[Loremaster]

I have been playing this game for over six years offline, and I'm still playing it. I'm awaiting the 1.13 patch, because I'm hoping that Blizzard makes more of the online content available offline, like the Uber Tristram quest. And yes, I've been dabbling playing online as well.

A friend of mine and I have been collecting (for duplicating) lots of items in the game. We have over 80% of the game's unique and set items, and we're still trying to find the rest of them. We can manufacture anything, once we find it and have it backed up. Then we can try out more character ideas or different playing styles.

Anybody else still playing this addictive game?

[Grand_Master_Jarf]

You, it's funny that you ask this question, Lore, because I am currently downloading the game off of Blizzard's website since my discs are scattered amongst the house. I will have it installed soon, and I would love to hook up and play soon

[Loremaster]

Originally Posted by Loremaster

A friend of mine and I have been collecting (for duplicating) lots of items in the game. We have over 80% of the game's unique and set items, and we're still trying to find the rest of them. We can manufacture anything, once we find it and have it backed up. Then we can try out more character ideas or different playing styles.

Explanation: Three of us (my friend, my wife, and myself) are collecting items in the game.

- We're collecting ALL of the uniques in the game, and we're about 75% there.
- We've got about 80% of the set items.
- We've got a big collection of socketed items, jewels, circlets and other rare items.
- With all of the runes, we can make any offline-available runeword.

I'm not one of those guys who typically cheats in a game. What I'm doing is duplicating itdms that I've --so far-- been able to find and backup, collecting them to use in a future game. If I find a set piece, for example, I'll save it to complete a set, then I'll build a character and drop in the complete set ("twinking") and take it for a test drive.

Duplication is only possible when you play Diablo II *OFFLINE*, unless you backwards-engineer the game, which I am personally opposed to (using "bots" and the like). However, since most everything in the game drops as treasure, it's a way to "save" these treasure items for a situation that they can be used. It's no good when your Amazon drops a unique Necromancer wand (that you've never seen in the nine years you've been playing the damn game), unless the character can pass it off somehow. The duplication process is thus an extension of muling, i.e. having a system of characters that simply hold items, like a library of backup files.

Then, you can use the items to ceate a new way to play. You cn test out a character idea with a given set of equipment to see if it works. You play Santa Claus and hand out items when you're having trouble. Or you can be a DM and dole out rewards or restrictions.

Playing online is a whole other sort. You're using the metagame "marketplace", or trading between other players, to get items that you need. Offline characters and items aren't transferrable online and vice versa. So I play online when I want to play, uh, kosher or legit.

...Gee, I guess I'lll step down from the ol' soapbox now.

[lionrampant]

Haven't played it in years, but a recent cleaning/organizing of the spare room/den turned up the discs, and I've been eyeing them... just waiting for the right moment...