Invasions... How does one cower in fear?

Ok... First and foremost, I love this game! It's not perfect, but damn it's one of the most compelling games I have played in a long time. Player skills actually have more weight than equipment, and vitality statistics. For example, it's completely possible
to beat the first Demon in the game with your bare hands, shield and not performing a plunging attack on it. Sure it's not easy and I didn't do it (yet) but it is 100% possible. And don't get me started on bare handed parrying. After becoming familiar with
the game's mechanics, I can see repeat play throughs in my future, as well as buying the game on PC once the rig is complete. Fromsoft did a knockout job with Darksouls.

As much as I love the game, I found my self on the losing end of all invasions that happened to me. I don't think I encountered a glitcher yet, and even though lag has not been on my side for a couple of bouts, but I don't think either of those factors is
a major concern. My problem is... I just get beat. I've tried (and landed) parrys, ripostes, back stabs, running attacks, kicks, Lunging attacks, fire bombs, large Cross bow bolts, and even broke out the Drake Sword, yet I am treated to a hefty helping of
my own gluteus maximus soufflé. At least the guys and gals that carved up my virtual rump were good cooks.

My question. How do I do the "have mercy on me!" pose? Or a more preferable pose would be "Watch me *** Defeat from the jaws of haplessness". Maybe I should just keep my back to the invader and get it over with? Really... I feel like a 4 year old kid fighting
a teen age bully some times. But that is not enough to keep me from becoming human at the nearest Bonfire. So I guess my lot in this game is to be defiled when ever a loading flame appears for no reason...

I still welcome the challenge, and one day I will get that elusive win. But I doubt I will scare the bejeezus out of anyone in the process. Nor will I run from a challenge. Even if a player manages to make their player look like Nitto, I'm not about to back
down in fear, or quick map a banishment crystal to the quick use list... I will lead them to a place that's easier to recover by butt after it's been lobbed off though. I promise to fight fair, just allow me to bow to initiate the match.

Is this a neck-bearded come at me declaration? No. Just an observation from a noobish player, who hasn't passed the point of depression with the game.

:)

 

I did not realize that the Battleship Game was an FPS

how are people getting the movie is based on the board game? its about an alien invasion and the navy does stuff or something.

 

Has anyone noticed "Join session in progress"

Sure does. It's the one advantage DkS on Xbox has over PS3. Great for revenge invasions as well.

 

Don't worry, most people got steam rolled in their first PvP encounters. Just keep practicing and experimenting with different builds and you'll be able to hold your own in no time. A good place to practice is in the Darkroot Forest. Either join the Forest
Hunters or just be human and wait to be invaded.

 

What Lactos said. You can also join the Darkmoons or the Darkwraiths and invade other people to work on your skills.

Oh, and the Drake Sword is a pretty terrible weapon to use because it doesn't scale.

 

Thanks. I'm sorry I did not check in. I have taken your advice Red Point (sorry for not matching your spelling) and I did finally get a couple of wins. I noticed that some of the players had some impressive equipment, like Quelaag's sword and Astora's straight
sword... The best I have is the Black Knight sword, but the few wins I have came from not using it. I used the broad sword and got better results due to it's speed and the ability to land a blow and back away quickly. Perhaps I should reconsider my high strength
build?

 

Strength builds can win, but you have to play to their strengths (no pun intended). If you are more comfortable playing fast, hitting quickly for less damage and then rolling out, a dex build might suit you better. In that case, you could go with a katana
or the balder side sword. Quelaag's Sword is OK. It's fast, but easier to parry than katanas and the swag sword.

 

I got my tail handed to me on my first invasion too. Luckily he had honor, since I was in the middle of fighting the black knight in undead burg when he invaded. Sometimes you get *** who take complete advantage of the situation, which is understandable,
but low. Just try out different weapons to learn their attack patterns and speeds and eventually you will see a pattern that's predictable.

 

I'll look on YouTube for tank build pointers then. Not the build, but PVP combat techniques. I know I can make my build work for me.

As for opportunistic players... I have encountered them. I was fighting the Balder Knights when another player invaded. He bowed, and then struck me dead when I went to bow. At the time I had the slower bow activted.

What's the rule on defending the forrest? I seen on YouTube that a player who heals, has asked to be jumped by any players? A few times I got called out for ganking when after bowing for a fair fight, the person being invaded drinks from his/her estus flask.
Of course I jumped in at that point. Is that wrong of me?

If I ever bow to fight, I never heal. And I have never been jumped in the forrest when I faced the blue phantoms, because I never tried to use a healing item/spell while the primary opponet is still standing. Gold, white and red phantoms on the other hand,
I expect to be ganked when I see them.

 

One thing I would suggest for tank builds is to learn to swing unlocked. People will try to roll around your weapon, but if you swing to where they are rolling you can sometimes catch them with a really hard hit.

As for the forest, I think you've got it right. If the host heals during a fair duel, then the host is fair game to be jumped. If the host tries to summon, jump in. If you get accused of ganking, just forget it and move on (or report it if the message
is abusive).

 

Pardon my ignorance, but WTF does ganking mean?

 

Ganking is when you bring allies to a PvP situation. So when you are a forest hunter and you invade a world where the host is waiting to ambush you with one or two other phantoms, that's a gank.

Nowadays though, it seems whatever people feel is not fair constitutes a gank. So, if you beat someone in PvP, it's ganking. /sarcasm

 

Thanks for the answer and the tips Red. I will give it a try.

 

Ganking is technicaly only one thing:

Sitting around with a summon(s) intending to get invaded and use the advantage to kill the invader.

People with summons trying to get through the level/boss are not technicaly ganking. They are simply playing the game as intended. These people you will only see a few times, because once they beat the boss they are gone. Real gankers hang around for hours
spamming the dried fingers. They usualy suck and it is quite funny to watch the host run and try to summon again when you kill their phantoms and they are left to fend for themselfs.

I actually got a youtube/streamer to ban me after pointing this out. The crybaby tuber that uses a red predatory canine as a personal symbol/icon. (probably picked on in school so he got a job as a police officer as a means to get back at people) It was
funny because his argument was. "Ganking is what I say it is" while mine was links to 3 souls forums where people discussed it and the community was in agreeement that REAL ganking is waiting around with summons to kill invaders.

 

I think I know who you're talking about. This person has a couple videos complaining about being attacked by multiple forest hunters and calling them gankers, right?