I never really got into hammerdin ... the most popular build of d2, maybe sided with lightning sorc. I did a semi-decked hammerdin in hc a few times, just to try. It definitely is powerful, the hammers does big damage and has very few monsters resisting them. But it takes time to get used to.. if using it from scratch, not buying gear and running it yourself, especially in hardcore, it's like .. you run a few steps, throw a hammer, run a few steps back, or sidetrack, let monsters run into the hammers. Some kind of semi-chaotic play style. Which can even be okay for hc, because it gives you control over the enemy movements. But it is definitely heavy work, lots of clicking, and while you always wear a shield, you are not super tanky, and running like that all the time lowers defense .. albeit one can walk, and even stand still, yet that drains mana quickly to constantly channel hammers, and monsters come right on top of you. That will always be a constant evaluation thing. Luckily i don't struggle with connection issues, and that will always be hard for any character in hc, but maybe more for hammerdins than for many others, since there is a bit of running all the time. Yet, the hammers are also semi-chaotic, so that weighs up for it a bit. Playing hc with connection issues is probably never a good idea anyway. Dying like that is like super unfair.

Nova sorc i made a decked out one in hc and it's super fun. As always, in hc and in hell, it's never 100% safe, but knowing one's gear, limitations and the monsters one is facing, one can control it and be efficient. But just teleing along and going full speed, even with conviction and super strong gear, sooner or later one will hit a deadly pack and just get ko'd. May take weeks or maybe even a month or two, but it will happen. And i don't play like that. One aspect i really like about nova sorc, is coupling it with max or semi-max level static field, which is great for bosses. Meaning, if playing well, almost all monsters will have near at 50% hp when engaging them. I even tried self-wielding infinity .. it is definitely different. I also like the 200% fcr aspect, the biggest reason for me to play nova sorc is that.. when using two-handed, that becomes impossible, so you're stuck at 125% fcr. And that just feels like driving a formula-1 car in second highest gear, whatever that is. Not going top speed... feels lacking. Deals more damage, yes, but still won't kill everything in 1 nova, so one has to multicast anyway. So the point is kind of lost. I'd rather be "flowing" (like bruce lee wisdom) than too static. Water can flow or it can crash. When casting nova, it becomes the nova. And when i want to teleport, i do not teleport - it teleports all by itself. Be like water. That's astrological wisdom too.

are you going hardcore again?

im not 100% sure yet hc or sc

There is no other way. Like bruce lee says when asked what combat is, you have to train every part of your body, and put all your energy into it, and make this into a weapon. I may not have done that for my body, but at least for d2 i have, i know all the traps, done my mistakes, know every monster, every danger, and i put all my energy into it when playing. Saying one will never die again, i.e. saying 100% certain it will not happen, is foolish. But let's say, during a season, or maybe say during a 100-hour session (over 2-3 months), i could take bets on a 95% chance of not dying. Even bruce lee would lose to someone if he went 1 on 1 against everyone in the world. He would not beat everyone. I think andré the giant would be hard for him to defeat. But not impossible. Again, nothing is ever 100% or 0%

But yes ... hardcore is like the highest level of performance. Why limit oneself? I don't like to live in a dream. Going a bit further, astrologically, bruce lee is a sagittarius, but has a very interesting birth chart. He has four scorpio placements (heavy gravity) and three taurus placements (stoic earth), along with a virgo and leo placement. So he has a lot of emotional intensity and earthy discipline. Yet being a fire sun, it all comes out in something like dramatical theatricality. He lived with a lot of inner tension due to thise extreme different energies. Yet that is what can cause perfection to happen, if they find their way. And he did, to a large extent. He was not perfect though. There was infidelity and such. The point is, i have also a lot of water and earth in my chart, and some fire, so he has zero air and i don't either. So i have the ability to focus very hard .. yet i am not very sociable and lack flexibility. I actually went to karate when i was 12, lol .. it took me a while to get into it .. but i remember one session, we were doing a specific chain technique with two punches, chance stance, two punches, change stance, then punch. And the other student was supposed to move and dodge. I remember after a while, i got it right, and the master complemented me on it, after i noticed he wasn't very intrigued by me the first half year, lol, being slightly overweight and introverted. But i had a passion for it. So that's when i knew i could focus and "git gud", as the 'mericans say. So d2 is a good game for me to play. And yet at other games, i completely am out of my depth.. like first person shooters. I don't know why. I guess i find them too boring to get involved in. Just run and shoot ... very little strategy involved. Quake 1 was fun, but only because the weird sounds the character makes ^^ I found it hilarious when i was 10 ..

Bruce Lee Interview (Pierre Berton Show, 1971)

8:20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk1lzkH-e4U&t=533s

Tuesday

Monday ... NZT

Tuesday 17th?

i think you are right, like last ladder suggestion :)... hope we will meet each other



Very big Thanks for this overview.. i am still looking for something nice like that...
cheers

Oh yea... So it Was the 14th.. Cause I remember my Ex hit me up the day after and we hung out and it set me back on leveling LOL. I have a screen shot of her messages to remember the ladder reset date.

I'll be looking out for the 13th. Plz keep me updated if possible XD. Cheers

Homie put his life into this post and I'm all about it. I love your Nova sorc analogy. My brother was the first one to build a Nova sorc and his build was posted on google back in the day lol. Nova sorc's are dope . But like you said you can get merked wearing infinity. Static + Nova is great deal of damage with infinity sythe. Never use an ethereal one because you want to use cyclone charges off the infinity for more tank.

Yeah well you know i write quite fast, i've written probably over a hundred thousand posts in my life, i like to write, and the keyboard i have know, is absolutely superb, it got low keys, it's a cheap one, though very durable ,dang i must have had it now for 3 years... and it still works Good. Crazy huh. And i googled for the same one some time ago, ow they gone out of production......... which is sad. It's hard to find a good keyboard. I bought actually 3 different ones 3 years ago, and those that look god, sometimes are the worst... high sound, high keys, like pressing clay bricks ............ so when you want to write, it's like clunking away........

But that's a good tip at the end, i never figured about that, using cyclne for tang, that's very good ............. very intuitive. Just quick cast it when you want to stand still n nova, just one, two cycones = 90% of monsters stunned. Gives you better chance of living there. Also in hardcore. I will remember that ............ if my jab immpale fend tankzon makes it that far this season xD Really pumped about this d2l ladder season. Very very inspired.