I watched most of the interview about it afterwards. Main things are better at catching bots, shared stash to avoid mules, global servers, option for auto gold pickup, more accurate cosmetic stuff when it comes to equipping armor/weapons. They are looking at shorter ladder seasons. Visually looks pretty great. I don't know if I'll have a PC to run it. I don't really game on PC anymore but I don't know how D2 would really function on a console with spell casting and such. --They do explain it somewhat but I just hope there is an option for mouse and keyboard for console players.

I hope I can get a PS5 by the time it comes out. Without keyboard/mouse support I'd likely pick it up on both console and PC. I'm hopeful about it though.

We need to start planning so we can be the first guardians. I'll definitely be taking time off to play at launch.

I can't imagine playing this game with a controller. Like how would it even work. I hotkey 10-12 spells when I play!

Who's in?

I'd be down for sure

We should get some practice runs in so we can work out classes and basic strats. Knock the rust off.

I played for a few months last summer and it all came back.

I didn't catch the whole interview but I'm assuming skills will work with the synergy system that was added later. And the one thing they added which I wish was taken away was the timer to use waypoints after hosteling. It took PKing out of the equation.

Also they said you'd be able to see games from all difficulties even after you've beaten baal. No need to swap characters.

It will be the most current version of the game.

The devs are not making many changes. None to balance/difficulty/skills/enemies as far as I can tell. Shared stash, improved graphics- that sort of stuff.

They must be making some kind of changes for the game going to widescreen. They are either zooming in and cropping the top and bottom or your skills will now cast further left and right. In which case, they've have to update enemy behavior to understand that they are visible to the player now and to engage.

What’s the most viable 8-man class composition for racing to guardian? I haven’t played since v1.10, but assume the learning curve wouldn’t be too steep even after 15+ years away from the game. Does it still make sense to stack a team with sorcs? Maybe something like this?

2 blizz sorc
1 fire sorc
2 hammerdin (conc / conviction)
1 javazon
1 zookeeper necro
1 extra sorc or druid / barb / assassin?

I’d be down to try some speed run(s) on a Saturday or Sunday. Would have no shame in attempting SC first.

Im down, but will see if we get alpha before doing test runs!

Oh also going hammerdin

Maximus was always our barb. BO and stun with leap is so strong. For damage, they can't do much though.

Honestly, min/maxing with the team shouldn't be that important. As long as we have a Sorc (me), a Barb (Maximus), a Necro, and Paladins (Acxel etc), the rest can be whatever.

Druid is nice for HotO. Extra sorcs would be fine but Pallies honestly do the bulk of the damage, sorc does static and teleports, Necro gives the meatshields.

Depending on when it comes out I may be down if there's a party slot.

im definitely down to reprise my roll as javazon/light sorc

Can’t fucking wait.

Anyone plan on playing classic?

I think that min/maxing in terms of party comp is somewhat important, but what actually matters is how the run is managed in normal.

I don't remember us doing this on rushes in the past, but I think it makes a lot of sense and pays dividends:
Making individual games after Cain and getting 8 Wirt's legs
Running cows to level 25 before Ancients and then after Baal if necessary to get socketed bases (and running Countess for runes)
We want to get Spirit sword+shield on the tele sorc ASAP as well as an Insight polearm for the merc
Also, making individual games in normal and cycling through Charsi for a few minutes to get high life/mana/stats/res items

The landscape has changed a lot since back in the day and I would not expect to just walk in and get first Guardian without thinking about some of this stuff!

Only elite shields have 4 sockets and monarch is the lowest str req at 156, so that won't work for a normal sorc

We'd need a 4os Crystal Sword and Thul and Amn (Ral and Ort come from A5 q) for a Spirit. You can socket an ilvl 26-40 Crystal Sword at Larzuk to get 4 sockets- this is most of A4 and A5 normal.

Definitely want an Insight. Same deal on socketing a plain polearm (non-bardiche)- any that drop in a4-a5 normal would get 4 sockets (or cow level). Sol would be the rarest rune needed for this. We run river and let everyone solo hellforge to hope for a sol (we'd probably get thul and amn here.

There's definitely a ton of planning needed to pull this off, especially considering the hype, the lack of separate realms, and the amount of teams likely going for it.

Practice runs would be a huge help, if even just through normal for a few hours.

i'd love to run with everyone- let me know when. i don't care about class.

Yeah my bad on spirit shield.

I still think if we were to look at total efficiency, we'd want to do cows from lvl 20-26 as it's better exp and they drop a lot of bases and runes. Taking time to split out hell forge quests is likely a net negative in that sense. Can also find plain or 2os circlets and armors for Lore and Stealth.

Regardless, I'd be interested in doing a practice run and we could obviously get into the nitty gritty later.

I don't think we've ever been in a situation where we weren't sufficiently leveled in A5normal just due to progression. You need 20 for ancients which should come naturally. Then run Baals?

There's an exp penalty until lvl 25 for Baal runs

I'll probably play D2 reboot for a few weeks, though i don't know why blizz is bothering. Path of exile is a much better game.

Oh, hai2u Naz.

Crazy you guys are still here! Lol. What’s going on. Soon as I saw D2 res I knew this forum was going to get on board so I’m joining too! Been a few decades so why not.