From Software The Dark Souls II Megathread™

[toro]

Farming with the mage is kinda easy since you dont have to engage in combat most of the time...

Well ill have to buy this game since playing offline mode is lame as fuck.

Of course is lame.

 

[Castanova]

I started as a Knight and I'm doing a kind of jack-of-all-trades guy for my first playthrough. Stumbled upon the Fire Longsword pretty early so I got the stats for that and then I immediately got my Faith up enough to use Lightning Spear, which has made certain fights really easy. Since then I've been rounding out my melee stats... just got END and ADP to 20 each with a couple points here and there into VIG and VIT. The build seems to work well enough for exploring the game mostly unspoiled. The melee damage output is definitely starting to feel weak, though.

Definitely really enjoying the game still although I wish the boss fights weren't so easy.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

So bros, I've finally decided to ditch my Havel Shield +5 for PvP since it's useless. I get laggy guard breaks all the fucking time. I replaced my melee with a +10 Dark Grand Lance. Old Leo Ring + Resonant Weapon + Havel's Armor+5. Holy shit, the damage is unreal. I've never had so many successful arena fights.

 

[praetor]

tried out the PC version on sale at TPB... anybody wants to buy a PS3? long live master race with glorious graphics, stable high frame rates, and near-instant loading times.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

tried out the PC version on sale at TPB... anybody wants to buy a PS3? long live master race with glorious graphics, stable high frame rates, and near-instant loading times.

Cheaters are rampant though. Gotta wait until they're bored or From/Namco/Steam start banhammering.

 

[80Maxwell08]

So how's the online for the PC version? Is it any better than the console versions.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

So how's the online for the PC version? Is it any better than the console versions.

Faster loading times - good. Easier for people to cheat - bad.

 

[80Maxwell08]

So how's the online for the PC version? Is it any better than the console versions.

Faster loading times - good. Easier for people to cheat - bad.

I was mostly referring to netcode and such. That was basically the one thing we all agreed was crap for consoles. Was wondering if the enemies hitting you from 30 feet away and summons being a minute behind was still there.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

So how's the online for the PC version? Is it any better than the console versions.

Faster loading times - good. Easier for people to cheat - bad.

I was mostly referring to netcode and such. That was basically the one thing we all agreed was crap for consoles. Was wondering if the enemies hitting you from 30 feet away and summons being a minute behind was still there.

I doubt it's different. I haven't put enough time in yet, but so far seems exact same as PS3. I guess I just haven't had a lot of laggy players yet. People shouldn't expect a totally different experience from this - it's the exact same thing but without resolutions/FPS restrictions.

 

[aris]

Online works really well! When connections can be made, they are generally almost always made. Netcode could be better to reduce change of getting signs that are no longer valid though.

But it's 100 times better than in dark souls 1

 

[Cowboy Moment]

Bosses thus far are kind of a mixed bag:

Last Giant is boring and ugly.
Pursuer is pretty cool. I think it's kind of a better designed Capra Demon, where he'd be really easy in a large open space, but is decently challenging because of how small and narrow his room is. Also seems to hit very hard, much harder than Dragonrider or Ornstein. Which brings me to...
Dragonrider - I think that one old knight with a mace (the one at the beginning that doesn't respawn) was more challenging than this guy. Had nice range, but not enough threatening attacks.
Ornstein was surprisingly fun, wouldn't have thought you could make a solo boss out of him just by speeding up some of his attack animations. Unfortunately retained the weakness of being helpless in close quarters, so the strategy is the same as for super Ornstein in DaS1. Still he was very fun to fight.

I've read consoletards complaining about how the level design in this game doesn't measure up to DaS and DeS, but thus far it seems perfectly in line with the former, and somewhat better than the latter. Forest of Fallen Giants is ugly as shit, and the connectivity between areas seems weak, but those are problems with presentation rather than actual substance.

I will say that I dislike warping between bonfires as much as I thought I would. Instead of doing this, they should've ripped SotN off even further and placed 4-5 dedicated teleporters across the world.

 

[Invictus]

Quite astounding how good it looks on PC isn't it praetor? Imagine how Dragons Dogma would have been...
I have been using durante's mod and it looks great plus it even works with M&MX
Ok so you tried the "demo" now show From some love
And as much as I love the game I agree that level design overall leaves a bit to be desired; the previous games felt like real living places that had logic to their structure; if you entered a castle all the environment had a symetry and a purpose beside "monster closets" but here there are things clearly designed as videogame levels and not as functional environments like Iron Keep and to a certain extent Drangleic Castle

 

[DragoFireheart]

So bros, I've finally decided to ditch my Havel Shield +5 for PvP since it's useless. I get laggy guard breaks all the fucking time. I replaced my melee with a +10 Dark Grand Lance. Old Leo Ring + Resonant Weapon + Havel's Armor+5. Holy shit, the damage is unreal. I've never had so many successful arena fights.

Any Dark Weapon + Resonant Weapon and you'll rape shit. Throw Bat Fog + Affinity + Great Resonant Soul on top of that along side Mundan Avelyns and you win.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

Leo ring/high poise combo pretty much promises rape. Gotta love that 1k damage from R1 when your hit wasn't interrupted. 160 counter stat FTW.

 

[made]

IDK I played for a couple hours yesterday but the game just doesn't touch my tralala in the same way the first one did.

Runs smooth though and looks good with Durante's GOATSE fix that improves the lighting. Seems to play nicely with M&K too.

 

[Elwro]

Gavlan did not appear for me in either Harvest Valley or Doors of Pharros, even though I found him and bought /sold a ton of shit to him. :-( That's one of the things I don't like about the Souls games.

 

[praetor]

have you mashed "Talk" until he starts repeating his lines? try returning to the Wharf, maybe he's still there?

 

[Elwro]

Yeah, I'll do that...

 

[Multidirectional]

I can't beat The Pursuer, I just can't.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/216330/Dark_Souls_studio_From_Software_acquired_by_Kadokawa.php

Kadokawa Games is best known for publishing titles like Lollipop Chainsaw and Killer is Dead. The studio also develops games, such as Demon Gaze, Natural Doctrine and The Kantai Collection.

 

[MapMan]

My main gripe is the level design. I liked DaS1 far more, everything was coherent and interconnected. This not much so, a lot of areas are basically linear. Other than that the game feels much, much easier. I said it right, it FEELS easier. I think thats because I had really hard playthrough of DaS1. I played offline, no guides, deprived, didn't know that you can summon NPCs to help etc. Now with messages, summoning and knowing already how to approach enemies the game really feels easier. But FROM was really smart in that regard, they throw a lot of stuff at you to make the game harder which is really great idea. Once I'm done with my jack-of-all-trades playthrough I'm gonna try and create some nice build for PVP, something other than full derp OP resonant soul or max STR fuck everything just mash R1. The game is really good, I spent almost entire sunday playing. I don't remember when was the last time a game got me so hooked. Gonna post more impressions later!

 

[Jaedar]

I can't beat The Pursuer, I just can't.

Spoiler

Parry his charging attack(it's strangely easy) in front of a ballista, then quickly run around and use it.

Alternatively, he's an optional fight.

 

[Hobo Elf]

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/216330/Dark_Souls_studio_From_Software_acquired_by_Kadokawa.php

Kadokawa Games is best known for publishing titles like Lollipop Chainsaw and Killer is Dead. The studio also develops games, such as Demon Gaze, Natural Doctrine and The Kantai Collection.

Japanese publisher Kadokawa today announced that it has acquired Dark Souls studio From Software, with the aim to take advantage of the company's worldwide influence.

read: we will milk the fuck out of their Souls franchise.

Rip in peace.

 

[Multidirectional]

Ok, I didn't even try parrying him. Probably because there was only one boss in DS1 that worked on. Anyway, he's really optional? I don't really see other ways to progress.

 

[Hobo Elf]

He's optional to the point that the first boss fight you encounter in Drangleic Castle can be the first boss the player encounters.