Dark Souls + Demon's Souls + Bloodborne Megathread VII. Now Only Embers Remain - Games

[QUOTE=MrHeadHopper;49321471]Oh, I see. So if I just wanna co-op I'm still kinda deadlocked to getting invaded. That's a bit of a shame, but I guess maybe I can solo the bosses and only be the summon.[/QUOTE] It's more likely a Demon's Souls system when, without Ember, you'll stay in "Soul" form. Also Spotted Whip with poison infuse in DS2, the dumbest yet fun thing to use everywhere.

[QUOTE=MrHeadHopper;49321471]Oh, I see. So if I just wanna co-op I'm still kinda deadlocked to getting invaded. That's a bit of a shame, but I guess maybe I can solo the bosses and only be the summon.[/QUOTE] I was wondering about invasion systems. Personally I wouldn't mind being able to be invaded at any time as long as the levels were well designed so they couldn't just wait for me at a chokepoint, but many people seem to disagree. I think an opt-in system would be better than an opt-out (DS2), but being invaded only when you have a summon would be bad. I'd never get invaded as I don't summon people and it would too often be a 2v1 versus the invader. Maybe a system where if you kindle a bonfire you also opt-in to the invasions? You get more estus to help you with the boss and enemies of the level but also expose yourself to invasions.

[QUOTE=Zezibesh;49321651]I was wondering about invasion systems. Personally I wouldn't mind being able to be invaded at any time as long as the levels were well designed so they couldn't just wait for me at a chokepoint, but many people seem to disagree. I think an opt-in system would be better than an opt-out (DS2), but being invaded only when you have a summon would be bad. I'd never get invaded as I don't summon people and it would too often be a 2v1 versus the invader. Maybe a system where if you kindle a bonfire you also opt-in to the invasions? You get more estus to help you with the boss and enemies of the level but also expose yourself to invasions.[/QUOTE] Yeah, I'd really rather it be an opt-in system. With the fact that DS3 appears to actually feature a usable poise and armor system I'd actually be fairly okay with getting invaded if we got more proper arenas spread around the place. Thing is, I don't really want invasions to get in the way of my co-op experience. Like you said it would be unfair to the invader, so only having invasions be a thing when you kindle or something rather than when you enable co-op would be a perfect deal for more PvE oriented players like me. btw does anyone wanna co-op in DS2 SotFS? pls buds my friends aren't gonna buy the game for atleast another week

How about we just have an offline mode like Bloodborne does, where it asks you as soon as you boot up the game whether you want to play online? Then you can have the typical system where you allow coop, get a health boost(like DeS except you get extra HP rather than normal, same effect though), but also open yourself up to invasions. It's a risk-reward thing, you can summon somebody and roll through an area but you can also get invaded and end up in a serious fight. It doesn't force an invader into a 2v1 and doesn't lock you out of being invaded if you play solo. There are certainly people that would rather not get invaded at all, but imo it's a part of the game and a major part of the atmosphere: it's a hostile world, and you get through it by your own determination and skill. When you neuter the invasion system, you neuter that effect. Plus, it's not like death is a huge deal in a Souls game.

[QUOTE=dogmachines;49322156][B]serious fight[/B][/QUOTE] Here's the problem for me; it's very rarely a serious fight, it's just some guy cheesing the shit out of me. If every invasion was an actual fight I'd be down. When you're telling me that I open myself up to both invasions and co-op, what you're spelling out for me is that the reward is having fun, the risk lies in not having fun. There's a second reward where a legitimate human being shows up and actually intends to fight me, but you cannot grasp how rare that has been for me. I liked fighting Armorer Dennis for example. Dodging through his non-stop barrage of magical shit was actually fun, and even though NPC mechanics are kinda wonky, I legit enjoy it everytime a Forlorn shows up. I'm all for a challenge, I'm literally playing with a M+KB and armor, but that's just not a challenge and if anything it undermines the worldbuilding by just how shamelessly ridiculous most invaders are.

Wait a second ... in the Dark Souls games ... you are always online if you can? As in, you can be invaded at any point? Holy shit.

[QUOTE=EliaMoroes;49322698]Wait a second ... in the Dark Souls games ... you are always online if you can? As in, you can be invaded at any point? Holy shit.[/QUOTE] In Dark Souls you need to be Human to summon other players and to be invaded, if you're not Human you're Hollow which prevents player interaction. In Dark Souls 2 you can be invaded at any time, however Human players are prioritised over Hollow players, and Sinners are prioritised over others. The more you invade the more likely you are to be invaded. In the Dark Souls 3 Network Test you didn't go Hollow, instead you had to have an Ember to be invaded but it also gave you a 40% health boost. If you died you lost your Ember, meaning you lost player interactions and the health boost.

[QUOTE=Janus Vesta;49322736]If you died you lost your Ember, meaning you lost player interactions and the health boost.[/QUOTE] Embers are pickups like Effigys then?

[QUOTE=Daemon White;49323240]Embers are pickups like Effigys then?[/QUOTE] Like Humanities or Human Effigies. You find Embers in the world and use them to gain the buff/play online. It's like a combination of the two, it instantly brings you into the cinder form and it fills your health.

Embers function pretty much exactly the same as Human Effigies in DS2 only they give you a health boost now rather than restore health lost. I'm not sure, however, if you're invadeable the moment you pop the Ember (like DS1 Humanity's reverse hollowing) or until you summon a player (like Bloodborne's bell maiden mechanic). Every time I invaded someone in the network test the host always already had a phantom with them.

Do I need to kill Laurence to progress through TOH? I already fought him a few times and lost each time.

[QUOTE=Dr.C;49324038]Do I need to kill Laurence to progress through TOH? I already fought him a few times and lost each time.[/QUOTE] Laurence is optional.

I don't know why, but after I reached Blight town I lost all motivation to continue playing... it's something about the theme and complexity of the map

[QUOTE=CrossNgen;49324084]I don't know why, but after I reached Blight town I lost all motivation to continue playing... it's something about the theme and complexity of the map[/QUOTE] Blighttown tends to be a hard place to navigate, but is mostly straightforward. Normally it can be skipped if you have a certain key (The [sp]Master[/sp] Key). Alternatively if you can find a phantom to help you with the area that would make things easier.

[QUOTE=Dr.C;49324038]Do I need to kill Laurence to progress through TOH? I already fought him a few times and lost each time.[/QUOTE] I can't remember if defeating him grants you anything, but honestly whatever that may be it's not worth the general ass shove that is fighting Laurence

[QUOTE=CrossNgen;49324084]I don't know why, but after I reached Blight town I lost all motivation to continue playing... it's something about the theme and complexity of the map[/QUOTE] press onward. the actual swamp is a lot less shitty than the wooden catwalk blowdart nightmare above

[QUOTE=CrossNgen;49324084]I don't know why, but after I reached Blight town I lost all motivation to continue playing... it's something about the theme and complexity of the map[/QUOTE] And the lost frames, but yeah, it is also pretty complex.

[QUOTE=EliaMoroes;49324232]I can't remember if defeating him grants you anything, but honestly whatever that may be it's not worth the general ass shove that is fighting Laurence[/QUOTE] Use more Bowblade. He drops the Beast's Embrace transformation rune.

[QUOTE=EliaMoroes;49324232]I can't remember if defeating him grants you anything, but honestly whatever that may be it's not worth the general ass shove that is fighting Laurence[/QUOTE] Beating him is its own reward. I just dislike that the difficulty in fighting him comes from all of his attacks being AOE so they whittle you down slowly and he just needs to get lucky once to kill you. Also his lava vomit is a stunlocker

He gives you the beast's embrace rune which changes the beast claw weapon.

I just started on the Old Hunters. Aside from encountering those bloody things from Cainhurst again, it's pretty solid. [sp]Valtr saved my ass repeatidly from Ludwig. I wish i could solo him effectively but i don't really feel like grinding for hours just to beat one boss tonight, Maybe with an Arcane build later down the line or something but not today.[/sp]

[QUOTE=Highwind017;49325258]I just started on the Old Hunters. Aside from encountering those bloody things from Cainhurst again, it's pretty solid. [sp]Valtr saved my ass repeatidly from Ludwig. I wish i could solo him effectively but i don't really feel like grinding for hours just to beat one boss tonight, Maybe with an Arcane build later down the line or something but not today.[/sp][/QUOTE] The bloodlickers are easy this time. They're not incredibly violent like they are at cainhurst. Also, in the area with the two tentacle beards right before ludwig's arena, there's a path on the right(or left if you're leaving ludwig's arena) with a lamp called Nightmare Church. It'll save you a lot of time

[QUOTE=Dr.C;49325442]The bloodlickers are easy this time. They're not incredibly violent like they are at cainhurst. Also, in the area with the two tentacle beards right before ludwig's arena, there's a path on the right(or left if you're leaving ludwig's arena) with a lamp called Nightmare Church. It'll save you a lot of time[/QUOTE] They're a little easier but there's also a ton of them in an area where it's easy to get stuck on things.

[QUOTE=DeVotchKa;49325557]They're a little easier but there's also a ton of them in an area where it's easy to get stuck on things.[/QUOTE] They have terrible memory so I just smack them in the gooch, run away, and repeat

I think i've fully cleared the first main area of Old Hunters, including that cave. [SP]Minigun guy and a fucking Blood Starved Beast in the dark, u wot m8? [/sp] And the shortcut too. Might need to grind up some levels, i fear. I think i might need more health but reguardless, you're getting dropped in about 3/4 Hits or less. And i'm really not wanting to waste healing items.

[QUOTE=Highwind017;49326406]I think i've fully cleared the first main area of Old Hunters, including that cave. [SP]Minigun guy and a fucking Blood Starved Beast in the dark, u wot m8? [/sp] And the shortcut too. Might need to grind up some levels, i fear. I think i might need more health but reguardless, you're getting dropped in about 3/4 Hits or less. And i'm really not wanting to waste healing items.[/QUOTE] You're pretty much gonna want to be level 100 or so to get through the DLC with some ease. And the 3/4 hit thing pretty much won't change. Abuse Blood Rapture and counters for heals.

What runes do you guys roll with? I always keep Oedon writhe, blood rapture, and clawmark.

[QUOTE=Nidhogg;49324012]Embers function pretty much exactly the same as Human Effigies in DS2 only they give you a health boost now rather than restore health lost. I'm not sure, however, if you're invadeable the moment you pop the Ember (like DS1 Humanity's reverse hollowing) or until you summon a player (like Bloodborne's bell maiden mechanic). Every time I invaded someone in the network test the host always already had a phantom with them.[/QUOTE] Apparently in the Network Test, you had to have a phantom to be invaded. There was a theory that they did that to force larger sessions of 3+ players to properly test the servers, but there's no official word on if the final game will be that way.

It'd be kinda unfair towards invaders since most of them would end up one versus a gank squad.

I've found this photo I took at an Italian convention a month ago on my phone [t]http://i.imgur.com/jphT7jB.jpg[/t] The guy also had a flintlock and could make the axe shorter, but (and I don't know why) I asked him to pose with the longaxe The convention was filled with Bloodborne cosplayers (mostly the stock hunter and Eileen the Crow) in the very days I was going around with a costume myself and couldn't take photos