I have found just opening a party (XBL) is better than dash boarding. It is not classified as "leaving the game unjustly" because it is counted as a online disconnection. Don't get me wrong, I do in fact hate being invaded time and time again (especially on NG+++ where many people use the cheapest tactics) but only do this when I am in a difficult area, need my humanity and have no more effigies, or on an important mission I just want finished (farming an item, getting to the next area, or just getting from the bonfire to the ancient dragon, etc). I have used this method many times, and have yet to get punished in any way.

P.S. I have never set foot in the arenas (don't plan to) so I am unaware what this does in there. Use this method in there at your own risk...

haha, lol no it's not. At that time, I would hope, you will have 5+ giant souls. My friend has a +5 grave sword, and was dishing 500s. He took him out in about 2 minutes… I did it with a rerolled STR and VGR build (+10 greataxe and +5 dragon tooth with over 70 STR is devastating, lol).

Alright Swosh, leave it be. Lyrebon just stated the thread is dead, and your constant arguing is just bumping what was a decent thread to the top. Now it is just a debate on something completely off-topic. Accept your own advice: agree to disagree and leave it alone. We get it, you gave your point, he gave his, who cares? I'm going to be the neutral ground here and say both sides have valid ideas and points, but there is no point for the 40-something posts of arguing, make a new thread if you are going to do that, or outside the forums please.

It's tactical. If you make the mistake of not carrying an arsenal with you, that is your fault. What little I did for the bell keepers and sentinels, I did this a lot. Host would run away from my sword, out of magic range, so I would take out a great bow, and snipe their head off before they can drink. If you let them get away, that just shows you don't know how to combat them.

You can heal too, if you invest properly. If you acquire a high damage weapon, or fast speed weapon, you could find it easier to keep others in one place.

@Hellcanwait: PVP was probably not the point. people would, by the time you have access to the spell, burn the somewhere upwards of 10 bonfire ascetics to get a ton of the spell, as that area is not too terribly hard. They would then go onwards with the game with 5-7+ geysers. Since they take 1 slot, makes the player insanely unfair to the bosses.

What SHOULD have been done was increase the slot count, while keeping the damage. Opposite with forbidden sun, 2 slots, 1 cast, little damage and easily dodged? no, their priorities are out of order.

If they focused on PVP spells, the certain pyromancy that would be nerfed beyond recognition *remaining unnamed to keep it secure for as long as possible* would have been on the hit list.

A number of things can be going on:

Hacks. There have been a large number of hackers I have noticed, some more obvious than others.

Connection. Granted this game has been out for a few weeks, but the connection/servers can still be glitchy at times.

Timing. Though least likely, if invader swings for a backstab, you roll just a second later, it could still pick it up. Again, least likely, and can not really explain the face to face though...

lol, no. You can have 10+ files at once. Currently I have 4, going to make a 5th (all at least NG+). Go ahead, you can make as many as you want until it tells you that you are at max limit.

Warning however, to get the achievement, ONE FILE MUST BE CARRYING ALL THE SPELLS IN THE CLASS. i.e. you have to NG+ a new file or use an ascetic on old iron king to get blinding bolt from Straid, on top of all the other miracles. You cannot have file A have 99%, and have file B get the last one, and get it. A or B must have all of them.

Found the entire list of all patches, but the core things are listed above:

Click me!

Ah, I see. No, there is nothing else you can get from them aside the weapons. Now be careful on NG+ though, as the great primal souls are very useful in the class of sorcery… and she is a she, lol. I would, however, think about investing in the the watcher's great sword (magic oriented GS with magic buff 2h special) when it becomes available.

- The Moonlight Greatsword can no longer be buffed or enchanted. Subsequently, the attack animation has been slowed down. Similarly, the Ring of Thorns makes that less damage now, as well as the Ring of the Old Sun.

Never used it enough to make a call on this. I do, however, know the physics behind it. FromSoft had it right in DS1 with un-buffable boss weapons, Hope tory do it to all of them, as most have a special that sets them apart already.

-The Wrath of Gods has received similar nerfs, with more casting time and lower damage.

-The Soul Greatsword receives buffs in casting time, and does not lose as much damage.

-Recovery spells get longer casting speed.

-Pyromancies similar to Fire Storm receives longer casting time and lower damage. This may also be the case for Forbidden Sun.

All of these can be blamed on careless PVPers overusing them to have an "unfair advantage." By which I mean that being all ~70% of them use (WoG in DS1…dear god…). My only concern is why forbidden sun? Not very high damage as is (only used a few times for boss killing, not PVP, so what do I know?).

On that note, why is FromSoft making DS2 so slow? First was heal animations, then gradual HP restore, taking 20 years to place a freaking prism stone, now they are slowing healing spells EVEN MORE?! WHY?!

-Twin Blade Weapons have seen a rise in durability, and a decrease in durability degradation.

Yay, we can finally kill more than 5 enemies with them!

-Lucatiel, Benhart, and Manscorpion Tark all get higher defense.

Finally, now they might actually survive their stupidity...

-The Fire Lizards in the Forest of the Fallen Giants spit fire more frequently.

Making a decent weapon that much harder to get…well fine...

The Last Giant deals that less damage to players, as well as to Well-Mannered Pete.

Subsequently, the female mages in the Shrine of Amana also get lower damage, as well as decreased tracking ability for their spells.

Thank god…nuff said.

-The Lost Sinner and the Royal Rat Authority have fewer hit points and can deal lower damage.

Again…thank god…hope it carries to GN+ where you get ganked like crap...

- Duke’s Dear Freja laser breath also has less damage.

Yay! No more insta-kill beam of sheer death and horror!

Stuff they need to actually focus on:

• Blood/Sentinel requirements
• STUN LOCK PHYSICS AND POISE (seriously need this one, that's why all caps :p)
• general PVP/invasion physics
• among other things I don't want to list...