HC Wind Druid Died Trying to Live Forever

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

Middle seal in HC NM Chaos. Everybody types "r". People start to creep
along the walkway towards the place where Lord de Seis materializes.
Not fast. A slow creep. Skeltons alongside me and behind me. Characters
somewhere around. I'm just trying to move the hurricane into a range to
snatch the DKs that are at the front of the pack.

Around the corner. They are not there. Creep some more. Still not
there. Creep some more.

"Hold on a second here, something's not right."

Turn to run.

DOH!

There's the flash of materialization.

Drink purples. Drink Drink.

Too late! The deeds screen is up!

Oh well!

I am willing to bet that they actually materialized long before my
screen showed them there and that I actually walked into an invisible
pack long before I saw them appear on my screen.

I actually expected this guy to make it into Hell and die somewhere
along the course of his journey through there.

He was a fun character to play but I am not going to remake him at this
point. His gear is sitting on a mule and perhaps if it is not passed
off to others in Clan Shtyhed, some months down the line when more of
my characters have died in HC I might consider it then.

I honestly expected my pitiful Ranger Druid without Oak Sage to die
before this guy. Bongo says a Wind Druid can be tough because he has to
get in close. What good is a hurricane at 15 yeards from a beast huh?
Still it was just so kewl walking around with that maelstrom swirling
around with the Druid at the core.

I still have a Wind Druid in SC NM farming Baal minions and partnered
up with my wife's javazon. Well that explains my lack of restraint
considering that my wife's Zon was probably tearing up the joint while
my Druid was just walking around looking at her pretty legs. Maybe I
can move the SC Druid into Hell and see what a character like this is
up against with the denizens being like they are there before I try it
again in Hardcore.

Hardcore Mantra:

Live Forever or Die Trying

Orion Ryder

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

Waded "into" the pack? What pack? Ah yes, the pack that is there but is
not yet there on your own screen.

This is so funny! No wait! What am I talking about? I mean this is so
NOT FUNNY!

See how the minions of Diablo take on the new mod of invisibility?

HOLY ACID TRIP BATMAN!

Sometimes reality is not what it appears to be.

This means I was probably dead before I saw them appear on my screen.
That's even worse.

Well I can live with it. I have no choice. As for the trauma, damn just
watching Bongo's wolf go to half life the other night to IM was
traumatic and he lived.

This just helps me to be even more careful in the days to come.

Now you'll probably see my character standing 2 screens back from the
party asking "Is it clear" or "Any monsters there"? Hah! Just kidding!

I'm having so much fun and whether I live or die this is so great
playing this way.

I'm gonna enjoy the hell out of it as much as I can now because I know
that sooner or later I am gonna get sick of playing and want to do
other things, although I will at least keep a light playing schedule
even when I "quit".

Orion Ryder

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

With the proper skill point distribution, I found my softcore Windbag
dishing out big damage with those tornados. The Hurricane froze them or
at least slowed them down and I would just spam the tornados as fast as
I could and wham - they be going down. Plus if my beautiful wife's
javazon's lightning was in range spinning off, we cut through all
opposition.

I was wondering how the SC guy was going to do in Hell with the cold
immunes. But with my wife's Zon present I expected that we would
synergize well and cut through the denizens at a fast clip.

I expected the HC guy to do well with a party in Hell.

Orion Ryder

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

All this HC is getting so intense. Sooner or later I am going to have
to get my SC bowazon through Hell ancients and Baal. What does that
take? About 15 mins with a good strong pair of other characters close
by lending a hand?

Now you, with a good connection, you could probably kick some serious
ass in HC.

I suspect that the minions of Diablo are doing all they can to keep you
from venturing into the HC realms.

I have begun to notice the times to be careful about latency and have
just added "breaking the seals" to my list of latency possibilities
which includes "waypointing to a new area", "walking into a new area",
"walking down stairs", TPing into a new area" and a few others that
have slipped my mind at this time. You get there and start walking and
BAM there's a pack and with the pack a slow motion screen of objects
that just don't seem to coincide with the sounds you hear coming out of
your PC speakers. I have to learn to stand on the waypoint for about 10
or 15 seconds until everything is loaded into my PC from afar and hope
that merc and minions don't wander off and make friends while I wait.

Orion RYder

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

"Orion Ryder" <orionryder@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1114435653.614309.103150@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Middle seal in HC NM Chaos. Everybody types "r". People start to creep
> along the walkway towards the place where Lord de Seis materializes.
> Not fast. A slow creep. Skeltons alongside me and behind me. Characters
> somewhere around. I'm just trying to move the hurricane into a range to
> snatch the DKs that are at the front of the pack.
>
> Around the corner. They are not there. Creep some more. Still not
> there. Creep some more.
>
> "Hold on a second here, something's not right."
>
> Turn to run.
>
> DOH!
>
> There's the flash of materialization.
>
> Drink purples. Drink Drink.
>
> Too late! The deeds screen is up!
>
> Oh well!
>
> I am willing to bet that they actually materialized long before my
> screen showed them there and that I actually walked into an invisible
> pack long before I saw them appear on my screen.

My condolences :-(

Despite the HC deaths I've witnessed (mine AND others), I felt a moment of
panic when I saw your life bar drop from full to nothing in an instant, but
somehow hoped that you could recover. It seemed like five or six seconds
later when the "deeds" message appeared for me. Both Cinna and I groaned
out a pained "OH NO!" at the same time. I'd guess a bit of lag, the
hardcore players bane :-(

I started a wind druid after witnessing how well yours performed, but mine
proved to be a slow killer for some reason. At clv 3x, he handles act five
normal ok, but NM is a bit much for him yet (yes, he's a little young for
NM). Now, I'm wondering if I should keep him on the bench for a bit. I'm
having SO much fun playing sorcs, necromancers, and trap 'sins!

My project of the week is to get my summoner and my trap'sin into late
nightmare, maybe at least one of them hell capable (should they survive that
long), so my sorc doesn't have to feel so lonely

Ruben

 

[mark]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

"Ruben-P" <ruben_ptREMOVE@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3T8be.16342$44.4196@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>
> I started a wind druid after witnessing how well yours performed, but mine
> proved to be a slow killer for some reason. At clv 3x, he handles act
> five normal ok, but NM is a bit much for him yet (yes, he's a little young
> for NM). Now, I'm wondering if I should keep him on the bench for a bit.

You are a bit young for NM at 30 something. A Windbag needs lots of plus
skills to be effective. And come late NM Hurricane starts to lose its punch.
From there on you'll be killing more and faster with Tornado. So fast cast
becomes more and more important.

Regards-
Mark

Bongo-Fury

 

[mark]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

"~misfit~" <misfit61nz@hooya.co.nz> wrote in message
news:426cfe91@news.orcon.net.nz...
>
> I've had a couple of
> close calls though. Today I tele'ed across a wall in the durance and
> landed
> right on top of a boss-pack of dolls.

I hear people talking all the time about teleporting through the Durance to
Meph or through the WK to the throne. And I just don't understand how they
can do it. I tried it with my Sorc in the NM Frozen River the other day and
it damned near killed me. Mid 70's Sorc, 80/75/75/75 resists, 800+ life, 105
fast cast, 90 FHR and I was hitting Juvies almost as fast as I was
teleporting. I just don't know how folks can do it.

Regards-
Mark

Bongo-Fury

 

[mark]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

"Orion Ryder" <orionryder@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1114435653.614309.103150@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>
> Bongo says a Wind Druid can be tough because he has to
> get in close.

Yeah, I've seen too many high level Windbags bite the dust. In one of my
untwinked teams we had killed Hell Baal and only had to off Nilathuk to
complete the team. Had two of the 'arms' of Nilathuk's level cleared when
our Windy bought the farm. Having to be so close to the baddies to be
effective, without the huge life boost of shapeshifting, and given the super
slow blocking of a Druid makes it a problematic build for HC.

> Hardcore Mantra:
>
> Live Forever or Die Trying

I'm just glad to see how well you have been taking your HC deaths. Early on
in a HC career they can be quite discouraging. Maybe I was right last year
when I said HC was your destiny.

Regards-
Mark

Bongo-Fury

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

On 25 Apr 2005 06:27:33 -0700, "Orion Ryder" <orionryder@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>I actually expected this guy to make it into Hell and die somewhere
>along the course of his journey through there.

My condolences. It does take a bit of experience to play a windruid
in HC, though. Was he running much in the way of summons for cannon
fodder? I would usually want a maxed OS, 1-point CV and either wolves
or a bear in addition to a HF merc. That kind of meat screen can help
a lot if you hit a little lag, especially buffed with a raft of
+skills.

>He was a fun character to play but I am not going to remake him at this
>point. His gear is sitting on a mule and perhaps if it is not passed
>off to others in Clan Shtyhed, some months down the line when more of
>my characters have died in HC I might consider it then.

Decent gear is a must for windruids IMO, especially +skills items. My
twinked guardian windy has a Jalal's, DCC and +3 elemental rare ammy,
among other nice things (including my hammerdin's annihilus <g>). A
Spirit sword is probably the windruid's cheese of choice if he isn't
rich.

>I honestly expected my pitiful Ranger Druid without Oak Sage to die
>before this guy. Bongo says a Wind Druid can be tough because he has to
>get in close. What good is a hurricane at 15 yeards from a beast huh?
>Still it was just so kewl walking around with that maelstrom swirling
>around with the Druid at the core.

I like playing windruids, but yeah, they can be tough to keep alive,
especially soloing in Hell (dolls!). Still haven't figured out a good
way to deal with CI/PhI bosses.

-- Roy L

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 18:27:44 GMT, "Mark" <bongofury@verizon.net>
wrote:

>I hear people talking all the time about teleporting through the Durance to
>Meph or through the WK to the throne. And I just don't understand how they
>can do it. I tried it with my Sorc in the NM Frozen River the other day and
>it damned near killed me. Mid 70's Sorc, 80/75/75/75 resists, 800+ life, 105
>fast cast, 90 FHR and I was hitting Juvies almost as fast as I was
>teleporting. I just don't know how folks can do it.

I agree. TP is one of the best skills if not _the_ best skill in the
game, but it scares the heck out of me to do it in tight areas.

-- Roy L

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

"Orion Ryder" <orionryder@hotmail.com> had this idea for a movie:

>Oh well!

>I am willing to bet that they actually materialized long before my
>screen showed them there and that I actually walked into an invisible
>pack long before I saw them appear on my screen.

Owww!

Well, another week passes with me in SC land (I'm making some good progress on
the new projects, though). Worst was last night where my ping was hovering
around and 1100-1500 range, and 30 second lag spikes have been plaguing me all
week.


--
If in doubt, hit with axe.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

"Orion Ryder" <orionryder@hotmail.com> had this idea for a movie:

>All this HC is getting so intense. Sooner or later I am going to have
>to get my SC bowazon through Hell ancients and Baal. What does that
>take? About 15 mins with a good strong pair of other characters close
>by lending a hand?

Yes, shouldn't take too long at all. I have a couple of SC characters that
are in act 5 hell, but haven't gone all the way, as it were, so maybe we might
see each other in an SC game over the next week or two.

>Now you, with a good connection, you could probably kick some serious
>ass in HC.

Hehe, well, let's not exaggerate. ;-) But my ISP really has been my main
killer of characters in recent years, so if (and that's a big IF) I can avoid
that pitfall, I'd give myself at least even odds to make Guardian with any
character I made.

>I suspect that the minions of Diablo are doing all they can to keep you
>from venturing into the HC realms.

Well, Baal's minions ARE one of my most common lag out spots...

>I have begun to notice the times to be careful about latency and have
>just added "breaking the seals" to my list of latency possibilities
>which includes "waypointing to a new area", "walking into a new area",
>"walking down stairs", TPing into a new area" and a few others that
>have slipped my mind at this time. You get there and start walking and
>BAM there's a pack and with the pack a slow motion screen of objects
>that just don't seem to coincide with the sounds you hear coming out of
>your PC speakers. I have to learn to stand on the waypoint for about 10
>or 15 seconds until everything is loaded into my PC from afar and hope
>that merc and minions don't wander off and make friends while I wait.

I really would like to give this HC lark another good try, since there seems
to be a good group forming in HC West, and IMO team play is the real
attraction for HC. But I'll always be an SC player, too, even when my
connection is working well, since a number of people that I love to game with
only play SC mode. But I'll see if I can at least nursemaid my little cold
sorceress through some more of normal difficulty this week.

Oh, who am I kidding. All I really like to do is mule.


--
If in doubt, hit with axe.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.diablo (More info?)

"~misfit~" <misfit61nz@hooya.co.nz> had this idea for a movie:

>> Oh, who am I kidding. All I really like to do is mule.

>LOL.

>Can you please manage my mules then? They're a real mess.

Well, I never said I was any good at it either...


--
If in doubt, hit with axe.