If you want to pause just quit the game to the title screen or stay in a bonfire, actually why don't you learn to play the game first.

I really hope From doesn't casualise Dark Souls 2 just look at that disastrous bomb called DmC.

Not necessarily true. The aesthetics of the game would still be grim and depressing regardless of actual difficulty.

I don't think anyone has stated that the lack of a pause is there to make the game more challenging.  I think they haven't included one in the previous games because the game is designed first and foremost as an online game (access to messages, summoning, invading, etc.), where pause may be difficult to implement because the player is potentially connected to other players.  Perhaps they could include a pause feature in the offline mode, but honestly, you can easily quit the game and save your progress exactly where you left off during most occasions.  If you really have to leave the game during a boss fight, the penalties for death aren't nearly as bad as they were in Demon's Souls (which had fewer checkpoints and a reduction in health in soul form).

You guys are totaling missing the key point here. Having different difficulty's would not effect you. It just wouldn't. You guys would still be playing on the hardest difficulty (or rather "classic" difficulty which would play just like Dark Souls) and nothing would be lost for atmosphere. Not a single thing would change for people that want it to be just like Demons/Dark souls.

But for people like me, we would also get to enjoy the game because of the different difficulty system and whatnot.

And honestly the people that are saying that having different difficulties would hamper the atmosphere of the game on lower difficulties are acting incredibly selfish and arrogant. You have no right whatsoever to dictate whether or not I would enjoy something.

What do you think I will enjoy more. A game that I can't play (sure I could beat it if I gave it enough time but I HATE redoing levels/sections over and over again. The difficulty in those two games is just a sad excuse to make the game longer) and end up not getting very far despite finding the gameplay very fun or a game that I can beat fully without giving it the stupid amount of time and I still find the gameplay and atmosphere fun.

This type of entitlement is exactly what is wrong with "core" gamers. You guys think a game is only allowed to cater to your distinct, exact needs. It's madness.

As a Monster Hunter fan, i disagree. You have to earn your respite.

I think some people who haven't played the game simply don't get it. I despise hard difficulty and always choose normal over hard in any game. When I first played Demon's Souls, I cursed more than I actually played the game. I didn't give up though and after beating my first boss after tons of efforts and a really long time, I got one of the best feelings in the world. Had there been another difficulty, I would have chosen that instead and the game wouldn't have been anything special to me.

It's like having a strict, demanding teacher/supervisor over a normal one. At first you hate them, but then when you improve and do well at their tests/ get compliments from them, it means the world to you. It's also kind of like having the option between a free room in a hotel or camping in a forest. Both sound interesting, but when thinking about the cold, you may choose the comfiness of the hotel, but if you don't have that option and Have to camp outside, you may experience some of the most memorable moments of your life.

Aesthetics /=/ atmosphere. DS isn't about sitting there and soaking up the view. Don't even try to argue that Difficulty/achivement isn't the bread and butter and the major selling point about the game. as for the lore. That itself is hard to find and pick apart. If you don't have the patience and time to play the game well then you surely won't to figure out the lore by yourself

It adds stress to the game and it would not work if you are playing online, the souls series have a little bit of survival horror too and not being able to pause enhance the feeling of always being treated.

Yep. I don't think  1 person here that has beat the game would disagree. 

Without the difficulty/achivement  DS wouldn't be anything special. Plain and simple...Unless your really into the lore which most people that would pick easy wouldn't even be willing/able to figure out.

There were issues with the servers early on; they were fixed via a patch.

If you want to avoid being invaded play in hollow form or offline.  That’s the risk you take by playing un-hollowed which is a design decision.

Some of the people who had 'end game gear' (I wouldn't call it that) were using the bottomless box glitch, which has been patched.  Those players are called low level griefers and are frowned upon by most souls players.  Also its possible that players beat the game at a low level and obtained that gear legitimately.

I believe From is going back to a single dedicated server which will improve the online aspect of the game.