Two Small Boxes On HUD - Ring Slots?

Hey Folks,
I haven't seen this mentioned in the other threads, or in EpicNameBro's or VaatiVidya's youtube commentaries, so thought I would put this out there for your thoughts.

In the HUD there are 2 smaller boxes right beneath the shield box. Could these possibly be for 2 ring slots? If so, this would mean that we once again have 2 ring slots, and we would have a reminder of what rings we are sporting. How many times have I left on the Rusted Iron Ring after leaving Blightown and been punished for it?

Another quick observation - there has been a lot of speculation about the symbol where there used to be the soft humanity counter. That it might be some world tendency or covenant symbol.
If so, where would the humanity counter go (if it is in the game)?
Well, what about the small square box to the left of the Soul count in the lower right of the screen? Perhaps that will become a humanity counter. In Dark Souls there is no symbol of any kind where the amount of souls are displayed. Why add one now?

What do you think?

12 minute gameplay vid: http://www.ign.com/videos/2013/04/10/dark-souls-2-gameplay-reveal-12-minute-demo

Be good,
DrManiacal

2 slots on the left could be ring slots. Does that mean the slot on the right could be....a necklace slot? hmmm??

I don't really see the need to display the worn rings on the hud, to me that would be wasted space for unnecessary information. The small boxes are also a different style from the rest, they look more like brackets than boxes, so they could also be related to a humanity counter.

I think they will also continue the 2 ring-slots feature, after all you only have 2 ring fingers. But many have asked for a bracelets/necklace feature.

Also the durability bars under the weapon slots (if that is what they are) suggests that weapon repair could be more important this time, meaning weapons gradually lose sharpness instead of the sudden drop in damage at 30% durability.

Hud reference image:

I think the two smaller ones will be ammo boxes personally. If they turn out to be ring slots then they could mean fast swapping of rings

Also the little ones near the item and spell boxes look like they want you to see the next item in queue

skarekrow13 wrote: Also the little ones near the item and spell boxes look like they want you to see the next item in queue

Yes, there a few spots in the gameplay video that show him switching the spell slots on the top, and one where the bottom slot switches from 'Drop stone of healing' to 'Drop stone of healing to glisten', with a different number available underneath.

Definately possible that the smaller boxes could be ammo of some kind. At around 8:30 in the gameplay video he pulls out a bow and there isn't anything in those boxes though. They could add that in later, or maybe they are for throwing knives.

Although I think that there are exactly 2 of them probably lessons the probability that the humanity counter will go here. Just seems like 2 slots might mean 2 rings.

And I don't think it would necessarily mean they could be fast switched out, since you don't have a smaller box that seems to go with these, as you see in the top and bottom slots.

Be good,
DrManiacal

Fast swap: hold "x" and left or right

Since the hold x and motion controls for gestures kinda sucks.

I've been preaching that it's a special bow. Either made for the demo or one in game that doesn't need ammo. First, I saw that those boxes had no counter but there's no ammo counter anywhere despite it looking like a full HUD. So unless they figured put the ammo counter in at the last minute, that bow isn't using ammo. Second, I know it's a fantasy game but only Rambo has exploding arrows and his don't look quite like that.

Wasted space for unnecessary information? Apparently you don't play Dark Souls the way I do, with a steady supply of **** in hand...I'm always running around with the wrong rings on. Need all the help I can get.

https://s1213.photobucket.com/user/TolvoArt/media/Dark%20Souls%202/c6930ade-a437-4c78-a903-f3e655879738_zpsa4f87d8c.jpg.html
Cant be ammo slots. If you check Tolvo's screen shot during the fight with the bow you cant see the ammo in the boxes.. Could be ring slots.... I thought they look slightly like upgrade slots for gems or something but could be wrong

Ok, I'll still stand by ammo slots for the reason I mentioned above.....if you check any screens of the gameplay vid, not only is there no counter in those boxes but there's no ammo counter anywhere. They show counter information for items and spells (see Ublug's pic above or Tolvo's) so it stands to reason they didn't arbitrarily decide that ammo should no longer have visual feedback of "how many shots are left." That's why I assume that the bow is "special" in some way. Basically, unless they dropped an ammo counter altogether (my main premise being that there's no reason they should), the lack of info in those boxes is irrelevant at this point.

Option 1: In game bow that doesn't need arrows
Evidence for-
-Explosion effect,
-lack of ammo counter,
-seeming reliance on old swap mechanics (everything else is about the same, why not ammo?)
-bow design, bow looks like swanky compound bow (in use) and not short or long bow (in HUD display does not resemble compound but also is an atypical design)

Option 2: Modified for demo, still no need for ammo or to show us ammo
Evidence for-
-The game's not done yet,
-other pieces of (deliberately) left out information such as....when he triggers the skeleton dragon, can you tell me the item that he picked up? or what's the name of the spells he has queued?


Now I'm not saying they can't be ring slots, but if they are then I predict a fast swap option similar to what I mentioned above only because it would be superfluous without one. If they're showing us our rings just because, why not show us our armor pieces on the HUD? That section is and always has been defined as the "swap menu." It's one of the biggest pieces to the complexity of the battles and allure of the game, I imagine that it will remain the "swap menu" area.

I'm also not saying they can't be upgrade slots or something else entirely new. Whatever they actually are (I believe the strongest evidence is for ammo slots) they intentionally opted not to show us for now.

I don't get why you would need to see which rings you have equipped on your HUD. On 99% of my characters I change rings less than I change my hair in the game.

To be fair you do see the ring effects on the HUD under health/stamina bars... they were missing on the demo so perhaps he just wasnt wearing any rings

I had thought of that too. But that would lead to a revamped effects system if those slots are for effects. Revamped as in, only two effects at a time. Currently, just for an example, I could use the grass crest shield, power within, slumbering dragoncrest ring and wolf ring (I could be wrong and correct me if I am) for four effects at one time.

And again, I'm just saying what I think they are. They could easily be ring slots. My only thought if they are, this would mean fast swap rings (which I can see the benefit of and lots of us do it in the menu already). Ring slots are absolutely a possibility in my book.