Whimsy[chat]

Diablo 3: Quit Bitching about the RMAH

At the moment, persons are posting items for $250 on Diablo 3's Real Money Auction House.  Other persons are buying said items.  Since people are willing to spend $250, many other persons are compelled to post less-ideal items for similarly high prices, say $150 - $200. Those items, too, are selling.

This upsets some players.  They demand that Blizzard fix the "problem" of expensive RMAH items.
The people who are upset need to shut the fuck up.

I realize that it might not be fun to see an item you want post for $250 and sell for that price.  I realize that it's frustrating to be in a position where you can neither afford $250 items on the RMAH, or 5M+ items on the Gold Auction house.

Poverty sucks, be it real-world or in-game.

But all of the arguments against the current system are of the following form:
1)  I want to buy X.
2)  I cannot afford X.
3)  Someone else wants X, can afford X, and so purchases X.
4)  When someone else purchases X, I do not get X.

Therefore, Blizzard needs to construct a situation within which I can get the items I want just as easily as the person who is willing and able to pay $250 / 5M+.

If you cannot discern the reasons for which that argument is retarded, then there is something very, very, wrong with you.

If you cannot afford a yacht, then you don't get a fucking yacht.

If you cannot afford a perfect Andariel's Visage, then you don't get a perfect Andariel's visage.

It's economics.  It's capitalism.  And if you don't like it, then maybe Diablo 3 isn't for you.


I'll admit that the current prices are crazy.  The fact that a person is willing to pay $250 for one item in a game that, honestly, probably won't be around for a while is quite perplexing.

But this isn't the sort of activity that Blizzard needs to prevent.  If people want to post items for $250, then they can.  If crazy-people want to buy items for $250, then they can.

The thing to keep in mind, of course, is that once the crazy people get the gear they want, then the prices will slowly drop down to "sane" levels.

The absurdity of that statement, of course, is the idea that there is a "sane" price that one could pay for 1s and 0s.

Rooney Will [chat] You Up

Meet the most Sith baby of all time: Rooney. He will destroy you.

Diablo 3: 1.0.3 Farming Strategy

The recent 1.0.3 patch preview indicates that Blizzard is modifying item drop chances in Inferno. Some persons seem to be confused about how to discern the best farming spots, given that every act shall have a chance to drop ilvl61 – 63 gear. What follows is my take on the changes, and how I think one ought to decide where they shall farm.

These are the Current Inferno Drop Rates:

Act 1 – ilvl 61. 0% chance for 62 or 63
Act 2 - ilvl 62. 0% chance for 63
Act 3-4 - ilvl 63

Persons who farm Act 1 Inferno have absolutely no chance of attaining an ilvl 62 or 63 item. This shall change in 1.0.3.

1.0.3 Drop Rates:

Hell Act 3/4: iLvl 61 - 9%, iLvl 62 - 2%, iLvl 63 - 0%
Inferno Act 1: iLvl 61 - 18%, iLvl 62 - 8%, iLvl 63 - 2%
Inferno Act 2: iLvl 61 - 19%, iLvl 62 - 12%, iLvl 63 - 4%
Inferno Act 3/4: iLvl 61 - 24%, iLvl 62 - 16%, iLvl 63 - 8%

Currently, it is not possible to get iLvl 62 or 63 in Act 1 Inferno.
In 1.0.3, it is not probable to get iLvl 62 or 63 in Act 1 Inferno.

The question is how this change affects the viability of Act 1 farming. Once 1.0.3 is released, where is the most efficient place to farm?  To answer this question, one first has to discern their own ability to farm each difficulty, in terms of mobs-per-minutes.

Let's suppose that your mobs-per-minute is:
Act 1 elite pack: 2 minutes.
Act 2 elite pack: 6 minutes.
Act 3 elite pack: Oh god the pain.

Since one has the ability to farm both Act 2 and Act 1, the question becomes which act offers the most efficient farming. In the time it takes you to kill one Act 2 elite pack, you could have killed 3 Act 1 elite packs. This means that your farming situation is:

Act 1, iLvl 62: 3 * 8% chance.
Act 2, iLvl 62: 1 * 12% chance.

In terms of iLvl 62 gear, in this scenario, you have to compare 3 8% chances against 1 12% chance, every six minutes.

For iLvl 63 gear:
Act 1, iLvl 63: 3 * 2% chance.
Act 2, iLvl 63: 1 * 4% chance.

At iLvL 63, you're stuck deciding between 3 2% chances and 1 4% chance, every six minutes.

1.0.3 significantly changes the means by which one decides where to farm. Since every Act in Inferno has a chance to drop any piece of loot, one has to discern the relationship between their mobs-per-minute farming ability and drop percentages.

The important thing to keep in mind, while discerning the afore mentioned relationship, is this: As one’s ability to farm later content increases so, too, does one’s ability to farm early content. When you reach the point of easily farming Act 2 elites at 2 minutes per pack, that would mean you could farm act 1 elites in, say, 30 seconds per pack. In this scenario, you could kill 4 Act 1 packs in the time it takes to kill 1 Act 2 pack.

This would put you at:
Act 1 iLvl63: 4 * 2% chance
Act 2 iLvl63: 1 * 4% chance

When we reach this point, we need consider a larger context than pure mobs-per-minute and incorporate other aspects of farming. Currently, each difficulty drops a higher quantity of gold. So, in addition to assessing your mobs-per-minute, you'd have to incorporate your gold drop rate, in each act, and factor that in. You'd also have to discern the drop rate of lvl60 blues in each difficulty, to add in the gold you're making by salvaging those and selling the crafting mats.

Additionally, one needs to assess the structures of each act, in terms of farming. How does the layout of each act compare, in terms of kiting ability? How closely are elite packs grouped in each act? How much trash is there between packs in each act? What is the amount of quest reward gold that one can attain while moving from pack to pack, following the shitty, shitty storyline?

All of these factors need to be incorporated in one’s farming decision.

In conclusion, to pick a farm spot in 1.0.3 one must:

1) Discern your mobs-per-minute on each act.
2) Compare that to the drop% in each act.
3) Factor in the gold/melty gear in each act.
4) Discern quest reward gold for each act.
5) Assess the level designs / elite-to-boss ratio of each act.

Then you just math it out to discern the location of your best gold-per-hour farm spot.

Alternatively, one could bypass all of that and utilize the following decision making framework:
Step 1: Herp.
Step 2: Derp.

Diablo 3: Satan's Crossbow of Satan, Hell

Just got the most metal crossbow in the game:



The Holy Damage is what makes it art.

Diablo 3: Winning by Losing Arguments

Diablo 3 has much to teach us about the human experience.  Last night the game provided me with a valuable life lesson.  Despite what I learned, I'd like to share the bit of wisdom I gained.

While running Inferno Whimsyshire with some online friends, we started talking about gear stats.  Specifically, we discussed what constitutes an optimal piece of loot and how we planned to outfit our characters for end-game content.  Online friend said that he planned to create two sets of gear for his Demon Hunter.  One set of gear would focus upon Magic Find (MF).  His other set would focus upon Damage Dealing (DPS).  The idea, as he presented it, was to use his DPS set while killing monsters, and then put on the MF set while opening chests in Whimsyshire.  Or, he could DPS the monster down in one set of gear, and then quickly switch to his MF gear right before the monster died.

In reply to his plan, I stated that my intention is to create one gear set that optimizes both MF and DPS.  He said that was a stupid idea and I was stupid for thinking it.

When he told me that my idea was stupid, two thoughts arose in my mental space:

1:  I need to argue my point.

My first inclination was to debate.  I think the ideal situation is for a character to wear only one set of gear that maximizes all stats.  I have reasons for thinking this.  I think that my plan is the best plan.  So, when he said I was stupid, I initially primed for argument.  I intended to call him stupid, in turn, and explain why he was being moronic.  But then a beautiful, wonderful second idea arose:

2:  I benefit from him disagreeing with me.

He and I both play Demon Hunters.  He plans to construct two sets of gear.  I plan to collect one.  Since we have different goals, we seek different items.  Currently, we do not compete for gear.  But if I argue with him, explain my position, and manifest a situation in which he agrees with me?  Then I have created competition for the gear I seek.

If I convince him that I am correct, then he bids against me on the Auction House.

So, I told him that he was right.  I said that getting good DPS/MF gear is impossible.  I said that switching gear is the best strat.  I said that every Demon Hunter ought to collect two completely different sets of gear, and the attempt to obtain DPS/MF gear is an inefficient use of gold that stunts progress and item acquisition.  Only morons strive for one gearset.

I then got on the Auction House, and bought a best-in-slot belt with 20% MF and high DPS stats for an absurdly low price.

I think this was a valuable life lesson.  Too often I focus upon arguing with other people, poking holes in their positions, and correcting person's mistaken assumptions about reality.  I am overwhelmed by an urge to call shitheads "shithead".  When someone calls an idea I maintain idiotic, I am compelled to defend it.

But sometimes, it seems, it's good for people to think that I am stupid.  I benefit from their mistaken positions.  If I took the time to correct my online friend, then he would realize that my gearing plan is the best gearing plan, and he would be in direct competition with me.  His inefficient gearing choice benefits me.  His idiocy prevents him from buying the gear I want.

To achieve my goal, I need to convince my online friend, and as many other Demon Hunters as I can, that their mistaken preconceptions about reality and flawed arguments are correct discernments of the best way to play Diablo 3.

I'm pretty sure this is the sort of thing Roger Ailes figured out years ago.  I wish he'd shared it.

The problem, of course, is that this is one of those life lessons you're supposed to keep to yourself.

Diablo 3: Loot is Loot

I just found this, and it made me happy:


Farming sometimes pays off.