From Software The Dark Souls II Megathread™

[J_C]

Limited enemies confirmed. Streamer farmed some enemies that gave nice souls last night, now he killed them about 2 times and they disappeared forever.

How about the enemies that give shit-piddly amounts of souls?

Some of them dissapear after a dozen or so times. Some of them keep up longer.

 

[DragoFireheart]

Limited enemies confirmed. Streamer farmed some enemies that gave nice souls last night, now he killed them about 2 times and they disappeared forever.

How about the enemies that give shit-piddly amounts of souls?

Some of them dissapear after a dozen or so times. Some of them keep up longer.

So then you COULD clear the entire game if you were vigilant enough.

 

[J_C]

Limited enemies confirmed. Streamer farmed some enemies that gave nice souls last night, now he killed them about 2 times and they disappeared forever.

How about the enemies that give shit-piddly amounts of souls?

Some of them dissapear after a dozen or so times. Some of them keep up longer.

So then you COULD clear the entire game if you were vigilant enough.

I really don't know that. In the Forest of Fallen Giant (not at the entrance, but after the 1st bonfire), the first 10 enemies dissapeared after 15-20 respawns. But the ones after those were still there after a lot of respawns and didn't disappear at all. So maybe some enemies have infinite respawns. It would be strange if you could clear the entire map.

 

[toro]

Day 1 patch confirmed. So, maybe there is some advantage in waiting for the PC release.

 

[DragoFireheart]

I really don't know that. In the Forest of Fallen Giant (not at the entrance, but after the 1st bonfire), the first 10 enemies dissapeared after 15-20 respawns. But the ones after those were still there after a lot of respawns and didn't disappear at all. So maybe some enemies have infinite respawns. It would be strange if you could clear the entire map.

I suspect that there might be some PvP areas that could be appealing after clearing out the monsters.

Day 1 patch confirmed. So, maybe there is some advantage in waiting for the PC release.

What's in it? (No Spoilers)

 

[J_C]

Day 1 patch confirmed. So, maybe there is some advantage in waiting for the PC release.

Day 1 patch? Pfff, that's so 2010. My review copy already had a Day minus 6 patch. :D

 

[Kanedias]

I really couldn't put a finger on the feel of the other areas I said I disliked, and this is it: They are more like King's Field areas. Different atmosphere (inferior, in my opinion)

--

Unrelated:

Spoiler

Smelter Demon

seems like a somewhat easy but quite fun boss.

Spoiler

I love how he drives his sword through his chest in order to light it on fire.

--

Also, while Lifegems were very limited at the start, they seem much easier to buy now that enemies give more souls, and he has 50+ hoarded now.

 

[AngryEddy]

Spoiler

Stream got shut down again, new stream is up http://instagib.tv/kennethbr

 

[toro]

Day 1 patch confirmed. So, maybe there is some advantage in waiting for the PC release.

What's in it? (No Spoilers)

False alarm. My bad.

 

[Lerk]

Two bits of : the game seems larger than Dark Souls, and more nonlinear. You have a LOT of choices at the start, and having the ability to warp from the beginning means you can hop from area to area and progress a bit on each (and the game seems designed that way, like Demon's Souls)

I'm reading a lot about how the hub and warps are a lot more reminiscent of DeS than DkS. I'm not sure how I feel about that tbh. I loved both games, but the reason DkS stayed with me a long time after I'd finished the game was the amazing journey undertaken through a dream-like, intricately connected world abandoned by the Gods. The new approach seems a lot more "gamist". Are there any "aha!" moments like the first time you find the shortcut from Parish to Firelink? Or any watershed moments like the first time you stare up into the sky at Ash Lake, or descend into Anor Londo?

It feels more like Demon's Souls, where the areas felt less interconnected. The flow is exactly like in Demon's Souls, where you juggle between several areas, going back to the hub to level up. In Demon's Souls, there's not an obvious path through the game, all worlds are doable from the beginning (at least, their first areas), then you usually get stuck somewhere and warp to any of the other places you have open, only to come back later once you feel ready. This is exactly the same, and it alters the feeling of "journey" that Dark Souls has from the Asylum to Anor Londo. Also, like I said before, the area design seemed weaker overall. As for those moments, there's one at the beginning of the game. Probably the only one. Like I said, area design isn't this game's strength (at least, compared to Dark Souls and Demon's Souls).

I'm also hearing that the NPCs are a lot more vocal in the sequel, and that there's a definite and obvious narrative that underlies the action. Would you say that's true?

It uses mystery, unlike the other games, in order to catch your interest. You want to cure your curse. In Majula, an important NPC tells you what you must do, but you don't know why or what it has to do with the curse. Then the game uses "WTF" lore moments to make you want to seek the answers. In terms of how straightforward it is, I'd say between Dark and Demons.

Appreciate the feedback brother. I know I'm going to love the game regardless, but I'll miss the sense of journey and discovery from the first game.

 

[AngryEddy]

Spoiler

Old Iron King was fucking embarrasingly easy.

 

[Kanedias]

These areas have excellent atmosphere.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/alpacabr

 

[AngryEddy]

I think consumers should know better before they invest money on this game:

This game claims to have around 30 bosses, and it seems like the majority of them are either literal copy and pastes from Dark Souls 1, or they're just repeat bosses from earlier in the game. After seeing the

Spoiler

Dragonriders

again, and how

Spoiler

If the bosses aren't rehashed, they're just swarms of generic units

I feel obligated to put out a consumer advisory.

It's gotten so bad, that the majority of people watching the Ken stream have been addressing the problem of just the sheer number of rehashed bosses in this game, and the low difficulty of certain parts:

Spoiler

including primal demon battles like the Old Iron King.

 

[Kanedias]

We only had 1 boss who was copy pasted from Dark Souls. We only had 1 reoccuring boss. Did you forget Dark Souls has not two but THREE copy paste demons?

The boss that was a swarm of "generic" units was great. Creative boss design.

Yours is a generic complain post without any kind of thought put into it.

This area we are in has an art design and atmosphere that rivals all Dark Souls areas. This is coming from someone who wasn't afraid of saying when Dark Souls 2 areas sucked.

Edit: They didn't even give an unique soul. It was a miniboss.

 

[AngryEddy]

We only had 1 boss who was copy pasted from Dark Souls. We only had 1 reoccuring boss. Did you forget Dark Souls has THREE copy paste demons?

The boss that was a swarm of "generic" units was great. Creative boss design.

It was bad then and it's bad now. Btw, those demons progressively had more abilities, and different textures, where the rehashed bosses in this game, from this game

Spoiler

Flexile Sentries and Dragon Riders

Also, the sheer number of rehashes in this game is something you can't trivialize, it's gone from 3 demons, to like 10 fucking bosses.

There wasn't just one swarm of generic units boss.

 

[Kanedias]

10 rehashed bosses? Can you list them please?

Spoiler

Flexive Sentry was just a normal enemy later on, just like the Capra Demons in DkS 1

Btw: This "boss" didn't count for the 34 boss list, as he didn't have an unique boss. And the game never "claimed" to have 34, that's what people datamined. DkS + the DLC has 26 and that's counting the Copy Paste Demons.

Can you inform yourself before you create a huge melodramatic post about how this game is worthless? I don't mind different opinions, but I do mind retarded ones.

I wasn't saying the game is perfect, but saying it has 10 rehashed bosses is a blatant lie.

 

[AngryEddy]

10 rehashed bosses? Can you list them please?

Spoiler

Ornstein, Queelag 2.0, Gargoyles, Flexile Sentries, Ruin Sentries, Dragon Riders,

and I can't think of anymore off of the top of my head

 

[AngryEddy]

I wasn't saying the game is perfect, but saying it has 10 rehashed bosses is a blatant lie.

No, it's not a lie, and if i'm wrong, then i'm off with the numbers, not with the actual concept. I'm not going to argue with Dark Souls fans, because they start getting prickly when you challenge their sacred cow. I put out my concerns, if people want to listen, great, if they don't, great.

 

[Kanedias]

Bosses that return later on as normal enemies =/= Rehash. Dark Souls did it too. As for your list:

Spoiler

Quelaag 2.0 has a different moveset, different MODEL, and NONE OF HER MOVES ARE LIK QUELAAG. Literally the only similarity is that they are both ladies with arachnids for lower bodies. In this case a scorpion. Ornstein IS copy pasted....the only boss. Flexile Sentry is a normal enemy later on not unlike Capra and Taurus. Dragonriders DO appear two times, yes, but they didn't count for the 34 bosses as their souls weren't unique. I see no problem in them being there, it even makes sense in the lore. Gargoyles have a new model, new texture, and the fight is 100% different.

Pure bullshit.

You are accusing me of being a fanboy? You are saying a boss with a different model, different moveset, and vastly different fight is a rehash. That's like saying Bell Gargoyles is a Maneater rehash, or that Gwyn is an Allant rehash.

 

[DragoFireheart]

I wasn't saying the game is perfect, but saying it has 10 rehashed bosses is a blatant lie.

No, it's not a lie, and if i'm wrong, then i'm off with the numbers, not with the actual concept. I'm not going to argue with Dark Souls fans, because they start getting prickly when you challenge their sacred cow. I put out my concerns, if people want to listen, great, if they don't, great.

Dude, bosses that return as regular enemies is not "rehashing" bosses.

But it looks like you might have a chip on your shoulder. what are you, casul?

 

[Primordial Ruination]

does anyone know if thats something like medium armor or just plain cloth? how much poise that shit gives you?

does it nulify just the critical bonus or the hole damage?

if thats just a cloth than you will still get fucked up by big weapons, buffed weapons, sorceries and pyro.

it does nulify the bonus damage from critcis done by backstabs/ripostes? not the counter damage?

and where do i find that shit ingame?

We don't know much about it because it wasn't tested in PvP, obviously. "Nullifies" sounds worrying, though. There's an extremely high chance it's broken as fuck.

Wording makes it look like it's a cloth robe that simply turns critical hit damage into normal damage.

I saw the moment of the stream where the jester items where found (merchant), and I'm leaning towards CK's conclusion.

I don't know if anyone else was watching, but all four of the jester items had a buff. One increased the souls acquired, and the pants reduced fall damage. Not sure what the last buff was.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Dude, bosses that return as regular enemies is not "rehashing" bosses.

But it looks like you might have a chip on your shoulder. what are you, casul?

You see Ed. Ed's angry.

 

[Kanedias]

T for Teen

Spoiler

Bound prisoner, wrapped in chains against a door, with his head down. He has a mask, the keyhole is the mouth. Muffled sounds can be heard.

Also, Veggy confirmed

Spoiler

dragon form to be back.

Must be the ancient covenant.

Also, amazing crossbow:

Spoiler

Holy shit. Mirror Knight online is going to be the hardest boss in the Souls series. Mark my words.

 

[Primordial Ruination]

New stream:

http://www.cybergame.tv/kennethbr

The old chat room is the one being used, if anyone cares:

http://www.ustream.tv/socialstream/...=ircChat&hideVideoTab=1&colorScheme=light&v=6

 

[Kanedias]

Area design seems to have stepped up a lot. The last 2 areas have been excellent. This is another area that rivals the best Dark Souls areas.

I wonder if this game is like Dark Souls in reverse, with the more half assed areas at the start.

It also looks really tough...

Pyromancy confirmed to be exactly like in Dark Souls 1, only scaling with the Flame