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[CountAntonius]

Yup fighting two enemies in DkS was notoriously hard as one could easily come behind you and backstab. Probably could do what some have been doing with weapons like the claymore and attack in the opposite direction to which your character us facing while using lock on.

You could even intercept rolls if you anticipate the direction they are going to roll.

Yeah. And when it would auto lock on and switch between the two it was really disorienting.

also seeing your face in the menu..that means I have to make my character look perfect this time around or it will drive me nuts every time I'm in a menu.

 

[Servbot24]

Little off topic but did the targeting in DkS get patched? I remembering thinking it was worse than DeS's targeting when I first got the game, but recently I played it and realized it worked just fine. Maybe I warmed up to it without realizing.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Little off topic but did the targeting in DkS get patched? I remembering thinking it was worse than DeS's targeting when I first got the game, but recently I played it and realized it worked just fine. Maybe I warmed up to it without realizing.

It was patched pretty early, like the first patch or so. Thankfully. It was pretty bad initially, I hated it.

 

[nbthedude]

Lock-on changes should also make it easier to deal with multiple enemies, or attacks coming from the side or back. I'm sure we'll get used to it fast.

I'm not so sure. IT basically defies the way lot on works in every game before this one. I like it better when I could just flick between targets. The better solution would have been making it easier to do that. This seems really messy.

 

[UrbanRats]

Lock-on changes should also make it easier to deal with multiple enemies, or attacks coming from the side or back. I'm sure we'll get used to it fast.

I don't know about that.

Do we have some good examples of Ztargeting + directional attacks? To me is usually one or the other.
I don't see why i would want both at the same time, as if i want to make a directional attack, i can simply unlock my Z targeting, like i could do in DkS.

 

[daniels]

Maybe its just a big two hand weapon thing, it looks like spear and other "hard" to aim weapons still behave the same or maybe if you dont move your stick before you attack it still behaves the same for every weapon? Hmm so much new gameplay stuff to figure out just from the demo, cant wait for the full game

 

[Neolith]

Can't believe this game is a whole half-year away

 

[Facism]

Can't believe this game is a whole half-year away

lawd have mercy

 

[SeventhSon]

Can't believe this game is a whole half-year away

 

[CountAntonius]

Anyone else dislike that you can only get invaded until you beat the area boss or that some items like titanite slabs make you do a NG+ just to fully level all your gear? I personally only go to NG+ to level my gear and leave the the optional bosses alone for invasions. I'd like to be able to invade people anytime whether or not they have beat the area boss and have crafting items be more farmable. NG+ should be for those who want the extra challenge and to level more I just use it to get ready for PvP.

 

[Clevinger]

Maybe its just a big two hand weapon thing, it looks like spear and other "hard" to aim weapons still behave the same or maybe if you dont move your stick before you attack it still behaves the same for every weapon? Hmm so much new gameplay stuff to figure out just from the demo, cant wait for the full game

Might just be a bug, or even something unfinished. It is a beta after all.

 

[SargerusBR]

Anyone else dislike that you can only get invaded until you beat the area boss or that some items like titanite slabs make you do a NG+ just to fully level all your gear? I personally only go to NG+ to level my gear and leave the the optional bosses alone for invasions. I'd like to be able to invade people anytime whether or not they have beat the area boss and have crafting items be more farmable. NG+ should be for those who want the extra challenge and to level more I just use it to get ready for PvP.

Its a limit to invasions, otherwise the game would be unplayable for some.

About slabs and NG+ i like it, it increases replay value which is one of the key things for a good game IMO

 

[Booshka]

Anyone else dislike that you can only get invaded until you beat the area boss or that some items like titanite slabs make you do a NG+ just to fully level all your gear? I personally only go to NG+ to level my gear and leave the the optional bosses alone for invasions. I'd like to be able to invade people anytime whether or not they have beat the area boss and have crafting items be more farmable. NG+ should be for those who want the extra challenge and to level more I just use it to get ready for PvP.

The Gravelord Covenant was supposed to sort of work this way, you can be infected by Gravelords whether or not you beat an area boss. Then you have to pick up the Gravelord sign to fight the Gravelord and cure your world. Unfortunately, Gravelording is very rare and inconsistent, but I do like the idea of getting invaded if you are in an area you have already beaten if you hang around too long or if you yourself are invading in that area.

I kinda wanted the Darkmoon covenant to work that way, because Darkwraiths will just kill the boss, then invade away unmolested. If Darkmoons could invade Darkwraith members even after they have defeated the boss, there might be more action for Darkmoons and more of a risk of being a Darkwraith.

 

[CountAntonius]

Its a limit to invasions, otherwise the game would be unplayable for some.

About slabs and NG+ i like it, it increases replay value which is one of the key things for a good game IMO

I like NG+ I just don't want to be forced to do it again to fully grind out my gear by beating the entire game over again. Replay value for me is in PvP. those who like to beat the game over and over again always can.

The Gravelord Covenant was supposed to sort of work this way, you can be infected by Gravelords whether or not you beat an area boss. Then you have to pick up the Gravelord sign to fight the Gravelord and cure your world. Unfortunately, Gravelording is very rare and inconsistent, but I do like the idea of getting invaded if you are in an area you have already beaten if you hang around too long or if you yourself are invading in that area.

I kinda wanted the Darkmoon covenant to work that way, because Darkwraiths will just kill the boss, then invade away unmolested. If Darkmoons could invade Darkwraith members even after they have defeated the boss, there might be more action for Darkmoons and more of a risk of being a Darkwraith.

I'd be OK with these two. Invasions are fun but the way it's set up there needs to be a constant influx of new characters being leveled or people who leave optional bosses to get some action. What exactly went wrong with Grave lording? Why doesn't it work?

 

[Booshka]

Main problem with Gravelording is that the Gravelord has to be Human in an area with the boss alive. So, you get invaded by Darkwraiths far more often than people connect to you through your sign. When you fight off Blue invaders that joined through your sign, you fight over an eye of death, whereas with a Darkwraith is just like a normal invasion. So if you lose you just wasted an eye of death.

Also, there is no feedback to make being a Gravelord rewarding, if you got an eye of death when your black phantoms killed a player in their world, along with some souls it would be far more rewarding along with the invasions. Forcing you to be Human in an area with the boss alive was a poor decision in my opinion, because it makes a lot of areas a total pain in the ass to Gravelord without the Lordvessel and ability to warp to go farm for Eyes of Death or just move from area to area. Darkwraiths crowding up Gravelords is a major problem as well, I always try to drop an Eye of Death if I Red invade a Gravelord, and they are all very happy after I drop it for them.

 

[Kyleripman]

He is stuck in a crystal golem.

Lock on changes sound interesting. Hope some of us will get a chance to try out the beta.

 

[SargerusBR]

He is stuck in a crystal golem.

Lock on changes sound interesting. Hope some of us will get a chance to try out the beta.

invites will be sent tomorrow, will be checking my message folder like crazy

 

[mickcenary]

How exactly does the beta notification work, y'all? My girlfriend has downloaded it for me; it's in her queue, but not actually able to be downloaded. Is that all good? AU psn account, by the way.

 

[Kyleripman]

invites will be sent tomorrow, will be checking my message folder like crazy

Same...I'll be stuck at work all day. Can you redeem download codes in a browser without actually being at your ps3 to start the download? (In case I do get an invite while at work)

 

[InternHertz]

invites will be sent tomorrow, will be checking my message folder like crazy

In Europe though, we only get invites on the 11th Only a day before the actual start of the second beta stage.

 

[SargerusBR]

In Europe though, we only get invites on the 11th Only a day before the actual start of the second beta stage.

Nope, invites to NA and SA will be sent tomorrow, according to the Dark Souls Facebook page

Here's the latest information on the Dark Souls II Network Test for North and South America!

-There is no registration process!
-Select users will receive a PSN message on Tuesday Oct 8th with a code to redeem the download for the Oct 12th testing round.
-Only 5,000 players will be allowed in this round on a first-come, first-served basis.
-Many more players will have an opportunity to get into the second round of testing.
-We will share a universal download code on Oct 22nd that can be redeemed to download the client for the Oct 26th testing round.
-30,000 testers will be allowed in for the Oct 26th round, but on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

[InternHertz]

Nope, invites to NA and SA will be sent tomorrow, according to the Dark Souls Facebook page

Well I'm not disputing this, just saying that Europe gets them on the 11th and Japan on the 10th, according to the official sites.

 

[SargerusBR]

Well I'm not disputing this, just saying that Europe gets them on the 11th and Japan on the 10th, according to the official sites.

Oh sorry, i misread your post.

 

[Akainu]

If there is no registration process how is it first come first served?

 

[vilmer_]

If there is no registration process how is it first come first served?

I'm assuming the codes all go out at the same time and whoever redeems first is in. And I better get in.

 

[Booshka]

What time will codes be released, I know it says Oct 8th.

 

[SargerusBR]

What time will codes be released, I know it says Oct 8th.

11am PDT according to a Namco Rep on reddit

Select users will receive a message at 11:00 AM PDT, October 8th for the October 12th testing round. The download will be available whenever the PlayStation Store updates that day. More than 5,000 users will receive the message, but only 5,000 will be able to download the client. It is first-come, first-served.

 

[Lucent]

~~~~~~~~~
10/4/13 UPDATE:
~~~~~~~~~
INTRODUCTION
Hey guys. Here is the latest information on the Dark Souls II Network Test for North and South American players I am posting versions of this information on the Dark Souls website[1] and on Facebook[2] as well. REMINDER: There is no registration process. Select users will receive codes from Sony which will redeem the download. There is limited space available.
OTHER TERRITORIES
If you are looking for information for other territories please see http://beta.darksoulsii.com/us/[3] and find your territory in the drop-down menu in the upper right or https://www.facebook.com/darksouls[4] . I don't have all the details for those, but I'll try to point you in the right direction. If you are from Australia, this Facebook post[5] should have helpful information.
OCTOBER 12TH TEST
Select users will receive a message at 11:00 AM PDT, October 8th for the October 12th testing round. The download will be available whenever the PlayStation Store updates that day. More than 5000 users will receive the message, but only 5000 will be able to download the client. It is first-come, first-served.
Contrary to my previous understanding, we will not be able to share additional download codes for the October 12th testing round since it is such a limited pool.
OCTOBER 26TH TEST
For the next, much larger testing round, select users will receive a message (Everyone in this round will receive the exact same code) at 11:00 AM PDT, October 22nd for the October 26th testing round. We will also post that code on Facebook.com/DarkSoulsII for everyone to get. The download will be available whenever the PlayStation Store updates that day. There are many more spots available in this round, but it is still limited and is available on a first-come first-served basis.
~~~~~~~~~
UPDATED FAQ
~~~~~~~~~
Q: What time is it where I live at 11:00 AM PT?
A: This website[6] is amazing and will answer all of your Time Zone questions from now until forever.
Q: Is this a full-on Beta for the game?
A: Absolutely not. From Software is just stress-testing their servers. This network test drops you in the middle of the game with very little direction. We are looking for experienced Dark Souls players to test out features and make sure everything performs up to expectations.
Q: I am the hardest of hardcore Dark Souls players. GET ME IN!
A: I'm doing my best to give you all of the information so that you'll have the best chance at joining the test. In the end I'm sure some folks will miss out and I'm sorry for that :/ Honestly I'm at odds with the fact that I don't want to spoil any of the game for myself!
Q: Once I redeem the code and download the client am I guaranteed access for later testing rounds?
A: Yes
Q: What happens if I can't redeem the code?
A: That means that particular testing round is full.
Q: Is there a way to register so that I definitely get a code?
A: No, there is no registration. Just having a PlayStation account gets you in the lottery to receive a message to test the game.
Q: Why isn't there a sign-up process?
A: We're working with SCEA and this is the best way to run things from their end.
Q: If I don't get into the Network Test will it be the end of the world?
A: Maybe... Who knows, man.
Q: I have more questions / I'm angry / I just want to tell you how awesome you are
A: Feel free to leave any questions/concerns in the comments here and I'll try to answer, or you can find me on Twitter[7] .
ORIGINAL POST BELOW
Howdy folks - My name is J. and I'm the Community Manager for Namco Bandai Games America and I wanted to offer some clarification on how North / South American players can participate in the Beta.
I know there's been a bit of confusion since the process is different for other territories.
-There is no registration required for the Dark Souls II Network Test in North/South America.
-Sony will be sending messages via the XMB to a large amount of players with a code to redeem for the download.
-The download will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
-We will also be sharing these codes via Facebook and other channels.
-There are significantly more codes than spots in the Network Test, especially for the initial round.
-Getting a code just gives you a chance to redeem and download the Network Test, if it is full, you won't be able to redeem the code.
-Only 5000 spots are available in the initial 10/12 round, but significantly more spots will open for the later test on 10/26.
-We'll give more details on exactly when the messages will be sent, when we'll have the codes, and when you can redeem in the coming weeks.
I'll try to answer any questions here, but hopefully this fills in some of the information gaps. Facebook.com/DarkSouls will always have the latest information and you can always find me on Twitter if you have questions later: https://twitter.com/JKartje[8]
I'm pretty new to this job, but I look forward to doing cool stuff with the Dark Souls community. I'm a pretty hardcore Souls fan myself.

Reddit as source

Basically, there'll be messages sent to your PSN account. There are only 5,000 slots for the October 12th beta. There will be more than 5,000 codes that go out, but only the first 5,000 that redeem their codes secure their place in the beta. Then there will be another beta on October 26th, but I think the number of places will be significantly higher. Everyone who was able to get in for the beta test on the 12th is guaranteed to play on the 26th.

EDIT: You Are Defeated =(

 

[Kyleripman]

So is it possible to check your PSN messages from a computer?

 

[Red Liquorice]

 

[OnFire331]

So invaders can now use flasks, that's an interesting change. Although there wasn't a good reason why they couldn't before, it's easy to use humanity to cure yourself.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

So the October 12th beta means the servers will be up and running during that day for testing? I kinda hope I'm not selected but rather for the second wave of tests, 'cause I'll be busy all day next Saturday...

 

[NoirVisage]

I so won't be playing this game, but dang if i wasn't so enthralled with the lore and gameplay mechanics..I look forward to the lets plays of this..

found this while google searching images for gravelords..

apt enough.

 

[Booshka]

I so won't be playing this game, but dang if i wasn't so enthralled with the lore and gameplay mechanics..I look forward to the lets plays of this..

found this while google searching images for gravelords..


apt enough.

Subscribe to EpicNameBro's channel, he does exhaustive lore discussion along with playthrough commentary. Check out his Dark Days series for Dark Souls, he will most certainly be doing the same for Dark Souls 2.

 

[fade_]

Anyone get an invite?

 

[feel]

Anyone get an invite?

Do they send an email or is it a PSN message?

edit-nevermind

 

[feel]

New video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXUgdundNV4

Just started watching the guy is invading someone, that "your message has been rated" popup is crazy annoying.

 

[Evolved1]

360p eeewwwww....

 

[CountAntonius]

New video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXUgdundNV4

Just started watching the guy is invading someone, that "your message has been rated" popup is crazy annoying.

I was about to comment on that. From really needs to stop with these huge ass messages taking up the middle of the screen. Can't they just place it as text in the corner like death messages in CS: GO.

Another

 

[zkylon]

I was about to comment on that. From really needs to stop with these huge ass messages taking up the middle of the screen. Can't they just place it as text in the corner like death messages in CS: GO.

Another

25 minutes, 1080p holy shit

where's the steam beta keys T_T

also personally I really hate the "saving" icon on the upper right corner. drives me insane

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

Those are massive sweeping changes.

This doesn't look anymore like a straight sequel.

 

[LordBaztion]

Guys, I received a beta key for the US Dark Souls beta and I never applied or something. When I try to redeem it I have a message that it has already being redeemed.

 

[Robot Pants]

Those are massive sweeping changes.

This doesn't look anymore like a straight sequel.

Playing it makes that even more true.
They changed A LOT. In my short time, I didn't enjoy it like I thought I would.
Sound effects are really weak, colors are rather dull, in my opinion the graphics AREN'T better. At all. I don't know how anyone can say they are.

Still a lot left to see, but this is my initial impression.

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

Playing it makes that even more true.
They changed A LOT. In my short time, I didn't enjoy it like I thought I would.
Sound effects are really weak, colors are rather dull, in my opinion the graphics AREN'T better. At all. I don't know how anyone can say they are.

Still a lot left to see, but this is my initial impression.

Someone mentioned they've been following FROM for years and that they are known for inconsistent sequels and that Dark Souls was the exception.

Looks like he was right.

Giving Miyazaki the boot is shaping to become a poor decision.

 

[Vazra]

Meh game plays and looks wonderful. It feels different but it handles well and the setting gives me more Demon's Souls vibes than Dark Souls which I liked a bit more. Also its a beta so somethings still might change in the end.

 

[feel]

Playing it makes that even more true.
They changed A LOT. In my short time, I didn't enjoy it like I thought I would.
Sound effects are really weak, colors are rather dull, in my opinion the graphics AREN'T better. At all. I don't know how anyone can say they are.

Still a lot left to see, but this is my initial impression.

Someone mentioned they've been following FROM for years and that they are known for inconsistent sequels and that Dark Souls was the exception.

Looks like he was right.

Giving Miyazaki the boot is shaping to become a poor decision.

The second this was announced and accompanied by the news of a new director, to protect my poor heart I just assumed this wouldn't be nowhere near as good as first one and that it was sorta ok because I'm just glad to be getting more Dark Souls, an inferior Dark Souls sequel will likely still be more worthwhile than 99% of the other shit out there.

 

[Dresden]

Coming to an awful lot of conclusions after thirty or so minutes of play. What I played was very encouraging.

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

Coming to an awful lot of conclusions after thirty or so minutes of play. What I played was very encouraging.

I remember my hear sank when I initially played Dark Souls, thinking that it felt "off" and that visually it lacked style and variety compared to Demon's Souls. But as I played through it I grew to love it.

 

[Evolved1]

I'm so jealous.

 

[B-Genius]

Someone mentioned they've been following FROM for years and that they are known for inconsistent sequels and that Dark Souls was the exception.

Looks like he was right.

Giving Miyazaki the boot is shaping to become a poor decision.

Dark Souls wasn't even a real "sequel".

Come on man, "giving Miyazaki the boot"? Did you not think he maybe chose to step down in order to concentrate on something for next-gen? Maybe he wasn't totally enamoured with the direction NB wanted to take the series and settled for an advisory role.

From's games are some of the only ones I've been passionate about as of late, and I hate seeing know-it-all posts like this thrown around going off of something some guy said...