Half the level is empty from non-respawning enemies since I attempted it so many times. Quite sad....
I'm playing vanilla with no shield right now. I think that thread is dead though. It was tough at first but once I got the fire Longsword and put some points in adaptability the game seems to be a lot easier. Not sure if the changes are so drastic in Scholar that it wouldn't work.
To be honest it's a little boring. I'm pumping intelligence for sorceries and pyromancies but two handing this Longsword has been a better damage option so far with spells only coming out when I really need ranged.
DamagedInc
Member
I don't know what to do about ranged are spells viable with a sword, I've never really used magic in a souls game before, i'm slowly getting back into the swing of a souls game but i'm finding the archers a real killer in this game and i've only just got the first boss down.
I was also thinking of trying a lance of some description as i've not used one before, so many options after Bloodborne.
I've never used a magic build in these games. I've always been almost entirely melee, with a sprinkling of bow use where it was useful.
I two-hand a sword and keep staff/pyro flame in my left hand which lets me drop into magic as needed but I've found it not very useful so far.
For archers I tend to try to use the environment when possible because they tend to be dumb and will fire into walls. If you are moving when they fire they will lead you so sometimes it helps to stop moving when you hear the arrow fire and it will miss you depending on the angle.
So far I almost wish I hadn't put any stats into magic. I don't care for it that much (didn't use it at all in Dark Souls) and pumping strength/dex would have given me access to better weapons.
DamagedInc
Member
Interesting advice that thanks, it was the area in the 2nd part of the Forest of Fallen Giants with the archers in that was doing my head in, they seemed to be able get me from almost any angle yet I was struggling to get them even with the Binoculars and a bow, mind you i'm so out of practice I was having a nightmare with the guys with shields and lances, it's probably more down to me being a bit rubbish at the moment than anything else!
Sorcery (and hexes) are severely OP in both Dark Souls games. You're doing yourself a disservice by never having tried a magic build IMO. I didn't try sorcery until my 2nd character in DS1 but I liked it so much I made it my first choice in DS2 and this game was cake (until the DLC came and shat all over me).
Don't forget you can manually aim spells with binoculars the way you can with a bow. If you have a specific weapon in mind that you want to use, it's not hard to dedicate the minimum stats to wield it and then buff it up with reinforcements and infusions that more than make up for your lack of STR/DEX put into scaling, so there aren't really any off limits weapons just because you're a dedicated sorcerer. You just need to build appropriately.
Don't forget you can manually aim spells with binoculars the way you can with a bow. If you have a specific weapon in mind that you want to use, it's not hard to dedicate the minimum stats to wield it and then buff it up with reinforcements and infusions that more than make up for your lack of STR/DEX put into scaling, so there aren't really any off limits weapons just because you're a dedicated sorcerer. You just need to build appropriately.
DamagedInc
Member
That sounds interesting, it's something i've always ignored for some reason, I guess because of the limit of spells you can have but I guess that increases with the more attunement slots you get?
Cool, thanks, I'll go check it out.
Hmm I might have to run a mage build soon, I've never once tried it in either Dark Souls game.
Attunement adds to your spell slots and there is a series of rings you can get that add +1/2/3 attunement slots, the +3 of which is rather easy to obtain thru the use of a bonfire ascetic.
Imp the Dimp
Member
That's the best cover art I've seen in modern games. Too bad I found DaS2 not enjoyable. :/
Trouble is I've done everything including DLC, so anybody summoning is in the same place as me, where all they need is the full Throne of Want boss set. Maybe I'll just attune a bunch of heal miracles so I don't have to worry about running out of flasks against Aldia.
Adding to this there are also gear which increase casts per spell, notably the Saint's Hood and the Hexer's Hood from that dude who sits in a chair facing the wall.
That's when I did it too and got all kinds of summons. Even people who hadn't even fought the Dragonriders yet. Weird.
SiegfriedFM
Member
I did a ton of coop in the castle to get the Sunbros maxed out, and I'd say it was about an even split of doing the three different bosses, with a few regular runs through to Dragonriders, even at about soul level 200.
As for Aldia, he's pretty simple to figure out once you know what he does. When he appears, he waits for a few seconds then does one of the following:
* Puts up a fire shield. Just back away, you can still hurt him but you take serious melee damage and you do little damage yourself. Time to buff or just wait.
* Roars. Kind of a variation on the above.
* Sets up a huge fireball which will home in on one of the players. If you have enough HP, this is a good opportunity to just tank it and get in lots of hits. If not, back away after five seconds to see if it's going to go at you.
* Sets up five small fireballs. These can really hurt and go off faster than the big one, so retreat and be ready to roll/dodge. If they go towards anyone else, get back there and do a few more hits.
* Raises one branch and then does a row of tracking branches out of the floor. This CAN be dangerous but generally not if you stay far from where the branch starts. Roll to the side.
* Raises several branches, then does a variation on Fire Storm. Keep track of the eruptions and you can usually find a safe place near him to do damage while the rest plays out.
The one thing to be careful about it doing a slow spell or healing when he teleports. If you get stuck where he'll appear, the explosion might kill you, but there's plenty of time to get away. And generally, if you're not near him you have lots of time to heal.
NinjaBoiX
Member
Guys, um, where should I go?
I got to the Iron Keep, didn't finish off the area yet and I still have Lost Bastille to explore.
What do you recommend? I feel a little lost, put it on for the first time in ages tonight and felt like I had lost my way a bit.
How do I access the DLC? Which one would you recommend first?
I don't care about story or spoilers if that helps!
I got to the Iron Keep, didn't finish off the area yet and I still have Lost Bastille to explore.
What do you recommend? I feel a little lost, put it on for the first time in ages tonight and felt like I had lost my way a bit.
How do I access the DLC? Which one would you recommend first?
I don't care about story or spoilers if that helps!
I would definitely do Lost Bastille before the Iron Keep, for no other reason than to be leveled up higher for the far more challenging area.
The DLC is accessed from the end points of three of the game's main paths, using keys that are hidden throughout the game. The order of the DLC doesn't matter. I did the Iron King first, and I'm pleased with that decision. Also, I would definitely recommend doing Ivory last, because the final battle there is a nice epic finish.
I'd go back and do Lost Bastille, as it's much easier than Iron Keep.
Feel the Swift
Member
Yeah, I'm playing DS2Vanilla for the first time and agree with this. I don't know if I am just getting better at this series or what, DS1 was so much harder to me. Just beat the Skeleton Lords...lol such a joke compared to the Catacombs boss. Is SotFS a lot tougher than vanilla? Doing a Sorcerer build right now and using the Fire Longsword and Drangelic Shield since the beginning has made this game cake. I'm just continuing to upgrade it when I can and pump Intelligence stats up and find better gear/rings so I can get to the point where I can 3-shot bosses
Check out the zone connection map:
Each of the 4 branches has one of the 4 "main" bosses at the end. Sinner's Rise, Iron Keep, Black Gulch and Brightstone Cove Tseldora all have primal bonfires at the end.
The 3 DLC areas are located in Black Gulch, Iron Keep and the Shrine of Winter (in that order of release). Each shrine door needs a special item to unlock. You will come across them thru vigilant progress in the game, or you can check the wiki to find them, but it sounds like you have a lot of vanilla game to experience, so I wouldn't rush into the DLC yet.
NinjaBoiX
Member
OK, thanks man, this is really helpful.
Feel the Swift
Member
what are the different colored dots on this map?
NinjaBoiX
Member
There's a key/legend in the bottom right corner.
Edit: Oh hang on, the blue and green dots? No idea!
Feel the Swift
Member
yeah, and red yellow and purple lol
prodystopian
Member
NPCs.
StoppedInTracks
Member
Some PURSUER fan art because fuck if it isn't the best design of a boss in this game:
