Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction -> Druid run

Pweisger

2005-09-23 01:31:48 am

PwNzRd!

But what about a barb run? Would it be practical?

spineshark

2005-09-23 01:45:11 am

新世紀進歩的羽扇子音楽

Based on the first runs my guess is that it would be about an hour longer. It would also be completely different, so that would be cool.

I don't know what level of "practical" you mean.

Gorash

2005-09-23 01:53:07 am

${$uid.$user}{' usertext'}

Ok, this "what about" is kind of pointless. Every 3rd post is a "what about" question.

I suggest everyone who has an idea to just fire up Diablo II, patch to 1.11, and play the desired character. It takes like 3-4h without planning to do what the run does in less than 2. As far as I know marsh played molten boulder druid, fissure druid, and the trap sin. I tried fire claws sin, fissure druid, various sorc builds and a sacrifice pala. Everything else is up to you.

If that's too long for you, just go and beat act1 under lv12 as fast as you can.

If the char lives up to the challenge, post your experience here.

Before you make a build keep the following in mind:
- Since marsh's run the level to finish the game is desiredly level21. Know that hit% is multiplied with (Charlvl + Monlvl)/(2Monlvl), so you'll have a 2/3 cut on any hit% you can scrape up when facing Baal, who also throws a 40% block% into.
- Know that skill points will be scarce (only 20) since skill quests take too much time if you have no static/teleport. Level 18 skills are rendered mostly useless by this, lv24 and 30 skills are out of question.
- If you intend to raise the desired level, think about where to level. You'll need to get lv20-lv24, which are without doubt the hardest levels to gain in the entire game until you reach lv85.
- If you intend to play a solo character, think about crowd control or you'll get creamed in the chaos sanct. Also think about immunities for fire based chars.

PS: I still think this game does a godlike job of balancing. Especially on normal. Hidden challenges everywhere.

Ok, this "what about" is kind of pointless. Every 3rd post is a "what about" question.

I suggest everyone who has an idea to just fire up Diablo II, patch to 1.11, and play the desired character. It takes like 3-4h without planning to do what the run does in less than 2. As far as I know marsh played molten boulder druid, fissure druid, and the trap sin. I tried fire claws sin, fissure druid, various sorc builds and a sacrifice pala. Everything else is up to you.

If that's too long for you, just go and beat act1 under lv12 as fast as you can.

If the char lives up to the challenge, post your experience here.

Before you make a build keep the following in mind:
- Since marsh's run the level to finish the game is desiredly level21. Know that hit% is multiplied with (Charlvl + Monlvl)/(2Monlvl), so you'll have a 2/3 cut on any hit% you can scrape up when facing Baal, who also throws a 40% block% into.
- Know that skill points will be scarce (only 20) since skill quests take too much time if you have no static/teleport. Level 18 skills are rendered mostly useless by this, lv24 and 30 skills are out of question.
- If you intend to raise the desired level, think about where to level. You'll need to get lv20-lv24, which are without doubt the hardest levels to gain in the entire game until you reach lv85.
- If you intend to play a solo character, think about crowd control or you'll get creamed in the chaos sanct. Also think about immunities for fire based chars.

PS: I still think this game does a godlike job of balancing. Especially on normal. Hidden challenges everywhere.

Pweisger

2005-09-23 08:43:15 am

PwNzRd!

Diablo 2 1.11 PATCH?! Shocked

Where the hell have I been?

Hellchamp.

2005-09-23 11:31:03 am

I LOVE ALL SPEEDRUNS

the patch now is 1.11B

KratosJudgment6

2005-09-23 12:57:59 pm

KratosJudgment6

I have to go to school in a few minutes, but I'll think of a good build melee build to use... At least today is a half day...

Gorash

2005-09-23 06:58:32 pm

${$uid.$user}{' usertext'}

Quote:

Diablo 2 1.11 PATCH?! Shocked

Where the hell have I been?

See?

Timinator

2005-09-30 02:30:07 am

18 to the diablo2 holy grail

one idea for surviving diablos lightning breath of death. if you move up from his pentagram to where the walls intersect that lead to deseis and the grand vizier and stand in the right stop, his LBOD and fire attacks are absorbed into the wall, you can hit him melee fine .. his melee and cold can get you .. so you can take alot less damage, its not too hard to get him in the right spot either.

jimsfriend

2005-09-30 04:18:05 am

Like A Fox

If you want to avoid the "Lightning Breath of Death" you could stand really really really close to him, and it starts behind you so you don't get hit by him. This doesn't work for fire though.

marshmallow

2005-09-30 04:31:15 am

Jack of all Trades

I am fairly certain that trick doesn't work in normal, for whatever reason.

spineshark

2005-09-30 06:38:49 am

新世紀進歩的羽扇子音楽

Quote:

I am fairly certain that trick doesn't work in normal, for whatever reason.

That would be correct unless it has been changed and undocumented for 1.11. Even in NM and Hell you may still get hosed if you're using a long (Spear for example) weapon.

jimsfriend

2005-09-30 09:37:23 pm

Like A Fox

Sorry I was just reporting what I saw on my valkerie in Hell. Actually, my brother did it with his paladin in nightmare too, but I don't know about normal. I just thought it would probably be the same for normal as for other difficulties.

Andrews666

2005-11-09 07:18:08 am

News flash: if you stand close to D and he misses with lightening, he will move two steps away and fire again. Watch out.

Gorash

2005-11-09 08:57:52 am

${$uid.$user}{' usertext'}

But not always, will he? I remember smacking him with a melee sorc and he didn't move a single time the whole fight.

Twisted Synapse

2005-11-12 09:57:32 pm

Thought I'd chime in with some useful things I've found during my play experience with D2...

for the javazon, once you could get Charged Strike, AR becomes a non-issue as CS always hits, similar to smite. The pain is actually getting to lv18 in a timely manner. Though I will say Power Strike is VERY capable damage-wise; I've had chars just getting to act2 (~lv12-14 iirc) doing 120+ with a pumped power strike (it also synergizes with CS, which is good). iirc Lightning Bolt (already mentioned by someone else) is also ITD similar to CS.

One idea I myself like is the DS baba, and I'm playing one atm (not doing a speedrun though, lack recording equipment/programs and am just addle-brained in general). I'd say get enough str and dex for the flail, then the rest into vit (the barb gets a whopping 4 life per vit, so lacking for hp shouldn't be a big problem. I'd recommend the flail for the high max damage (yes it has crap min too, but i'm a gambler myself :P); it also has 3 range, whereas most melee has 1. There's also the A) good AR bonus of double swing, and B) at slvl6 the mana cost of double swing drops below 1 (at slvl8 it's actually free). If you wanted pure damage, I'd say nab DS lv2 for the 1 mana cost and start sucking blues.

One last interesting bit of knowledge: Diablo is in fact the stupidest monster in D2! All his actions are on randomized timers*; even fallen have more complex AI.

*I admit this could be wrong, but my source is pretty reputable (he's related to one of the programmers that worked on D2 >.>)

Thought I'd chime in with some useful things I've found during my play experience with D2...

for the javazon, once you could get Charged Strike, AR becomes a non-issue as CS always hits, similar to smite.  The pain is actually getting to lv18 in a timely manner.  Though I will say Power Strike is VERY capable damage-wise; I've had chars just getting to act2 (~lv12-14 iirc) doing 120+ with a pumped power strike (it also synergizes with CS, which is good).  iirc Lightning Bolt (already mentioned by someone else) is also ITD similar to CS.

One idea I myself like is the DS baba, and I'm playing one atm (not doing a speedrun though, lack recording equipment/programs and am just addle-brained in general).  I'd say get enough str and dex for the flail, then the rest into vit (the barb gets a whopping 4 life per vit, so lacking for hp shouldn't be a big problem.  I'd recommend the flail for the high max damage (yes it has crap min too, but i'm a gambler myself :P); it also has 3 range, whereas most melee has 1.  There's also the A) good AR bonus of double swing, and B) at slvl6 the mana cost of double swing drops below 1 (at slvl8 it's actually free).  If you wanted pure damage, I'd say nab DS lv2 for the 1 mana cost and start sucking blues.

One last interesting bit of knowledge: Diablo is in fact the [i]stupidest monster in D2[/i]!  All his actions are on randomized timers*; even fallen have more complex AI.

*[size=10]I admit this could be wrong, but my source is pretty reputable (he's related to one of the programmers that worked on D2 >.>)[/size]

Pweisger

2005-11-13 12:24:29 am

PwNzRd!

lol, I always think it's funny when someone calls something stupidest. It's so ironic. Grin

StrangenessDSS

2005-11-13 01:00:45 am

Sleeping Terror

...why?

Twisted Synapse

2005-11-13 01:22:56 am

It's not a word, right? had that feeling. aaaanyways, a few other things i remembered that might help:

when in a shop, ctrl+left-click automatically sells the highlighted item (doesn't work on equipped items though), i say this mostly because i don't remember either runner using it, and it'd likely save mad time.

Another neat thing to say for that mace baba, is the early-game weapon of choice becomes a pair of non-magic scepters (might be annoying to get two without mods). Why? these things are mace-type, have +50% ed vs undead (obviously), and do 6-11 base damage; they also have little to no requirements (level 1 baba can use em iirc).

Oh, do be careful with ctrl+left-click (i'm sure plenty of people know this) as using it on a non-salable item will crash your client.

jimsfriend

2005-11-13 01:45:23 am

Like A Fox

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=stupidest

slYnki

2005-11-13 01:48:36 am

XXY

To jim's comment:

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=Awesome

And hey, I'm quoted in your sig. Wee!

StrangenessDSS

2005-11-13 01:50:40 am

Sleeping Terror

My dictionary says it's a word, too. If Psweiger thought it wasn't... well. That would be ironic.

slYnki

2005-11-13 01:54:07 am

XXY

I wish I knew of this back in Grade 1 when I used to call people, "the stupidest." Blast.

But right now, I'm technically spamming. Ontop of that, below a moderator's post. I'm going to leave now....

jimsfriend

2005-11-13 01:55:53 am

Like A Fox

My mom always told me stupidest isn't (wasn't?) a word, so I guess I could see where he is coming from.

@poCari
Can you guess who the other person quoted is... and what is ironic is the thread it was found in.

slYnki

Edit history:

slYnki: 2005-11-13 02:36:15 am

2005-11-13 02:35:47 am

XXY

It was Radix, obviously :P. And what's this ironic you speak of?

jimsfriend

Edit history:

jimsfriend: 2005-11-13 02:48:46 am

2005-11-13 02:48:14 am

Like A Fox

Yes, obviously Radix.

It was posted in the impeccable spelling and grammar thread in the eloquent speach something about this not being a gamefaq and "talk about speed runs" when he locked the thread. The quote should say "Talk about speed runs in a civilized manner, or else!"

That's what my English teacher told me anyway. Yes, I actually did ask. Tongue

As for Diablo being dumb, he is still the hardest of the big three to kill IMO.