I could understand if it was just a PvE player who didn't want to deal an invasion (it wouldn't make it right, but it would be understandable). But ER makes it so easy to not be invaded, I don't think I've every had anything other than NPC invasions. That player willingly opened themselves up to invasions, tried to waste your time by hiding from you, summoned an overleveled friend to fight you, then Alt-F4'd when you _beat_ the overleveled phantom. Like, any one of those would be understandable, but the collection of all of them together paints a very specific picture. There was also a site of grace within throwing distance, so the run back would have been minimal. Though to be fair they might not have activated it yet. I don't generally _like_ getting invaded, but I do consider it a core part of the experience. To the point that I waited until the servers were back up before doing my first playthrough of DS3 (not just for invasions, but for all the online aspects of the game). I'm actually sad they made it so easy to just not be invaded in ER. The hollowing/embered mechanics from DS2 and DS3 I thought were pretty good, giving you a substantial benefit for the price of opening yourself up to invasions (or, in DS2's case, inflicting a substantial penalty for closing yourself off from invasions, but this is functionally the same). I wish Souls game invasions hadn't degenerated into host gank squads vs. munchkin invaders. Getting invaded by a munchkin or invading into a gank squad as a regular player make it very hard to win, which can be a problem when you're primarily a PvE player and need to do PvP for covenant rewards. It's bad enough that more than once I've chosen to farm skellies in the catacombs in order to get the Warmth pyromancy rather than do the PvP. I feel like the ideal invasion PvP experience is a PvE-focused host versus an unoptimized meme build invader. The host isn't built for or experienced with PvP, so they're at a disadvantage. The invader is unoptimized, so they're at a disadvantage. It balances out, and the invader can show off some cool spells or weapon arts or just all around have fun. Invaders as "surprise minibosses" would be so much more fun. Meta level optimization should be left for duels and such, not rando invasions.
I would say a PvP optimised invader vs a host with 1 or 2 phantoms is still often at a small disadvantage (it’s meant to be). They have no friendly fire, and there’s nothing stopping that host or phantoms from having some PvP experience. Min maxing and making builds is part of the fun for invaders and Co op alike. Sometime you will win because of your build, skill or more likely a mixture of both. In DS3 hosts knew PvP would come if they ember so their is an incentive there to understand PvP to keep that 30% buff and blues, who definitely have PvP in mind can help tip the balance. I won’t speak on lone hosts in Elden as their are never any around. The only thing I find unbalanced are some weapon set ups and overleveled phantoms. Low level is also a cesspool of twinking, invaders and Co op. I really really miss the ember system.
I’d like to but need to think of something other than invasion content. Depending on the day there’s just so much collective dead time between invasions making the streams understandably dull for viewers
splendid
I could understand if it was just a PvE player who didn't want to deal an invasion (it wouldn't make it right, but it would be understandable). But ER makes it so easy to not be invaded, I don't think I've every had anything other than NPC invasions. That player willingly opened themselves up to invasions, tried to waste your time by hiding from you, summoned an overleveled friend to fight you, then Alt-F4'd when you _beat_ the overleveled phantom. Like, any one of those would be understandable, but the collection of all of them together paints a very specific picture.
There was also a site of grace within throwing distance, so the run back would have been minimal. Though to be fair they might not have activated it yet.
I don't generally _like_ getting invaded, but I do consider it a core part of the experience. To the point that I waited until the servers were back up before doing my first playthrough of DS3 (not just for invasions, but for all the online aspects of the game). I'm actually sad they made it so easy to just not be invaded in ER. The hollowing/embered mechanics from DS2 and DS3 I thought were pretty good, giving you a substantial benefit for the price of opening yourself up to invasions (or, in DS2's case, inflicting a substantial penalty for closing yourself off from invasions, but this is functionally the same).
I wish Souls game invasions hadn't degenerated into host gank squads vs. munchkin invaders. Getting invaded by a munchkin or invading into a gank squad as a regular player make it very hard to win, which can be a problem when you're primarily a PvE player and need to do PvP for covenant rewards. It's bad enough that more than once I've chosen to farm skellies in the catacombs in order to get the Warmth pyromancy rather than do the PvP.
I feel like the ideal invasion PvP experience is a PvE-focused host versus an unoptimized meme build invader. The host isn't built for or experienced with PvP, so they're at a disadvantage. The invader is unoptimized, so they're at a disadvantage. It balances out, and the invader can show off some cool spells or weapon arts or just all around have fun. Invaders as "surprise minibosses" would be so much more fun. Meta level optimization should be left for duels and such, not rando invasions.
I would say a PvP optimised invader vs a host with 1 or 2 phantoms is still often at a small disadvantage (it’s meant to be). They have no friendly fire, and there’s nothing stopping that host or phantoms from having some PvP experience. Min maxing and making builds is part of the fun for invaders and Co op alike. Sometime you will win because of your build, skill or more likely a mixture of both.
In DS3 hosts knew PvP would come if they ember so their is an incentive there to understand PvP to keep that 30% buff and blues, who definitely have PvP in mind can help tip the balance. I won’t speak on lone hosts in Elden as their are never any around.
The only thing I find unbalanced are some weapon set ups and overleveled phantoms. Low level is also a cesspool of twinking, invaders and Co op. I really really miss the ember system.
damn bro
Gods, it was already dumb enough in DS3 🥲 Great content, although, are you considering livestreaming again?
I’d like to but need to think of something other than invasion content. Depending on the day there’s just so much collective dead time between invasions making the streams understandably dull for viewers