The ONLY way to get it in your first playthrough is to reach rank 2 in the Blue Sentinels covenant, and the only other way to get it is in NG++ from Chancellor Wellager within Drangleic Castle who will sell it to you for some 15k souls (I think).

You can buy most of the covenant rewards from Wellager once you reach NG++, including weapons like the Curved Twinblade that you get from the Brotherhood.

+-10 levels, not percent. So you'll only connect with people 190-210. It's more sensible when you imagine level 600 players invading someone 60 levels below them xD

I think that's it. People will be ditching the Way in favour of trying out other covenants I'd imagine. I'm still having plenty of activity with the cracked blue eye orbs though. The restriction on sinners isn't much of a problem when I can invade practically any sinner regardless of where they are in the game. I've invaded someone in Drangleic Castle when I searched outside the Cathedral of Blue.

Soul Memory is actually discounted when you advance to NG+. Instead, people in NG can't connect with anyone above their playthrough, and anyone in NG+ and beyond can't connect with people in NG. People in NG+ and beyond have no restrictions bar soul level.

I like carrying around butt-loads of souls. It's great for hexes too.

Yeah, it's mandatory when you get to that area just before the memory. From the Cardinal Tower bonfire you go down the ladder to the right, and need to get to that area after the steel turtle (there should be a door that you can open from the opposite side to your right when you descend the ladder (you'll have to go around if it's closed). You'll need the Soldier's Key from the Last Giant fight and open a door behind the steel turtle. Up those stairs you should come to a fog door which is the Pursuer fight.

The only way is after the Pursuer fight. You'll have to defeat him in order to access the memory. It's behind the area with the Pursuer and there's no other way of accessing it.

Enjoy him on NG++ He can one-shot you in that xD

Practice your timing. Don't dodge immediately when you see the attack animation, wait a fraction of a second longer than you normally do and then dodge. And always watch out for a follow up slash.

I just got home and I can test the sword now:

Normal Stance: R1 (RB): downward slash

R2 (RT): thrust

Power Stance: R1 (RB): downward slash

R2 (RT): vertical slash

It's the same for all katanas except the R2 power-stance which is different on every katana. I went ahead and tested out all the katanas I have to verify that ^^

From what I've seen it's like any other katana. The thrust attack comes from dashing and hitting R1 (RB), though I don't know if R2 (RT) does it either. I can test it out later and give you feedback on the different attacks.

The only tip I can give you is to dodge. Dodge and use ranged weaponry.

Stick close to his left leg and circle around him. Most of his attacks won't need to be dodged that way and you can get in 2-3 attacks before he recovers. Just learn the pattern of his attacks first, because sometimes he attacks in three's. When you find Vendrick backs up against a wall though, distance yourself from him and bring him into the open again, then run in to hug his left-leg again.

I was trying a frontal approach and getting creamed every time but once I switched to that tactic above I downed him first time on NG, though it took me 3-4 tries on NG+ because I made some derpy mistakes.

I like a lot of the fights in NG++: they're severely challenging, whereas the bosses in the first DS game declined in difficulty after Ornstein & Smough, until the final boss. I want to solo the Throne Watcher/Defender fight too xD That's going to be the biggest challenge.