09-13-2006, 10:21 PM
Just a few more things that weren't mentioned/were unclear.
Firewall aiming tactics
Whenever you cast a firewall, it will come up orthogonal to the line between you and the cast point. Kind of confusing in words...time for a couple thousand, value-wise.
o = cast point (where you right-clicked)
..................|
You-------o|
..................|
You\
.........\........./
............\..../
..............o
............/
Mmkay, that second one didn't come out so good, but you should get the general idea there. So if you see a line of Succubi, try to maneuver into a position where you'll hit all of them.
The other thing about Firewalls was mentioned, but not really explained. You always want to cast them on the in-game axes, which actually run from top left to bottom right, and top right to bottom left, checkerboard style. The N/S/E/W description doesn't really clarify that. Anyway, if you don't cast on one of the two axes, there are "gaps" in your Firewall. Consider the checkerboard example. If you move diagonally (white-to-white, like a bishop), you don't actually cross one of the rows. Monsters routinely do this, so aim well.
If you're still confused about axis positioning, find an empty area (town will work, I suppose) and start dropping piles of 1 gold until you have a 3x3 or 4x4 grid. You should be able to see it. If/when you move on to the Sorceror, the axes make hitting targets MUCH easier. You should almost always line missiles up along them.
Gonna have to second the avoidance of telekill unless you find a good weapon "of Vampires".
In addition to "reading glasses", Enchanted Shrines are a huge help in leveling up spells, but they're rather boring to search for. Single player makes it even worse, since you have to create a new game in which you are unable to reenter Hell unless you walk there.
As for the great 3-class debate, I'm gonna have to go with Sorceror as the end-game powerhouse. Yes, the rogue may be as easy to play with stupid armor, block rate, to-hit and nigh-invincibility, but she has nowhere near the killing power. Quite simply, Fireball > arrows. (properly-used) Chain Lightning > arrows (although it has a slower refire rate). And he can cast many, many more Stone Curses than she. And there's no arguing with Stone Curse.
I'm not so sure about that. There's obviously the infinitely cheesy Apocalypse solution, but beside that, it depends on the volume of enemies activated. The mage can clear large room of Advocates faster than the rogue, simply because he can maintain pressure via Golem, Stone Curse, and good 'ol hack-n-slash whereas she has to chug much more mana to keep the Curse up (or not use it and chug red/happy feet and use inferior golem + slower average attack rate). She also casts it slower. I wouldn't recommend standing in the fireball storm either way, though. She's much faster with the small packs, yes, but that impedes the overall clearing rate. And while it may be more intelligent and economical in terms of potions, the destructive force of teleporting around 16 (post-Blood Knights, perhaps) and clearing large swarms at once rather than activating one of the poor sods at a time is a poorly phrased sentence that I don't want to revise. If money/potions are not an object, and enemies cleared divided by time is, the Sorceror still wins out (at least against Advocates--Burners are a bit more golem-resistant).
Still up in the air on the easiest starting class. When played by a veteran, I'd actually put Warrior in last there. Rogues are fairly easy, but again lack the killing speed. Staff of Charged Bolt (especially if you're not doing a full clear--multiplayer game-hopping and such) is an absolute beast, and there's no reason to pay Adria to recharge the thing.
--me
Firewall aiming tactics
Whenever you cast a firewall, it will come up orthogonal to the line between you and the cast point. Kind of confusing in words...time for a couple thousand, value-wise.
o = cast point (where you right-clicked)
..................|
You-------o|
..................|
You\
.........\........./
............\..../
..............o
............/
Mmkay, that second one didn't come out so good, but you should get the general idea there. So if you see a line of Succubi, try to maneuver into a position where you'll hit all of them.
The other thing about Firewalls was mentioned, but not really explained. You always want to cast them on the in-game axes, which actually run from top left to bottom right, and top right to bottom left, checkerboard style. The N/S/E/W description doesn't really clarify that. Anyway, if you don't cast on one of the two axes, there are "gaps" in your Firewall. Consider the checkerboard example. If you move diagonally (white-to-white, like a bishop), you don't actually cross one of the rows. Monsters routinely do this, so aim well.
If you're still confused about axis positioning, find an empty area (town will work, I suppose) and start dropping piles of 1 gold until you have a 3x3 or 4x4 grid. You should be able to see it. If/when you move on to the Sorceror, the axes make hitting targets MUCH easier. You should almost always line missiles up along them.
Gonna have to second the avoidance of telekill unless you find a good weapon "of Vampires".
In addition to "reading glasses", Enchanted Shrines are a huge help in leveling up spells, but they're rather boring to search for. Single player makes it even worse, since you have to create a new game in which you are unable to reenter Hell unless you walk there.
As for the great 3-class debate, I'm gonna have to go with Sorceror as the end-game powerhouse. Yes, the rogue may be as easy to play with stupid armor, block rate, to-hit and nigh-invincibility, but she has nowhere near the killing power. Quite simply, Fireball > arrows. (properly-used) Chain Lightning > arrows (although it has a slower refire rate). And he can cast many, many more Stone Curses than she. And there's no arguing with Stone Curse.
Quote:Well... If you're talking about triple immunes, then she is actually stronger.
I'm not so sure about that. There's obviously the infinitely cheesy Apocalypse solution, but beside that, it depends on the volume of enemies activated. The mage can clear large room of Advocates faster than the rogue, simply because he can maintain pressure via Golem, Stone Curse, and good 'ol hack-n-slash whereas she has to chug much more mana to keep the Curse up (or not use it and chug red/happy feet and use inferior golem + slower average attack rate). She also casts it slower. I wouldn't recommend standing in the fireball storm either way, though. She's much faster with the small packs, yes, but that impedes the overall clearing rate. And while it may be more intelligent and economical in terms of potions, the destructive force of teleporting around 16 (post-Blood Knights, perhaps) and clearing large swarms at once rather than activating one of the poor sods at a time is a poorly phrased sentence that I don't want to revise. If money/potions are not an object, and enemies cleared divided by time is, the Sorceror still wins out (at least against Advocates--Burners are a bit more golem-resistant).
Still up in the air on the easiest starting class. When played by a veteran, I'd actually put Warrior in last there. Rogues are fairly easy, but again lack the killing speed. Staff of Charged Bolt (especially if you're not doing a full clear--multiplayer game-hopping and such) is an absolute beast, and there's no reason to pay Adria to recharge the thing.
--me