So, disconnection messages in DKS2.

IDK, but there's a DkS2 forum.

You must obtain the white sign soapstone (large or small for DkS2). Then, one person puts down their sign while the other summons, but the summoner must be human. In DkS the summoning range is level based (10% +/- 10 levels of the person being summoned).
In DkS2 the summoning range is based on soul memory (about 25% in either direction, although it bumps to 30% if you both wear the name-engraved ring and choose the same deity, which is highly recommended for co-op with a friend).

Invading within the rules of the game is fun and it counteracts the fact that people can summon others into their game. If no one invaded, then others could simply summon in 2 phantoms and stroll through the game easily without fear of anything. It adds
a risk to going human. Besides, no one uses the PvP arenas for Dark Souls.

What I find funny is that everyone seems to love the arenas in DkS2. That's what I don't get. If you didn't like the arena in DkS1, why do you all of a sudden like it in DkS2? It's the same thing.

"Twink" is a derogatory slur, which is the reason I brought it up. I'm glad that you don't use the term.

I also think we are very much in agreement on the merits of DkS2 vs. DkS1.

Half of level 742 still puts you in the very high level. Do you know what level the summon was? The summon could have been lower level than you due to soul memory.

As for people on Twitch, there's a reason they stream. I'm not as good as they are, most people are not. I got decent at PvP in DkS1, and I still have some skill in DkS2, but it's still very hard to continually have to fight higher level characters. And,
in DkS2 level matters more than it did in DkS1.

I do agree that SM gets rid of low-level griefing (please don't call them "twinks" as that has other meanings that are derogatory) and I agree that was a good thing. But, there were other ways to take care of that without destroying the meta that the PvP
community used. SM feels, to me, like a slap in the face to the PvP community.

As for whether DkS2 PvP is better, I'd like to know why you think that. I can think of quite a few things that I like better in DkS1, like weapon tracking, poise, roll attack tracking, the speed, etc. DkS2 seems like they changed it ways to take out the
skillful aspects of PvP, which is part of what makes level more important in the game. I would be interested to hear your thoughts though.