Hardcore Weekend Fun 2

[Cwicseolfor]

You can find version 1 here: http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/s...d.php?t=571462

Introduction
Hey there. I'm an old D2 player who for a while has had an urge to organise a small party to play Diablo 2 with in hardcore mode. I am after a casual group of people to play Diablo 2 with on a semi-regular basis (namely every weekend) in a manner that involves teamwork and cooperation.

We'll play in Hardcore mode because it's arguably the most fun way to play. There's a real emphasis on teamwork, active involvement, and some amount of strategy/thought. As an added bonus, we all start on an even playing field (no twinking), so we don't end up with one character rushing off ahead with 90% of the kills. This isn't about competition, but at the same time, the ideal party has equal amounts of involvement from all characters, so no one character feels disempowered or bored.

I want to play with people who want to have fun; who want to enjoy the game. To this end, we will do all the quests and there will be no twinking. Following the tradition of version 1, there will be an emphasis on you trying a build that is 'different' or 'unique', but it's not compulsory.

Game Rules

• Patch 1.12a
• Hardcore Mode
• RWM+RRM (install help here, and here)
• Untwinked
• Single pass unless the majority of the party wants to run an area a few times to gain a few levels. No boss runs.
• Play as a part of the team. That includes character choice.
• All quests
• We don't need to clear every area fully, but it may well be what we end up doing; we shall not rush.
• You must enable 'loot corpse' (it's selfish not to, but also they'll give your stuff back if you ask).
• Please, please, please pump Vitality. This is Hardcore. If Vitality wasn't vital (heh) in Softcore, it sure is now.
• Be a good sport. Don't hog items, don't hog potions, don't hod run off from the party, and help somebody if they are overrun by enemies.

Additionally:

• Everybody needs a different merc. Merc guides in the SPF FAQ
• Host designates drop rules, but they must be FAIR. I'm a fan of having casual and unspoken rules myself. Generally: don't be greedy.

Party Rules and Advice
There are builds that are good for Hardcore, and some that aren't. There are some builds that are good for party play, and some that aren't.

You're free to choose whatever build you want, as long as you take the above into consideration. Remember, we'd love to see something new, interesting, or unique. You're in a party, so weaknesses can be compensated for. I think it's best to quote LprMan from version 1:

I don't want to have the game filled with standard characters. I want to see an unique group of adventurers and how they manage to work together, not a 100% optimized party of killing machines.

Additionally, I have played in an untwinked group where one guy was playing a lightning sorc. The end result wasn't enjoyable, the sorc killed everything while we tried to keep up with her and collect the items left on the ground.

I'd like to see people to try something new, something creative even! The strength of the party will greatly help you to overcome the weaknesses of your build.

Generally good builds:
Singer barb
Ranged enchantress
Poison + lower resist necromancer (who actually uses poison explosion)
Smite + fanaticism paladin
Rabies druid
Fireclaws druid
Maul druid
Blaze sorc
Non-lightning-trap assassins
Summoner/poison hybrid (teams up well with singer barb, as amplify damage helps his War Cry)
Tri-elemental sorc
Avenger (Vengeance/Conviction paladin)
Bone necromancer

Probably okay builds:
Wind druid
Fire trap assassin
Jab zon (javs don't do enough damage, but without a shield you're in danger... up to you)
Passive zon (up to you - might get boring)
Fire druid
Fire Wall sorc
Hydra sorc
WW barb (no idea how powerful these are these days)
Frenzy barb (ditto)

Bad builds (whether because they are cookie cutter, overused/boring, don't play well in a party, or just plain die lots):
Lightning zon
Multishot zon (is this a holdover from the old days? are these guys still annoying arrows spammers that leave you with nothing to kill?)
Melee Enchantress (dies too much by my reckoning)
Single tree sorcs
Summoner necromancer
Lightning trap assassins

If you're unsure about your build or really, really want to play something, ask here!

More suggestions and tips on party play and build synergies here: http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/s...d.php?t=572065
And here: http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/s...d.php?t=636124

HWF Info Table

Forum name   Char build  Timezone  Availability  Can host?  Merc 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Cwicseolfor  Avenger     GMT +10   04:00 - 17:00   No   Act3 Cold

Please note that your play availability needs to be in GMT +0 offset, and also keep in mind this is your weekend availabilities, not weekday ones. Copy and paste this table into your post and add yourself (quote me to copy/paste it).

You can find your GMT offset by typing "gmt time" into google, converting your current time to 24-hour time, and seeing what the difference is. Now subtract or add your offset to your availabilities.

Example: my GMT offset is +10 here in Australia, and I am available from 2pm to 3am, thus my availability is 4am to 5pm in Greenwich Mean Time.

Questions?
So who is interested? Any advice, suggestions, tweaks to the rules?

[Thyiad]

Forum name   Char build  Timezone  Availability  Can host?  Merc 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Cwicseolfor  Avenger     GMT +10   04:00 - 17:00   No   Act3 Cold
Thyiad        Kicksin (?)   GMT+1     Most of it         Yes     yes

[Drystan]

Forum name   Char build  Timezone  Availability  Can host?  Merc 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Cwicseolfor  Avenger     GMT +10   04:00 - 17:00 No         Act3 Cold
Thyiad       Kicksin (?) GMT+1     Most of it    Yes        yes
Drystan      Special     GMT +10   Most of it*   No         We'll see

*For me, I'm interested, but currently unsure. Most of the time I should be fine with weekends evenings here (same time as Cwic,) although I'll have to update my availability.

[Xdeathfire]

Forum name   Char build  Timezone  Availability       Can host?  Merc 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cwicseolfor  Avenger     GMT +10   04:00 - 17:00      No         Act3 Cold
Thyiad         Kicksin (?)   GMT+1     Most of it           Yes        yes
Drystan       Special         GMT +10   Most of it*        No         We'll see
Xdeathfire   Mauler         GMT -5      Fri: 21:00-24:00 Dunno   Act2 Might
                                                               Sat/Sun: 4:00-8:00
				                         14:00-23:00

Well here it is, It might work

[Cwicseolfor]

Cheers guys.

Drystan: Oooh 'Special'? Alright then.

[Xdeathfire]

I might be interested, but I'm GMT-6 so I'm not sure how the time here is going to work out

[Cwicseolfor]

Well, there's only 4 of us so far, so why not post up your availabilities anyway and we'll see if we can fit you in. All 3 of us have said we're pretty flexible.

[Cwicseolfor]

Forum name   Char build  Timezone  Availability  Can host?  Merc 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Cwicseolfor  Avenger     GMT +10   04:00 - 17:00 No         Act3 Cold
Thyiad       Kicksin (?) GMT +1    Most of it    Yes        Yes (what?)
Drystan      Special     GMT +10   Most of it*   No         We'll see
Xdeathfire   Mauler      GMT -5    See his post  Not sure   Act2 Might

Fixed the formatting a bit.

Cheers Xdeathfire; will try and fit you in. Are those your local times or times in GMT +0?

[Greebo]

Forum name   Char build    Timezone  Availability  Can host?  Merc 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Cwicseolfor  Avenger       GMT +10   04:00 - 17:00 No         Act3 Cold
Thyiad       Kicksin (?)   GMT +1    Most of it    Yes        Yes (what?)
Drystan      Special       GMT +10   Most of it*   No         We'll see
Xdeathfire   Mauler        GMT -5    See his post  Not sure   Act2 Might
Greebo       Utility_Necro GMT -4    24/7 really   Yes        Act 2 Defiance

So I was thinking of making utility necromancer (who will be completely useless by himself, without a party):

Skills (first ~60 or so):

SUMMONING TREE (~22)
Skel Mast, Raise Skel, Skel Mage, Revive: 1 (idea here being to use revives occasionally)
Golem Mast, Clay Golem: ~7 each (slows down dangerous monsters)
Other Golems & SR: 1
Note: If I live long enough I might max Fire Golem and use the Iron Golem to get corpses. That's quite unlikely to work out well anyway.

POISON & BONE SPELLS (~20)
Teeth: 1 (pre); CE: 8-12
Bone Armor:1 (selfish)
Bone Prison & Bone Wall: 3-6 each (crowd control and emergencies handling, also a synergy)

CURSES: (~25)
All curses: 1, but
Decrep, Amp Dam, Lower Res: 4-6 (enough radius in curses to cover Baal's wave in one cast)
Attract, Dim Vision: 3-4 (time!)

The idea here is to help the team as much as possible, and cast CE once corpses are down and if I have enough mana. Hopefully we could get an insight merc at some point, it would make life waaay easier on CE.

I hope to get +4 skills at clvl 50, counting to get something on the wand, shield, ammy, helm and armor. That should make all those spells work somewhat better.

The main difficulty with this build IMHO would be configuring keyboard shortcuts and not getting confused with what to use when. I'm completely open to ideas, and if this char is just plain stupid, let me know too .

--Greebo

[DaveW]

Forum name   Char build    Timezone  Availability  Can host?  Merc 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Cwicseolfor  Avenger       GMT +10   04:00 - 17:00 No         Act3 Cold
Thyiad       Kicksin (?)   GMT +1    Most of it    Yes        Yes (what?)
Drystan      Special       GMT +10   Most of it*   No         We'll see
Xdeathfire   Mauler        GMT -5    See his post  Not sure   Act2 Might
Greebo       Utility_Necro GMT -4    24/7 really   Yes        Act 2 Defiance
DaveW        Unsure        GMT +12   Most of it    No         Act 2 HF

I'd like to do a Phoenix Striker but I see Thy already has a Kicksin listed. Maybe a Tri-Elemental Sorc (Max TK, Enchant, FireWall.) No Barbs? Perhaps a throw-barb? I'm open to sugestions.