Discussion
I've just been messing around in the Belfry Sol. What a fantastic looking area. Unfortunately, it's full of bellends and you can expect to be invaded by two or three enemies at a time, so as you might imagine you'll have no chance of beating them all. I'll be going back to it tonight and just quickly flying through it with no souls onboard to risk losing.
I tried to solo the smelter demon a few times, he had my f
king life. The cumulative fire damage was not such an issue, so much as the fire sword he uses in the second half of his life bar - insane reach and arc makes it super hard to dodge, and blocking, even with the Alonne captain helm and armour still lets loads of fire damage through. I could try going further into the game for the Grym Greatshield which is meant to block 100% fire damage, but I'm not sure yet. I might try getting summoned to fight someone easy like Mytha, then use the humanity to summon Lucatiel and an NPC to fight the smelter demon. I don't really want to use a human effigy on it, even though I've got something like 30 saved up.
king life. The cumulative fire damage was not such an issue, so much as the fire sword he uses in the second half of his life bar - insane reach and arc makes it super hard to dodge, and blocking, even with the Alonne captain helm and armour still lets loads of fire damage through. I could try going further into the game for the Grym Greatshield which is meant to block 100% fire damage, but I'm not sure yet. I might try getting summoned to fight someone easy like Mytha, then use the humanity to summon Lucatiel and an NPC to fight the smelter demon. I don't really want to use a human effigy on it, even though I've got something like 30 saved up.30 effigies is plenty - I only had 10 or so by that point.
Use a ring of life protection to prevent you going hollow when you die - you can then spend 3,000 souls at the blacksmith to repair it and still preserve your effigy stock.
You also unlock a merchant later who will have 10 effigies in stock, plus can you farm them to some extent .
Use a ring of life protection to prevent you going hollow when you die - you can then spend 3,000 souls at the blacksmith to repair it and still preserve your effigy stock.
You also unlock a merchant later who will have 10 effigies in stock, plus can you farm them to some extent .
Hanslow said:
Just something that will slowly eat away at your life and sanity, and steal your soul. I kinda miss playing it at the moment, the discovery, the trepidation, but not the occasional frustration and panic.
Maybe it's time for me to go back and do a NG+...
The sense of discovery in DS2 is nothing compared to what it was in DS1. The multi-layered, stacked environment of DS1 was so much more exciting to explore, woven like a web of areas and tunnels, with shortcuts in between to minimise the need for fast travel. In fact, you only got access to the fast travel once the environment had been explored to the point that going between areas would have become a chore. The environment of DS2 is just like a load of fairly separate areas plonked together with tunnels linking them, but little to make sense of the connection, unlike the giant castle town and surrounding gardens that made DS1.Maybe it's time for me to go back and do a NG+...
The last place I explored in DS1 before taking on the final boss was the valley of drakes. Standing in that valley, having just explored the depths of the map, and looking up to see the bridge that you cross at the start of the game on the way into the undead burg was incredible, just masterful game design. DS2 is good but in many ways it's not a patch on DS1.
One of the things that unfortunately sticks in my mind from DS1 is blight town, and that festering pit below it where you got poisoned a lot, and there were some huge yeti type creatures that threw rocks at you. Didn't enjoy that bit 
Sniping the dragon's tail early to get a decent weapon was ultimately rewarding though. Maybe I should fish out DS1 again too!
Never did play Demon's Souls though...
Sniping the dragon's tail early to get a decent weapon was ultimately rewarding though. Maybe I should fish out DS1 again too!Never did play Demon's Souls though...
I got to the doors of Pharros last night, the enemies are no match for my +10 fire sword, but I don't understand what's happening with the multiplayer aspect. I keep getting called as a grey phantom into someones game, but I can't leave summon signs or summon any assistance myself. Summoning still works in other areas, but not this one, and I could really use some help with that giant rat and his six poisonous little mates!
Gaffer said:
I died.
I lasted 30 seconds before I died.
Bugger
Claire
Yes, that tends to happen quite a lot. If only they'd put a warning on the box! As a veteran of Demon Souls and Dark Souls, and a lousy player to boot, I would advise you to embrace frequent gory deaths, not to worry about hoarding precious souls, and get stuck in. I am playing in a far more aggressive style that I have in previous games; I die a lot, lose a lot of souls, and am enjoying it far more. I lasted 30 seconds before I died.
Bugger
Claire
PS: Ignore any monsters/bosses you find until you get to Majula and you can start building your character up. That's where the game really starts properly.
aww999 said:
I got to the doors of Pharros last night, the enemies are no match for my +10 fire sword, but I don't understand what's happening with the multiplayer aspect. I keep getting called as a grey phantom into someones game, but I can't leave summon signs or summon any assistance myself. Summoning still works in other areas, but not this one, and I could really use some help with that giant rat and his six poisonous little mates!
That's a PVP areaI reached the Doors of Pharros tonight.
Getting there wasn't so bad, I enjoyed the Shaded Ruins area because, being hollow, the curse clouds were of no matter to me. The Scorpioness boss was quite easy too, I played first as a summoned spirit in someone else's world and together we saw her off after a protracted battle. I'm guessing though that the player who summoned me didn't know you could get the assistance of the Scorpion Warrior down in the sandpit though, providing you have the whispering ring. When I faced the boss alone, I used the stone flooring to avoid her tunnelling attack, and simply stayed close and kept the pressure on. Whenever she'd drop her tails, I'd strike, and the lull after she emerged from underground was key to getting a few strong blows in.
The Doors of Pharros isn't quite so much fun. The water on the lower floor makes just getting around a chore. Luckily, I've now cleared it the place out up until the ladder which takes you towards the Royal Rat Authority, so no more battles with the Primal Knights in the deep water!
What was a complete pain was being summoned to PVP combat three times in a row, with the same bloody player. It ended 2:1 in my favour. At first, I thought I was there to help, so I cleared out the ground floor area of Primal Knights and rats, only to then lock onto my 'ally'...as I realised we were supposed to be in PVP combat. Of course, I was chest deep in water by this time and got done in. The next two times were even more irritating. Long, protracted fights on the walkways above the basin where the turd who summoned me tried a few tricks. His arrows did nothing, his poison spells weren't powerful enough to tip the balance, so it would always come down him rushing in for some melee, taking a whopping and running away. Repeat until someone runs out of estus and capitulates. The first round took around 5 minutes, the second closer to 10 minutes. I thought about just switching my console off, to get back to my game, but I was so incensed at the little turd for summoning me I had decided to stay and beat him. After that, I put myself in a party so the game disconnected me from the online mode. Ah, the feeling of peace and serenity was overwhelming. I'll re-connect once I'm out of this dismal PVP area.
Getting there wasn't so bad, I enjoyed the Shaded Ruins area because, being hollow, the curse clouds were of no matter to me. The Scorpioness boss was quite easy too, I played first as a summoned spirit in someone else's world and together we saw her off after a protracted battle. I'm guessing though that the player who summoned me didn't know you could get the assistance of the Scorpion Warrior down in the sandpit though, providing you have the whispering ring. When I faced the boss alone, I used the stone flooring to avoid her tunnelling attack, and simply stayed close and kept the pressure on. Whenever she'd drop her tails, I'd strike, and the lull after she emerged from underground was key to getting a few strong blows in.
The Doors of Pharros isn't quite so much fun. The water on the lower floor makes just getting around a chore. Luckily, I've now cleared it the place out up until the ladder which takes you towards the Royal Rat Authority, so no more battles with the Primal Knights in the deep water!
What was a complete pain was being summoned to PVP combat three times in a row, with the same bloody player. It ended 2:1 in my favour. At first, I thought I was there to help, so I cleared out the ground floor area of Primal Knights and rats, only to then lock onto my 'ally'...as I realised we were supposed to be in PVP combat. Of course, I was chest deep in water by this time and got done in. The next two times were even more irritating. Long, protracted fights on the walkways above the basin where the turd who summoned me tried a few tricks. His arrows did nothing, his poison spells weren't powerful enough to tip the balance, so it would always come down him rushing in for some melee, taking a whopping and running away. Repeat until someone runs out of estus and capitulates. The first round took around 5 minutes, the second closer to 10 minutes. I thought about just switching my console off, to get back to my game, but I was so incensed at the little turd for summoning me I had decided to stay and beat him. After that, I put myself in a party so the game disconnected me from the online mode. Ah, the feeling of peace and serenity was overwhelming. I'll re-connect once I'm out of this dismal PVP area.
The PVP aspect to this game, and Dark Souls before it, are utterly abysmal.
I've gone down through the gutter now, and arrived at the Black Gulch. The worm enemy things down here are a fantastic design. I'll be clearing this area tonight and having a crack at the Rotten. I probably should have come down here before the Iron Keep, as the enemies are so easy to kill and give so little experience it's hardly worth farming them to extinction.
I've gone down through the gutter now, and arrived at the Black Gulch. The worm enemy things down here are a fantastic design. I'll be clearing this area tonight and having a crack at the Rotten. I probably should have come down here before the Iron Keep, as the enemies are so easy to kill and give so little experience it's hardly worth farming them to extinction.
I beat the Royal Rat Authority this morning. Could have been a real pain but I swapped out my magic mace for a slightly longer axe, allowing me to kill the small rats in two strikes.
After that, I just kept near to the rear left leg of the giant rat and hacked him down when I had the chance. Once I worked out the rear left leg is the weak point, it wasn't too bad. It all depends on whether or not you get rid of the little rats quickly.
After that, I just kept near to the rear left leg of the giant rat and hacked him down when I had the chance. Once I worked out the rear left leg is the weak point, it wasn't too bad. It all depends on whether or not you get rid of the little rats quickly.
Ratty is very weak to fire. A maxed-out Pyro glove and a few decent Area of Effect pyromancies make it a very short fight indeed.
Otherwise, yes, sticking close to him seems to be the key - much like with Sif in the original.
I'm into the Dragon Shrine now so into the home stretch. Should finish my first playthrough in the next day or two. I'm undecided whether I can then face going straight into NG+ (having put upwards of 65 hours into DS2 over the past 6 weeks since release) - although I suppose you could shorten it considerably by farming the 3 million souls needed to open the Shrine of Winter rather than getting the four great souls.
I really want to 1K the game but that commits me to NG+ and at least as far as Chancellor Wellager in NG++ to get the various spells/miracles etc he only sells from NG++ onwards.......
Otherwise, yes, sticking close to him seems to be the key - much like with Sif in the original.
I'm into the Dragon Shrine now so into the home stretch. Should finish my first playthrough in the next day or two. I'm undecided whether I can then face going straight into NG+ (having put upwards of 65 hours into DS2 over the past 6 weeks since release) - although I suppose you could shorten it considerably by farming the 3 million souls needed to open the Shrine of Winter rather than getting the four great souls.
I really want to 1K the game but that commits me to NG+ and at least as far as Chancellor Wellager in NG++ to get the various spells/miracles etc he only sells from NG++ onwards.......
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