Rares and Champions...

[FireIceTalon]

THUS, YOU-ARE-FORCED-TO-USE-THE AUCTION HOUSE.

Let's assume for a moment you're correct in this statement. Has it ever occurred to you that this is what Blizzard wants? Serious question.

That said, the answer is right in front of you: if you can't cut it in Hell without buying off the AH, either you need to buy off the AH or you need to farm Nightmare. It really is that simple. The most frequent things I've bought off the AH are crossbows. Short of damage, I've made it to Act III Hell wearing gear I found in Act III Normal. I've upgraded almost every piece I own now to Hell-level gear, and it's made the going much easier, but it certainly wasn't impossible before - just more tedius.

If you don't want to buy off the AH don't. If you can't cut it in Hell, go back to Nightmare. Get yourself to level 60 and get those Nephalem stacks, then start farming. I'm working my way through Act III Hell right now, a couple bubbles away from 60, and that's what I'm going to do - keep pushing until I hit 60, then start farming a bit so I can handle the rest of Hell and enter Inferno.

It sucks getting crappy drops, but it's really no different than any previous Diablo game. The only difference is the spike in difficulty is a bit higher in D3 than D2 (and much moreso than D1). Thus, you farm the previous Act, or reroll your encounters. Change up your skills. Do something to adjust to the game because the game is not going to change for you. This is the business model Blizzard wants. End of story. Live with it or leave it. Choice is yours.

And as a person who purchased their product, I have every right to bitch about the content if I so desire. Dont be ridiculous. In fact, it is our DUTY as consumers, especially in this industry, to point to flaws or problems that should be addressed to make the product better. Your 'appeal to nature' argument almost made me throw up a little bit in my mouth.

You're absolutely right. You as a consumer have a right to your opinion about a product. You have a right to express that opinion to the merchant and/or manufacturer. They have no obligation to listen to you, however, and Blizzard's stance in the past has always been "We know better," at least when it comes to games. So, good luck with your complaints. You won't change a thing, though.

Yea, that 'we know better argument' sure worked out when they claimed no one would get to Inferno difficulty for months. Not only are the plenty of people in it, but more than a few are already in Act 4. LMAO at Blizzard. Blizz has always grossly underestimated their audience our 'nerdiness'. Heh.

Anyway, yes, getting lvl 60 will help for sure if all I have heard about drop rates increasing is true. This really makes the game seem so backwards from prior games though, where you generally had the best gear or close to it once you were max level, and you did farming here and there to make small upgrades. Here, it seems the REAL game doesnt even start until after you are 60.

Blizz may want us to use the AH, but I cannot understand their logic in this. It is so much more rewarding to find your own items, and it is a surreal feeling when you see that epic piece of gear drop after slaughtering a tough foe. But now, that seems to be gone for the most part. I am forced to buy a piece of gear that someone else found in order to make my char strong enough to progress through the game. I don't mind there being an AH, but I would much rather use it as a way of upgrading on an occasional basis for a slot that I am having poor luck in finding or crafting. But to have to rely on it almost entirely as we do, is a completely different thing altogether. IDK, maybe I am just trapped too much in nostalgia, but item farming is partially what really made the first two games so loved. Now, it just seems like that is gone once you beat normal.

And besides, some of the combination of traits in these packs are UNBEATABLE, regardless of what gear you have, in particular Vortex with jailer or waller, molten or plague. I just had one mob that would just cast vortex, then use molten, and i'm dead in 1 or 2 hits. Had to leave the game, as any thought of being able to kill them was futile. This is too much of an unfair advantage against the player, because basically guarantees death without any hope of being able to kill them. Some traits shouldnt be able to spawn together, and there are at least a few that shouldnt be in the game at all. If I want to play a game that is similar to doing chores, I will go play a Nintendo game from the 80's, but this sorta stuff has NO place in an RPG.