Thursday, 24 April 2014

Black Gulch #2

I'd been back to Black Gulch a few times since first discovering it (the wonders of bonfire warping). It's not somewhere I stayed for long though as those poison-spitting statues really get my goat. The boss actually isn't too far in but the run to him is a pain (as is he!).

On one of my ventures I brought a torch and discovered 2 things. 1 - the black puddles on the ground can be set on fire and 2 - there's a series of ledges below the main path. The fire in the puddles doesn't really do much to deter the octopus/hand monsters but the ledges are a god send. I met Lucatielle down there in the throws of madness and also a couple of giants. I read a message saying to try poison against them so 3 squirts of Toxic Mist and they were almost dead. They hide a lift which brings you very close to the boss.

The Rotten is a tough one. He has powerful cleaver attacks and a mountain of HP. To make it worse he's surrounded by flaming areas which drain your life. I couldn't get a read on his attacks and he was regularly flattening me. He also didn't seem susceptible to any elemental damage which is my normal fallback for tough enemies. I resorted to calling in a couple of Sun Bros which eventually did the trick and gave me my fourth great soul.

Wednesday, 23 April 2014

Backtracking (Keys Edition)

I now had some keys that hadn't opened anything yet. I first returned to the Shaded Woods to investigate the two dead ends. One still required the King's seal or something but the other, The Shrine of Winter, now let me through. I was surprised to find it leading me to Drangleic Castle as I only had 3 of the 4 great souls but I decided to leave it (as the temporarily displaced Emerald Herald advised).

After chatting to the guy who wants Pate dead again, I went back to the mist covered forest area as I'd previously just ran through it in abject fear. Nothing like a Lightning Greatsword and +10 Gyrm Armour to help with the aul confidence. The invisible enemies fire crossbows and also have a penchant for back-stabs but the wide arc of the sword cleared em out good. The Chloranthy Ring +1 was the best of the numerous treasures. I found Vengarl's disembodied head (?) who sells his weapons and Gold Pine Resin. Picked up a Claymore from him also.

I revisited the Shaded Ruins and massacred the Giant Basilisk as well as using a Frangrant Branch to get the Lion Mage set (increases casting speed) and another Fragrant Branch (losing count now!).

As I had picked up the Brightstone key off the Duke I revisited spiderland (warping makes all this almost too easy). I found Pate and the other guy in a mortal duel and gathered I had to step in. As Pate seemed like the Patches type I decided to stick it to him. I received a full armour set along with Pates ring and spear. Also another key - for the guys "den" which contained the Engraved Gauntlets. Nice haul!

I knew where to go to use the Duke's key and after incinerating an army of spiders I got the Black Knight Greatsword and a Fire Seed. Unlike previous BK gear I'd gotten I actually had sufficient stats to wield it and what a beauty it is. Great two-handed strong attack that thrusts like a rapier. Poured all of my 10 twinkling titanites into it to get it to +4.

Weapon Infusion

I returned to McDuff in the Lost Bastille with the Dull Ember I'd found in the Iron Keep. This allows him to infuse weapons with the special ore stones to produce Lightning/Magic/Fire etc. weapons. The system is much more straightforward than in the previous games with you just requiring one of the special stones to make a weapon of that type and then it can be reinforced as normal with ordinary titanite. Also having one blacksmith to look after all infusions is way handier.

In DS1 a lot of the special ores you found were useless for your current build as they only reinforced a weapon along one exclusive path. Now there are less special stones (as you only need one to create the weapon) and more universal titanite. This really takes the farming out of weapon building. The fact you can also infuse a weapon at any level (rather than getting it to +5 first) also streamlines the process. Boss weapons can also be infused!

I upgraded my +6 Greatsword to a Lightning Greatsword and got it to +8. I wanted to create a fire weapon from a lighter sword but only the Royal Greatsword fit the bill and it already has a bleed effect which takes away from it's overall stats.


Tuesday, 22 April 2014

50 hours in

I really seem to be taking my time with this game. Was surprised to see I have 50 hours clocked up. Some areas I've flown through as by their very nature I was probably overpowered for them. I suppose as there is a separate route to each Old One which get progressively more difficult, when you finish one the beginning of the next will seem easier.

Some of the level design has been excellent and some not so. My main gripe would be the lack of an organic progression from one to the next. Harvest Valley to Earthen Peak fits in terms of theme and geography. The next jump to Iron Keep made no sense in either respect. Heide's Tower to No Man's Wharf felt bizarrely juxtaposed.

Certain areas are almost over before they've begun. Maybe its the extra bonfires (or what feel like "extra" bonfires they're so plentiful!) that make it easier to miss alternate routes as you only see a lot of the sections once before hitting a new checkpoint. Great in terms of reducing frustration but not so good for getting a real feel for the environments. Will definitely have to revisit a couple of the areas, the likes of The Gutter felt as if I went down 2 ladders and then it was over!

I miss the old shortcuts too. The ones that gave you early access to an area (e.g. Valley of Drakes) or a quick path back (e.g. Undead Parish elevator). Maybe there are some in there that I haven't come across. (Can't wait to check all of the secret stuff on YouTube once I get to NG+). There are still some well devised shortcuts within levels ala Demon's Souls but the whole warping dynamic has changed the relationship between areas and makes for a less cohesive gameworld imo.



Duke's Dear Freja

I had periodically returned to fight the spider boss in Brightstone Cove a few times without much success. I was getting better though. I found that I was best off getting close and risking being caught be her jumping attack then to keep running in and out.

With the NPC summon things were easier as he was adept at taking out the small spiders leaving me to focus on Freja. My eventual winning strategy was to alternate between getting in her face and hitting her with pyromancies. My +10 Gyrm Armour allowed me to take a big hit without fear of being one-shotted. The attempt on which I killed her saw her almost paralysed for the second half of the fight whilst I weighed in to her rear face as she was distracted by the Ashen Knight I'd summoned.

Upon defeat her soul is left as a light on the ground in a change from the usual auto-aquisition. No idea why. As I was basking in a post-boss relaxed mood the appearance of another enemy was a bit of a shock. The Duke only took one hit however but did drop the Brightstone Key. In my post-post-boss relief I was even more startled by the dual-wielding oaf waiting for me at the bonfire. I cautiously battled to ensure my 50k of souls stayed intact, nerve-wracking stuff! He dropped the excellent Vengarl set which may outperform my Gyrm armour when upgraded.

Iron Keep #2

This area has a proper Souls feel to it - it's tough, progress can be slow and there are plenty of treasures that require some figuring out to get. I again fell for the Mimic! but in the process found a detour up and over the foundry part of the level.

The initial knights had stopped respawning by the time I'd gotten proficient at making it to the end. The last hurdle of turtle knights (or Ironclad Knights to give them their official title) mixed with flame spewing ornaments proving particularly tricky. The orange messages were again invaluable as they helped me locate a ladder to a bonfire right before the boss.

The Old Iron King is a lava minotaur who is a bit like a less dangerous Ceaseless discharge in that he leaves his arms for you to swipe at following his attacks. A few co-op sessions and I had him sussed with only his sweeping palm attack causing any bother. Defeating him gave me my second large soul and opened up another primal bonfire back to Majula.

Wednesday, 16 April 2014

Iron Keep / Sol Belfry

After a short stint of PVP with the Rat covenant I returned to the Iron Keep. This Bowser's Castle-like area has a knight on every corner. Fortunately the melee ones are a doddle, as despite wielding what looks like a katana they do one attack and then pause for a long time leaving them wide open. I was one-shotting them for fun and racking up the souls to boot.

The archers are more of a pain but it's really the environment which poses the greatest issue with its narrow walkways over lava etc. Not far in I came to a boss, the Smelter Demon. He seems like your average human-type boss with sword. He did an AOE on me whilst I was on the ground (cheap!) which seemed really powerful. Decided to investigate the pathways behind his room before returning.

Up there I came across the bane of my existence - the turtle knights - on narrow walkways too! The following room granted me access to a bonfire via a Pharros device which was a welcome respite. The bonfire area doesn't allow you access back to the Iron Keep but instead sees you climb a ladder to the Belfry Sol. I don't like Belfry Sol from the annoying leprechaun who grants access to the covenant to the seemingly random NPC phantoms that dropped by to the little gnomes with their fire axes.

I got invaded after ringing the bell (does that trigger it?) and was doing quite well until a second invader appeared. A swift death and I decided to join the covenant to prevent further invasions. The area is quite short and saw me dropped back to where I'd left off in the Iron Keep.

More Backtracking

Having come up to the foreboding looking/sounding Iron Keep I decided to retreat temporarily and catch up on some lost treasure. I first went back to the Shaded Ruins to use my Fragrant Branch on another human statue. Unfortunately the ungrateful Lion Tribesman attacked me once awakened and the area he was blocking held no treasure and seems like it was already accessible :(

I then returned to Harvest Valley to take on the pit of sickle-wielding monsters there. This yielded a fair amount of items and a crystal lizard to boot. I also got another Fragrant Branch but the only other statue I've come across is another lion dude in Shaded Ruins who isn't blocking anything so I fail to see the point.

The Fire Seed I got went straight to Rosabeth for a Pyro Glove+4. Not really using my pyromancies too much. Flame Swathe comes in handy when in a pinch but Toxic Mist seems hit and miss. The others aren't really powerful enough to be worth it.

I also took my Gyrm Armour to +10. It has ridiculously high physical defense now (I think my overall is 850!) and I still have a spare slab if needed. Got the Demons Great Hammer by trading with the crows. (Discovered they also take Prism Stones which is good for burrs and homeward bones.) It needs to be two handed but it upgrades with regular titanite so might be worth a try.

Monday, 14 April 2014

Earthen Peak #2

I'll admit that having moaned on boards.ie about the boss I was told that you could drain the poison in the arena. I had a sneaky look on the wiki (first time I've had to resort to this) and found if you burned the windmill it would do this. So logical?!?! Whilst on the wiki I noticed the list of items to be found in Earthen Peak and realised I'd missed most of them! So I went back to the game and started the area from the beginning and sure enough there was a whole section I'd missed as I'd failed to notice a turn down an alternate corridor.

I found Pate again who was just moping about treasure. I found a few jumps and drops that led to treasure as well as new NPC - Gilligan who supplies ladders (and is a source of Aromatic Ooze). The only item of note was probably the Poisonbite ring. With the treasure hunting over I searched for access to the windmill and sure wasn't there a host of messages telling me what to do.

With my torch having set blaze to the sails I was off to to see the slithery one. With the poison gone I could concentrate on her moveset which is varied enough and caught me out a few times. Her lunges track ridiculously well and only leave a small gap after to attack. Her magic bomb leaves her vulnerable but again only for a slight moment. I was able to stagger her with two hits but getting those two hits was the problem. Eventually I got her, more down to a few fortunate dodges than anything else.

Earthen Peak #1

This area with its variety of enemy types, different routes and general nastiness is one of my favourite thus far. It reminded me somewhat of Sen's Fortress with its large central space with its feeling of height and constant whirring noise(of cogs not blades thankfully). It conveys the atmosphere of the poison processing plant that it is and it blends perfectly with the preceding area in terms of tone and continuation of theme (something sadly missing form a lot of the areas in DS2).

It was definitely the first challenge since setting out from Huntsman's Copse. The initial assassin type enemies are nimble but don't prove a challenge but the later combos of warden knights and pyro ladies have a nice balance between armour and ranged attacks which can prove tougher.

I began by meeting Lucatiel for the 3rd time. She seemed on the brink of hollowing so it may be the last. She did give me a Ring of Steel Protection +1 which adds a whopping 50 onto my physical defense. With the Gyrm Armour at +5 I now have 760 defense!

I was tearing through the level until I came across a mimic and was promptly eaten. Fortunately the second bonfire isn't too far from the end which requires you to negotiate a couple of tight squeezes with the fire mages. I used Toxic Mist on them as a ranged approach as fire obviously wasn't going to work. Another tight spot sees you drop down to two knights surrounded by a poisonous lake as they guard the doorway you're trying to enter.

Again another generously-placed bonfire, albeit behind a hidden wall but with all of the orange soapstone signs is there anything really hidden?!, which is right before the this entrance is most welcome. Beyond which is the boss and an absolute stinker she is. The deformed queen takes the shape of a snake with a decapitated Medusa-like head in one hand. It's bad enough that she has powerful magic attacks and lunges with a flurry of spear pokes but the battle takes place in a lake of poison! Aaaagh!


Friday, 11 April 2014

Harvest Valley

Harvest Valley sounds like a lovely place, full of sun-drenched crops and butterflies! Souls serves us up an area where the undead are processed into poison as far as I can tell. Poison is everywhere. You have to get through a ditch filled with toxic ooze just to get to the bonfire! I did meet an attractive young lass mind who appears to be the blacksmiths daughter. She harps on about rare stones but has none to sell nor can she create weapons with them it seems.

The poison fog that dominates a lot of the area isn't as toxic as it is off-putting. I went for a couple of explorations through it with enough time to heal and grab all of the goodies. I met Gavlan the merchant dwarf again but by the time I'd gone back to my item box to get all my junk to sell to him he'd disappeared.

The only enemy who poses any threat were these two-storey high troll things that hurl dark hexes at you. They don't aggro unless you're right in there face though. There are a few hammer wielding muscle men later on but they're so predictable they cause minimal stress.

The boss, The Covetous Demon, is also a cinch. He's just a giant slug-like thing that can barely move. With him dispatched I headed on to Earthen Peak.

Huntsman's Copse #2

Across a large metal bridge I elected to delve into a cave to find some old friends – the resurrecting skeletons. Like before once you find the necromancer they stay dead. The necromancers now have those homing soul spears which are annoying but otherwise I had no bother. I eventually got a key which gave me access to a bonfire at the beginning of the caves so back I went.

Here I met an NPC who told me that Pate was a bad egg and he was basically going to kill him. Fair enough. Back through the cave via a shortcut I'd opened and on to the boss. The Skeleton Lords consist of about 8? slightly tougher skeletons with a couple of mages, bonewheels and some dual wielders amongst them. Handy enough as there are pillars to retreat behind and there only seemed to be 2 guys attacking at any one time. The R2 strong attack on the Large Club has a wide arc and is great for smashing multiple enemies like the weaker skeletons. On to Harvest Valley.

Thursday, 10 April 2014

Huntsman’s Copse #1

Whilst back in Majula I remembered I had intended to investigate the light that had appeared over the entrance to the Heide’s tower path. So much to do in this game you often get distracted! Down below I found the miracle-selling woman from before now offering to own up a new path for me. Another new path! That will make a third front I can be pushing on (whilst I work up the stomach to tackle the spider queen and/or Black Gulch).

The tunnel opens up with a hillside path with a ruin at its summit and a wood beyond. The enemies are mainly bandit types who go down in one hit from my trusty Large Club+10. There’s a leap of faith to a hidden path through the other end of the ruin but there aren’t any treasures of note to be found. There is an executioner type who I managed to plunge attack – always fun!

Past the ruin, the wood contains some larger, more lethal dudes with sickles and some poison fog emitting moths but still largely a breeze to negotiate. Similar to the Gutter this area is probably designed to be visited earlier on (not at SL78!). I am enjoying the area though, I like the disorientating effect of the trees and the ambushes are very Souls. With all the enemies dead I found a lever. Onwards!

Straid

I could only think of two human statues I’d encountered and the beastman in the Shaded Ruins didn’t appeal to me so that left they guy in the cell in The Lost Bastille who suspiciously had a bonfire right beside him.

I think I made the right call as Straid trades in Boss Souls! No more upgrading weapons before converting them into boss soul weapons, Straid just shows you each weapon/spell that can be made from the souls you have. Excellent idea in my book, especially for someone playing blind, as there’s no need to reference wikis or the like.

I picked up a hefty club for the Lost Giant’s soul, a small Barbed Club for the Flexile Sentry’s, an ultra greatsword for the Pursuer’s, a magic bow for the Dragonrider’s and Toxic Mist for the Rat Vanguard’s. Most of the weapons require a DEX of 18 but I definitely want to try them out so I’m willing to put 6 levels in (60k in souls at this stage).

Wednesday, 9 April 2014

The Black Gulch

Following my holiday in the Gutter I was quickly introduced to what a real hostile environment is meant to entail. The bioluminescence in the cave at least allowed me to put my torch away and good thing too as my Drangleic shield was definitely required in my off hand.

The walls are lined with those damn statues and their poison spewing malarkey. I did discover I could smash them but there are so many and they respawn after you die. I tried using some Common Fruits to raise my poison resistance but it didn't make much difference.

There are some tough enemies to combat whilst avoiding the poison, these hand-like floating things who can deliver insta-death if they grab and bite you and some giant eel-like creatures who hit hard. I decided after a few goes of endlessly getting poisoned and burning through my Lifegems and trying to sneak past the eels to give up. I had found another Fragrant Branch of Yore and was eager to investigate the possibilities.

The Gutter

This is now only the second area where a torch has been a necessity (I had nearly 2 hours worth of torches starting The Gutter!) and it definitely changes the dynamic. Unfortunately the enemies aren't particularly challenging between weak hollows and the slow mutant quadrupeds and I didn't really miss my shield as much as I would've thought.

The area see's you descend down endless ladders, some of which drop you to your death, trying to find the correct combination that will see you escape. It never even glimpses the heights of confusion and despair I experienced when getting lost in Blighttown and apart from the poison-spewing statues that are everywhere it doesn't prove to be as hostile as you would expect. Theres even a handy bonfire half-way through which feels totally unnecessary. Maybe if you play it earlier in the game it's more of a challenge?

I made it to the bottom which lead me to a cave entrance. I didn't find a boss, well there was a large insect (similar to the one in DS1 that guards the Power Within spell) but he wouldn't even qualify as a mini-boss.

Monday, 7 April 2014

The Pit / Grave of Saints

I'd given the Pit a try before when I got the Silver Cat ring (reduces fall damage) but still died at the third fall and gave up. Now it may seem like I planned it when you read on but I just happened to give the Pit another go on my return to Majula as I now had the Lion Warrior Cape which also reduces fall damage.

After a couple of attempts I made it to an entrance and into the Grave of Saints. I tip-toed through these catacombs only to find no enemies. There were plenty of bloodstains and warnings but nothing. It was only when I noticed 3 rats waiting in a wall that I realized I was amongst comrades! The Rat covenant was preventing the rats from attacking me! That was handy.

Came to a boss fog and was presented with an army of rats who to my surprise did attack. The Lingering Flame was invaluable again with the rats so bunched up the mines took out several in one go. Following that I again met the Rat King. This is another, and seemingly better, area I could use for reverse invasions and promptly tried it out only to be lag stabbed :( Yes it still exists. In fairness I think I got unlucky that time as the other battles I had were far better than DS1 with much less lag.

Behind the Rat King is another set of perilous drops which, past some exploding zombies, leads to a series of rickety wooden ladders and scaffolding reminiscent of Blighttown. 2 minutes later I was poisoned and in the dark, this is Blighttown! Welcome to The Gutter.

Return of the Rat

Elected to head back to the Doors of Pharros to try out some more lockstones. Unfortunately the third part of the door I'd already wasted most of my lockstones on only returned a spear with a high DEX requirement. Some of the others only set up permanent traps such as giant shurikens and axe-throwing statues. What a waste.

Since last taking on the Royal Rat Authority I'd gotten my Large Club to +10 so I really fancied my chances against Mr Big Rat. I'd also devised a new strategy too, thanks to my 2 new spell slots I was able to equip Lingering Flame and left these like mines in wait for the smaller rats. The big guy is a bit like Sif I suppose in that getting under his belly is the way to go. I could block all of his attacks but his insistence on doing his head lunge at inopportune moments began to scupper my efforts. Said lunge tracks you really well so rolling at 69% equip wasn't really an option. Just legging it at him seemed to work best. Sometimes he would leap away other times he'd hang about letting me get a swipe in whilst under him.

His last ditch attacks was a corrosive ooze which broke some of my armour but I manged to get one last bash in to finish him off. The now unblocked tunnel didn't lead me to a plethora of chests as I'd hoped but instead a rat NPC and a covenant. Immediately I knew this is where the reverse-invasion Gray Spirit phenomenon I'd experienced several times in the caves below had originated. Suffice to say I joined up in search of some PVP shenanigans.

Brightstone Cove Tseldora #2

Following the church there are two paths down through the rock-face cave dwellings with both paths proving tricky to negotiate. Top of the annoyances list are the mage types firing unerring homing soul-spears at you as you find a path down the cliff face. The mutant spider men inherit the same attack power as their spider parasites but back it up with more HP thanks to their fleshy hosts and can be troublesome in numbers. The basilisks barely provide a threat now thanks to my increased petrify protection via the Lost Sinner's gear.

The trek is certainly not without reward though as I picked up a Southern Ritual Band +1 which offers an additional 2 spell slots! Ideal for my build where I don't want to waste levels on Attunement. There's plenty of other loot too as I smashed down furniture and detritus to find hidden doors and secret passageways aplenty.

It took a while to fully clear out the area and establish where to go but eventually I found a gateway of sorts guarded by a red phantom miner (I wasn't invaded so not sure what his story is). Beyond him was another set of vault doors with the spider logo and a building chock-full of arachnids. This was the first part I'd encountered where using the torch was of any help as I made my way down spider web walkways in the dark.

At the base is the inevitable boss fog and the even more predictable giant spider boss! This is a toughie as most of the torso and legs are impervious to damage and its head at either end prevents the usual "attack the rear" strategy. That's saying nothing of its laser death-beam and paralyzing web attacks! Not aided by the fact she is surrounded by a bunch of normal spiders to keep you on your toes. Might need to revisit this one as initial attempts proved fruitless.

Thursday, 3 April 2014

Brightstone Cove Tseldora #1

Emerging from the caves of the Doors of Pharros saw me arrive in a surprisingly open area, an encampment of sorts occupied with tents, hollow miners and were-pigs. DS2 has a lot more of these open environments than in previous Souls games. It just feels not-right somehow.

Anyway, progressing along the edge of the mountain brings a deep vista of a quarry full of crystalline peaks and the surrounding huts carved into the rock-face. Some more dregling types with larger than expected HP come at you with curse and bleed damage and can be quite the nuisance.

The path ends with a vault door with a spider emblazoned on it - you know what that means! Inside sees wall like Swiss cheese, full of little holes and then a chamber with a chest in the middle :P The ensuing spider swarm was a handful, they may have low HP but their attacks went through my colossal Gyrm armour (Mega tank stuff I picked up in the Doors of Pharros) with ease.

After a solitary chamber of attacks comes the boss fog and a slightly different boss - the Prowling Magus. This bolt-firing bishop is surrounded by his congregation (who have a separate health bar), two of which are also firing bolts. Get too close to the Magus, having dodged his flock, and you get a nasty Wrath of the Gods to the head. It's a fight that requires patience as you thin down the crowd avoiding the sticking points of the pews (its set in a small church ala False Idol in Demon's Souls) and gradually whittling down the magic wielders.... until they heal! 3 goes and I had it sussed but a very satisfying battle.

Wednesday, 2 April 2014

Doors of Pharros

I like this area, with its shrine of sorts carved into a cave and the endless Pharros devices hinting at secrets and hidden routes. The enemies are complete pushovers from the giant mastodon men to the heavily armoured dwarves. The speedy rats may cause toxic but they are still far easier than the old zombie dogs of DS1. There was a mimic though who caught me out though so I didn't escape unscathed.

I initially took the lower path which brought me on a tour of all the devices. I also got reverse invaded - I was summoned as a grey phantom with the host and the enemies all ganging up on me. Suffice to say I died. No idea what that was about probably some new covenant.

I managed to get two thirds of a door open but my remaining lockstones were used in the search for treasure. Will need to return for that one. I came upon a bonfire after no time at all with the boss fog right beside it (some of these area are very brief encounters). The boss is a giant rat who rushes and barges and then rushes some more. I was distracted by avoiding its rat babies who can inflict toxic in no time at all in a group. This meant I didn't really get a feel for his attack pattern.

I decided to return and check out the higher path which brought me swiftly to the exit and on to the next area -Brightstone Cove Tseldora. I have unfinished business in the cave between doors and bosses so I shall return.

Tuesday, 1 April 2014

Patch 1.03

Patch notes from Wiki (see here)

1 Successful Online coop with white / small sigh stone will now revive you back to human
2 Bug where entrance door to Drangleic Castle did not open has been fixed
3 failing to create multiplayer session no longer disables use of online items such as white soap stone
4 starting boss fight with Mirror Knight while summoning coop player no longer fails / cancel summoning process
5 death match error at the undead purgatory has been fixed
6 you will no longer be able to take off Covenant related rings while being summoned
7 bug which dropped items were not be able to picked up again due to the 'inventory is full ' message has been fixed
8 dialog will now pop up when you enter the coffin at the Things Betwixt
9 fixed bug where at certain areas blood stains, illusions and messages were not displayed
10 bug which location of object and item were reset has been fixed
11 display response time at character making has been improved
12 bug where angle of the tattoo chosen at the character making screen did not display correctly has been fixed
13 response time of start menu / bonfire menu has been improved
14 certain items not being available at the shops in NG+ and later has been fixed
15 summoned players no longer fall under the ground at Earthen Peak
16 bug which caused souls to be lost while equipping life protection ring has been fixed
17 bug which caused face icon displayed at the summon sign to be of different player has been fixed
18 Trophy icon for the Guardian of Fort(?) fixed
19 Controller now vibrate when guarding
20 equip menu info on dark magic has been fixed
21 bug which caused player to fall through elevator while using binoculars and casting spell has been fixed

1 - This is a game changer. I'd been randomly reviving when summoned, thought it was a glitch! Has saved me lots of effigies and the feature made 100% is only good news

8 - Ruins the surprise if you ask me.

9 - had noticed some barren areas. Especially noticeable at the moment because of all the activity.

13 - Most welcome, lag can be annoying

21 - Very specific set of requirements that!

Shaded Woods #2

The mist covered path through the trees delivers on its ominous appearance as no sooner are you in than attacks are coming out of nowhere (arrows?). I elected to leg it and somehow stumbled on a path away from the mist. DS2 has a habit of delivering a bonfire just when your praying for one (and often when you're not) and it didn't let me down.

The area that follows is the creepiest and nastiest in the game thus far. Despite it being a bright, well-lit area the constant threat of curse status (and the associated warning noise) and the cackling in the background are enough to keep you unsettled. There are gourds everywhere which increase your curse level if you're near them and the dreadlocked man-beasts also inflict curse status with their attacks. There's also a giant basilisk lurking as if juxtaposed in the middle of the area just to alarm you. Falling through the false-floor trap sees his petrify inflicting babies swarm you and if that wasn't bad enough there's corrosive acid down there which breaks your equipment. Nightmare.

Probing about got me a Dark Scythe (bit weak) and a scorpion-bodied NPC (who says nothing). Fortunately once you find the boss fog you realise you've got an easy sprint from the bonfire straight there. The boss is also scorpion-bodied and is not dissimilar to Quelaag. Initially her Soul Spears, Homing Soulmass and pouncing tail attacks make her seem like a formidable opponent but after a couple of goes I realised I can get right up in her face relatively easily. I did summon a helper but really she's quite a doable boss without one. My new fireballs came in really handy also allowing me to mix it up between ranged and melee. Once defeated I moved through the tunnel she was protecting to the Doors of Pharros.

Pyromania

Decided I need to spice things up a bit and give myself an alternative attack. Pyromancy is the obvious choice as it requires so little stat investment. I did a few runs being summoned for the Lost Sinner and quickly amassed 50k souls (on a side note I noticed having watched the Lost Sinner cutscene a few times that she only seems to come alive when the insect crawls into her eye, is the demon actually the insect?).

I put 5 levels in to Attunement to get me an ATT of 10 and one spell slot. I also picked up the Handcuffs of the Sinner which increase Pyro power. Had to use up some of my saved souls to level up the Pyro Glove as you now need to buy a Fire Seed (8k a pop) as an upgrade material each time you want to level the glove. Rosabeth only has 3 seeds so my glove is now +3. Stuck with the Fireball spell I already had for the moment as Rosabeth didn't have anything more powerful than Fire Orb.