I am through Act 1 and into Act 2 of Diablo 3. Like many of you I have finally over-come the first day, second, day, third day server crashes and now I’m into a groove playing Diablo 3. And I have to say, the game fits like a comfortable old shoe.
As a huge fan of Diablo 2 and the Expansion to that game, I was desperate for a sequel after I played it through on all the available toons. And like everyone I had to wait well over a decade for the sequel. Well, I got that sequel. A sequel to a game first designed nearly 20 years ago. Diablo 3 has some great tweaks to the experience, but over-all there is little innovation here. It’s the same click-fest dungeon crawler.
Don’t get me wrong, I love that game, but I felt that while playing through Act 1 I was simply playing an expansion to Diablo 2. And that may be just fine for many players.
I am a big fan of how the skills work in Diablo 3. In fact, I said to a few guildies that I wish WoW’s skill tree resembled the system in place here. The fact that you have a base line skill that scales with your toon that can be modifed by unlocking a rune is really quite cool. And both aesthetically and statistically the runes affect your playstyle. I think that it works great, and in a way it gives you that ‘unique’ playstyle some players think they want.
The Game LOOKS fantastic. It’s really designed well and somehow the cinematics look better than ever. The story line is compelling enough, and that macabre dark edge is still present, just like it was in Diablo 2.
The addition of the ‘companions’ is a lot of fun; but as a ranged player (Demon Hunter) I’m not seeing much motivation to switch from to the Scoundrel or Enchantress yet. That being said, I’ll probably adjust my skills for the Templar as he’s not the ‘tank’ I need him to be.
Lastly as a UI nerd, I LOVE how this UI is laid out and utilized, especially the Vendor Panes and Character / Inventory Panes. It’s a big step forward from the previous design and not to sound like a broken record, but I’d love that style of UI in WoW. Very clean and efficient.
So, what’s missing? Not much really for a Dungeon Crawler. However, I feel the social component is far behind the experience you get with WoW and that’s to be expected. But ultimately that will cut back on the replay efforts for me. I miss a guild chat pane. This was a common thread for me throughout my play. Parts of the game, I wanted in WoW, parts of WoW I wanted in D3. You really can’t have your cake and eat it too, and sure who would want to? D3 is Dark and Dangerous. WoW is epic and fun. So, for me, D3 is a lovely distraction until MOP comes out. But that’s all it will be, and that’s all I need. I don’t need to invest in D3 like you do in WoW, and that’s why it’s a terrific companion game. If I want to break up the grind of WoW, I can jump in at any time and play Diablo 3, and for me… that will be just fine.
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If you have been inspired to take on some Player vs Player in World of Warcraft because of our series, then I am super excited for you. It’s been a few weeks since I dove head first back into PvP with my Frost Mage, and I’m really enjoying actually where PvP is at right now in World of Warcraft. It is not easy, but it can be fun.
I wanted to shift our discussion to gear. Sometimes, I start this off by addressing a common fear about PvP especially for battlegrounds. Many players will avoid PvP because they feel they need gear. However, that logic is a little catch 22. Currency from PVP allows you to acquire epic level PvP items. So, if you don’t do PvP you never will get that epic PvP set. However, there is an entry level way to get into PvP Gear.
In Cataclysm all the crafting professions make a PvP set of gear. You know that gear right? It was the high level Blue stuff you bought and quickly got rid of so you could qualify for Heroic Runs. However, never fear, you can always purchase it again, or gather materials to have a fellow guildie craft them for you.
The main difference between PvE gear and PvP is the stat RESILIENCE. Resilience increases your survivability in an encounter. There was a time when there was a CAP to hit for Resilience, but now the cap has been removed. So, you can stack as much as you want. ELDACAR over at the BATTLEMASTERS website had a great article on the difference between Stamina and Resilience, and why Resilience is important to your over-all survivability.
In my experience, Resilience makes survival a whole lot easier. I spent a long time leveling my mage with his heirlooms on, which was a waste of time. I switched out a full BC PvP set, then a Wrath PvP set and it made a world of difference in terms of survivability. I felt darn near unkillable wearing cloth of all things.
Survivability increases your enjoyment of PvP, because you win more encounters and spend less time rezzing at the Graveyard. However, in the end, I do not feel that PvP gear is a barrier to PvP play. Your stats for damage will be roughly the same with PvE gear and Healing gear. You can compete in all types of PvP without wearing a set of resilience gear.
So, over all, my recommendation is to go ahead and try PvP without the gear until you feel PvP is something you enjoy. Around that time you understand if you enjoy PvP on your toon, you can probably look at investing in some gear with your Honor Points that you have or buying crafted gear through the AH.
Episode# 043 is now live and available for download. The new and improved Starting Zone trio discusses the latest Mists of Panderia BETA news and a quick primer on how to prepare for the NEW Expansion!
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What is the lesser of two Evils? Leveling Enchanting or Leveling Tailoring?
Co-Host Jesse Kobayashi has been working on getting the Legendary SHADOWMOURNE for a few months now. Truth be told, Jesse, started this journey a while back in Cataclysm, but the introduction of the OPEN RAID system has made the process much easier. We hope to discuss that impact in our next show a bit.
However, Both Greg and I have been tagging along on these old school Ice Crown runs and it’s been fun to got to a non-pressure raid experience to pick up a title or even better a rare mount.
If you’re a guild, and you’re community loves hanging out, but you’re done with Dragon Soul and looking for stuff to do, I highly recommend going after Old World Achievements like this. They open up the game a bit, and everyone walks away feeling they accomplished something. In the last months, I’ve picked up two RARE mounts. The Iron Bound Proto Drake, and the Vanquisher Mount from ICC (just last night).
Doing this kind of game play in WoW reminds you how deep and rich the content of this game actually is. And if you’re a new player who missed out, but you’re in a guild that is game for it… it’s fun to go in and just CHECK OUT what was important in the past expansions.
I had once heard someone state that they didn’t play PvP, because they didn’t want to waste one of their dual specializations on a PvP spec. So, this begs an obviously question. Do you need a PvP spec in order to play PvP?
Let’s pretend we’re a politician and answer a question with a question. What do you want your experience of PvP to be like?
The reality is anyone can jump into PvP and play with whatever spec they are in no matter what the spec is. There isn’t a required spec for each class in order to enter a battleground or arena.
So, if you’re just trying to have some fun and get into PvP to explore it and give yourself a break from leveling that toon of yours, then the answer is NO, you don’t need a PvP spec. If you Heal, the team needs healers, if you DPS, they need DPS, if you tank, there are needs for tanks in some BG’s. The trick here is, play the game based on the role your spec covers. For example, if you’re a healer, don’t try to burn down fools, because you won’t. Just heal everyone else who is doing some serious face melting.
But what if you want to be seriously leet? Well, first off, if you’re a beginner, adjust your expectations. You won’t be leet. You’re going to spend a lot more time rezzing at the graveyard than pwning fools. But if you want a head start on your Killing Spree ways, you can create what is called a PvP spec for your class.
There was a time where specific specs were considered the PvP spec for their class. Discipline Priests, Resto Druids, Feral Druids, Retribution Paladins, Survival Hunters, Frost Mages, Subtlety Rogues (to name a few) were considered the Spec for PvP. This isn’t the case much anymore, but if you do your research, your class probably has a current popular PvP spec, or one that’s considered “The Best” based on where your class is at today (remember this changes from Expansion to Expansion). I’m not going to say it’s cookie cutter, but it’s close.
Does this mean that if you roll into a BG as a Fire Mage you’re broken? Nope, play what you want, but you may have more tricks up your sleeve with a particular spec within the class. This mainly applies to survivability, stealth, dots and burst damage. If you want a reliable guide, head on over to ARENA JUNKIES for some other specs folks have rated highly.
IMO, the DPS only classes have a benefit in that they can have a PVE and a PVP spec without sacrificing flexibility in a group or raid environment. Most Hybrids carry a main spec and an off spec for dungeons and raids. For example, a Paladin may roll Protection for tanking, then Retribution to DPS if a line up adjustment is possible or necessary. This happens frequently in Dragon Soul today where the two tank model is less necessary. This means if a Hybrid wants a PvP spec then most often that DPS spec they choose is the PvP spec. DPS only classes (rogues, warlocks, mages, hunters) do not need to make that choice. So, if you’re a DPS only class, the choice is a bit more easy.
If you choose to go with a PvP spec (I have for my Mage that I’m leveling through PvP) don’t spend too much time trying to min/max. Try something recommended and then go in and give it a shot. Don’t abandon it right away if you fail to see a big change. It takes time to become a talented PvP player, so give the spec a shot before you adjust.
Join us next time for a discussion about PvP Gear! And comment away, you’re feedback is appreciated.
We’ve debated doing some PvP stuff on the show for quite some time, but in truth neither Jesse or I or Greg were strong PvP players. Sure, we’d done them, but it was usually things like Wintergrasp or the occasional BG to pass the time.
However, recently I have been leveling a FROST MAGE, and I have been spending a considerable amount of time in the BG’s and using them to level experience. I had always debated doing this since XP was granted for Battlegrounds during Wrath of the Lich King, but I could not bring myself to do it, but leveling this Mage presented the right opportunity.
Perhaps like you, I’m not a huge fan of Questing. I don’t mind dailies for Reputation, but questing in WoW has never been my strong suit. I typically leveled my high capped toons through endless LFR runs. This was great initially, because I had not seen a lot of these early dungeons. However, now that I’ve seen them all 25 times, it’s a little boring. I usually tank or heal my way through this for faster Q ups, but in the end I would get to the DPS classes and my ability to do that would dwindle.
Enter my Mage, who I’ve had since Wrath. He quested through the first 1-20 levels, then LFR’d like a mad man to level 56. At this point, I needed a change. So, on a whim I decided to jump in and do some PvP. I ended up enjoying it, and I’ve spent the next 10 levels strictly in BG’s, choosing that over and another BC Dungeon Grind. I now think, I’ll carry this methodology all the way to at least 80.
Why? Well, the XP is pretty good. If you win, you get really huge XP numbers. You string 3 victories together and you pretty much leveled your toon. Also, what is nice about grinding via PvP instead of PvE Dungeons is that despite the Battlegrounds being the same, the battle is always different. Every Dungeon is pretty much a tank and spank at this point until level 80. I think LFR leveling is quicker and effective, but it can be a little dull.
Lastly, you get to know your class in a different way. You dip into a lot of defensive abilities you would not necessarily go to in say a Dungeon, because unless you’re a healer, you don’t really worry about staying alive. You just bang on target or Pew Pew. This will help you in Cataclysm End Game, because many fights require you to understand your damage mitigation.
So, for those of you who are tired of leveling via quest or LFR, try some PvP Battle Grounds. To do so, hit the ‘H’ key or the little icon on your menu that looks like the HORDE or ALLIANCE emblem (depending on what faction you play). From there simply click the RANDOM selection or a specific battleground and then click JOIN BATTLE. BTW, you can do this as a group as well. Bring some friends and pwn some fools together!