Dark Souls 2 is sadistic.

[Kopikatsu]

Well shit... Damn skeletons respawn faster then the baby skeletons in DS1. I guess I am going to farm for a few more levels, 71 feels to low for the skeletons plus I got to find that bonfire key.

You have to fight the skeletons to get the key.

Either way, you're going to have to fight the skeletons, yo. Also, the skeletons aren't regenerating. They're being resurrected by a Necromancer. There are two of them, one in each section of the cave. They don't respawn once you've killed them the first time.

 

[waj9876]

Boss design seems to have taken a hit. Dark Souls had a bunch of really memorable bosses like the Bed of Chaos, Ornstein and Smough, Gravelord Nito, etc. I've only seen one boss and two minibosses so far, but... Dragonslayer is just a palette swap of the Old Knights with a unique arena, basically. Admittedly, I might be judging it too harshly based on the one boss I've seen. Dragonslayer might just be DS2's Taurus Demon. A boss that's just kind of there but doesn't add anything significant to the game other than to serve as a stat check.

I'm pretty sure the Old Dragonslayer is supposed to be Ornstien. He's just, well, old now. He isn't as powerful, and he can't call lightning like he used to be able to.

(I wonder, does this mean that the dark lord defeated the Executioner guy first in the series canon?)

 

[Kopikatsu]

Boss design seems to have taken a hit. Dark Souls had a bunch of really memorable bosses like the Bed of Chaos, Ornstein and Smough, Gravelord Nito, etc. I've only seen one boss and two minibosses so far, but... Dragonslayer is just a palette swap of the Old Knights with a unique arena, basically. Admittedly, I might be judging it too harshly based on the one boss I've seen. Dragonslayer might just be DS2's Taurus Demon. A boss that's just kind of there but doesn't add anything significant to the game other than to serve as a stat check.

I'm pretty sure the Old Dragonslayer is supposed to be Ornstien. He's just, well, old now. He isn't as powerful, and he can't call lightning like he used to be able to.

(I wonder, does this mean that the dark lord defeated the Executioner guy first in the series canon?)

The Ornstein in Anor Londo was an illusion conjured by Gwyndolin. The real Ornstein was sent to Drangleic long ago. As for how/why Ornstein has been corrupted by the Abyss despite not having been in Oocilie or Lordran is actually explained much later in the game and is the first hint that there's even more going on in Drangleic than first meets the eye.

Also! It turns out that my inference about the relationship between the Giants and Kingdom of Drangleic was totally right. An NPC in Drangleic Castle gives a bit of exposition on the subject.

What's with the massively varying sizes of people though? Ornstein, the Dragonriders, the King, and everyone else are huge compared to 'normal-sized' humans like the Chosen Undead and the others. Why are they all so huge?

 

[Rylot]

Well shit... Damn skeletons respawn faster then the baby skeletons in DS1. I guess I am going to farm for a few more levels, 71 feels to low for the skeletons plus I got to find that bonfire key.

You have to fight the skeletons to get the key.

Either way, you're going to have to fight the skeletons, yo. Also, the skeletons aren't regenerating. They're being resurrected by a Necromancer. There are two of them, one in each section of the cave. They don't respawn once you've killed them the first time.

If you use a magic weapon do they still respawn?

 

[Sarge034]

Snip

I don't know what you are doing wrong, but I know three people that made that fall and lived with the ring.

 

[endtherapture]

Not being snarky here; just genuinely confused about why people like the Souls games. They do have good segments that are actually difficult, but there's just so much cheap bullshit that even a skilled player cannot predict.

Again, I'm not saying that people don't enjoy these games - they clearly do, but I'll never understand why.

Its mostly because its pretty much the only AAA production that sticks to The Old Ways of RPGs. Those being hard, but fair combat and wide open areas full of secrets to explore.

And absolutely no handholding. The game basically teaches you the controls, then throws you to the lions. You have to go out and find the bonfires, merchants, blacksmiths, better equipment, and bosses all on your own. Theres no quest tracker, no map and no objective markers.

But granted, its not for everyone.

I personally wouldn't say that a hallmark of old school RPGs is no handholding - my top old school RPG is the Baldur's Gate series and they're often point you in the direction to go next. They also have maps and journals. Maps and journals are really helpful in large open world games, and whilst it could be argued you don't really need maps in Dark Souls - maps and giving you a direction doesn't exactly "dumb down" a game.

 

[sXeth]

I personally wouldn't say that a hallmark of old school RPGs is no handholding - my top old school RPG is the Baldur's Gate series and they're often point you in the direction to go next. They also have maps and journals. Maps and journals are really helpful in large open world games, and whilst it could be argued you don't really need maps in Dark Souls - maps and giving you a direction doesn't exactly "dumb down" a game.

I believe when they say old school, they mean the 80s/early 90s wave (Ultima, Wizardry, etc). BG was the start of the modern era of WRPGs.


On other inquiries, anyone found Twinkling Titanite anywhere?

 

[chinangel]

This sounds pretty classic, to be honest... I couldn't stomach how insolent Demon's Souls was. It's a shame, too, cause I crave challenging games. It's just they're not challenging... It's boring. "Oh no, that arrow that flew to that side of you actually hit you somehow and you died. Oops, by exiting the menu your character rolled and came close enough to the whats-it to register an insta-death on contact. You know all that awesome, atmospheric and challenging gameplay you just did, well how about you do it ALLLLLLL AGAIN just so you can continue playing the game. That'll be fun right? Hey, you know the nice, distant online elements which add just enough depth to make this game feel haunted, well someone many levels above you playing a melee class just came into your world and you can't exit / use any non-offensive skills / deny challenge - oh you died, best play the whole level again." That's not fun, that's a time-sink for the depressed. And I wish not to add to my already strife depression.

And this is all coming from someone who deletes an entire Minecraft world and starts again if he dies but once as a self-imposed punishment. This is coming from the person who puts Skyrim on Master then specialises in speech and illusion, wears no armour, hires only rogue-lockpicks, never fast travels and has the TV set so dark it's impossible to play during the day... The person who INSISTS on going into every Resident Evil final boss with the starting pistol, starting knife and ink ribbon taking up 3 out of 6 inventory spaces.

It's like playing a game of hide and seek with a child who refuses to acknowledge that you've found them and then throws a tantrum if you actually hide. I'd rather just ramp up the difficulty on a fun game and place some self-imposed rules, at least then I have the freedom to decide when I want to stop playing or go to the toilet.

They are not difficult games, they just force you to play under unreasonable circumstances and repeat the same gameplay OVER AND OVER AND OVER in that same monotonous fighting system... I have no time for such "hardcore" drivel... Which I lament as I really like the imagery / worlds / concepts and am a Namco Bandai fan

I beat DS 1 and well...

Dark Souls 1 (at least) always had fair difficulty. If you died it was your own fault for not reading the terrain. There were very few unfair deaths (not none, but very few).

See scorch marks on the ground and saw a dragon earlier? see blood on a lift? These are all warnings. As for navigating menues, yeah I've died from doing that, leaping off clifts by accident but that's not the game's fault: it's yours.

Dark Souls 1 was unforgiving but always fair.

 

[StarStruckStrumpets]

Honestly, what annoys me most about the Souls games is the people that play it.

They're all fucking USELESS.

Being unable to kill the Executioner Chariot, I thought I'd help people with the boss on co-op. Every single time I can guarantee you I end up doing all the work (killing the necromancers that revive the skeletons), and still the other phantom and host manage to die. It's infuriating. Maybe it's because I spent hundreds of hours on the first game, but Christ you'd think some of the people on this game were texting on their phones constantly.

I can't say any boss other than the Executioner Chariot has annoyed me. Every other time I've died it's because I've gotten impatient or just not observed my surroundings well enough.

 

[Ariseishirou]

I'm so lost in this game. I just beat the Royal Rat Dog-Thing, had no fucking idea where to go, tried some Pharros Lockstones in the Bastille and got to Luna Belfry but that didn't lead anywhere after I killed the Gargoyles. ...Where to do I goooooo? Where is this Harvest Valley people keep talking about? I'm so lost. I was never this lost in Dark Souls 1. I must have spent a couple hours already trying to find another area.

 

[Lictor Face]

They're all fucking USELESS.

Just wait for the Giantdad equivalent in Dark Souls 2, then you can express your hatred for filthy casual players.

Remember, the legend never dies. Giantdad will soon be succeeded by someone far worse...

 

[Lictor Face]

So far I'm absolutely loving DS2. The noticable lack of 100% phys block shields is a major step forward imo. It encourages more dodging and less falling asleep behind your shield. Your primary healing items becoming consumables and estus becoming luxuries also adds further emphasis on skill perfection. I'm loving it. In DS1, you could fall asleep while traversing certain areas because of your retarded +5 twenty estus and 2 heal miracles and god knows what, in DS2, every crumb of health is valuable.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I'm so lost in this game. I just beat the Royal Rat Dog-Thing, had no fucking idea where to go, tried some Pharros Lockstones in the Bastille and got to Luna Belfry but that didn't lead anywhere after I killed the Gargoyles. ...Where to do I goooooo? Where is this Harvest Valley people keep talking about? I'm so lost. I was never this lost in Dark Souls 1. I must have spent a couple hours already trying to find another area.

It's true, DS2 is definitely more aimless than 1.

If you killed Royal Rat Authority, then you're in the Door of Parros. Which is an optional area for the Rat King Covenant if I remember correctly.

Harvest Valley is past Huntsman's Copse. To get there, you have to pay the Miracle merchant 2000 souls (or just kill her for the miracle to open it)

Honestly, what annoys me most about the Souls games is the people that play it.

They're all fucking USELESS.

Being unable to kill the Executioner Chariot, I thought I'd help people with the boss on co-op. Every single time I can guarantee you I end up doing all the work (killing the necromancers that revive the skeletons), and still the other phantom and host manage to die. It's infuriating. Maybe it's because I spent hundreds of hours on the first game, but Christ you'd think some of the people on this game were texting on their phones constantly.

I can't say any boss other than the Executioner Chariot has annoyed me. Every other time I've died it's because I've gotten impatient or just not observed my surroundings well enough.

I felt that way about Old Iron King. Every time he did the sweeping arm attack (which has tons of telegraphing and is fairly easy to dodge), he would insta-kill my two phantoms.

Anyway...I always thought my character's breasts were moderate-sized. Until I got the Smelter Demon Armor, which shows gratuitous underboob. Not so small after all!

 

[jehk]

So far I'm absolutely loving DS2. The noticable lack of 100% phys block shields is a major step forward imo. It encourages more dodging and less falling asleep behind your shield. Your primary healing items becoming consumables and estus becoming luxuries also adds further emphasis on skill perfection. I'm loving it. In DS1, you could fall asleep while traversing certain areas because of your retarded +5 twenty estus and 2 heal miracles and god knows what, in DS2, every crumb of health is valuable.

To be fair all of these things come back. There's at least two 100% physical defense shields and you get enough Estus shards that it becomes your primary healing method.

Sorry to disappoint.

 

[loa]

So far I'm absolutely loving DS2. The noticable lack of 100% phys block shields is a major step forward imo. It encourages more dodging and less falling asleep behind your shield. Your primary healing items becoming consumables and estus becoming luxuries also adds further emphasis on skill perfection. I'm loving it. In DS1, you could fall asleep while traversing certain areas because of your retarded +5 twenty estus and 2 heal miracles and god knows what, in DS2, every crumb of health is valuable.

To be fair all of these things come back. There's at least two 100% physical defense shields and you get enough Estus shards that it becomes your primary healing method.

Sorry to disappoint.

You also get a ring that regenerates your health and 2 flavors of miracles that also regenerate health over time very early on so that 90% phys shield you can buy at the start of the game feels like a 100% one anyway.

 

[jehk]

So far I'm absolutely loving DS2. The noticable lack of 100% phys block shields is a major step forward imo. It encourages more dodging and less falling asleep behind your shield. Your primary healing items becoming consumables and estus becoming luxuries also adds further emphasis on skill perfection. I'm loving it. In DS1, you could fall asleep while traversing certain areas because of your retarded +5 twenty estus and 2 heal miracles and god knows what, in DS2, every crumb of health is valuable.

To be fair all of these things come back. There's at least two 100% physical defense shields and you get enough Estus shards that it becomes your primary healing method.

Sorry to disappoint.

You also get a ring that regenerates your health and 2 flavors of miracles that also regenerate health over time very early on so that 90% phys shield you can buy at the start of the game feels like a 100% one anyway.

Sure, for trash. Some bosses I wouldn't want to try without a 100% phys def shield.

 

[PsychoticHamster]

If you weren't at full health, or simply do not have enough health then yes you'll probably die. But as a human at full health, I made it down to the bottom. Iirc the items aren't anything special but the well opens up the rat area and the gutters.

 

[loa]

Sure, for trash. Some bosses I wouldn't want to try without a 100% phys def shield.

A high stability is MUCH more important than the % damage reduction against enemies from whom 10% damage is still that huge of a deal.

 

[jehk]

Sure, for trash. Some bosses I wouldn't want to try without a 100% phys def shield.

A high stability is MUCH more important than the % damage reduction against enemies from whom 10% damage is still that huge of a deal.

I don't feel its that important so long as you manage your stamina. Knowing when to lower your shield to recover stamina is key. The only time I want a high stability shield is when fighting hordes where I won't get as much of a chance to recover. I did boost END and ADP to 20. That probably makes a big difference.

I dunno. I haven't found a boss that can break my block (or leave me with so little stamina I can't attack) even with the weakest 100% phys def shield.

Your point is kinda moot anyway. Most of the 100% phys def shields have good stability.

 

[Kopikatsu]

So... if you return to the Smelter Demon's boss room after some time, Pursuer is there. Killing him gave me a Ring of Blades +1.

...Are there any other bosses who come back later on for more loot? I need more stuff to take down Guardian Dragon. Haven't seen a summoning sign in ages and his homing fire breath stunlocks me to death.