From Software The Dark Souls II Megathread™

[DragoFireheart]

From what have you done...

Spoiler

To Ultra greatswords / great hammers / etc WHY THE FUCK DO I SWING THE DIRECTION I A MOVING WHEN LOCK ON!?!?!?!

 

[80Maxwell08]

God I hated that. I lost like 5 fights using that stupid ultra greatsword because I was trying to move around an enemy attack then I got locked in the slow attack animation and was immediately jumped by 3 enemies and killed.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

I think it's a fairly handy thing once you get used to it, no need to detarget to use "free aim".

 

[AN4RCHID]

1. Kill the first sentinel
2. Circle-strafe around the other two with tower shield for 10 minutes
3. Win

I just beat them... Pretty much this. Compared to Ornstein and Smough those guys were a picnic. None of the bosses seem difficult so far, except The Pursuer before I learned how to dodge all his moves.

 

[Invictus]

Holy shit is that speedrunner good, I couldn't believe how he took down some bosses like the sentinels man!

 

[DragoFireheart]

Kanedias

You should try getting the Curved Dragon Greatsword. Requires Petrified Dragon Bone. At +5, it has a B for STR and a S for DEX scaling.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Petrified Dragon Bone is the easiest material to acquire anyway, once you have a steady supply of Bonfire Ascetics (trade-in is 1 Ascetic per 2 Dragon Boners).

 

[Tribal Sarah]

After playing 90hrs i think DS is better. That had it's share of bullshit but DS2 is off the scale. Broken servers, trash mobs, laser guided bosses, fuckin ledges everywhere, broken lock ons. Pointless shit in the leveling system that doesn't add anything new to the game. The fuckin mules are back, and it's only been out 2 weeks. Despite From's promises it wouldn't happen. Most of all it seems far more unfair than DS. The one thing they got right was introducing the bonfire travel, because if i'd had to slog back and forth through the entire game, i would have thrown it in the bin. Hopefully it'll be better once the pc crowd have modded it.

 

[Mortmal]

A friend of mine went full hexes and he is basicaly unstoppable in PVP; he cast the resonant soul, dark hail and the manus homing missle spell and its is game over. I was thinking of doing a dex build for PC but definetly doing a hexer starting out with a deprived build for maximum build, just found the bat staff and planning to base by build on that.
Just got to the mirror knight (why the name change) and the game keeps ramping up in awesomeness

When i see that in pvp all i can do is running away like a little girl and hiding behind pillars each time they cast.No way to get any close till he run out of spells.Now for pve spamming lightning spear is the best thing ever and you will prasie the sun each time you and your allies will cast them on a boss. Sad theres little room for build variety.

 

[Kanedias]

Kanedias

You should try getting the Curved Dragon Greatsword. Requires Petrified Dragon Bone. At +5, it has a B for STR and a S for DEX scaling.

It is rubbish in PvP. I'm actually having good luck with Manslayer / Drakekeeper's Sword / Claymore. I just got the Grand Lance, I have to buy some chunks and upgrade it. Seems really nice for arena PvP.

 

[DragoFireheart]

Kanedias

You should try getting the Curved Dragon Greatsword. Requires Petrified Dragon Bone. At +5, it has a B for STR and a S for DEX scaling.

It is rubbish in PvP. I'm actually having good luck with Manslayer / Drakekeeper's Sword / Claymore. I just got the Grand Lance, I have to buy some chunks and upgrade it. Seems really nice for arena PvP.

What's wrong with CDGS?

 

[Kanedias]

It is rubbish in PvP; extremely easy to dodge, consumes a lot of stamina, bad range, bad tracking. Moving the stick while you attack makes the swings follow the stick instead of the lock on target, which I find really annoying.

I have faced it several times and I have been able to roll even through it's r2 special attacks. I find most ultra weapons to be really bad, more viable than in Dark Souls, but still bad, and in this game curved greatswords handle more like ultra weapons than they did in Dark Souls.

 

[DragoFireheart]

It is rubbish in PvP; extremely easy to dodge, consumes a lot of stamina, bad range, bad tracking. Moving the stick while you attack makes the swings follow the stick instead of the lock on target, which I find really annoying.

They did that to the curved greatswords as well? ugh.

 

[circ]

Also, if anyone of you are interested in the speedruns, the current WR for any% is ~90mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps8sbAxHMxg

Looks like it's possible to do worse animations than ME3 and Skyrim. Congratulations.

 

[subotaiy]

So, I'm a bit curious, which does more damage: dual-wieding (lets say 2 weapons of the same kind) or 2-handed stance?

 

[Hobo Elf]

Depends on the weapons, but if you are using two sticks in a Power Stance or using a stick with both hands then PS will do more damage. The obvious solution, of course, is to Power Stance Ultra Greatswords.

 

[Gentle Player]

i don't understand people that say sorcery is crap. sure, it's not easymode "2 soul spears to the face game over" like it was in DeS/DaS, but crap? fuck no.

I think it's more the fact that the pacing is dreadful and so you'll be using the same boring variations on soul arrow for a large portion of the game (you'll also, unless you get a lucky drop or happen to have enough points in Faith, be using the same C-scaling starting wand for potentially even longer). Then, in the mid-game when your spell variety starts to open up, you're faced with the realisation that most of your new spells are dreadful so you stick with soul arrows. Soul Spear is a joke compared to lightning spear and you get far less scrolls and castings (inb4 Groucho Marx). Homing Soulmass seems a lot weaker, though I haven't tested it much, and the crystal version is acquired very late in the game. Other than Soul Greatsword and Soul Geyser, both acquired rather late into the game and with the former being situational and the latter having an absurd INT requirement even with plentiful spices, a pure sorcerer will possibly be using nothing but his soul arrows for most, if not all, of NG. Not weak, but very dull, especially considering the excitement of obtaining mid-game spells like Soul Shower and Soul Vortex only to find that they are far less effective than your old arrows. Also, Crystal Spear and the Moonlight sword aren't even obtainable in NG, unless you use an Ascetic - but what first time player without a guidebook will chance on using it on the right bonfire, and then fighting an annoying boss yet again rather than just moving on?

The greatest disappointment is, however, the removal of those promised features to enhance casting - "strong casts" and manual aiming specifically.

 

[Surf Solar]

What is a powerstance?

 

[Hobo Elf]

When you dual wield weapons with 1.5x the stats than what they require to use (for example two weapons that require 10 strength and 10 dex -> you will need 15 str and 15dex) you press and hold Triangle (or Y on the 360 controller?) your character will slightly lift one of his weapon arms. Then you can attack with both weapons at the same time.

 

[Surf Solar]

What the fuck, was this in DS1 too? First Time I hear about it

 

[Hobo Elf]

No they just introduced it into DaS2.

 

[J_C]

This sounds cool. But why isn't this documented somewhere? Or is it?

 

[Jaedar]

i don't understand people that say sorcery is crap. sure, it's not easymode "2 soul spears to the face game over" like it was in DeS/DaS, but crap? fuck no.

The greatest disappointment is, however, the removal of those promised features to enhance casting - "strong casts" and manual aiming specifically.

Strong casts and manual aiming didn't make it into the game? That's shit. :/

 

[praetor]

This sounds cool. But why isn't this documented somewhere? Or is it?

the ability to dual wield is in the manual (where the controls are explained), but the requirements aren't (maybe in the guide?)

 

[Hobo Elf]

i don't understand people that say sorcery is crap. sure, it's not easymode "2 soul spears to the face game over" like it was in DeS/DaS, but crap? fuck no.

The greatest disappointment is, however, the removal of those promised features to enhance casting - "strong casts" and manual aiming specifically.

Strong casts and manual aiming didn't make it into the game? That's shit. :/

Manual aiming is in if you equip binoculars. Kinda shit but there you have it. Problem with Sorcery feeling kinda impotent is because the game is obviously balanced with strong cast in mind, but never made the cut in the end.