Getting over the hump

[Marangil]

A question for all you HC forum junkies. I stopped playing D2 for a while and recently returned. I have always enjoyed HC more and managed to get a slayer with a few sessions of actuall play to get reoriented with the game.

So I have started a HC character and dutifully collected 40 chips in the hope of getting some sort of trade for a low set, only to find myself sitting alone in a advert game and getting no trade blips at all.

There doesn't seem to be a HC ladder trade chat channel, so I can't troll there to see if there is any value in keeping these chips or not. Anyway, to the point.

How does a started HC ladder char get set up with low level items to make A2-5 survivable? Am I barking up the wrong tree with chip collecting? Where is a good place to go to see HC Ladder trading going on?

Thanks for your attention :)

Blue_Barney

[Full_Circle]

Am I barking up the wrong tree with chip collecting?

Yes, you are. Chips are basically worthless now.

Your options for trading are pretty much to try to find lld stuff (9 max, 15 max jewels - arcane sanctuary/high council/cows in normal are decent places) or collect perfect gems.

As for where to trade... there's a hc trade forum here, which used to have a lot of "items for pgem" sales. I haven't been there recently, so I'm not sure how active it is.

For surviving act 2-5, about all you can do is go slow and be careful.

[Arkuss]

this is patch 1.10 not 1.09. Get yourself some hi runes or somthing. Also i recommand you make a summoner necromancer for your first character that why you dont die so easily and you can get the feel for the game again.

and Chip Gems are USELESS now.

[Marangil]

Chips did have some value in SC as I was able to get my zon there outfitted with Vidala's set and some other items to make killing Baal alone workable. You also both mention to get things that would require me to be in a higher act than I currently am.

I am stubborn and actually like to be able to kill the act boss alone and survive before I move on to the next act. Probably hamstringing myself and making my own problem, but still I wonder how a new character gets by when they have to get high runes or nice modded jewels?

To get one perfect gem on your way to A3 you would have to collect 81 chips of one type. I guess I will have to latch on to one of these rushing games to get to Arcane Sanctuary.

[Full_Circle]

Chips did have some value in SC as I was able to get my zon there outfitted with Vidala's set and some other items to make killing Baal alone workable. You also both mention to get things that would require me to be in a higher act than I currently am.

I am stubborn and actually like to be able to kill the act boss alone and survive before I move on to the next act. Probably hamstringing myself and making my own problem, but still I wonder how a new character gets by when they have to get high runes or nice modded jewels?

The little value that chips have is from people collecting them to transmute runes, which isn't a lot. If you're currently in early act 2, there's almost nothing you can find that will trade well, aside from the occasional LLD item.

Surviving through the acts solo comes down to caution, patience, and knowledge. Use the right build, don't rush anything, and take the time to get yourself a reasonably decent set of charms and shoppable gear. I would highly recommend you use something other than a Sorceress for starting out - at least until you have an item base to work with.

[Omikron8]

Why would you HAVE to get 81 chips for a perfect gem. Normal-flawless gems start dropping in act3 normal i believe. Go to high monster density areas like flayer jungle in games with a few players (solo yourself, b.net players are astronomically stupid and rude) and keep clearing it.

[Marangil]

Again to get higher than chipped would require me to be in an act higher than I am in, and to get flawed would require me to be in late A2 or A3.

I may have a build problem. I am not a sorc, I went with a singer barb as someone mentioned it as a good one to start with in another thread. Of course to actually get singing, I would need to be level 30 and that's not feasible with the equipment I have. Maybe I will start a summoner Nec instead and work my way up. At least selling these chips will clear up some pack space :)

[Full_Circle]

Again to get higher than chipped would require me to be in an act higher than I am in, and to get flawed would require me to be in A2-3.

I may have a build problem. I am not a sorc, I went with a singer barb as someone mentioned it as a good one to start with in another thread. Of course to actually get singing, I would need to be level 30 and that's not feasible with the equipment I have. Maybe I will start a summoner Nec instead and work my way up. At least selling these chips will clear up some pack space :)

A Singer is definitely a bad choice for what you're trying to do. Summoners are good and safe. I played one naked (no gear/no charms) to level 43 (although I had help with a couple of the bosses). I did have to S&E once to prevent certain death. I hit one of those Urns in act 5, and a bunch of those Ice-Breathing guys appeared, completely surrounding me, of course. I still have nightmares about it. (no, not really)

[Matt]

this is patch 1.10 not 1.09. Get yourself some hi runes or somthing.

Good idea, why dont you just find some fathoms, griffons, stormshields and shakos to go with those jahs and bers.... :rolleyes: Easier said than done my friend.

I would however agree with Arkuss on the idea that a skelemancer might not be a bad idea, however, I find them a little tedious to play with... its all about personal preference.

-Matt

[Aerath]

Some characters that work well untwinked right up through Normal/NM at least.

Assassin - Trapper
Druid - Wind Druid (works well later too. Takes a bit to really get going, but is relatively safe)
Amazon - Lightning Fury/CS zon
Necromancer - Summoner
Paladin - Frost or Shock Zealot

Barbarians tend to have a bit of a problem with IM areas, otherwise, Frenzy is good clean fun.
Sorceresses are powerful, but I personally would advise using those as second character, once you have a bit of gear for them. They're rather fragile.

[Haplon]

A question for all you HC forum junkies. I stopped playing D2 for a while and recently returned. I have always enjoyed HC more and managed to get a slayer with a few sessions of actuall play to get reoriented with the game.

So I have started a HC character and dutifully collected 40 chips in the hope of getting some sort of trade for a low set, only to find myself sitting alone in a advert game and getting no trade blips at all.

There doesn't seem to be a HC ladder trade chat channel, so I can't troll there to see if there is any value in keeping these chips or not. Anyway, to the point.

How does a started HC ladder char get set up with low level items to make A2-5 survivable? Am I barking up the wrong tree with chip collecting? Where is a good place to go to see HC Ladder trading going on?

Thanks for your attention :)

Blue_Barney
I'm preoccupied with Guildwars so if want some stuff I will gladly pass it on. I have gul runes,ists,mals and lots of lower ones plus a full char with perfect gems and lots of superior but not godly equip. I'm on east by the way. If your in the same realm let me know when you'll be on.
*Haplon

[Raith]

then ive been collecting chipped for nothing? ughhh..

[Marangil]

Haplon,

I appreciate your charity, but I am actually trying to earn my advancement. In some ways I find it to be half the fun :)

So thank you, but I will decline. Enjoying Guild Wars?

[Haplon]

Haplon,

I appreciate your charity, but I am actually trying to earn my advancement. In some ways I find it to be half the fun :)

So thank you, but I will decline. Enjoying Guild Wars?

Your desire to make it on your own is laudable. Still I hate for things to go to waste so I guess I'll just dump stuff in a newb game if there is anything like a newb in d2 at this point.

Gw's is lots of fun and challenging. I like the fact that you can do things with other humans or choose to do it with Henchmen -AI's. No hesitation in recommending it.

Watch your back -tppk's are deadly.

[StarvinMarvinh]

I´m officially set now, I just came back from a year of vacation from diablo2lod a month ago, started with a summoner, got to hell hellforge pure and untwinked and got a GUL rune. Talk about luck, traded it for loads of decent gear so now i´m set and just trying to make a few unordinary builds like singers, mellemancers and melee sorcs ^^

Gl mate!

[Marangil]

Ugh,

If you are just going to dump it, then I will take it. I do have a friend who I just convinced to go out and buy the game and I am also going to rope my GF into it. So if you are just wanted to make sure it gets used then I can at least gaurantee that.

Now you are pitting my self of honor against my sense of waste :) Anyway, account name is *cragwell and my friend who just started playing is *pequid, though he hasn't enabled HC yet.

As for GW, I beta'd it and wasn't too taken by it. Perhaps they made significant changes though? I haven't really enjoyed an MMORPG since AC1.

Oh in other news, thanks to advice received in this forum my summoner Necro is moving along just fine and I have started the perfect gem collection :)

*cragwell