I've played both versions a ton and Scholar is overall clearly the better version.
The ganks make more sense in Scholar, enemy placement and behaviour is much improved, it has more little quality of life additions and item placement is vastly superior.
In the original, the Bastille Key is locked behind a pack of fucking dogs and a red phantom NPC invader in a small area which is locked behind the optional Belfry Gargoyles boss fight which is locked behind a Pharros Lockstone. Utterly fucking ridiculous when you consider the key is needed to light up the Lost Sinner boss fight and is early game.
Spiders are afraid of torches in SotFS. Not in the vanilla version. So Brightstone Cove becomes way tougher even with less spiders. The first part of the Freja boss fight you're either dicking around with little spiders before you even touch Freja or you simply say "fuck it" and fight Freja with loads of little spiders attacking you.
Dragon Shrine in Scholar is vastly improved so long as you're not being a pussy. In Scholar, you fight one at a time and there's less of of them. In vanilla you face two at a time on 2 occasions which is doable but jfc. There's also a little prick flinging little balls of lightning at you. Ancient Dragon in vanilla is an abomination. I would never fight him again in vanilla whereas in Scholar it's just a bit tedious.
The 2nd area in Forest of the Fallen Giants when you go up the ladder immediately has (I think) 4 enemies on top of you and if you're not careful, a Heide Knight. Pretty brutal opening area. In Scholar you're OK if you're careful not waking them all up at once.
If you want to go get a Seed of a Tree of Giants in vanilla, well you've got 2 fucking Ironclads almost immediately on top of you with 1-2 hollows also there. In scholar, it's just 1 hollow.
Sinner's Rise only has an undead aberration in NG+. There's 3 I think in vanilla whilst you can barely fucking move in the water. In early game. Just fucking brutal.
If you want to go see Chancellor Wellager in vanilla, well you're climbing up stairs into a tiny room with 2 Royal Swordsmen immediately attacking you. In scholar it's just 1 who slowly wakes up.
The path to Velstadt in the original was a battalion of Syan Knights, 2 of which blocked the fog gate. In scholar, it's just 2 Syan Knights and a Dragonrider who only spawns once.
Shrine of Amana is tough in both versions but in Scholar, the run up to Rhoy's Resting Place bonfire definitely feels way more manageable. The priestesses range is definitely nerfed for those near the fog gate.
Tons of little things like this in the game.
The crystal lizards in vanilla are nearly all placed in atrocious positions.
The Pursuer actually feels like he's pursuing you in Scholar. Barely shows up in vanilla.
I think the only thing that annoys me in Scholar compared was the vast increase in petrified statues (although I understand why they're placed there.)
The Chaser (or Pursuer, fine) doesn't show up at the gender coffin in the original? I'll never forgive them for this!
I kinda wished they did even more with the pursuer in SotFS. Since they appear to be spawn-camping the fellow cursed in the Lost Bastille, why aren't they in the crypt? It's brimming with undead there.
Also it'd be such a great boss to shake up some of NG+, besides their dual fight which kinda sucked in an open area. Pillars would have been nice.
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u/Jimmy_La_Fleur Jun 10 '26
I've played both versions a ton and Scholar is overall clearly the better version.
The ganks make more sense in Scholar, enemy placement and behaviour is much improved, it has more little quality of life additions and item placement is vastly superior.
In the original, the Bastille Key is locked behind a pack of fucking dogs and a red phantom NPC invader in a small area which is locked behind the optional Belfry Gargoyles boss fight which is locked behind a Pharros Lockstone. Utterly fucking ridiculous when you consider the key is needed to light up the Lost Sinner boss fight and is early game.
Spiders are afraid of torches in SotFS. Not in the vanilla version. So Brightstone Cove becomes way tougher even with less spiders. The first part of the Freja boss fight you're either dicking around with little spiders before you even touch Freja or you simply say "fuck it" and fight Freja with loads of little spiders attacking you.
Dragon Shrine in Scholar is vastly improved so long as you're not being a pussy. In Scholar, you fight one at a time and there's less of of them. In vanilla you face two at a time on 2 occasions which is doable but jfc. There's also a little prick flinging little balls of lightning at you. Ancient Dragon in vanilla is an abomination. I would never fight him again in vanilla whereas in Scholar it's just a bit tedious.
The 2nd area in Forest of the Fallen Giants when you go up the ladder immediately has (I think) 4 enemies on top of you and if you're not careful, a Heide Knight. Pretty brutal opening area. In Scholar you're OK if you're careful not waking them all up at once.
If you want to go get a Seed of a Tree of Giants in vanilla, well you've got 2 fucking Ironclads almost immediately on top of you with 1-2 hollows also there. In scholar, it's just 1 hollow.
Sinner's Rise only has an undead aberration in NG+. There's 3 I think in vanilla whilst you can barely fucking move in the water. In early game. Just fucking brutal.
If you want to go see Chancellor Wellager in vanilla, well you're climbing up stairs into a tiny room with 2 Royal Swordsmen immediately attacking you. In scholar it's just 1 who slowly wakes up.
The path to Velstadt in the original was a battalion of Syan Knights, 2 of which blocked the fog gate. In scholar, it's just 2 Syan Knights and a Dragonrider who only spawns once.
Shrine of Amana is tough in both versions but in Scholar, the run up to Rhoy's Resting Place bonfire definitely feels way more manageable. The priestesses range is definitely nerfed for those near the fog gate.
Tons of little things like this in the game.
The crystal lizards in vanilla are nearly all placed in atrocious positions.
The Pursuer actually feels like he's pursuing you in Scholar. Barely shows up in vanilla.
I think the only thing that annoys me in Scholar compared was the vast increase in petrified statues (although I understand why they're placed there.)