We’re on post five of Dark Souls II (Scholar of the First Sin) v. Elden Ring with no end in sight. I haven’t played Elden Ring in several days, which is weird. I also haven’t been able to summon in DS II because of the server issue, which is also weird. DS II is especially frustrating because the game automatically tries to log me in once I start it up whereas DS IIII, there’s an option to start it offline. But, I just finished Iron Keep and for some reason, decided this was the best place to farm for Souls. I think it’s because there are so many fucking enemies and they give a good chunk per. And, since leveling up is so cheap in this game, I was able to get enough for a couple levels every sweep of one area.
Almost the whole keep is decimated and if I want to farm more, I have to use a bonfire ascetic to repopulate the area–at the next NG level. This is one of the changes they made to the game that people really didn’t like–the enemies permanently despawn after you kill them 12 times. It’s a weird compromise between them never permanently dying and having them permanently die the first time you kill them. As with other of the changes, it didn’t satisfy anyone. For long-term From fans, they were outraged that the enemies despawned at all. For the newbs, I imagined it wasn’t really that comforting that in only 12 deaths, the enemies would no longer be there.
There is a covenant in the game, the Covenant of…ah…*checks Google*…er…Company of Champions. It’s in Majula and it’s a statue that you can interact with. There is no explanation what it is and because it’s new, of course, you want to join, right? This would be a bad thing to do on your first playthrough. What it does is make enemies harder. They get more health, increased damage-resistance, and they do more damage. It’s like NG+ in NG or using a Bonfire Ascetic.
In addition, the despawning of enemies stops and you cannot summon–including NPCs. You can still be invaded, though, because of course you can. In other words, the game gets permanently harder. I will say that it was useful for my plat-run when I needed to farm for Sunlight Medals. I used a Bonfire Ascetic a few times, then realized that the Company of Champions would do the same effect except permanently. I wished I had remembered that right from the start.
Because leveling is so easy in this game, I’m well over a hundred. My Vigor is so low–funny note. Mostly in games, I’m compulsive about leveling up my health, but I have to make concessions in From games, which makes me a glass cannon.
I finally have enough stats to wield the Black Knight Greatsword, which is ok, I guess. I’ve used it before, but thought I might want to use it again. I need a few more stats to use the Black Knight Greataxe, which was my jam in DS. I usually use the Greatsword, which I fully upgraded as well. There are plenty of Titanite Slabs in this game, so I don’t feel bad about wasting one here and there. There are only three in the first game with one of the three being in the DLC. Google tells me they are extremely rare drops from the Darkwraiths in the New Londo Ruins. There are loads in the third game.
I feel pretty stacked now in SotFS. I have five spells, which is the most I have in these games before Elden Ring. By the way, it feels a little strange not to have played Elden Ring in several days. A week maybe? After playing it every day for nearly three months, I don’t miss it. And I don’t mean it in a bad way–like, glad you’re gone, bruh–but given how deep I was into it, it’s surprising that I’m not jonesing for it. Then again, I played it for a total of nearly 400 hours in three playthroughs (basically two with 15 hours for the third) over nearly three months. That’s a lot of Elden Ring in such a relatively short amount of time.
I’ve been finding the bosses in SotFS a blip in the breeze. That’s not unusual because I’ve been summoning NPCs left and right. I really appreciate that there are NPC summons for nearly every boss. My favorite is Sellsword Luet because he comes at the boss with two shields, no sword (which, ironic, given his name). He’s there to tank damage, which he does with admirable aplomb. He’s summonable for the Last Giant, the Lost Sinner, and the Guardian Dragon. He’s also a shade in Aldia’s Keep and Drangleic Castle. Apparently, he’s also in Frozen Elyseum–I don’t think I found him there. I have found him for the other two areas and for the bosses.
I love him. My favorite NPC is Lucatiel of Mirrah, and she’s summonable for several bosses as well. Smelter Demon, Lost Sinner, The Rotten, and the Flexile Sentry. Her story is very sad. She’s a fencer from Mirrah in search of her older brother who is supposed to be the best fencer in Mirrah. The saddest thing is that when you talk to her in Aldia’s Keep, she’s lost hope and her sanity. She gives you all her shit (if you’ve summoned her for three different boss fights and she survives. Which, by the way, is part of the plat. It’s not hard to do, though, and I did it naturally before even thinking of getting the plat. Bernhart of Jugo, on the other hand, is a knob. He’s supposed to be the Solaire of this game, but I could not stand him. In part because trying to get his gear by the same method, summoning him for three boss fights in which he survives, is significantly harder).
This is outside Aldia’s Keep. The minute you steep into the keep, you’re invaded by Aslatiel of Mirrah–who is Lucatiel’s older brother. It’s extra-sad when you fight him wearing her gear. I wish there had been an extra line of dialogue acknowledging he’s her brother. Still, though, it’s a great moment.
Here’s my controversial opinion: the NPCS in general are better in Dark Souls II than in the original game. They have more interesting stories and talk to you more, plus you can get their gear as part of their questlines. They are plentiful and varied, and I appreciate most of them. Each of them has distinctive skills and I am always happy to have them along. There’s Ashen Knight Boyd, Bashful Ray, Sweet Shalquoir, Royal Sorcerer Navlaan, and my boy. Straid of Olaphis. He’s the caster dude that you need to dissolve from stone by using a Fragrant Branch of Yore–another difference in this game.
As Krupa from RKG said, it’s just another kind of key. There are stone statutes dotted across the land, guarding important things and places. You need to place a fragrant branch of yore on them to dissolve them, turn them human, and then either kill them if they’re enemies or talk to them if they’re NPCs. There are two who are the latter, and both are casters. The other, Rosabeth of Melfia, is the baby pyro trainer, so she’s useful.
Let me tell you a gripe about leveling up the Pyro Flame. First of all, not being able to do Pyro until a third in the game is bullshit. I don’t understand why they removed the Pyro class except just to be different. In order to upgrade the Pyro Flame, you need a Fire Seed, which are in very limited amounts around the world. Rosabeth sells three of them, but they are 8000 Souls a pop, which is a lot in the beginning of the game.
Oh, shit, son. Google just told me that you get one if you kill her! You can upgrade the Pyromancy Flame with her mentor, Carhillion of the Fold, who is the sorcery trainer, so I don’t know why he’s her mentor. In addition, he’s sitting not more than ten feet from her. She’s nattering on about him, but doesn’t bother to talk to him in Majula. Same with the blacksmith and the ore lady who is supposed to be his daughter, and they sit within five feet of each other! Stone Trader Chloanne–that’s her name.
I’m seriously thinking of killing Rosabeth now. I’ve bought everything I need from her, and I don’t have any reason to keep her alive. If I get a free fire seed for doing it, all the better. I’m back to being positive about the game, but only just.