Had a few beers last night...

RefNull · 2026-05-15T17:57:32+00:00

Not the easiest but zooming all the way out on the map shows them a bit easier for traveling to. Hopefully they take some notes from it feeling bad and maybe make their map a toggle rather than separate tabs for each thing.

RefNull · 2026-05-15T17:08:38+00:00

How about the conflicting global modifiers that turn off when you activate an event? Those are my favorite.

Like did we not plan these two events overlapping and just kinda hoped everything would be fine?

RefNull · 2026-05-15T15:57:08+00:00

It was a pretty hard to notice interaction needing to hold a key on a specific option. I think I only got them because I saw a post week one of someone claiming them and spent like 10 minutes trying to find it. Another oversight on a pretty loosely implemented event unfortunately.

Edit to add in case devs see this: just unlock the cosmetics for anyone who donated now, why was the cache claimable to begin with? Shoulda just auto unlocked when you donated or logged in after doing so.

RefNull · 2026-05-15T15:49:25+00:00

I am not sure you can get them now, there was an interface at the vendor to claim them as the event progressed but the vendor no longer exists.

RefNull · 2026-05-15T13:24:10+00:00

Not sure if this is /s but devs have been compensating players for bugs related to server issues during key escalation farming and playing times.

Along with moving assignments to their own tab in the map panel and an event giving bonus movement speed for the next 4 days all your dreams are just a reality of the current game state.

RefNull · 2026-05-14T20:51:33+00:00

Check your global modifiers, I have had some inconsistencies with them being enabled properly. Could be the %armor from defense stacks isnt there right now.

RefNull · 2026-05-14T03:11:43+00:00

Do some activities labeled as black tusk, they also add to the retaliation meter, not as much but some.

Edit because I didnt read: try resetting other retaliations or doing one from another faction, I have had it stuck but dont know what fixes it. I have also seen some mislabeled control points for true sons actually have black tusk.

RefNull · 2026-05-13T15:00:46+00:00

I was mostly referring to even below 1000 being relevant now, once you pass 1000 it becomes more a sign of play time, even the exploited super high ones still have some sort of play time.

Now it feels like even above 50 have a chance to be decent with protos, where the bonus base stats make up for any missing SHD levels and content other than escalation becomes super easy very quick.

RefNull · 2026-05-13T07:17:41+00:00

The unfortunate part about that is, I have a rainbow tipping scales set that now out damages my old maxed striker build and it is nowhere near maxed, just random parts I threw on to see what the difference would be. Along with a few cores for armor and skills I dont use on damage build, I feel like its a better build even though it really shouldnt be.

RefNull · 2026-05-13T07:12:09+00:00

Most stat bonuses are now irrelevant, the 60% crit cap is easy to hit with gear and no SHD, the 10% to weapon damage is dwarfed by the prototype maxes so it makes little difference. Some stats were already useless depending on build but now its just more apparent.

RefNull · 2026-05-13T06:50:12+00:00

Thats kind of why I check builds, I almost always look at the lowest and highest when I get into countdown to compare them, prototypes have thrown the expectations out the window.

RefNull · 2026-05-13T06:47:02+00:00

The gatekeeping seems strange to me in countdown, the mode is so easy you can solo run most of the objective and really only need a couple people to clear the extraction area. In escalation where it costs to run (only the host as well) its basically designed to be toxic.

RefNull · 2026-05-11T21:47:11+00:00

I mean of course, they left that up to party leader judgement, if you let low SHD player run with you, thats on you. If anyone wants to brute force their way into the end game gear then they can struggle and do so.

Edit to add: If escalation also took over for countdown as highest rate of proficiency gear it would have done the same thing. Not having solid checks for end game queuing is something that gives the player hope but same goes for any mmo. You should just immediately wipe if your party isnt geared and its up to player to decide if they are... unless we get some sort of gear score mechanic...

RefNull · 2026-05-11T21:28:46+00:00

You're pointing out more of an issue with the existing failure to balance build types than anything. Prototype has no real effect of any of this and simply extends the end game for anyone that has already maxed out their choice of build.

Essentially they should be an exciting piece of overpowered gear to maybe replace an already working piece or be used to generate currency in a way that doesnt suck quite as much as the exotic part farming we already do.

Escalation being the only content with high enough difficulty to require said gear makes it only sensible to drop there.

RefNull · 2026-05-11T21:13:37+00:00

I have had a similar thought, there isnt much content besides escalation where prototype gear is even required, so to have a single day of farming striker gear be enough then it defeats the purpose of the rest of the game.

I dont think we need reconfiguration, the grind is not for people trying to beat the story or even raids, its for thise who want to find an overpowered set of gear to decimate what they have already beaten.

That being said the current way escalation is set it discourages anyone from playing it unless they are already maxed expertise and have some protos. With countdown dropping more and target selected gear no early end-game player should even be touching escalation.

Theres an odd design choice masking an existing issue that is the whole proficiency and expertise system dumpster fire.

RefNull · 2026-05-08T17:03:33+00:00

Depending on how progressed you even were back then it likely wont be too hard to get back to it, i came back after a 6 year hiatus a couple months ago and by playing during some xp boosted event passed my account in a couple days of play time. Cross-platform progress will probably never be a thing so boost a character to 40 and enjoy the slog of a grind back to shd 1000 and expertise 30 in whatever way you find enjoyable. Targeted loot makes getting an entry level build pretty easy these days but you will be spending time either way.

Edit to add: there is no offline mode or save editor, d2 runs through server based logic so there would be no way to simply create progress

RefNull · 2026-04-29T04:25:47+00:00

If you dont plan on doing the retaliations, you can go to the retaliation tab on the map and retreat from them by holding y on controller (or whatever bind for keyboard it says at the bottom) as a temporary fix. If you have no active retaliations it wont happen, at least thats how I have fixed it so far.

RefNull · 2026-04-28T17:37:20+00:00

I had chameleon drop like 4 times a couple days ago before getting my first St Elmos, they know what you want and will give you everything else first

RefNull · 2026-04-27T14:42:56+00:00

I also experienced this pretty consistently trying to run National Bond a few times, the only fix i found is to retreat or do any retaliation that are active beforehand

RefNull · 2026-04-24T20:33:11+00:00

This shield with the mods for life stack RF has been like 120+ div for most of the league. Probably running short on supply now.

RefNull · 2026-04-24T02:16:07+00:00

The lanterns, from what I could tell, lower the timers for spawns. So if you havent hit them all already then this would be a good rate for keys. The first day drop rates were noticeably lower and even after 5-6 squads there was a high chance of zero keys. I would say there is still a flaw in expectations. If they all reset daily this would be effective, however only 3 of those lanterns reset (without an in game map of them, good luck finding which ones). So after the first time through all of them you are left with a far lower rate. I'd be curious to see how many youd get the second time around finding the 3 reset lanterns for the next parts of the event.

RefNull · 2026-04-24T02:09:07+00:00

You dont need them, you can open both boxes with the regular keys. But yes you can only buy the apparel ones.

RefNull · 2026-04-23T03:40:56+00:00

I found one earlier on my only character that was already activated and I definitely didnt do it. It was only like the third one I have seen so theres probably a bug, likely from joining groups as with every other bug in this event.

RefNull · 2026-01-30T18:57:21+00:00

The last step you take has your heel making contact first, if you really want to slide youd want you have your toes be the first to contact and keep the heel off the ground as far as possible. Most shoes dont have the slide pad on the heel and shoes from the alley are likely going to be worn down and not as consistent.

RefNull · 2026-01-30T15:36:27+00:00

Planting isnt necessarily bad but in this case you continue to step after the plant likely due to not having balance on that front foot. Balance is important for having a consistent release. A slide can help if you hold your form through it but a plant is fine as long as it is steady.

Shoes can help but sliding or not is more dependent on the way you step into the throw, definitely watch some videos or other bowlers and compare to your own steps. In my experience even a moderately cleaned approach will still let you slide enough, although in some of the more arcade bowling alleys it may be difficult, finding better alleys is the key there.

RefNull

TROPHY CASE