Yeah no kidding haha, I knew what they do but for whatever reason I never actually use them :/
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LTTP: Dark Souls 2
- Thread starter Anon67
- Start date
Yeah no kidding haha, I knew what they do but for whatever reason I never actually use them :/
Damage taken/2 and damage output*2 for 2 minutes sounds completely OP, the game must be pretty easy with those. You should be able to finish most fights within 2 minutes with a damage output that massive.
brandonh83
Banned
Shhhiiitttttt
When are they available, I'm guessing I shouldn't even bother until I've beaten the main game?
I always forget how it works in SotFS but the "keys" to enter them are pretty well hidden. You can bee-line to them pretty quickly if you know where the key is.
I *think* the game can scale the areas to you but I forget how that works (and if it actually does) but I would say the best time to go to any of them is SL 70-80. Sunken Temple was the first to release so that's probably the best one to go to first (the entrance is past The Rotten).
Unfriendly TimeTraveler
Member
For dark souls 2 I do believe there are some pretty good things in the game. But scholar of the first sin kinda ruined the game for me. It became less fun when most areas boiled down to fight a bunch of enemies while they all come at you at once. Lore wise it was somewhat uninteresting and not many aspects of it caught my attention or stuck with me. The best area in the game is the sunken King dlc area for just about everything including some story bits. But that area kills it compared to the rest of the game. Don't know how it is in scholar of the first sin because couldn't bring myself to get that far.
Overall it's a good game but has some problems that really bug me.
Overall it's a good game but has some problems that really bug me.
Yup. The Sunken King DLC is my all time favorite Souls DLC and Iron King DLC has some of the best bosses in the franchise.
Odd because I felt that vanilla ds2 had way more of the fight multiple guys moments, and that sotfs fixed it so for the most part if you're careful it wont happen.
Sanctuary
Member
Like I said in the other thread, you need to essentially count the DLC trilogy as its own game. At least when discussing what game does what better than another.
Also, while on my current replay, alternating between Majula and Heide's had me wondering if those were the first areas that they worked on, or if they were the last. Because it seriously looks like those two areas are the most ambitious compared to practically every other area in the game in terms of aesthetics. Even though Heide's reuses the same mosaic, it doesn't matter because of how great it looks on PC. It's also a pretty small map too, but it looks so good. Until the DLC, only the outside of the Aerie comes close to matching it.
DaciaJC
Gold Member
This video depicts what I'm describing. In Dark Souls, you could aim a rolling attack 360 degrees around your character; while in Dark Souls II, the maximum angle which you can pivot your character to attack immediately after a roll is 90 degrees.
Lumpy Onion
Member
I had a real sense of awe when I first glimpsed the massive Shulva Sunken City from above. It ended up becoming one of my top 3 Souls locations. The place had a vastness to it that was just incredible, and the damp misty stonework gave it an atmosphere I could almost feel. A joy to explore as well with lots of neat puzzles to solve.
Unfriendly TimeTraveler
Member
Idk and even so it becomes of just constantly bringing one enemy away from the rest. Sotfs just felt like they got the idea of difficult wrong in the soul series and just looked at areas and added more enemies to those areas.
The thing that makes me mad the most is how they ruined the heide Knights from ds2, really heides tower of flame shows what's wrong with sotfs.
Also idk if just me but the idea of having a drake or dragon right outside the old dragon slayer angers me to no end.
Malcolm9
Member
I don't think I'll bother completing the Ivory King DLC, finished the other two but just at the point where I don't see no reason to.
I've finished the main game of SOTFS and I'm never a NG+ kind of player even though it mixes things up a bit, plus I have Bloodborne to play still which I haven't even started yet.
I've finished the main game of SOTFS and I'm never a NG+ kind of player even though it mixes things up a bit, plus I have Bloodborne to play still which I haven't even started yet.
brandonh83
Banned
Cool I'm actually 85 right now, but I'll probably save them until the end.
You should because Burnt Ivory King is one of the best fights in the series.
Just skip the Frigid Outskirts.
Ahh I see thanks for explaining that! It seems to be a nerf for the move itself though? Wouldn't you be able to roll away from an opponent and still hit them if they kept up wth your roll? (I didn't do much pvp in ds1 because at the time of release I was somewhere where connections for Internet was poor)
Definitely a drake, the game makes the distinction frequently lol, so maybe he uses the drake in his dragon slaying activities?
Malcolm9
Member
I've killed the king already, but it's just the Blue Smelter Demon and the Frigid Outskirts left. The Iron Passage is a pain but I just kept going back in and killing the enemies until they no longer respawned, I'm not a fan of the area though as it feels very funneled.
Hmm yeah I agree. It doesn't sit right with me tbh.
Blue Smelter Demon is on the Old Iron King DLC, not Old Ivory King.
DorkLord54
Member
Oh, I'm well aware. While the synthetic orchestra does somewhat bother me, DkSIII's OST is still miles ahead of vanilla DkSII's (the OSTs for both AotA and the Lost Crowns trilogy is about on the same level of DkSIII's, all of which also use synthetic orchestras, but have far better music than vanilla DkSII).
Malcolm9
Member
I'm getting mixed up ha ha.
But all in all its just those left from all the DLC's, Sir Allone and the Fume Knight were quite fun.
For those that think Dark Souls 2 is so much worse when it comes to gang fights.... do you remember Undead Burgh is DS1? Walking up the staircase and having... what? 5-6 enemies on your shit? How bout we go a little further into that area... at no point are any less than 3 enemies aggro'd on you at any given time. The forest area is one giant trap when it comes to gang aggro and don't even get me started on Dukes Archive. How about the ghost house in New Londo Ruins or the multiple "surprise" moments in Tomb of the Giants?
It really isn't so much different in Dark Souls 2.
It really isn't so much different in Dark Souls 2.
Heide's looks gorgeous on PS4 SotFS as well. Especially after playing the original on PS3 where everything looked so muddy. It was almost like seeing it for the first time going through SotFS.
I actually just revisited DS1 because of the BC on XBO. And yeah there are so many commonalities between the two games that seem to get ignored in the first but unfairly criticized in the second. It's a real shame, because both games are fucking fantastic.
Except those enemies were slow, weak, and easy to mow down.
As opposed to what? I'm really curious what your argument is here. Enemies in Forest of Giants are too complex? At what point are the regular, minion type enemies more difficult to handle in Dark Souls 2 as opposed to Dark Souls 1?
I played it for the first time on PS4. The view of the sky in Heide's Tower was breathtaking coming up and out of those sewers for the first time.
Low quality screen cap doesn't do it justice.
afternoon delight
Member
I found a mod through the Steam forums that redistributed dead zones to feel more like Dark Souls 1 and never looked back.
I'm currently LTTPing as well, non Scholar edition but with all the DLC. Once I made peace with certain design choices I found myself enjoying it just as much as the first, 8 way roll makes a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge difference, it cannot be emphasized enough.
Lovely amount of things to do and ways to play as well.
Unfriendly TimeTraveler
Member
While they might be similar in many ways the reason why ds2 gets flak for it is because the way it goes about things makes the game feel inferior to 1. when ds1 has a weak point there is something else that grabs your attention or other things don't make the problem as apparent. When in ds1 I die I feel like I caused my own death and need to rethink something. In ds2 I die I can't help but think it was stuff out of my control and was going to happen. Too many times I died in ds2 (sotfs especially) when I see a bunch of enemies on the death screen. Happens in ds1 every now and then but overall to many people, ds1 is just a better design game that everything works together to make it a amazing game. Not saying ds2 is a bad game (it's a great game) but just doesn't do things as well as in ds1
Except for sunken keep area in ds2, again that place is amazing in every way and is the high point of that game and always reminds me of ds1 when I play that area.
Every single one of those mofos get aggroed at once (plus that dancing channeller the first time around):
It's the biggest gank squad in the series.
Shame we're in this pre-DS3 phase where people are rushing through the games. The Ivory King DLC is probably my favorite of the bunch. So good.
Based on what people have said earlier about the import thread, I'm looking forward to seeing how the OT for the Western release goes. It could be a beautiful, beautiful thing...or we could get a combination of constant DS2 shitting, and importers doing that thing some Game of Thrones book readers do in the show thread.
Crimsonclaw111
Member
Something something Dark Souls 2 isn't Miyazaki's baby though.
There's some grievances to be had in 2 but getting gangbanged is not Souls 2 exclusive.
Shame we're in this pre-DS3 phase where people are rushing through the games. The Ivory King DLC is probably my favorite of the bunch. So good.
Based on what people have said earlier about the import thread, I'm looking forward to seeing how the OT for the Western release goes. It could be a beautiful, beautiful thing...or we could get a combination of constant DS2 shitting, and importers doing that thing some Game of Thrones book readers do in the show thread.
Last time I checked the import thread, someone started suggesting the bosses had to be done by the B-Team because there was no way Miyazaki would allow them to be so easy. I'd say the outlook looks pretty grim for the OT.
Whoever said that is crazy and/or has some massive rose tinted glasses if they are trying to say the bosses in DaS3 are easier than those in DaS1/DeS/90% of DaS2.
Neoleo2143
Member
That sounds rather incorrect, everyone I'm hearing from seems to say that the Sameyness from DS2 boss aesthetics seem to return but the quality is much closer to and more consistent than Dark Souls 1.
Unfriendly TimeTraveler
Member
I've seen the first boss fights and only thing I see is maybe low health. Been trying real hard to avoid everything ds3 until I can play it but boss fights look pretty difficult just easy to kill so if they just increase the health or something I think it could be fixed easily.
Edit: sorry thought I quoted somebody but on mobile and kinda sleepy so could of messed up.
Also about ds2 overall I like the game but enjoy vanilla more so than sotfs. Though I will say sin in ds2 is my favorite boss fight in the series. Just wish the lore of ds2 was handled as well as ds1. I know the first has many problems in lore aspect but everything felt so connected and always made you wonder why things where the way they were. Parts of ds2 almost got here and thought the dlc areas did it best and the whole area of the rotten or as soon as you drop down the hole in the hub world.
Edit: sorry thought I quoted somebody but on mobile and kinda sleepy so could of messed up.
Also about ds2 overall I like the game but enjoy vanilla more so than sotfs. Though I will say sin in ds2 is my favorite boss fight in the series. Just wish the lore of ds2 was handled as well as ds1. I know the first has many problems in lore aspect but everything felt so connected and always made you wonder why things where the way they were. Parts of ds2 almost got here and thought the dlc areas did it best and the whole area of the rotten or as soon as you drop down the hole in the hub world.
Well, 30 hours in and as sone one who's platted DS 2 in both versions and am genuinely quite fond of it baring some stuff I hate (greatswords ignoring lock on, for example) I can tell you that other than bonfire warping from the start, DS3 doesn't include any of the controversial mechanical changes, only the agreeable ones, and it feels way more like DS1 than DS2. I have played DeS, DS1, DS2 and BB for dozens of hours each back to back in the last 6 months so I am fairly fresh on what they all play like. (And yes, returning to it after a year of playing mostly DS2 and BB, DS1 does has its fair share of things to criticise, though to my taste the whole is far, far greater that the sum there.)
i can't really speak to the story becaus I'm not finished and I'm not playing in a language I can read but as far as I can tell (saying nothing specific but erring on the side of caution here)
there is barely any DS2 in it other than items and some callbacks here and there. Far, far more DS1 (and Demon's) fan service than 2. The DS2 fan service in 3 I've come across is pretty good stuff though.
Every single one of those mofos get aggroed at once (plus that dancing channeller the first time around):
It's the biggest gank squad in the series.
God help anyone that struggles with the Gargoyles
This was back when the majority of people had gone through only the first 4 bosses or so. There was also some complaints about hitboxes, and even a .webm someone posted of the frame pacing issue that shows the bad hitbox, which someone also suggested was B-Team. Obviously not everyone is saying that, just expecting the OT to devolve into this mess, unfortunately.
Sounds good! Thanks for the impressions.
Gargoyles was a huge hump for beginners to the series. I remember a lot of huff and puff over them when Dark Souls came out.
That would be wrong too. It's got a varied array of bosses that definitely look distinct from one another.
Although, I also disagree that the DaS2 bosses look the same, but the DaS3 look even more different from one another.
Yeah, I mean they are a toned down version of the maneaters in terms of damage and health, but their AI is way, way better (i.e. they don't fly away for no reason), and you can't just heal through all the damage since they attack faster (and Estus is limited), so it's quite understandable that a beginner would have trouble with them.
Yeah they are so different from each other. A couple I would have buffed the hp on, a couple that aren't going to be anyone's favorite, but otherwise it's grrrreat, including a couple that really took my breath away.
Well I can tell you that nothing else was grabbing my attention when I was walking through Lost Izalith, or when I got stomped by a wave of respawning skeletons in Tomb of Giants. Or when Seath got a free kill on me (how was that my fault?). Or when I got surrounded by buffed ghouls on the way to the Gargoyles, or when I got flung off a bridge when one of the lightning drakes did a quick 180 spin in the Valley of Drakes. Or when I got knocked off of the top of Anor Londo when I got hit with great arrows on a pencil thin walkway.
I could go on but I'm hoping you get the point. At this stage it's making me look like I have an agenda against the first game which is absolutely untrue.
Unfriendly TimeTraveler
Member
The thing I'm not a fan of hearing is when people start throwing around the term b team. I myself have done it but try not to anymore because saying that a development team is lesser than other is pretty insulting or at least not giving enough credit when credit is due. Even if it's true than a different development team made a game in a series no reason to call them a b team when they put probably just as much effort as the other team. Even if some consider a game not as good its not because the development team isn't as good as the other.
Having beaten ds3 nearly twice now, I can say ds2 is still probably my favorite entry.
Compartmentalized level structure makes replays a blast, and the sheer variety on display in the game mechanics and viable load outs makes ds2 the most fun game in the series from a pure mechanical sense. Not to mention the ng+ structure is by far the best in the series, leading to endless new escapades the deeper into the rabbit role you get.
Also, the level aesthetics variety is unmatched in any of the other games. Especially disappointing is ds3 in this regard, but that's for another topic.
Compartmentalized level structure makes replays a blast, and the sheer variety on display in the game mechanics and viable load outs makes ds2 the most fun game in the series from a pure mechanical sense. Not to mention the ng+ structure is by far the best in the series, leading to endless new escapades the deeper into the rabbit role you get.
Also, the level aesthetics variety is unmatched in any of the other games. Especially disappointing is ds3 in this regard, but that's for another topic.
Yeah, I don't know about that post, strange reasoning to look past DS1's issues. Basically "it's not as bad because it's just better". Uh, ok. Lost Izalith is just the worst. It's like they discovered what bloom was one day and turned it up to max, assaulting the player's vision.