07-05-2004, 09:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-05-2004, 09:30 PM by Crystalion.)
in the following the ">" denotes quoting Caaroid...
> I was secretly hoping the new ladder would lure you back
Well, it will if they start it soon, before some other game catches my attention (I've played several games since IRL pulled me away a few months ago).
> I play regularly with two friends, and among us we posess 8 CD keys.
> The approach ..."piggy-backed" the characters
Yes, having friends give each other a hand is a huge help. I made a post a while back about self-rushing with only one account--switching characters in a bnet game because bnet keeps the game alive for you (if the game is burned in)--and the single hardest thing about it was all the walking because the rushee couldn't ever be granted a waypoint. I have four CD-Keys myself, and the efficiency of moving three characters at a time through the game isn't bad, but it's a lot more fun and less tedious to play with friends.
> With the new ladder, however, one'd need powerful characters to do all the rushing
This is one of the things I like about the rushing puzzle on a clean ladder... ramping up the rusher characters. No one has any equipment yet, so even trading for what you need isn't likely to work. If I were certain to have a Ravenclaw bow by the end of the first day on the new ladder I could be a demigod on the second (day). So, ironically, though the "goal" of the process (other than having fun) is to get "wealthy", the start-up builds are heavily biased toward those that can function well with scant or shoddy equipment.
> Create an ORB sorceress for MF-ing purposes (mainly for NIGHTMARE mephisto, allowing us to gather equipment fast for the rusher characters)
Given crafting and runewords (and the other misc. cube recipes) it might be good to have your group collectively outline ahead of time which characters they want to initially build, and analyze what equipment can be shop-bought or made readily that "will do". Unless, of course, one of you really likes doing a lot of MF runs (or the run itself, such as Pindle's zombie garden, is being used for level ups... e.g. a Holy Bolt specialist).
> a sorceress for teleport and eliminating easier targets (Andariel, Duriel, Mephisto, NM Diablo), and another few characters for clearing the "hard" areas
a bit of trivia: in classic Static Field is not limited in NM & Hell (i.e. no 1/3, 1/2 HPs cap). This means Sorc builds can easily rule the game in classic, where, coincidentally, one can completely bypass the nm & hell (from prior diff act 5) clvl entry requirement. That is, in classic, one can rush characters of clvl 1 to Hell Hellforge (nm also, of course). Classic doesn't have the rune and socket goodies you no doubt take for granted as a LoD player, so making normal sets for their set bonuses is a mainline activity there. Ironically this means that a complete Sigon's set is quite valuable (trading and otherwise).
> Creating an enchantress
I went to clvl 87 in LoD with mine and, iirc, the low 60s in classic. Very useful, especially when teamed with a skelemancer.
> Using these characters, we only have to worry about the levelling of the main rune rushee
A multishot rushee zon, given readily available +mana gear, levels very quickly when enchanted. Naturally the zon can learn Exploding Arrow at clvl 12, obviating the need to be lucky enough to find a Ravenclaw (or later a Kuko in LoD). Assuming you make an enchantress (and you can shop and make a decent set of key +skills for her fairly easily) then it is almost not worth bothering stocking and transfering other equipment to a rushee. Naturally whatever is fun should win out. If you don't like making a succession of clvl 40 rushees then you can consider playing in classic (rushing to hell act 3 start is sufficient). I've done it both ways and then some. I personally enjoy doing a solo self rush of an assassin fireblast/wake-of-fire build to clvl 40 (with waypoint rushing provided for speed as I deem fit).
The fact that mana is again sold in shops should not be overlooked (as money, on that scale, is never in short supply). If you just adjust your thinking to "equipment poor, mana rich (via potions)" quite a few builds sprint quite well to clvl 40 on their own.
> 20 poison jewels
Assuming an enchant isn't available or convenient, it really is amazing how effective poison gems are at low clvls. At very low clvls, putting weenie skulls into shields is quite a twink as well (run through the mobs to get hit, killing them, then blow a tiny amount of cash on red potions).
> in 8 player games
I imagine it is fairly well known that a young character with "overkill" damage output levels up a lot faster in an N-player game. When you have this nailed it becomes important to have fast run/walk or teleport to cut down on the waste time moving between kill zones.
> We'll see how this new setup works out.
Once your group is happy with your M.O. for builds, xp and MFing, it remains that rushing still has some time consuming bottlenecks (even with carry-along). In particular, since Act 2 must be "completed" three times on the way to Hell Hellforge rune drops, researching a time efficient method for passing through it is well worth the effort. Unfortunately the multitude of interesting tricks and oddities in act 2 is too extensive for a quick recap here.
I think "teamwork" is a big factor: working well together, enjoying the process... finding the time! If there are 3 of you with a combined 8 CD-Keys I offer the following suggestion for fun and profit: figure out an M.O. that never *requires* more than 2 of you (CD-Keys available; character expertise available; role in the process understood and competent). If parts of the M.O. allow efficient progress by one person solo, all the better... but then you should also figure out an effective way to keep each other up to date on what has been done and what needs doing. Naturally this should be understood as an aid to enjoyable play and not as a "rules police" bone of contention.
> If the ladder will ever reset.
It sounds like you and your friends are going to have a good time. Hope to see you on the new ladder soon.
> I was secretly hoping the new ladder would lure you back
Well, it will if they start it soon, before some other game catches my attention (I've played several games since IRL pulled me away a few months ago).
> I play regularly with two friends, and among us we posess 8 CD keys.
> The approach ..."piggy-backed" the characters
Yes, having friends give each other a hand is a huge help. I made a post a while back about self-rushing with only one account--switching characters in a bnet game because bnet keeps the game alive for you (if the game is burned in)--and the single hardest thing about it was all the walking because the rushee couldn't ever be granted a waypoint. I have four CD-Keys myself, and the efficiency of moving three characters at a time through the game isn't bad, but it's a lot more fun and less tedious to play with friends.
> With the new ladder, however, one'd need powerful characters to do all the rushing
This is one of the things I like about the rushing puzzle on a clean ladder... ramping up the rusher characters. No one has any equipment yet, so even trading for what you need isn't likely to work. If I were certain to have a Ravenclaw bow by the end of the first day on the new ladder I could be a demigod on the second (day). So, ironically, though the "goal" of the process (other than having fun) is to get "wealthy", the start-up builds are heavily biased toward those that can function well with scant or shoddy equipment.
> Create an ORB sorceress for MF-ing purposes (mainly for NIGHTMARE mephisto, allowing us to gather equipment fast for the rusher characters)
Given crafting and runewords (and the other misc. cube recipes) it might be good to have your group collectively outline ahead of time which characters they want to initially build, and analyze what equipment can be shop-bought or made readily that "will do". Unless, of course, one of you really likes doing a lot of MF runs (or the run itself, such as Pindle's zombie garden, is being used for level ups... e.g. a Holy Bolt specialist).
> a sorceress for teleport and eliminating easier targets (Andariel, Duriel, Mephisto, NM Diablo), and another few characters for clearing the "hard" areas
a bit of trivia: in classic Static Field is not limited in NM & Hell (i.e. no 1/3, 1/2 HPs cap). This means Sorc builds can easily rule the game in classic, where, coincidentally, one can completely bypass the nm & hell (from prior diff act 5) clvl entry requirement. That is, in classic, one can rush characters of clvl 1 to Hell Hellforge (nm also, of course). Classic doesn't have the rune and socket goodies you no doubt take for granted as a LoD player, so making normal sets for their set bonuses is a mainline activity there. Ironically this means that a complete Sigon's set is quite valuable (trading and otherwise).
> Creating an enchantress
I went to clvl 87 in LoD with mine and, iirc, the low 60s in classic. Very useful, especially when teamed with a skelemancer.
> Using these characters, we only have to worry about the levelling of the main rune rushee
A multishot rushee zon, given readily available +mana gear, levels very quickly when enchanted. Naturally the zon can learn Exploding Arrow at clvl 12, obviating the need to be lucky enough to find a Ravenclaw (or later a Kuko in LoD). Assuming you make an enchantress (and you can shop and make a decent set of key +skills for her fairly easily) then it is almost not worth bothering stocking and transfering other equipment to a rushee. Naturally whatever is fun should win out. If you don't like making a succession of clvl 40 rushees then you can consider playing in classic (rushing to hell act 3 start is sufficient). I've done it both ways and then some. I personally enjoy doing a solo self rush of an assassin fireblast/wake-of-fire build to clvl 40 (with waypoint rushing provided for speed as I deem fit).
The fact that mana is again sold in shops should not be overlooked (as money, on that scale, is never in short supply). If you just adjust your thinking to "equipment poor, mana rich (via potions)" quite a few builds sprint quite well to clvl 40 on their own.
> 20 poison jewels
Assuming an enchant isn't available or convenient, it really is amazing how effective poison gems are at low clvls. At very low clvls, putting weenie skulls into shields is quite a twink as well (run through the mobs to get hit, killing them, then blow a tiny amount of cash on red potions).
> in 8 player games
I imagine it is fairly well known that a young character with "overkill" damage output levels up a lot faster in an N-player game. When you have this nailed it becomes important to have fast run/walk or teleport to cut down on the waste time moving between kill zones.
> We'll see how this new setup works out.
Once your group is happy with your M.O. for builds, xp and MFing, it remains that rushing still has some time consuming bottlenecks (even with carry-along). In particular, since Act 2 must be "completed" three times on the way to Hell Hellforge rune drops, researching a time efficient method for passing through it is well worth the effort. Unfortunately the multitude of interesting tricks and oddities in act 2 is too extensive for a quick recap here.
I think "teamwork" is a big factor: working well together, enjoying the process... finding the time! If there are 3 of you with a combined 8 CD-Keys I offer the following suggestion for fun and profit: figure out an M.O. that never *requires* more than 2 of you (CD-Keys available; character expertise available; role in the process understood and competent). If parts of the M.O. allow efficient progress by one person solo, all the better... but then you should also figure out an effective way to keep each other up to date on what has been done and what needs doing. Naturally this should be understood as an aid to enjoyable play and not as a "rules police" bone of contention.
> If the ladder will ever reset.
It sounds like you and your friends are going to have a good time. Hope to see you on the new ladder soon.
"He's got demons? Cool!" -- Gonzo, Muppet Treasure Island
"Proto-matter... an unstable substance which every ethical scientist in the galaxy has denounced as dangerously unpredictable." -- Saavik, Star Trek III
"Mom! Dad! It's evil! Don't touch it!" -- Kevin, Time Bandits
"Proto-matter... an unstable substance which every ethical scientist in the galaxy has denounced as dangerously unpredictable." -- Saavik, Star Trek III
"Mom! Dad! It's evil! Don't touch it!" -- Kevin, Time Bandits