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Though the difficulty levels are the same game x3, they were clearly not just tacked on to extend the game's longevity; ''Diablo II'' was designed with them in mind, and the knowledge that most players would hardly get to experiment with their highest level (30) skills before finishing the game for the first time. This is less true in D2X than D2, since characters commonly level from 30ish to the low 40s in Act Five, leveling that took place in Nightmare, before the Expansion. Still, most characters don't start to round into their final forms until Nightmare, since they have | Though the difficulty levels are the same game x3, they were clearly not just tacked on to extend the game's longevity; ''Diablo II'' was designed with them in mind, and the knowledge that most players would hardly get to experiment with their highest level (30) skills before finishing the game for the first time. This is less true in D2X than D2, since characters commonly level from 30ish to the low 40s in Act Five, leveling that took place in Nightmare, before the Expansion. Still, most characters don't start to round into their final forms until Nightmare, since they have | ||
all of their skills by then and can start to max out the most useful ones. Even Nightmare is kind of a training mission for some, and for experienced players, Hell is the only difficulty level that really matters. There the top items can be found, characters can unleash their true powers with maxed out points in several synergistic skills, and the monsters are powerful enough to provide more of a challenge. | all of their skills by then and can start to max out the most useful ones. Even Nightmare is kind of a training mission for some, and for experienced players, Hell is the only difficulty level that really matters. There the top items can be found, characters can unleash their true powers with maxed out points in several synergistic skills, and the monsters are powerful enough to provide more of a challenge. | ||
== Level Up Guide == | |||
=Level Up Guide= | |||
The magic number when it comes to gaining experience is +/- 5. Monsters within that range of levels, compared to your character's level, are worth 100% of their potential experience. See the [[Experience]] article for full details and figures. | The magic number when it comes to gaining experience is +/- 5. Monsters within that range of levels, compared to your character's level, are worth 100% of their potential experience. See the [[Experience]] article for full details and figures. | ||
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There is no hard and fast rule for what level a character should be in different areas. Experience is best gained when characters are within +/- 5 levels from the monsters, but players need not worry too much about remaining within that narrow band. If monsters 7 levels higher are worth twice the experience of monsters 1 level higher, then killing the 7 level higher one, even with the 68% penalty, is better on the whole. Also, character levels will increase more rapidly than the monster levels while progressing through an Act, if you play in large games or use the [[Player_Settings#The_Players_X_Command | There is no hard and fast rule for what level a character should be in different areas. Experience is best gained when characters are within +/- 5 levels from the monsters, but players need not worry too much about remaining within that narrow band. If monsters 7 levels higher are worth twice the experience of monsters 1 level higher, then killing the 7 level higher one, even with the 68% penalty, is better on the whole. Also, character levels will increase more rapidly than the monster levels while progressing through an Act, if you play in large games or use the [[Player_Settings#The_Players_X_Command|Players X command]]. | ||
A useful general guideline for experience gain is that monsters are very near the Ilvl of the level they spawn on. So you can look at [http://strategy.diabloii.net/news.php?id=551#Area%20Levels a chart that shows the levels] for every area in the game, and figure your character should be about that level to get the full experience possible. Here's a quick reference list of the highest level area in each act, in all three difficulty levels: | A useful general guideline for experience gain is that monsters are very near the Ilvl of the level they spawn on. So you can look at [http://strategy.diabloii.net/news.php?id=551#Area%20Levels a chart that shows the levels] for every area in the game, and figure your character should be about that level to get the full experience possible. Here's a quick reference list of the highest level area in each act, in all three difficulty levels: | ||
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Leveling up in Nightmare is more up to individual preference and character design. Many players pass down useful items to their new characters, and as a result leveling speeds blast off past Clvl 30 or 35, when good exceptional weapons become usable. Others avail themselves of friends to "rush" them through the difficulty, moving quickly on to Hell and the better items and huge experience available there. | Leveling up in Nightmare is more up to individual preference and character design. Many players pass down useful items to their new characters, and as a result leveling speeds blast off past Clvl 30 or 35, when good exceptional weapons become usable. Others avail themselves of friends to "rush" them through the difficulty, moving quickly on to Hell and the better items and huge experience available there. | ||
== Normal Difficulty == | |||
=Normal Difficulty= | |||
New characters begin on Normal difficulty, automatically creating or joining normal difficulty games. They can not join or create nightmare games, nor will they see them on the game menus on Battle.net. | New characters begin on Normal difficulty, automatically creating or joining normal difficulty games. They can not join or create nightmare games, nor will they see them on the game menus on Battle.net. | ||
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* Once one of your characters finishes Normal Difficulty, you will be able to create [[Hardcore]] characters on that account. | * Once one of your characters finishes Normal Difficulty, you will be able to create [[Hardcore]] characters on that account. | ||
* Once a character finishes Normal difficulty, they will only see Nightmare difficulty games to join on the Battle.net menu. This can be inconvenient if you were hoping to level up a bit more with [[Baal]] runs before moving up to Nightmare, Act One. | * Once a character finishes Normal difficulty, they will only see Nightmare difficulty games to join on the Battle.net menu. This can be inconvenient if you were hoping to level up a bit more with [[Baal]] runs before moving up to Nightmare, Act One. | ||
* Characters who have finished Normal difficulty gain titles: | * Characters who have finished Normal difficulty gain [[titles]]: | ||
** Softcore: Slayer | ** Softcore: Slayer | ||
** Hardcore: Destroyer | ** Hardcore: Destroyer | ||
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* Hirelings and Summons do 50% damage to [[Act Bosses]] in Normal. | * Hirelings and Summons do 50% damage to [[Act Bosses]] in Normal. | ||
* [[Nihlathak]]'s Corpse Explosion deals 50% damage in Normal. | * [[Nihlathak]]'s Corpse Explosion deals 50% damage in Normal. | ||
== Nightmare Difficulty == | |||
Nightmare can be accessed once a character defeats [[Diablo]] in ''Diablo II'' and [[Baal]] in ''Diablo II: Lord of Destruction''. This achievement also allows that character to enter the [[Secret Cow Level]] on normal difficult (but not on Nightmare, until Diablo/Baal are defeated on Nightmare difficulty). Only Hell difficulty games are seen on the game join list on Battle.net once Nightmare is finished, which can make joining Nightmare games to level up before moving to hell problematic. | |||
Nightmare can be accessed once a character defeats [[Diablo]] in ''Diablo II'' and [[Baal]] in ''Diablo II''. This achievement also allows that character to enter the [[Secret Cow Level]] on normal difficult (but not on Nightmare, until Diablo/Baal are defeated on Nightmare difficulty). Only Hell difficulty games are seen on the game join list on Battle.net once Nightmare is finished, which can make joining Nightmare games to level up before moving to hell problematic. | |||
Exceptional items will be commonly found in Nightmare. (Some of the lower level types show up in Act Five/Normal.) Some lower level Elite items will turn up in Act Five/Nightmare. Regular monsters have about a 10% chance to drop something exceptional. Bosses and Champions have about a 20% chance. | Exceptional items will be commonly found in Nightmare. (Some of the lower level types show up in Act Five/Normal.) Some lower level Elite items will turn up in Act Five/Nightmare. Regular monsters have about a 10% chance to drop something exceptional. Bosses and Champions have about a 20% chance. | ||
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Characters who finish Nightmare gain new titles. | Characters who finish Nightmare gain new titles. | ||
* Softcore: Champion | * Softcore: Champion | ||
* Hardcore: Conqueror | * Hardcore: Conqueror | ||
== Hell Difficulty == | |||
=Hell Difficulty= | |||
Hell can be accessed once a character defeats Nightmare [[Diablo]] in ''Diablo II'' and [[Baal]] in ''Diablo II''. This achievement also allows that character to enter the [[Secret Cow Level]] on Nightmare difficult (but not on Hell, until Diablo/Baal are defeated on Hell difficulty). Only Hell games are now seen on the game join screen. Normal and Nightmare games can be joined, but only by typing in their names manually. | Hell can be accessed once a character defeats Nightmare [[Diablo]] in ''Diablo II'' and [[Baal]] in ''Diablo II''. This achievement also allows that character to enter the [[Secret Cow Level]] on Nightmare difficult (but not on Hell, until Diablo/Baal are defeated on Hell difficulty). Only Hell games are now seen on the game join screen. Normal and Nightmare games can be joined, but only by typing in their names manually. | ||
If you wish to play in those games with a Hell character, ask a friend to spot some game names, or log on with a lower level character and remember (or copy/paste) them. It's often possible to ride out a series of games; if players are creating "CowRuns24" you can safely guess the next one will be " | If you wish to play in those games with a Hell character, ask a friend to spot some game names, or log on with a lower level character and remember (or copy/paste) them. It's often possible to ride out a series of games; if players are creating "CowRuns24" you can safely guess the next one will be "Cowruns25" and can join or create it yourself. Large games of this type are very helpful to level up in, since you can often run Baal by yourself and rack up huge experience gains while other players are doing easier and less profitable areas. | ||
{| align="right" | {| align="right" | ||
! colspan="6" | Experience Penalties | ! colspan="6" | Experience Penalties | ||
|- | |||
! Clvl | ! Clvl | ||
! Exp | ! Exp | ||
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The experience loss death penalty is increased to 10% in Hell. Again, this penalty is taken from the experience your character needs to gain the next level, and this loss will never level-down a character, or take away more experience than they've gained towards the next level, so go dueling right after you level up. Recovering your corpse in that same game returns 75% of the experience lost. (Recovering your corpse in town in the next game gains you nothing in terms of experience, but it beats dying five more times trying to recover your first loss.) | The experience loss death penalty is increased to 10% in Hell. Again, this penalty is taken from the experience your character needs to gain the next level, and this loss will never level-down a character, or take away more experience than they've gained towards the next level, so go dueling right after you level up. Recovering your corpse in that same game returns 75% of the experience lost. (Recovering your corpse in town in the next game gains you nothing in terms of experience, but it beats dying five more times trying to recover your first loss.) | ||
Leveling up | Leveling up speed has varied quite a bit between the versions of Diablo II, as each patch tweaks the monsters' experience values, experience gain penalties, and other variables. In v1.09, leveling to 99 was not at all difficult since the high level penalties were not very strong, and when the last ladder reset of that patch kicked off a worldwide race to the top, new characters reached level 99 in less than 48 hours. In v1.10, reaching 99 is a much greater achievement, since the experience penalties gain teeth past level 90, and really begin to bite past 95. Hundreds of Baal runs are required to gain levels at that point, and marching to 99 has become quite an endurance effort in v1.10 and v1.11. | ||
Item quality continues to increase in Hell, since monsters have much higher odds to drop exceptional and elite items. Items dropped by Hell monsters have a, | Item quality continues to increase in Hell, since monsters have much higher odds to drop exceptional and elite items. Items dropped by Hell monsters have a, | ||
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* Unique and Champion Monsters gain a 66% damage bonus in Nightmare. (This bonus is compared to what a normal monster of that type does.) | * Unique and Champion Monsters gain a 66% damage bonus in Nightmare. (This bonus is compared to what a normal monster of that type does.) | ||
* Monsters that can cast skills gain 7 levels to their magical attacks. | * Monsters that can cast skills gain 7 levels to their magical attacks. | ||
* Random boss monsters gain a third random [[Monster | * Random boss monsters gain a third random [[Monster Modifiers]]. | ||
** Most [[Superuniques]] gain a second random modifier to add to their preset properties. | ** Most [[Superuniques]] gain a second random modifier to add to their preset properties. | ||