From Software The Dark Souls II Megathread™

[Cowboy Moment]

By the way, praetor, remember that conversation we had about DaS2 PvP balancing affecting PvE negatively? You didn't believe it could happen. Well, enter DaS2 poise. Isn't it great being staggered by a single dagger hit while in heavy armor?

 

[DramaticPopcorn]

I thought he'd be bigger. Also, I couldn't manage to stop the summoning. Tried smashing the mirror with a large club, tried plinking it a bunch with ricard's, tried poise breaking the knight with the club or even darkstorm, nothing worked. I'm guessing maybe it's damage based?

He was bigger in the press demo build that I got to play

 

[Cyberarmy]

Poise changes just sucks... We need high numbers (like 80)+ to avoid stunlocks which only available with a few armor sets. Getting stunlocked in smelter set is something...

 

[praetor]

By the way, praetor, remember that conversation we had about DaS2 PvP balancing affecting PvE negatively? You didn't believe it could happen. Well, enter DaS2 poise. Isn't it great being staggered by a single dagger hit while in heavy armor?

but it's the same retarded shit in PvP, so what's your point? it's a shittily implemented mechanic that is entirely useless (the worst in the 3 games). afaik i said stuff that would be rebalanced to work/matter in PvP would also work/matter in PvE, i never argued that a shitty PvP mechanic would not be shitty in PvE, as far as i remember

 

[Cowboy Moment]

By the way, praetor, remember that conversation we had about DaS2 PvP balancing affecting PvE negatively? You didn't believe it could happen. Well, enter DaS2 poise. Isn't it great being staggered by a single dagger hit while in heavy armor?

but it's the same retarded shit in PvP, so what's your point? it's a shittily implemented mechanic that is entirely useless (the worst in the 3 games). afaik i said stuff that would be rebalanced to work/matter in PvP would also work/matter in PvE, i never argued that a shitty PvP mechanic would not be shitty in PvE, as far as i remember

Point is, it worked perfectly fine in PvE in DaS1 (and would work even better in DaS2 with the healing changes making chugging impossible). And yes, trying to balance PvE and PvP with the same set of mechanics often leads to results that are subpar for both. I actually can't think of a game that does this well.

On a different note, it's really puzzling how they obviously went to great lengths to make the game more difficult for melee, with various enemy and area designs, but then made miracles and hexes so overpowered. I can't tell whether that's incompetence or if they actually intend on those being the easymode option so even casuls can finish the game.

 

[praetor]

By the way, praetor, remember that conversation we had about DaS2 PvP balancing affecting PvE negatively? You didn't believe it could happen. Well, enter DaS2 poise. Isn't it great being staggered by a single dagger hit while in heavy armor?

but it's the same retarded shit in PvP, so what's your point? it's a shittily implemented mechanic that is entirely useless (the worst in the 3 games). afaik i said stuff that would be rebalanced to work/matter in PvP would also work/matter in PvE, i never argued that a shitty PvP mechanic would not be shitty in PvE, as far as i remember

Point is, it worked perfectly fine in PvE in DaS1 (and would work even better in DaS2 with the healing changes making chugging impossible). And yes, trying to balance PvE and PvP with the same set of mechanics often leads to results that are subpar for both. I actually can't think of a game that does this well.

balancing games is hard, From sucks at it, news at 11! thank you, captain obvious. and no, poise was most definitely not "fine" in PvE, either. it was as hilariously broken as in PvP

 

[praetor]

btw does dark pyro flame scale below 50% helf? if i go wretch and get myself to 5%, wud I become a flaming golden god?

nope

 

[Murk]

I thought he'd be bigger. Also, I couldn't manage to stop the summoning. Tried smashing the mirror with a large club, tried plinking it a bunch with ricard's, tried poise breaking the knight with the club or even darkstorm, nothing worked. I'm guessing maybe it's damage based?

Possibly; make sure to hit him and not the shield.

Fire whip hits like fucking 20 times tho; so it may just be a bunch of hits at once. I'd still have to mace him 3 times after. My mace hits would do about 250 each and firewhip totaled maybe 300-400 damage (it shows individual hits not the full sum).

Unrelated wild suggestion: in ng+++++++ have it so that 7,777 pursuers all attack you at once when you get to the throne room.

JudasIscariot in NG+ he summons other players, which would definitely amp up the difficulty. I'm not sure if an aescetic will do the same trick (I assume so?)

 

[Murk]

Also, wtf @ spider drops? I have like 3 ricard's rapiers, parrying daggers, mastodon greatswords, and some other weapon I can't remember all from the little spiders. Not the ones that are controlling a corpse; just the regular ones.

wtf?

 

[DragoFireheart]

I hate the DaS2 RNG loot drop with a passion, episode #562:

been farming the shadow doods for the last 2 days, got everything but the leggings. they just won't drop (but daggers, claws, tops and gauntlets drop like candy. i've discarded more than i can count). fuck this game

Pray to Allah and he may bless you.

 

[Gozma]

Having quantitative style poise is a bad idea all round, they should really just work out a viable armorboy fatroll style and a dodgeboy style and balance with each being hard mutually exclusive instead of trying to make a continuum. Otherwise you just get the "find the build with the most poise you can pack onto a character with a strong dodge" effect. Or even just have fighting game style armor moves for particular weapons and forget about poise completely.

 

[Cowboy Moment]

By the way, praetor, remember that conversation we had about DaS2 PvP balancing affecting PvE negatively? You didn't believe it could happen. Well, enter DaS2 poise. Isn't it great being staggered by a single dagger hit while in heavy armor?

but it's the same retarded shit in PvP, so what's your point? it's a shittily implemented mechanic that is entirely useless (the worst in the 3 games). afaik i said stuff that would be rebalanced to work/matter in PvP would also work/matter in PvE, i never argued that a shitty PvP mechanic would not be shitty in PvE, as far as i remember

Point is, it worked perfectly fine in PvE in DaS1 (and would work even better in DaS2 with the healing changes making chugging impossible). And yes, trying to balance PvE and PvP with the same set of mechanics often leads to results that are subpar for both. I actually can't think of a game that does this well.

balancing games is hard, From sucks at it, news at 11! thank you, captain obvious. and no, poise was most definitely not "fine" in PvE, either. it was as hilariously broken as in PvP

Hey, remember how you wanted me to not reply to you anymore? Let's just go back to that.

Having quantitative style poise is a bad idea all round, they should really just work out a viable armorboy fatroll style and a dodgeboy style and balance with each being hard mutually exclusive instead of trying to make a continuum. Otherwise you just get the "find the build with the most poise you can pack onto a character with a strong dodge" effect. Or even just have fighting game style armor moves for particular weapons and forget about poise completely.

I can't see why that would be the case as long as both poise and "strong dodge" use continuous scales, and offer benefits on both ends. DaS2 does have roll distance scaling with equip load, which seems to work fine. As long as neither stat is "all or nothing", equipping your character should come down to how you actually want to play, and not hitting some kind of optimum.

 

[Damned Registrations]

Fucking Royal Rat Authority. Short-range melee weapon + lots of tiny enemies that swarm you = ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

Beat him, but still, annoying and otherwise extremely easy. Seems to be Capra Demon 2.0.

You can always just use some firebombs/urns on them. Ranged AoE makes the fight pretty damned easy, and there's not much other use for those items.

 

[Stonewolf]

I dont get how people have issues with Royal Ray Authority. My character always managed to kill all of those small rats before the big dog finished his landing animation, after that it was easier even than Sif. The only way of fucking up that fight is probably if you aggro little rats with a bow first/trigger big one and force yourself into one vs. many fight.

 

[Murk]

It's a sucker punch fight. You either get toxic'd and die; or kill the rats and stay behind not-sif.

If you're faith; heavenly thunder will do the trick. Otherwise, wide slashing attacks work too (greatswords). Plinking with bow is silly unless you can one-shot them. Casters can probably do it easily, too. I'm guessing most people just rush in tho.

 

[JudasIscariot]

I hate the DaS2 RNG loot drop with a passion, episode #562:

been farming the shadow doods for the last 2 days, got everything but the leggings. they just won't drop (but daggers, claws, tops and gauntlets drop like candy. i've discarded more than i can count). fuck this game

Try farming the Mad Warrior in Belfry Sol. I've got everything save his armor.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Also, wtf @ spider drops? I have like 3 ricard's rapiers, parrying daggers, mastodon greatswords, and some other weapon I can't remember all from the little spiders. Not the ones that are controlling a corpse; just the regular ones.

wtf?

Same thing happenns with petrifying dogs outside Aldia's Keep, they drop most of the rare weapons including all blackknight ones. Just be sure not to get petrified

 

[Murk]

This is a bug, right? Did they fuck up a loot-drop variable? If they did, it just further proves how stupid the crows/silky stones thing is. If it was intentional then did they just phone it in last second and give a haphazard way to farm rare items? I guess I am partially glad it's there but it makes no sense.

"makes no sense"

that's a phrase that's p common; along with "how the fuck did that hit me?" for the sequel

most common phrase I said in dark souls 1 aside from "fuck fuck fuck" was "yeah, I deserved that"

 

[Murk]

Guy on reddit claims to have gone wretch and tested it; said it does not scale more.

His name is, ironically, Filthy_Frog: http://www.reddit.com/r/DarkSouls2/comments/22pegs/info_pyro_hand_comparisons/

 

[Cyberarmy]

This is a bug, right? Did they fuck up a loot-drop variable? If they did, it just further proves how stupid the crows/silky stones thing is. If it was intentional then did they just phone it in last second and give a haphazard way to farm rare items? I guess I am partially glad it's there but it makes no sense.

"makes no sense"

that's a phrase that's p common; along with "how the fuck did that hit me?" for the sequel

most common phrase I said in dark souls 1 aside from "fuck fuck fuck" was "yeah, I deserved that"

Dunno, but farmed a lot of shit (sold most of them weapons, "Gavlan wheel, Gavlan deal!") right there and they kept respawning

 

[Silva]

Ok, just finished it. Man, what a huge let down. I got completely aimless from midgame forward, without even knowing why I was playing. I mean, yeah "Find souls, find bigger souls, find the king" but so what ? Ive found the old man and slayed him, and then what ? Ancient dragon who ? Big Giants what ? Sigh. The narrative in the series is already minimalist, but in this game its non-existent. Really, the game is trying hard to make the plot sound all smart and ambiguous when in truth there is no plot at all! Sure, there were mchanical improvements since the first game (like combat and multiplayer), but the world and narrative aspect is completely botched. I was thinking bout beginning a NG, but nah Im done, its not worth it.

My grade for this game: 6.5/10
(my grade for the first one: 10/10)

...and now Im curious to see how Demon Souls is.

 

[Elwro]

...and now Im curious to see how Demon Souls is.

Spoiler

It's awesome. Play melee to get the most of it.

 

[Murk]

That's one thing the hour long critique video was spot-on for; the team mistook the obscure nature of the lore of DS 1 as "what people want" and inappropriately modeled the current game's story on that model. The story in the last game was obvious with the first 2 non-hostile things you encounter telling you "go ring the bells; one is up and one is down" at which point a giant penis literally springs from the earth and says "get the bowl; fill the bowl -- k now kill the king to be the king".

The current game's prose is on par with a middle school poem by some emo kid with black Xs over his/her hands. "Are you the new monarch? or just another pawn?" GUESS WHATS GONNA HAPPEN

 

[Silva]

Mikayel, what video is this ?

 

[Murk]

Mikayel, what video is this ?

This'n: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UScsme8didI

Some of it is nitpicking; some of it is legit. IMO, there's enough legit to make it worthwhile. Also, he's not annoying to listen to (which is a huge compliment in the youtube field).