Yeah all of the online matching is based on soul level except in that one forest before Sif. I think for co-op the host can see anyone within 10+10% of their character level, not sure if it’s the same for PvP. Still, given the way some people play the game it might not be long before you see a bunch of restart people catching up.
I’ve found a network mod fix for the PC version
http://www.nexusmods.com/darksouls/mods/1047/?
finally, online is working again… it will connect to some dark souls servers, you can check who is online and in what area… thanks to this mod, I got invaded and killed in the catacombs ;)
Yeah DSFix and the connectivity mods are must haves if you’re playing on PC.
Scuzz
2864
I haven’t used either and have been happy.
Sure, it’s a great game out of the box, but both of those mods are huge upgrades with minimal effort. Having used them I can’t imagine ever wanting to play it without.
Just because of the reset enthusiasm, I dipped my toes in on the Xbox version and PC version briefly.
Holy shit, it is shocking coming from Dark Souls 2 just how gorgeous this game is compared to the sequel. Even the un-modded 360 version (though the frame-rate is still horrible). The animations make a huge difference, as does the world design, the better textures (in most places) and several other touches. It is slightly inferior in other areas like the lighting model.
On the PC version: Man, new game+ mode so far is so easy. And just like my previous run through the PC version, there seem to be no players and very few messages (unlike the Xbox version). But again, this might be because I don’t have that multiplayer mod installed. Or it could be because I’m in new game+ mode, and people haven’t reached that yet? Either way, the PC version feels very lonely, just like it did last time.
networking definitely improved with the mod…
Finished The Catacombs and The Tomb… Pinwheel was a peace of cake, but the Tomb was tough, so dark and when using the lantern instead my shield I felt vulnerable… I love the multiplayer in this game, it is nice to assist someone and by helping you can see what’s coming ahead… killed Nito as a phantom twice. Summoned help when it was my turn, I tried once alone, but thought, scrap it, let’s get done with it…
I think I missed some treasure in the Tomb, there was a message about ember …
Now I am finishing some loose ends, like Sif and the Hydra. I got invaded on my way (still in human form), and killed that guy, yes! First time for me. He jumped of the cliff after I had him down to his last few hit points… felt very good!
Scuzz
2868
Nothing better than beating an invader. Nice.
Finally got rid of the Asylum Demon II, yeha, he was still on my todo list. Beat the Hydra, beat Sif, met Dusk of Oolacile. Killed all blue wyverns, but nothing special happened… Now I am back in New Londo Ruins, I love this area… is there a way to get to the Demon Ruins without going through Blighttown, Quelaag? Why is there no teleport? I can go to Blighttown via Darkroot basin, I think it is the fastest root… but still I don’t want to go back there… ;)
If you can kill the lawfirm of Ornstein & Smough, you could gain an item that allows you to teleport to the Demon Ruins.
I have the Lordvessel, Frampt told me to get it… but the bonfire in Demon Ruins is not on the list… ( I did not kindle it )
Oh, well, didn’t you kindle the one after you beat the spider queen? Or did you beat her and then turned back without kindling? Or did you kindle that one but not the one after? If you did kindle that one, it’s not very far from the other one.
I think I did not kindle those, took a quick look at the Demon ruins and went homeward bone…grr
That bonfire is behind an illusory wall…
Scuzz
2875
Yea, if you don’t light the bonfire and rest at it, you can’t teleport to it. The only way to get there is by walking. You can get there via the shorter route thru the area with the Wyverns and the Ancient dragon though. If you have a certain key you can go down to New Londo ruins, go to the far right, go up the stairs and out into the Valley of the Drakes, cross the crevass and enter the cave. It goes down into the swamp. Shorter route than down from sewers.
newbrof
2876
ok, I am back. New Londo Ruins. It is easy, just use the temporary curse… except that the curse expires at the WORST POSSIBLE MOMENT… otherwise, I really like the look of New Londo. Maybe they had nice apartments before becoming ruined.
Put the temp curse into your lower quickslot, that way when you see it revert from greyed out to normal, you know when it just ran out.
I really wanted to see the rest of this game, but between my apparent paucity of skill, limited free time, and, uh, not so limited backlog, I had pretty much lost my motivation to push through The Depths to finish off the Gaping Dragon. I just can’t seem to help but get turned around, lost, and (frequently) cursed before finally getting back to the fog gate.
So, (BLASPHEMY ALERT!) I decided to fire up Cheat Engine, turn on invincibility, and play content tourist. That, however, didn’t prevent me from dying due to falling or from being cursed, and I’ve still had quite a few deaths. I managed to finish both DS2 and DS3, but man, my hat is off to all of you who have beaten this. I’m currently towards the end of Blighttown, and I honestly don’t think I could have gotten through this point without being turned away through frustration.
However, I must admit that I really love the architecture and design of this region, and now I’m beginning to see why it was compared favorably to DS2. Not that I entirely agree, so far, as DS2 has some vistas that are just absolutely stunning, but The Gutter really pales in comparison to the grand foundational architecture overgrown by the ragged and teetering shantytown. There’s an incredible beauty to its ugliness.
I’m realizing that the real appeal of these games isn’t the difficulty, or the sense of accomplishment that comes with mastering the skills, but rather the sense of wonder in exploring the environments and piecing together a vague understanding of the world through the design. It may not be the right way of playing this game, but it’s compelling.
I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next.
The irony there is cheating can’t help with bottomless pits and you went to one of the most frustrating places in the game for bottomless pits!
Having subsequently died more than a handful of times on my way through last night, I can vouch for the accuracy of this statement. However, it did mitigate the frustration enough. Maybe being stuck in The Depths for so long had soured me on the visuals of the game when I went on to play DS2 and DS3, but now I’m really sucked in by the world. It really is a great looking game, once you get past some of the muddy grey and brown textures and look at the bigger whole.
