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This may be a dumb question.... but is there any advantages in using a wand as a wizard instead of, say, a sword? I found a sword that was +damage from the wand I was using and was the same attack speed. Seems like it is working out better than the wand I had.

none

You could always "trade" the items.....keep track of all the money you make from selling things in the AH, and use that money and only that money t o buy items that help you get through the content. Honestly while yes the AH is "required" for certain content, it's no different then getting stuck at a point in D2 and having to trade with others to get what you need.

True, you usually did hit a wall in D2. However, the difference is, in D2 you could do Pit and boss runs to farm your own gear until you could progress. You literally cannot do that in Diablo 3 because the drop rates (well the item levels, really) are specifically designed to be lower than they should be so that you use the AH. Hence why I said the AH is mandatory.

It may be possible to get much farther in D3 with one of the ranged classes that aren't so gear dependent, but that's not the case for my barbarian. It's my favorite class, but it's also the most gear dependent class in the game. Unless you play with others or buy from the AH, it's almost literally impossible to progress solo.

True, you usually did hit a wall in D2. However, the difference is, in D2 you could do Pit and boss runs to farm your own gear until you could progress. You literally cannot do that in Diablo 3 because the drop rates (well the item levels, really) are specifically designed to be lower than they should be so that you use the AH. Hence why I said the AH is mandatory.

It may be possible to get much farther in D3 with one of the ranged classes that aren't so gear dependent, but that's not the case for my barbarian. It's my favorite class, but it's also the most gear dependent class in the game. Unless you play with others or buy from the AH, it's almost literally impossible to progress solo.

It might be really difficult to progress solo w/ Barb. You just HAVE to be able to take a hit. Also, I think once you are in Hell mode the gear priority should be something like Elemental Resistance > Physical Resistance > Primary Stat. So if something drops that increases your resistance but lowers your DPS, you should probably consider using it.

I had the help of a friend who played DH when I made it through Hell difficulty w/o the AH. In all, we played through Act 1 twice and Act 3 twice. Both Act 2 and Act 4 we didn't have to replay. I can't count the number of times we wiped on Diablo...lol.

It's been a good ride, but I quit after having completed the nightmare on hardcore. (I've done the hell on softcore).

For a whole month, all of my gaming time has been entirely consumed by Diablo. I'm now totally satisfied (and exhausted).

The funniest dialogue for me, the one that always cracked me up, is when playing a female monk with the enchantress on the Zultan Kulle's head quest.

Enchantress: We must be getting close to the head right now!

Female monk: How do you know?

Enchantress: Intuition!

:rofl:

This may be a dumb question.... but is there any advantages in using a wand as a wizard instead of, say, a sword? I found a sword that was +damage from the wand I was using and was the same attack speed. Seems like it is working out better than the wand I had.

Use whatever has best stats. Later on in the game you will start finding more good wands (and there's always the AH)

So... I just finished my first play through as a wizard. I wanted to try barbarian for my next playthorugh on nightmare but apparently when you change class it puts you back at the start. What retarded logic - it's like if you levelled a warrior in WoW to max, then decided to roll another warrior.... :huh:

I guess that's the end of the game for me - I really wanted to try barbarian but I don't want to do it on normal again.

So... I just finished my first play through as a wizard. I wanted to try barbarian for my next playthorugh on nightmare but apparently when you change class it puts you back at the start. What retarded logic - it's like if you levelled a warrior in WoW to max, then decided to roll another warrior.... :huh:

I guess that's the end of the game for me - I really wanted to try barbarian but I don't want to do it on normal again.

You have a lot to learn.. this is not WoW.

This may be a dumb question.... but is there any advantages in using a wand as a wizard instead of, say, a sword? I found a sword that was +damage from the wand I was using and was the same attack speed. Seems like it is working out better than the wand I had.

Well a sword for example, when you run out of Arcane Power, you'll swing it and hit nothing (unless you're standing next to a mob and I don't recommend doing that in Inferno :p), when you're out of Arcane Power with a wand, you'll shoot a ranged projectile which can help when you're spamming high cost Arcane Power spells at the enemy in your kiting endeavors.

I always try and find a wand with similar stats but they are really really expensive compared to the Melee weapons like axes and swords. I currently have an axe but I miss shooting those ranged projectiles as it adds to the damage.

In other news, I'm at the last quest of the game to kill Diablo on Inferno difficulty now, haven't even tried yet. Mostly because I think Diablo is going to wipe the floor with me but perhaps I'll give it a go sometime soonish. And I sold a pair of Depth Digger Pants for ?21.00 :woot: going to see if I can play the AH a bit and make money before the prices drop.

- Alera :shiftyninja:

If you've made it to Diablo, youre powerful enough to kill "him". the last stretch of mobs right before the fight is tougher than the fight itself.

Yeah, that's my problem at the moment, some of the elite packs that are there are insanely hard to kill. Currently only sitting on 51k Damage and 17k HP so one hit = dead though I can critical hit for over 100k at the moment.

- Alera :shiftyninja:

The prices on the RMAH are really high because people are trying to figure out how much others are willing to pay for digital goods. It's pathetic and sad that some are willing to spend $250 on a digital item that will probably be out-leveled as soon as there is an expansion.

In my opinion, the auction houses (both of them) completely undermine the entire point of playing a game like Diablo. But sadly, Blizzard made it mandatory to use the AH if you want to progress. They say it's optional, but it's not.

The drop rate of items relevant to your level or the level of the things you're killing is so low (in my opinion it's 0%) that you can't farm your own items past a certain point. That point for me was part way through Act 4 on Nightmare. I just could not for the life of me kill Rakanoth with the gear that I amassed up to that point. I even tried farming latter parts of Act 3 and the beginning of Act 4 for a few hours and literally nothing within 10 levels of me dropped. That, to me, is the biggest problem with Diablo 3.

I really, really want to like the game. And if I go purely by the hours I have played it, I definitely got my money's worth. But, the fact that the drop rates are specifically designed to make you HAVE to use the AH, it just kills all enjoyment I get of these types of games. And this particular issue will never be fixed because it would completely negate the need for an AH.

I know patch 1.03 will supposedly change level 60 drop rates for Inferno gear, but it does even touch drop rates up to that point. I really thought Diablo 3 was going to take up all of my free time from release to several years after like D2 did. But, a month later, I'm pretty much done with the game. I've already played through normal and nightmare on several characters, and each time got stuck around the same place. Some characters were easier and I could get a bit farther, but with all of them I hit walls in early Hell. I tried farming with no success. So I had to buy a few things off the AH. (weapons mostly) But when that happens, it usually kills any drive I had to keep going through Hell mode. At this point I have 4 characters in Act 1 Hell, but I don't feel like playing any of them.

It's disappointing to say the least.

I agree. The only good gear I have is all stuff from the AH. I almost NEVER get any decent in game drops :/ bosses drop total useless crap everytime, and elite mobs just drop useless crap most of the time.

Yeah, trading was a big part of diablo 2 and its awesome that they streamlined trading with the AH, but making the game depend on the AH is just dumb. Trading should be supplemental, not necessary.

So... I just finished my first play through as a wizard. I wanted to try barbarian for my next playthorugh on nightmare but apparently when you change class it puts you back at the start. What retarded logic - it's like if you levelled a warrior in WoW to max, then decided to roll another warrior.... :huh:

I guess that's the end of the game for me - I really wanted to try barbarian but I don't want to do it on normal again.

Different difficulties have different level requirements. Nightmare requires level 30. Hell requires 50 and Inferno requires level 60.

Therefore a level 1 cannot start in Nightmare. You will gain 0 XP and you will die before even getting into new tristram.

Different difficulties have different level requirements. Nightmare requires level 30. Hell requires 50 and Inferno requires level 60.

Therefore a level 1 cannot start in Nightmare. You will gain 0 XP and you will die before even getting into new tristram.

That's by design. I'm saying the way it's design prevents me from playing through as a different class on Nightmare. I'm saying that it should let me do that so I can experience the game as a different class, but also at a higher difficulty.

That's by design. I'm saying the way it's design prevents me from playing through as a different class on Nightmare. I'm saying that it should let me do that so I can experience the game as a different class, but also at a higher difficulty.

I personally don't think you should be able to do that....that's like saying in WoW you should be able to try all classes at level 20 once you get to level 20 on any class. The thing is, you are in nightmare difficulty on the class you started as, you are not done playing through the game, why should one characters progress affect your other characters progress?

The diablo series has always been designed around relatively low amounts of content (act 1 through act 4), with multiple difficulty increases, I have never seen a game that allows you to start a new character at a higher level when you got to that level on a different character, why would D3 be any different?

Diablo III is boring.

I don't find any fun in playing through the same acts several times. Where is this "random" world they were speaking so much of? It's not random enough. Having to start all over to be able to continue is boring. How is starting from the very first act a step of progression? I don't see the logic here. The only things that are different are dungeons which are slightly different and the elites you run into. All other things are the same every time you play it.

So... I just finished my first play through as a wizard. I wanted to try barbarian for my next playthorugh on nightmare but apparently when you change class it puts you back at the start. What retarded logic - it's like if you levelled a warrior in WoW to max, then decided to roll another warrior.... :huh:

I guess that's the end of the game for me - I really wanted to try barbarian but I don't want to do it on normal again.

If you did that in WoW, you'd have to start over at level 1 again ... just like D3. Classes are different, thus the leveling is different.

I personally don't think you should be able to do that....that's like saying in WoW you should be able to try all classes at level 20 once you get to level 20 on any class. The thing is, you are in nightmare difficulty on the class you started as, you are not done playing through the game, why should one characters progress affect your other characters progress?

The diablo series has always been designed around relatively low amounts of content (act 1 through act 4), with multiple difficulty increases, I have never seen a game that allows you to start a new character at a higher level when you got to that level on a different character, why would D3 be any different?

If you did that in WoW, you'd have to start over at level 1 again ... just like D3. Classes are different, thus the leveling is different.

Diablo III isn't WoW - it's a single player game with limited content as you say. Once you play it through as one class, the replay value is either in the random drops - a lot of people like focussing on the gear, killing everything and hoping for cool drops (the "crack" aspect), or playing as a different class. Given I don't fit in the first category anymore, it'd be nice to continue playing as something else while also not having it as a breeze walk.

Most singleplayer games do not restrict the first few difficulties, only the top most.

Diablo III isn't WoW - it's a single player game with limited content as you say. Once you play it through as one class, the replay value is either in the random drops - a lot of people like focussing on the gear, killing everything and hoping for cool drops (the "crack" aspect), or playing as a different class. Given I don't fit in the first category anymore, it'd be nice to continue playing as something else while also not having it as a breeze walk.

Most singleplayer games do not restrict the first few difficulties, only the top most.

While I agree with what you speak. This game is all about RMAH and making money.... so...yeah. Actually expecting to get anything out of lower levels is not going to happen, because no one is spending much money there, whereas Inferno drop rates may be getting a buff, lower drop rates to support a leveling character will not. They WANT you to spend money on the AH. Simple as that. And, a crap arse business model.

While I agree with what you speak. This game is all about RMAH and making money.... so...yeah. Actually expecting to get anything out of lower levels is not going to happen, because no one is spending much money there, whereas Inferno drop rates may be getting a buff, lower drop rates to support a leveling character will not. They WANT you to spend money on the AH. Simple as that. And, a crap arse business model.

What do you think them increasing the quality of drops in inferno is? The entire reason behind it is so people will put all their crap on the RMAH in hopes that someone buys it. Blizzard makes their money in quantity sold, not quality. If more quality stuff drops that means more stuff on the RMAH for people to buy.

Anyways, I don't see any reason why once you beat the difficulties with a character you can't start a new character and jump into hell if you wanted. It's surprising blizzard isn't doing that because if you create a new character for inferno then you'd have to gear it out which means buying stuff on the auction house.

What do you think them increasing the quality of drops in inferno is? The entire reason behind it is so people will put all their crap on the RMAH in hopes that someone buys it. Blizzard makes their money in quantity sold, not quality. If more quality stuff drops that means more stuff on the RMAH for people to buy.

Anyways, I don't see any reason why once you beat the difficulties with a character you can't start a new character and jump into hell if you wanted. It's surprising blizzard isn't doing that because if you create a new character for inferno then you'd have to gear it out which means buying stuff on the auction house.

In excess: I have beat Inferno Diablo.... On a Demon Hunter...I rolled Monk, wanted to play a Monk, but it was not happening. I HAD to reroll a DH to do so. Diablo Inferno was simple on a DH compared to a Monk. (Which I haven't and cannot do, stuck on Act II. cause I didn't want to spend 20mil on gearing up, yet i spent 1.5m on a bow for my DH and that was it)

Yes, but that is such a horrible model for a game. I mean, c'mon. It is such schie?e, and yet people actually buy into it. I guess I am tired of hearing schie?e about EA and their business modell, yet no one talks schie?e about Activision/Blizzard, like they are gold.

They are doing things with games and DRM that is ridiculous. Yet no one says a thing about that, just about the RMAH, which is in equality bullsh*t.

In excess: I have beat Inferno Diablo.... On a Demon Hunter...I rolled Monk, wanted to play a Monk, but it was not happening. I HAD to reroll a DH to do a damn thing. You realize how easy Diablo Inferno was on a DH compared to a Monk. (Which I haven't and cannot do, stuck on Act II. cause I didn't want to spend 20mil on gearing up, yet i spent 1.5m on a bow for my DH and THAT WAS IT")....Holy damn, so easy.

I'm not disagreeing with you.

Diablo III is boring.

I don't find any fun in playing through the same acts several times. Where is this "random" world they were speaking so much of? It's not random enough. Having to start all over to be able to continue is boring. How is starting from the very first act a step of progression? I don't see the logic here. The only things that are different are dungeons which are slightly different and the elites you run into. All other things are the same every time you play it.

Personally, I don't mind doing it again and again with harder mobs to kill. What's boring to me is having to farm gold for hours and hours, then weeks and weeks to buy gear because nothing drops.
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