What are the major things one needs to know to start Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin?

I've recently gotten Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin for PS4, as I had heard good things about it and wanted a challenging game.
It took a while for me to get my head around how it works, and eventually had to look at the wiki to make sense of it. I found that right from the beginning in Things Betwixt, one of the tutorial areas is closed off as there is a statue in the way.
As I never played the original, this was pretty frustrating, as I would have liked to get a full feel for the game before I set off to Majula and got into the main portion of the game.
I'm currently quite far into the Forest of the Fallen Giants, and have only just found out from this website how to level up in Majula. I realize now why it was so difficult. I've been spending my souls on weapons & armor rather than levels.
I have no idea if the tutorial area explained any of that. I quite like being sent off into the unknown (like being able to enter any quest area first), but at the same time I feel like I have missed explanations because I am playing the expansion and things are different.
I don't really want to start trawling through the Dark Souls 2 Wiki, because I don't want to start finding things out from the walkthrough or anything that I want to discover for myself. However, at the moment I feel like I'm a bit too disadvantaged by not playing the original version.
So is there anything else that I should know before playing further, without revealing spoilers or helping too much?
Best Answer
Dodge. Dodge a lot. Enemies telegraph their attacks well ahead of making them. This isn't to tell you when to dodge, but where. Don't be in the spot your enemy is going to be hitting.
Don't use a shield to block anything from anyone bigger than you. If they're taller than you, you're just going to get knocked down. Also, don't turtle attacks too much.
Dark Souls is largely a game of movement and positioning. Superior positioning is key. A naked man with a stick is more dangerous than the Pursuer, as long as he's never where you swing, and he's always hitting you. Never be still for long.
Keep an eye out for any advantages the environment can give you. Undead are mindless, and will follow you into narrow spots where they lose the advantage of numbers. Their ambushes will fall to rot if you funnel them all over a bridge that you smack them off of, or retreat to a wide open place that gives you plenty of room to move around.
You'll also hear some complaints about "Dudes in armor". Understand that anyone in armor follows the same movement rules you do. Four legged enemies and other behemoths do not. Duels to the death, mano a mano is more Dark Souls II style than any other Souls title.
That's as much as I can say about it right now. Have fun, and don't give up! There's a way through everything.
Pictures about "What are the major things one needs to know to start Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin?"



Quick Answer about "What are the major things one needs to know to start Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin?"
- CHOOSE YOUR CLASS WISELY. ...
- EXPLORE THE TUTORIAL AREA. ...
- PICK THE RIGHT GEAR FOR THE JOB. ...
- KEEP PRESSING ON. ...
- USE YOUR SHIELD. ...
- GET A RANGED WEAPON. ...
- LISTEN TO THE GHOSTS OF THE PAST. ...
- ESTUS FLASKS REPLENISH; LIFEGEMS DON'T.
How do I start Scholar of the First Sin?
The player must go to the primal bonfire chamber in the Iron Keep and examine an obelisk to be teleported to the entrance. In the Scholar of the First Sin Edition, the key is located on a skeleton in the pit with the Flame Lizards in the Forest of the Fallen Giants.Does Scholar of the First Sin fix Dark Souls 2?
Starting Items As for players that want to focus exclusively on melee and care about their Soul Level, the Bandit is easily the best class in the game. This class has the lowest attunement, faith, and intelligence stats in the game.What is the best class to start with in Dark Souls 2?
Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin is more than just a "game of the year" style re-release. It's a completely remixed version of the game, with much tougher enemy placement.Tips for starting out in Dark Souls 2
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mikhail Nilov, Kaique Rocha, DS stories, DS stories