So I'm hearing the PVP has some issues

Hunter of Shadows said
So I'm hearing the PVP has some issues

Networking in general has some issues, for me at least. I can't really play if someone else is using the web, which has slowed me down quite a bit (I mean, I could play offline, but the lurking threat of invasion is so much a part of the game for me, I really hate to progress without it)

Well I'm hearing that poise is bugged, and that hitboxes are screwy as fuck

To the point that big names like OnlyAfro are commenting on it

Hit boxes are pretty screwy, yeah. Poise still seems to be the be-all end-all of winning in PVP; dunno how many times I've been stunlocked for eternity by a guy with a fire longsword. But I've killed as many invaders as I've been killed BY them, so it's all good. Oh, and latency still makes magic a bitch to dodge. Because not being able to evade the constant spamming of great soul arrow because of lag is just 2fun4me.

Hunter of Shadows said
Well I'm hearing that poise is bugged, and that hitboxes are screwy as fuckTo the point that big names like OnlyAfro are commenting on it

Hitboxes, maybe a bit. but I've noticed the major thing is about adaptability. It's not just about the I-frames for the roll, but before and after I-frame damage reduction. Also, Soul memory for summoning is retarded. For invading, I can understand, but for co-op, it makes things absolutely stupid. I have over 1.5 mil SM but only at SL92 and I can not summon anyone(or be summoned) in a area I know is heavy in people near my own SL because of other forums. Most people near my SL only have half a mil SM compared to me, I just used a lot of souls to upgrade a wide swath of items due to my Jack of all Trades set up.

Also, people thinking it's a % for SM and summoning are very likely to be wrong. Bandai-Namco has stated it's a gap of "roughly" 50k SM between players for summoning. A firend and I tested that, with the name engraved ring(special summoning server for each 'god') and we could only summon each other once he had gotten his SM withing that 50k stated. That was a few days of trying, several hours waiting for signs to show up and whatnot. At low levels, no big deal. Higher levels, where you've likely farmed a bit to upgrade(as I have) and did a lot of side/back tracking, co-op...and dying, you get a VERY high SM but not so much in SL. Some others, on the other hand, may have been on one track, did little farming(or bare minimum) and not have collected near as many souls but be the same SL. Like, one million souls less.

In short, Soul memory should remain that, just a number and a memory, not a mechanic.(co-op wise. For invading, it's a solid concept.)

Walker of Darkness said
Hitboxes, maybe a bit. but I've noticed the major thing is about adaptability. It's not just about the I-frames for the roll, but before and after I-frame damage reduction. Also, Soul memory for summoning is retarded. For invading, I can understand, but for co-op, it makes things absolutely stupid. I have over 1.5 mil SM but only at SL92 and I can not summon anyone(or be summoned) in a area I know is heavy in people near my own SL because of other forums. Most people near my SL only have half a mil SM compared to me, I just used a lot of souls to upgrade a wide swath of items due to my Jack of all Trades set up.Also, people thinking it's a % for SM and summoning are very likely to be wrong. Bandai-Namco has stated it's a gap of "roughly" 50k SM between players for summoning. A firend and I tested that, with the name engraved ring(special summoning server for each 'god') and we could only summon each other once he had gotten his SM withing that 50k stated. That was a few days of trying, several hours waiting for signs to show up and whatnot. At low levels, no big deal. Higher levels, where you've likely farmed a bit to upgrade(as I have) and did a lot of side/back tracking, co-op...and dying, you get a VERY high SM but not so much in SL. Some others, on the other hand, may have been on one track, did little farming(or bare minimum) and not have collected near as many souls but be the same SL. Like, one million souls less.In short, Soul memory should remain that, just a number and a memory, not a mechanic.(co-op wise. For invading, it's a solid concept.)

I can totally understand why they thought it would be smart, with all the twinkies we saw in the last game. But yeh.

mdk said
Networking in general has some issues, for me at least. I can't really play if someone else is using the web, which has slowed me down quite a bit (I mean, I could play offline, but the lurking threat of invasion is so much a part of the game for me, I really hate to progress without it)

Not that you'll ever be invaded anyways... >_>

*heavy sigh*

Yeah, I've not once been invaded by a red phantom. I did use a couple cracked red eye orbs myself on an old character a week ago. That worked, at least.

So I guess there's hardly any red and so I guess I'm just going to sit here with my blue sentinel dick in my hand doing nothing for awhile. I tried out blue sentinel a bunch today and had no luck. My friend was doing it a couple days ago and had a few successes, however.

Also we did some co-op. Day one we had absolutely no luck. Day 2 we hardly had a problem. We use the God ring and it works well, I think. How do you check SM? Also, I agree that it should only be for invading.

Oh, and earlier today I saw literally ten summon signs in front of Old Dragonslayer and was extremely giddy about it.

Asuras said
Not that you'll ever be invaded anyways... >_>*heavy sigh*

Tonight I got into a pretty serious groove, and passed a bunch of areas, and long story short, I got ratted out. It was the coolest thing ever, and so now I'm a brodent.

You don't get 'invaded,' per se. You get, like, abducted, into the rat's world, and then the rat kills you. You can't get out and all the creatures attack you, and there's like a thousand Pharos traps he can set up beforehand to assist in the slaughter. It's.... fucking.... beautiful.

mdk said
Tonight I got into a pretty serious groove, and passed a bunch of areas, and long story short, I got ratted out. It was the coolest thing ever, and so now I'm a brodent. You don't get 'invaded,' per se. You get, like, abducted, into the rat's world, and then the rat kills you. You can't get out and all the creatures attack you, and there's like a thousand Pharos traps he can set up beforehand to assist in the slaughter. It's.... fucking.... beautiful.

You can escape, and escaping gets you a lockstone just the same as killing the Rat Bastard. But they do have a rather distinct advantage. I go back there every once in a while, rodents get more than they bargain for though. Now have 20-30 in EVERY stat and poison claws. The poison infusion, while on most weapons lowers the base attack and other elements/effects if the weapon has them, raises both the base attack and the bleed of the claws. Add that with very fast attacks and high stamina, by the time they can get away from me, I've poisoned them and bleed them out, giving them only seconds to heal before they die or I catch them in another flurry of attacks.

Also being such a high level and having a high Soul Memory, I can't really co-op anymore, but get invaded a LOT. And I still haven't even gotten halfway through the game yet....

It's less that you get abducted and more that the Rat is defending its territory. Despite the advantages they have, I've only ever lost once out of the several dozen times I've been summoned as a grey spirit.

Dark Stone Twinblade + Dark Weapon Hex + Whisper of Despair + Stone Ring combo too stronk.

So, how is that one boss I hear that summons player's to fight you? Easy or hard?

Looking Glass Knight I believe it's called

It summons these specific types of human-like phantoms that are always one of two variations:
A) A heavy armor dude with an ultra-greatsword
B) Med-armor dude with a large shield and halberd

These enemies also appear in Aldia's Keep in a similar manner as they do during the Mirror Knight boss; through mirrors. They're relatively weak in terms of defense and health, but can throw out some considerable damage.

I managed to beat Mirror Knight on my third try, but I must say he is one of the most difficult bosses in the game, even with NPC aid.

Asuras said
It summons these specific types of human-like phantoms that are always one of two variations:A) A heavy armor dude with an ultra-greatswordB) Med-armor dude with a large shield and halberdThese enemies also appear in Aldia's Keep in a similar manner as they do during the Mirror Knight boss; through mirrors. They're relatively weak in terms of defense and health, but can throw out some considerable damage.I managed to beat Mirror Knight on my third try, but I must say he is one of the most difficult bosses in the game, even with NPC aid.

While this is true, the boss can, and will, summon players within your Sl range(and in NG, your SM range) if they place their red summon sign down in the hall before it. I had it summon a few players in my fight with it.

Am I the only one who is getting kind of tired of DSII bosses sort of relying on minions? Like, it was intense the first few times, but eventually I started wishing for a boss that was good enough and difficult enough on its own merit, instead of the game throwing waves of minions at me. The way I see it is if I'm fighting off a boss's little goons, I'm not paying attention to the boss and its design or all of the cool shit it can do.

Frizan said
Am I the only one who is getting kind of tired of DSII bosses sort of relying on minions? Like, it was intense the first few times, but eventually I started wishing for a boss that was good enough and difficult enough on its own merit, instead of the game throwing waves of minions at me. The way I see it is if I'm fighting off a boss's little goons, I'm not paying attention to the boss and its design or all of the cool shit it can do.

MANY bosses fight alone, just near the mid-early it's mainly lackey/multi bosses.

Walker of Darkness said
MANY bosses fight alone, just near the mid-early it's mainly lackey/multi bosses.

Indeed. I'm on New Game+ and I will say that end game has maybe one multi fight. And that multi fight can be done easier if you know what to do or herp derp it like i did. (I'm a dual wield straight sword heavy armor guy, 1000 defenses against all types of physical and then two +10 Broadswords, now up to +10 Drakekeeper swords)

I have been invaded but the cost of red invasion is extreme. Instead most go for bell keeper or rat lord to reduce costs of invading. I notice that lag happens occasionally but not often and the most annoying thing is people camping bell keeper spawns with firestorm and lingering fireball. Those two pyromancies are too goddamn strong for pvp. Also, poison is a dick move since invaders cant heal but hosts can. I have to run Warmth just to survive some people.

Rat covenant is **not** a cheap way to invade, like at all, I'm learning. You pull people to you (most of them 'exterminators') and if you lose, you're out an Effigy (which you don't get back by winning).

Still a blast, as I've had some really awesome fights, but there's essentially no pressure on your victims, and the rat keeps all the risk (though a lockstone **is** a pretty sweet reward)). You know what it's like? It's a Canadian Cat Covenant. 'Sorry we had to fight, eh, hope I didn't bother you.'

mdk said
Rat covenant is **not** a cheap way to invade, like at all, I'm learning. You pull people to you (most of them 'exterminators') and if you lose, you're out an Effigy (which you don't get back by winning). Still a blast, as I've had some really awesome fights, but there's essentially no pressure on your victims, and the rat keeps all the risk (though a lockstone **is** a pretty sweet reward)). You know what it's like? It's a Canadian Cat Covenant. 'Sorry we had to fight, eh, hope I didn't bother you.'

Never said it was cheap. I said it was cheaper than normal red invasions. You can farm effigies and can even get some from the fire keepers house at certain points in the story. Bell Keeper is easily the cheapest. (Nothing but wearing the ring. Even keep humanity if you get vanquished.) Rats have the advantage though of traps. That's why they aren't as cheap to use as keepers