During this dark month of uncertainty(which will be clarified about in my next post), hopes, dreams and desires which I have had for years have been intensified and a lack of prioritizing tasks and motivation has damaged me. From Software's Souls games have been excellent companions though, for they have rebounced and surpressed my negative thoughts.
I think it's important to reflect back on one's self at certain times and figure out what is going right and what is going wrong, in that order. That's why it helps to write about this sometimes. Normally, an old fashioned diary would do, but this blog could essentially fill that role too.
As I returned to both Dark Souls titles twice in May, I figured that their online experience deserves more elaboration and respect from me. Aside from the gorgeous aesthetics, the brutal challenge and the medieval setting, all titles are remarkable for how multiplayer works.
The first thing you will notice about this is either a written message left behind by another player, or a bloodstain, which replays deaths from other players. The former can be handy as well as deceiving(thus ratings and countermessages exist for that), and the latter can be either a guilty pleasure or a foresight into avoiding danger.
Next, you can create summon signs so that other players may invoke your help in their own world. Vice versa appears likewise, if you need help with a particular area or a boss, there are people who will offer their service, IF your humanity, effigy or ephemeral eyes are used to restore your body.
The counterpart towards co-op is versus, and in this case, an invading option is available where as people from other worlds can invade and kill you if your body is normal. This PvP system isn't exactly all the way balanced, but I have always seen variety in the builds people have made, so in overall it plays out as another interesting and unique aspect of the franchise.
Leaving invasion signs is possible too, but not as common as actual sudden invasions, although some areas are more bound for invasions than others. There are also leaderboards present which usually show us either specific PvP statistics, or the amount of loyalty players have made with their covenants.
Covenants are special agreements with clans which grant unique bonuses for your journey either in PvP or in PvE situations. Some covenants grant additional help with struggling players, others punish players for entering their area, stimulating for more overall multiplayer experiences. And this is just a basic summary, as many covenants have special conditions, rewards and actions for interacting with them.
The favorite statistic of the leadersboards in my opinion is the amount of deaths people have died in the games worldwide. In Dark Souls II from the top of my head, deaths are counted towards enemies, players and traps, and it's amusing and somewhat pointless to see the differences between console and PC versions.
Last but not least, about those written messages anyone can create, figuring out the cryptic and subtle worlds of Boletaria, Lordran and Drangleic together as a community is interesting not only to see back in for example wiki's, but in the actual games too in the form of the messages.
Things such as lore, illusory walls, strategies and other secrets are usually revealed in these messages, but it all depends on their authenticity and their frequent of appearing as far as servers allow them to be.
So a lot of the Souls franchise's pleasure comes from playing online. There was 1 instance where I beat Dark Souls offline for the first time, but since then, I have beaten all three titles online at least 1 time now. And I personally cannot wait what Project Beast is all about.
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