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From Software The Dark Souls II Megathread™

CthuluIsSpy

Arcane
Joined
Dec 26, 2014
Messages
8,690
Location
On the internet, writing shit posts.
Taking out bosses like a ... well a boss.

Destroyed The Skeleton Lords, Covetous Demon, and Mytha the Baneful Queen. The last one was especially hillarious, because I didn't know you could drain her poison room, so the whole fight I was alternating dodging her attacks, attacking, and gulping potions for poison damage.

Now, I am in a little fun place called the Iron Keep. :rage:

It wouldn't be so bad if:

1. Alonzo Knights didn't attack at superhuman speed.
2. I didn't get invaded by NPC Dark Spirits every 2 steps (e.g. Fencer Fiona, Armorer Dipshit, Forlorn something something). Armorer Dipshit even manages to invade twice, in different places.
3. I didn't get invaded by human assholes while NPC invaders are on cooldown.
4. Alonzo Knights didn't clump together like sticky turds.
5. Every other treasure wasn't placed in fire/lava/flames.
6. Alonzo Knights didn't damage my equipment like corrosive acid. I am wearing that knuckle ring that's supposed to slow down equipment damage, and still, my buckler gets close to breaking by halfway through the first area.

Yeah, Iron Keep in scholar is pretty horseshit. The aggro range is absurd.
I think the greatbow users loose destructive great arrows, which would explain the durability loss. They seem to have the same particle effect as to what the player uses.
 
Joined
Dec 17, 2013
Messages
5,392
I think the greatbow users loose destructive great arrows, which would explain the durability loss. They seem to have the same particle effect as to what the player uses.

Ah, this is good to know. I get too lazy sometimes to dodge their arrows when I take them out, so maybe I should make more of an effort there, or unequip the buckler while facing them.

Forlorn is semi-random, but the other NPCs are one-time only for a given area assuming you kill them. You will run into them in multiple places (An NPC invader is somewhat infamous for this).

I am not a fan of this in DS2. Feels like they are recycling content to save money. You have to fight the Pursuer in like 8 different places, same for Armorer Dennis and so on. DS1 was much better, you kill a boss/mini-boss, it stays dead.

Knights will be a bit different resist-wise than the fleshbags in the prior areas. They're weaker to blunt damage (like most armored foes), and lightning/magic. They can also be backstabbed.

The knights themselves aren't too bad for my build, just annoying. I can usually parry them at some point, but they attack so fast and without tells, that most times I need to get hit a couple of times before I can time the anticipation parry. No big deal though, I got the full Alonzo Knight Set from them, and upgraded it with shards, so I don't take that much damage from them, but there are so many, eventually they wear you down. Especially when a bunch aggro at the same time.

Btw, I think the single biggest problem with Dark Souls combat is the lack of NPC defensive actions. How many NPCs actually block, parry, dodge? Only a few. This makes it too easy to cheese the game by spamming the attack buttons. If NPCs had defensive AI on all the time, it would force the player to have to look for openings, use defensive moves, etc.
 
Joined
Jan 7, 2012
Messages
15,263
NPCs that can parry are awful. All you do is either nothing until they stop their parry mode or attack and face a diceroll as to whether you win or not.
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
7,631
3. I didn't get invaded by human assholes while NPC invaders are on cooldown.

The bridge in Iron Keep is a meeting place for pvp'ers so you'll get invasions there more often. I suggest you spend some time there, it's fun. Eat a human effigy and look out for red summoning signs on the brige or even put down your own.
 

L'Montes

Educated
Joined
May 6, 2018
Messages
160
Forlorn is semi-random, but the other NPCs are one-time only for a given area assuming you kill them. You will run into them in multiple places (An NPC invader is somewhat infamous for this).

I am not a fan of this in DS2. Feels like they are recycling content to save money. You have to fight the Pursuer in like 8 different places, same for Armorer Dennis and so on. DS1 was much better, you kill a boss/mini-boss, it stays dead.

I recall reading something in an interview about them originally envisioning Pursuer as literally pursuing you, being an invading/harrassing presence across multiple area in a quasi-random sort of way. It was something about trying to craft him to be a more legitimate and dynamic threat. Obviously, that doesn't translate exactly to the original game. He's instead fought a few different times in scripted encounters, leashed to areas (I'm reluctant to mention them, because spoilers), but SotFS changed this to allow encounters with him more times. The new SotFS encounters are still in *set* areas though, so it's still not quite the same I guess.

Forlorn functions a little bit closer to the original idea there I think, where some specific entity seems to be repeatedly attacking you, at random, in all sorts of different places. In a way, invasion mechanics make more sense in this context, though I guess if you want to be pursued by a supernatural force, the Pursuer has that vibe too.

There is, it should be said, a reward for defeating the Forlorn multiple times. As you beat them again and again, you unlock additional armor pieces and their weapons (eventually) at Straid. I think you have to defeat both a scythe and sword flavor after unlocking all the armor to get those weapons though.

In part, I think they wanted to make Dark Souls 2 a bit more future-proof as an experience. That is, if the servers are gone years from now and no one plays anymore, you could still run through the SotFS version, get invaded multiple times (and have at least some uncertainty about when), and have some NPC summon options for most fights.

It is recycled content though, yes. Even in some of the better parts of Dark Souls 2 (the DLC), they recycled some old bosses in there.
 
Joined
Jan 7, 2012
Messages
15,263
In part, I think they wanted to make Dark Souls 2 a bit more future-proof as an experience. That is, if the servers are gone years from now and no one plays anymore, you could still run through the SotFS version, get invaded multiple times (and have at least some uncertainty about when), and have some NPC summon options for most fights.

Yep, I like the idea.

I'd love to see a mod specifically designed for offline play where every potential NPC invader could invade in any area randomly, scaling up or down in difficulty with your SL. For any Souls game.
 

Explorerbc

Arcane
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
1,172
Ok, the main game so far was pretty easy, but I decided to do the DLCs and shit just got real. I can't get past Sinh, and I hear some concerning rumors about some twin cats in the ice one.
 
Joined
Jan 7, 2012
Messages
15,263
The twin cats are a bit overrated, the bigger problem is getting to them. The reindeer actually push my shit in pretty hard. The bosses leave large openings to hit them and their attacks have large and obvious tells, plus their HP isn't too huge and you can wail on the first one to 50% HP before the other shows. It's actually a really fair fight since you've mastered fighting one beforehand. You've got to play cat and mouse a bit till they both are on cooldown but only a few times till you're back into a 1v1.
 

80Maxwell08

Arcane
Joined
Nov 14, 2012
Messages
1,154
The idea behind Pursuer was one more bosses were going to follow. I remember a pre-release interview really early in development, I'm guessing game informer because I don't know what other interviews I read at the time, where they were talking about some bosses being a threat throughout the whole stage. So you would be running or fighting bosses bit by bit until the actual fight where you put them down for good. Like many parts of DS2's planned features, only bits and pieces remain, like Pursuer or one of the lords in NG+. Also Ivory Crown is the worst DLC by far. Getting to go back throughout the area once the ice melts is fine since there's more stuff to do, but grinding loyce souls and the optional challenge area are some of the worst parts of the entire series.
 
Joined
Dec 17, 2013
Messages
5,392
Well boys, I have done it: I've cleared Iron Keep. Four gazillion Alonzo Knights later, 25 invaders, 31 falls into lava, etc etc...

First I took out Smelter Demon, who was annoying af. But after some deaths, I got his pattern down, and rolled my way around him like a circus clown.

Then I defeated the nth version of the Pursuer (fuck this guy already), and got my ring of blades +1.

Then I worked my way down to the Old Iron King, and shat my pants the first time I saw him. Some asshole put down a sign nearby saying "bonfire ahead". So when I see this giant fuck emerging from the lava, I say to myself, that doesn't look like a bonfire.

Anyways, it's actually a decent fight, probably one of my favorites in this game, don't target-lock him because of the precarious platform, just run back and forth, and dodge his physical attacks, and run away from the fire breath. When his hands land on the ground, go to work two handed. Got him on 3rd or 4th try.

Now that I've cleared this place, I have to say, you know what, maybe it's not so :rage:



:rage:
FFFFF UUUUUU IRRRON KEEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

L'Montes

Educated
Joined
May 6, 2018
Messages
160
The bonfire is really really close to where he is (goat head that overlooks him). Probably one of the closest boss-bonfires in the game, depending on how you look at it. There is also, technically, a bonfire after him.
 

Arnust

Savant
Joined
Dec 22, 2016
Messages
680
Location
Spain
The bonfire is really really close to where he is (goat head that overlooks him). Probably one of the closest boss-bonfires in the game, depending on how you look at it. There is also, technically, a bonfire after him.
IT'S A BULL YOU FUCK
 

L'Montes

Educated
Joined
May 6, 2018
Messages
160
Those optional areas in DLCs were really made for co-op I think. They're a huge pain in the balls to do alone.

IIRC, the original gimmick with the three "weird" areas in the DLCs was players that didn't buy the DLC could go to the starting area of the DLC with the tombstones and put their signs down. This would "warp" their signs into the starting areas of those parts of the DLC.

They could then be summoned to "play" the DLC, but only in those side areas. However, certain pieces of DLC loot would drop for them even as phantoms as an extra reward (e.g. - not just lifegems). So, like a free trial for people that didn't buy the DLC to test run part of it.

Of course, they collectively get to try the 3-NPC boss area of Shulva, Smelter-Recolor trap-area of Brume-land, and Double-pussy snowstorm area of Disney's Frozen. Probably not the best sales pitch in that respect. Still, you could get drops and try it for free, which is interesting.

I'm not sure how much of that mechanic was retained for SotFS, since you'd only match with other SotFS owners, and everyone has the DLC by default.
 

praetor

Arcane
Joined
Apr 27, 2009
Messages
3,069
Location
Vhoorl
Great, I'll just pull out my ultra greatsword and whip. No I won't because those weapons are stupid.

i'll take "what the fuck are jumping attacks for 50$". and add halberds, curved greatswords, great hammers and great axes, while we're at it... or hey, maybe use a ranged option, like bow/xbow or an urn/firebomb or some magic or some projectile special attack...

and "those weapons are stupid because i have no fucking clue how to use them" makes you sound like a whining 6yo crybaby...

"waah wahh, i can't attack an enemy with my toothpick [you can, you dumb fuck] while he's in a particular animation! WHY DOES THIS GAME MAKE ME PAY ATTENTION TO ENEMIES?! WHY DOES IT OFFER ME OPTIONS TO DEAL WITH THOSE SITUATIONS?! THAT SO STOOPID! I just want to mindlessly poke with my penile compensation toothpick :("

do people on the codex get more stupid with age or something? does the 'dex cause a mental benjamin button syndrome or something? is this what i have to look forward to? talking stupid decline shit about games i like to pretend to know very well and acting like a decline-enabling faggot?
 
Joined
Jan 7, 2012
Messages
15,263
Great, I'll just pull out my ultra greatsword and whip. No I won't because those weapons are stupid.

i'll take "what the fuck are jumping attacks for 50$". and add halberds, curved greatswords, great hammers and great axes, while we're at it... or hey, maybe use a ranged option, like bow/xbow or an urn/firebomb or some magic or some projectile special attack...

Jumping attacks can be parried, I've done it. The great-weapons are all pretty dumb, only the halberd is a reasonable weapon and sometimes you aren't playing a halberd build. Maybe I'm the only one here who takes one weapon and sticks with it the entire game?

Any kind of ranged attack in Dark Souls is synonymous with a failure.
 

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