Dark Souls II

[TheAppleSauceMan]

If it was just 50 levels.

Entire endgame in DS2 has a friday afternoon designing vibe and soul memory is the pinnacle of the stupidity. Soul memory was supposed to protect your everyday George from low level twinks and PVPers with optimized builds looking for a fight, and now thanks to soul memory George the Casual who loses 50% of the souls he earns is getting matched against veterans who lose nothing and spent everything on making their characters better.

And thats just the smaller problem, the actual retardation is that you cant keep your soul memory low because you keep earning souls even while exlusively PVPing with your SL150. In other words, no matter what you do (except not playing) you will eventually enter the tier of SL600 havelmonsters.

So basically what you're saying is, my best bet is to become on of those SL600 bastards. 

[Tot.]

So basically what you're saying is, my best bet is to become on of those SL600 bastards. 

Well, if you are just starting out then its nothing to be concerned about and I guess there is a chance that From will fix this before you get to that point.   

Also,

Any recommended weapons or items to grab early on? Something like the Drake Sword in DkS1? And what would be a good faith weapon to grab early on?

You will get a very good faith weapon and Drake sword equivalent fairly early in the game by just playing the normal route.

[IR_Kuoin]

That build kinda sucked, make your own faith build, you might not like his build. The stats are pretty weak on his build anyway

Good starting wep for faith users is the Heide sword, you can get it from the first Heide knight in Forrest of the fallen giants.

[TheAppleSauceMan]

That build kinda sucked, make your own faith build, you might not like his build. The stats are pretty weak on his build anyway

Good starting wep for faith users is the Heide sword, you can get it from the first Heide knight in Forrest of the fallen giants.

Recommended adjustments? Too high of faith on it? Too low of everything else?

Yeah tried to grab it and got my ass kicked, did not expect the quick turn-around slash haha.

[Tot.]

If you mean this

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SL 120

Vig- 21
Vit- 20
End- 22
Att- 20
Str- 20
Adp- 4
Dex- 12
Int- 4
Fth- 50

then it could use some improvements.

1. You dont need INT at all as Faith build, so you should start as bandit/knight (lowest INT), so you dont waste SLs.
2. Way too low ADP and hp.
3. Why SL 120?

Something like this is better:

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Vig- 50*
Vit- 12
End- 20
Att- 20
Str- 15*
Adp-  20
Dex- 15*
Int- 1
Fth- 50

* - weapon choice dependant. Meet minimum requirements for your weapon of choice, put everything else in VIG.

Do note though that faith builds in PVP pretty much require Sunlight Blade for melee combat, which as one cast only and lasts 90 seconds, so this is a viable build for duels and arena, not so much for PVE. I wouldnt sweat about PVP build until you actually are high level and just respec then.

[TheAppleSauceMan]

Ahhh fair enough! Well I already started as a Cleric so probably a bit late for that. But it is my first playthrough so my real PvP character will probably be my second toon. 

[Vibe]

Yeah, that build has way too much spread out stats. This is my build on the FTH char - mind you this was no preplanning and I just put points where it felt right putting them (imo I have a bit too much ATN):

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Also, what Tot said is very true. Because of what SM is, it's unavoidable and it'll keep increasing, unless you only do Brotherhood of Blood arena. So I'm currently just making new chars every time I complete NG and also doing some BoB PvP and hoping they'll do something with this shit. That being said, does From even patch their released games or is this just empty hopesH

[IR_Kuoin]

30 ATN lol

Remind me of my old Dark Souls PvP build where I looked wrong and put 32 ATN instead of Dex, thank god for respec!

[Joseph Porta]

So i'm curious to wether a hoplite style of play could be viable, because as I see it now its just complete crap.. The reach could be argued as an advantage but in practice the attacks with spear/board combo ussually leave you open for attacks.

Any tips though? I am dying to get this to work but I dont seem to grasp it.. At all.

[Rhaelys]

Honestly if you're not doing SL150 fight clubs there is literally no reason to keep yourself capped at any specific soul level such as 150 unless you just want to give yourself a handicap against opponents. Eventually your soul memory will outstrip your chosen SL and you'll be fighting SL250+ people. And since the Brotherhood of Blood arena doesn't care about Soul Memory OR Soul Level (just what journey you're in, ie NG, NG+, etc) if you go into the BoB arena at SL150 enjoy fighting against people who are SL300 such as myself.

The equivalent analogy is keeping yourself capped at level 25 in cRPG (not spending attributes or skill points beyond what you would have at level 25, of course).

[IR_Kuoin]

So i'm curious to wether a hoplite style of play could be viable, because as I see it now its just complete crap.. The reach could be argued as an advantage but in practice the attacks with spear/board combo ussually leave you open for attacks.

Any tips though? I am dying to get this to work but I dont seem to grasp it.. At all.

Spear in one hand, sword in other

Gives you lots of variations if the enemy is a slippy slopper and a curve attack would suit better.

Also I've gotten all my chars. over 150 after some time, my lowest for PvP is on 155 SL atm.

[Tot.]

So i'm curious to wether a hoplite style of play could be viable, because as I see it now its just complete crap.. The reach could be argued as an advantage but in practice the attacks with spear/board combo ussually leave you open for attacks.

Any tips though? I am dying to get this to work but I dont seem to grasp it.. At all.

You know that with spear you can attack while blocking with the shield at the same time, right? I'd say that spear and shield is probably the easiest to use and most effective melee build for PVE in Souls games.

[Joseph Porta]

You know that with spear you can attack while blocking with the shield at the same time, right? I'd say that spear and shield is probably the easiest to use and most effective melee build for PVE in Souls games.

Foreals!? Like the hollow soldier spearmen underneath the cardinal tower?

Spear in one hand, sword in other

Gives you lots of variations if the enemy is a slippy slopper and a curve attack would suit better.

Also I've gotten all my chars. over 150 after some time, my lowest for PvP is on 155 SL atm.

Hmm, use the sword up close and the spear for surprise reach stabs? Reckon i'd use the pike then as reach weapon and a decent hitter 1h for nuke damage?

And i'm pretty convinced I don't like magic, god thats boring after having melee'd all the bosses

[IR_Kuoin]

Top lel, random invaded in Drangleic, he died in 2 hits and chugged, lol'd real hard when I saw on player met that I had him on steam

[SirCymro_Crusader]

Although only lvl ~35 I tried MP today.

Summoned a phantom to help with a boss - he killed the boss by shooting him with ballista 

Then I decided to invade, first one was an easy win, second one I got utterly destroyed but the third I lost but the lag was ridiculous, I dodged half his attacks but they counted as hits, I also did 2 backstabs the animation started bu for some reason it never went through, really annoyed me.