09-22-2003, 04:27 PM
Well, it's about time I got some 1.10 experience. I've been talking with a few people about the 1.10 patch somewhat frequently since it was released, and specifically about the character stories MongoJerry has blessed us with. And I finally realized that if I want to be critical of the patch and the character builds now available, I'd better get my own hands dirty.
Now, what do I mean by being critical? As much as I've enjoyed MongoJerry's accounts, several points have ruffled me the wrong way. First were the cross character skills -- as you may have seen in a previous thread, I'm dead set against any and all cross class skills. Specifically, Gunter: as a friend pointed out to me, Gunter was essentially a firewall sorc with much higher life and resists and access to a nearly irresistible, stunning telekinesis that covers half the screen. To MongoJerry: please don't let my criticism stop you -- we need more accounts like yours. My criticisms is more directed at the direction blizzard has chosen for the patch.
My second beef with your characters, btw, is that they begin in hell difficulty, usually with their endgame equipment. I like that most (if not all) the equipment was found, but what I'd really like to see is how a no-twink character does straight from act 1 normal to hell baal.
So, on to my actual point. I have decided to download the patch and start a new, single player character, and see how well I can do in 1.10 with a no-twink sorceress. The original plan is to full clear and do as little repetition as possible. I have chosen to cold tree as my primary because my most recent sorc was a fire sorc, and the one before was primarily lightning.
I now have a few things to work out before I begin. I'm hoping that players with more experience in the 1.10 beta than I can help me plan out this character.
1) does cold mastery now pierce immunities? In other words, can I get through the game with only cold skills without having to rely entirely on a mercenary for non-cold damage?
2) will blizzard + glacial spike have enough power to deal with the monster regeneration in hell difficulty? Or will I be forced to equip a mercenary with some poison damage or prevent monster heal equipment?
That's all, for now. The plan, as question (2) suggests, is glacial spike and blizzard. What I have yet to decide is how much of which cold armor, how much cold mastery I will need, and whether or not to make this a 100% cold only sorc. Right now I am looking at three options:
1) cold only -- no teleport, no warmth, no energy shield, no alternate attack forms AT ALL. The most challenging on those fronts, however, that would mean more points to pump mastery and both of my attack skills ASAP.
2) cold + utility spells -- some warmth, teleport, possibly energy shield. A bit lighter on the points for the cold tree, but better mana regeneration and teleport would more than make up in terms of difficulty.
3) cold + blaze + static field -- much tighter on the skill points, particularly if I invest in fire mastery. Less reliance on cold mastery, though cold immunes against which blaze doesn't work will be a major problem. Blaze also means a mercenary will be tougher to factor in, meaning if I *need* something to prevent monster heal, I'll be in trouble. Also probably would mean a choice between blizzard OR glacial spike, but not both.
I'm leaning towards either (2) or (3). I don't think I have the balls to tackle a cold only sorceress for my first 1.10 character, particularly if cold mastery doesn't cut through immunities like I hope it does.
So, my plan is slowly taking shape. Any thoughts/comments/advice would be appreciated. Keep in mind I plan on full clearing normal with as little sandbagging as possible. If I reach NM or hell, I'll see how things are going and likely forgo the full clear idea.
Choice of merc, exact skill placements, and ideas on what types of items I should be hoarding would be appreciated.
gekko
Now, what do I mean by being critical? As much as I've enjoyed MongoJerry's accounts, several points have ruffled me the wrong way. First were the cross character skills -- as you may have seen in a previous thread, I'm dead set against any and all cross class skills. Specifically, Gunter: as a friend pointed out to me, Gunter was essentially a firewall sorc with much higher life and resists and access to a nearly irresistible, stunning telekinesis that covers half the screen. To MongoJerry: please don't let my criticism stop you -- we need more accounts like yours. My criticisms is more directed at the direction blizzard has chosen for the patch.
My second beef with your characters, btw, is that they begin in hell difficulty, usually with their endgame equipment. I like that most (if not all) the equipment was found, but what I'd really like to see is how a no-twink character does straight from act 1 normal to hell baal.
So, on to my actual point. I have decided to download the patch and start a new, single player character, and see how well I can do in 1.10 with a no-twink sorceress. The original plan is to full clear and do as little repetition as possible. I have chosen to cold tree as my primary because my most recent sorc was a fire sorc, and the one before was primarily lightning.
I now have a few things to work out before I begin. I'm hoping that players with more experience in the 1.10 beta than I can help me plan out this character.
1) does cold mastery now pierce immunities? In other words, can I get through the game with only cold skills without having to rely entirely on a mercenary for non-cold damage?
2) will blizzard + glacial spike have enough power to deal with the monster regeneration in hell difficulty? Or will I be forced to equip a mercenary with some poison damage or prevent monster heal equipment?
That's all, for now. The plan, as question (2) suggests, is glacial spike and blizzard. What I have yet to decide is how much of which cold armor, how much cold mastery I will need, and whether or not to make this a 100% cold only sorc. Right now I am looking at three options:
1) cold only -- no teleport, no warmth, no energy shield, no alternate attack forms AT ALL. The most challenging on those fronts, however, that would mean more points to pump mastery and both of my attack skills ASAP.
2) cold + utility spells -- some warmth, teleport, possibly energy shield. A bit lighter on the points for the cold tree, but better mana regeneration and teleport would more than make up in terms of difficulty.
3) cold + blaze + static field -- much tighter on the skill points, particularly if I invest in fire mastery. Less reliance on cold mastery, though cold immunes against which blaze doesn't work will be a major problem. Blaze also means a mercenary will be tougher to factor in, meaning if I *need* something to prevent monster heal, I'll be in trouble. Also probably would mean a choice between blizzard OR glacial spike, but not both.
I'm leaning towards either (2) or (3). I don't think I have the balls to tackle a cold only sorceress for my first 1.10 character, particularly if cold mastery doesn't cut through immunities like I hope it does.
So, my plan is slowly taking shape. Any thoughts/comments/advice would be appreciated. Keep in mind I plan on full clearing normal with as little sandbagging as possible. If I reach NM or hell, I'll see how things are going and likely forgo the full clear idea.
Choice of merc, exact skill placements, and ideas on what types of items I should be hoarding would be appreciated.
gekko
"Life is sacred and you are not its steward. You have stewardship over it but you don't own it. You're making a choice to go through this, it's not just happening to you. You're inviting it, and in some ways delighting in it. It's not accidental or coincidental. You're choosing it. You have to realize you've made choices."
-Michael Ventura, "Letters@3AM"
-Michael Ventura, "Letters@3AM"