From Software The Dark Souls II Megathread™

[Multidirectional]

So i'm trying the fire sword (going for a melee dark build this time) and it's a lot easier to use than the mace i used on my first play through. The thrusting 2H attack and the faster R1 sweeps with the longer reach makes it an easier weapon.

Champions covenant is interesting, doesn't actually bump HP, just damage. Makes me feel like i'm playing it for the first time as i don't know what to expect form enemies now.

Question: can you farm items with this thing? Like can i get the whole Heide set in NG just with this covenant? Or is the loot table different?

Tried to tell you about the Longsword the first time. You can also get a lot of upgrades materials in Bell Keepers with that sword, running stab catches a lot of players. Baiting out the attack then catching them with backstep stab also works. I enabled Champion covenant on last playthrough just to get that Heide set for once, so yeah it works for farming. I wish it actually gave better drops too, like Demon Bell in Sekiro.

 

[Lyric Suite]

Lyric Suite if you're playing the game for the second time, you should try NG+ instead of just starting a new game. Despite the bad things anyone can say about DS2, it's the only game that did NG+ right.

Fuck it, I'm reinstalling it right now. Time to fight some pursuers, I guess.

I want to try a full Company of Champion run first (DLC bosses ought to be fun).

I'll take the current toon to NG+ as the first one was too much of a mess.

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

So i'm trying the fire sword (going for a melee dark build this time) and it's a lot easier to use than the mace i used on my first play through. The thrusting 2H attack and the faster R1 sweeps with the longer reach makes it an easier weapon.

Champions covenant is interesting, doesn't actually bump HP, just damage. Makes me feel like i'm playing it for the first time as i don't know what to expect form enemies now.

Question: can you farm items with this thing? Like can i get the whole Heide set in NG just with this covenant? Or is the loot table different?

Yes. CoC disables the enemy despawn mechanic. It also prevents co-op, but if you are using it to farm then co-op doesn't really matter.

 

[DJOGamer PT]

DS2 is in a whole other league than DS3. It's way better.

No. It's a lazy half-assed game with ridiculous level design and stupid copypasted monsters. The atmosphere is very uneven, meaning you never forget you playing a fucking videogame (and not the best one), immersion zero.

DS2 is mechanically superior to every other From game and has great individual level design as well
The only thing DS3 has over 2 is some bosses

 

[Fishy]

That Fire Sword is DS2's version of DS1's Drake Sword, it's the clutch weapon that makes a portion of the early-ish game a bit too easy. That said, it has the hilarious property of being a fire weapon in an area full of powder kegs, which makes watching first-time players that much more entertaining.

 

[Caim]

The Fire Longsword, if you go all in on it with a pyromancy build or as a backup for a hex build as an alternate damage type, is a pretty decent weapon. But then again, that comes with the territory of it being a Longsword, which is one of the best weapons in all three Souls games. Sure it's not very fancy, won't one-shot a lot of enemies and doesn't have massive reach, but it's reliable, decently fast, can be buffed, uses little stamina and has fashion souls out the ass.

 

[Multidirectional]

Longsword usually ends up being the first weapon I upgrade to +10. It's my favorite for PvP and I always do a lot of that, plus it's amazing for early to mid game PvE as well. Its damage becomes a little underwhelming later on though so I usually end up switching to large weapons, like Red Iron Winblade or Greatsword.

 

[vota DC]

This game killed my love for the franchise so bad that until this day, i haven't played Dark Souls 3.

But DS3 is a great game!

Everyone is Usain Bolt. When there are bosses or miniboss like pus man around you are a double black: Usain Bolt and Ray Charles.
They changed poise and ruined it.

Only advantage is that having finished both Dark Souls 2 and 3 on steam I would like to play mods but Dark Souls 2 mods doesn't work much to me. For example I am using Dark Souls 3 modern firearms with cheat engine that set infinite ammo (with zero stagger and high cost of darts I think it would be impossible to play). Dark Souls 2 have mods that change monster speed but make the game crashes, it doesn't tolerate cheat engine for some reason....that is bad because there very promising mod for Dark Souls 2.

I was going to ask about mods.

Anything that fixes bugs and touches on graphics a bit? I don't want radical gameplay changes. Still not comfortable about that in a game like this, and i still want to try the online features (diminished as they are).

There are mods that fix lightning and the game looks better those don't use cheat engine and should work.
For bugs are single player only.

 

[Silverfish]

Oh come on.
The next step is to say DS2 is better than DS3, will you do this?

If you don't care for fun levels, build diversity, engaging NPCs, memorable bosses that require varied tactics and a legitimately thought out story, DS3 is definitely better.

 

[Lyric Suite]

Longsword usually ends up being the first weapon I upgrade to +10. It's my favorite for PvP and I always do a lot of that, plus it's amazing for early to mid game PvE as well. Its damage becomes a little underwhelming later on though so I usually end up switching to large weapons, like Red Iron Winblade or Greatsword.

Is PvP still actually a thing? I didn't bother with it on my first playthrough as by the time i finished the game i was completely burned out.

I experienced near zero invasions when leveling but i think that has more to do with the fact cracked orbs are limited and annoying to get.

Honestly i love the way they integrated the PvP in the single player experience (speaking of the Souls games as a whole), i just wish From would come up with something that still fullfills that idea while making it a bit easier to connect with others, especially in liue of the way online population dwindles over time.

In DS2 in particular it seems they were WAY too optimistic. You need 500 kills to get to rank 3 in the blue sentinels covenant. Lmao good fucking luck even getting 500 connections in a regular playthrough, let alone winning every single one of them.

 

[Verylittlefishes]

Is PvP still actually a thing? I didn't bother with it on my first playthrough as by the time i finished the game i was completely burned out.

Yes.

 

[Lyric Suite]

So i'm trying the fire sword (going for a melee dark build this time) and it's a lot easier to use than the mace i used on my first play through. The thrusting 2H attack and the faster R1 sweeps with the longer reach makes it an easier weapon.

Champions covenant is interesting, doesn't actually bump HP, just damage. Makes me feel like i'm playing it for the first time as i don't know what to expect form enemies now.

Question: can you farm items with this thing? Like can i get the whole Heide set in NG just with this covenant? Or is the loot table different?

Tried to tell you about the Longsword the first time.

Well, i had a concept of proof going. If DS1 taught me anything is that you don't want to go down the road of looking for the "best" weapon otherwise every playthrough would be the same as the next one.

 

[Multidirectional]

Is PvP still actually a thing? I didn't bother with it on my first playthrough as by the time i finished the game i was completely burned out.

I was having plenty of Bell bro action just couple weeks ago. And Blood bro arenas also seemed pretty active. Invasions are rare in DSII, yeah, I get more NPC than player invasions per playthrough. Most of the PvP seems to be done via covenants or on Iron Keep bridge.

 

[Caim]

Last time I had PvP in DS2 I was leading someone on a merry run-around using the ladder in the tower where you meet Lucatiel in the Lost Bastille. We went for a few laps until the invader messed up by missing a roll and going over the edge. Fun times.

 

[Lyric Suite]

So i'm doing a couple of sunbro runs in Black Gulch to get some coins and while i'm waiting for summons i get invaded by this guy called statue sweeper who spins around a few times braking statues than jumps off a cliff.

Like, wtf is that.

 

[Multidirectional]

It's that famous DS II build variety in action.

 

[praetor]

Santier's Spear and the Whipsword are the most fun weapons in all of Souls

fite me

 

[ADL]

So i'm doing a couple of sunbro runs in Black Gulch to get some coins and while i'm waiting for summons i get invaded by this guy called statue sweeper who spins around a few times braking statues than jumps off a cliff.

Like, wtf is that.

Sounds like a bro to me

 

[Lyric Suite]

Lmao, he appeared three times. Peak online experience right here.

 

[Fishy]

My favourite invasion was once in the Dragon Aerie, just before the bridge, when I got invaded by the "Dark Spirit of Communism".

And of course, he was red.

Can't remember if he was powerstancing hammer and sickle though.

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

My favourite invasion was once in the Dragon Aerie, just before the bridge, when I got invaded by the "Dark Spirit of Communism".

And of course, he was red.

Can't remember if he was powerstancing hammer and sickle though.

One of these days I will make a Stalin build.

 

[Lyric Suite]

Man even with the company of champions this run is going by the speed of light. It's amazing how small Souls games feel after a second playthrough.

 

[Caim]

My favourite invasion was once in the Dragon Aerie, just before the bridge, when I got invaded by the "Dark Spirit of Communism".

And of course, he was red.

Can't remember if he was powerstancing hammer and sickle though.

One of these days I will make a Stalin build.

Craftman's Hammer (from the chest McDuff is sitting on) and Full Moon Sickle (farmed from the fat undead dual wielding them in the Huntsman's Copse and Earthen Peak) requires 30/27 str/dex. The hammer looks the most Soviet, the sickle you can get early on and unlike the other two are bourgeoise because they require levels in int/faith. Consider adding the Bleed effect onto the Sickle: you trade in 10% damage output for a 50% increase in Bleed. You can slap on the Crest of Blood and Shadow Gauntlet to deal scary amounts of Bleed damage, getting around 450 with a similar build. Note that Bleed damage also scales with Faith for some reason, so going Bandit is as always a wise choice.

 

[vota DC]

Mistery solved. Most of mods are for sonofbitch, I have Dark Souls 2 with all DLC included but this Is a standalone espansion so mods aren't compatible for me.
Btw most of mods restore content from vanilla, no idea why vanilla seems snubbed by mods.

 

[d1r]

Lmao, he appeared three times. Peak online experience right here.

Well, Soul Memory and Soul Level are two mechanics that heavily restrict the matchmaking pool. This and the dwindling player base make such encounters not that uncommon.