Form
From Wikidsouls
There are two forms your character can take.
Contents |
Physical Form
Physical form is when your character has his or her physical body.
Advantages
- Being in physical form allows you to have a full HP bar.
- You can see Blue Soul Signs and summon phantoms to help your game.
Disadvantages
- You are spotted by enemies easier, due to stronger life force. (Enemies are drawn to the living)
- You are open to invasions by a Black Phantom.
- Death in Physical Form lowers the World Tendency of the world in which you died (this can be seen as an advantage if you are going for Pure Black World Tendency, as repeated deaths when in Physical Form can quickly drop a world's World Tendency.
Soul Form
Soul Form is the state your character takes when you have died.
Advantages
- Stealthier than physical form. (no movement sound) Enemies will not detect you until getting close.
- Black Phantom players can not invade your world.
- Can leave Blue Soul Sign to aid other players.
- Can invade other players worlds as a Black Phantom using the Black Eye Stone.
- Dying in this form won´t affect the World Tendency.
Disadvantages
- HP bar is cut in half.
- Can not summon Blue Phantom players for aid.
Comments
On average, most players should expect to spend a majority of their time in spirit form, a.k.a., soul form. In soul form (i.e. whilst dead), players will have their health cut in half. While in soul form, your presence is stealthier than living form and can evade enemies easier, since your footsteps and life force are lighter.
Players can acquire rare, powerful items that can mitigate the penalties of dying (e.g. a ring that reduces the percentage by which your health is cut, or one that helps your health slowly regenerate), but for the most part spirit form is not where most people will want to be.
That said, it is only as a spirit that players can offer their assistance to other players or break into another player’s game. It might at first seem strange for there to be such a restriction on the competitive and cooperative play in the game, but when the context becomes clear, it actually only serves to add to the tension. For example, player vs. player encounters are not supposed to be trivial, meaningless exchanges. Rather, and this is really where the game’s structure shines, the player breaking in is trying to steal the life of the other player, to revive themselves.
There are really only three ways for a player to restore their physical body: by defeating a boss, by using a rare item, or by means of online interaction with other players. The last of the three offers two options: players can enter another player’s game and assist them in slaying a boss, or they can force themselves into another player’s game and try to kill them and steal their life. Imagine then the suspense when you, as a living player, are suddenly notified by the game that someone has entered your world. Immediately, you know they are after only one thing: your soul, and they’ll likely stop at nothing to get it. Should you manage to defeat them, or advance to another region before they reach you, they’ll be sent back to their own game empty-handed.
As a living player, you are only able to summon assistance from spirit players who offer it, and of course, you are vulnerable to the break-in attempts of those in pursuit of your life force. It is a recipe for excitement and thrills, regardless of which side of things you’re on.
