I’m not sure what you’re trying to counter about Dbrunski’s review. Its an objective fact that dolls are a problem to a lot of players, regardless of class. Just because you do not, in certain circumstances, does not change this general consensus. Do you see that? I don’t necessarily agree with Dbrunski that the areas are not worth farming, you just have to take active measures to counter the threat.
Dolls are hard countered with rest in peace affix. Like the Lawbringer runeword. I’ve typically carried that on a weapon swap for situations where I go to areas with dolls. So the OP has that to consider.
I’d be down with buffing tomb viper damage a bunch, but definitely not reverting it.
a) poison animation deals physical damage every tick, it’s just not good. A player needs to visually be able to read what’s happening on the screen without some an arcane knowledge.
b) the worst part for me was the damage still being dealt after the poison cloud has “disappeared”. And before you tell me that was not a thing, here is the clip: https://gfycat.com/pleasantthoseattwatersprairiechicken
in the middle of it the barb has taken about 400 damage from walking through where the poison cloud used to be.
Then play smarter. Let your Merc tank or summon tank. Use ranged weapons or attacks or spells. Use crowd control. Use damage over time. Use potions. Take out one at a time and heal. Use caution. Run past/skip entirely. And on and on. There are so many options for you to deal with dolls, too many to list, that for you to not use any of them and then say they need a nerf, is just bad. Please don’t advocate for removing difficulty from D2, and dumbing the game down. It’s already been made easy enough, if we’re being honest.
The main problem here is that the dolls are balanced for weird metagame reasons related to people farming Mephisto after they already have their endgame builds, and yet they still exist as a barrier to people who just want to play the game normally and complete the actual game quests. Whenever I create a character, I like to play solo until I’ve at least beaten Hell Baal myself, and let me tell you, there is nothing in the game that’s more irritating than Durance 3.
I do the same, yet I couldn’t feel any more different about Durance 2 (is what you meant, I’m sure). Dolls are rarely ever a problem, even while being crap/leveling, and if they are, it’s because I was dumb or made mistakes or didn’t employ any tactics, not because “Dolls are OP and need nerf”. Now, Plains of Despair or Frozen River with Gloams, that’s irritating. But even those I feel are fine, I’m okay that the game actually has some challenge sometimes…I feel bad for anyone who want to turn D2 into the sort of mindless cakewalk that D3 is.
It’s a fun challenge if you’re playing a ranged class, or if you’re playing a melee class decked out with your max block and damage reduction gear. But if you’re playing melee and you have the kind of gear that you’d expect to accumulate by Act 3 Hell, it’s just too annoying to endure. The only way to get through in a reasonable amount of time is to keep rerolling the maps till you get one with no souls, or to get a lucky map layout and find the thing straight away.
Although to be fair, it’s not just the dolls, it’s the combination of the dolls and the obnoxious map. Like, nobody’s going to actually stand there for upwards of half an hour watching their merc kill while trying to navigate this mess of a level. Now I’d be okay with it if, for a first-time quest completion, it had a normal sized map and only started doing this troll map nonsense if you made repeat visits (ie Mephisto runs). But as it currently stands, Durance 2 is a prime example for why there’s such a high demand for ways to “skip” the game content - it’s because there are parts of the game content which are, to be blunt, simply not worthy of being played in the first place.
I’m not sure whether Dolls should be nerfed but i can’t wait for hardcore ladder to drop and EVERYONE is going to have to go through Act 3 without skipping to the end. You’re going to be forced into the Kurast Sewers where all the dolls are.
If you are fully geared, and dying, then you are doing it wrong. Sorry.
As others have said, they are only really dangerous with a combination of Amplify Damage on you and fire/light/cold enchanted. Moreso, if multienchanted since death blows will carry each enchant. (This is also why NM Trav CAN actually wipe a truly fully geared toon).
Corpses: [quote=“Hanz-1979, post:35, topic:109434”]
Its just plain bad design, intended bad design
It allows you to die more than once, and not be punished so badly if you collect them all.
If you lost loot, you screwed up.
If you are STR bugged, then that is REALLY your fault. At least read the order of how things are equipped so you don’t lose things to that (I imagine you like STR bugging, though)
I actually often walk from Ancients WP to do Baal, and that’s only lvl 82. But it gives me three areas of lvl 85.
I don’t tend to full clear other lowish 80 levels, but I will at times, feel like doing Flayer Jungle.
Saying people don’t farm anything but level 85 areas, or the other areas you mentioned just for bosses is simply not right.
You also forget people farm cows for charms as well as the runes you mentioned.
You also essentially pass over ANY area with ghosts.
Barrels and chests anywhere provide good loot if done in mass.
I couldn’t even tell you how many Mara’s I have found from chests in particular. Many more than off of any monster…like it is not even close.
And we know you speak for how everyone plays the game?
And I have seen people full clear all of hell.
Why you may ask?
Because it comes down to quantity.
Sure bosses have better overall loot tables, but if their base item drops is crap (which it OFTEN is) magic find is overrated.
You can make damn near as much from white, socketed, eth items and keys as you can from teleporting to Meph a million times.
As an example, my friend and I that have played this game for at least 10+years in total (me much more including mods) did things totally differently from each other this time.
I have not even made a sorc. He started with one that is capable of farming all areas (without infinity…gasp). I mained a Trap Assassin, again that can clear everything without infinity.
He got Tal’s set quite early (several armors actually dropped for him…lucky turd). I carried virtually no MF.
The end result…both very well geared in almost the same time frame.
Note his end gear is NOT Tal’s set…not even close.
Carrying no MF to speak of means I have a lot better chances of getting eth socketed stuff.
The fact that I full clear a lot of areas I walk means that I get even more chances at this.
Believe it or not, the results are very similar in the end.
I rarely find squat from bosses. The VAST majority of even good uniques I find are from random creatures. This also includes runes.
Also, when you full clear a lot of areas, you get different treasure classes, which leads to a larger variety of items, and extreme rolls.
Just because you have a very narrow view of how the game should be played doesn’t mean others have a different take on it.
Edit: You also don’t even mention Travincal. This area is super useful. The have good chances at jewelry stuff (so also runes…better than cows by time), you have multiple rares in the same spot, and fat stacks of gold. This gets even better with Barbs that use Item Find.
If you don’t gamble often, I would argue YOU are doing it wrong.
Dolls and other monsters that can 1-shot sorceresses are an integral part of the game…
If there was nothing that could insta-kill sorcs, that’s all people would ever play…
Druid has oak sage and summons, Assassin get’s lots of HP per level, Necro has summons, Barb is tanky, Pally is tanky, Zon should be busy farming cows, not chasing dolls…
If you can’t handle dolls as a sorc, try another class?
Well i wasnt trying to say that. I was talking about specific location and about majority of player base who dont farm there. I am not saying dont do it. It always depends on which build use and area83 zones can be still usefull to farm sometimes.
Majority do that because its most effective way. If you go ancients way before keep, its simply less product ive than go directly from keep 2. Thats reality because elites in ancients way cannot drop everything.
Its done for runes tho, our discussion was about MF runs.
Of course you did, because you waste time to kick barrels instead of killing monsters . Objects in act 1 are limited to vex only. Its better to click act 3 objects.
Not everyone. Majority of players who MF and know what to do.
Because they like it? Dont mistake playstyle with effectivity. I for example like to clear completely everything when i start new character on normal. Its playstyle i like. Is it effective for xp and loot vs invested time? Of course not.
. Objects in act 1 are limited to vex only. Its better to click act 3 objects.