"Ganking"

[Splitz-]

I would like to hear from you, the community, what you think "ganking" really is? I seem to be the only person to think Co Op and ganking are two separate things. While playing through the game, me and 1 other friend are summoning each other to Co Op an area, and always get invader at least once. However, win or lose, I get hate mail saying " get rekt ganker" or "uninstall you ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ gank squad" and it's rediculous! Ganking to me is 1 or more summons that usually hang out near PvP hot spots and don't progress through a level, but instead summon red phantoms just to get the easy win by shear numbers. But according to what seems like everyone, ganking is having just one summon at all no matter what your doing. When did the term change its definition?

TL;DR Co Op and Ganking are not one in the same, they are two completely separate play styles.

[Zach]

People who have made zero progress in the level and only gang up on invaders is ganking. Sometimes you'll invade a group of 3 that will be clearing enemies and you'll go "Oh surely it's just a host trying to go through the level with some help". No sometimes gankers will clear out mobs so invaders have nothing to hide behind.

I'd say only 5-10% of the time people are going through the level to get to the boss. The rest will gank you when you invade.

[Jendex]

I agree with the original post entirely. The community is just full of whiny invaders who want an easy solo kill. 95% of the time people are just co-oping, unless you invade in the crucifixion woods or after Pontiff. Getting through an area with a friend or a phantom is not ganking. It's stupid to just make the host fight the invader 1v1. If you want a duel, go duel. Keep the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ out of the regular game. If you invade you take the risk and the challenge of fighting multiple people, and you don't get to be a ♥♥♥♥♥ and call them "gankers" because they took the smart move and fought you together to eliminate you by any means necessary, just like invaders use any means necessary to kill the host.

[Elwetritsch]

A ganker is one who actively seeks a combat with a preocupied or distracted victim. In DS this can be the host as well as the invader.

Make a simple check: 1. Is he seeking the fight?
2. Is he forcing disfavorable numbers unto the target?

Jolly cooperators who face an invader as a team fullfill cindirion 2, but not condition 1. They were not löookiong for trouble, thus they are no gankers.

Groups that camp an area waiting for invaders fullfill both conditions. They want trouble and they want to use their numbers. They are gankers.

An invader automaticly fullfills condition 1, since he invades with the onlky purpose ti kill (save for some roleplayers).

Those who challenge the host to a duel do not fullfill condition 2, they are no gankers.

Those who who attack him while he is stuck fighting something enamys fullfill condition 2, they are gankers.

And there are the guys who want to toss you of a ledge with their greatbow. They are somewhere in between. Can be gankers when they intefere with an ongoing figfht, or they hit you out of combat, then they are not. But "hunters" per se are are a bit more vague characters in terms of ganking or not.

[Washing Machine]

Co-op: host and phantom(s) clearing towards the boss with the intent of getting to the boss.

Ganking: hanging out it an area with phantoms with no intention of entering the boss fog at any point. I would throw scrubs who run to bonfire and chain summon backup then black crystal them out when the invader is dead into this category.

[Krono]

Gank = Gang+kill

By the definition of the word, any situation in which two or more people attack one person is a gank. Regular players that are doing coop are still ganking if they both attack at once, that's just what the word means

[Elwetritsch]

Originally posted by Krono | Sin:

Gank = Gang+kill

By the definition of the word, any situation in which two or more people attack one person is a gank. Regular players that are doing coop are still ganking if they both attack at once, that's just what the word means

True, i can second that that far. However ganging up is an active thing. Being somewhere in higher numbers is a passive thing. As you stated, the action of "attacking" with numbers is a gank. The passive "defending" would not be one. Unless it is a bait, that is very well a gank.

The question "gank or not" basicly only arises for the active party in a combat encounter.

And of course, roles can change. An attacker can be beaten back and the host can summon help to pursue him. In the next clash he would be the ganker.

[Mini]

Ganking is the act of attacking another player alongside another entity within the game. This is true with other phantoms, invaders, or even the normal mobs within the game.

[Finn ™]

Originally posted by MiniWhiteDragon:

Ganking is the act of attacking another player alongside another entity within the game. This is true with other phantoms, invaders, or even the normal mobs within the game.

mobs don't spam r1, lol

[Mini]

Originally posted by Finn ™ 🐺:

Originally posted by MiniWhiteDragon:

Ganking is the act of attacking another player alongside another entity within the game. This is true with other phantoms, invaders, or even the normal mobs within the game.

mobs don't spam r1, lol

True, but that's not what ganking at it's core is. R1 spam doesn't define a gank, it's just a common trait we tend to see in gankers.

[Jendex]

Look at all this whining.
Even invented a word to whine about it.

[MundM]

There are two types of ganking: Dedicated, you summon several people just to wait for invaders to bash them, and the situational gankers, you play through the game with one or two friends but as soon as you get invaded, you run back to the bonfire and wait there with your buddies.

I don't understand why it would make sense to send hate mails, I either won or I lost, there is no need to express my emotions after it in a non constructive manner, but clearly you seem to play the game as intended and don't deserve any hate mail.

People are very quick to bash on invaders being outraged about the situation they find theirself in when invading some times, while forgetting that they have the same right to express their opinion about the odds when invading as people have that wished the game doesn't have the invader mechanic at all.


Play through the game with your buddy, have fun, as long as you don't hug the bonfire while having a bodyguard, nobody can call unfair.

[Mållgan]

I think there is a difference between invading a host playing the campaign and invading a host who is waiting at the bonfire with two/three other phantoms and 1 red invader who is friends with the host; but in almost all cases of ganking, they usually do the latter while claiming the former.

[World Eater]

One thing for sure is without gankers, we wouldn't find any invasion pvp at SL 120 +. You won't catch nobody playing normal game. All you would get is "Host entered critical battle". Take T.A.8 for instance he's at the crufication woods 24/7 with his 2 comrades. So you are bored and wanna test your skill against odds? Just hit your red orb at the woords and T.A.8 and his gang will welcome you for a fair and square 3v1

[odinigh]

Solution is:
Summon 0 or 1 phantom(s). You shouldn't need more to clear any area.
Play with them however you want and however much you want, in whichever area.
Kill all the invaders you want!
They can't really call you a ganker at this point, because there's only 1-2 of you.

[Katt]

Killing a invader with a co-op moving through zone = Not a gank
Killing a host while host is fighting a mob/s = Not a gank
Killing a solo host in a 2v1 = Not a gank
Waiting in a zone with summons and not progressing for the purpose of killing invaders = Gank
Killing a fresh host that tries to move through the zone in low level area while invader has
endgame gear or ng++ rings and maxed estus = Gank
Killing a solo host 3v1 or 4v1, 5v1 = Gank