Starting back up

[Medieval Bob]

I'm thinking about getting back into D2 with a friend or two.

How long till the next ladder wipe?

Do some people still play on East and some on West, or is everyone on the same server now?

What class(es) reign supreme now? Are hammerdins the hardest hitters and frozen orb sorcs still useful for botting/etc?

How is botting nowadays?

How about maphack?

[!King_Amazon!]

Most people here play on east. I think one or two play on west.

Next ladder wipe is definitely a while off. It was recently wiped, like a few months ago.

Let me know what you plan on doing (PVP, botting, ownage, etc) and I can let you know what seems to be the best.

I hear botting is still around in full force, as is maphack.

[-Spector-]

Welcome back to the addiction!

The next ladder reset is undetermined, but I'm going to assume sometime next spring/summer.

Most people play on East, though I know Kazilla plays on West.

Hammerdins are still the most played/overpowered/rusher/Mfer in the game. Blizzard/Fireball Sorcs are the most common.

Botting is OK, not the best that it's been but there are still bots available.

Maphack is currently working, check this thread: http://zelaron.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46256

[Kazilla]

Play USWest, w/e character you want to make I'll get it equiped minus serious runewords. Also, torches are available.

[Asamin]

I attest to this, I made a USWest char and it is now chaos running and pretty good. I am remaking it though, with kazzila's help.

[Medieval Bob]

I think I'm just looking to build up a character or two to dick around with and bot.

[Kazilla]

USWest I can get your a hammerdin equiped to MF or BaalBot. Everything except the enigma... which you'll have to figure out a way on how to get. Or a sorc I could equip you.

[Medieval Bob]

So is blizzard > frozen orb nowadays? Should my build just be:

20 Ice Bolt, Ice Blast, Glacial Spike, Blizzard, Cold Mastery
1 Teleport, Static Field, Warmth

What about stat points?

[Kazilla]

Don't do anything but lightning if your going to do a sorc to actually play. There are way to many fire/ice immunes in hell for you to enjoy doing anything, a lightning sorc is capable of just about anything even with mediocre gear.

Also, fire and ice immunes have a higher resistence. So with infinity (conviction merc weapon) you can actually break most all lightning immunes of their immunity.

[HandOfHeaven]

If you're looking to do ubers make a nice 1pt smiter. Otherwise I'd say lightsorc or hammerdin. Once you get infinity you will be gosu. Lol.

[Asamin]

I will, once I pick back up video games, continue with my light sorc. I plan to put infinity on him so that I can hit guys though.


And yea, Bliz> (but less fun) orb

[!King_Amazon!]

Don't do anything but lightning if your going to do a sorc to actually play. There are way to many fire/ice immunes in hell for you to enjoy doing anything, a lightning sorc is capable of just about anything even with mediocre gear.

Say that to my blizz sorc that I played through all three difficulties with no outside help and only using gear that I found on her.

[Kazilla]

Sure it can be done, but lets race. Roll on USWest make your blizz sorc, I'll remake a lightning sorc, request your equipment and we will race through hell.

[!King_Amazon!]

Sure it can be done, but lets race. Roll on USWest make your blizz sorc, I'll remake a lightning sorc, request your equipment and we will race through hell.

Mine's more fun and more challenging. I doubt you'd even be capable of getting a blizzard sorc through normal, nightmare, and hell, completely by yourself without using anything but what your sorc finds.

[Kazilla]

Eh, if I cared enough to beat myself in the head 100 times I'm sure I could eventually cause myself to have a concussion.

[Medieval Bob]

Okay so I'm sticking with my cold sorc. Is it viable to go blizzard AND orb? I seem to recall casting both back in the day. Doesn't lizzard have an abysmal recast time?

Also, if so, how does this look?
Orb 20
Blizzard 20
Cold Mastery 20
20 Ice Bolt (dual synergy)
18 Glacial Spike (synergy)
1 Ice Blast (synergy)
1 Warmth
1 Teleport
1 Static Field
1 Mana Shield
1 Chilling Armor
7 prereqs

[Kazilla]

When I had my blizzard sorc a long time ago, I thought it would be cool to stick what points I could into Orb, it failed.. Granted you are planning to max its synergys, Glacial Spike is superior imo. It has such a high radius on explosion. It also completely freezes most monsters in place which is very nice.

[Asamin]

But, it only fires once. Orb fires of like 40 little bolts that all slow and do 1-2K damage. I say that is pretty good.

[Kazilla]

Glacial spike only fires once, but its radius is about the same as orb on contact. I would only ever do an orb sorc again with nightwing and fathom.

[Asamin]

I have wanted to make an orb sorc but only really want to use it for NM MFing. Hell sucks to do with any cold sorc.

[Medieval Bob]

So I got my bliz sorc to 60 on USEast Ladder, and I'm about to do ancients and start with baal runs. Can anybody donate some gear so that I can start botting?

Also, I remember there used to be a sweet spot for doing ancients where you'd get more levels. Did they take that out? I couldn't find anything about it with Google.

[HandOfHeaven]

What's your account? I can give you all of my gear. Too busy to play.

[Medieval Bob]

medi3val

[!King_Amazon!]

Also, I remember there used to be a sweet spot for doing ancients where you'd get more levels. Did they take that out? I couldn't find anything about it with Google.

As far as I know, you only get 1 level, regardless of what level you do it at. I think that's how it has always been.

I think there is a level "requirement" that you have to meet to even do the ancients, though. 20 for normal, 40 for nightmare, 60 for hell, if I remember right.

[Kazilla]

Finding that sweet spot for 2 levels of ancients isn't worth the amount of exp lost if you had just stayed in the baal run.

[Asamin]

Got my sorc to 71 and did a few easy mf runs in NM with her. The light sorc is pretty good and seems to be nice with the bouncing lightning. 2-2.7K damage per hit annoys me though.