[Spoilers] Dark Souls 2 part Deux

[MerenthaClone]

If I beat a boss in another player's world does that count as beating him in my world too? Or do I still need to beat him myself?

Still need to beat them yourself, but it gives you experience, both in actual xp and in learning the boss' moves. Plus, as mentioned, you come back with everything at full.

[Centrist Simon Steele]

Still need to beat them yourself, but it gives you experience, both in actual xp and in learning the boss' moves. Plus, as mentioned, you come back with everything at full.

I love the practice, the extra souls, and by the time I actually summon some guys and fight the boss myself, I could pretty much solo it for most bosses. It is a really risk free way of seeing what lies in store. Of course its always funny when you get summoned go in and instantly get killed.

So even though you don't beat the boss in your world Carlos, it is essentially like doing a quick bonfire before your boss fight that gives you human form if you help someone win.

I actually got to a point where I just loved being summoned and helping. That was my best time period in Dark Souls 2.

[Fez]

Hmm, interesting. I hadn't thought about getting involved in the multiplayer aspect of the game at all...

So what happens if I die while summoned, do I get kicked back to my world with nothing or do I get to keep trying in the other person's?

[snowleper]

Hmm, interesting. I hadn't thought about getting involved in the multiplayer aspect of the game at all...

So what happens if I die while summoned, do I get kicked back to my world with nothing or do I get to keep trying in the other person's?

You go back to your own world where you were before you were summoned. Which is the same thing that happens if you survive and help the other player beat the boss.

[AndrewJ]

Yeah - it's pretty much a completely risk free run at a boss. With a nice reward of souls if you defeat him.

You lose pretty much nothing if you die (just whatever spells/items you used really)

[Centrist Simon Steele]

Whenever I get summoned to a new fight I try to only use things I can replenish at a bonfire, such as estus and spells. No healing crystals or items unless I have plenty to spare. Once you get on a roll though, you'll keep winning and earning souls and replenishing everything you lost.

Once I went and fought a new boss with a guy who summoned me, and we ran in and I was instantly smashed and killed. Pretty embarrassing. He sent me a message and said "don't worry, that didn't happen." Most people are pretty understanding when you newb it up.

[Slurktan]

Yeah - it's pretty much a completely risk free run at a boss. With a nice reward of souls if you defeat him.

You lose pretty much nothing if you die (just whatever spells/items you used really)

That's not totally true. If you die you lose whatever estus you used in the other world plus weapon durability. If you help the host win, everything is refreshed like a bonfire plus made human.

[MerenthaClone]

That's not totally true. If you die you lose whatever estus you used in the other world plus weapon durability. If you help the host win, everything is refreshed like a bonfire plus made human.

And, just to remind people since everyone forgets this: the small white soapstone gives you the same benefit for much, much, much less of a time investment. Plus a lotto ticket at the crows.

[AndrewJ]

Well... the discussion was really about trying out a boss before tackling him yourself. So... if you drop you soapstone outside the door, the time investment will be the same. If you drop it near the bonfire, you likely wont even reach the boss if you use the small one - so it's counter-productive there.

[Muttering Bill]

Maybe it's different in NG if you're lucky enough to find people who are also still learning the game, but any time I co-op'd on a boss it was always over in about a minute. With 3 people who know the fight... dodge/block an attack, then everybody rushes in and rips off 1/3 of the bosses health. If you're the only one not in on the plan, then it's just 1/4 health and it takes an extra turn. Still a short fight. I don't know if there's much of a chance to learn anything that way.

But I didn't do any co-op until after having beaten the game once, so I'm really just speculating.

The only boss that felt like a good co-op match was Looking Glass Knight. But he does even the odds.

Oh, and don't co-op the Skeleton Lords. It's really not a hard fight if you do it right. But I've found that most people don't know how to do it right, rush in and kill all the Lords at once, then end up surrounded by a dozen skeletons. Sure, you can still beat it that way, but my win rate was very low on them. My hosts usually died.

The best way to beat the Skeleton Lords is

to kill them one at a time, and deal with the 4 skeletons they spawn before moving on to the next one.

[TheEvilKing]

So I'm wandering around trying to figure out where you are going to enter the DLC/it forces you in. I think the Shrine of Winter is a strong possibility. Also the door that doesn't open in the sewers beneath Heide's. Any other ideas?

Maybe that big ol' door in Drangleic castle, the one with the mastodon knight outside?

[aceluby]

My guess is that they do something similar to DS1 and do some sort of time travel DLC that explains the connection between DS1 & 2 a little bit better. If that happens the DLC could literally be anywhere and probably not as straightforward as 'hey, a door that looked like you could go through it but can't is now openable'. I could be wrong, but that type of DLC just doesn't seem likely.

[Slurktan]

My guess is that they do something similar to DS1 and do some sort of time travel DLC that explains the connection between DS1 & 2 a little bit better. If that happens the DLC could literally be anywhere and probably not as straightforward as 'hey, a door that looked like you could go through it but can't is now openable'. I could be wrong, but that type of DLC just doesn't seem likely.

Why not? They've already used the exact same mechanic in the main game. Open the big door walk up to the dead giant and get in memories. If they do time travel I can't see why they would change that. What if the DLC adds something to to the King's armor on the ground where his corpse stumbles around? What if you see his memories? There is all kinds of possibilities with the memory mechanic generally all of which lie behind doors.

[Muttering Bill]

Maybe that big ol' door in Drangleic castle, the one with the mastodon knight outside?

Not really sure where you're talking about. I can't think of any Mastodons nearn a locked door. What area of the castle is that in?

There's also the basement of the Majula mansion. Cale even has dialogue about hearing noises from deeper down. Seems like a good spot to lead into a subterranean pyriam level.

And it's not only a matter of where is the door, but also where is the key. Watch, in order to access the DLC areas, we're going to need to get an item from either Nashandra or Ancient Dragon..

Then my 4 characters sitting at endgame are going to be useless, and I'll have to play it with my mage.

[TheEvilKing]

Not really sure where you're talking about. I can't think of any Mastodons nearn a locked door. What area of the castle is that in?

Before you get to that room with the annoying archers on the roof.

[aceluby]

Why not? They've already used the exact same mechanic in the main game. Open the big door walk up to the dead giant and get in memories. If they do time travel I can't see why they would change that. What if the DLC adds something to to the King's armor on the ground where his corpse stumbles around? What if you see his memories? There is all kinds of possibilities with the memory mechanic generally all of which lie behind doors.

And if they add some more giant trees, or similar things I could see them utilizing a similar mechanic. I just don't think they will put them behind doors that didn't exist before. The cool part of the last DLC is that you had to piece where it was located together through very cryptic clues and an item dropped by a new enemy. I could see the possibility of a new enemy right as you enter Drangleic castle that drops a specific item which if you take to the tree in the forest of forgotten giants that tells you the giant is at rest, you then get to see 'why' that giant is at rest and do the whole memory thing that connects DS1 and DS2 a bit better. Or maybe if you have an item for one of the dead giants when you go into the memories you go further into a different memory. Or maybe they won't use memories at all since the implementation as it stands is timed. Who knows? I'm pumped :)

[Muttering Bill]

I could see the possibility of a new enemy right as you enter Drangleic castle that drops a specific item which if you take to the tree in the forest of forgotten giants that tells you the giant is at rest, you then get to see 'why' that giant is at rest and do the whole memory thing that connects DS1 and DS2 a bit better.

Wel that Giant is there so you can pick up a Seed of a Tree of Giants after being invaded. They probably won't have it take another role. I don't really see the DLC as having anything to do with the Giants; it sounds like it's going to be before the Giant war. Probably deal more with the founding of Drangleic.

The season pass is not on PSN yet. :frown5:

[aceluby]

Wel that Giant is there so you can pick up a Seed of a Tree of Giants after being invaded. They probably won't have it take another role. I don't really see the DLC as having anything to do with the Giants; it sounds like it's going to be before the Giant war. Probably deal more with the founding of Drangleic.

The season pass is not on PSN yet. :frown5:

You're probably right, which is why I personally don't think this will be the actual mechanism that they'll use, just a possibility IF they chose to use the memories like the previous poster suggested. I don't think the memories really work for the DLC because they are timed, so I think they'll use something similar to the DS1 DLC, Painted World (hello Drangleic curse painting!), or maybe a new ring that when you put it on shows a hidden door like the Darkmoons.

I continued my all solo STR playthrough this weekend, took out the Pursuer, Last Giant, dragon rider, Ornstein, Flexile Sentry, Ruin Sentinels, the Skeleton Lords, Executioner Chariot, Covetous Demon, Mytha the baneful queen, and am currently sitting before the Smeltor Demon boss fog. I beat everybody so far just upgrading the fire longsword. In the meantime I've also been putting levels into the standard Greatsword and will probably use that until I can get a good STR boss weapon. Sucks that the Zwei is so underwhelming in DS2 compared to DS1, otherwise I'd use that.

So far I'm really enjoying this run, but it has been surprisingly easy. I beat every boss on my first try except Last Giant who always seems to kill me once by backing into a corner and Executioner Chariot because the skellies bombarded me after killing the first necromancer; the second time I used a luring skull and had some time to pick off the strays after getting the necro. There are definitely some really difficult parts that need to be handled w/ care, just like in DS1. Playing them back to back I'm seeing that DeS, DS1, DS2 are very similar in difficulty, minus the DLC of DS1. One thing I hope for in the DLC is that it brings back those punishing bosses with a huge moveset, while connecting the lore of DS1 and DS2. Do that and I think you have the possibility of having a game that is wholly better than it's original.

[Muttering Bill]

I continued my all solo STR playthrough this weekend, took out the Pursuer, Last Giant, dragon rider, Ornstein, Flexile Sentry, Ruin Sentinels, the Skeleton Lords, Executioner Chariot, Covetous Demon, Mytha the baneful queen, and am currently sitting before the Smeltor Demon boss fog. I beat everybody so far just upgrading the fire longsword. In the meantime I've also been putting levels into the standard Greatsword and will probably use that until I can get a good STR boss weapon. Sucks that the Zwei is so underwhelming in DS2 compared to DS1, otherwise I'd use that.

I don't think there really is a good STR boss weapon. There's the Pursuer's sword, but that's about equal to the Greatsword. Curved Dragon Greatsword is nice, but despite a 30 STR requirement it's still a DEX weapon.

My STR character went about 75% Longsword, 25% Pursuer's.

[aceluby]

I don't think there really is a good STR boss weapon. There's the Pursuer's sword, but that's about equal to the Greatsword. Curved Dragon Greatsword is nice, but despite a 30 STR requirement it's still a DEX weapon.

My STR character went about 75% Longsword, 25% Pursuer's.

Seems like a lot of the scaling is geared towards buff stats like INT, FTH, fire, and dark.