From Software The Dark Souls II Megathread™

[Xi]

Played the first one solo on PS3 (offline) and don't want to deal with that shitty hardware again. I even purchased a PC version of it (which was much better). Gonna pick this one up for PC. Looks good for a fan of the series.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Anybody in NG+ yet? I've heard a rumor that Soul Memory doesn't factor into multiplayer after the first playthrough and if that's true I'm going to speed through the few remaining areas rather than dicking around in co-op/PvP.

Because fuck Soul Memory. That and broken roll attacks are really the only major complaints I have with this game now (just found out soft-caps for QoL stats are less than 40 in most cases; extremely smart move by From) and being able to eliminate one of them would greatly contribute to enjoyment.

 

[Azazel]

4chan is reporting that NG+ is basically the "real" game:

Soul memory goes away.
Mirror Knight summons real players, covenant is active.
There's equipment and spells exclusive to NG+.
You can also buy invasion orbs in NG+.
More vendors sell infinite shit.
Bosses get new moves. And Stuff...
Fucking Red Phantoms Fucking Everywhere, like the preview demos.
Burning a bonfire ascetic in NG will bump an area to NG+, permanently. So in NG+ it will be NG++, unless you burn again, in which case it goes up to NG+++, and so forth.

More and more it's starting to look like NG+ is From's original vision of the game and NG is just casualized for newcomers and crybabbies. However, NG+ is on different servers so PVP will be slim till more people get there.

 

[meanwhileInPoland]

also if you visit smelters demon room after you killed him you meet

Spoiler

Pursuer

again. You fight two

Spoiler

Pursuers

at once the Drangleic castle in NG+.


fuck drangleic castle and that fucking room with 5 ruin sentinels and stone soldiers. my hollowed sorcerer was almost done with them but got crossbow bolt in the back from some fucking invader than i repeated that room , cleared all 5 alcoves but the last one with Darkdiver did not open got bored with that fight went to iron keep bridge to skull fuck some dragonbros. it seems that all good PvPlayers are in Brotherhood of Blood

 

[Invictus]

I knew it! I knew the areas shown in the network test and the gameshow WERE harder and I recall a few extra moves on the turtle knight and some enemies had been removed, along with the red phantom ambushes where some enemies remained as in the Torturers before the Chariot boss but got turned into regular enemies.
Seems like From got us our cake too; the NG is the toned down version and NG+ is the real game with the encounters and challenge they envisioned originaly
I will never doubt From Software again!

 

[Elwro]

I'm hooked. The magic is still there...

 

[Canus]

After finishing the game as a melee character I respecced as a magic user.
The jump in power is delicious. Put points into int, faith, adapation and become God.
A God who's really good at dodging.

 

[Tribal Sarah]

I think they should have put in a goal like ringing the bells in ds. The game seems kind of aimless. Go here. Go there, be awesome dude.

 

[aris]

Anybody in NG+ yet? I've heard a rumor that Soul Memory doesn't factor into multiplayer after the first playthrough and if that's true I'm going to speed through the few remaining areas rather than dicking around in co-op/PvP.

Because fuck Soul Memory. That and broken roll attacks are really the only major complaints I have with this game now (just found out soft-caps for QoL stats are less than 40 in most cases; extremely smart move by From) and being able to eliminate one of them would greatly contribute to enjoyment.

What's soul memory?

 

[Steve]

Anybody in NG+ yet? I've heard a rumor that Soul Memory doesn't factor into multiplayer after the first playthrough and if that's true I'm going to speed through the few remaining areas rather than dicking around in co-op/PvP.

Because fuck Soul Memory. That and broken roll attacks are really the only major complaints I have with this game now (just found out soft-caps for QoL stats are less than 40 in most cases; extremely smart move by From) and being able to eliminate one of them would greatly contribute to enjoyment.

What's soul memory?

It's the total amount of souls your character has gained. It's used for match making to prevent twinking.

 

[DragoFireheart]

So looks like From fixed NG+.

NG+ in the previous Souls games felt like an afterthought. HP bloat and more damage, but not much else.

 

[Hobo Elf]

PS3 master race got patched today to 1.02. From has no idea when xfags get their update thanks to Microsoft being a piece of shit when it comes to getting simple patches for your games on their crappy console.

In any case is anyone else disappointed with the music in DaS2? Now that I've beaten the game I could not identify any other song but the one that plays in Majula.

 

[praetor]

In any case is anyone else disappointed with the music in DaS2? Now that I've beaten the game I could not identify any other song but the one that plays in Majula.

the majula theme is so fucking boring and grating... first thing i'm doing on PC is finding a mod to swap majula for Things Betwixt theme (still not particularly engaging, but miles ahead of majula). but yeah, pretty much the whole soundtrack is generic trash. i said as much when watching that kenneth stream and people here attacked me for it the music sounds as if it was composed from a generic hollywoodian orchestral sample database

as generic DaS1 music was, it had quite a few standout tracks (personal favourites being Ash Lake, 4Kings, Artorias, Gwyn, Pinwheel and Nito) and most of them were really, really thematically fitting (much more so than DeS, imo. but i'd have no problems with someone preferring DeS' soundtrack)

 

[Surf Solar]

What? The Majula one is fucking amazing

 

[meanwhileInPoland]

I dont think that tracks like Mytha-Covetous Demon-Demon of Song would fit in Hollywood. Also if Old Dragonslayer theme did not pump you up than something is wrong with you dude.

I find Nashandra theme is as fitting her fight as was Gwyns theme in his fight.They are very different bosses

Also Demons Soul has maybe like two good tracks - "Maiden Astrea" and "One who craves Souls". They are in my opinion two best tracks in Souls series but rest is average at best

Strange thing that the most memorable tracks for me in Souls series where always character creation and end credits songs

What? The Majula one is fucking amazing

This. I am 40 hours in and i still did not get bored by it even though i warp to Majula every 20 minutes

 

[praetor]

snip

okay, okay, i exaggerated a bit majula is still shit, though

 

[Surf Solar]

And why exactly would that be 'shit'?

btw I totally forgot to give the crows my starting gift. Did just so, and what did I got? A shitty old whip oh well atleast it makes an awesome Sound.

 

[DragoFireheart]

What? The Majula one is fucking amazing

praetor might just be picky about his music.

 

[Machocruz]

"Maiden in Black" is still the most memorable and signature song of the series, to me.

 

[Invictus]

Sif's theme & Ash lake are the highlights for me
Funny enough the first thing I think of when thinking of music in the Souls series is the absence of music in areas like Latria...

 

[DragoFireheart]

Any true Souls fan would know that the best music is the one you hear when you die.

 

[80Maxwell08]

So I got bored and made a deprived which I grinded to 20 adaptability right away so I could build any way I want to now. How should I build him?

 

[DragoFireheart]

So I got bored and made a deprived which I grinded to 20 adaptability right away so I could build any way I want to now. How should I build him?

Put 18 more points into adaptability.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

No music is best music in Souls games.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Apparently "Dark Souls 2 was unplayable and broken on consoles before the graphics downgrade":

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkai...broken-on-consoles-before-graphics-downgrade/

I’ve spoken with a source close to the development of the game who was willing to go into greater depth on what they believe happened between the preview builds and the final product—a product which would have apparently played like the notoriously mangled Blighttown without a graphics downgrade.

According to my source:

“This is what it comes down to: a playable framerate. The early builds that the screenshots came from were playable but only just so. The game was not in a state where it could be sold at that point. I strongly suspect that they were focusing heavily on delivering a top-notch experience on PC and underestimated the challenges the new systems would pose on PS3 / Xbox360. That’s my analysis, anyway. But, factually, the early builds played like Blighttown the entire game.

“I sincerely don’t think they intended to deceive, but in the end they sacrificed a huge amount of graphical fidelity at the very end of development because they couldn’t resolve the framerate in any other way. They had to promote the game with screens and trailers, but at that time even they had no idea they were going to have to drop the settings so much, I suspect.

I want people to know the truth. I know a lot of people just feel lied to, but I think the reality is a bit different. It doesn’t mean they handled it properly, but I think they made the only decision they COULD make in the end. The game would have been much worse without the change (as in, many would call it unplayable and broken.)”