hey @SquirrelLilly::Zu, Alice told me that you could provide some tips on dark souls 2 stuff, yeah?
-F
TruckWitches
@Felthry What do you need?
@SquirrelLilly just wondering about how badly i've fucked up this build and what would be good weapons to use! if you're willing to give it a look
-F
@Felthry Sure. What combat style are you using? DS2 has much more freedom with builds than the other two since secondary stat growth is much more generous.
@SquirrelLilly we like having a mix of thrust and slash attacks, and reasonably fast but doesn't have to be super fast
-F
@Felthry You're in luck then that DS2 has very responsive controls, unlike the other two games. Give me a screenshot of your stat menu? I'm going to guess something like a Broadsword and metal shield combo would suit your preference.
@Felthry Overhead swings generally serve the same purpose as stabs, with better stun but with the disadvantage of dropping your shield. You might try something VERY light like a dagger or rapier, which often have stabs, horizontal and vertical slashes, and are very fast, at the cost of stunning power.
Your actual weapon doesn't matter nearly as much as how you approach combat though.
Long
@Felthry First thing you want to do is start increasing AGI via ADP and ATN. Once you hit 105 AGI you'll find your rolls are much more effective - Every few points gives you an additional frame or two, which makes a surprisingly enormous difference. Then you'll want to figure out what weapon type you want to use long-term and increase the stats associated with its damage.
Of course keep your equip load below 70%, which you've done admirably.
HP will always rise slowly, so it should be of secondary concern to stamina, which is much more likely to save you.
My best tip in all games of this style: Circle clockwise, shield up. Every enemy is right-handed and this will make nearly every attack either graze your shield or miss outright.
Ignore mechanics as presented wherever you can. If you can back out of an attack instead of rolling, or stand juuuust outside of a hitbox, do so, because things will often not work as expected when you follow the rules. Fight back.
Learn when a death was your fault and when it was the game being silly, it will cut down a LOT on frustration.
And if you find a bug in an AI, which there are a LOT of, be proud of abusing it.
Remember that the whole series is kind of a mess, mechanically, and roll with that. DS2 is much slower and more methodical, and I think it's a much better place to learn than the others. It also has less points where you can just, push an boss through a geometry seam for an instant kill though.
Do not give the fan community the satisfaction. 'Git gud' was supposed to be ironic. The games are big and beautiful and cry-worthy, and very very broken. Once you figure out how to harness the broken-ness, they become very easy.
re: Long
@SquirrelLilly we generally tend towards blocking over dodging, is that a bad idea?
-F
re: Long
@Felthry Oh no dodging is nonsense, different hitboxes react differently (Less in DS2 than the others but still), shield is much more reliable. Just remember to drop it to regain stamina, and back out as needed.