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    posted a message on The Spirit of Diablo is Trading!
    Pardon my title. It was the first thing that came into my head. Looking back it's probably not the best word usage to describe my intentions writing here.
    Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
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    posted a message on The Spirit of Diablo is Trading!
    Quote from ruksak
    Quote from Hexy

    I think there could be a great median that would allow another outlet for gear acquisition without opening the flood gates to bots and farmers.
    I would like to see this as well. The issue is, of course, how quickly exploits evolve, and I believe blizzard wracked their brains to conceive such an avenue, to no avail.

    They saw trading as having an on/off switch, no middle ground. They choose to turn it off.

    I feel the real solution lies some where in a dynamic and impressive crafting system (current crafting system is very linear and boring). Some way of providing players a way to aim at specific legendaries without necessarily handing the item over to players for X amount of gold/gems etc.
    Vendor trading. i.e. bring the vendor "this" and "that" and he'll let you pick from "this" and "that". (i.e. Trade an Inna's chest for an IK chest etc)
    Has any one tried something like this before? Has this been attempted in other games? It's a bit of an out-of-the-box idea, I understand. But could there be a way to have trades with NPC's instead of players?
    Awesome!

    While I suppose it wouldn't fulfill the social interaction part of things, maybe it is the only way to give players another avenue while restricting illegal activities. I just think it's terrible when I find a two-hander on my Wizard, that would be awesome for my Barbarian but it has Intelligence. Now I'm forced to re-enchant the Intel off the weapon, but have no other options to improve the pieces other stats. I lose the enchanting benefit simply by giving it to an alt.

    The only solution I can think of would be to make the core stats (Intelligence, Strength, Dexterity) switch depending on which character you were playing, allowing you to enchant the other stuff.
    Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
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    posted a message on Arcane Mines & Stunlock Build
    http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/Hex-1525/hero/11716908

    Last week I found Fulminator which is such an interesting weapon with a few videos on how to build your character around it. I was using Wave of Force - Static Pulse for the extra Lightning Damage debuff for a few days and grew bored with it. I decided to try out lesser used abilities to see if any could be used to some degree of fun and I came across Arcane Torrent - Arcane Mines.

    I don't think I EVER see people use this skill so I started messing around with it and WOW! It's pretty gnarly the numbers that spell can put out. I regularly crit for well over 10 million with a single mine, and at such a low AP cost, you can drop quite a few before going back to the Stunlocking.

    Mouse Skills
    Electrocute - Arc Lightning: This does about 1.5-1.7 million per second and has awesome synergy with the Fulminator/Wyrdward/Paralysis Passive.

    Arcane Torrent - Arcane Mines: This is the weird part of the build that can be quite situational, but has a great payoff if used correctly. These bad boys do 688% weapon damage AND slow ALL enemies hit by them. This skill is much harder to use against more mobile mobs, but the stunlock portion of this build helps to limit this annoying factor. At 16 Arcane Power per cast with the potential to crit for well over 10 million damage with a cool million DPS, you can really do crazy damage.

    Other Skills
    Familiar - Sparkflint: 10% Increased DPS.

    Storm Armor - Shocking Aspect: I believe you can change this for Energy Armor - Pinpoint Barrier for some extra DPS if you feel the need. Personally, the Lightning Bolt effect does over a million damage per strike for me and has great synergy with Fulminator/Wyrdward/Paralysis Passive. It really comes down to whether or not you want an extra 5% crit or a free chance for a stun, which really shines against bosses.

    Magic Weapon - Force Weapon: 20% Increased DPS and the knockback factor is amazing if you've got those Strongarm Bracers.

    Teleport - Calamity: This is my Plan B if shit gets real. Always nice to survive when things get out of control and I use Calamity after becoming more comfortable and I actually use it aggressively to add to my stunlocking. This is paired very well with the Illusionist passive I use, as most elites hit me for at least 15% of my HP, thus resetting Teleport constantly, making it feel like it has no cooldown.

    Passives
    Paralysis: One of the building blocks of the stunlocking aspect of this build. Electrocute, Storm Armor and Fulminator procs all count towards Paralysis procs and coupled with the Wyrdward ring, it brings me up to a whopping 31% chance to stun.

    Illusionist: Anytime you are hit for more than 15% of your HP in 1 second, Teleport is reset, allowing you to retreat or add to your stunlocking. If you feel like you can do without escaping as easily, I usually replace this with Elemental Exposure for added DPS, though even if your survivability is great, the constant Teleport stun via Calamity really helps a lot for keeping mobs in their place.

    Audacity: This is Glass Cannon without the negatives. This passive is MADE for a build like this and is a must-have in my opinion.

    Blur: I've used this build without Blur to reasonable effect. I keep it to increase my survivability, especially with my playstyle leaning towards using Teleport to stun, I almost NEED to get hit sometimes, but just enough to trigger the reset but not die...

    Gear Requirements
    Fulminator: This sword is a big deal. The proc does great damage, spreads very easily to other mobs and procs your stuns.

    Wyrdward: This ring isn't great for DPS, but 16% stun is way too good to pass up, regardless of the DPS loss.

    Enchanting/Mod Notes
    As you can see, my boots don't reflect this build yet as they are a remnant from my Frozen Orb time. I have been steadily re-enchanting/replacing gear to aide in the DPS increases of Arcane Torrent (for the mine damage) as well as Electrocute for more overall DPS while stunning mobs. Luckily, Electrocute and Arcane Torrent don't share affix space on items, so you don't have to pick between them on certain pieces.

    If you manage to find gear with extra chance to stun on hit, I would definitely be using those as well. I haven't personally found any pieces yet that have been paired with comparable DPS stats to persuade me to switch pieces around unfortunately.

    In Parting
    I'm not claiming that this is the best build or even better than typical ones. I just thought I'd share something I've been playing with that actually has enough randomization to keep things fun for me. I've always been a big fan of the unknown and lesser-used playstyles and skills, so I thought I'd mess around with Arcane Mines and show some people that there may be a fun use for them after all!

    ** If you are geared well enough to not need Teleport at all, I would suggest using Black Hole - Supermassive which helps to throw the monsters right on your Mines. Without Teleport, you can also remove Illusionist and replace it with Elemental Exposure for even more DPS. I do this frequently on lower difficulty levels.
    Posted in: Wizard: The Ancient Repositories
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    posted a message on The Spirit of Diablo is Trading!
    Quote from huertgenwald

    Next try...

    Quoting the title: The Spirit of Diablo is Trading!

    No, it's NOT ! The heart of diablo is ,and always was, PLAYING the game, killing monsteras, developing your toon...

    BTW: @admins: Why doesn't the quoting work correctly in this new forum version???.
    It kept supressing an edited quote during several edit tries.
    I believe that's kind of the "point" of the game. I was making an effort to remind people of the nostalgic experience of trading items to get something you just could never find on your own. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and many people play for a variety of reasons. Whatever floats your boat!
    Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
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    posted a message on The Spirit of Diablo is Trading!
    Quote from ruksak
    Quote from Hexy

    Back in late 2000, a little more than 14 years ago, I started playing Diablo 2. I kept playing it on and off for awhile and bought Lord of Destruction the day it came out. I remember leveling my Amazon, getting rushed by friends through Hell Cows before Baal Runs were cool and finally making a Sorceress to specialize in my Magic Finding endeavors. Teleporting around with my trusty Wizardspike through Durance of Hate, just so I could routinely kite those sometimes apparent elites away and blow Mephisto up from that corner spot where he couldn't get me was actually something I looked forward to doing for hours on end after I got home from school. Call me what you will, but those experiences are what led to me trusting in Blizzard for the next 14 years to deliver the same "can't wait till I get some free time to do this" games.

    After killing Mephisto, you always hold your breath as potential Windforces, Stormshields and Tal Rasha's come raining down from his beaten corpse. You finally review your spoils and sometimes you actually find something amazing and worth holding onto. You have multiple accounts filled with mules to horde your mountains of gear, hoping to one day trade them to another player, maybe a few things at a time in exchange for that one item you've so desperately needed and never had drop.

    In Diablo 3, the Auction House was an attempt to encourage this same spirit but on a more automated and convenient platform. Gone were the days of trolling for games labeled "Tals for Trade Here" and "Need Trangs." Now, you could simply scroll through filters and find that perfect item. Like many things, it was too good to be true. People, by nature, used the Auction House as a way to instantly gear up their characters, with some even spending real-life currency to get there. There was a way, to literally bypass arguably the best part of the game's predecessor by spending a couple of dollars.

    Late last year, Blizzard realized how detrimental the Auction House was to the game and thankfully removed it. In the hopes of rekindling that Diablo 2 spirit that once was, they also made Trading almost impossible. I will be one of the first to admit that I understand why the soulbind function is there. It strips the game of farmers trying to make a profit by selling items to players. I don't know about you, but while I was completely aware I could buy 100 SoJ's for $20.00 on some website was possible, it wasn't something I really cared about. Instead, in an attempt to curb third-parties from using Diablo 3 as a business platform, Blizzard has effectively dissolved an enormous aspect of the Diablo multiplayer franchise, which is a cost I personally deem too great.

    I think maybe there is another option.

    Why not use a currency in-game, such as Blood Shards or even Forgotten Souls to be used via the Enchantress to "un-bind" items? Limit exploitation by putting a price on it, a price ANYBODY would have to pay for with a currency that is untradeable and earned through honest playtime while at least breathing life into the possibility that players that find that special something, something they could use to help themselves get that item they just, for the life of them can't find on their own, have the ability to exchange it to someone who does have what they are looking for.

    I understand that people will ask me, "What about people then selling un-bound items online?" To that I respond; Is the presence of gear attainable by alternate means outweigh your freedom to engage in an aspect of gameplay that promotes social interaction and provides people with an avenue of achieving gear and simply enjoying a video game without having to grind Rifts for weeks, on a SPECIFIC character just to have a CHANCE that that special something will drop?

    It's just my opinion, and I truly love the Diablo franchise. I'm very interested in hearing feedback and maybe one day we can actually use the Community Feature for something other than Rifts and Bounties..
    I want this to be an honest exchange between you and I. No need to get nasty, I just want to aim a thought at you and see if you concur.

    I have maintained for some time now that the people whom are most frustrated by BoA and the vacuum left behind due to severe trade restrictions are typically the same people that botted, hacked and duped Diablo 2. People that are pissed that their bag of pot will no longer be paid for by selling virtual swords.

    I've said this for some time now, those most upset by this are the same crowd that sliced D2's integrity to ribbons.

    I noticed your sig, Hexy.

    Are you, in fact, one of these hacker/botter types that is just simply upset because your illicit trade has been shut down? Or do you truly give a fuck-shit about the game itself, whether or not it's fun and has staying power, from a purely gameplay aspect?

    Either way, don't you see that the bigger thrill (for the player) would be getting a great drop, as opposed to landing a trade?
    I use the signature because I was a member of their forums for a time a long, long time ago as there was a plethora of information for builds, gear and the such, much like Diablofans is now. I was always too scared to use bots, as I thought they would come with viruses and malware that would mess up the computer I used to play Diablo on. I was in High School with no money to replace a PC, so it was never worth it to me. I'm not saying I would've or wouldn't of tried those methods had I felt more comfortable or computer savvy in fixing the problems that I thought came with using said methods, but I'm just being honest.

    I care about the game and love the Diablo franchise. Diablo 1 was the first PC game I ever played actually. I just feel that the soulbound system is a little too strict and that there are ways to allow for some level of trading, which was always so integral to the overall experience for me. Not to denounce other players' views, but I don't believe anyone can say Trading wasn't important to the game. I'll continue to play regardless, I just see the lack of Trading as something that could be developed in some form and can really attribute to the long term success of the game and to help maintain the longevity of player activity.

    I think there could be a great median that would allow another outlet for gear acquisition without opening the flood gates to bots and farmers.
    Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
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    posted a message on The Spirit of Diablo is Trading!
    Back in late 2000, a little more than 14 years ago, I started playing Diablo 2. I kept playing it on and off for awhile and bought Lord of Destruction the day it came out. I remember leveling my Amazon, getting rushed by friends through Hell Cows before Baal Runs were cool and finally making a Sorceress to specialize in my Magic Finding endeavors. Teleporting around with my trusty Wizardspike through Durance of Hate, just so I could routinely kite those sometimes apparent elites away and blow Mephisto up from that corner spot where he couldn't get me was actually something I looked forward to doing for hours on end after I got home from school. Call me what you will, but those experiences are what led to me trusting in Blizzard for the next 14 years to deliver the same "can't wait till I get some free time to do this" games.

    After killing Mephisto, you always hold your breath as potential Windforces, Stormshields and Tal Rasha's come raining down from his beaten corpse. You finally review your spoils and sometimes you actually find something amazing and worth holding onto. You have multiple accounts filled with mules to horde your mountains of gear, hoping to one day trade them to another player, maybe a few things at a time in exchange for that one item you've so desperately needed and never had drop.

    In Diablo 3, the Auction House was an attempt to encourage this same spirit but on a more automated and convenient platform. Gone were the days of trolling for games labeled "Tals for Trade Here" and "Need Trangs." Now, you could simply scroll through filters and find that perfect item. Like many things, it was too good to be true. People, by nature, used the Auction House as a way to instantly gear up their characters, with some even spending real-life currency to get there. There was a way, to literally bypass arguably the best part of the game's predecessor by spending a couple of dollars.

    Late last year, Blizzard realized how detrimental the Auction House was to the game and thankfully removed it. In the hopes of rekindling that Diablo 2 spirit that once was, they also made Trading almost impossible. I will be one of the first to admit that I understand why the soulbind function is there. It strips the game of farmers trying to make a profit by selling items to players. I don't know about you, but while I was completely aware I could buy 100 SoJ's for $20.00 on some website was possible, it wasn't something I really cared about. Instead, in an attempt to curb third-parties from using Diablo 3 as a business platform, Blizzard has effectively dissolved an enormous aspect of the Diablo multiplayer franchise, which is a cost I personally deem too great.

    I think maybe there is another option.

    Why not use a currency in-game, such as Blood Shards or even Forgotten Souls to be used via the Enchantress to "un-bind" items? Limit exploitation by putting a price on it, a price ANYBODY would have to pay for with a currency that is untradeable and earned through honest playtime while at least breathing life into the possibility that players that find that special something, something they could use to help themselves get that item they just, for the life of them can't find on their own, have the ability to exchange it to someone who does have what they are looking for.

    I understand that people will ask me, "What about people then selling un-bound items online?" To that I respond; Is the presence of gear attainable by alternate means outweigh your freedom to engage in an aspect of gameplay that promotes social interaction and provides people with an avenue of achieving gear and simply enjoying a video game without having to grind Rifts for weeks, on a SPECIFIC character just to have a CHANCE that that special something will drop?

    It's just my opinion, and I truly love the Diablo franchise. I'm very interested in hearing feedback and maybe one day we can actually use the Community Feature for something other than Rifts and Bounties..
    Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
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    posted a message on Can someone please explain player skill in d3 to me?
    Quote from ContentsMayVary

    Quote from blujay

    Quote from Moondude

    Quote from speedloader1

    Only noobs think their skills make a difference. This shouldn't even be discussed on diablofans. Seriously.

    Why not?

    Because it's an RNG game. That's like saying it took skill for me to win my last game of RISK.

    You want skill? Let's see Krip beat me at BF3. (cough, he probably can't).

    So what are you saying? Do you think that if you gave exactly the same gear to 100 different Demon Hunter players (say), they would all be able to progress exactly the same amount through the game? Is that *really* what you are saying?

    So if you gave 100 Demon Hunters the same exact gear and made them all start in Act 1 Inferno, you want to know what would happen? They would all start working on it, some would immediately get better drops than the others, thus progressing them through content faster. Can a savvy gamer who has played enough games to realize certain shortcuts progress further without as much RNG-help? I think so, but 99% of the time, it's through unscrupulous means.

    This is about as silly as a topic as the "ohnoes D3 has no endgame, isnt this wow?!11" threads. This is an Action-RPG hack-n-slash. You run around slaughtering monsters with one hand while crossing your fingers on the other for good loot to drop.
    Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
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    posted a message on Royal Crypts Farming nerfed?
    If you read the patch notes, they specifically stated acts in which the urns/vases gold drops were nerfed (Act I/III), I believe.

    Look at it from Blizzard's standpoint. If such a small % of the D3 community is in Inferno, and an even smaller number are the ones farming urns/vases, then nerfing it in order to stymie the gold farmers and keeping the value of gold intact is a worthwhile move.

    I won't lie. I spent over 100k gold buying GF gear from the AH last week. I also ended up making over a million gold farming Royal Crypts while casually farming over a 3-day period. If you didn't see this coming, well... I don't know about you then..
    Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
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    posted a message on Need help in Inferno as a Monk
    Your HP seems low to me. But I'm not working very hard on Inferno myself, so who knows.
    Posted in: Monk: The Inner Sanctuary
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    posted a message on D3: Unfinished. Blizzard dropped the ball.
    To me, the only differences between Diablo 2 and Diablo 3 in terms of focal gameplay are the following;

    1: Auction House is just a fancier way to trade, however, gold holds more weight in D3. This is a good thing, as gold as currency in D2 was worthless.

    2: D3's improved leveling system. In D2, you could roll any class you wanted, get rushed and run Cows or Baal Runs to 80-90 in hours. D3 offers a much deeper story arch and richer progression system than D2 had. I actually felt like what I was doing had meaning in D3.

    Diablo 3 is honestly intended for people who loved Diablo 1 and Diablo 2. I loved both games and I love Diablo 3. It has the most important elements of the previous game, which made it so awesome to play and improved weaker portions to grant the player an even better experience. Everyone has their own opinion, but there was nothing of merit in the OP message.
    Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
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    posted a message on The "Serenity Explosion!" combo Monk
    Tried the concept out tonight.

    I don't consider it something entirely useful especially when other rune choices may be better than that one, but it reminds me a lot of old school Reckoning Bomb Paladins had in Vanilla WoW.

    Good times.
    Posted in: Monk: The Inner Sanctuary
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    posted a message on your "best" Farming strats
    I just run the beginning of Act 3 over and over again. The signal fires/catapults part gets me Nephalem x5 and then clear the Keeps -> Ghom. Usually get a bunch of rares and a lot of blues.

    As a Monk, the Stonefort area is awesome to deal with the Champions. There are tons of stairways to bottleneck them and deal with them one at a time. If you get wallers, it's even better because they tend to block themselves from you and I just keep punching them.

    I have around 75 MF without the buff and a bunch of Lightning resist gear which then allows me to use the OP resist aura for every other resist. Helps a lot.
    Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
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    posted a message on Theory to End All Theories!
    Quote from Eskibear

    Hate to say i told you so.

    But now that I think about it, he didn't have his sword with him during the fight with Imperius, so I'm a little confused..
    Posted in: Lore & Storyline
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    posted a message on Theory to End All Theories!
    Quote from Eskibear

    Hate to say i told you so.

    I have always been very receptive to other ideas, that was the point of this thread. It's good and fun to see some of what we brought up come to fruition in the game, or at least bits and pieces. Nice call.
    Posted in: Lore & Storyline
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    posted a message on D3 Strategy Guide - iPad
    I was really interested in buying the D3 Strategy Guide from BradyGames, specifically the iPad version that had been leaked on the Internet a few weeks ago. I've looked on iTunes, the App Store and iBooks but my search queries have all returned nothing. I remember finding it at one point and it had a preorder option, but I can't find it again.

    Does anyone know where it is or what the deal is? I thought it could be a cool resource to use while I'm playing so I don't have to alt-tab.
    Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
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