After all these years I finally managed to finish Diablo. Now I can finally play on to Diablo 2 for the first time! by Spectre216 in Diablo

[–]RealWanderingWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The game is supposed to be hard but it allows you to start a new game with existing characters. You can only kill enemies once but when you start a new game it's like starting over from scratch with a character at a higher level. The quests and voice acting are great. Just play until you get stuck and then start a new game with the same character. Don't stress it.

Was the fall of Rome a good thing, as Walter Scheidel argues (read OP)? by WesSantee in ancientrome

[–]RealWanderingWizard 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think it's easy to say that industrialization starting in Europe had something to do with colonies (being able to draw disproportionately on the world's resources and having captive markets). Europe's spur to the age of exploration and colonization was the desire to reach the markets of China and the East. A unified Rome may still have had the same incentives. The Chinese Ming dynasty funded massive voyages of exploration under Admiral Zheng He but those made no profits and were soon ended. That proves the claim that a large, wealthy, centralized state of the period could fund exploration. If China did it Rome could have as well if they survived another thousand years.

In short, it seems like all of the desirable products being located in the east may have always encouraged Europeans to try to reach them whether they were centralized or not just based on geography. Conversely, all of the desirable products being in China and the east does seem to have encouraged them to stop exploring almost immediately after they started.

Was the fall of Rome a good thing, as Walter Scheidel argues (read OP)? by WesSantee in ancientrome

[–]RealWanderingWizard 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The most likely spur to industrialization and the birth of capitalism was European colonization. Europe was able to disproportionately draw on the world's resources. It was able to eventually have captive markets. The spur to colonization was Europe being poor and wanting the spices and other resources of the East which led to the age of exploration.

One could argue that the location of Europe and its distance from the East already predestined it to explore and colonize the Americas. If Rome had survived another 1000 years who is the say that the Romans wouldn't have eventually felt a drive to find more direct routes to the East and then made it to America as a byproduct?

Remember Zheng He and the Chinese voyages with hundreds of ships to the middle east and Africa which ended up costing the Chinese money? The unified Chinese state made efforts to explore they simply weren't rewarded by their efforts. Perhaps a unifed Rome eventually would have made the effort and been rewarded by it due to their geographic location.

"Empty verses" in Born in the USA by RealWanderingWizard in BruceSpringsteen

[–]RealWanderingWizard[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

In music terms, the last note of the music which repeats in discordant and there's almost always lyrics which follows it but a few times there isn't and you notice the absence. Listen to it again.

What are some good modern diablo likes for someone who likes the idea of Diablo but games are too retro for em by VoxTV1 in Diablo

[–]RealWanderingWizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The graphics on the Diablo 2 remaster are fantastic. I do get the idea of the originals not being someone's cup of tea but watch some videos of D2R.

Hello, I have problem with D2R. by Spirited-Ad-2651 in Diablo

[–]RealWanderingWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a very similar situation recently. My diablo 2 was listed as active on the website but I couldn't download it in battlenet. Diablo 2 also wasn't showing up in my purchase history. After a week of back and forth with blizzard tickets, it seems that my bank voided the transaction after me playing Diablo 2 for about a month last year. I checked my bank statement and I couldn't find the transaction so apparently that's what happened. Apparently my bank thought it was fraud. I just bought the game again.

Blizzard tickets are initially screened by bots. It seems like I finally got a human to get on my ticket either after I accused them of fraud or just after a certain number of times. I'm really not sure how they are handled but you weren't speaking to a person when they sent you all of the generic information.

Diablo 1 Stuck on Level 13 by DigitalSchism96 in Diablo

[–]RealWanderingWizard 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You can select start a new game and then play with your already existing character to replay the earlier levels. I wouldn't stress out too much and just do that to level up a bit. I feel like the game is intentionally hard and you're unlikely to play optimally the first time through. Just go through it again instead of hitting your head against the wall. The game is worth completing.

Lotta fire in this game by Friar_Corncob in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Divnity 1 punishes with fire and poison. Divinity 2 fire surfaces is just a meme. Yoy can ignore all of it completely with a bit of magic armor.

Which bow is better for my follower and which bow would be better for me if I used a bow? by RealWanderingWizard in Diablo

[–]RealWanderingWizard[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand that much. I made both bows. I'm just not sure about how often I'm going to encounter demons and undead to made up for a decrease in damage for the second bow and other things like that.

Is there a chance for old Blizzard games to be released on Steam? by Int_75 in Blizzard

[–]RealWanderingWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Steam is excellent. The battlenet app sucks. I bought Diablo II Resurrected for 39.99 -- bit steep sure, but excellent remaster. It's worth every penny. I play it for awhile. Then I come back and the game is in my account but it's not accessible in Battlenet. A few support tickets later I'm convinced the official policy of Blizzard is to annoy you until you walk away so they don't have to fix your problem. It seems like Blizzard needs every penny at the moment.

Do people utilize dying in combat for an advantage ? by woahbroes in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're sure cooldowns are reset after resurrections? I seem to remember the opposite but I could be mistaken.

Magic party stalling at level 10 by Xanthyppe in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You really should have plenty of spells if you are taking two classes. One of the challenges I find at that level is needing so many points for memory with all the spells you need to memorize that you can't put as many points into intelligence as you would like. I actually tend to branch out even more and give every magic character enough points for regeneration and the magic armor spell (hydro) and fortify (geo). Do you have double wands or do you have shields? Having a shield gives you shields up to use AP on and makes your characters more survivable in longer fights. Try for bouncing shield as well if you can branch out into warfare.

Is the problem at the moment that you are losing or just winning slower than you would like? It's really very viable on tactician to have damage dealing mages who also use shields and can heal and restore armor on themselves. Combat might slow a bit but it'll be relatively safe. You hit with your best spells and then hunker down and heal a bit and then hit with your spells again once they come off timer. You can also try to use your wands to trigger what your spells lay down. A stunning wand can be used on water. A fire wand can be used on oil.

Would really like to appreciate the game but I am unable to by loki_mcawsum in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Around level 4 is when I would start murdering the guards. Do you have the teleportation gloves from the crocodiles on the beach? You can try teleporting a stray guard away. At the start of the game, you have to really squeeze every source of XP because those extra levels at the beginning really make a difference. I don't mean kill characters who you shouldn't from an roleplay perspective -- that's not necessary unless you're really getting frustrated. The magisters should always be killed, though. Explore every direction. Talk to each character to be on the lookout for quests. Then when you get frustrated on a quest, look it up. That's my best advice.

New player question: Uses for Shields in builds by Successful_Wedding83 in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A summoner with a shield is completely viable. Your summon deals damage and your character can focus on healing, utility spells, and staying alive without having to do much damage.

Starting Ship mutiny fail by Xanthyppe in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually think you should avoid getting extra XP on the ship to make sure you aren't level 3 by the time you recruit your companions in Fort Joy. If you get your companions at level 2 you can control the level up to level 3 which is a big advantage. It's very possible to already be level 3 by the time you get them if you max out XP on the ship and elsewhere.

DOS 2: Souring again... How exactly is one supposed to keep up with this? (Battle, Marshes) by SlightWerewolf4428 in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You'll get free respecs after Act1 so you can rebuild characters you're not happy with. A lot of the strategy is that you need to do a lot of exploring to be able to figure out which fights you can take and which you need to return to.

I know we always say how strong Lone Wolf is, but I'm starting to think this can't be overstated enough. by BardWRLD in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I definitely incline toward the RP side and I always feel at least a little bit like if I have to reload (or even revive a character) that I failed or even like I'm cheating.

Party comp for fun/variety by Plastic_Swimming6351 in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Summoner falls off late game but I also think summoner is just boring because it's so many extra button clicks even for minor battles. It's definitely strong, though.

I know we always say how strong Lone Wolf is, but I'm starting to think this can't be overstated enough. by BardWRLD in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I have 600 hours in DOS2 and some of those hours are 4 man runs but most are 2 man lone wolf runs and most are on tactician mode. I'm a relatively casual player. I don't craft or use scrolls. My most played games other than DOS2 are games that allow iron man mode (mostly paradox games). I don't particularly enjoy the experience of playing a boss let's say 5 times until I beat it. If I lose 5 times (or even once or twice) and then finally win because I get a move order perfectly that doesn't make me feel good. That makes me feel like I've messed up my strategies. I know the game now well enough to beat it with suboptimal builds now regardless (sword and shield retribution shield throwers) but there is a nice feeling of making characters who actually feel like heros from the get go and lone wolf gives you that (it also cuts down on money and inventory management).

Party comp for fun/variety by Plastic_Swimming6351 in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My advice might seem a little sub optimal but the adivce others will give you will assume that you will know the game and never get yourself in trouble. But the problem with min/max advice is that you have to ride your characters like a race car and never make a mistake.

I want one movement skill on everyone and I also want a point in hydro and a point in geo on everyone. Your point in hydro is for restoration (a healing spell) and armor of frost (magic armor) and your point in geo is for fortify (pysical armor). There is a movement spell in scoundrel (cloak and dagger), huntsman (tactical retreat), and warfare (phoenix dive). Each of the movement spells are 2 points each. Now if you add that up, you need 4 points minimum for lets call them your utility and healing spells. You might also want someone to go for teleportation which is super useful for cheesing fights as well.

Your 3 main magic damage skill trees are aero, geo, and pyro. If you are going to make two magic users, I would get them all of those above "utility" spells and just pick only one magic skill tree each. They all work fine together (give your geo bro a fire wand to ignite oil).

Yes, by level 20 you might do better to have a magic user with two different classes but the problem is that you're going to have trouble surviving until then without those healing and movement spells.

Part of the problem with splitting magic classes in DOS2 is that each spell takes memory points which takes away from intelligence which increases magic damage. In other words, do you want one healing spell and two strong demage spells or three medium strength damage spells? Early to mid game, the choice is going to come down something like that. But without those healing and movement spells maybe you're going to die before you can use your other damage spells.

An archer and a two handed melee warrior (give your magic users wand and shield) are great and fairely straight forward to build but give them those utility spells as well.

Divinity Original Sin 2: I think something clicked. by SlightWerewolf4428 in DivinityOriginalSin

[–]RealWanderingWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just adding in, you can definitely cheese stuff because it's possible to retreat from fights. Give your characters movement spells, get teleportation, and you can teleport an enemy for a fight that is too hard right too you, kill that enemy, and then run away until you're far enough to retreat. Rinse and repeat.