What do you think is harder? Playing online or offline?

I have only ever played DS offline, who here thinks its harder or is it better playing online? I am considering setting up wireless at home and wanted your thoughts?

What are the pro's and con's?

thanks guys

Online, because of the risk of invasions, and when you fight a boss with phantoms it will have more heath.

Pro's: Summoning, Invading, world messages, shadows of other players around you (give you the feeling your not struggling alone), Resonance rings. There are more but I can't think of them at the moment.

Con's: Invaded by Black Red phantom/blue phantom/Gravelord (all too rare sadly), unhelpful world messages, If you are disconnected from server/online you are kicked back to the menu (always seems to happen at the worst of times).

Online tends to be easier if you summon decent help. The "invasion" risk is only there if you are high enough level, don't have 2 good phantoms, and don't just head straight to the boss. I've been invaded with terrible gear more than one time where I simply ran to the end; not much they can do (and I've had it happen to me often enough as an invader).

Offline you can summon NPC phantoms for the first half of the game, but eventually you get fights like 4 kings and Witch Beatrice won't carry you through that one, in fact she's often a hindrance because that battle is a dps race. Summoned phantoms might actually do enough damage to make up for the extra hp.

summoned phantoms meaning one of you guys in essence?

ok cool! yeah, that is one thing I want to try and avoid, gankers (read a lot of bad things here) others are very helpful though!

but I feel that deters one from the actual experience in my eyes..

you are say in Anor Londo, and you make it through etc and just before entering to fight O&S you get invaded and most likely die

or someone drops like 1m souls and or 100 twinkling titanate etc...

or am I wrong?

Online solo is obviously harder.

Offline coop (NPCs) or online coop in a low traffic area is the easiest you can get

offline is harder. the only significant difference is interaction with other players.

Statistically, if you're trying to just go through the game, you'll summon WAY more friendly phantoms to help you than you'll be invaded by hostile phantoms.

Online is easier.

Online is soo much easier. Im mostly unable to play online the one time i did i was able to beat the game from beginning to end in a day.. Offline took me several weeks because i was having a difficult time at 4 kings and Nito who basically overwhelmed with sheer number of enemies/beatrice failing epically both times were NG

I don't think you can measure which one is harder because the difficulty is inconsistent online. I think the best way you could approach it is by thinking invasions are some kind of random generator number, or a dice throw where the higher the number, the higher the difficulty of the invader. Same can be applied to phantoms that help you with a higher number, the easier the game gets.

BTW I've heard that bosses get a health boost if you co op. Does this apply to both human and CPU phantoms?

so offline using the games NPC's like Sunbro and Beatrice etc you think is harder?

I am going to be setting up wifi at home and going to be giving it a whirl in the next few weeks.. will see what happens