DiabloFans

I'd just like to point out that even $300 is way too much. That's 1.2bil gold. . . you don't need that much to gear a single character. I happen to have spent a total of $50 on gold, all of which I got from selling items through the RMAH. With that, I have geared 8 L60 chars that can easily clear MP 1-5. The kicker is I'm intentionally using less efficient builds for the sake of my enjoyment and the build guides I've been putting up. Had I focused on the best builds, there's no doubt I could have each class farming MP10 very effectively.

I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is and personally walk you through the process of purchasing items if you haven't already done so because I hate it when people waste money without realizing it. In fact, we'll take your $300 and start with the same $50 I spent. I'm betting that's plenty and that whatever we DON'T use you can donate to me, to your cookie fund, to a random stranger in this thread, to charity or whatever else you want.

I have helped many people purchase gear sets both on my stream (have stopped streaming for the moment) and via 1 on 1 sessions like what I'm offering you. I have an strong understanding of the game and know how to work the AH. I can actually TEACH you how to continue buying good gear rather than just pointing you in the direction and hoping you don't mess up.

If you're interested in my offer, shoot me a private message and we'll discuss what kind of build(s) you want to use and how we'll get you there.

Quote from Deathyz

Nice to see another guide from you in ironically about a build that I am sort of usin in mp6 atm. What I do wonder is that with those extra spirits would SB be close to as useful of doin a whole run of grind when you switch bears to BBW? And if GF is to be used on a mp like 6 and beyond with around 80k DPS, as on trash one could get a few of them but on bosses they are more on rare end of the line. Its really hard right now decide because of the possible options as bears use quite a bit of mana but when you get rid of them the GF doesnt live up to its full potential.

If you're doing higher MP levels, try combining Barrage and Bears. Drop Grasp of the Dead for Bears and Gruesome Feast or Grave Injustice for Spirit Vessel, whichever you prefer. You open on elites with Barrage and switch to Bears when they're on top of you. The temporary mana boost from Rush of Essence allowing you a few extra seconds of Bears before you have to switch back. You can also pick up one of the mana crutches to further spam Zombie Bears. Big Bad Voodoo with Rain Dance or Spirit Walk with Honored Guest are strong candidates.

Quote from Emberos

It's an interesting variation but for low MPs, it doesn't stack up very well against Acid Cloud build variations (fast mob death and correct passives give you all the mana return you need), and for high MPs it doesn't stack up well to Bears build variations (using VQ plus Spiders would let you spam a higher damage spell like Bears as infinitely as you are spamming Spirit Barrage). A single-target spell for your main damage output is severely limiting. Granted you runed it for the extra hits but those are at very low weapon damage. That said, if you enjoy this type of play style more, that's important so keep on keeping on.

Yeah, the point of these guides, at least for me, is to find aberrant ways of playing the game. The most likely method of doing so being these theme builds. Your points are entirely accurate, but since I never go above MP3 unless I'm making these guides, it's not something I worry about.

You should try the Barrage Bear variation from above and let me know if that feels more on par with the Acid Cloud and Spider Bear builds.

Your lack of reading comprehension shown in your reply is astounding. Not to mention you and I have very different mindsets. I believe that everyone deserves respect until their actions warrant otherwise and even then, it is still better to be respectful. Behaving otherwise erodes any foundation you build for your argument as it is doing now. I read your post and see more bitterness than I do in the stereotypical "entitlement" post. You're trying to blame anyone who criticizes a game for "all the things" in the gaming world. How reasonable. . .

Also, I'm not blind to anything. Do you see me making demands? Am I lashing out at Blizzard due to my disappointment? Certainly not! You're basic if A then B logic isn't going to support you here. My point is simply that you're acting no better than those you're complaining about, because that's exactly what you're doing: complaining.

And I love how cliche your closing statement is. I am both criticizing the game AND playing it. Not to mention I even do other things (Like PoE, TL2 and BL2) on the side. IMPOSSIBRU! I must be a Wizard. . .

It's like you've decided that the idea of objective criticism is a lie.

Quote from i2hellfire

. . . if you don't think a game is fun, go do something else dipshit. oh noes, they're shitting on the legacy of the game and my cherished memories of a prior sequel. yea, go fuck yourself. again, if you don't like it, try really hard to find meaning in your sad existence elsewhere. . .

Quote from watwatwat

. . . This is just how people are today, when something is different than what they like they demand it be made to suit their needs instead of just saying, "this isn't for me", and trying something else. You see it with smartphones, game consoles, etc. Entitled assholes is exactly right.

Because clearly being equally, if not more, disrespectful and immature is the appropriate response? People have been and continue to bring up legitimate concerns in an objectively respectful fashion. The two of you did little more than reveal to me that you're douchebags. Plain and simple.

I can understand how certain situations don't warranted the "entitled" mentality, but when it comes to Diablo 3, this game was sold on a premise that didn't match what was delivered. It's people like you that protect and perpetuate this kind of bait and switch. I'm not satisfied with Diablo 3, I'm disappointed in the released product and I feel cheated of what I saw in the earliest portions of the closed beta (which I was in). To me, this game was never finished and is STILL being "fixed" rather than "improved."

Does that make me entitled? No! In fact, I still play the game, obviously I even make videos of me playing the game (those are my videos) and I make do with what I have. You can't call people entitled for seeing a problem and voicing their concerns. That's childish no better than the behavior you're accusing people of.

Making sweeping generalizations is petty and ignorant. It's not appropriate with race, religion, politics, sports, books, stamp collections or anything else you can think of. Why is it suddenly okay now?

Quote from Ameko

Finally someone playing a build that is similar to mine.. AND ACTUALLY MADE A GUIDE

Such a relief that I have something to refer to when I try to persuade people how good spike trap + echoing blast is.
Good work.

Always good to find a kindred spirit ;P

I caught this in the YouTube comments, but I'll post again here just to avoid confusion:

It's my fault for not being specific enough, but I'm talking about it being the best "rune" for single target damage in relation to the other "runes" for Spirit Barrage. You are entirely correct that Zombie Bear can still do more damage to a single target when you're right on top of it.

That aside, I actually have tried Haunt with a number of runes:

Consuming Spirit (Used as a crutch until I had a LS weapon)
Draining Spirit (Experimented with as an option for mana when I didn't have full Zuni's)
Lingering Spirit (Tried using it as a passive damage boost, didn't work very well)
Resentful Spirit (Tried once, but the shorter duration makes it impossible to maintain it AND Spirit Barrage)

Ultimately I wasn't satisfied with Haunt as once sufficiently geared, it only gets in the way of the build. It DOES work well in conjunction with Spirit Barrage in PvP though. Easiest damage you'll ever do.

Quote from IgnatiusReilly

If only Blizzard hadn't been so brain dead in terms of RPG mechanics, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

We still would, we'd just be comparing the good things in both games rather than the bad things in D3 to the good things in every other game that's come out.

I think that what you're describing is valid for a lot of players, but the great thing is that there are already so many things that are going well with parts of the game not even revealed yet. We still A4 and many of the new league modes inbound. The fact that we're in an open beta just tells me that GGG can get these things right early on rather than going back to correct issues like D3 is.

When it comes to the combat of PoE, it really shows who is a tactical RPG player and who prefers action. I happen to LOVE the pacing of PoE's combat simply because I have such a deep history in games like Icewind Dale, Baldur's Gate, Dungeon Siege and Neverwinter Nights. The slightly slower pace allows you to think and take more responsibility for dying than:

"Fast, Teleporting Phase Beast/Licker killed me before I had a chance to react"

One MAJOR problem I have with PoE, though, is that it punishes you for taking a break and doubly so for poorly timed deaths. My first play through I didn't know that pulling up the skill screen doesn't pause the game in solo play (shame on me for not reading lol). As a result I ended up dying in the prison section of A1 before reaching the waypoint.

When a zone is empty for more than 15mins, it resets and removes all town portals. So because I died after being in the area for longer than 15mins, I had to fight through areas I had already cleared to reach the waypoint. At one point I needed to take a phone call and TP'd to avoid dying. I must have taken longer than 15mins because when I returned to play, the portal was gone and I had to clear my way to the waypoint a 3rd time. I cleared the same 3 zones 3 times each.

You literally can't take a break (while solo) until you reach a waypoint or you stand to lose a significant amount of progress depending on where you are. This can make using a TP stressful as you only have 15mins to buy, sell or trade items before you lose your place. I've developed the habit of dumping everything in the bank and not even looking at it until I've reached a safe stopping point to actually think about what I want to use.

This is frustrating for me given how important gear and skill gem choices are in your character's development. I imagine it will grow less problematic over time as I grow accustomed to the game, but it is still a pressure I'd prefer not to deal with.

I'm considering making an introduction video to cover most of the things you touched on here, but I can elaborate on these points:

SKILL TREES:

They actually aren't that overwhelming at all when you realize that it's all about reaching keystones/capstones (whatever you want to call them). These are the larger plots around the edges and the very middle that make changes like shifting all your Evasion into Armor, all your Health into (Energy) Shields or using your Health instead of Mana. Ultimately these take a stat you aren't using and remove or alter it to benefit a stat you ARE using. This, in turn, makes knowing what direction to go a lil' bit easier. Simple look at which ones you want and plot the best path to get there that picks up stats that would support those particular keystones/capstones.

One such example (thrown together very quickly) is this Ranger Staff Dodge/Block setup. I pick up the 3 Dodge stones on the right half which remove my Armor and Shields in addition to picking up the Frenzy points (increased attack speed per charge). Then, because a Shield (which provides block) is no longer useful to me, I focus on Staves which CAN provide block without dead stats. These are located all across the left half so I shoot straight over and pick up all of the Staff regions. This simple setup could later be min/maxed upon seeing what does and doesn't work for you.

Lastly, you CAN respec by accumulating free respec points through quests OR obtaining Orbs of Regret (barter currency). Each orb allows you to refund 1 point.

LOOT:

One thing worth mentioning is that there is an important aspect to itemization through "crafting." The barter currency you obtain ALSO doubles as crafting components for improving or altering your items. These are just some of the orbs you can obtain:

Orb of Transmutation (Normal Item > Magic Item)
Orb of Alchemy (Normal > Rare)
Orb of Chance (Normal > Random)

Orb of Scouring (Remove all properties)
Orb of Alteration (Reroll all properties properties)
Orb of Augmentation (Add one random property)

Jeweller's Orb (Reroll sockets)
Orb of Fusing (Link two sockets)
Chromatic Orb (Change color of socket)

There are even more that affect what is called item quality. Skill Gems, Equipment, Weapons and Potions (called Flask) can roll with a % quality that improves the effectiveness of that particular thing. These orbs further enhance "quality" items.

POTIONS:

You're actually a bit off with this. You recover charges by killing things. Usually it's 1 charge per base monster with X charges per more advanced monster. Potions typically only allow 2 uses without recharging while being JUST shy of a third use. So having 45 charges but using 16 each activation thus requiring you to kill things to get the 3rd use.

SKILL GEMS:

There is much more to Skill Gems as well. They are currently divided into Red (Strength), Blue (Intelligence) and Green (Dexterity) with two types each. The first type you encounter are all activated abilities like attacks, spells, auras and summons. As mentioned you can slot these into any gear you are wearing, but some items will increase the effective level of gems slotting in them. Later on you will encounter what are called support gems. These dramatically alter the function of gems they are linked to. For example, if you have a spell that shoots projectiles (Burning Arrow or Fireball), linking a Fork support gem will cause the projectiles to split upon firing. Other support gems add specific elemental damage, add lifesteal, reduce mana cost and a whole slew of other modifications. These allow you to personalize the abilities to match your keystones mentioned earlier.

Quote from rathgood

Also ProzaicMuze, have you experimented with WotHF: Windforce Flurry as another ranged option to compliment Ion Cannon? Also, do you know if Ion Cannon can proc the set bonus of the Shenlong set? I'd be an interesting build if it could. Would need more Spirit regen to make up for the faster Attack speed and lack of -4/5 LTK, but would bring a larger ranged option.

I have, actually. The problem with Windforce Flurry is the animation is unbearably slow (have to wait for 3rd attack) if you're not dual-wielding as is the projectile. In the time it takes to launch ONE of these, you can have 3+ Ion Cannon blasts. It's funny you should mention the Shenlong set because I was going to address this exact problem by combining Windforce Flurry with the attack proc.

The Shenlong spirit blast is triggered by attacks rather than hits, so yes, attacking with Ion Cannon can proc it even if you're not hitting anything. Also, if I recall correctly, the blast pierces targets AND scales off your damage. Don't quote me on that though ;P

Something you could try, though, is drop a few Ion Cannons to slow monsters enough to comfortably get the 3rd attack off for Windforce Flurry.

If you're US, look up Inna's Reach with 300 Dex, Lifesteal and -4 LTK. There are a handful of 1200+ ranging from 100k bids to 1mil buyouts. If you're willing to sit on one you can get them rather cheap.

If you drop Lifesteal there is one for 5k. As in 5,000 gold. Just fiddle with the numbers a bit and you'll find one you can afford

Quote from inkcheese

I'd actually like to try this build but I don't have the gold to do it. I don't play as much as I used too because reality has biting a lot more lately. Question is, are -X LTK items expensive on certain slots?

I mentioned this in the guide, but I snagged each item for 2mil or less. If you have the patience to peruse the AH pages, you can find an affordable weapon and -LTK gear

As pointed out, the weapon/shield is usually the cheapest, though.

Also, just posted the next guide for a Spirit Barrage Witch Doctor

I'm back with another guide! If you missed my last guide for a Hand of Ytar Monk, you can find it here:


This build pairs Spirit Barrage with the spirit theme of Rush of Essence to allow for spamming your abilities. Horrify with Frightening Aspect, Soul Harvest and Gruesome Feast provide significant boosts do your damage and defensive stats allowing you to get by with mediocre gear. You can use the version shown here for fast AoE clearing of the lower MP levels through Grave Injustice or swap in more traditional abilities like Zombie Bears and Acid Cloud for the higher MP levels.

Feedback and/or criticism is welcomed and appreciated as always

I don't cover the EXACT build shown here, but I do have a guide that covers Weapon Throw in general. Might help you.

Quote from Lydeck

Absolutely amazing work, Sixen.

Perfect example of the current D3 team losing sight of something that made Diablo 2 so great while they were designing the new game. Something like this could single handedly make me give the game a chance again, because it'd seem like there was an actual community around the game again rather than the sterile lonesome feeling of the current set up.

I think you meant OneTwo, but I'll go poke Sixen and let him know that you think he's an amazing graphic designer (like OneTwo). I'm sure he'll smile about that ;P