Annihilus

[Ferengi]

HAs anyone figured out the "special " something yet? Given that it appears in the CubeMod, it is not realm only. Does anyone know how it might work with regards to experience when the level nerf is in effect?

PS. If no one knows the special something, I'll bet on achieving level 99.

[adeyke]

I don't think the fact that it can drop in a modded game means anything.

The Annihilus needs a small charm with ilvl 110+ to spawn. The DiabloClone can drop it, but I don't think anyone knows how he's actually supposed to spawn in an unmodded game. It may well be something realm-only.

[Nicator]

From what I've read, people know how to make a date with DiabloClone. Selling 10 sojs to Gheed (some people say to any merchant in any act) makes a phone call and warrants a date with him.

What people haven't figured out is where will the date be, in what act and area will DiabloClone be. Modded games solved this by changing the monstats.txt to make him appear in a given area (usually Blood Moor).

Some info could be found here.

My thoughts about the World Event: 1) There are just too many sojs around in realms, and taking care of 10 by game will help blizz to 'delete' some dupes easily. I dont think people who found a legit soj will spare it to call DiabloClone; and 2) If 'sellling 10 sojs' to a merchant isn't the only method to trigger the World Event, and there are (must be!) others, large hunting parties will be more common.

[Chaerophon]

I dont think people who found a legit soj will spare it to call DiabloClone;

I really hope that the "10 soj's" recipe is nothing more than a rumour, because what you've said above is true - in essence, Blizzard would be rewarding cheaters, who doubtless have 100's more soj's, with charms that the average legit player could never hope to obtain. Add to that the fact that they will have provided even more incentive for players to learn new and exciting ways to dupe items with the greatly increased value of the soj, (supply falls, demand increases, you do the math) and you have a pretty stupid idea...

[LavCat]

HAs anyone figured out the "special " something yet?  Given that it appears in the CubeMod, it is not realm only.  Does anyone know how it might work with regards to experience when the level nerf is in effect?

PS.  If no one knows the special something, I'll bet on achieving level 99.

I think your're right, Ferengi. Nothing else but turning level 99 makes any sense for the world event. Note that in the original sample screenshot blizzard posted at the time they announced the world event, the character's experience bar shows nothing. Either the character just leveled or else died several times. But if the character had been less than 99 and just killed the diablo clone, I would have thought there would have been some little bit of experience showing on the bar.

I think the "selling Stones of Jordan" is a red herring. Perhaps, somehow, a lot of SoJ's drop when the quest is completed? If the act of selling the stones to a vendor triggered the quest, do you think blizzard would have told us??

In preparation for testing this theory I have a level 98 character who needs two experience points to level. She has been bored out of her mind, doing nothing for the past few months. She is tweaked to the best of my ability and prepared to meet the clone.

I'm still working on merc tweaking. My current thinking is the best weapon for an act V merc to face the clone would be a Malice sword, either a phase blade or a legend sword. That or a four Eth/Mal/Um phase blade.

Does anyone know whether in 1.10 the open wounds effect is reduced if applied by a hireling?

[Ferengi]

Lvl 99 would be so like Blizzard, who once claimed that classic clvl 99 was effectively unattainable. With the experience nerfs in for high lvls nowdays, I'll bet they think 'unattainable' again. Selling SOJs would be as Chaerophon suggests (except that legit characters can easily be worth 100s of SOJs after enough playing time) and Lavcat's red herring matches into the Chat Gem joke mentality. I always thought the 7-10 (always a different number, but it's growing) SOJs rumor was to suck down the ebay sojs pool in fruitless attempts and I'll believe that until I SEE otherwise. Much of Blizz game design is built around the hunt for elusive items, what could be more elusive than the reward for reaching 99? What would answer the question of why keep playing?

The Diablo Clone has been around for awhile, I think the Dragon is still around too. The Clone doesn't look hard for melee or ranged attack, but elementals are a pipe dream (sorry about that). Check here for some stats.

http://www.d2data.net

[Chaerophon]

except that legit characters can easily be worth 100s of SOJs after enough playing time

I'm curious about what exactly you mean by that... As far as I know, soj's still remain virtually impossible to gamble. I've been playing the game since about the second week that it came out, and I've managed to 'find' a solid two stones over that entire period.

Fill me in?

[Ferengi]

I've started and stopped playing 4 times now, since patch 1.03. While searching for information about the game, I came across the Lurkers just after daShiv had departed. I read his reports carefully and have always kept an eye on the Lounge since. Each time I've started, I've been richer than all previous times combined in less time. Note that I said 'worth', which is different from finding sojs (I found one and gambled 3). You don't mention if you play the Realms, I've never really played in Single Player outside of briefing testing builds.

As I recall, the last time I hitchhiked to Hell Cows as a sorc over a few days. Hell Cows is my item starting place, I have enough gray hair now and don't need more waiting for the game to drop something (especially since I know enough PRNG theory to be totally disgusted with Blizz). Always open every chest in Cows if there are more than 3 players present. I found two 40% ED jewels in two days and I was off to wealth once again. I traded both jewels far too cheaply compared to what I would get nowdays, but it provided some good items to start a real cold sorc. I constantly rebuild characters to take advantage of newly obtained items and channel stat and skill points more effectively. I don't consider the game interesting until Hell difficulty and see no reason (other than practice) to play thru the others. The new sorc wearing topaz armor killed Pindleskin for over 2 weeks until just before I left for a holiday, a Windforce dropped. I sold it too cheaply too, but it supplied enough sojs to build a good MF sorc and start characters I was interested in trying. I'd been playing for 3-4 months by then, all of LOD was new. I learned to craft and where crafting supplies can be simply picked up for zero risk. Then I got more efficient at the whole process, by analyzing my mistakes and being willing to toss a character away and start again. I read a lot and test everything, occaisonally the information is both correct and useful. The noise level at LL is the lowest, and I started here, so I tend to stay. I came back this time because of the beta.

The short answer to your question is: for pocket change, learn the magic find runs with custom characters. Normal Meph offers over 200% of MF items in his drops, use that to bootstrap. For real value, learn to craft and practice trading (never accept the first 3 offers, never believe anyone trying to rush you, never deal with only one person, always answer publically for any PMs -- keeps other bidders informed, it's only worth what someone else will pay so find all those someone elses and make them compete). Pocket change adds up and crafting makes good MF drops seem like rain. Routes I did not take were chipped cubing of swords and one other method I've forgotten. Every once in awhile, when you have encountered a true beginner, give stuff away. The wealth you get from that is not measured in SOJs.

[Tal]

The Diablo Clone has been around for awhile, I think the Dragon is still around too.  The Clone doesn't look hard for melee or ranged attack, but elementals are a pipe dream (sorry about that).  Check here for some stats.

What is the Dragon? I've been never heard of this creature in regards to Diablo 2.

[nobbie]

Hi,

for the Annihilus charm that comes with my Cube MOD, I used a special extra mod that spawned the so-called Diablo Clone - the only monster that can drop this ilvl 110 charm - in the Blood Moor :) I then transferred that charm onto the mule that comes with the Cube MOD. This charm, by the way, cannot be created with the cube, whereas the Gheed charm could.

[jahcs]

I know Blizzard does things that don't always make sense :o but using leveling to 99 to trigger an event that can drop an item that boosts experience seems a little off.

[Ferengi]

I know Blizzard does things that don't always make sense

Ah, can you refresh my memory?? When was the last time that Blizz did something sensible?

[whyBish]

Unless you consider twinking

[StateOLuvNTrust]

Some people have guessed that the soj becomes a quest item obtainable multiple times in the real 1.10. The ability to get as many sojs as you want would be a pretty nice way to kill the soj economy, which blizz has tried and failed to do before. It'd be pretty nice for casters too, since sojs are so incredibly good, but so incredibly uncommon when they aren't being mass-duped--which is why they were mass-duped and become the D2 economy in the first place.

[MongoJerry]

There has never been anything that Blizzard has said to suggest that the "World Event" and the event that drops the Annihilus are the same thing. For that matter, the diabloclone idea came about only from people looking at 1.10's MPQ's, and several people have mentioned that diabloclone had been in D2's MPQ's before 1.10 came out (I can't confirm this myself). Personally, I am of the belief that the "World Event" and the Annihilus/diabloclone events are separate. The "World Event" that Blizzard implied required selling 10 SOJ's to the shop is supposed to be a Realm Only thing, and maybe it does something special that could only be done in a Realm situation -- like make a general announcement to the whole realm that "So-n-so just sold 10 SOJ's to the shop. Can you believe that sucker?" I'm kidding about the message, but I'm serious about the general idea -- it might literally be a "World Event" that affects an entire realm.

The Annihilus thing, though, probably involves something different. Blizzard implied that there would be a new bonus area like the Cow Level. Maybe this is the whole diabloclone thing or maybe not. I'm sure they have it disabled in the patch so that it'll be a big fun surprise when the final patch is released. We don't know what will trigger it, yet, but I have a general feeling that it won't have anything to do with SOJ's. Personally, I'm hoping that the trigger is that you have to finish all the quests in the game, but I might be having a pipe dream there.

[jahcs]

I just had a nasty thought...
What if the world event was resetting the ladder?


edit: spelling

[Chaerophon]

Well, our differences lie in our philosophy of play... I don't trade for SOJ's, in fact, since about my second month of playing, I have engaged in zero public trading. Furthermore, the inherent/use value of a SOJ is MUCH greater than is its market (duped) value. I suppose that your analysis is fair enough; I am well-aware of crafting, item runs, etc.; however, the majority of my items have been found in the course of actually playing characters with only occasional item runs.

Fair enough.

[Ferengi]

since about my second month of playing, I have engaged in zero public trading

Therefore you have no idea what you are talking about, and your continued habit of besmirching others is sour grapes and more than irritating. You have no knowledge of the process and no means to put yourself up as a judge. You should accept that your choices have costs, as do most Lurkers. I suspected as much when I saw the duped SOJs comment, the reality is far different than you imagine.

[Chaerophon]

Reeallly. So explain your magical SOJ producing method to me. Please.

The reality?

1.) I don't "besmirch" others to anwhere NEAR the degree that I should. In fact, I often PM members rather than post outright when I have a suspicion that they will be flamed for their comments.
2.) I've got DAMN good knowledge of the process; that's why I try not to participate.
3.) SOJ's don't grow on trees.

Edit: I never criticized the goal of your diablo enterprises, I merely pointed out that I differ. That you took offense makes me wonder... why? My personal choice has been to build new characters and develop an item stock along the way (particularly hardcore). I find it more entertaining than repeated runs. Even a mere "two weeks worth" seems a dreadful waste of time to me. So you don't think so? As I said in the previous post: fair enough.

[whyBish]

SOJ's don't grow on trees.

But you can dig them from the mountains in the middle east :P