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Never have hit 99 on a character in 20 years of playing Diablo II.

Waam · 2021-09-21T13:56:36-07:00

Have you? I plan on hitting my first and only 99 in D2R.

51 replies 15185 views

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ShadowHeart `6512`Moderator

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

Semirotta wrote: 2 weeks ago
It takes so long to grind that the closest ive gotten was 98 back in the original d2 times.

This has changed substantially with Terror Zones, and also with the addition of Worldstone Shards (especially since they became more common with the latest patch). Sure, it still take a significant amount of time, but nowhere near what it used to be like.

As a comparison,

It takes about 2770 p8 Baal runs (including Baal himself) to get from 98 to 99 without TZ:s
It takes about 731 p1 terrorized (TZ 96) Baal runs (including Baal himself) to get from 98 to 99
It takes about 19 complete runs of the entire game (all areas) on p1 to get from 98 to 99 (using Worldstone Shards to terrorize all Acts)
It takes about 66 complete runs of Act 2 (all Act 2 areas) on p1 to get from 98 to 99 (using Worldstone Shards to terrorize Act 2)

(assuming perfect 10% xp Annihilus but no Ondal's Wisdom)

This is entirely doable without cheating or abusing bugs. Yes, it takes a lot of time, and yes, it helps tremendously to have multiple accounts (or a friend group to play with) for increased player counts.

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ganseng `303`

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

got 98.58 on my fire sorc. a tz Baal run nets ~0.5 p.p. progress (well maybe add Nihlathak and Eldritch & shenk). so lest more disconnects set me back, in <100 runs I'll get there

Semirotta `637`

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

ShadowHeart wrote: 2 weeks ago

Semirotta wrote: 2 weeks ago
It takes so long to grind that the closest ive gotten was 98 back in the original d2 times.
This has changed substantially with Terror Zones, and also with the addition of Worldstone Shards (especially since they became more common with the latest patch). Sure, it still take a significant amount of time, but nowhere near what it used to be like.

As a comparison,

It takes about 2770 p8 Baal runs (including Baal himself) to get from 98 to 99 without TZ:s

It takes about 731 p1 terrorized (TZ 96) Baal runs (including Baal himself) to get from 98 to 99

It takes about 19 complete runs of the entire game (all areas) on p1 to get from 98 to 99 (using Worldstone Shards to terrorize all Acts)

It takes about 66 complete runs of Act 2 (all Act 2 areas) on p1 to get from 98 to 99 (using Worldstone Shards to terrorize Act 2)
(assuming perfect 10% xp Annihilus but no Ondal's Wisdom)

This is entirely doable without cheating or abusing bugs. Yes, it takes a lot of time, and yes, it helps tremendously to have multiple accounts (or a friend group to play with) for increased player counts.

True that. Terrorized zones indeed made it a lot easier and nowadays it isnt such a task to reach it.

Pitach wrote: 2 weeks ago

Semirotta wrote: 2 weeks ago
Hitting lvl 99 is a weird e-penis stretching move. It takes so long to grind that the closest ive gotten was 98 back in the original d2 times.
That day I chose never to go for 99, one has to have either bug abuse system to get there or just play 20 hours a day grinding and I dont have that in me.

When I see people hitting 99 all I think of is cheaters or bug abusers. Thats about all of them.

Pitach wrote: 2 weeks ago
I hit lvl 99 on my sorc by farming on 4 accounts at once
if you have a decent PC you can run more instances of diablo and farm stress free, but you also have to get more accounts
This is exactly what is wrong with Diablo, plus the bots.
how is that wrong? playing on multiple accounts at once?
how is that cheating?
keep your opinions to yourself lol, it's a game mechanic, completely legal and available, to play on multiple accounts at once
if you cannot afford it for various reasons it doesn't mean nobody else should do it, sour grapes eeeh?

"Keep your opinions to yourself lol"
"if you dont agree with me shut up!"

ganseng `303`

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

ShadowHeart wrote: 2 weeks ago

[*]It takes about 731 p1 terrorized (TZ 96) Baal runs (including Baal himself) to get from 98 to 99

oh, does 731 include only the five waves and Baal? because i kill stuff along the way, and it feels closer to a couple hundred runs

ShadowHeart `6512`Moderator

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

ganseng wrote: 2 weeks ago
oh, does 731 include only the five waves and Baal? because i kill stuff along the way, and it feels closer to a couple hundred runs

Yeah, that's only the waves + Baal, nothing leading up to the throne room. It was a comparison vs public p8 non-TZ Baal runs. Also higher player counts would cut that number significantly (p3 would halve it).

klmklm27 `196`

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

ShadowHeart wrote: 2 weeks ago

It takes about 2770 p8 Baal runs (including Baal himself) to get from 98 to 99 without TZ:s

from 98 to 99, 22 700 min (it takes me 10 min) , 378+ hours, 16- days .... 63 if I play 6h a day
it was my goal but now I'm not sure (currently lvl 92 to 93)
how many from 90 to 99 or 95 to 99? do you have a link or is it your calcs?

Region: EU Time Zone: CET/DST (playing early morning / evening / week-ends)
Please post / PM here ( battle.net not working properly for me half of the time)

sewcioj `80`

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

klmklm27 wrote: 2 weeks ago

ShadowHeart wrote: 2 weeks ago

It takes about 2770 p8 Baal runs (including Baal himself) to get from 98 to 99 without TZ:s

from 98 to 99, 22 700 min (it takes me 10 min) , 378+ hours, 16- days .... 63 if I play 6h a day
it was my goal but now I'm not sure (currently lvl 92 to 93)
how many from 90 to 99 or 95 to 99? do you have a link or is it your calcs?

Baal runs at lvl 90+ are way slower than TZs. With current drop rate of shards, you can terrorize Act 2 and just do elite-sniping in Canyon of the Magi and Tal Rasha's Tombs (and maybe add Arcane Sanctuary to rotation, if you care about the keys and have access to Teleport).

Main: Blizz Sorc 2nd: Magic Warlock 3rd: Javazon | SSF Online HG

klmklm27 `196`

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

sewcioj wrote: 2 weeks ago
Baal runs at lvl 90+ are way slower than TZs. With current drop rate of shards, you can terrorize Act 2 and just do elite-sniping in Canyon of the Magi and Tal Rasha's Tombs (and maybe add Arcane Sanctuary to rotation, if you care about the keys and have access to Teleport).

read somewhere at 95+ only TZ are better than Baal runs but not sure if its for p1 or p8...
yet I play 8 chars so Baal runs definitely cause I dont have to move everyone

Region: EU Time Zone: CET/DST (playing early morning / evening / week-ends)
Please post / PM here ( battle.net not working properly for me half of the time)

ShadowHeart `6512`Moderator

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

klmklm27 wrote: 2 weeks ago
read somewhere at 95+ only TZ are better than Baal runs but not sure if its for p1 or p8...
yet I play 8 chars so Baal runs definitely cause I dont have to move everyone

It's a bit of an oversimplification, it depends on what you're comparing (solo vs solo, party vs party, or solo vs party).

At level 94 or higher you suffer an XP penalty vs the waves for being overleveled. This XP penalty gets higher the bigger the level difference is. Baal's Minion waves are all level 88 - so at level 95, you're 7 levels higher.

Code: Select all

lvl diff   exp %
<5         100
5          100
6           81
7           62
8           43
9           24
10           5
>10          5

So at 7 levels higher you only get 62% of the XP you should have.
When it's TZ you'll never suffer this XP penalty, not even at level 98 (the minion waves will be level 99 when you're level 94+).
On top of this, TZ grants an innate +25% XP. So when it's TZ, and you're level 95, you get basically double XP compared to non-TZ (assuming equal player count & party size).

For party Baal runs (where everyone is together):
At level <93, TZ p6 is better* than non-TZ p8.
At level 94, TZ p4 is better* than to non-TZ p8.
At level 95, TZ p1 is better* than non-TZ p8.

For solo Baal runs (you're the only one in the throne room):
At level <93, TZ p7 is better* than non-TZ p8.
At level 94, TZ p5 is better* than non-TZ p8.
At level 95, TZ p4 is better* than non-TZ p8.
At level 96, TZ p3 is better* than non-TZ p8.
At level 97, TZ p1 is better* than non-TZ p8.

Comparing solo TZ Baal runs vs partied non-TZ Baal runs: (solo as in you're the only one in the throne room)
At level <93, solo TZ p3 is better* than full party non-TZ p8 (solo TZ p2 is barely worse).
At level 94, solo TZ p2 is better* than full party non-TZ p8.
At level 95, solo TZ p1 is better* than full party non-TZ p8.
(but of course, it's not always so simple as direct number comparisons - you also gotta factor in that solo clearing is typically slower than full party clearing, depending on build)

It's harder to compare other kinds of TZ runs to non-TZ Baal runs. But like I said above, at level 95 you get -38% XP vs Baal's minions (non-TZ), compared to +25% in TZ. (1.25 / 0.62 = 2.016)

* Better as in more XP per kill

(hope I didn't make any calculation errors here

)

klmklm27 `196`

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

thanks
so as i play p8 with all characters so below lvl 94 no penality at Baal runs
at lvl 94 and higher penalty starts so better do do TZ wherever than non TZ Baal runs (yet TZ Baal runs are best (more density))
right ?

Region: EU Time Zone: CET/DST (playing early morning / evening / week-ends)
Please post / PM here ( battle.net not working properly for me half of the time)

Baudolino `41`

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

I've been terrorizing full acts and playing normally (solo nonladder) and XP is slow, but steady. My paladin, who I only use to do Ubers and Uber Ancients now, is stuck at level 93. My javazon is currently 95, and I've been using her to farm TZs

Florian_G `701`

2 weeks ago (pre-Resurrected)

Back in the days (2009 - LoD 1.14) I coldn't finish the game. I stuck at lever 72 in Act II Hell for 15 years, until 2024 when I managed to beat Baal and reach level 84.

In D2R I have an online, non-ladder Hydra Sorc at level 92 or 93, don't know exactly as I haven't played her for a while.
Online I play alone on passworded game. I didn't traded anything, all the runes and items are self found.

I play mostly offline, P8. Here I have all my characters with all the good stuff.
When I start a new char I set P8 from the start but I give him or her all the good item I previously found to help him/her.

On RotW however, Warly - the Apocalypse warlock had a fresh start and I managed to find him almost all the BiS items (he needs only one more skiller to full his inventory).

In the first stage I play the whole game (Normal, Nightmare and Hell) killing all the enemies, popping all the chest and barrels, doing Cows, Uber Tristram and Uber Ancients.
Then I play almost only Terror Zones until I hit level 99. From 98 it takes a painfully lot of time to achieve the coveted Level 99.
If I look at the total amount of time that I put on this game in the last two years I get a little worried.