Diablo 2: done (with Normal)

Act 5 is fast paced, with a good mix of action and leveling, and before I know it Baal is dead, the Worldstone is destroyed, and Sanctuary (Earth) is getting rebooted. It's still a few weeks until Diablo 3 is out, but it doesn't seem quite real. It's like Diablo 2 came out during the time of the steam engine, and Diablo 3 is from the time of the electric car. Maybe I should check out some trailers, find out what's been going on. I think I'll spend a little more time in Diablo 2.

Diablo 2: highlands

Well, Diablo went down easy, it was just a matter of patience, stacking Blizzards on top of him, dodging his weak but constant spells. As he goes down, you can see his soulstone glowing, but you can't pick it up. Back to Tyrael, and he doesn't even mention it. He made a big fuss of smashing Mephisto's soulstone so he could not re-enter the mortal realm. And now we're just going to leave Diablo's soulstone just sitting there?

Such is life in a linear game; time to step through the obligatory red portal. Oh yeah, that's right. The videos explain it - the soulstone is explored in the tacked on story of Marius, the Gollum/Frodo to Tal Rasha/Baal's soulstone. Whatever, on to the barbarian highlands; this town is boring (except for the glowing-rune finger-painter merchant).

The winter city of Harrogath is beautiful; I'm taking the time to slowly wander around and enjoy the scenery, even with the 10+ year old graphics. I wonder, would that other Blizzard world, World of Warcraft, be as much fun to wander around? The few screenshots I've looked at usually bland, and the ones that aren't are perhaps exceptions. It's tempting, sometimes, but I remember all that time I lost on muds, and I think its probably not worth the risk.

Finally, I can learn Frozen Orb. The gap between levels is really getting noticeable now, and it seems like a long long time to get to level 30. Getting to Act 5 really helped pick up the pace; the expansion is noticeably better in balancing action and pacing.

As usual, I'm playing a bit too conservative with my spendable points. I'm walking around with 30-40 stat points and 6-10 skill points most times, waiting for something to justify the spend. But when you clear a bottleneck, like being able to buy a skill or getting a high requirement item, sitting on all those points seems worth it.

Finally, I can put a point into Frozen Orb - this is the pinnacle of cold magic. I buy prerequisites in the lightning skills to get Lightning Mastery (the only mastery worth maxing). And now I'm at another small plateau, in that I can't put another point in either until level 33. Which is probably OK, at this rate it shouldn't take much time, and it also helps me decide what to put points in. Maybe I'll waste a few more points on Warmth, since I still don't have decent mana regeneration.

I can now reset my speed keys for what may be the last time. The primary cluster of keys (F5-F8) where you keep your hands most of the time, I set to Frozen Orb, Lightning, Chain Lightning, and Teleport. I can move among these with no thought at all. The Blizzard attack might actually still be useful (for reaching around corners), so I'll keep it in the almost instant position of F4 (just reach out that pinky finger a little bit). Potions and utility functions still require a bit of thinking and finger fumbling, but I should playing safely enough so as not to need them.

Diablo 2: hell

Act 4 is my least favorite, as its hard to relate to, but it has its moments, like killing/freeing trapped souls. That doesn't get old.

Hanging out at the fireplace with Tyrael - an angel (and possibly archangel) - and Cain (last of an ancient order serving him) is pushed to the surreal. He's part of this Act's home base, and is practically playing the role of the innkeeper. At least there's no town drunk, after all, this is the legendary Pandemonium Fortress, last outpost of Heaven's forces before you reach Hell.

Speaking of Heaven and Hell, why does this story so aggressively pussy-foot around the obvious - where's God in all this? Maybe there is no head guy, and its an oligarchy, like in Hell? It's absence is deafening in its silence. Of course the real answer is that Blizzard isn't looking to do anything crazy controversial here, they just want to borrow some popular culture as background for their hack and slash game. Like the way they mixed Mayan, Thai, and Indian cultures to make up Kurast. But then why is the hierarchy so aggressively Christian then, why not throw in all kinds of gods?

Back to leveling, I want to reach 30 and get my Frozen Orb cannon.

Slogging my way through hell, and I realize something while fighting some Abyss Knights. If I just hit them with lightning bolts it takes forever to kill them. If I get up close and freeze them with glacial spikes and static field and/or lightning them, it takes a while to kill them. Either way, its expensive and it takes time. Or I could just drop two blizzards on them, and done. By trying to save mana and use cheaper spells, it costs more mana and time. Just go right for the big guns.

Diablo 2: jungle

Ahh, Kurast, one of my favorite places in the game, and maybe in all of Blizzards fantastic lands. You can feel the moist heat of the jungle weighing you down, even through the 16-bit graphics and sound. Right off the boat you meet Hratli - now that's some good voicework. Alkor and Ormus are also fun, while Asheara is somewhat disappointing. I love walking around the town, spotting all the cultural references Blizzard likes to mash together. The audio sells it, but you can't underestimate the power of attention to detail, especially in this art form.

Later, I go to Warriv and travel back to the desert chapter of the game. Everyone I talk to has a new voiced greeting; I can go back even to the Tristram chapter, and NPCs there have a new greeting too (I guess I could have re-visited sooner). I shouldn't be able to take long physical journies, that's an error in the story. Using the teleport pads, sure (you could even work that into the story), but not by hoof and sail. Aren't I supposed to be in a hurry? Isn't the world ending? There are no consequences for time spent. I know, its just a game, right? Attention to detail cuts both ways.

Diablo 2: desert

I'm actually taking the time to walk around to all the NPCs and listen to their speeches. I've always enjoyed good voicework, and Blizzard's especially. It really helps bring a fictional world to life.

I'm nearing the end of the desert act, and I have the address of Tal Rasha's/Baal's tomb, but I don't want to go there just yet. I'm in the limbo of not having anything good to spend skill points on, so I'm saving up until level 24 when I can get Blizzard. It's getting to be much needed for crowd control (though Frozen Orb, at level 30, will be better), and it will probably help with Baal.

Cool - found a Manald Heal Ring. I love anything that speeds up regeneration.

Finally, I reach 24. I have to spend a point on Frost Nova to get Blizzard, but now that I have it, I'm not sure if its really going to be all that useful. And I'm not sure what speed key to put it on. Right now, from left to right (F1-F4) I have:

Shiver Armor, Town Portal, Telekinesis, Static Shield

These are my auxiliary commands, as I usually have my left hand on F5-F8:

Glacial Spike, Lightning, Chain Lightning, Teleport

I would really like to have Frozen Orb on F5 already, but I'm going to have to wait a while on that (til level 30).

I thought about switching primary commands to F1-F4, so I could more easily reach potions (keys 1-4) but going through the motions, I don't think it would make much difference. I'm still going to end up mashing every key in the area when I get into an emergency, and if I'm not in an emergency, I can take the time to hit whichever number I need (for health, rejuv, or mana).

Right now I'm still using a lot of Glacial Spike and Static Field, but in another Act or two, it will probably be too dangerous to let enemies that close, and I'll probably end up using just Orb, the two lightning spells, and Teleport. Strange that fire magic is already fairly obsolete, even this early in the game.

Time to go meet Baal... or should I say Duriel. I can get off a Blizzard and maybe a Static Field or two, then I take a one-two hit and I'm out. All this to take a hair thin slice off its health. Teleporting around its lair isn't working out either - its too small. I've got a hireling, a defensive merc from in town, and he buys me another second or two, which helps a little. Now Duriel's health bar is declining by two hair widths for every death.

So spamming Blizzard turned out to be the winning strategy here. That and dying a lot. Even though he's cold resistant, the ice magic still got through. This is going to be a real pain later on down the line in Nightmare and Hell version.

I say my goodbyes to Lut Golein, and listen to everyone's parting speech. Time to head towards Kurast.

Diablo 2: Act II

I tell Wariv I'm ready to go east, and the Act II video plays. I forgot how good it was at the time, it even holds up fairly well over a decade later. That's just how good Blizzard is.

Nice to meet Radament again. I wish they would do more with Egyptian style mythos and mummies.

Oops, doing some reading, turns out one shouldn't put any points in Energy, and put a lot into Vitality; I've been doing the opposite. More reading reveals its not a problem - when I respec later I can re-allocate my stats and skills.

So Radament drops a book of skill which grants a skill point - how does that fit into the whole respec thing? Do I get to keep/reuse that point when I respec later? I guess to play it safe I'll put the +1 into something I'm going to always need, like Lightning. Oh, I see, it just adds +1 to my skill pool. Its not important, its not like I'm taking this all the way to level 99.

The artwork in Lut Gholein is just stunning. Even though its cartoonish by current standards, it goes a long way to creating a sense of place and atmosphere. The characters and voicework help further sell it. I wish I could just step in there and visit for a bit.

Should I head out into the desert now, or blow up Radament again? Time to consult the level up guide: http://diablo2.diablowiki.net/Guide:Diablo_2_Level_Up_Guide_v1.10

OK, so it doesn't matter where I go, as long as I'm in Act II.

So much for elemental experimentation - the fire skills are really sucking so far. If I recall, even the big show-stopper spell Meteor sucked because your enemy had plenty of time to get out of the way. So far I'm using mostly lightning and some cold. So I guess the only thing I'm doing differently before respec is spending a lot of points on Energy and Warmth because I don't have all the equipment yet which comes from much more playtime. After I have the right equipment, I can respec and put those points toward Vitality and lightning skills.

Diablo 2: reset stats strategy?

Reading more about the reset option you get from Akara after completing the Den of Evil quest. You can use it three times, once in each difficulty. This could be a game changer, if I understand this correctly - I could spend my skill points on whatever I want, for the enjoyment of the early game, then switch them later to survive the Hell/Hell area.

I'm doing especially bad in mana recharge right now. Later there will be equipment to cover for it, but right now its really slowing me down. If I'm going to spend points in the Fire skill tree (on Warmth), then I might as well become a fire/something sorc instead of cold/lightning. That would be a lot more interesting, as I could play with some of the more showy spells (like Meteor), before having to give them up forever near the end of the sorc career.

It's about time I start getting into the habit of backing up my character(s); created shortcuts so I can easily get there. I also need to set up another install to run the mule team soon, starting to accumulate a lot of gems and even some runes in my stash. Once I get a Horadric cube, I can start combining those down into more valuable units.

Its amazing how often I hit the command key (switches me out of the game to desktop) instead of the alt key (find loot on floor). If this keeps up I'll have to tape it over, or disable it.

A few points in Energy (how much mana you have) and a few in Warmth (how fast you recharge mana) really helps speed up the game. Now I don't have to spend so much time standing around or gulping blue potions.

Andariel (this level's boss) wasn't so bad; I remembered she doesn't like fire. Next up is the caravan to the east.

Diablo 2: starting from scratch

OK, let's go. Out into the wilderness with only a borrowed firebolt skill (from a staff). First impressions: this is still a high quality game, despite the years. The graphics are spare but effective, and the amazing soundtrack and good voice work fill in the rest of the experience.

My first skill point - I'll start level 2 with Warmth. Waiting for the blue mana ball to refill is boring. Hmm stat points, I didn't really research much into that. Looks like I don't really need to spend stat points on energy, there will be equipment for that later. What's needed is strength to wear the best equipment. I guess I can just save the stat points until I get something I want to equip. Level 3, I'll take Ice Bolt. Level 4: Charged Bolt - now I don't need this Firebolt staff as a crutch anymore. I found an orb that gives +1 to charged bolt, so I'll use that instead, and maybe a shield. For clearing the Den of Evil, +1 skill point from Akara: hmm, not eligible for any higher level spells yet, so I'll save it.

I see Akara has a new option: Reset Stat/Skill Points. I wonder if you get one of those for each skill level (Nightmare, Hell). Time starts to fast forward. I finish several quests, and start getting into the groove of stocking up on potions, exploring, returning with loot to sell, repeat. Now I have my first hireling and its distracting; I'm not going to resurrect her when she's gone - I work alone. Anyway I am now officially hooked on this game (again).

Oops, I died. No big deal, the experience point penalty is minor and you get sent back to town, but you do have to do your own corpse (and possessions) recovery. I invest a skill point in telekinesis, but sadly it doesn't help me recover from a distance; oh well, at least it was a pre-requisite.

Ah, finally back in Tristram. No one was spared, not even the cows. Well, except Deckard Cain. Wirt's Body - never gets old; oops, I picked up his leg, and I won't need it until I get to Nightmare. I think I can get another one later, I'll just leave it. I forgot how tough undead Griswold is, time to put a point in Static Field and wear him down.

Oh yeah, Level 12 - now I have Lightning. Took out the Countess. I think that's enough for one day.

boxes of Diablo

OK, I've got the media and the cd keys, time to make some ISOs.

In the meanwhile I've been reading up; there's a lot to know before you can play this simple twitch game. I only play Sorcerer, but there are many possible builds (based around the 3 elements). If you want to advance in the later levels, you need a plan, or you won't be able to get to the highest difficulty level. And I think I might go a bit further this time than I did with Diablo, so I'd like to get this right.

OK, made the ISOs, got it installed, did some tests and made adjustments to get the video working - looks like its ready to go. Now I have to finish the research and decide on build. I also have to get another machine running so I can start managing the mule team. I don't normally like cheating in games because it ruins it, but having mules seems more like a bend than a break. Mules are dummy characters you create so you can have them carry far more stuff than you could normally. And this game is largely about acquiring better stuff, so its worth it. I justify it to myself that your character is so powerful, surely they could afford to purchase some more storage space, and you are correcting this oversight in the game.

I want to do a lightning/cold sorc, and I'm pretty sure for cold I want to master frozen orb, but I'm not sure what to master for lightning - chain or nova. OK, some builds seem to depend on having certain equipment - and on my first (and possibly last) character build I may not be able to collect all the equipment. There's a lot of random factor in what equipment you can get and when.

Reading more about the finer points of how to allocate skill points, what equipment to use to max which attributes, etc. I an surprised at how technical this old game is. You need a certain mind-set to take joy in this kind of technical mastery, much like tabletop gaming, or computers.

More reading... looks like Nova requires getting too close to enemies, so I'll go with Lightning or Chain Lightning - but which? Looks like Lightning gives more bang for the buck; now to figure out what order to go in, what to max out, what to just put one skill point. I don't understand the effect of Synergies, it was added after I played the last time. Other than the obvious (putting skill points in a some skills boosts another skill), what I'm really asking is what should I invest in just for the synergy effect?

More reading, more reading... here are the conclusions:

* don't spend skills on fire magic; the later levels are mostly fire immune, so focus on cold and lightning

* don't spend skill points on Warmth (regenerate mana), because you will find equipment to do that later; live off mana potions until you get there

* a highly effective Frozen Orb can be done with few pre-requisites and no need for mastery or synergies; most people don't seem to spend more than 10-15 skill points on it; a few points of Cold Mastery might help a bit

* Lightning skills will take care of most things that are cold immune; if you need extra help your merc can provide it, if you have chosen the right merc and equipped it properly (that's so far down the line I'm not even going to research it further for a while)

* Fast Cast equipment is useful and needed, but I'm not going to worry about that much until I start collecting some good equipment; there's also something really technical about framerates, and frames per cast, but that can wait too

I think this is enough research to at least get me started. I can focus on Frozen Orb and Lightning for a while, see how that's working out, then start putting more points in Chain Lightning and Lightning Mastery (and a little Cold Mastery) later, see how that works out.

avalanche of games; going back down to Hell

I knew I had a lot of games up in the attic, but not this many: over a dozen large plastic boxes, and numerous small bins. Its not quite to hoarding levels, but it is a large waste of space. A lot of it is paper boxes containing a disk or manual and a lot of air. Maybe I'll keep a few boxes for sentimental reasons... I definitely want to keep Wasteland, Fallout, Deus Ex... and maybe some of these collector's editions (not that any has much financial value).

After all that, I just want to play Diablo 2 now. The next Diablo is coming out in little over a month, and I would like to revisit D2 at least one more time. Diablo 3 is going to be full price (around $60) for probably the next year or two, so there's nothing to be gained from waiting, and with Blizzard or Valve games its almost guaranteed to be great.

Going through the archive, it looks my last installs of D2 were in late 2000 and late 2001. I must have been really into this game, because I bought an extra copy of the original and expansion just so I could have a whole bunch of mules to carry stuff. I wonder if that stuff would even carry forward now, so many patches later. I think I'll just start from scratch.