Hi !!
I always loved to read time travelers threads and guides on this forum.
After I red some old Diablo 2 patchs walkthrough reports, like DariusTriplet's or Macintom's, I felt the urge to try to make this work, just to see if I could try it myself one day.
Thanks to all the great topics we can find on SPF, I managed to get a Diablo2 1.0 version to work after some struggle, with 2 instances of the game run in local multiplayer (for muling purpose), in English.
I couldn't wait any longer and had to try it myself, so I left my 1.13 characters aside, and give birth to Amorphis, the (HC) sorceress.
Her purpose is first to beat the game in hell, and gather a lot of nice unusual rare items, and have fun with this version of the game, before who knows, move further on in time.
You instantly realize you're not playing the same game : you play in a tiny screen (480x600, it's small), you notice a lot of unusual things (no "repair all" button, full screen flashes as lightning stikes in the Blood Moor - hope the player is not epileptic -, tomes of identify and town portal can be dropped by monsters, you can pack keys by 6 only, some curse stays still active a few seconds after the boss's death, ...), and most of all : no mana pots in shops, and, I had almost forgotten : drops are AWFUL !!!
Even for the mana potions thing, I was not too worried, I used to pick up a lot of potions, and quickly end up with a full inventory, but here, even potions don't drop easily ! I had to save every potion for later because it's really hard to find !!
So instead of drinking pots, it's town portal all the time. I don't know what was the plan behind this, we could buy mana potions in Diablo 1, so what went through game designer's mind ?
The same goes for chipped gems, I found maybe 3 or 4 before Andariel, that's all.
Anyway, that's what I needed, challenging game, and (almost) the feeling to play a new game. So let's go !!
Starting was easy, as usual, and hit monsters with the staff is as efficient as firebolts.
She needs everything in the beginning, a lot of strength to wear items, vitality to survive, and energy, a lot of energy.
Her first skill points were spent in warmth and static field, plus 1 point to ice bolt.
I soon trade her staff for a 1h-weapon (a sabre with nice little bonuses), planning to equip Amorphis with a shield, as she'll have to protect herself from thrower monsters and fast packs. The sabre is effective against foes, as long as Amorphis manage to fight them one by one. So most of the time, static and ice bolt are massively used, with the huge amount of mana needed.
From the Tamoe highland, things get really worse, and she had more and more flee/panic situation. She could however reach the inner cloister waypoint safe. Every item she had was lame at best, and she owned 3000 gold coins. She'll have to improve !
She made her way with care to Andariel's Lair. Amorphis spammed static, and slained the Demon. She is lvl 10. Nothing interresting was found in this first act, but 5 gems, which is not really much...
Once in the desert, Amorphis went to find the Horadric Cube. It was mostly running between enemies, killing some when she was lucky enough to find a mana pool or a well. These, like wapypoints, are the best place to fight and kill some monsters without suffering too much from the lack of mana.
Some monsters like skeletons can still be slained with the sword, most of time there's only static and ice blast to get rid of enemies. I found a nice +3 ice blast +2 warmth staff in a shop, but couldn't afford it for now...
I managed to get the cube, and slay Radament.
Back in the desert, I found the first Amorphis' unique item. A nice Bloodrise. It deals great damage, but Amorphis still lacks attack rating. She uses the bloodrise, but just to finish frozen foes.
The maggot lair was not so bad, until Amorphis finds the final room. She never managed to reach the chest, and was overwhelmed by hundred of worms. After a few try, I had to start another game.
The second try was better, she ran to the chest, and grabbed the staff without even trying to kill all the worms.
The claw viper temple lvl 2 was a challenge, as usually. I hired a mercenary for that level, just to distract the vipers a few seconds.
I had to quit the game at first try, too many salamander everywhere.
I found a Hsarus belt on the way, those 20 life will be appreciated. I grapped the viper amulet and flee, once again.
The Arcane sanctuary was quickly done, Amorphis was lucky enough to find the right way on first try.
Time to go for Duriel ! In the Canyon, she could gain some more xp, with nice xp configurations like this :
In the tomb, she encoutered another Diablo II 1.00 "joke", the door that cannot be crossed :
Had to restart the game, no way to go behind this door (no teleport yet). Anyway...
She reached lvl 18 in Duriel's tomb, and it was a nice imporvement, because of glacial spike ! more expensive thant ice blast, but very very very more efficient !! more damage and AOE damage ! So now, a few static + a few glacial spikes still empties Amorphis' mana pool, but with great results !
Duriel was not a problem, really. Static to get his hp low, a few glacial spikes to finish him.
I always loved to read time travelers threads and guides on this forum.
After I red some old Diablo 2 patchs walkthrough reports, like DariusTriplet's or Macintom's, I felt the urge to try to make this work, just to see if I could try it myself one day.
Thanks to all the great topics we can find on SPF, I managed to get a Diablo2 1.0 version to work after some struggle, with 2 instances of the game run in local multiplayer (for muling purpose), in English.
I couldn't wait any longer and had to try it myself, so I left my 1.13 characters aside, and give birth to Amorphis, the (HC) sorceress.
Her purpose is first to beat the game in hell, and gather a lot of nice unusual rare items, and have fun with this version of the game, before who knows, move further on in time.
You instantly realize you're not playing the same game : you play in a tiny screen (480x600, it's small), you notice a lot of unusual things (no "repair all" button, full screen flashes as lightning stikes in the Blood Moor - hope the player is not epileptic -, tomes of identify and town portal can be dropped by monsters, you can pack keys by 6 only, some curse stays still active a few seconds after the boss's death, ...), and most of all : no mana pots in shops, and, I had almost forgotten : drops are AWFUL !!!
Even for the mana potions thing, I was not too worried, I used to pick up a lot of potions, and quickly end up with a full inventory, but here, even potions don't drop easily ! I had to save every potion for later because it's really hard to find !!
So instead of drinking pots, it's town portal all the time. I don't know what was the plan behind this, we could buy mana potions in Diablo 1, so what went through game designer's mind ?
The same goes for chipped gems, I found maybe 3 or 4 before Andariel, that's all.
Anyway, that's what I needed, challenging game, and (almost) the feeling to play a new game. So let's go !!
Starting was easy, as usual, and hit monsters with the staff is as efficient as firebolts.
She needs everything in the beginning, a lot of strength to wear items, vitality to survive, and energy, a lot of energy.
Her first skill points were spent in warmth and static field, plus 1 point to ice bolt.
I soon trade her staff for a 1h-weapon (a sabre with nice little bonuses), planning to equip Amorphis with a shield, as she'll have to protect herself from thrower monsters and fast packs. The sabre is effective against foes, as long as Amorphis manage to fight them one by one. So most of the time, static and ice bolt are massively used, with the huge amount of mana needed.
From the Tamoe highland, things get really worse, and she had more and more flee/panic situation. She could however reach the inner cloister waypoint safe. Every item she had was lame at best, and she owned 3000 gold coins. She'll have to improve !
She made her way with care to Andariel's Lair. Amorphis spammed static, and slained the Demon. She is lvl 10. Nothing interresting was found in this first act, but 5 gems, which is not really much...
Once in the desert, Amorphis went to find the Horadric Cube. It was mostly running between enemies, killing some when she was lucky enough to find a mana pool or a well. These, like wapypoints, are the best place to fight and kill some monsters without suffering too much from the lack of mana.
Some monsters like skeletons can still be slained with the sword, most of time there's only static and ice blast to get rid of enemies. I found a nice +3 ice blast +2 warmth staff in a shop, but couldn't afford it for now...
I managed to get the cube, and slay Radament.
Back in the desert, I found the first Amorphis' unique item. A nice Bloodrise. It deals great damage, but Amorphis still lacks attack rating. She uses the bloodrise, but just to finish frozen foes.
The maggot lair was not so bad, until Amorphis finds the final room. She never managed to reach the chest, and was overwhelmed by hundred of worms. After a few try, I had to start another game.
The second try was better, she ran to the chest, and grabbed the staff without even trying to kill all the worms.
The claw viper temple lvl 2 was a challenge, as usually. I hired a mercenary for that level, just to distract the vipers a few seconds.
I had to quit the game at first try, too many salamander everywhere.
I found a Hsarus belt on the way, those 20 life will be appreciated. I grapped the viper amulet and flee, once again.
The Arcane sanctuary was quickly done, Amorphis was lucky enough to find the right way on first try.
Time to go for Duriel ! In the Canyon, she could gain some more xp, with nice xp configurations like this :
In the tomb, she encoutered another Diablo II 1.00 "joke", the door that cannot be crossed :
Had to restart the game, no way to go behind this door (no teleport yet). Anyway...
She reached lvl 18 in Duriel's tomb, and it was a nice imporvement, because of glacial spike ! more expensive thant ice blast, but very very very more efficient !! more damage and AOE damage ! So now, a few static + a few glacial spikes still empties Amorphis' mana pool, but with great results !
Duriel was not a problem, really. Static to get his hp low, a few glacial spikes to finish him.
I guess you have to play extra carefully. No knowing what oddities will come your way when playing 1.00. 
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