Dark Souls II official thread of telling us your journey through Drangleic

[lestatdark]

SvennoJ said:
I had a long play session last night, explored the Bastille from top to bottom. I've got 4 different ways to go atm but stupidly (I guess) chose the Belfry first. There dark souls showed it's annoying antics again. I was just taking a sneak peek before going back to spend my hard earned 62k souls when I get invaded while hollow. Not wanting to waste my time on that and risk my bounty, I sign out of psn, banishing the invader. (And unlike Dark souls, it doesn't quit you back to the title screen, you can keep playing).

5 seconds later the invasion message pops up again for an AI character. OK I'll just leave, nope exit closed. Homeward bone doesn't work, quit game disabled. Ok, so you want to be smart with me... I wait until the little save game flame has come and gone and I hard quit the game. Restarted the game. It accuses me of not closing the game properly but loads no problem, exit is open, so I leave, fast travel to Majula, spend souls, and back again.

Back in the belfry, same thing happens. Invaded again (still in offline mode and hollow). I look for the invader. Find him on the top with 5 more dwarfs with cross bows taking pot shots at me, while my spells are very ineffective. I try to take them on, but the delay for casting is enough already to get killed.

Second attempt, I run around, let them trail me around corners so I can pick up the loot, pull the level (bell rings) and loot a chest. That last animation takes too long and just after I pick up the items I get hit with 3 or 4 crossbow bolts, dead.

Third attempt, the gate to the mist is open. I'll go that way instead. I run into a bunch or Gargoyles... Well that's in a different league of difficulty compared to the bosses so far. I hold out for a bit, deal some damage while dodging three at a time, until 1 decides to go high and blast me with fire from above, 1 hit death. Guess I'll need some help there, although that means going online and having to do pvp most likely, bah.

Or I could first go to No man's wharf, Exile holding cells, or whatever that huge blue fort is you reach from Sinner's rise. Where should I go first.

Sinner's Rise has a very difficult boss (which is one of the main bosses at the same time), so I suggest you leaving that for later. Especially since the boss is very far away from the only bonfire in that area, not mentioning that you need the key from the area after the Gargoyles to make that battle manageable (a.k.a - with a bit of light, since it will be pitch dark otherwise).

Gargoyles, I suggest you bringing your best 100% Damage Reduction shield with at least 60% Stamina reduction. That's for melee builds. Dodging is worthless, keep shields up at all time and try to isolate a single gargoyle until it's HP is critical. When it starts its fire routine, focus on another and put that one on critc HP as well. Try to down both at the same time and you'll have at least 30 seconds with a solo gargoyle. That'll make the battle manageable.

If you don't want to go there, then if you've got a fragant branch of yore, you could go to that tower with the petrified woman on Majula and unpetrifiy her. That'll unlock the next area, Shaded Woods, which is a bit more manageable. Or try your luck on Huntsman Copse after Heide's Tower of Flame.