I can vouch for that. I never got into PvP in Demon's Souls either so I never got used to invasions, never learned the tactics, and I feared and loathed invaders as long as I played the game. I guess that's the point though. I think people who complain about the PvP mechanics are mainly the ones who go looking for it, in which case maybe DS is not the right game for that.
Let me make sure I got you right though: If I am invaded, and I have not sinned, and I am not in Dark Anor Londo, and I am not in Darkroot Garden, and I did not touch a red soul sign, the invader must be a Darkwraith? Which means they will most likely have better equipment but lower stats than me. That would make sense because I can't remember the last time I was invaded by someone who wasn't wielding some kind of giant sword.
Also, apparently I need to become a Darkwraith.
well, he doesn't have to be a Darkwraith per se. he can still use cracked red orbs and invade "under darkwraith rules" (i.e. invade hosts 10 or 10% or 10+10%, i forget, levels above him). "lower stats" are a relative concept. sure, he can be 5lvls below you but that could mean you, for example, you have 5more att than him, which won't mean much. although due to the broken matchmaking mechanics the difference can be much higher (i.e. a SL1 DW invading a SL120 host. the inverse can also be true for Darkmoons (DM rules for invasion are the same as DW, but "downwards"), but that big a disparity seems to be much, much rarer)
Yeah. Strictly speaking, Darkwraiths can invade within their level range and indefinitely upwards. The "level range" calculation is Soul Level +/- (10 + 10% of Soul Level), which means that it's possible to be invaded by a Darkwraith a bit over ten levels higher than you are. Practically speaking, though, Darkwraiths who invade normal players tend to be on a low-ish level, for reasons which become clear if you consult the Sunbro Co-op Chart:
Basically, for invaders, the game is more fun the more people they get to invade. This being the case, the best places to invade are the places where people co-op the most, which is the stretch from Undead Parish to Anor Londo. After that, co-op gets less popular because players are already battle-hardened, the bosses aren't terribly difficult and there's no clear level range for the areas, so it's harder to find co-op partners anyway. Even if invading in, say, New Londo or the Tomb of the Giants can be pretty epic, as a Darkwraith it's often difficult to find anyone to invade - you'll have more fun if you can switch to the early to mid-game once you get bored. This puts the sweet spot for a Darkwraith squarely around SL 20–40, unless you can be bothered to make multiple characters. Even then, once you're past SL50 or so, you'll increasingly encounter people who are dueling rather than trying to progress in the single-player game, particularly now that the game is two years old - not as many new players around as there used to be. At this point, you'll often be outmatched and might as well make a real duelist build at a decent Soul Level instead.
The way the multiplayer changes depending on your level is kind of complex, since it's basically an emergent phenomenon in the online community, rather than something that was planned out by the devs. Still, the result is that people tend to have a "career" spanning several types of multiplayer as they go through the game. Well, that's how it worked out for me, anyway - you start off being hounded by overpowered Darkwraiths once you accidentally enter Human form, then you do a little co-op, slowly getting more comfortable with invaders after venturing to the Darkroot Garden and finding out there are people who are even worse at it than you. You test the waters by allying with gankers to learn the ropes of PvP, get bored and switch to a Forest Hunter and learn the bitter taste of defeat. Eventually, you figure out how to fight multiple opponents and how to cheese with backstabs, Pyromancy and Dark Sorcery. Tiring of the forest, you start to wait for Darkwraiths to fight them, learning the properties of different areas and testing out silly spells for variety. Wanting to be on the offensive, you become a Darkmoon Hunter to fight in Blighttown, Anor Londo, Oolacile Township and any place where you can find sinners to punish, until you tire of all the failed invasions and disappointing opponents and start to duel using the Red Sign Soapstone instead. Soon you come to see that actual dueling is a crapshoot full of lagstabs, gankers and magic cheese, finally becoming jaded enough to make a fresh low-level Darkwraith character and torment new players in the Undead Parish - and so the circle begins anew.
Good times! I hope Dark Souls II will be as memorable, though ideally not as messed up and confusing.