RFL 2025: Gauging Interest

[PhineasB]

Hi SPF!
It's that time of year! I wanted to gauge interest and availability for Rune Finding League if it starts in early April. For quick reference of what's involved, the 2023 RFL opening post is here.

We’ve shifted to only two rounds instead of three due to feedback about how challenging three rounds of three weeks (or 17 days more recently) is to sustain. One is Areas, now defined as any part of the game (including Terror Zones for those in D2R), except Cows (which are the other Round’s target) and LK. The former Travincal round is effectively combined with Areas from prior three-round format. For those in D2R, Terror Zones can't be run for Round 1 if Terrorized zone is Cows or LK.

@Luhkoh requested flipping the order so Cows is Round 1 and Areas is Round 2, which I will plan to do. As to timing, we will follow the format from last two years of two 17-day rounds with a short break between:

• Round 1: Friday, April 4 - Sunday, April 20
• Round 2: Friday, April 25 - Sunday, May 11

We can push back by a week or two if that works better for a lot of people. Hoping to get critical mass, so please share availability or if later time frame would allow you to join. Thanks!

Phineas

 

[ziambe]

My entire april is booked but any dates in may are welcome!

 

[Luhkoh]

I will play whenever it is! Should definitely be able to get in a set. The later the better since I'm still in LK getting basic gear, but I'll play whenever.

And thanks on that round switch! I can run blizz with basic gear in cows, but no real good option for areas without enigma or infinity. (I wonder what's best. P3 AT? Toorcless trav? Blizz arcane?)

Oh and btw @PhineasB I have no preference on 2 rounds vs RFO style. I know you mentioned that might depend on interest. If it was RFO style, I might suggest lengthening the running time to 4 weeks or something to get more sets but idk, just spitballing.

 

[LouB]

@PhineasB Count me in, but I won't be available to play from May 1 to 11 as I will be on Vacation.

As far as playing TZs goes I believe we also excluded Andy and Meph drops.

 

[Swamigoon]

I'm interested. For areas, do TZs put us 1.14 players at a disadvantage, as far as rune finding goes?

 

[Luhkoh]

@Swamigoon the answer is yes, but not a ton. Ofc d2r has torch and anni which helps, but aside from that, trav, arcane, flayer dungeon can all drop zods when terrorized. The drop rates for runes that can usually drop in those areas are unchanged, and ofc you can only run a specific tz area an hour at a time. Besides, I believe 1.07ers have the true advantage (and indeed have won the last several iirc) since they have scores calibrated to give the same average result, but have a much, much higher variance. So they like either score 0 or 150.

 

[little birdy]

Count me in whenever the RFL is! My goal is to not finish last Work is bad right now and it is eating into my free time more and more… But at least I still have a job! Anyways, I’ll play when I can. I will probably do a mix of Javazon and Demon Machine Enchantress for Cows, and I don’t know what yet for Areas.

 

[Excalibur]

If there’s Cows, I am in!

 

[Nano]

Count me in as well.

 

[ffs]

I’ll be cheering from the sidelines this time but looking forward to following along!

 

[Vildecor]

I'll be joining as well.