I've been playing in the event too (second playthrough). Been invaded over a dozen times already and engaged in some co-op shenanigans which I had largely avoided on my first run. I got invaded twice at Belfry Luna which was great, and I even got summoned as a Gray Phantom in Doors to Pharros! My favorite PvP moment was when a guy decked out with a greatsword + hex build invaded me while I was in the butterfly cave in Hunstman's Copse and we had a duel in the water (where the Giant Basilisk is). I barely survived and got him on the ropes despite getting poisoned twice, so he chickened out and escaped to the upper level and casted Warmth to heal up, which couldn't stop me from following him up and giving him a final beatdown.
It's funny, I reread some of the
old discussion on this thread about whether DEX weapons were roundly better than STR weapons, and I feel completely vindicated in my belief that STR has some big advantages, at least in the early game. Started as a Cleric and have been whacking everything to death with hammers. Easily destroyed the Pursuer on his rooftop, and I killed Ruin Sentinels on my first try
despite accidentally rolling off the ledge and having to fight all 3 at once. Starting Mace isn't bad, and the Craftsman's Hammer is even better. Everything up to the Lost Sinner was a total walk in the park. The other four paths have actually been more challenging due to the encounter design (goddamn Manikins in Earthen Peak). It feels way easier to stumble onto good pure STR weapons early on, particularly due to the effectiveness of Strike against armored foes, where you're pretty much fucked on pure DEX unless you realize how OP rapiers can be. DEX DPS skyrockets later on, but I stand by my old remarks.
Another discovery: Adaptibility is a meme. Agility is not a
bad thing to have, but I totally reject the notion that it's mandatory after 86. You get 5 i-Frames as a baseline, +3 at 86, then +1 at 88, 92, 96, 99, 105, 111, 114, and 116. I've found that 8 i-Frames (i.e. just 1 point into ADP as a Cleric) is totally serviceable on a shieldless rolling build, and only went up to 9 later for comfort. The people claiming you need to get all the way to 105 Agility (which is like 30 ADP) just for 13 i-Frames because that's how many you got in the other games need to suck it up and git gud at the dodge timing. Or don't -- it's almost like it's a build choice or something.
In general, I'm so happy to return to DS2 after the overall disappointment I had with DS3. One aspect has to be the leveling. DS1's stats were reasonably compelling overall but you didn't have much room to hybridize due to the steep level curve. DS3's heavily de-emphasized stamina management, useless carry weight due to roll thresholds and gutted armor, overnerfed magic, and homogenized physical damage stats due to uniform type infusions on
top of a similarly steep level curve sapped all the enjoyment out of crafting a build, as I just maxed out DEX and VGR and then put a few points into INT and ATN and the game was over. In DS2, I actually want every stat except for DEX, INT, and ADP (lol), and I'm still pondering my choices halfway through the game at level 100, which is higher than the level at which I
finished the other two. The relatively flat level curve feels well-suited to the nonlinear branching from Majula, as you still get continually rewarded no matter what order you tackle the four Old Ones, just at a slower and slower rate. I don't think it messes up the difficulty curve too badly either, as every class starts out so gimped compared to the other two games (which I love as it makes your rapid starting choices impactful and fun), and you have the option to poke at the different branches incrementally instead of going down them one at a time if something's too tough.
That's the other thing that's so great about DS2 -- while the haphazard world design is a shame, the amount of freedom you have in DS2 is just awesome. So many paths to explore, so many cool items to find, so much optional content to engage in. It really feels like you're crafting your own journey through the world depending on your bravery and curiosity. DS1 had this too (and the overall progression was better due to the interconnected world design of the first half), but DS3 was just a linear sequence of areas with like two branch points. Moreover, once you progressed past discrete points the game would hand out the previous tier of upgrade materials like candy while stingily doling out scraps of the next tier, making weapon upgrades feel totally rote. In DS2 I'm excited whenever I find a Titanite Slab, or a cool new weapon, or a Fragrant Branch of Yore/Pharros Lockstone to unlock something (those are another great example of how the game promotes player agency). That and the slower-paced tactical combat in group encounters where stamina and positioning are genuinely important just makes it so much more engaging to me. Awesome game.
