Mentioning meta duels triggers "the tryhard trap", roll for will save or be stuck responding to 2d4+(times backstabbing is mentioned negatively) thinly veiled response videos directed at you.
When you have a metric shitton of int, lets say 50, enchanted will outperform magic, 30-40ish int, you wont have significant returns. Awesome video as always, saint. Thanks for risking it and trying something other than chaos for invasions. You've single handedly mentor a whole generation of invaders, myself included lol Ps: senpai noticed me omg
Mugenmonkey is telling me that Enchanted is better past 29Int but you should take that with a grain of salt because I've noticed that the damage numbers on there for a Divine Clay don't line up with what I actually have in the remaster.
Back in the day I created a petition for making "Unrelenting Madness Horror" on snakeskin vinyl the Firelink theme tune. Turned out that Frampt had no interest in the place getting all slugged up so he had the whole thing shut down. I think the crestfallen warrior is still sad about that. Heh.
I love when ppl try to make invasion buids based on the lore, or even trying to make your own lore instead of just empty or meme characters, nice to see that someone like you it's inspiring it :)
“My Duel”, the new series from Saint Riot... Not quite as catchy is it? Great build; in the middle of making my own moonlight librarian too. This gave me the kick in the dick I needed to get that done son.
Did you know you can add default keywords to every upload? Its on of the things you can setup from your creator studio. I would definitely add "saint riot", that way when someone searches your work, they typically will find your latest video!
Builds that try to accomplish something beyond just mopping the floor with opponents are by far more fulfilling to play. I feel like the people who rant about balance and duels and whatnot either don't get this or haven't experienced it. The most fun I had in DS3 invasions was when I reached the point of having a handful of characters at different levels and with significantly different builds that I had to learn to succeed with, rather than when I was just trying to win at the meta as much as possible.
21:04 What? Vati lied to me! What's a Fromsoft game without invasions? Guess I'll have to get in on that raider action to sate my lust for blood and causing mild inconvenience.
This is awesome! Reminds me of a Sl35+4 build I run. Ringfinger Pinky is his name. He roams the cathedral of the deep searching for Leonhard, to kill him and avenge Rosarias death. Good stuff Saint!
Invading at the Duke's Archives bonfire, the one Post Jail typically works for me fairly well, I've had plenty of fights on the pivoting stairs and even a few in the Jail. I do have a tendency to immediately check the enemies by the entrance to the Crystal Cave because there is a fair bit of running down there
Great vid and commentary again. You mentioned something I been thinking and never put into words in my vids. I do low lvl builds for DS1-3. Like you said builds have strength/strengths and weakness/weaknesses. That's what I've done, sometimes I'm stuck fat rolling, low or no poise, low damage... pro's and cons to go with whatever cosplay I'm running. Old school role-playing like.
There are three "invasion zones" in Darkroot Garden/basin. If you invade from the Sen's church to the bonfire, to the basin, you spawn up top near the church, but when I invade there, the vast majority of hosts are down in the basin fighting the hydra. If you want to invade the hydra, invade from the bonfire and run down. I don't, because I hate running to find hosts, but the hosts will be down there, there's just not a spawn point for invaders. The second area is from the Moonlight Butterfly woods to the Wolf Ring, and you have to go past the fog to where the stone knights show up in order to invade it. It's one of my favorite places to invade at level 40-50. Then there's the gank woods of course.
Aidan MacLear yeah moonlit butterfly area is fun. I never found anyone by the hydra. They were all near the church or at the bonfire for the woods. I'll try the bonfire.
I find people near the Hydra at SL43 +11 (Depths, Btown, Sens invader) and SL23 +5 (Parish, Depths, Garden invader). I think by SL60+15 most people have killed the hydra and that's why you're not getting much activity.
I've been playing this game straight since 2011 and I never put much thought into the "crystal knight" who fights you before Seath....I love the direction you took him in; really cool stuff. Also suitably dark enough that Miyazaki would approve. In regards to your "meta" comments, I feel that a lot of DS2 and 3 uploaders are finding that they are not apex predators any more in the food chain, and that makes it difficult for them when they're on screen with a legion of adoring fans expecting constant wins. There's a trend I've seen with all the "big names" from 3 now doing low-level invades where all they are hitting is these poor, clueless pve'ers, while saying that the "meta" is broken and why level to 135 when there's no "variety" that high and meta duels are boring and just bs-fests. Saint, I love your content, and you are the only DS3 uploader I watched despite my dislike of 3 simply because you're an entertaining dude and your passion for the Souls games shines like a brilliant sun. However, I think you're feeding into the same "let's avoid meta because...blah blah it's broken, it's this, it's that, etc" that the rest of the DS3 uploaders are sticking with. In truth, I'm sure the majority are avoiding meta because they know there are much scarier players that have invested years in getting gud waiting for them in the 135 range, and that's gonna look bad on stream. 135 is that dark realm on the faded map that reads "here there be monsters". There is build variety at the duelist level (it's subtle but it's definitely there), and moreover, 135 is where you run into the players that know the game and provide a real challenge. They took out dead angles and ghost strikes, but you'll be dealing with first-hit toggles, hyper pivots and cancels, parry traps, etc. This is where the game shines: fighting an opponent to knows the mechanics and will punish any mistakes, and out-thinking/mixing-up your style and strikes to defeat them. No other SoulsBorne game has this level of mechanical (intentional and not) intricacy, and you have to recognize that, whether you're a fan or not, DaS pvp is "deep" enough that the community has stayed alive since 2011 and every concurrent SoulsBorne game has utilized it as a basis for its own pvp. TL;DR - give the meta a try. Low level pvp is diluted because no one has a build and all you're running into is pve pros who have no fucking clue. The real fun begins once you break through the mechanics barrier and fight players who aren't running blindly at your back or mashing R1. Meta pvp is where it's at - one just needs to invest time in getting gud and learning the game. This isn't 2 or 3 where you can be a pro in a week. Lastly - keep up the great work, and this mini-essay is an umbrella statement and not a critique of you in the slightest. Love your shit, love slug waifus, and especially BIG BOYS WITH BIG, THICK POISE. Catch you in Lordran.
Mifko Kater but I didn't meta in Bloodborne or DS2, either. And I stopped in DS3 because the game gets slower for invasions at that level. It just doesn't make sense to me. It's not about if it's broken, it's about builds. It just doesn't appeal to me. People gripe about "twinks" being easy mode, but there's no easy mode against 3-4 people and it's not like I'm at level 15 with dark bead or something. And at what point in the game, during the natural progression of the single player would you hit 120-130? If invasions, the mechanic, are designed with an intended function of interrupting game play over the course of a play through, what area would you say meta level takes place? I made a SL100 character and 30 levels were artificial inflation (had a friend drop a stack of souls) after I had beaten the game. I'm still 25 levels (or whatever) away from meta. That's insane. And if I looked at the numbers and said "okay, how do I win with weapons A, B and C at meta level?" I know I'd end up with a build a lot of other people were already using. And being creative with limited assets is what I find fun in these games. But "it's easy mode". In DS3 and DS1r the "balance" to "twinks" is phantoms, the likelihood that the host is higher level than the invader, and the assurance that an invader can't have a max upgrade weapon against a host who doesn't have something similar. In DS1 it was invading infinitely upward. Trying to twink at SL30? Have fun fighting this SL200 host in NG+. In turn what the invader player brings is preparedness. That's the balance. If people enjoy something that's fine. But historically, I haven't and the "you play on easy mode" comments of the EVO contenders at meta level, who clearly don't understand intended game play, has only reaffirmed to me that it's not something I'd enjoy. That said, none of that ill will is directed at the player base or you in particular, that enjoy it. You make a lot of interesting points and it's easy to have a rational discussion with people like you that actually want one.
One more thing, "all you run into is PvE players" watch the video man! There's an army of password summoned over leveled (probably meta level) phantoms with gold tracers to contend with. PvPers run through the game to make new builds. It's not like you're seeing footage of me steam rolling solo hosts. Check out the white Phantom in Anor Londo toggling my mlgs, a lot of these people know what's up.
I see the validity in your point, and I hear where you are coming from. I agree that the meta of 125-135 is unattainable through natural progression (I think, strictly pve, you should hit between 80-90 by endgame). Where our opinions diverge is that you consider random invades throughout the game (as "intended") pvp, while I consider meta duels pvp and invades are simply casual fun/trolling the scrubs. In my experience, invading throughout the game "as intended to interrupt gameplay", I have never run into someone with a "real" build; either it's a trash bag of mixed stats, or a one-trick pony (either a gold tracer, a dark bead or pyro mage, or a poor man's Oroboro). Additionally, no one has enough VIT to survive a backstab. I'm either 1-2 shotting hosts/phantoms with my elemental weapon, and fights end too quickly. Loading screen-souls, in your words. Even in a gank, there's not much of a challenge. They're either spamming R1, or they are locked-on running for my back. Over-leveled phantom or no, an elemental weapon will 1-2 shot on parry or BS, and both are far too easy to pull off on players that don't know the game. Of course there are good, drawn-out fights where I get a sense of achievement and see my skills win the day, but for the most it's just reverse-bsing whichever idiot comes at me first, and repeating ad nauseam. The thrill of the fight is just not there, the way it is when I have a deadly opponent just as good as I am, with as many tools as I do at his disposal, in a test of mettle. There are so many ways to fight at 125-135, and those options and builds rapidly diminish the lower you go. Here's a guy in full havels that can only fat roll. Here's the guy with a buffed falchion and nothing else. Here's a guy with 3 casts of dark bead, a dusk crown, and power within who dies as soon as I spit his way. Here''s all three of them together. In any scenario, whether I win or lose, the fights are truncated because everyone dies so quick and plays sloppy. You pointed out the white that toggled on you - I notice you've been learning your toggles as well, and usually get out after the second hit. That's the first step, but it doesn't mean pvp pro status by any stretch. I actually do watch all of your videos, and I know you're not steamrolling ganks and that was never my issue. I'm saying that pvp is stifled at lower levels, and the experience (or win) is diluted because your opponents don't generally have the skills or build variety to pose a proper challenge. Ultimately, it comes down to what we look for in gameplay for personal enjoyment. It's cool that you're an old school D&D nerd; so am I. I love crafting my characters, developing a backstory, and watching them turn into champions - probably one of the (many) reasons I enjoy your content is I get a sense that you do the same with your own. My opinion on what constitutes pvp is meta duels, while yours is progressive invades throughout the narrative. Both are valid, and both are pvp experiences of a differing nature but different strokes and all that. It would be cool to see you try some meta duels, but I also get that it's not everyone's cup of tea. My "easy mode" comment was a generalized statement and not a singular attack; I can see that you give these guys an opportunity to fight back and you never come at them with scummy shit like some of the other DS3 uploaders that are just flogging the horse with how "broken and scrubby" DSR is waaah waah watch how easy it is to TWOP and then WOG these new players, this game is so broken waaah but God forbid I hit meta and go up against someone that knows what he's doing. Good talking to you, Saint. Keep up the great videos; they're a pleasure to watch.
I love invading the Duke's Archives, was one of my favourite places to invade on DkS OG (although to be fair I was on X360 so anywhere with a stable frame rate was good back then). I'm loving invading that area in DSR as well, personally I'd recommend invading at higher levels, I've found a lot of people actually playing through the archive building proper between sl70-125. I think at lower levels you're more likely to run into people who are just rushing the level to get specific items and don't spend a lot of time in human form, but at the higher levels I've run into a lot of people coming out of the prison or backtracking to free Logan/retrieve the fire keeper soul and otherwise explore the level. I suppose if you're not fond of higher level PvP then maybe higher level isn't a great solution, although I'd say in my experience the boring homogeneous meta builds tend to be more prevalent in 'PvP hotspots' like Burg, Darkroot, Dark Anor Londo and Township. When you invade outside of those areas you tend to find people with messy builds/PvE builds and way less meta family mask clones with generic dex weapons. Can't guarantee any way to avoid the meta entirely when you get around sl100, but there's certainly ways of mitigating your exposure. The far shorter invasion timer, sin mechanics and lack of co-op priority certainly help with finding invasions in areas outside of their 'recommended level'. Great video :) cheers.
I love this build! It looks like so much fun! I still have a lot to learn about the pvp of ds1 but I have been enjoying it so far and can't wait to get better and better!
"Unrelenting Madness Horror on Snakeskin record, and it drives all my slug waifus wild" OH my god Saint, dropping this much lore on me like this is too much. I can't fucking stop laughing now.
I love ur content saint!! I started invading bc of ur recent Bloodbourne videos! Gosh thats my favorite game right now! I hope u get mad sluggish tonight buddy 😂
Your whole talk about the meta sl is so on point for me. It's why I've been subbed to you since..probably a bit around the time of that 60 minute invasion. I always fell in line with the meta shit, and always hated it in all three games. (Haven't played bloodborne. no ps4. rip) Now it's a rule of mine to never go above 60 in any of the dark souls games and it's always been a million times more fun. From a pure ninja that flips to a "Classic Knight" who only uses 'realistic' knight weaponry. I do have a question though, in DS3, weapon matchmaking was separated by one or two upgrade levels while in this game it's very different. Would you recommend max weapon level at 60?
I managed to get the opposite: every time I invaded at the Smartboy Archives I got a bunch of people that were human and just finished the prison. More often than not, I fought them on the moving stairs or in the shortcut (library). I managed to get a couple of people in the caverns but it was usually pre-cavern garden place thing. Then again, those invasions were in the first week of the remaster so more people were just starting that are, so maybe if I do that now I'd get the cavern dudes dying to the crystal rockboys.
I think the main point of a high SL meta for fight clubs/duels, is to have a level playing field where personal skill and execution is more important than build crafting. (this is more important when 2 players of similar skill duel) At 125 most builds have essentially the same strenghts and weaknesses because of more or less equal stats, the main difference coming from the playstyle and weaponry chosen. I much prefer the lower levels for Invasions/Random encounters, where having a better build that can use the area and the tools the game provides is more rewarded. While gaining this advantage, as you said, you also have some weaknesses in your lower level builds, making said random encounters more engaging.
Lord Drago of Kronstadt that's pretty much it and that isn't appealing to a lot of people but that's fine by me, it really isnt for everyone he speaks from the perspective of an old school rpg player and as one myself i get the sentiment of wanting Greater Build Diversity and while even at meta SL of 125 you still see a good deal of it- it's just not immediately apparent if you don't know how to play at that level.
Definitely agree. It's also better, if you're playing dedicated 1v1s all the time, to have as many options as possible - the fact that every build can fit pyromancies really increases the interest of duels in ds1, for me, and I miss it in later games. That said, the meta for ds1 was originally somewhere closer to 100, and it grew over time because at lower soul levels vit/end gouge builds that used chaos weapons strictly outclassed every other build. So, there is more build variety at sl120-130 than at lower soul levels at a competitive level. The build choices at meta level are also fairly meaningful - you might want higher poise but have to sacrifice on hp for end, or give up a ring slot for havel's or wolf's, you might want the fastest spellcasting speed for pyromancies but that means fitting in 5 otherwise wasted levels, etc. You have to say, 'what specific weapons do I want to trade with and what are my options on getting away from the others?' and factor that into your build - in terms of poise, defenses, hp, etc. Your build choices have a lot to do with how you're going to actually play your build in each fight. It's a lot more creative and involved than, say, picking a character in a fighting game.
Well, I'm comparing it only to say how its different :P I mean in the way that in a fighting game you pick a character thats already been designed & learn how to play it, in dark souls you have to do the work of creating your character and working out how it should play. It makes it more similar to something like competitive Pokemon, I think. So the 'building' remains important in a way it wouldn't if it was just an action game.
Hey saint, I was guessing about weapon matchmaking, what is the rule for Magic and Divine infusions ? Cause them goes to +10, if we know that +1 enchanted is equal to +11 normal, what would be the same for Magic and Divine at this lvl of reinforcement ?
Jean Simaroli magic +10 is +15. Enchanted +5 is +15. Enchanted +0 should be the equivalent to +10. Magic +5 would also be +10. Think about what areas you want to invade. What embers have you found by that point? The depths gives you access to the large ember, for example. So having a +6 for that area would make sense. Sen's is full of large shards so +10/11 for that area.
Get it, tks Saint. btw nice works since the firts videos about ds3, I learned to see invasions a different way after watching you, fun and effective wise
I agree utterly about you thinking you get too many options at meta level. SL 50 is where the real PvP and invasions are at (it even caps the first bracket of the arena!)
No, the "real" PvP is where the top players are.. which is the 125 meta. Low level PvP is easy mode because these people are clueless. Even invading at meta level is easy because randoms don't level vitality when you need at least 50 + FaP Ring for 1.8k hp.
I did a build with velka's rapier and the silver tracer in my off hand for toxic and parrys, while velka's rapier has no crit modifier it still has really decent crit damage it is a really fun build.
From my understanding with Magic vs. Enchanted is that Enchanted gives better INT scaling and reduces STR and DEX scaling by even more than Magic. So Enchanted is better with a ton of INT investment and minimum physical stats, but around this SL, they seem to be about the same, give or take. Love this build though! Gonna probably make this one myself, actually. It just seems really fun.
So, I own a PS4, but I also plan on getting a switch sometime soon. My campus has shitty internet and I'm not allowed to get my own, so what should I get Dark Souls on? The way I see it, the switch will let me play it comfortably(my room is small as fuck and doesn't have much space for a television), but I might be able to get a okay connection to the internet, so the PS4 version "might" be good enough to play online. Also, worth asking, does the switch have it's own version of Playstation plus I have to purchase?
Whenever I play games that have a leveling system that is practically indefinite I always limit myself to exactly 100 that is when my character is complete, I've carried that mentality through all the souls games and other franchises that have leveling.
In regards to what you said about the difference between magic and enchanted upgrades, iirc ehcnanted +5 has lower base damage but much better scaling than magic +10 does owo
Loving the lore builds Can you try to give Priscilla’s knife and scythe some love? Might be good to make a bleed build in a game without bleed specification :)
Yo saint Enchanted *usually* renders slightly lower base damage and higher scaling. But this game is also broken so magic is usually better overall damage. The reason why enchanted +1 is lower scaling than magic +5 is cause I guess they made it like a "+1" weapon of the "enchanted" upgrade, which is a different upgrade path than it was before. Remnants of Demon's Souls upgrade bullfuckery
Honestly i have completely different experiences in the archives. I invade from the bonfire before crystal caves at sl 60 +15 and i rarely have to chase someone through the caves. Most of the time the people just came out of the big tower with the weird Music and tentacle guys when i invade them
Long term enchanted will do more damage at higher weapon and intel levels as the scaling is a little higher but magic has slightly more base damage and less scaling. If you level up an enchanted weapon to +5 youll see the scaling difference.
I know this is a lore build, but a chaos-infused weapon will beat out a magic/enchanted infused one until 40 Int for Enchanted and 44 for Magic. Also, the Crystalline armor makes me mad because it would be the best looking set in the game if it wasn't covered in crystals
Watching this makes me want to run DnD and throw some of your characters into my world. Or hell, even play one as a character. #dmisalorethief For instance I could have the Crystalized Knight as a champion of the God of Magic, or a Paladin of the God of Magic who went insane on his quest for the true power precious gems hold and turned himself into some half-crystalline half human monstrosity. You're actually legitimately an amazing DS UA-camr and I love seeing your videos come up on my feed. Thanks for the content, man. :D
I know I'm like a year and a half late but the main difference between Magic and Enchanted is the base damage and scaling. At Magic +10 and Enchanted +5, Magic will will have higher base damage, while Enchanted will have better scale. So Magic is better if you have low Int, if you have really high Int Enchanted will be better. Where you're at, around 30 Int, it really doesn't matter because the extra damage you get from scaling on the Enchanted weapons isn't enough to bring you above the higher base damage of Magic weapons, but it will be enough to match it. EDIT: Welp I checked the comments and didn't see any mentioning this, then after I posted I immediately see a top comment explaining this better than I did. Oops.
thats why i love you saint; ive been havin a lot of fun in duels with weird builds. but the memelords and gold/falchion/darkbead spammers /w ninjaflips just be so boring to fight with, and they are by far the most builds i met on the lame meta level. keep up with showing how much fun in this game is pls
Mentioning meta duels triggers "the tryhard trap", roll for will save or be stuck responding to 2d4+(times backstabbing is mentioned negatively) thinly veiled response videos directed at you.
Chris Byrd if only most invaders could actually put up a fight vs a duelist (most can't even escape chains which is very easy to do)
What's the DC? Magic guys usually have good Will ;)
When you have a metric shitton of int, lets say 50, enchanted will outperform magic, 30-40ish int, you wont have significant returns. Awesome video as always, saint. Thanks for risking it and trying something other than chaos for invasions. You've single handedly mentor a whole generation of invaders, myself included lol
Ps: senpai noticed me omg
metalliclark86 Thanks for clearing that up!
Mugenmonkey is telling me that Enchanted is better past 29Int but you should take that with a grain of salt because I've noticed that the damage numbers on there for a Divine Clay don't line up with what I actually have in the remaster.
Aidan MacLear they also changed occult to dark for some reason lol
Quality lore. Thanks Vaati.
The first pic of chirpers on your twitter legit looks like the mask of the mother.. well done you rescued a try hard. Love that backstep swap btw.
Back in the day I created a petition for making "Unrelenting Madness Horror" on snakeskin vinyl the Firelink theme tune.
Turned out that Frampt had no interest in the place getting all slugged up so he had the whole thing shut down.
I think the crestfallen warrior is still sad about that.
Heh.
You probably would have turned it into some evil scheme to commit genocide on Firelink anyway
🎶 Can you feel the slug tonight 🎶
I love when ppl try to make invasion buids based on the lore, or even trying to make your own lore instead of just empty or meme characters, nice to see that someone like you it's inspiring it :)
Good vid slug Boi riot
I'm getting Twitter so I can see the bird
Michael Branstetter worth.
It was
“My Duel”, the new series from Saint Riot... Not quite as catchy is it?
Great build; in the middle of making my own moonlight librarian too. This gave me the kick in the dick I needed to get that done son.
*"Join my Fallout 76 Raider Guild."* Love you saint.
Did you know you can add default keywords to every upload? Its on of the things you can setup from your creator studio. I would definitely add "saint riot", that way when someone searches your work, they typically will find your latest video!
Builds that try to accomplish something beyond just mopping the floor with opponents are by far more fulfilling to play. I feel like the people who rant about balance and duels and whatnot either don't get this or haven't experienced it.
The most fun I had in DS3 invasions was when I reached the point of having a handful of characters at different levels and with significantly different builds that I had to learn to succeed with, rather than when I was just trying to win at the meta as much as possible.
Since youre rocking 16 dex, would recommend giving velkas a try. R2 is a fun wakeup :D
a_witticism great idea since I had to ditch it on my Velka build.
no velkas on velkas build :(
21:04 What? Vati lied to me! What's a Fromsoft game without invasions? Guess I'll have to get in on that raider action to sate my lust for blood and causing mild inconvenience.
lets get sluggy tonight
Jesus Christ man, you're a madman
I love you.
The moonlight greatsword when invading in the caverns looks so cool and pretty!
But Saint, meta level builds aren’t good at everything. They’re bad at one thing.
Being fun.
The truth
what do you mean exacly by that statement?
I seriously cannot tell you how much I love these lore + game metaphilosophy videos :)
Chirpers is probably the cutest name for a bird possible.
The Radiant Lunatic is Seath's final form.
*LETS GET SLUGGY TONIGHT!*
Gotta say I'm loving stab souls remastered
xbax_2004 yeah there are so many aspects to explore.. a shame ppl only see gold tracer and dark bead
Locking those coopers with that titanite demon was just... *chef's kiss*
Great stuff as always! I always learn a lot from these vids! Thanks dude!
Raven of Ash Thanks man!
This is awesome! Reminds me of a Sl35+4 build I run. Ringfinger Pinky is his name. He roams the cathedral of the deep searching for Leonhard, to kill him and avenge Rosarias death. Good stuff Saint!
Your videos make me irrationally happy, good job dude
Seath is the real hero of dark souls
Thanks for opening my eyes saint!
Good stuff as always. Glad to see I'm not the only one who takes the rpg seriously in an action rpg too!
Nice job, man!
tbqh fam ur voice, the echo and the mic remind me of old school epic name bro like 2011-2013 ENB. feels old man
Invading at the Duke's Archives bonfire, the one Post Jail typically works for me fairly well, I've had plenty of fights on the pivoting stairs and even a few in the Jail. I do have a tendency to immediately check the enemies by the entrance to the Crystal Cave because there is a fair bit of running down there
Always good to wake upto some new saint riot, build looks awesome, gonna knock up a variant of it at the weekend!
When you suddenly told us about chirpers that came unexpected and I cried a little v_v
8:12 a cause you can get behind or...
a KOS (some say Kosm) you can get behind
I wish the remstered had Dark Souls 2's Enchanted infusion.
Great vid and commentary again. You mentioned something I been thinking and never put into words in my vids. I do low lvl builds for DS1-3. Like you said builds have strength/strengths and weakness/weaknesses. That's what I've done, sometimes I'm stuck fat rolling, low or no poise, low damage... pro's and cons to go with whatever cosplay I'm running. Old school role-playing like.
That banger in the club, I don't know why I died laughing from that
There are three "invasion zones" in Darkroot Garden/basin. If you invade from the Sen's church to the bonfire, to the basin, you spawn up top near the church, but when I invade there, the vast majority of hosts are down in the basin fighting the hydra. If you want to invade the hydra, invade from the bonfire and run down. I don't, because I hate running to find hosts, but the hosts will be down there, there's just not a spawn point for invaders.
The second area is from the Moonlight Butterfly woods to the Wolf Ring, and you have to go past the fog to where the stone knights show up in order to invade it. It's one of my favorite places to invade at level 40-50.
Then there's the gank woods of course.
Aidan MacLear yeah moonlit butterfly area is fun. I never found anyone by the hydra. They were all near the church or at the bonfire for the woods. I'll try the bonfire.
I find people near the Hydra at SL43 +11 (Depths, Btown, Sens invader) and SL23 +5 (Parish, Depths, Garden invader). I think by SL60+15 most people have killed the hydra and that's why you're not getting much activity.
“Everyone thinks my name is Knight Shitter” I can’t breath! 😂😂😂
Verticality bow headshot. Saint you ok?
I've been playing this game straight since 2011 and I never put much thought into the "crystal knight" who fights you before Seath....I love the direction you took him in; really cool stuff. Also suitably dark enough that Miyazaki would approve.
In regards to your "meta" comments, I feel that a lot of DS2 and 3 uploaders are finding that they are not apex predators any more in the food chain, and that makes it difficult for them when they're on screen with a legion of adoring fans expecting constant wins. There's a trend I've seen with all the "big names" from 3 now doing low-level invades where all they are hitting is these poor, clueless pve'ers, while saying that the "meta" is broken and why level to 135 when there's no "variety" that high and meta duels are boring and just bs-fests. Saint, I love your content, and you are the only DS3 uploader I watched despite my dislike of 3 simply because you're an entertaining dude and your passion for the Souls games shines like a brilliant sun. However, I think you're feeding into the same "let's avoid meta because...blah blah it's broken, it's this, it's that, etc" that the rest of the DS3 uploaders are sticking with. In truth, I'm sure the majority are avoiding meta because they know there are much scarier players that have invested years in getting gud waiting for them in the 135 range, and that's gonna look bad on stream. 135 is that dark realm on the faded map that reads "here there be monsters". There is build variety at the duelist level (it's subtle but it's definitely there), and moreover, 135 is where you run into the players that know the game and provide a real challenge. They took out dead angles and ghost strikes, but you'll be dealing with first-hit toggles, hyper pivots and cancels, parry traps, etc. This is where the game shines: fighting an opponent to knows the mechanics and will punish any mistakes, and out-thinking/mixing-up your style and strikes to defeat them. No other SoulsBorne game has this level of mechanical (intentional and not) intricacy, and you have to recognize that, whether you're a fan or not, DaS pvp is "deep" enough that the community has stayed alive since 2011 and every concurrent SoulsBorne game has utilized it as a basis for its own pvp.
TL;DR - give the meta a try. Low level pvp is diluted because no one has a build and all you're running into is pve pros who have no fucking clue. The real fun begins once you break through the mechanics barrier and fight players who aren't running blindly at your back or mashing R1. Meta pvp is where it's at - one just needs to invest time in getting gud and learning the game. This isn't 2 or 3 where you can be a pro in a week. Lastly - keep up the great work, and this mini-essay is an umbrella statement and not a critique of you in the slightest. Love your shit, love slug waifus, and especially BIG BOYS WITH BIG, THICK POISE.
Catch you in Lordran.
Mifko Kater but I didn't meta in Bloodborne or DS2, either. And I stopped in DS3 because the game gets slower for invasions at that level. It just doesn't make sense to me. It's not about if it's broken, it's about builds.
It just doesn't appeal to me. People gripe about "twinks" being easy mode, but there's no easy mode against 3-4 people and it's not like I'm at level 15 with dark bead or something.
And at what point in the game, during the natural progression of the single player would you hit 120-130?
If invasions, the mechanic, are designed with an intended function of interrupting game play over the course of a play through, what area would you say meta level takes place?
I made a SL100 character and 30 levels were artificial inflation (had a friend drop a stack of souls) after I had beaten the game.
I'm still 25 levels (or whatever) away from meta. That's insane. And if I looked at the numbers and said "okay, how do I win with weapons A, B and C at meta level?" I know I'd end up with a build a lot of other people were already using. And being creative with limited assets is what I find fun in these games. But "it's easy mode".
In DS3 and DS1r the "balance" to "twinks" is phantoms, the likelihood that the host is higher level than the invader, and the assurance that an invader can't have a max upgrade weapon against a host who doesn't have something similar. In DS1 it was invading infinitely upward. Trying to twink at SL30? Have fun fighting this SL200 host in NG+.
In turn what the invader player brings is preparedness. That's the balance.
If people enjoy something that's fine. But historically, I haven't and the "you play on easy mode" comments of the EVO contenders at meta level, who clearly don't understand intended game play, has only reaffirmed to me that it's not something I'd enjoy.
That said, none of that ill will is directed at the player base or you in particular, that enjoy it. You make a lot of interesting points and it's easy to have a rational discussion with people like you that actually want one.
One more thing, "all you run into is PvE players" watch the video man! There's an army of password summoned over leveled (probably meta level) phantoms with gold tracers to contend with. PvPers run through the game to make new builds. It's not like you're seeing footage of me steam rolling solo hosts. Check out the white Phantom in Anor Londo toggling my mlgs, a lot of these people know what's up.
I see the validity in your point, and I hear where you are coming from. I agree that the meta of 125-135 is unattainable through natural progression (I think, strictly pve, you should hit between 80-90 by endgame). Where our opinions diverge is that you consider random invades throughout the game (as "intended") pvp, while I consider meta duels pvp and invades are simply casual fun/trolling the scrubs. In my experience, invading throughout the game "as intended to interrupt gameplay", I have never run into someone with a "real" build; either it's a trash bag of mixed stats, or a one-trick pony (either a gold tracer, a dark bead or pyro mage, or a poor man's Oroboro). Additionally, no one has enough VIT to survive a backstab. I'm either 1-2 shotting hosts/phantoms with my elemental weapon, and fights end too quickly. Loading screen-souls, in your words. Even in a gank, there's not much of a challenge. They're either spamming R1, or they are locked-on running for my back. Over-leveled phantom or no, an elemental weapon will 1-2 shot on parry or BS, and both are far too easy to pull off on players that don't know the game. Of course there are good, drawn-out fights where I get a sense of achievement and see my skills win the day, but for the most it's just reverse-bsing whichever idiot comes at me first, and repeating ad nauseam. The thrill of the fight is just not there, the way it is when I have a deadly opponent just as good as I am, with as many tools as I do at his disposal, in a test of mettle. There are so many ways to fight at 125-135, and those options and builds rapidly diminish the lower you go. Here's a guy in full havels that can only fat roll. Here's the guy with a buffed falchion and nothing else. Here's a guy with 3 casts of dark bead, a dusk crown, and power within who dies as soon as I spit his way. Here''s all three of them together. In any scenario, whether I win or lose, the fights are truncated because everyone dies so quick and plays sloppy. You pointed out the white that toggled on you - I notice you've been learning your toggles as well, and usually get out after the second hit. That's the first step, but it doesn't mean pvp pro status by any stretch. I actually do watch all of your videos, and I know you're not steamrolling ganks and that was never my issue. I'm saying that pvp is stifled at lower levels, and the experience (or win) is diluted because your opponents don't generally have the skills or build variety to pose a proper challenge.
Ultimately, it comes down to what we look for in gameplay for personal enjoyment. It's cool that you're an old school D&D nerd; so am I. I love crafting my characters, developing a backstory, and watching them turn into champions - probably one of the (many) reasons I enjoy your content is I get a sense that you do the same with your own. My opinion on what constitutes pvp is meta duels, while yours is progressive invades throughout the narrative. Both are valid, and both are pvp experiences of a differing nature but different strokes and all that. It would be cool to see you try some meta duels, but I also get that it's not everyone's cup of tea. My "easy mode" comment was a generalized statement and not a singular attack; I can see that you give these guys an opportunity to fight back and you never come at them with scummy shit like some of the other DS3 uploaders that are just flogging the horse with how "broken and scrubby" DSR is waaah waah watch how easy it is to TWOP and then WOG these new players, this game is so broken waaah but God forbid I hit meta and go up against someone that knows what he's doing.
Good talking to you, Saint. Keep up the great videos; they're a pleasure to watch.
Great coment.
I love invading the Duke's Archives, was one of my favourite places to invade on DkS OG (although to be fair I was on X360 so anywhere with a stable frame rate was good back then). I'm loving invading that area in DSR as well, personally I'd recommend invading at higher levels, I've found a lot of people actually playing through the archive building proper between sl70-125. I think at lower levels you're more likely to run into people who are just rushing the level to get specific items and don't spend a lot of time in human form, but at the higher levels I've run into a lot of people coming out of the prison or backtracking to free Logan/retrieve the fire keeper soul and otherwise explore the level.
I suppose if you're not fond of higher level PvP then maybe higher level isn't a great solution, although I'd say in my experience the boring homogeneous meta builds tend to be more prevalent in 'PvP hotspots' like Burg, Darkroot, Dark Anor Londo and Township. When you invade outside of those areas you tend to find people with messy builds/PvE builds and way less meta family mask clones with generic dex weapons. Can't guarantee any way to avoid the meta entirely when you get around sl100, but there's certainly ways of mitigating your exposure. The far shorter invasion timer, sin mechanics and lack of co-op priority certainly help with finding invasions in areas outside of their 'recommended level'.
Great video :) cheers.
dude loved the brian eno mention. quality video
Ds1 pvp backstabs backstabs everywhere no skill required
It is 8:40AM where I live and I thought that I can finally go to sleep. But no, insomniac_riot uploaded another great video that I have to watch now!
Everyone is going on and on about the build... Can we just take sec and appreciate Chirp's adorableness.
What makes the MLG awesome is the R2 and it's name is literally MLG.
Hello, is it slugs you're looking for?
I can see it in your eyes, I can see it in your slime
14:12 I feel like that was more the elevation of the terrain rather than fucking up weapon the weapon swap.
Best spell to add for Archives is Fall Control, because certain spawn points include unavoidable fall damage between you and the host.
I love this build! It looks like so much fun! I still have a lot to learn about the pvp of ds1 but I have been enjoying it so far and can't wait to get better and better!
A sluggy K O S you can get behind? Ooofff I need a minute to slug that off.
"Unrelenting Madness Horror on Snakeskin record, and it drives all my slug waifus wild"
OH my god Saint, dropping this much lore on me like this is too much. I can't fucking stop laughing now.
I love it. its an int build that dosent even use sorceries.
I love this build. Could you do a painting guardian cosplay.
I love ur content saint!! I started invading bc of ur recent Bloodbourne videos! Gosh thats my favorite game right now! I hope u get mad sluggish tonight buddy 😂
Your whole talk about the meta sl is so on point for me. It's why I've been subbed to you since..probably a bit around the time of that 60 minute invasion. I always fell in line with the meta shit, and always hated it in all three games. (Haven't played bloodborne. no ps4. rip) Now it's a rule of mine to never go above 60 in any of the dark souls games and it's always been a million times more fun. From a pure ninja that flips to a "Classic Knight" who only uses 'realistic' knight weaponry.
I do have a question though, in DS3, weapon matchmaking was separated by one or two upgrade levels while in this game it's very different. Would you recommend max weapon level at 60?
I managed to get the opposite: every time I invaded at the Smartboy Archives I got a bunch of people that were human and just finished the prison. More often than not, I fought them on the moving stairs or in the shortcut (library). I managed to get a couple of people in the caverns but it was usually pre-cavern garden place thing.
Then again, those invasions were in the first week of the remaster so more people were just starting that are, so maybe if I do that now I'd get the cavern dudes dying to the crystal rockboys.
Slightly disappointed that you didn’t name the bird “pickle pee” or “pump-a-rum”. Nonetheless, good video saint
My favorite show
I think the main point of a high SL meta for fight clubs/duels, is to have a level playing field where personal skill and execution is more important than build crafting. (this is more important when 2 players of similar skill duel)
At 125 most builds have essentially the same strenghts and weaknesses because of more or less equal stats, the main difference coming from the playstyle and weaponry chosen.
I much prefer the lower levels for Invasions/Random encounters, where having a better build that can use the area and the tools the game provides is more rewarded.
While gaining this advantage, as you said, you also have some weaknesses in your lower level builds, making said random encounters more engaging.
Lord Drago of Kronstadt that's pretty much it
and that isn't appealing to a lot of people but that's fine by me, it really isnt for everyone
he speaks from the perspective of an old school rpg player and as one myself i get the sentiment of wanting Greater Build Diversity and while even at meta SL of 125 you still see a good deal of it- it's just not immediately apparent if you don't know how to play at that level.
There it is: "it's just not immediately apparent if you don't know how to play at that level". Well said.
Definitely agree. It's also better, if you're playing dedicated 1v1s all the time, to have as many options as possible - the fact that every build can fit pyromancies really increases the interest of duels in ds1, for me, and I miss it in later games.
That said, the meta for ds1 was originally somewhere closer to 100, and it grew over time because at lower soul levels vit/end gouge builds that used chaos weapons strictly outclassed every other build. So, there is more build variety at sl120-130 than at lower soul levels at a competitive level.
The build choices at meta level are also fairly meaningful - you might want higher poise but have to sacrifice on hp for end, or give up a ring slot for havel's or wolf's, you might want the fastest spellcasting speed for pyromancies but that means fitting in 5 otherwise wasted levels, etc. You have to say, 'what specific weapons do I want to trade with and what are my options on getting away from the others?' and factor that into your build - in terms of poise, defenses, hp, etc. Your build choices have a lot to do with how you're going to actually play your build in each fight. It's a lot more creative and involved than, say, picking a character in a fighting game.
Laura Marx i wouldnt go so far as to compare it to fgs in that way but its def got that similarity
Well, I'm comparing it only to say how its different :P I mean in the way that in a fighting game you pick a character thats already been designed & learn how to play it, in dark souls you have to do the work of creating your character and working out how it should play. It makes it more similar to something like competitive Pokemon, I think. So the 'building' remains important in a way it wouldn't if it was just an action game.
Hey saint, I was guessing about weapon matchmaking, what is the rule for Magic and Divine infusions ? Cause them goes to +10, if we know that +1 enchanted is equal to +11 normal, what would be the same for Magic and Divine at this lvl of reinforcement ?
Jean Simaroli magic +10 is +15. Enchanted +5 is +15.
Enchanted +0 should be the equivalent to +10. Magic +5 would also be +10.
Think about what areas you want to invade. What embers have you found by that point? The depths gives you access to the large ember, for example. So having a +6 for that area would make sense. Sen's is full of large shards so +10/11 for that area.
Get it, tks Saint. btw nice works since the firts videos about ds3, I learned to see invasions a different way after watching you, fun and effective wise
SaintRiot finally getting into birb memes
00:21 You say you're SL 54, but it says 56. Is there something I'm missing, or did you just make a mistake? :P
You are just simply hilarious...
Mr. Saint Riot what is your favorite D&D class?
Why is scholar censored?!
that brian eno banger bit ;)
I agree utterly about you thinking you get too many options at meta level.
SL 50 is where the real PvP and invasions are at (it even caps the first bracket of the arena!)
No, the "real" PvP is where the top players are.. which is the 125 meta.
Low level PvP is easy mode because these people are clueless. Even invading at meta level is easy because randoms don't level vitality when you need at least 50 + FaP Ring for 1.8k hp.
Dank Kong LOL! Mad cuz you're bad.
I did a build with velka's rapier and the silver tracer in my off hand for toxic and parrys, while velka's rapier has no crit modifier it still has really decent crit damage it is a really fun build.
2-3 spell options would probably be nice. Crystal homing soul mass, Crystal soul spear, and great soul arrow.
Wait, fully upgraded weapons on a sl 56 build? That works?? Man, this new weapon matchmaking is confusing as hell.
Happy slug wife, happy slug life. Yes, friends!
Protecc tuh buddafli mah frends! Protecc it.
From my understanding with Magic vs. Enchanted is that Enchanted gives better INT scaling and reduces STR and DEX scaling by even more than Magic. So Enchanted is better with a ton of INT investment and minimum physical stats, but around this SL, they seem to be about the same, give or take.
Love this build though! Gonna probably make this one myself, actually. It just seems really fun.
Bear will eat Chirpers
So, I own a PS4, but I also plan on getting a switch sometime soon. My campus has shitty internet and I'm not allowed to get my own, so what should I get Dark Souls on? The way I see it, the switch will let me play it comfortably(my room is small as fuck and doesn't have much space for a television), but I might be able to get a okay connection to the internet, so the PS4 version "might" be good enough to play online. Also, worth asking, does the switch have it's own version of Playstation plus I have to purchase?
HE DOESNT WANT PEOPLE TO R1 SPAM WITH CURVED SWORDS (that’s how he killed that mage in the crimson robes)
Whenever I play games that have a leveling system that is practically indefinite I always limit myself to exactly 100 that is when my character is complete, I've carried that mentality through all the souls games and other franchises that have leveling.
Slug waifu, Narc would be proud.
0:23 soul Lv what??? XD
Yeah that Souls level 54 right
Don’t mind the Level on the top left of the screen saying 56 because it’s not XDdddd
Them slugs are taking our women, no sir I shall not stand for this.
In regards to what you said about the difference between magic and enchanted upgrades, iirc ehcnanted +5 has lower base damage but much better scaling than magic +10 does
owo
Loving the lore builds
Can you try to give Priscilla’s knife and scythe some love? Might be good to make a bleed build in a game without bleed specification :)
Sunlight Sage Velka's Hunter has got you fam.
saint_riot
Bless! I’d love to see Velkas talisman/rapier on an int build as well since you’re already going with the Velka theme anyways.
Yo saint
Enchanted *usually* renders slightly lower base damage and higher scaling. But this game is also broken so magic is usually better overall damage. The reason why enchanted +1 is lower scaling than magic +5 is cause I guess they made it like a "+1" weapon of the "enchanted" upgrade, which is a different upgrade path than it was before. Remnants of Demon's Souls upgrade bullfuckery
Alastor Rockwell excellent explanation.
Honestly i have completely different experiences in the archives. I invade from the bonfire before crystal caves at sl 60 +15 and i rarely have to chase someone through the caves. Most of the time the people just came out of the big tower with the weird Music and tentacle guys when i invade them
Long term enchanted will do more damage at higher weapon and intel levels as the scaling is a little higher but magic has slightly more base damage and less scaling. If you level up an enchanted weapon to +5 youll see the scaling difference.
Sadistic Riot activated 3:38
I know this is a lore build, but a chaos-infused weapon will beat out a magic/enchanted infused one until 40 Int for Enchanted and 44 for Magic. Also, the Crystalline armor makes me mad because it would be the best looking set in the game if it wasn't covered in crystals
5:40 backpedal souls op
Watching this makes me want to run DnD and throw some of your characters into my world. Or hell, even play one as a character. #dmisalorethief
For instance I could have the Crystalized Knight as a champion of the God of Magic, or a Paladin of the God of Magic who went insane on his quest for the true power precious gems hold and turned himself into some half-crystalline half human monstrosity. You're actually legitimately an amazing DS UA-camr and I love seeing your videos come up on my feed. Thanks for the content, man. :D
I know I'm like a year and a half late but the main difference between Magic and Enchanted is the base damage and scaling. At Magic +10 and Enchanted +5, Magic will will have higher base damage, while Enchanted will have better scale. So Magic is better if you have low Int, if you have really high Int Enchanted will be better. Where you're at, around 30 Int, it really doesn't matter because the extra damage you get from scaling on the Enchanted weapons isn't enough to bring you above the higher base damage of Magic weapons, but it will be enough to match it.
EDIT: Welp I checked the comments and didn't see any mentioning this, then after I posted I immediately see a top comment explaining this better than I did. Oops.
I'm enjoying lvl 100. There are builds. Most people dont have max hp but if you want hard stat sacrafices go 60-80
How do you find how much Poise damage your weapon does?
Zachary Echelson there is a chart at wikidot's "poise" page
Is the moonlight Greatsword +5 for this build
Nvm
thats why i love you saint; ive been havin a lot of fun in duels with weird builds. but the memelords and gold/falchion/darkbead spammers /w ninjaflips just be so boring to fight with, and they are by far the most builds i met on the lame meta level. keep up with showing how much fun in this game is pls
SLUGGY WAIFU HENTAISOULZ W/ DIRT BIRD
*says a bunch of random nonsense*
“That’s lore!” (In a serious tone)
Totally subbed right there. You have me literally LOL-ing
hes baaack