Hacking and invasions. The first is out of control, especially on PC and the last is an inconvenience a lot of the time, but unavoidable as I don't want to play offline.
There's been a lot of talk on the NamcoBandai forums about hacking, especially the PC version of the game. Invaders are leaving drops for others to pick up which are hacked weapons that effectively cause the game to crash and corrupt saves. Others are hacking spells and weapons to Petrify, Curse or immediately kill players as soon as they spawn when summoned for duels, or when being invaded. And more. Just a lot of senseless crap that ruins the game for genuine players and I can't see what they get out of it.
The forums are full of threads complaining about hacking which isn't localized to the PC but also the consoles, albeit at a lesser rate. Anyway, it seems that FROM are going to reintroduce VAC sometime soon according to this topic and it can't come too soon:
http://forums.bandainamcogames.com/show ... mco-Bandai!
I must say though that I haven't come across the level of griefers that many others have, but that may or may not be due to me not being interested in PvP, but I have a had a couple of invasions in PvE that were obvious hackers. I jumped off a cliff for one and the other killed me before I had even noticed him as I seem to have missed the invasion message.
It's very sad people have to behave like this to get their cheap thrills. I'm not a fan of PvP anyway and even though invasions are part of the game, like co-op, sometimes it just annoys me when I'm trying to get somewhere or minding my own business and I have to fight off an invader to progress. That's life in Dark Souls though and I don't really mind that much when it's a genuine player and not a hacking troll.
I truly enjoyed this one though and a couple of others like it in the past where I managed to prevail....they weren't hackers though. The other night I was in the Forest of the Giants to revisit the Memories of the Giants to talk with an NPC. I was invaded by a player decked out in Smelter armour, the Tower Shield and wielding the Curved Dragon Greatsword. I was wearing the Defender's armour and also the Tower shield, wielding the Black Knight Greatsword infused with fire, which you would think wouldn't be great in that situation with his high fire defense. Didn't have time to switch as he was on me in seconds.
Anyway, I thought I was going to be massacred (as usual) but I got in some good hits and stunned him, lowering his health drastically, but not after he nearly killed me. I briefly retreated to a clearer area just around the corner so I could fight without being caught up on stairs and the tree near the bonfire, and so I could heal. He invaded me, I get to heal so all bets are off, like it or not, which he didn't.
He (or she,) did the Decapitate gesture which really ticked me off and made me want to win this fight. It backfired on him badly as I'm pretty sure he thought he was going to win. Instead of backing off I went for him in full aggressive mode and only at half health, and I think he was surprised because he didn't react fast enough. I put him down in a few swings. Black Knight sword has a good poke stab on R2 which got past his shield. It was over in seconds...
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.
I imagine he was pretty annoyed with me and I would have got hate mail except that's not possible on PC unless I'd added him as a friend which isn't likely to happen...
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. I wasn't rude enough to mock him afterwards though which happens a lot with invaders. I'm pretty sure this same guy invaded me earlier in the DLC with the same gear, but he got me that time, knocking me back so I fell off a ledge.
Another one that I really liked was in the Doors of Pharros Rat area. The player had activated all the traps and enemies in his world thinking it would hinder and kill me, but he didn't plan it very well as I was across a chasm from him and pelted him with arrows until he finally decided to move. Then he came for me, but he had to cross a
narrow bridge and I was able to chase him and whack him a few times with my lightning Murakumo...how I love that sword.
Then I went on to frustrate myself trying to kill the Royal Rat Authority..which took many tries before I got him (it). Damn annoying fight that one with all the little rats that pretty much instantly petrify you, even with defense against it, if you don't put them down fast enough before the BIG one appears.