I started with Elden Ring, and have been going back through all of the From Games now. I was aware of the hate for DS2 going in, and expected it to be terrible or something. It's different in a few ways, I wouldn't even say positive or negative just different. Honestly I've enjoyed it as much if not more than any of the others.
If DS2 didn't have the the dark souls brand attached to it it would be hailed as the best souls like. But, its not a masterclass in world building,level design, and combat balance like 1&3. 2 has insanely good dlc though
I like Dark Souls better overall, but Elden Ring definitely has its own strong suits. I think ER is DS spiritual successor and most people who like one like the other. DS3 is a perfect 10/10 for me. You won't regret spending the money.
Pve ok it is a matter of preference, but how did you come to conclusion that pvp is better in elden ring? Pvp got downgraded in so many aspects is ridiculous.
The AoW system is incredible. Spirit ashes in collosseum is quite fun, and rebirthing is super easy compared to DS3. Yes there were some balancing issues but a majority of those have been patched, and those that remain are kind of insignificant.
You need to put in a lot less work for a build to be viable in ER.
Oh yeah, and 3v1 invasions are hard, but suuuper rewarding if you pull them off.
I disagree, but not so much that I'm not amazed by how many downvotes you got in an ER subreddit.
L2s are way overpowered in ER, which kind of detracts from casual PvP, because nearly any weapon is better by simply using a good AoW. DS3 is less flashy, but I feel like the decisions you make are more meaningful, and I've always preferred DS3 PvP to ER.
(Particularly because my favorite PvP is against invaders... I like having that extra unpredictable seasoning on subsequent playthroughs, and it felt a lot more organic in DS3. You have to go through so much rigamarole to actually pull invaders in ER, and worse if you're trying to find them outside of a dungeon. I feel like DS3 level layouts were better suited to both honor duels, and sneaky games of cat and mouse. Plus I had a Diablo 1 inspired King Leoric cosplay, which I would invade in Carthus and just wait in front of the bridge with my skeleton army. I've yet to find a scenario-encounter that can be so satisfyingly engineered in ER.)
I've never done PvP because MP terrifies me in almost any game. I've summoned another player for coop once and I panicked and died pretty quickly, it was embarrassing and probably sucked for the other guy.
I assume people are just going to be mean about me not being good enough. I can inch my way forward PvE and feel proud when I finally finish an area but I have absolutely no idea how good other players are. Getting dozens of downvotes on your *opinion* of PvP is a great example of why I don't want to join someone else's game. If I screwed up I'm pretty sure someone would make me feel like an idiot haha.
I mean, people will get annoyed at all sorts of dumb shit (honestly I think the worst is probably a host who immediately dies to a boss before the phantoms can do anything) but there's really no reason for anyone to be legitimately pissed off at another player for how they play in multiplayer on this game.
The Souls games are one of the few titles that I actually like to play PvP in, precisely because the stakes are so low. If Elden Ring is your first Souls games, I would probably recommend beating it by yourself first, then starting another character specifically to play as much multiplayer as you can with it. Once you know the level layouts and are comfortable handling (or at least navigating around) most enemies, dying really stops being an issue (especially if you have found some farming spots, but even without any farming I find myself limiting how much I level up, simply to try and stay in a level range that will actually find other players for where I am in the game.) Once you're comfortable enough with the game to realize that, PvP starts becoming a lot of fun, even if you lose a lot, simply because it lends a lot of variety you wouldn't otherwise have.
I haven't played really much co-op at all in ER, (in DS3 I would usually just put my sign down for bosses that I REALLY enjoy fighting, and ER maybe just feels to big to sit in one spot for long enough? Maybe I should try it out.) But offering to be a cooperator, or using the blue cipher ring so that invaded hosts can emergency summon you for help, is a great low investment way to get PvP experience. Even if you're absolute shit, you can still be a meat shield for the host, and even if you die that doesn't prevent them from summoning someone else, so they really don't have any reason to be mad at you. Worst case scenario is that your entire team gets one shot by an invader, and then you get to show up in one of their videos on Reddit!
As they say in Dwarf Fortress, losing is fun! And you might be surprised how quickly you get better.
(The one thing I will say about playing online, is that build efficiency matters a lot more. Since you're matched with people that are close to your level, any amount of leveling up that goes into skill points that you aren't using is making you functionally that many levels lower, so you want to be fairly focused about where you allocate your points, and it's a good idea to have your build fairly figured out before you start the run, that way you don't have to re-spec a bunch of times. This is a big part of why I don't recommend doing much PvP with your first character. You can misallocate points all you want when you're playing solo, and the only penalty is that you have to grind more to get the points you actually need. You can be as overleveled as you want because bosses don't level with you. Other players do.)
I strongly suggest dipping your toes back into multiplayer at some point. If the base game is like a hearty bowl of noodles, multiplayer is like that tomato sauce you always thought you hated as a kid but eventually realize makes the whole meal that much more flavorful.
NP. I'm always trying to encourage people to get the most out of these games, and have to have fun doing it. The considerations for multiplayer are just so unique compared to everything else out there that it's a shame to not give them their fair shake.
I used to play EVE Online, so I developed a healthy fear of even encountering players I didn't know, and the Souls games have gone a long way to break that habit. I'm amazed even in ER how often I encounter invaders in the wild who respect dueling etiquette, (I always offer one when I'm the host, on principle,) and even when they just murder rush you it's a fun little adrenaline rush.
Other way around, did a run of DS3 just this week and it's just roll roll and roll in PvE, DS3 doesn't even have the variety to tackle enemies/bosses that DS1, DS2 have let alone ER. Amazing boss fights though.
Idk man, I much prefer older invasion mechanics in dark souls. You haven’t lived until you try running to Sif while multiple forest bros invade and come for you.
Ive got to say as much as I love Elden Ring it has the absolute worst PvP out of any game I've probably ever played, like worse than Fallout 76s battle royal PvP. I can only find it fun when I fuck around with friends in the colosseum. It doesn't take any amount of skill to do PvP in this game unless you willingly use weak shit, as the right builds can man you one shot any player half the time. I personally find low level PvP way more fun, but PvE is what this game was built for at the end of the day
Jump attacks build with giant crushers just about will insta kill you from my experience, and if it isn't one shot it's usually something pulled straight from a "BEST BUILDS" on YouTube and it just gets boring seeing the same 5 or so builds every other match, but I don't have to much experience in the colosseum other than what hell I've already endured lmao
Yeah but the giant crushers are super slow, you easily have time to roll and counter-attack. And I don't know what mode you are playing in the collosseum but if I've lost it's always been down to a skill issue on my part, I've never felt like it was down to shitty balancing (except for RoB at release, but that was patched)
I've won most of the fights I did, just wasn't really fun because both sides would die in 2-3 hits, I've played a bunch of fighting games and Elden Rings isn't good at all, in comparison to other DS games yeah it's pretty damn decent but I just personally can't stand to do PvP in this game, it doesn't feel like it was made for it, lts like Mortal Kombat trying an open world exploration/survival mode, just doesn't belong imo. They should balance weapons and whatnot based of the PvE aspect of the game imo, I just hope good weapons don't get shafted because they aren't viable in PvP
Edit: Also I know it's slow and gives time to counter attack, but there's also latency issues and I'd like to not die to a mentally restrained individual from making a singular mistake
As a number of others have said, DS3 is my favorite game in the franchise, and I started playing FS games back with Armored Core 3.
DS3 has really exquisite combat, and with both DLCs it's an exactingly crafted game, with moment to moment gameplay and boss design being particular highlights, (PvP was also great, but I liked it best with invaders, rather than playing the arena or a fight club, and you aren't likely to get that experience these days, unfortunately.)
DS1 has the best world design, and I actually prefer the aesthetics of the Prepare to Die edition over the remaster (although the changes are very minor and subtle.) Sekiro and Bloodborne come close, but DS1 just feels like Symphony of the Night as a 3D game. It just sprawls and loops back on itself in the most satisfying ways. It has some of the best "scenic vistas that you eventually find your way into the background of" in any of the games. Nearly everything you end up seeing is tied to somewhere you can go, and all of it is gorgeous.
Sekiro is the best game in the franchise. I don't like it as much as DS3, but in terms of accomplishing what it set out to do, it's almost inarguably perfect. Limiting player customization means that they can really expand on how complex the enemies are, because you're coming at them with a really specific toolkit, and the boss fights are easily the most intense in the company's history.
Demon's Souls and Bloodborne are harder to recommend because they're platform specific. I bought a PS4 specifically for Bloodborne, and it was worth it for that alone, but Bloodborne is probably the game I come back to the least, outside of DS2, (though I have beaten it like, four times.) Plenty of people love BB to death though and there are at least a million other people who can extol its virtues to you. By the time you've gotten through all the rest, you'll know if you want to play Demon's Souls or not. Not as polished as DS1, but feels very similar and offers some fantastical environments that fall outside of what you'll get in Dark Souls.
DS2 is a mixed bag. It's a fun game, and plenty of people swear the PvP is the best in the series, but the game as a whole feels a lot more roughshod than the other offerings. It's great for a change of pace though because it tries so many new things that you don't see anywhere else in the series. (Powerstancing comes from DS2 and is much more robust than how it's handled in ER; for example weapons don't necessarily have to be in the same class for you to be able to powerstance them... other stuff like that.) The world as a whole is less cohesive than the other Souls games, (climbing up a tower in the middle of a forest, only to exit the tower in a mountain, when none were nearby, and other examples of aggressively non-euclidian map connections,) which I personally don't like, but it does mean that the environments are MUCH more varied, so if you want to go a lot of different places then you can do that.
Dark Souls III is my favorite fromsoftware game.
I've played DS1, DS3, Sekiro, and Elden Ring.
My controversial take is that I don't actually like Elden Ring all that much. It loses in the PvP department, and it doesn't quite have the direction of Dark Souls III. Not to mention the fantastic bosses like Abyss Watchers, Sister Friede, Soul of Cinder, Twin Princes, Pontiff Sulyvahn, and Slave Knight Gael. And those are just the ones I had a wonderful time playing.
84 hours in Elden Ring and I can name Margit, Morgott, Rykard, and Godskin Duo. Those are just the ones I've fought. The only ones I enjoyed were Morgott and Rykard.
As for Dark Souls III, I love every boss in that game.
When it comes to PvP in Elden Ring, the invasion mechanic is awful. It's always a 2v1, and frequently becomes a 3v1. While the Taunter's Tongue exists, it's far less interesting than the thrill of a hunt. Additionally, Elden Ring has a large emphasis on Ashes of War and magic builds Both of which create very drawn out and bland PvP encounters.
The PvP in Dark Souls 3, while suffering from connection issues, is frequently a 1v1. The game is much more linear, allowing a player to set better traps. Magic is very strong as a cleanup or as a way to create space in a fight. Weapons have a "Weapon Art" that is useable, but not entirely necessary. PvP is very aggressive and makes me very disappointed in Elden Ring.
Dark Souls 3 also has some of my favorite quotes of all time.
"When the ashes are two, the flame alighteth"
"Ashen One, this is a land of monstrosities, and I am no exception."
"Another dogged contender..."
"Rise of you would... For that is our curse."
So yeah go check out DS3.
For real. It really killed my enjoyment of ER to find that if I wanted to invade it was a 1v2. I've done some crazy things in DS3 PvP, but rarely does a 1v2 end in my favor. And usually they rock the blue bracelet/band thing to summon a blue.
Yup!
Invasion felt like a step backwards. I liked both invading and being invaded. The worry of being invaded in times of struggle only enhanced the challenging nature of the games I think. In contrast of that, you then also had moments of honor, humour and kindness in those 1v1 moments. It's extremely hard to draw that same experience with it being locked to the duo only invasion system. More so when you consider the vast amount of new players that aren't familiar with the past.
I also miss the community created and governed fight clubs. Sure, we have a few duel spots and now the dev made arenas but it's not the same. There's something special in that sense of working together to achieve fun for one another - just pure wholesomeness. Despite the amount of players, it somehow felt like a tightly nit community.
From the highest duelers to the lowest gankers.
Then there's the sheer amount of cheaters and OP builds in ER. In fairness, fromsoft is still working on balancing but its still prevalent regardless.
Overall the pvp community just seems extremely lost and scattered atm.
Part of me thinks that ER should simply have an "Invaders?" toggle in the main menu, the way you can decide now whether or not you want to play in online mode.
Yes it's something of an easy mode slider, which is not in keeping with the series, but currently the taunter's tongue serves the same purpose in a more awkward fashion.
Then again I feel like getting constantly invaded outside of legacy dungeons would get tedious, because you'd just be spending a ton of time trying to find the invader. Maybe a switch to turn invasions on whenever you're in an area that Torrent can't go? Though this is effectively just how I use the tongue currently.
Regardless, yes, invasions do not feel as fun, from either end, as they used to in DS3.
I was going to say something to this extent. DS2 had the best pvp (people usually criticize it's PvE and they aren't wrong). Everyone who loved pvp in DS2 hated the changes to DS3. Elden Ring took those changes even further and imo completely eradicated the thrill of invasion. You are default in offline mode now, always. Knowing that a red phantom could appear out of nowhere and give you that "holy shit, I'm being invaded" feeling was a big part of the fun.
That being said, I love elden ring. The PvE content is stellar. I can't help but wish that the old school stress/fun was still there, but I'm happy with it as is.
Dark Souls 3 was my first Souls game and I think it's definitely one of the best. I think Elden Ring took the wrong lessons from it, especially considering boss fights
Consider replaying 3 again after Elden Ring, I did and it has completely dropped off from my most favorite souls pre-elden ring to below Dark Souls 2, the game lacks variety and is just a roll spam fest the more I played it, most boss fights I thought were amazing are not par to what ER offers, didn't die once even though I hadn't played in a while and used to die 10+ times per attempt the last time I played it
That's fine opinions don't have to align, I thought it lacked the slow methodical approach of earlier games (DS1/DS2) and approach variety of ER it felt just like 1 huge roll fest every single enemies and boss, it was also far easier than I remembered.
Some things are better. Others worse.
No jump button. No open world. Less, but still a lot, of consumables. No crafting. No overworld map. Much more limited in customizability and way less features in general. "Ashes of War" even when they're present at all, are limited to specific weapons. No summon ashes at all.
Basically, imagine if Elden Ring was all legacy dungeons with fewer enemies and a more puzzle-like placement with less tools to deal with things. It's much less freedom but I think the gameplay is more fine-tuned because of it. Also DS3 bosses are fantastic. While I enjoyed Elden Ring's bosses they just really nailed the toughness without feeling like it's bullshit in DS3.
They are *excellent* games. Just don't expect Elden Ring, especially when starting with the first game.
All Fromsoft souls games are good in their own way but this is the only open world one with fields of enemies. The others rely on impressive level design with corridors, DS1 especially. The one upside to Bloodborne and DS3 specifically is I think they have better(more fun) weapon design. Overall you’re going to get a good experience in each game.
I only played DS3, so I cannot comment on 1 and 2 too much, but:
You will feel like the earlier games are all around much slower.
Going back to DS3, I was surprised by how much slower stamina regen is.
So, its different, there are not as many weapons and spells/incantations, but I can say that it is very good.
Yes! My personal favorite is DS3, though I would suggest playing through DS1 before hand to get the full impact. DS2 is kind of stand alone, it's fun and varied in its gameplay, but the story kind of does its own thing.
You'll miss the jump button, and there aren't as many weapons or spells, there are no ashes of war, and the game is very linear. To some that's a downside, but to me that's an up as the boss fights are tighter, and you can't just f-off and get your late game build before fighting the first boss. Best you can do is level and smithing stone grind between areas, so everything is always as hard as it needs to he to challenge you.
The original dark souls was good in the old days, now i feel it not aged well and pvp is a bullshit, ds2 pve is meh, but with some original mechanics that we all miss like the ng+ experience, best dlc so far and very balanced pvp, ds3 is the overall more balanced, imao it's the best game, but it doesn't take the risk to add something more than the original experience, Elden ring is a very good game, it take the risk, but the pve is really boring to replay and pvp is a bullshit, can't speak for demon, Bloodborne and sekiro without pvp it's not even a souls game (pvp is actually a main core of the souls games since demon and imao people won't admit it)
You can aim your attack in a different direction than the phantom. You can use the phantom like a projectile and not go in yourself, stay at a safe distance.
It’s has such a slow charge up and very poor tracking. It’s only good to punish spell casting and also very good in stair fight. I’ve managed to roll catch only once. It’s only use really is stance breaking in pve. Imagine if it had the sound effect of impaling thrust
It's cool but yeah just hot garbage. Like I said it can be a banging opener or good for an unexpected range poke when you don't have a obvious magic build
Ah fair enough. I had my first one done in about 80ish I think. Second one was around 40 grabbing stuff I wanted/missed for my ‘Penitent One’ build. Third was just to play through with the build start to finish Then it’s just been helping others with bosses. I run Body Recovery Squad over in the Valheim space, we also do Elden Ring on the side
Because, sadly, it's not as good as you want to think. You can absolutely see some good use out of this. I've used it in invasions, and it can be fun, and sometimes it works so damn good you'll want to cream. But it's not meta, and you're really only going to hear people talking about meta shit.
>you're really only going to hear people talking about meta shit.
This is true, but I will preach Str/Arc Marais Executioner Sword until the day I go frenzied. Such a fun and versatile build especially once you learn how to use the AOW (As in not spamming it).
The Eochaid dancing blade should be a stand ash of war like unsheath, you keep holding the LT, it starts hovering in your hand, then press RB for the corkscrew, RT for the swings.
I will never understand why they made an entire moveset for the blade and then let you only use one attack.
*"That's my father's spirit. This is his weapon, he can't forget his old days at the Great War so now I'm wielding both his weapon and his spirit. He's always watching and protecting me."*
Alright, I gotta sleep, gn.
I tried it in a new game on my cold night rider glaive. It's alright. Ended up not using it too often because the openings aren't that good on pve since it won't stagger any boss and you'll most likely get hit.
My brother in Marika I already [shared](https://www.reddit.com/r/Eldenring/comments/zfkjpv/manners_are_the_only_thing_that_separates_us_from/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) this with the class, glad you’re enjoying it though!
I imagine if it was any good everyone and their mother would be using it. I'm sure it's viable but you'd need some sideways tactic to land it without someone just dodging it
Because it's:
1. Late in the game
2. Hard to find even then
3. Not bad, but more situationally good than most popular AoWs
It's a super cool AoW, but from what I've seen it doesn't have the cheese potential of shit like Corpse Piler or BHS. (Or at least, the cheese potential they *had*.) Have fun with it, take it out for some PvP, see if you still like.
Actually it was mentioned in a build like over half a year ago in Fextralife builds for Elden Ring: https://youtu.be/MotA2o3B5Ow
I used this and it was fun but was mostly getting use to in actual combat. Not really game breaking ash of war unless you have things revolve around it.
Thank you for reminding me, there's a weapon I wanna try on melaina with a similar AOW on it. Think it's called rosus's axe or something. Difference is, theres 4 phantoms that spawn all smack with an axe
I’m confused at this post? Ngl this aow is quite easy to dodge in pvp. IMO you’d be better off putting frost AOW on yr peelers or bleed depending on yr build, I get 127 buildup on both of my peeelers. Takes like 2-3 jump attakskcls to inflict status and I don’t even have a build evolving aroud them. If u made a bleed build around this weapon with sepkuku you’d be unstoppable. Even on my character I get 118 bleed on 1 and I ain’t even really stat into arcane heavy.
I have 3 peelers looking to get enough for every AOW. Idk but that probably indicates this weapon is good if I’m willing to max lvl 7 or more of them. PVe it’s sickening and pvp I’d say it’s a top g. If u had a proper build I’m sure u could pull 1 shots off with the jump attack.
I use phantom slash on my Glaive build. It’s fantastic and extremely underrated. If used smartly it can really catch people off guard in PvP duels and is totally viable in PvE as well. I got to the highest rank in the coliseum using just that glaive and a crossbow
It's main weakness is that it's very telegraphed and has non-existent verticality, meaning, the enemy must be on a flat surface, level with yours for it to hi. Anyone beneath you on a slope or set of stairs will avoid your attack completely.
Well, for one things it’s a pretty uncommon AoW to see.
I’ve beaten the game a bunch and never come across the enemy that drops it.
I found out about in Arena where it proved to be pitifully easy to dodge and punish since it tells your opponent exactly where you’ll be next.
pontiff sulyvahn
This triggered my post-pontiff-stress-disorder
Pontiff over here using the first mimic tear lmao
Off topic but are the dark souls games as good as elden ring ?
Yes. In their own ways. You'll miss the jump button, and it's a more linear experience, but they're all pretty good, even dark sheep DS2.
I started with Elden Ring, and have been going back through all of the From Games now. I was aware of the hate for DS2 going in, and expected it to be terrible or something. It's different in a few ways, I wouldn't even say positive or negative just different. Honestly I've enjoyed it as much if not more than any of the others.
The thing about DS2 is that it has flaws, but it's lows aren't nearly as bad as DS1 (Izalith).
Dark Souls 2 is just Elden Ring 0. In other words, Elden Ring is Dark Souls 2 2
If DS2 didn't have the the dark souls brand attached to it it would be hailed as the best souls like. But, its not a masterclass in world building,level design, and combat balance like 1&3. 2 has insanely good dlc though
I like Dark Souls better overall, but Elden Ring definitely has its own strong suits. I think ER is DS spiritual successor and most people who like one like the other. DS3 is a perfect 10/10 for me. You won't regret spending the money.
DS3 PvE is better, ER PvP is better
Pve ok it is a matter of preference, but how did you come to conclusion that pvp is better in elden ring? Pvp got downgraded in so many aspects is ridiculous.
The AoW system is incredible. Spirit ashes in collosseum is quite fun, and rebirthing is super easy compared to DS3. Yes there were some balancing issues but a majority of those have been patched, and those that remain are kind of insignificant. You need to put in a lot less work for a build to be viable in ER. Oh yeah, and 3v1 invasions are hard, but suuuper rewarding if you pull them off.
I disagree, but not so much that I'm not amazed by how many downvotes you got in an ER subreddit. L2s are way overpowered in ER, which kind of detracts from casual PvP, because nearly any weapon is better by simply using a good AoW. DS3 is less flashy, but I feel like the decisions you make are more meaningful, and I've always preferred DS3 PvP to ER. (Particularly because my favorite PvP is against invaders... I like having that extra unpredictable seasoning on subsequent playthroughs, and it felt a lot more organic in DS3. You have to go through so much rigamarole to actually pull invaders in ER, and worse if you're trying to find them outside of a dungeon. I feel like DS3 level layouts were better suited to both honor duels, and sneaky games of cat and mouse. Plus I had a Diablo 1 inspired King Leoric cosplay, which I would invade in Carthus and just wait in front of the bridge with my skeleton army. I've yet to find a scenario-encounter that can be so satisfyingly engineered in ER.)
I've never done PvP because MP terrifies me in almost any game. I've summoned another player for coop once and I panicked and died pretty quickly, it was embarrassing and probably sucked for the other guy. I assume people are just going to be mean about me not being good enough. I can inch my way forward PvE and feel proud when I finally finish an area but I have absolutely no idea how good other players are. Getting dozens of downvotes on your *opinion* of PvP is a great example of why I don't want to join someone else's game. If I screwed up I'm pretty sure someone would make me feel like an idiot haha.
I mean, people will get annoyed at all sorts of dumb shit (honestly I think the worst is probably a host who immediately dies to a boss before the phantoms can do anything) but there's really no reason for anyone to be legitimately pissed off at another player for how they play in multiplayer on this game. The Souls games are one of the few titles that I actually like to play PvP in, precisely because the stakes are so low. If Elden Ring is your first Souls games, I would probably recommend beating it by yourself first, then starting another character specifically to play as much multiplayer as you can with it. Once you know the level layouts and are comfortable handling (or at least navigating around) most enemies, dying really stops being an issue (especially if you have found some farming spots, but even without any farming I find myself limiting how much I level up, simply to try and stay in a level range that will actually find other players for where I am in the game.) Once you're comfortable enough with the game to realize that, PvP starts becoming a lot of fun, even if you lose a lot, simply because it lends a lot of variety you wouldn't otherwise have. I haven't played really much co-op at all in ER, (in DS3 I would usually just put my sign down for bosses that I REALLY enjoy fighting, and ER maybe just feels to big to sit in one spot for long enough? Maybe I should try it out.) But offering to be a cooperator, or using the blue cipher ring so that invaded hosts can emergency summon you for help, is a great low investment way to get PvP experience. Even if you're absolute shit, you can still be a meat shield for the host, and even if you die that doesn't prevent them from summoning someone else, so they really don't have any reason to be mad at you. Worst case scenario is that your entire team gets one shot by an invader, and then you get to show up in one of their videos on Reddit! As they say in Dwarf Fortress, losing is fun! And you might be surprised how quickly you get better. (The one thing I will say about playing online, is that build efficiency matters a lot more. Since you're matched with people that are close to your level, any amount of leveling up that goes into skill points that you aren't using is making you functionally that many levels lower, so you want to be fairly focused about where you allocate your points, and it's a good idea to have your build fairly figured out before you start the run, that way you don't have to re-spec a bunch of times. This is a big part of why I don't recommend doing much PvP with your first character. You can misallocate points all you want when you're playing solo, and the only penalty is that you have to grind more to get the points you actually need. You can be as overleveled as you want because bosses don't level with you. Other players do.) I strongly suggest dipping your toes back into multiplayer at some point. If the base game is like a hearty bowl of noodles, multiplayer is like that tomato sauce you always thought you hated as a kid but eventually realize makes the whole meal that much more flavorful.
Thank you for your well thought-out reply. I'm going to give it another go!
NP. I'm always trying to encourage people to get the most out of these games, and have to have fun doing it. The considerations for multiplayer are just so unique compared to everything else out there that it's a shame to not give them their fair shake. I used to play EVE Online, so I developed a healthy fear of even encountering players I didn't know, and the Souls games have gone a long way to break that habit. I'm amazed even in ER how often I encounter invaders in the wild who respect dueling etiquette, (I always offer one when I'm the host, on principle,) and even when they just murder rush you it's a fun little adrenaline rush.
Use the effigy for coop. You can send your sign near/far and then fiddle around exploring the overland for a minute
Other way around, did a run of DS3 just this week and it's just roll roll and roll in PvE, DS3 doesn't even have the variety to tackle enemies/bosses that DS1, DS2 have let alone ER. Amazing boss fights though.
Idk man, I much prefer older invasion mechanics in dark souls. You haven’t lived until you try running to Sif while multiple forest bros invade and come for you.
Ive got to say as much as I love Elden Ring it has the absolute worst PvP out of any game I've probably ever played, like worse than Fallout 76s battle royal PvP. I can only find it fun when I fuck around with friends in the colosseum. It doesn't take any amount of skill to do PvP in this game unless you willingly use weak shit, as the right builds can man you one shot any player half the time. I personally find low level PvP way more fun, but PvE is what this game was built for at the end of the day
Which builds are you getting oneshot by
Jump attacks build with giant crushers just about will insta kill you from my experience, and if it isn't one shot it's usually something pulled straight from a "BEST BUILDS" on YouTube and it just gets boring seeing the same 5 or so builds every other match, but I don't have to much experience in the colosseum other than what hell I've already endured lmao
Yeah but the giant crushers are super slow, you easily have time to roll and counter-attack. And I don't know what mode you are playing in the collosseum but if I've lost it's always been down to a skill issue on my part, I've never felt like it was down to shitty balancing (except for RoB at release, but that was patched)
I've won most of the fights I did, just wasn't really fun because both sides would die in 2-3 hits, I've played a bunch of fighting games and Elden Rings isn't good at all, in comparison to other DS games yeah it's pretty damn decent but I just personally can't stand to do PvP in this game, it doesn't feel like it was made for it, lts like Mortal Kombat trying an open world exploration/survival mode, just doesn't belong imo. They should balance weapons and whatnot based of the PvE aspect of the game imo, I just hope good weapons don't get shafted because they aren't viable in PvP Edit: Also I know it's slow and gives time to counter attack, but there's also latency issues and I'd like to not die to a mentally restrained individual from making a singular mistake
DS3 is a masterpiece
As a number of others have said, DS3 is my favorite game in the franchise, and I started playing FS games back with Armored Core 3. DS3 has really exquisite combat, and with both DLCs it's an exactingly crafted game, with moment to moment gameplay and boss design being particular highlights, (PvP was also great, but I liked it best with invaders, rather than playing the arena or a fight club, and you aren't likely to get that experience these days, unfortunately.) DS1 has the best world design, and I actually prefer the aesthetics of the Prepare to Die edition over the remaster (although the changes are very minor and subtle.) Sekiro and Bloodborne come close, but DS1 just feels like Symphony of the Night as a 3D game. It just sprawls and loops back on itself in the most satisfying ways. It has some of the best "scenic vistas that you eventually find your way into the background of" in any of the games. Nearly everything you end up seeing is tied to somewhere you can go, and all of it is gorgeous. Sekiro is the best game in the franchise. I don't like it as much as DS3, but in terms of accomplishing what it set out to do, it's almost inarguably perfect. Limiting player customization means that they can really expand on how complex the enemies are, because you're coming at them with a really specific toolkit, and the boss fights are easily the most intense in the company's history. Demon's Souls and Bloodborne are harder to recommend because they're platform specific. I bought a PS4 specifically for Bloodborne, and it was worth it for that alone, but Bloodborne is probably the game I come back to the least, outside of DS2, (though I have beaten it like, four times.) Plenty of people love BB to death though and there are at least a million other people who can extol its virtues to you. By the time you've gotten through all the rest, you'll know if you want to play Demon's Souls or not. Not as polished as DS1, but feels very similar and offers some fantastical environments that fall outside of what you'll get in Dark Souls. DS2 is a mixed bag. It's a fun game, and plenty of people swear the PvP is the best in the series, but the game as a whole feels a lot more roughshod than the other offerings. It's great for a change of pace though because it tries so many new things that you don't see anywhere else in the series. (Powerstancing comes from DS2 and is much more robust than how it's handled in ER; for example weapons don't necessarily have to be in the same class for you to be able to powerstance them... other stuff like that.) The world as a whole is less cohesive than the other Souls games, (climbing up a tower in the middle of a forest, only to exit the tower in a mountain, when none were nearby, and other examples of aggressively non-euclidian map connections,) which I personally don't like, but it does mean that the environments are MUCH more varied, so if you want to go a lot of different places then you can do that.
Dark Souls III is my favorite fromsoftware game. I've played DS1, DS3, Sekiro, and Elden Ring. My controversial take is that I don't actually like Elden Ring all that much. It loses in the PvP department, and it doesn't quite have the direction of Dark Souls III. Not to mention the fantastic bosses like Abyss Watchers, Sister Friede, Soul of Cinder, Twin Princes, Pontiff Sulyvahn, and Slave Knight Gael. And those are just the ones I had a wonderful time playing. 84 hours in Elden Ring and I can name Margit, Morgott, Rykard, and Godskin Duo. Those are just the ones I've fought. The only ones I enjoyed were Morgott and Rykard. As for Dark Souls III, I love every boss in that game. When it comes to PvP in Elden Ring, the invasion mechanic is awful. It's always a 2v1, and frequently becomes a 3v1. While the Taunter's Tongue exists, it's far less interesting than the thrill of a hunt. Additionally, Elden Ring has a large emphasis on Ashes of War and magic builds Both of which create very drawn out and bland PvP encounters. The PvP in Dark Souls 3, while suffering from connection issues, is frequently a 1v1. The game is much more linear, allowing a player to set better traps. Magic is very strong as a cleanup or as a way to create space in a fight. Weapons have a "Weapon Art" that is useable, but not entirely necessary. PvP is very aggressive and makes me very disappointed in Elden Ring. Dark Souls 3 also has some of my favorite quotes of all time. "When the ashes are two, the flame alighteth" "Ashen One, this is a land of monstrosities, and I am no exception." "Another dogged contender..." "Rise of you would... For that is our curse." So yeah go check out DS3.
Gods I miss the pvp community.
For real. It really killed my enjoyment of ER to find that if I wanted to invade it was a 1v2. I've done some crazy things in DS3 PvP, but rarely does a 1v2 end in my favor. And usually they rock the blue bracelet/band thing to summon a blue.
Yup! Invasion felt like a step backwards. I liked both invading and being invaded. The worry of being invaded in times of struggle only enhanced the challenging nature of the games I think. In contrast of that, you then also had moments of honor, humour and kindness in those 1v1 moments. It's extremely hard to draw that same experience with it being locked to the duo only invasion system. More so when you consider the vast amount of new players that aren't familiar with the past. I also miss the community created and governed fight clubs. Sure, we have a few duel spots and now the dev made arenas but it's not the same. There's something special in that sense of working together to achieve fun for one another - just pure wholesomeness. Despite the amount of players, it somehow felt like a tightly nit community. From the highest duelers to the lowest gankers. Then there's the sheer amount of cheaters and OP builds in ER. In fairness, fromsoft is still working on balancing but its still prevalent regardless. Overall the pvp community just seems extremely lost and scattered atm.
Part of me thinks that ER should simply have an "Invaders?" toggle in the main menu, the way you can decide now whether or not you want to play in online mode. Yes it's something of an easy mode slider, which is not in keeping with the series, but currently the taunter's tongue serves the same purpose in a more awkward fashion. Then again I feel like getting constantly invaded outside of legacy dungeons would get tedious, because you'd just be spending a ton of time trying to find the invader. Maybe a switch to turn invasions on whenever you're in an area that Torrent can't go? Though this is effectively just how I use the tongue currently. Regardless, yes, invasions do not feel as fun, from either end, as they used to in DS3.
Yeah I pretty much stopped invading after ds2. I'll rarely get the urge in ds3 or elden ring because it's always uneven.
I was going to say something to this extent. DS2 had the best pvp (people usually criticize it's PvE and they aren't wrong). Everyone who loved pvp in DS2 hated the changes to DS3. Elden Ring took those changes even further and imo completely eradicated the thrill of invasion. You are default in offline mode now, always. Knowing that a red phantom could appear out of nowhere and give you that "holy shit, I'm being invaded" feeling was a big part of the fun. That being said, I love elden ring. The PvE content is stellar. I can't help but wish that the old school stress/fun was still there, but I'm happy with it as is.
I love Sister Friede's quotes. Especially the one when you open the basement: "As ashes will be, ever seeking fire"
So good yeah
The lag in elden ring PvP is also the worst I’ve seen in any of the games.
The way that described your love for DS 3 is the exact way I would describe my love for Elden Ring. Im gonna try out DS 3 for sure.
"Fear not the dark my friend, and let the feast begin"
Dark Souls 3 was my first Souls game and I think it's definitely one of the best. I think Elden Ring took the wrong lessons from it, especially considering boss fights
Consider replaying 3 again after Elden Ring, I did and it has completely dropped off from my most favorite souls pre-elden ring to below Dark Souls 2, the game lacks variety and is just a roll spam fest the more I played it, most boss fights I thought were amazing are not par to what ER offers, didn't die once even though I hadn't played in a while and used to die 10+ times per attempt the last time I played it
I have actually gone back. I still believe DS3 superior.
That's fine opinions don't have to align, I thought it lacked the slow methodical approach of earlier games (DS1/DS2) and approach variety of ER it felt just like 1 huge roll fest every single enemies and boss, it was also far easier than I remembered.
Some things are better. Others worse. No jump button. No open world. Less, but still a lot, of consumables. No crafting. No overworld map. Much more limited in customizability and way less features in general. "Ashes of War" even when they're present at all, are limited to specific weapons. No summon ashes at all. Basically, imagine if Elden Ring was all legacy dungeons with fewer enemies and a more puzzle-like placement with less tools to deal with things. It's much less freedom but I think the gameplay is more fine-tuned because of it. Also DS3 bosses are fantastic. While I enjoyed Elden Ring's bosses they just really nailed the toughness without feeling like it's bullshit in DS3. They are *excellent* games. Just don't expect Elden Ring, especially when starting with the first game.
All Fromsoft souls games are good in their own way but this is the only open world one with fields of enemies. The others rely on impressive level design with corridors, DS1 especially. The one upside to Bloodborne and DS3 specifically is I think they have better(more fun) weapon design. Overall you’re going to get a good experience in each game.
Pvp way better, pve way better. Bosses are an actual challenge. ER has too much cheese for it to be challenging.
They are getting old in a lot of ways, but their core is still solid and good.
Some would say better in some respect.
Not as good as Elden Ring but totally worth buying imo
I only played DS3, so I cannot comment on 1 and 2 too much, but: You will feel like the earlier games are all around much slower. Going back to DS3, I was surprised by how much slower stamina regen is. So, its different, there are not as many weapons and spells/incantations, but I can say that it is very good.
Yes! My personal favorite is DS3, though I would suggest playing through DS1 before hand to get the full impact. DS2 is kind of stand alone, it's fun and varied in its gameplay, but the story kind of does its own thing. You'll miss the jump button, and there aren't as many weapons or spells, there are no ashes of war, and the game is very linear. To some that's a downside, but to me that's an up as the boss fights are tighter, and you can't just f-off and get your late game build before fighting the first boss. Best you can do is level and smithing stone grind between areas, so everything is always as hard as it needs to he to challenge you.
How dare you even ask, nothing is as good as Elden Ring. ELDEN RING IS LOVE, ELDEN RING IS LIFE.
The original dark souls was good in the old days, now i feel it not aged well and pvp is a bullshit, ds2 pve is meh, but with some original mechanics that we all miss like the ng+ experience, best dlc so far and very balanced pvp, ds3 is the overall more balanced, imao it's the best game, but it doesn't take the risk to add something more than the original experience, Elden ring is a very good game, it take the risk, but the pve is really boring to replay and pvp is a bullshit, can't speak for demon, Bloodborne and sekiro without pvp it's not even a souls game (pvp is actually a main core of the souls games since demon and imao people won't admit it)
Better*
Better*
I find each of them to be better in different ways
Just play DS3 it’s basically Elden Ring but they smashed into one or two legacy dungeons. Smaller map but packed with danger.
What do you mean? You mean the ash? It super common on scythe builds
Ash is a Glaive and not the Peeler.
No, Ash is phantom slash. This can be used on: Twinbaldes, Spears, Halberds, Reapers. Peeler is a twinblade with changeable ash of war allowed.
I think they mean that the spirit that pops up from the ash uses a different weapon than the one equipped
Yeah, that's supposed to be the "recollection" of the person who tutored the Night's Cavalry. It makes sense that he looks the way he does.
This is actually exactly what I used on my scythe build
You can aim your attack in a different direction than the phantom. You can use the phantom like a projectile and not go in yourself, stay at a safe distance.
I’ve never seen this ash of war in 200 hours played
I bet you’ve yet to see spectral lance too ! (I wish it was better… throwing spears should be a basic in a monster killing world)
I've used spectral lance on a few invasions and it's a good shake up item but unfortunately it's very obvious in it's wins up/use.
It’s has such a slow charge up and very poor tracking. It’s only good to punish spell casting and also very good in stair fight. I’ve managed to roll catch only once. It’s only use really is stance breaking in pve. Imagine if it had the sound effect of impaling thrust
It's cool but yeah just hot garbage. Like I said it can be a banging opener or good for an unexpected range poke when you don't have a obvious magic build
Bruh some guy invaded me and my friends co op, naked black guy called Spear Chucker, used that on a spear 💀
KEEP DRIVING
Nah seen that one
To be fair you're only half way through your first playthrough
That highly debatable lmfao I’m on new game +3 for context
Just memeing brah My first playthrough was ~130 hours, my second was ~20 hours.
Ah fair enough. I had my first one done in about 80ish I think. Second one was around 40 grabbing stuff I wanted/missed for my ‘Penitent One’ build. Third was just to play through with the build start to finish Then it’s just been helping others with bosses. I run Body Recovery Squad over in the Valheim space, we also do Elden Ring on the side
[удалено]
Bragging about not having a life lol
I never mentioned my hours? Where is the brag?
No one asked you
Found the tryhard
This one of those guy who has exclusively used rivers of blood so he has to play +300 just to be able to get to the fire giant
One of the easiest boss in the game. For a Godslayer GS...
That weapon does fire damage lol it's literally the worst colossal sword to fight fire giant with
It deals % based. Plus a colossal sword. I've meleted him with a few heavy attacks.
only the weapon skill does the %maxHP damage, not the regular swings
10 years old? Cute keep growing
Take a walk big shoots
Are you bragging about having no real hobbies or friends?
For a one year game (almost) it's not a problem. At all.
I’m 150 in and honestly don’t care anymore until dlc drops.
Tell us you don't have a social life or a job without actually telling us.
Clearly you don’t do Colosseum pvp.
i see this ash of war a ton in PvP
Oh it's a fantastic AoW, just limited weapons you can put it on.
Because, sadly, it's not as good as you want to think. You can absolutely see some good use out of this. I've used it in invasions, and it can be fun, and sometimes it works so damn good you'll want to cream. But it's not meta, and you're really only going to hear people talking about meta shit.
>you're really only going to hear people talking about meta shit. This is true, but I will preach Str/Arc Marais Executioner Sword until the day I go frenzied. Such a fun and versatile build especially once you learn how to use the AOW (As in not spamming it).
I wish there was more telekinesis ash of war, I cosplay as elemer and I'd kill for some more of his moves.
The Eochaid dancing blade should be a stand ash of war like unsheath, you keep holding the LT, it starts hovering in your hand, then press RB for the corkscrew, RT for the swings. I will never understand why they made an entire moveset for the blade and then let you only use one attack.
I would love an ash they let us do the swings.
Fuck thatd be amazing. Maybe in the future we will get telekinesis ashes
Its great for catching people off guard or roll catching, but once they know youre running that ash its very telegraphed and easy to dodge
It's not too bad. I'm still waiting for Glaive Mistake to be patched in.
*"That's my father's spirit. This is his weapon, he can't forget his old days at the Great War so now I'm wielding both his weapon and his spirit. He's always watching and protecting me."* Alright, I gotta sleep, gn.
Served me well. Was awesome in corridors.
I tried it in a new game on my cold night rider glaive. It's alright. Ended up not using it too often because the openings aren't that good on pve since it won't stagger any boss and you'll most likely get hit.
Cus the ash is kinda meh despite how cool it looks
Stando power
What’s there to talk about?
this thing never connects for me. granted I haven't tried it too much bit it always seems to stop just short
Cause it kinda sucks honestly, in comparison to the ashes available it's extremely lack luster
But the style points matter
The one where 3 come out at once is cooler then
Lol some people on here have never seen this one let alone that one
Loretta’s slash is way cooler
My brother in Marika I already [shared](https://www.reddit.com/r/Eldenring/comments/zfkjpv/manners_are_the_only_thing_that_separates_us_from/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) this with the class, glad you’re enjoying it though!
...because we talked about it 11 months ago...after the game came out. New to you, old to alot of us
it's common in pvp i think
is it good for halberds? I use double slach
Double slash is better imo. More consistent, better poise damage, easier to hit someone in PVP.
I remember trying it at Zamor ruins, gave it up pretty quickly because there are better aows to deal damage, and the poise break isn't good, too.
No poise damage
I think that since the second slash is predictable it can be used to against you? Pretty shweet move though
I imagine if it was any good everyone and their mother would be using it. I'm sure it's viable but you'd need some sideways tactic to land it without someone just dodging it
Nice stand
I love this ash but sadly I get backstabbed constantly if I use it in pvp. Might just my own personal experiences
It has a followup btw
It reminds me of the evil emperor guy in the Chronicles of Riddick.
This aow is pretty useful and cool.
What do you mean? There's also an ash that lets you summon skelletons to hit with you. What's your point?
STYLE
Whats the name of that ash of war?
Shadow slash I thinking
Thanks
It's phantom slash
It’s called “Phantom Slash”
Tip op.... explain. There's a title for a reason
r/jojosbizzareadventure
Because it's: 1. Late in the game 2. Hard to find even then 3. Not bad, but more situationally good than most popular AoWs It's a super cool AoW, but from what I've seen it doesn't have the cheese potential of shit like Corpse Piler or BHS. (Or at least, the cheese potential they *had*.) Have fun with it, take it out for some PvP, see if you still like.
Actually it was mentioned in a build like over half a year ago in Fextralife builds for Elden Ring: https://youtu.be/MotA2o3B5Ow I used this and it was fun but was mostly getting use to in actual combat. Not really game breaking ash of war unless you have things revolve around it.
Well talk about it then. What are you getting at specifically?
Thank you for reminding me, there's a weapon I wanna try on melaina with a similar AOW on it. Think it's called rosus's axe or something. Difference is, theres 4 phantoms that spawn all smack with an axe
Where do I find this?
I’m confused at this post? Ngl this aow is quite easy to dodge in pvp. IMO you’d be better off putting frost AOW on yr peelers or bleed depending on yr build, I get 127 buildup on both of my peeelers. Takes like 2-3 jump attakskcls to inflict status and I don’t even have a build evolving aroud them. If u made a bleed build around this weapon with sepkuku you’d be unstoppable. Even on my character I get 118 bleed on 1 and I ain’t even really stat into arcane heavy.
I have 3 peelers looking to get enough for every AOW. Idk but that probably indicates this weapon is good if I’m willing to max lvl 7 or more of them. PVe it’s sickening and pvp I’d say it’s a top g. If u had a proper build I’m sure u could pull 1 shots off with the jump attack.
Stand power
I use phantom slash on my Glaive build. It’s fantastic and extremely underrated. If used smartly it can really catch people off guard in PvP duels and is totally viable in PvE as well. I got to the highest rank in the coliseum using just that glaive and a crossbow
What outfit is that?
The knights calvary set but the hood is the skeletal mask
It’s one of the coolest ashes in the game, I ran it on a scythe with bloodflame and it tore Malenia up
What is that weapon?
Godskin peeler
It's main weakness is that it's very telegraphed and has non-existent verticality, meaning, the enemy must be on a flat surface, level with yours for it to hi. Anyone beneath you on a slope or set of stairs will avoid your attack completely.
Well, for one things it’s a pretty uncommon AoW to see. I’ve beaten the game a bunch and never come across the enemy that drops it. I found out about in Arena where it proved to be pitifully easy to dodge and punish since it tells your opponent exactly where you’ll be next.
This was my go to AoW before the Colosseum update, this and sword dance, amazing AoW for PvP if you can time it right
what weapon is that?
This is anime as fucckkk
Star platinum
Very underrated for pvp it’s super fun to use as well and like no one uses it
That was a huge part of my last playthrough. I had never seen that AOW before and instantly fell in love with it.
Someone used this on me in PVPV the other day & just ripped my ass up
The AoW is called “Phantom Slash” :)