Diablo 2 question

[magerette]

dte-first-curse you--I was up til two a.m. last night...secondly, you do know if you die but don't quit the game, you can run back naked and claim your body and all your stuff--of course, there are some perils to this, too.

I've got my Ranger up to levl twenty, transferred all my old loot over to ATMA and decked him out pretty. He's now in my very favorite Act, Act II(yes, he's pretty high level for that, but that's why I do the players8 thing--I like being over level 30 when I hit the Chaos Sanctuary and meet the evil beings within because basically I'm a wuss.)

 

[dteowner]

Yeah, I know about recovering your corpse, but that just offends my gaming sensibilities. I guess it's a self-imposed ironman approach. Of course, it's easier to be an idealist when you're only a few hours into the game and/or starting over still holds some interest.

I was plotting my barby build last night (before I was turned into crushed ice) and it looks like I'd only be spending point on half a dozen skills and I'd be spending very few points until I got a cool weapon. Struck me as a little boring, even though it makes the min/max and planning much easier (to the noob eye, at least). I took a sorc thru the opening map, which was enough to tell me that hocus pocus is not for me, even though it looks like it could be fun. I'm thinking about trying an assassin on for size, but I might just take an electric amazon and go with it.

Ranger? There's no ranger. Bows belong to the amazon and you said "he", so is this some sort of druid build?

 

[magerette]

Ah, one of the beauties of the game is there can be any weird twisted sort of build you want to make--provided it lives. There actually is a druid build that uses a bow--the Hunter--but I've never played that. Druids are underwhelming imo unless you go the werebear/lycanthropy route, and I object to running around looking like a goofy dog-guy with my tongue hanging out all game.

No, a Ranger is a paladin with a bow, as I thought I mentioned somewhere in here, and you use the elemental auras(holy fire, holy freeze, or holy shock) to augment your weapon damage, then you tweak him with a good bow that takes advantage of the skillset( using Raven Claw right now, which fires explosive arrows (AoE) and capitalizes on the Holy Fire damage. ) I picked him because he's a little off the beaten path, and I thought I might last longer before burn out sets in--so far that's working out.

Assassin is cool, but you'll be hotkeying on the fly a lot(switching skills) if I'm remembering her right. danutz_plus_plus probably is more on top of that. She was one of the two classes (druid was the other) that LOD added to the game, so she was designed for those who'd already played everything else and were bored with the usual. A lot of fun to play.

AFA the skill point hoarding--it's hard at first. It's kind of like that for all the chars though--you'll want to max just a few skills, because there's only so many points (theoretically 100) and skills have to be high level later on to be effective. But later it will take many many hours to level, and those points are like gold. For a first run through, though, you really can just play for fun. Almost any build will make it through normal, and you can learn the pitfalls and experiment.

Sick, anal-retentive micro-managing can be saved for later.

 

[KazikluBey]

AFA the skill point hoarding--it's hard at first. It's kind of like that for all the chars though--you'll want to max just a few skills, because there's only so many points (theoretically 100) and skills have to be high level later on to be effective.

The maximum available skill points is 110. 98 from levels 2-99, and a total of 12 from quest rewards (4 per difficulty level). One shouldn't plan one's build around more than, say, 90 points though, as the last ones come slooowly.

 

[dyze]

Enjoy, dte. If you play. remember not to squander your skill points too fast cuz you can't get them back and later many early-level skills are worthless wastes of points that you'll desperately wish you could have back but can't. Ever. (cue evil laughter...) Do your spreadsheet thing early and often.

actually, if you use PLUGY you can respec as you like.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Assassin is cool, but you'll be hotkeying on the fly a lot(switching skills) if I'm remembering her right. danutz_plus_plus probably is more on top of that. She was one of the two classes (druid was the other) that LOD added to the game, so she was designed for those who'd already played everything else and were bored with the usual. A lot of fun to play.

Oh, yeah, the assassin is a very hotkey intensive class. I always assign my skills to A, S, D, F, Q, W, E, R. and it takes a while before you can do it without looking at the keys. But after you learn that, it's a lot easier to play.

I also dislike the druid, also because I hate running around the whole game as the same looking wolf or bear.

Have you guys/girls played hardcore characters? My highest hardcore character was a level 30+ paladin if I remember correctly. I played a very defensive paladin, but in the end got killed by Baal's Minions of Destruction (those dinosaurs in Baal's throne room that ignore target's armor). They surrounded me and killed me.

 

[dteowner]

Assassin is cool, but you'll be hotkeying on the fly a lot(switching skills) if I'm remembering her right. danutz_plus_plus probably is more on top of that. She was one of the two classes (druid was the other) that LOD added to the game, so she was designed for those who'd already played everything else and were bored with the usual. A lot of fun to play.

Yep, when I started reading the assassin skills a little deeper, particularly stacking skill effects, it sounded too much like work. I started a necro instead and ran him around the Blood Moor and decided that's probably not for me. I'm back to my electric amazon plan, and I shall stick with her until death do us part.

 

[chamr]

Have you guys/girls played hardcore characters? My highest hardcore character was a level 30+ paladin if I remember correctly. I played a very defensive paladin, but in the end got killed by Baal's Minions of Destruction (those dinosaurs in Baal's throne room that ignore target's armor). They surrounded me and killed me.

Oh yes! A brilliant way to play the game, imho. Talk about up'ing the tension level.

My best run was a druid (ironically. i happen to like the class a lot, and i've never played the wolf or bear builds). Made it all the way to Baal himself and had him down to less than a quarter life when I bought the farm. With potions in my belt, no less. But that's the beauty/terror of hardcore: just one significant lapse is all it takes and you're staring slack-jawed and silent for several long and sad minutes at the "deeds of valor" screen...

 

[magerette]

Y'all are made of sterner stuff than I, I'm afraid. I don't die a lot any more, but I do occasionally have that little moment of taking my eyes from the screen for a second when a lightening enchanted boss suddenly enters the picture, or whatever, so no hardcore for me.

@ chamr: I've tried playing summoning druids and elemental druids, but I end up getting frustrated because as the game progresses it seems like their skills just don't keep pace with some of the other chars afa dealing damage. Otherwise I'd be all over it.

@KazikluBey: Thanks for clarifying on the skill points. I've yet to get 110 in any character myself.

 

[txa1265]

I started up again when I installed it on my HP2133, but haven't played much - too bogged down with '98 shooters and BG and Arcanum and ToEE ... maybe at some point though...

 

[Korplem]

Hardcore is the only way I can play Diablo 2. My father, uncle and myself used to play together almost everyday. After about a billion tries I got a hardcore paladin and barb up to 90+. My dad had an amazon up to 99. Of course, it was a lot easier by working together because we knew when to admit that our character couldn't handle a certain situation and let the other guys take care of it.

 

[borcanu]

lol, that's some great growing environment
I played D1 and 2 alot, at their time, and after years of having done that, I'm saying D1 was superb, D2 myeah, its OK.
The AI in D1, and being forced at a fixed speed, makes the atmosphere and battles much more immersing. But D1 isn't that much replayable, although back then i was playing it like a mad man T_T

 

[chamr]

@ chamr: I've tried playing summoning druids and elemental druids, but I end up getting frustrated because as the game progresses it seems like their skills just don't keep pace with some of the other chars afa dealing damage. Otherwise I'd be all over it.

You mean in NM and Hell? I only took 3 or 4 characters to NM and never even finished it. For me it was all about trying a new build once I'd completed normal or trying to make it through HC.

Btw, tried a ranger once and failed miserably. Had to morph him to a two-handed sword zealer just to get through Act 2 before I died of old age and then abandoned him.

 

[magerette]

You mean in NM and Hell? I only took 3 or 4 characters to NM and never even finished it. For me it was all about trying a new build once I'd completed normal or trying to make it through HC.

Btw, tried a ranger once and failed miserably. Had to morph him to a two-handed sword zealer just to get through Act 2 before I died of old age and then abandoned him.

Yes, I meant post-normal. I got an elementalist druid--with volcano or eruption or whatever it's called + oak sage, etc almost half way through NM and then he just tanked. And that's usually when I quit with a build. I never even got my summoner druid through normal, though maybe if I'd had more patience with him he would have worked out. I dropped him in the middle for my concentrate barb, who probably was the most powerful char I've ever played, so he just made the druid look like an elite, arugula-eating lightweight tree-hugger.

My Ranger is doing very well so far into Act III(just made it to Kurast), but he's nicely tweaked with a lot of gear that increases his attack speed so he's firing off arrows like a Gatling gun, plus his bow fires explosive arrows a la the Zon skill, so he's good to go at least til somewhere in Act IV, when we'll see if Fist of the Heavens+Conviction will let me kill the major bosses without a meltdown.

 

[titus]

mmmm at the single player part: I have to admit it gets me bored real soon.
The mp part: I build several chars but always got tired of it untill recently with the news of D3 I reinstalled it.

I don't know why but I didn't get sick of it anymore, maybe because i play more in groups or so. I have a lvl 30 something barb wgo is playing nightmare after finishing normal and for the very first time ever I am building a paladin and I love it
(never played the paladin or or amazone before)
So I would advice you: play the mp and nit the sp

 

[chamr]

My Ranger is doing very well so far into Act III(just made it to Kurast), but he's nicely tweaked with a lot of gear

Ah... so maybe it's not just that I mucked it up.

I did a bit of twinking with some characters, but never took it very far. Mostly class-specific stuff and completing sets, the occasionally build-specific find, gems and runes (to runewords), MF gear, ... OK, so maybe a twinked more than a bit.

 

[magerette]

@titus: I agree--it's really a better game playing with someone else. Unless of course it's online with a bunch of griefers My son and I played it LAN and it was a much more hectic and fun process. Still,I've had fun with single player, too.

Ah... so maybe it's not just that I mucked it up.

I did a bit of twinking with some characters, but never took it very far. Mostly class-specific stuff and completing sets, the occasionally build-specific find, gems and runes (to runewords), MF gear, ... OK, so maybe a twinked more than a bit.

Yes..maybe slightly. Still, that's what greed is FOR! The grinding and the obsession does get old though--I don't know if I'll ever be able to do another Meph run...which is how I got all my twinkable items in the first place--other than the runes. My son found those somewhere...(don't ask---I have no idea what devious means he employed.) Making the runeword items is always enjoyable, but it's scary when even uber gear like Chains of Honor isn't enough to keep you from getting your ass handed to you on a cracker.

 

[titus]

I only pick up magical items, rares and stuuf, except the few first levels I pick it all.
I gamble a lot for better equipment. at some times I were only gambled items.

My barb is in nightmare but my paladin is just a lvl11 guy in normal yet.
I am going for a more elemental radius paladin with the healing but I don't know wich other skills i should defenitely add (like for against magical resistent creatures) I thought about the skill that reflects damage.
Any ideas guys?

 

[magerette]

Depends on if you're playing him in a party to support the other characters or as a single player guy, titus. I've only played single player, so all I can say is Zeal, Vengeance and Conviction make a good combination for a straight out fighter on his own. Zeal lets you hit like crazy, Vengeance gives you elemental damage added to your phys damage, and Conviction helps a lot with the magic resistant critters because it lowers all resistances on your enemies. If you play mp with a sorceress or an Amazon using the lightening skills, Conviction will help them get better kills, too.

The skill that gives back damage(Thorns) tends to get less effective as the game gets harder, and doesn't work very well against bosses, from what I remember. Again, I 've mostly played SP, so somebody else may have some better advice for you.

 

[dteowner]

I'm on the last mission of Act 1 with my electric amazon. I'm playing the game as a complete-ist, so I think I'm a few levels head of the designers' intent, which might be why I'm finding the game pretty easy so far. The boss critters generally aren't that big a deal. The biggest challenge so far is actually mobs with range attacks.