07-17-2003, 06:07 PM
I've seen a number of posts abut how 1.10 Hell is survivable ( usually with the help of top end gear or rune words - not much help for no twink or SP ), it may wll be survivable - but is it playable? By playable I mean, is it tough but fun or is it tough but an endurance test. Tough but fun is good.
I've just gotten a Zon into 1.10 Hell. She's Clvl 72, has found a good Bow ( Kuko, I have a Lum but need to get the Pul to upgrade it), has a nice pair of crafted gloves, found Tals mask, Mav's belt, and some OK rings and ammys - in short she has an avgerage equipment set up for an untwinked Char about to enter Hell at 72.
So far the first two quests in Act 1 Hell are survivable, certainly. The Merc dies rather too frequently and there's a lot of running back to town for mana ( even with 15% leech ), but death from Monster is not a real concern if you're careful.
Death from tedium however, is a potential possibility. It took more than an hour ( at players 1 ) to clear the blood moor and Den. Cold Immune boss packs of Zombies ( Zombies are cold immune, two bosses were stone skin, one was fire immune ) while dangerous to Mercs are simply an exercise in patience and fatiguing to your mouse fingers.
I'd be very happy if critters were more dangerous and death was a constant peril but that you could kill them as quickly as they can kill you, this would reward skilled tactical play. However it seems from what I've seen at the beginning of Hell that ( even on players 1 ) the killing pace is going to be painfully slow and remain so throughout all of the Hell acts even while monster lethality increases.
Hell appears to have been balanced for a high level Char using top end equipment and even at that it's going to be an endurance test.
I liked the changes in NM, I liked that you'd see exceptionals and elites dropping at a better pace as the game progressed, I really liked the changes to the Bloody Foothills and Act V in general, but they may have gone too far in Hell on the Monster hitpoints and resistances.
It shouldn't be a stress test for your mouse buttons. They've made it annoying and frustrating ( "sigh here's another stone skin Zombie boss pack, better head back to town and load up with exta arrows and mana, and have a leak, this could take a while") without increasing the payback to reward you for your perseverence.
In fact, they've decreased the reward - they've made it much harder to level up past level 70 and just about impossible to level up past 85 ( I cannot forsee anyone having the patience to play hell single player on players 8 ).
I've just gotten a Zon into 1.10 Hell. She's Clvl 72, has found a good Bow ( Kuko, I have a Lum but need to get the Pul to upgrade it), has a nice pair of crafted gloves, found Tals mask, Mav's belt, and some OK rings and ammys - in short she has an avgerage equipment set up for an untwinked Char about to enter Hell at 72.
So far the first two quests in Act 1 Hell are survivable, certainly. The Merc dies rather too frequently and there's a lot of running back to town for mana ( even with 15% leech ), but death from Monster is not a real concern if you're careful.
Death from tedium however, is a potential possibility. It took more than an hour ( at players 1 ) to clear the blood moor and Den. Cold Immune boss packs of Zombies ( Zombies are cold immune, two bosses were stone skin, one was fire immune ) while dangerous to Mercs are simply an exercise in patience and fatiguing to your mouse fingers.
I'd be very happy if critters were more dangerous and death was a constant peril but that you could kill them as quickly as they can kill you, this would reward skilled tactical play. However it seems from what I've seen at the beginning of Hell that ( even on players 1 ) the killing pace is going to be painfully slow and remain so throughout all of the Hell acts even while monster lethality increases.
Hell appears to have been balanced for a high level Char using top end equipment and even at that it's going to be an endurance test.
I liked the changes in NM, I liked that you'd see exceptionals and elites dropping at a better pace as the game progressed, I really liked the changes to the Bloody Foothills and Act V in general, but they may have gone too far in Hell on the Monster hitpoints and resistances.
It shouldn't be a stress test for your mouse buttons. They've made it annoying and frustrating ( "sigh here's another stone skin Zombie boss pack, better head back to town and load up with exta arrows and mana, and have a leak, this could take a while") without increasing the payback to reward you for your perseverence.
In fact, they've decreased the reward - they've made it much harder to level up past level 70 and just about impossible to level up past 85 ( I cannot forsee anyone having the patience to play hell single player on players 8 ).
Some people are like slinkys, not really good for anything but you just can't help but smile when you see them tumble down the stairs.