[Gaming] Diablo 3 : Ser Farm-A-Lot

[Gurpel]

Hi Halforums. I've been playing a whooole lot of this. It's amazing how big a turnaround RoS is from vanilla D3 - Blizzard pretty much delivered everything people were asking for... except better writing.

From the official game guide:

So a two-handed weapon is great for people who like using resource-intensive/expensive skills, as their slower attack speed/higher damage per hit means that you do the same damage per second at a lower expenditure of resource. A good example of this is all the Wizards/Witch Doctors who were using builds based around Skorn*. Two-handed weapons usually have a wider range of stat bonuses and the like in order to make up for hogging your second slot and robbing you of the chance for a second socket**. Also, any skill which says "frags your target for xxx% of weapon damage" will benefit more from having a weapon that has a higher damage stat. I'm sure there's a more spreadsheet-y way to attack this (due to varying weapons speeds, and all), but a quick back-of-the-napkin calculation says that as a general rule, using a 2h weapon is worth considering if its damage is either a) roughly 50% higher than your current 1h, or b) is equal to or greater than 75% of the total dps of your two 1h added together (if dual-wielding).

--Patrick
*Note that this item has changed since 2.0, the older version would often come with Life Steal (up to 6%!) and a guaranteed boost to critical hit damage, with the best ones coming with a socket to boost that even further.
**With one notable exception.

These are good calculations, but in my experience, there some factors that make using a 2h less ergonomic. Stuff like:

-On hit effects like the Barbarian's Bash: Punish rune effect wont stack as fast, so you have to spend more time not using your more damaging fury-spenders.

-Using a 2h weapon makes it harder to gain resource when you want it, meaning you cant react to opportunities as quickly.

Then add to this "clunkiness" the fact that 2h weapons are almost always inferior in sheet DPS, because of the 15% attack speed bonus that dual wielding gives, and the opportunity for a 2nd weapon gem... For monk/barb at least, it seems unlikely to me that using a 2hander would ever be optimal.


Anyway, I'm always looking for more people to do runs with! Add me at PaladiN#1168 if you want to hit rifts, bounties, or if you need a powerlevel. See you guys around.

 

[Dave]

The rare Gurpel sighting!

 

[Vrii]

I picked this up again with the expansion too, and yeah - it's a lot better. I'm farming Torment 1 with a 2h whirlwind barb while I try to figure out how I want to transition into dw. Adventure mode is way, way better than having to farm the story mode.

Edit: I have no idea if I've posted this before, but I'm Bevan#1137 on bnet if anyone wants to add me.

 

[Bubble181]

had to switch Glass Cannon out for Unstable Anomaly (aka "up my survivability at the cost of lots of damage") but I took down Malthael on Expert at level 63. Neat. More fun bossfight than Diablo.
However, I got a unique off hand for Witch Doctors and a Rare Witch Doctor hat out of it. Did someone mess up the loot tables with this latest patch? (ok, also got a good ring, but still )

 

[PatrThom]

Nah. They probably just looked at the stat for Wizards (Int), then looked up some items to give you from the Int table, and they happened to be WD items.

Welcome to the RNG.

--Patrick

 

[Bubble181]

I know. Perhaps it's also taken into account my most played - and only other -character is a WD. Ah well.

 

[PatrThom]

I know. Perhaps it's also taken into account my most played - and only other -character is a WD. Ah well.

There may be some truth to that, but nothing official has been stated by Blizzard. Lotta anecdotal evidence, though.

--Patrick

 

[Dave]

Started a new game on Torment VI. Yeah. I haven't died yet, but I've run away quite a bit and gone very, very slowly. I met a super-quill fiend, slowed them all down, ran away, and logged out.

Live to play another day.

 

[PatrThom]

Live to play another day.

Were you playing HC or something?

I mean, I've seen someone beat Malthael on T6 with a level 1 character.
They, uh, took advantage of certain game mechanics to do it, but still.

--Patrick

 

[Dave]

No, I just hate dying.

 

[PatrThom]

No, I just hate dying.

Well, you've managed to avoid doing it so far, so there's that.

--Patrick

 

[Dave]

Well, you've managed to avoid doing it so far, so there's that.

--Patrick

Yes, even if the big brave hero ran like a chicken into town and logged off.

 

[Bowielee]

Brave, brave, brave Sir Robin.

 

[Squidleybits]

So I played again today for the first time in ages and holy crap!!! Things have changed.

First and foremost....it can be played while the wow servers are down. Yay! Because it's a one person game unless you opt in to co-op.

 

[Dave]

What? You think we've been kidding this whole time about how it's better? For shame!

 

[Squidleybits]

I believed you all. I'm just shocked by how much has changed!

 

[Bones]

I stopped playing because the harder difficulties were outright brutal. I started again on a lark and I am loving every minute of the way it plays now. its very casual friendly now!

EDIT: and this is coming from somebody who plays exclusively on "master" and will rpobably go to torment once he gets someone to 60.

 

[Krisken]

Wish my computer would run it. Ah well.

 

[Bubble181]

I stopped playing because the harder difficulties were outright brutal. I started again on a lark and I am loving every minute of the way it plays now. its very casual friendly now!

EDIT: and this is coming from somebody who plays exclusively on "master" and will rpobably go to torment once he gets someone to 60.

Eh, until you're level 70 and can get Torment-only drops (some legendaries, many sets) there's fairly little point. Even Torment I is a fair bit harder than Master and the returns aren't that much better.

 

[Squidleybits]

With the original release, I found the fourth difficulty crazy hard and the repost bills monstrous. That combined with bad loot drops and the AH caused me to lose interest.

 

[AshburnerX]

My only problem with the game is this: some characters just aren't balanced very well. I was able to do an entire 1-56 Master run on my Witch Doctor and never use a potion. Same with my wizard, all the way to 60. But I've been chugging them down on my Demon Hunter and actually had to lower the diff to Expert because I just don't have the DPS or survivability that my WD and Wiz have. Makes me wonder if I should switch to Monk or Barb instead.

 

[Squidleybits]

I have the PS3 version as well (easier to play in a full arm cast) and I couldn't believe how much easier the barbarian is than my WD.

What's the new class like? I'm on the fence about buying the expansion.

 

[PatrThom]

Torment I is a fair bit harder than Master and the returns aren't that much better.

First part true, second part not so much. There are quite a few items that don't drop unless you are playing in Torment difficulty, just like there are items which won't drop unless you are playing in Adventure mode.
One can only assume there are also items which do not drop unless you are playing in both Adventure mode and Torment difficulty.

--Patrick

 

[Dave]

Well I know what I'm doing tonight!

 

[Squidleybits]

Well, for my triumph and bravery in the face of gross with the kids this week, maybe the expansion is in order as a reward.

 

[Dave]

Or wait until after Friday night. Maybe you'll win an Amazon gift card you can use to buy it.

 

[Ravenpoe]

Or wait until after Friday night. Maybe you'll win an Amazon gift card you can use to buy it.

She can win that after I win the PS4!

If I say it enough, it'll come true!

 

[Krisken]

Ooohh, good point! If I did get one of the Amazon prizes I'd totally get Diablo 3 for the X-Box.

 

[Dave]

Now watch, you'll totally win the PS4 and be all disappointed.

 

[Krisken]

Now watch, you'll totally win the PS4 and be all disappointed.

I think I can live with that, too.

 

[Dave]

Took my monk to Torment VI Adventure. Met the first creatures. Dead. Lower difficulty to Torment V. Dead. VI...III...II...I. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Took a little longer each time, but holy shitsnacks.

Going to restart a game on Torment I and see where it gets me.

 

[PatrThom]

Gonna start playing in about an hour, I'll look for you.

--Patrick

 

[Bubble181]

First part true, second part not so much. There are quite a few items that don't drop unless you are playing in Torment difficulty, just like there are items which won't drop unless you are playing in Adventure mode.
One can only assume there are also items which do not drop unless you are playing in both Adventure mode and Torment difficulty.

--Patrick

No reading parts of my post. First sentence is literally "Until you get to level 70 and can get Torment-only drops". There are, to the best of my knowledge, no sub-70 Torment-only drops except some uniques - which, if you find them at level 65 or so, you'll eventually replace anyway.

 

[Dave]

Restarted on Torment I. I'm able to advance, but I have to take my time and not run from encounter to encounter. In fact, I have to have a tactical way of thinking now. Attack, retreat, attack, retreat. Health potions are used, health spells are used. I've found 1 legendary so far and I had to have an enchantment changed to make it better than what I'd been using.

But the game is a challenge again, that's for sure!

 

[Ravenpoe]

Restarted on Torment I. I'm able to advance, but I have to take my time and not run from encounter to encounter. In fact, I have to have a tactical way of thinking now. Attack, retreat, attack, retreat. Health potions are used, health spells are used. I've found 1 legendary so far and I had to have an enchantment changed to make it better than what I'd been using.

But the game is a challenge again, that's for sure!

I'm also advancing through Torment 1. We should advance together more often! My one man army works best when they're supporting someone else.