[Gaming] Diablo 3 : Ser Farm-A-Lot

[Bubble181]

I'm actually quite impressed that they haven't launched it in D3 yet. They know the AH has some significant issues, and they know the game balance has some significant issues (like IAS), so (my guess) is that they are holding off on the RMAH to avoid having people spend cash for items that then loose value in a significant patch to follow. Which shows a bit of integrity since it's definitely an oppurtunity cost for them to wait.

I do have to agree here. A very large percentage of gamers simply won't play the game for more than a few weeks (not because it's bad or whatever, it's simply a fact that by far the largest amount of players will finish a game once or twice on the first level of difficulty and move on); not launching the RMAH when those are still there IS costing them millions, I'm quite sure. Ubisoft would've launched the RMAH before the game was out, and would've issued at least 4 complete rebalance hotfixpatches by now, guaranteed. So, Blizzard's at least still slightly better than the competition

Pfft, you kids and your D2's. Diablo 1 is still the superior, I even have an old computer I keep around just to play D1 on.

I'm not even being hipster here. Hellfire: The Dark (a mod for Diablo: Hellfire) is my go to dungeon crawler.

But I like D3 too, just not as obsessively as I was expecting.

I've played D1 a fair bit too, problem being that it doesn't actually get any harder...I think I went completionist and decided I wanted to level ALL spells on my sorcerer as far as possible (with 255 INT or magic or whatever that stat was called ), but gave up after, what, 6 playthroughs or so with the same character. It gets tedious fast to play through the first 10 floors gaining 0 experience. Even if you can just one-shot everything, including bosses.
Never played Hellfire though; it was never released in Belgium as far as I know. A shame because I'd have like to try it.

I absolutely agree about D3. I like it - I love it - but not as much as I wanted to. I wanted to be as obsessive about it as about D2, but it feels more like, say, Titan Quest. Loved that game too, but, well ,I've played through it 4 or 5 times and I don't really feel the need to pick it back up.

Necronic: D3 is a successor of both WoW and D2, as you said - and it's some of those WoW-aspects that are unappealing to the single players amongst us.

Back to gameplay: how useful do you all find the followers? Originally they were going to be entirely normal-only; now you get to keep them for the rest of the game apparently...But are they worth anything? I assume they won't do any damage worth naming, but can they still tank in Nightmare/Hell and/or use crowd control, or do they just die far too fast to be worth it? Mind that I'm still only in Normal, so, hey

 

[Vrii]

Followers: they all have an ability or two that stay useful. Enchantress has an armour aura that stays up when she's dead, templar has a taunt and some heals, no idea on the scoundrel. Never used him.

Main thing I've found useful on them is to stack things like magic find, gold find, +exp, whatever the case may be. You don't get full value, but 20% of whatever you've got on them goes into your stats, and it's a hell of a lot more useful than another 100 damage on your follower. Combined with their cc or support abilities, plus their little bit of damage, it's worth bringing one along, at the very least.

 

[Wahad]

The followers are okay, but don't rely on them. Stacking vitality on the templar makes him a halfway decent offtank, Scoundrel has a nice crit ability that gives you more damage as well, and enchantress is basically Witch Doctor-lite with hex and confusion. But really, the only reason I take 'em along is for dialogue. Scoundrel is the best.

 

[Krisken]

Pfft, you kids and your D2's. Diablo 1 is still the superior, I even have an old computer I keep around just to play D1 on.

I'm not even being hipster here. Hellfire: The Dark (a mod for Diablo: Hellfire) is my go to dungeon crawler.

But I like D3 too, just not as obsessively as I was expecting.

If the load screens for D1 didn't take so long (yes, even now), I'd be into it. Everything just seems slow since playing D2. Hell, even the weapon swinging seemed more of a chore than it deserved to be.

 

[Ravenpoe]

If the load screens for D1 didn't take so long (yes, even now), I'd be into it. Everything just seems slow since playing D2. Hell, even the weapon swinging seemed more of a chore than it deserved to be.

My D1 load screens last like a second... and this is on an old machine running Windows 98.

And yes, D1 was very easy if you played a mage, and especially easy if you took advantage of some of the spells that could break the game, some of which had bugs that made them even more powerful. Like mana shield, if used on a low vitality mage, made him immune to being stunned by attacks.

My favorite way of playing D1 was variant play. The DSF community (that was the official forum, back in the day) came up with lots of crazy rules you could apply to your character to make the game more challenging. This doesn't stop the game from being easy, since you're having to purposefully cripple yourself for challenge, but it was still a lot of fun. I still have fond memories of doing iron man games with friends (never return to town, use only what can be scrounged in the dungeon, no ressing without a scroll of resurrection) and doing a 3@30 with my naked mage (killing diablo in hell difficulty using a mage that equips absolutely nothing)

 

[CynicismKills]

Followers are good if you use them right, though in Hell (later acts)/Inferno they basically become a free hit or two before a monster flays you alive. Personally I've used the Templar and Enchantress to pretty great success as a Barb. Stack their main stat on them, and be sure to keep your weapon DPS as high as possible. From what I understand all weapon% attacks are based off of your weapon damage, not theirs, which is why they'll plink out like 600+ damage on normal shots and then suddenly blast something for like 13k. The Templar's heal becomes pretty negligible at Hell+ (barely breaks 3-4k), so I swapped to the Enchantress. She's got a Slow AoE and some nice passives/shields, plus her DPS isn't totally awful like the Templar's.

Edit: These are the builds I have on my Barb, as a sidenote I never use the Scoundrel. http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/follower#1100!0011!1010

 

[Necronic]

Seriously you guys should re-read Vrii's post. Followers are taken for two reasons. Their passive bonus and to stack MF/GF on. The bonuses are:

Templar - AP/Mana/etc regen
Enchantress - Armor/IAS
Scoundrel - Crit%

None of their other abilities matter.

 

[CynicismKills]

Also, I'd like to point out how annoying Diablo and Azmodan are during A3 and 4. They chime in after every step of a quest like some kind of Demon John Madden.

 

[Necronic]

It is kind of funny though listening to Azmodan constantly putting your progress down as you blitz through his entire army.

"Those troops were meaningless to me-"
kill Ghom
"That Lieteneant meant nothin-"
Take out siege equipment
"I don't need that ballist-"
Kill the spider lady
"Pfah! She was worthle-"
Kill Azmodan.
"LIFE IS NOTHING"

 

[CynicismKills]

I mean, he's the Lord of Sin, so I get it's a Pride thing. It's just he's also supposed to be Hell's greatest general and he's popping up like a big Muppet head on fire all "HEY YOU KILLED MY SPIDER-GIRLFRIEND BUT YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME IN THE HEART OF SIN oh wait."

 

[Bubble181]

I mean, he's the Lord of Sin, so I get it's a Pride thing. It's just he's also supposed to be Hell's greatest general and he's popping up like a big Muppet head on fire all "HEY YOU KILLED MY SPIDER-GIRLFRIEND BUT YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME IN THE HEART OF SIN oh wait."

"Greatest generals" in games and/or movies are rarely if ever actually any good at tactics or strategy. Because that would make it hard to win from them and/or explain the story from the opposite point of view.

Also, if anyone's "Hell's Greatest General", it should definitely not be Sin. Lies, Destruction and Terror would all make more sense at being good at tactics. Sin would more logically be very strong but too egocentric/proud to work together with others.

 

[Wahad]

I mean, he's the Lord of Sin, so I get it's a Pride thing. It's just he's also supposed to be Hell's greatest general and he's popping up like a big Muppet head on fire all "HEY YOU KILLED MY SPIDER-GIRLFRIEND BUT YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME IN THE HEART OF SIN oh wait."

Pride goeth, etc.

 

[Squidleybits]

The level 60 gold/magic buff makes a huge diffetence!!

Rates are dropping like crazy now. Including a beast of a crossbow

 

[Gusto]

Beat Normal on my Barbarian and Nightmare on my Monk. Now time to play some Wizard or Demon Hunter before starting these Act 1 shenanigans again.

 

[LordRendar]

On act 3 now with my DH and am quite enjoying this game.Wish there was a better item drop rate though. Have been running around with the same Crossbow since middle of Act 2.

Need a little advice though,
Does "Bola Shot","Grenades" and "Entangling Shot" get better?I have been using "Hungering Arrow" permanently,since everything else seems kinda weak.

 

[Squidleybits]

What level is your DH?

 

[CynicismKills]

On act 3 now with my DH and am quite enjoying this game.Wish there was a better item drop rate though. Have been running around with the same Crossbow since middle of Act 2.

Need a little advice though,
Does "Bola Shot","Grenades" and "Entangling Shot" get better?I have been using "Hungering Arrow" permanently,since everything else seems kinda weak.

I think it's Bola that gets Lightning Ball? If so, my DH friend in Inferno said he used that for a long time, until he got whichever one is the shot with the tentacles (when you run into Missile Dampening mobs either of these shots become stupid OP).

 

[Bowielee]

Once the powers open up, you can see what runes you'll be getting in the future. Runes completely change the way that powers function, so depending on what you want to use them for, it may get better or it may not. Also, keep in mind that despite the way they set it up by default, you can assign multiple powers from the same group to be active.

 

[Wahad]

I think it's Bola that gets Lightning Ball? If so, my DH friend in Inferno said he used that for a long time, until he got whichever one is the shot with the tentacles (when you run into Missile Dampening mobs either of these shots become stupid OP).

That would be Elemental Arrow.

LordRendar: I used Bola Shot for a good long while when I got the Lightning/Stun rune for it. But then later I switched back over when I got the Sharpshooter passive and the Devouring Arrow rune for Hungering Arrow.

 

[Squidleybits]

Is upgrading to the Hellish Staff of Herding worth the price they're asking to make it?

 

[LordRendar]

So I finaly found a playstyle with DH that I enjoy.
1H Xbow with a shield
Hungering Arrow with Shattering Rune (am lvl 30)
Elemental Arrow with the lightning rune wich makes large groups of mobs into minced meat
once they step into the Caltrops.
Evasive fire on mousebutton 5 for 1v1 with elite mobs
Marked for Death and ofcourse Caltrops.


The reason I dont like Bola i guess is that little delay before the explosion.

 

[CynicismKills]

Is upgrading to the Hellish Staff of Herding worth the price they're asking to make it?

Went in there with friends a couple nights ago with 5 Valor stacks, and the loot was pretty great.

 

[LordRendar]

Why is my Diablo 3 lagging. -.-' my pc specs are high enough to play it on maximum settings. Does it have something to do with the internet?

 

[Squidleybits]

I just gave it a try and the drops were ok, but not fantastic. I'll try again.

Does the quality of the drops improve in co-op?

 

[Wahad]

I just gave it a try and the drops were ok, but not fantastic. I'll try again.

Does the quality of the drops improve in co-op?

Depends on if you have high or low magic find. Since magic find gets averaged out over all players, people with low magic find will find more magic stuff, but with high magic find will find less.

Rolls are still random though, so there's no saying as to if you'll find good items.

 

[Ravenpoe]

Depends on if you have high or low magic find. Since magic find gets averaged out over all players, people with low magic find will find more magic stuff, but with high magic find will find less.

Rolls are still random though, so there's no saying as to if you'll find good items.

Each person in game gets a seperate roll though, so assuming you're playing with people you know and will share, that increases the total number of drops, and increases the chance that something useful for you will drop for someone that will trade it to you

 

[CynicismKills]

Yeah, I mean in the long run it's likely the same as any other item/gold farm run, though I think Whimsyshire drops a higher item level than regular Acts of whatever difficulty. I know the drops I had were generally all level 59-60, as opposed to A4 Hell where it tends to be 55-57 or so. I found a tasty rare 2h sword in Hell Whimsyshire, for example, with around 1100dps on it.

 

[Squidleybits]

It's all random for sure. I just got six rares and my first legendary while killing elite packs to get the buffs for a run!!

 

[Bowielee]

On the right of the screen next to your mana/rage/spirit globe, there is a little line that you can hover over to see what your ping is. If it's above 600 or so, it will be slow as hell.

 

[Terrik]

*hovers over pun button*

 

[Bowielee]

Heh, actually unintended.

 

[Dave]

How can you tell how many stacks of valor you have?

 

[CynicismKills]

How can you tell how many stacks of valor you have?

You'll get them at level 60, it'll show up like a buff (similar to Barb shouts, shields, etc). There's a small number in the lower right-hand side of the buff icon. You'll get one stack per Champion pack or Unique (non-boss) monster killed.

 

[Ravenpoe]

How can you tell how many stacks of valor you have?

It should show up as a buff, just above your action bar

 

[Dave]

Got it. Level 60, which is why I've never seen it. Dig it, man. Thanks!