I played 1.09 off line in single player mode for years studying each character's abilities and limitations, the arreat summit stategy guide, as well as soliciting other players inputs on tactics and approach only to discover that even 1.09 was extremely difficult where I never made it through hell level about half the time. This was before I began gaining a slight competitve edge with an editor. Now I discover that 1.10 is next to impossible to play on a strictly legitimate basis in single play, without the ability to trade items and without resorting to an editor. Magic find seems impotent even with thousands of editor provided MF points. The rate of point gain at the 70's and 80's character level is excrutiatingly slow and I can spend several months striving towards victory only to have may hat handed to me, usually by the ancients in hell level. I have tried the same characters with different skill point assignments disappointedly. I do not believe a legit , Barb or Asssasin , can play without a shield in 1.10. My question is : Does everyone else share this impression and was it Blizzards purpose in coming out with 1.10 to certify Lord of Destruction as a purely multiplayer game? I still enjoy multiplayer play but feel thrown to the wolves when I play alone. Bluesky53 email JVB53@hotmail.com

wtf i dont even get it

Wow, 09 hell was super easy. And I only had like 1 or 2 unique items that were worth anything.

i think he means that is D2 a mostly a multiplayer game because single player is to hard to play legit without being able to trade and such

Since i only have internet downstairs, that leaves the computer in my room without internet, so i do play single player on that comp, but these days i mostly play just play mods on that comp if i do play D2 at all, such as CCM4, Dark Woods 2, or Cubaholics. Every once in awhile i'll play just the normal 1.10 patch, and i usually become quickly bored of the loneliness. One advantage that makes it easier is that you do not need a maphack for single player, as once you open a pathway it'll stay that way for the char then on. This reminds me somewhat of how in Starcraft there is fog of war, kind of same thing that a lot of games have. But a good thing also that Blizz gave single players are almost all the same rights that b.net ladder players have, except for those 4 realm-only rune words (duress, prudence, splendor, wind) and the ability not to legitely mule. I think single player is mostly forjust experimenting with the chars to see what kind you like, not to necessarily play through the game, so that's y they have many editing programs to tweak a character to your liking. that goes the same way with drop mods, so you can experiment with different equipment. Thats what i did back in 1.09, where i experimented with a WW barb, and then tried one on b.net, back when they used to be a good 'ol cookie-cutter build.

Probably meant for multi since its more fun, more challenging and more thrilling = dueling, trading, lvling, questing.

I agree with you bowbow definitely meant for multiplayer sinces the game is based on teamwork.

Not to mention getting pissed off in multi, with ppl scamming you and cursing at you, makes you wanna F* em up.

well if ppl are stupid enuf to actually fall for a scam......

I do not believe a legit , Barb or Asssasin , can play without a shield in 1.10. my barb can play without a shield just fine, infact without a shield he does around 10k concentrate

To Silver_Ice:

When you play a Barb without a shield ; where are you putting most of the rest of your skill points ? I am assuming that your maxing out iron skin , natural resistance and at least one weopen mastery. Correct? And where do you assign in the warcries cataegory? I am limiting my skills to 8, given that more skills would mean less total available points to the 8 that are in use at any one time. I realize other chars have to change their 8 skills combinations depending on battle circumstances, however as versatile as a Barb is, I am hoping that a higher level of fewer skills will pay off. Or should I spread them more thinly and gain even more diversity.

Dont get off topic plz.

Sorry BowBow88,

Your right BowBow, though my original curiousity relating to the ( multi vs single ) nature of D2 was not all that interesting, it did get lost in the shuffle. I think you hit upon the heart of the matter when you said that multiplay was more fun trading, questing, leveling up etc. I don't know the statastics, but I bet while most people play both, that the teamwork social group sort of aspect is what made Open Battlenet a household word. It is just that personally I find single play an exciting challenge and it seems like the latest patch has made it nearly too difficult for me, especially when most of the best uniques, runes, charms and jewels are seldom ever dropped. I should thank Zonfire again for leveling the playing field.

i initally voted no on the poll, but the more i think about it, the more it makes sense.

I dont play games if they cant be played online online is so fun u can make fun of ppl when u kill/beat them. You cant make fun of the shitty AI thou.

I only really play online now, occasionally I may play an open game but thats just if i'm bored and want to play with supre high level skills and stuff.

yea i think if blizz can get ppl to play online they make more money casue then u get your cd key banned for doing somthing "rong" and then u either buy a new game, or u find good cd keys some where

yes they did.i rmeber them saying themselves sorta like this ok u ***in whinninh whores u want a beter challenge underating this game saying its easy and not long enough here well cut ur experince gianage in half so instead of getting 100 form a montser u get 50 mwhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

They did that to stop people getting to lvl99 too quickly. If they didn't do that then the second ladder season would have been won already.

D2 was always a primarily multi-player game, in my opinion and my necro can still do hell by himself and he doesn't have an extreme godly set-up.