The way multiplayer is integrated into FromSoftware's games is quite unusual and this time you'll start the adventure with an intimidating number of multiplayer-related items in your inventory.
It's up to you to put them in your hotbars and use them or not and here's everything about Elden Ring Multiplayer.
Indirect Online Elements
This includes many online elements that do not actively involve players in the game, such as bloodstains from dead players, which is often a good indicator of a danger zone. You can view the last moments of these players by activating those. This also includes the ghostly silhouettes that you see at times in the wild or at key points, showing player actions. And more importantly, that includes the infamous messages left all over the place .
Some are useful, since they tell you the position of an ambush or a secret passage, they can even serve as signposts in a dark area.
In any case, you can choose to play offline, if you don't like these elements. You can also just ignore them if you don't want to be swayed, although it's hard not to be interested in posts near dodgy walls.
Multiplayer menu
With Elden Ring, you can now access the multiplayer menu that allows you to add a password.
- There's the multiplayer password, which prioritizes seeing messages, summon marks, bloodstains, ghosts, and other items from players who use the same password as you. This is ideal for forming a community or a specific group of players or for playing with friends .
- The multiplayer password allows you to summon, or be summoned only by players with the same code. This does not apply to invasions.
Special Rules in Multiplayer
You can have up to 4 players in the game at the moment, including invaders. This means up to 4 players in co-op, or 2 players in co-op and 2 invaders:
- When you summon a player, or if you are invaded, the mount is no longer usable . It is automatically revoked if you were already on it, it is also a warning sign during an invasion, including by the AI.
- Spirit Summons are also unusable.
- Unlike previous games from the studio, cooperative multiplayer is no longer confined to a small area. The area is quite wide, and it is possible to play together for quite a long time until a boss is killed.
- Playing cooperatively automatically exposes you to invasions by other players, unlike playing solo, which requires you to activate a certain item before you can be invaded.
- For summoned players, the number of Healing Vials and CP possessed is halved, rounded down. Make sure you always have an even number of each vial type so you don't lose more than you need. Examples: 4/0 or 2/2, which gives 2/0 or 1/1 when summoned by another player. Here are distributions of vials not recommended: 1/3 or 3/1 which gives 0/1 and 1/0.
Player versus player invasions
As mentioned above, Elden Ring changed the invasion system present in the Souls. The reason being the lack of the undead/human system. Since the characters are still in a normal state, this would otherwise mean that they can still be overrun, which can quickly become unbearable, since you can no longer use your mount.
In fact, the invaders are limited by default to cooperative players, so a tough fight awaits them. In order to balance things out, the invader has a special item, the Bloody Finger. Usable 10 times, it allows you to teleport very quickly near your target, or conversely to flee very quickly if the situation turns bad.
The marks combined with two particular objects, which make it easy to register, wherever you are. This avoids having to find a specific place to leave your mark, or having to search for player marks in the world, although it is still possible.
This guide has been translated from MGG France by bxakid and was originally written by Raiden Robin.
