Dark Souls II - Prepare to Die, Again

[Polmon]

You can powerstance weapons if you have double the stat requirement for the left-hand and right-hand weapon; this gives you new combos with the weapons. Also there is some rule (no idea what) about which weapons can be powerstanced.

[robdood]

If someone breaks your guard with the forward+R1 move, or breaks it through depleting your stamina, they get a free riposte, basically.

Sometimes you do get lag backstabbed even though it looks like it shouldn't have happened too.

As for dual wielding, having a weapon equipped in each hand (eg two short swords) will let you attack faster with alternate hands, and do additional damage (compared to one handing a weapon). Additionally, once you have 150% the str/dex requirements for a pair of weapons, if you press and hold triangle/y you will switch into powerstance mode, giving you new attacks on the L1/L2 button s, which is pretty beastly. See the L2 on pair of clubs for RIDDICK damage and stunlocking on bosses

[Hexx]

So..uh...how do you backstab?

And what should it look like with a fire longsword?

[Polmon]

To backstab you need to be roughly behind an enemy and just press attack without any change in direction on the left stick (e.g. if you walk slowly up behind an unaware enemy and tap R1 when you get close, you will backstab - you don't have to stand still to do it).

The animation starts with a sort of elbow to the back of the head, which stuns the enemy - the rest of the animation varies depending on the weapon and enemy.

edit: 1 minute in in this video:

[Lovelyman]

It doesn't work if you have your shield up.

[Hexx]

So Iet go of the directional stick entirely? Will try it!

[Curtis]

You can powerstance weapons if you have double the stat requirement for the left-hand and right-hand weapon; this gives you new combos with the weapons. Also there is some rule (no idea what) about which weapons can be powerstanced.

1.5x the stats, not double.

[danbot]

So Iet go of the directional stick entirely? Will try it!

I don't know how this myth prevails but it makes no difference.

Lock on, get in correct position with shield lowered and press normal attack.

[Polmon]

So Iet go of the directional stick entirely? Will try it!

No, just don't change direction when you press the button. It's fine if you are already holding a direction when you press the button.

[Hexx]

I do! But I just swipe like normal

I spent ages on the lion dudes in Shaded Wood (cus feck taking them down with spells) and never seemed to do anything cool

[df0]

1.5 times indeed. Great Club needs 28 STR, Large Club needs 26. We ignore the 26 for now and focus on the 28. 28 * 1.5 = 42. If I have 42 STR I can powerstance both clubs.

[Lovelyman]

I think it is a lot less easy in 2 to backstab. I haven't even tried parrying yet.

[Hexx]

Well I'm fecked then. I couldn't work out how to BS in DS1

[Polmon]

Just practise, you'll get it.

[hughes]

With the DS2 backstab, try it just a little to the left of an enemies spine, dead on doesn't seem to be the sweet spot.

[Fragmaster]

I just picked up Dark Souls 2, I'm very tempted to use GeDoSaTo/ENB but want to wait and see what happens with VAC bans over the next few weeks.

Aren't any of you guys worried about that?

[BrerLappin]

Black gulch is a contender for worst level of all time. Utter garbage. 5-1 in demons and Blighttown were horrible levels but nontheless enjoyable. I actually really enjoyed both of those levels. This is just a trek from point a to point b while getting poisoned. Fucking terrible design, actually makes me want to not even bother continuing

[hughes]

Black Gulch is worth persevering with. If you take out all the statues and rest at the bonfire they won't respawn (they'll respawn if you teleport out and return though), which enables you to clear the level out which is good not just for clearing the run to the boss (there's actually a second bonfire fiendishly hidden virtually t the boss door) but farming the hands will drop the very useful titanite chunks. Lucacile spawns there if you want to see her quest through, as does one of the 3 dark portals locations needed to join the covenant, also there is a soul of a giant there which is crucial if you want a fighting chance against an optional boss.

[robdood]

Black gulch is a contender for worst level of all time. Utter garbage. 5-1 in demons and Blighttown were horrible levels but nontheless enjoyable. I actually really enjoyed both of those levels. This is just a trek from point a to point b while getting poisoned. Fucking terrible design, actually makes me want to not even bother continuing

It's not that bad! Break the statues and take your time. It's very short, Fwiw..

[df0]

Black gulch is a contender for worst level of all time. Utter garbage. 5-1 in demons and Blighttown were horrible levels but nontheless enjoyable. I actually really enjoyed both of those levels. This is just a trek from point a to point b while getting poisoned. Fucking terrible design, actually makes me want to not even bother continuing

If you know where to go, just run. The "trek" to the next bonfire takes less than 20 seconds.

[BrerLappin]

Yeah i finished it a few mins ago. I just sprinted to that 2nd bonfire, and did it from there. I had to use a walkthrough to find it otherwise id have just kept spritning to the boss door like i had been doing. Overall it was just an abysmal section of the game tho. Easily the games lowest point so far, it just felt cheap, constant poison spitting statues, bonfires youd probably never find normally, those black hand things almost always killing you with one hit, etc. I tred doing it slowly and eliminating the statues and returning to the bonfire but then id get killed by a black hand thing and just go "ah fuck it" and sprint to the boss. i honestly think i disliked that more than anything in Lost Izalith, Blightown or 5-1. Terrible design

[df0]

Black gulch is a contender for worst level of all time. Utter garbage. 5-1 in demons and Blighttown were horrible levels but nontheless enjoyable. I actually really enjoyed both of those levels. This is just a trek from point a to point b while getting poisoned. Fucking terrible design, actually makes me want to not even bother continuing

If you know where to go, just run. The "trek" to the next bonfire takes less than 20 seconds.

[danbot]

Yeah i finished it a few mins ago. I just sprinted to that 2nd bonfire, and did it from there. I had to use a walkthrough to find it otherwise id have just kept spritning to the boss door like i had been doing. Overall it was just an abysmal section of the game tho. Easily the games lowest point so far, it just felt cheap, constant poison spitting statues, bonfires youd probably never find normally, those black hand things almost always killing you with one hit, etc. I tred doing it slowly and eliminating the statues and returning to the bonfire but then id get killed by a black hand thing and just go "ah fuck it" and sprint to the boss. i honestly think i disliked that more than anything in Lost Izalith, Blightown or 5-1. Terrible design

[df0]

Thinking of going full on King. The set does not offer the best physical defence, but I think I like wandering about dressed as a king powerstancing King's Ultra Greatsword.

I am the law!

[charley farley]

Can anyone suggest any interesting armour sets to look extra scary or ridiculous during invasions? I use the knight set in pve, but want to look menacing or fucking stupid as a phantom.

Fashion Souls etc and so on...

[Lovelyman]

Executioner's Chariot is a bit cheap. I keep getting mobbed by skeletons while making my way to the second necromancer.

[Curtis]

What's cracking off with these servers?

[mr_woo]

Black gulch is a contender for worst level of all time. Utter garbage. 5-1 in demons and Blighttown were horrible levels but nontheless enjoyable. I actually really enjoyed both of those levels. This is just a trek from point a to point b while getting poisoned. Fucking terrible design, actually makes me want to not even bother continuing

What's this I detect ? Brer being a complete pussy ? Yep, it's Brer being a complete pussy.

[df0]

Can anyone suggest any interesting armour sets to look extra scary or ridiculous during invasions? I use the knight set in pve, but want to look menacing or fucking stupid as a phantom.

Fashion Souls etc and so on...

Xanthous. You need Dark Convenant level 3 though.

As for headwear, one can not go wrong with Warlock Mask, rare drop from a Black Phantom NPC in Copse.

[BrerLappin]

What's this I detect ? Brer being a complete pussy ? Yep, it's Brer being a complete pussy.

Its a shit level and theres no excuse for it. Ive played the first 2 games to death with hundreds of hours logged on both, and never complained about any of their maps. This is a shit level. End of.