While some of these observations of LoD on Battle.net are nothing new, a few I've begun to notice now more than ever. Granted, LoD is a relatively old game now and it's hard enough as it is to get any enjoyment out of it anymore especially with none of my old friend playing anymore. But some things despite all that remain just as annoying forever and I have a hard time chalking it up to the game merely being old. Here are a few.
Bots
Fuuuuuuck me, are the bots sure out of control this season. I especially realize that bots are nothing new to games, but man are they more intrusive than ever. Before some of you start telling me I can just create private games, don't. I know that stuff. But obviously at times you're gonna be in open games for one reason or another. They enter a game and it seems like they have more to say now than they used to. Their whole advertisement takes up the entire screen's worth of text that you can't even see the game. And fairly often actually do multiple bots come into the game at a given time all with their lengthy advertisements and you almost just have to sit there patiently and wait for the walls of text to disappear. Guess it's not that big of a deal in a Baal run where you're just standing around anyway. Which reminds me...
Baal Runs
A necessary part of the grind, I understand. Especially when you are in Hell and you want to level up as you're reaching the 90s. But I have a few particular problems with Baal runs that I haven't noticed as much before as I do now.
One is the bots. No, not the ones who host the Baal runs, but just the other players who run in them. You're kind of a sucker as it is if you're willing to torture yourself over the grind of leveling up into the 90s. But you're especially a sucker if you're willing to run the Baal runs manually without a bot. Which these days are very few including me. I swear I'm not just jealous that I don't know how to create a bot. I'm not sure if I'd really want to. The game these days feels as aimless and shiftless as it is even without playing with a bot. But most Baal runs are full of other players who are nowhere near their computer while their bot just grinds all day automatically. I could argue this is unfair to people who actually sit at their computer to do the Baal runs, but it's not so much the issue as just knowing there aren't in humans in the game with me. Which reminds me....
No one ever chats anymore in Baal runs. I understand we're all strangers to each other and we're not there to make friends. But man, online gaming sure has come a ways from bringing people together to merely alienating them again. I'm not trying to get personal with anyone during Baal runs. But for others who aren't running bots like me and are paying attention to what's happening on the screen, it might be nice to discuss things about the game such as builds, gear, how much damage your character does, etc. But those seldom humans that appear in the game with me are in no mood to talk even a little and I better damn well not try talking to them. It's come to the point almost where when someone tries talking to me now I just reply with, "No talking."
No talking! I said no talking!
Another thing about Baal runs and Hell difficulty in general is that this really is when the game becomes most non-fun for me. This is probably where some of you respond how the fun for you is reaching a godly level 99 character and finding the perfect gear. I guess I shouldn't criticize what others find about the game so much cause we all gotta get what we can out of a ten year old game. My problem is that in Hell the only games available are typically Baal runs and trade games. And that's about it. That's all anyone cares about in Hell. I complained to Jittabug about this once and he replied, "So make your own game and have people join it." I've tried this several times before and after he said this and I've found that unless the game is a Baal run or trade game, seriously no one's joining in. Ever.
Another example of this is when you first reach Hell. It's kind of hard to do things on your own not just because you may not be strong enough, but it could be boring walking through the entire acts without anyone joining you. So I would try to start, say, an Act 1 Walk game and just have other people around level 70 or so join me in Hell as we plow our way through the act. Sometimes it would start off well and if you showed the initiative of willingness to quest and go the long way, other players would do it to. But it was never long before some obnoxious Sorc or Nigma character would enter the game and tele to level 4 of the Catacombs and raise their TP. Once that TP is up, the temptation for everyone to just go in it and get the first act over with is too great. Even as my party abandons me somewhere else and all go through the portal, I figure I better just go too or I'll miss standing around when Andariel dies her quick death. And most games where I try to walk through the acts almost always end up like this. It's almost like it offends more powerful players that you're trying to do things the old fashioned way and it makes them feel impatient that other players aren't actually getting rushed in Hell.
But what is the obsession with getting rushed? I hate asking this cause I always risk you hardcore players coming and telling me how you're just in it for the gear and the leveling. But has it occurred to you that for some players, once we beat Hell the game won't be much fun for us anymore? I think it's futile to ask these questions cause again, it IS a very old game and I know many are constantly playing it for other reasons. It's just sad that I can't revisit the game maybe once every one or two years and get groups of like minded players who just want to play through the game and enjoy things like being in a diverse party where we manage to survive not because we have the best gear but because we're working together with all of our different skills combined. The longer I complain about it though I just feel embarrassed cause I know how idealistic I'm beginning to sound about this game. It's just that I didn't think I'd play LoD again but I thought I'd give the new ladder season a try and it's been sorely disappointing so far cause of some of these things.
A Game That's Lost Its Soul
It's really not D2's fault. But after so many years, there simply are no more players like me who want to just go questing sometimes and not necessarily be rushed. There aren't players anymore who dread the grind and want to enjoy other aspects of the game and hope for a more social experience to come out of all of it. It's mostly just players who create their bots for finding loot and doing Baal runs and the whole thing has become a sterile and mechanical experience with little human element left to it. And the few humans that are seemingly left on Battle.net apparently are just as grumpy to be there as I'm becoming.
I've met a couple people this season, however, that have made the game somewhat of a more enjoyable experience. But ultimately this game for me has lost its soul and there are no more alternative reasons for playing other than people simply trying to have the most powerful characters or programming their bots to find the best loot.
I won't deny even that I've benefitted from bots. But the pressure to succumb to the benefits of the bots is so high that no one wants to do anything the old fashioned way anymore. Maybe not using bots was never old fashioned. Perhaps I'm the one that's had the problem all along. Maybe I should feel stupid that the thing I enjoy most is doing Countess, Summoner and Nihl runs manually, looking for keys while everyone else simply has their bots to do that crap.
This will definitely be my last season ever playing LoD. Once it's over, I guess D3 will be that much closer to arrival. And I do have a renewed interest in Eastern Sun again so hopefully I'll see some of you around on that. Thanks for reading!
play hardcore. ive never been rushed in hc before, and games are great. make a game called act1 start and in 5 mins youve got 8 people running with you in the moor.
if u play sc, 99% of the people are there for 1 of 2 reasons: 1) pvp, 2) botting to get items for pvp. i also heard uswest is kinda lame too.
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Remember the String of Ears
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."
Everything you said is exactly why I quit playing LoD. Once I realized that the game is now just a soulless grind-fest, I decided I'd rather wait for D3. Which is looking better and better every time I read or hear about it.
Even Eastern Sun has got pretty dull for me. I know a few people that still play, but I just simply don't feel like playing. I guess I'm just too excited for D3 to play anything D2-related.. :|
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"There's no doughnuts in Diablo. Oohhhh, I just threw it down. BlizzCon exclusive: no doughnuts. -Jay Wilson
I'm not sure how you feel about this, but I can't just go questing anymore because I've done every quest in the game far too many times. I think I've finally hit the point where I can't play the game anymore. That was about two months ago. There's just many more interesting, productive, and challenging things I can do with my time than beat content over and over.
The bots this ladder season were the worst I've ever seen them. There were bots spamming all kinds of crazy p sup archon nigmas and annis and crap within several hours of the reset, which should be (and is) statistically impossible. This further led me to conclude that they've discovered some way of mass-producing items (not just duping them--they would also need fully geared chars to start getting this stuff in the first place). That, or Blizzard is somehow in on it to make a little money off the game until they can finally nail the coffin once Diablo III is released.
Even Eastern Sun has got pretty dull for me. I know a few people that still play, but I just simply don't feel like playing. I guess I'm just too excited for D3 to play anything D2-related.. :|
I seem to remember you from when I played Easter Sun. I hadn't played for a long time though so I figure I can enjoy it again. And with no ladder to speak of I'll just take my time with it.
There's just many more interesting, productive, and challenging things I can do with my time than beat content over and over.
You're right. I should start being a productive, challenge-meeting member of society again. While I get what you're saying about not wanting to beat quests all over again, I wasn't playing the quest for the content of it. But going to do non-essential quests at least put you in places that you weren't commonly in. Many people today who play with their bots have never even done certain quests in all the years they've played the game. That is strange to me. On second thought though...this seriously is the douchiest thing I've ever seen you say.
I seem to remember you from when I played Easter Sun. I hadn't played for a long time though so I figure I can enjoy it again. And with no ladder to speak of I'll just take my time with it.
Yeah, we played some. xD
I'm the 'filthy cheater' that gave you some of your sin's gear. ^^
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"There's no doughnuts in Diablo. Oohhhh, I just threw it down. BlizzCon exclusive: no doughnuts. -Jay Wilson
yeah, about 15 people are on east that are active, and about 15 more than are time to time.
u could just play east with us, we had a guy from australia playing east with us, he only had a slight lag too.
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Remember the String of Ears
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."
I'm the 'filthy cheater' that gave you some of your sin's gear. ^^
LOL
I remember you now. Though I do remember calling you that in an endearing sort of way. Zhuge on the other hand....
Can I switch my current character over to USEast then and play with some of you guys? I was checking that out last week and it didn't seem like there was a way to do it.
Since this is apparently going to be the last season hopefully before the D3 beta, I went ahead and started to bot for gear. I mainly just want to be able to kill ubers, which is something I've never done before. And I have to admit, it is somewhat satisfying to wake up in the morning and check my item log to see if I have any new goodies waiting for me. Also, I wouldn't even be playing D2 right now if my friend wasn't playing with me. We were playing hardcore until his beloved druid got owned right after he had the impression he was god like. Afterwards my nec died from bullshit I couldn't even see, so we went to sc, which sucks.
I do get a little sick when I look at the game list and it is fucking full of the colorful website advertisements, with like only 3 actually games up. I'm like seriously? Really?
It's sad to look at it now and remember what is used to be like, but who really gives a shit now since D3 is coming OUT!!!
Oh and if you didn't know pressing n will clear all chat so you don't have to patiently or impatiently wait for it to disappear. Shit drove me mad.
Can I switch my current character over to USEast then and play with some of you guys? I was checking that out last week and it didn't seem like there was a way to do it.
No, that is impossible, unfortunately.
If you joined BoD and made a character on East there will be lots of people eager to help and play with. Or you could apply as an alliance member if you're not interested in fully joining a clan, but still play with them.
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"There's no doughnuts in Diablo. Oohhhh, I just threw it down. BlizzCon exclusive: no doughnuts. -Jay Wilson
I'm the 'filthy cheater' that gave you some of your sin's gear. ^^
LOL
I remember you now. Though I do remember calling you that in an endearing sort of way. Zhuge on the other hand....
Can I switch my current character over to USEast then and play with some of you guys? I was checking that out last week and it didn't seem like there was a way to do it.
u cant xfer chars over without paying a certain someone in irvine, CA, er, nvm that. but, if u want, we can start new ladder chars since i havent played this season much. or hc, and just do untwinked walks because they are 5x more fun than mules.
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Remember the String of Ears
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."
I'm on East too - played HC after this last ladder reset, but got bored from playing alone. PM me if decide to move over.
btw, if you want to keep the bots out, put a level limit on your games that sets the lower bound to like level 3. Usually does the trick for 90% of them from what I've noticed.
Bots
Fuuuuuuck me, are the bots sure out of control this season. I especially realize that bots are nothing new to games, but man are they more intrusive than ever. Before some of you start telling me I can just create private games, don't. I know that stuff. But obviously at times you're gonna be in open games for one reason or another. They enter a game and it seems like they have more to say now than they used to. Their whole advertisement takes up the entire screen's worth of text that you can't even see the game. And fairly often actually do multiple bots come into the game at a given time all with their lengthy advertisements and you almost just have to sit there patiently and wait for the walls of text to disappear. Guess it's not that big of a deal in a Baal run where you're just standing around anyway. Which reminds me...
Baal Runs
A necessary part of the grind, I understand. Especially when you are in Hell and you want to level up as you're reaching the 90s. But I have a few particular problems with Baal runs that I haven't noticed as much before as I do now.
One is the bots. No, not the ones who host the Baal runs, but just the other players who run in them. You're kind of a sucker as it is if you're willing to torture yourself over the grind of leveling up into the 90s. But you're especially a sucker if you're willing to run the Baal runs manually without a bot. Which these days are very few including me. I swear I'm not just jealous that I don't know how to create a bot. I'm not sure if I'd really want to. The game these days feels as aimless and shiftless as it is even without playing with a bot. But most Baal runs are full of other players who are nowhere near their computer while their bot just grinds all day automatically. I could argue this is unfair to people who actually sit at their computer to do the Baal runs, but it's not so much the issue as just knowing there aren't in humans in the game with me. Which reminds me....
No one ever chats anymore in Baal runs. I understand we're all strangers to each other and we're not there to make friends. But man, online gaming sure has come a ways from bringing people together to merely alienating them again. I'm not trying to get personal with anyone during Baal runs. But for others who aren't running bots like me and are paying attention to what's happening on the screen, it might be nice to discuss things about the game such as builds, gear, how much damage your character does, etc. But those seldom humans that appear in the game with me are in no mood to talk even a little and I better damn well not try talking to them. It's come to the point almost where when someone tries talking to me now I just reply with, "No talking."
No talking! I said no talking!
Another thing about Baal runs and Hell difficulty in general is that this really is when the game becomes most non-fun for me. This is probably where some of you respond how the fun for you is reaching a godly level 99 character and finding the perfect gear. I guess I shouldn't criticize what others find about the game so much cause we all gotta get what we can out of a ten year old game. My problem is that in Hell the only games available are typically Baal runs and trade games. And that's about it. That's all anyone cares about in Hell. I complained to Jittabug about this once and he replied, "So make your own game and have people join it." I've tried this several times before and after he said this and I've found that unless the game is a Baal run or trade game, seriously no one's joining in. Ever.
Another example of this is when you first reach Hell. It's kind of hard to do things on your own not just because you may not be strong enough, but it could be boring walking through the entire acts without anyone joining you. So I would try to start, say, an Act 1 Walk game and just have other people around level 70 or so join me in Hell as we plow our way through the act. Sometimes it would start off well and if you showed the initiative of willingness to quest and go the long way, other players would do it to. But it was never long before some obnoxious Sorc or Nigma character would enter the game and tele to level 4 of the Catacombs and raise their TP. Once that TP is up, the temptation for everyone to just go in it and get the first act over with is too great. Even as my party abandons me somewhere else and all go through the portal, I figure I better just go too or I'll miss standing around when Andariel dies her quick death. And most games where I try to walk through the acts almost always end up like this. It's almost like it offends more powerful players that you're trying to do things the old fashioned way and it makes them feel impatient that other players aren't actually getting rushed in Hell.
But what is the obsession with getting rushed? I hate asking this cause I always risk you hardcore players coming and telling me how you're just in it for the gear and the leveling. But has it occurred to you that for some players, once we beat Hell the game won't be much fun for us anymore? I think it's futile to ask these questions cause again, it IS a very old game and I know many are constantly playing it for other reasons. It's just sad that I can't revisit the game maybe once every one or two years and get groups of like minded players who just want to play through the game and enjoy things like being in a diverse party where we manage to survive not because we have the best gear but because we're working together with all of our different skills combined. The longer I complain about it though I just feel embarrassed cause I know how idealistic I'm beginning to sound about this game. It's just that I didn't think I'd play LoD again but I thought I'd give the new ladder season a try and it's been sorely disappointing so far cause of some of these things.
A Game That's Lost Its Soul
It's really not D2's fault. But after so many years, there simply are no more players like me who want to just go questing sometimes and not necessarily be rushed. There aren't players anymore who dread the grind and want to enjoy other aspects of the game and hope for a more social experience to come out of all of it. It's mostly just players who create their bots for finding loot and doing Baal runs and the whole thing has become a sterile and mechanical experience with little human element left to it. And the few humans that are seemingly left on Battle.net apparently are just as grumpy to be there as I'm becoming.
I've met a couple people this season, however, that have made the game somewhat of a more enjoyable experience. But ultimately this game for me has lost its soul and there are no more alternative reasons for playing other than people simply trying to have the most powerful characters or programming their bots to find the best loot.
I won't deny even that I've benefitted from bots. But the pressure to succumb to the benefits of the bots is so high that no one wants to do anything the old fashioned way anymore. Maybe not using bots was never old fashioned. Perhaps I'm the one that's had the problem all along. Maybe I should feel stupid that the thing I enjoy most is doing Countess, Summoner and Nihl runs manually, looking for keys while everyone else simply has their bots to do that crap.
This will definitely be my last season ever playing LoD. Once it's over, I guess D3 will be that much closer to arrival. And I do have a renewed interest in Eastern Sun again so hopefully I'll see some of you around on that. Thanks for reading!
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
if u play sc, 99% of the people are there for 1 of 2 reasons: 1) pvp, 2) botting to get items for pvp. i also heard uswest is kinda lame too.
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."
Wasn't really looking for a solution, anyway. Just wanted to lament a bit.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
Even Eastern Sun has got pretty dull for me. I know a few people that still play, but I just simply don't feel like playing. I guess I'm just too excited for D3 to play anything D2-related.. :|
The bots this ladder season were the worst I've ever seen them. There were bots spamming all kinds of crazy p sup archon nigmas and annis and crap within several hours of the reset, which should be (and is) statistically impossible. This further led me to conclude that they've discovered some way of mass-producing items (not just duping them--they would also need fully geared chars to start getting this stuff in the first place). That, or Blizzard is somehow in on it to make a little money off the game until they can finally nail the coffin once Diablo III is released.
You're right. I should start being a productive, challenge-meeting member of society again. While I get what you're saying about not wanting to beat quests all over again, I wasn't playing the quest for the content of it. But going to do non-essential quests at least put you in places that you weren't commonly in. Many people today who play with their bots have never even done certain quests in all the years they've played the game. That is strange to me. On second thought though...this seriously is the douchiest thing I've ever seen you say.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
Yeah, we played some. xD
I'm the 'filthy cheater' that gave you some of your sin's gear. ^^
that was a clan pally game. we all chose different types of pallys, i was a medic, and we got into late nm while doing all quests.
there are still people who play like the old days
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."
u could just play east with us, we had a guy from australia playing east with us, he only had a slight lag too.
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."
I remember you now. Though I do remember calling you that in an endearing sort of way. Zhuge on the other hand....
Can I switch my current character over to USEast then and play with some of you guys? I was checking that out last week and it didn't seem like there was a way to do it.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
I do get a little sick when I look at the game list and it is fucking full of the colorful website advertisements, with like only 3 actually games up. I'm like seriously? Really?
It's sad to look at it now and remember what is used to be like, but who really gives a shit now since D3 is coming OUT!!!
Oh and if you didn't know pressing n will clear all chat so you don't have to patiently or impatiently wait for it to disappear. Shit drove me mad.
No, that is impossible, unfortunately.
If you joined BoD and made a character on East there will be lots of people eager to help and play with. Or you could apply as an alliance member if you're not interested in fully joining a clan, but still play with them.
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."
btw, if you want to keep the bots out, put a level limit on your games that sets the lower bound to like level 3. Usually does the trick for 90% of them from what I've noticed.
Will do, also whenever I'm on I'm always in the "dfans" channel on bnet.