10-10-2005, 05:16 PM
Hi, Brother Laz,
I agree with most of your points, but please permit me a few quibbles...
1) As I alluded to, but guess didn't explicitly state, The Dark is not for beginning D1 players. I don't know if HF has become impossible to find (haven't checked for ages), but last I heard the occasional copy on eBay sells for more than I would probably pay, even though I basically like HF.
2) "D1 is better in solo-MP (TCP/IP) than in SP, because there is only normal difficulty in SP and the save system makes death irrelevant."
Well, I don't think it would be a great idea for someone new to D1 to jump into solo-MP, without spending at least some time in solo play. I would recommend playing through the SP at least once, maybe once with each character, unless you are totally uninterested in one or two of the char classes. True, MP has the difficulty levels, but it also is missing most of the quests, which I feel add a lot to the texture of the game.
As far as the save system making death irrelevant, so what? Isn't that true of most CRPG, etc., games? For those who think this system is too easy, there are ways to make it harder, even if they have to be self-imposed. The last two playing periods I had with D1, I played exclusively with the Immortal Hero variant (see Pete's post on my website for the basic rules). It can be argued that this is the way the game was meant to be played. The equipment and spell restrictions for the different classes make the game noticably harder, plus, like Angband, etc., you only have one death.
I found this variant easy to learn (simple rules - most variants have too many rules to keep track of for my taste), but also very exciting and, for me, very challenging. Heh, I always suspected I was only a mediocre player, and this variant made me almost sure of that, considering how seldom I managed to make it down to the point of challenging Diablo (that damn bat on level 5 killed a frustrating number of my Heroes, even after I became hyper-conscious of him).
3) "HF sucks, the monsters and levels look stupid and have plain AI, balance is nonexistent and the new spells are overpowered (level 15 Immo and Nova anyone?)."
Well, sorry, but I think this is very subjective. I agree the hive is "out of place" and doesn't match Diablo's atmosphere, but I actually kind of like it in its own right. And I don't see why the monsters "look stupid" - they may suffer in comparison to Blizzard's (actually Condor's) characters, but, again, in their own right I don't think they are that bad; why are they are "stupid?" And the Crypt is much closer to the style of D1 than the Hive; again, why do you think they are "stupid?"
"plain AI" - I'd be interested in further elucidation on this point. I guess I haven't spent enough time in the Hive and Crypt to notice the AI patterns of the monsters there. I probably spent most of my time in the regular dungeon, just using the new character classes, as well as some of the old, playing around with the oils, etc.
4) "You'd better find at least a shrine list before you start playing D1. You'll see why when you start reading said shrine list."
Good point. A trip to the Freshman Diablo site, IIRC, might be in order (I think that link in my list is still valid). Chaostheory, some of the shrines have negative effects that you might want to be aware of before you try them. Also, now that I think about it, you also might want to look up BD's or Black Death in the Glossary. BD's can have PERMANENT negative effects on your character.
So, no major disagreements, just different subjective reactions to some aspects of the game. :D
Regards,
Dako-ta
I agree with most of your points, but please permit me a few quibbles...
Brother Laz,Oct 10 2005, 10:49 AM Wrote:Why the obsession here with Hellfire in general and The Dark in particular? Good mod, yes. But for someone just starting out, perhaps the impossible task of finding HF, the eternal corruption caused by playing HF and then the major modifications in TD aren't what they are looking for.
Bottom line:
. D1 is better in solo-MP (TCP/IP) than in SP, because there is only normal difficulty in SP and the save system makes death irrelevant.
· HF sucks, the monsters and levels look stupid and have plain AI, balance is nonexistent and the new spells are overpowered (level 15 Immo and Nova anyone?).
· You'd better find at least a shrine list before you start playing D1. You'll see why when you start reading said shrine list.
· TD is fun for experienced D1 players who have HF.
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1) As I alluded to, but guess didn't explicitly state, The Dark is not for beginning D1 players. I don't know if HF has become impossible to find (haven't checked for ages), but last I heard the occasional copy on eBay sells for more than I would probably pay, even though I basically like HF.
2) "D1 is better in solo-MP (TCP/IP) than in SP, because there is only normal difficulty in SP and the save system makes death irrelevant."
Well, I don't think it would be a great idea for someone new to D1 to jump into solo-MP, without spending at least some time in solo play. I would recommend playing through the SP at least once, maybe once with each character, unless you are totally uninterested in one or two of the char classes. True, MP has the difficulty levels, but it also is missing most of the quests, which I feel add a lot to the texture of the game.
As far as the save system making death irrelevant, so what? Isn't that true of most CRPG, etc., games? For those who think this system is too easy, there are ways to make it harder, even if they have to be self-imposed. The last two playing periods I had with D1, I played exclusively with the Immortal Hero variant (see Pete's post on my website for the basic rules). It can be argued that this is the way the game was meant to be played. The equipment and spell restrictions for the different classes make the game noticably harder, plus, like Angband, etc., you only have one death.
I found this variant easy to learn (simple rules - most variants have too many rules to keep track of for my taste), but also very exciting and, for me, very challenging. Heh, I always suspected I was only a mediocre player, and this variant made me almost sure of that, considering how seldom I managed to make it down to the point of challenging Diablo (that damn bat on level 5 killed a frustrating number of my Heroes, even after I became hyper-conscious of him).
3) "HF sucks, the monsters and levels look stupid and have plain AI, balance is nonexistent and the new spells are overpowered (level 15 Immo and Nova anyone?)."
Well, sorry, but I think this is very subjective. I agree the hive is "out of place" and doesn't match Diablo's atmosphere, but I actually kind of like it in its own right. And I don't see why the monsters "look stupid" - they may suffer in comparison to Blizzard's (actually Condor's) characters, but, again, in their own right I don't think they are that bad; why are they are "stupid?" And the Crypt is much closer to the style of D1 than the Hive; again, why do you think they are "stupid?"
"plain AI" - I'd be interested in further elucidation on this point. I guess I haven't spent enough time in the Hive and Crypt to notice the AI patterns of the monsters there. I probably spent most of my time in the regular dungeon, just using the new character classes, as well as some of the old, playing around with the oils, etc.
4) "You'd better find at least a shrine list before you start playing D1. You'll see why when you start reading said shrine list."
Good point. A trip to the Freshman Diablo site, IIRC, might be in order (I think that link in my list is still valid). Chaostheory, some of the shrines have negative effects that you might want to be aware of before you try them. Also, now that I think about it, you also might want to look up BD's or Black Death in the Glossary. BD's can have PERMANENT negative effects on your character.
So, no major disagreements, just different subjective reactions to some aspects of the game. :D
Regards,
Dako-ta