I rule Diablo II standard. My character is decked out, with all socketed unique items and rare items, a walking mountain of pain and death. If anything bothers me, it gets a face full of max level Bone Spirits and I move on. Whenever I play that character, I feel pretty powerful. But last week, all of that changed. After facing the 8-Player Mod and blowing through it with little or no problem, I moved on to Darkness Weaves. And then the tears started.
Darkness Weaves is an "iron man" mod. I used to think I was an "iron man," but now I know I'm just a spoiled, little wuss. In this mod, you begin the game naked; you get what you find and nothing more. Items can't be repaired, and town runs are a thing of the past unless you like camping the waypoints. Darkness Weaves is a battle against fate that can't be won. What makes it so much fun is always trying to find a new and different way to win.
Item strategy in standard Diablo II revolves around finding the best biggest weapon and using it. Darkness Weaves is slightly different. With no way to repair items, careful management of them is extremely important. This is a great addition, and I'm beginning to think that this is the way I would've liked to see durability handled in standard Diablo II.
Of course, some people will play Darkness Weaves "softcore" and wonder what in the hell I'm talking about. This modification should ONLY be played hardcore, or else there is really no point to it, at all. Sure, I almost cried when my level 7 Necromancer got eaten by a Gargantuan Beast, but… Oh, forget it, play the mod softcore, spare you feelings! RedDead: I miss you!
I recommend to everyone who can, try this mod; it is a playing experience far removed from the crapulent golden era of standard Diablo II an unconquerable scenario quite akin to life itself.
Highs: Manages to change Diablo II completely; very difficult, makes inventory management something more than "find biggest rare." Lows: Dying hurts, Items break a lot.
Items: To play Darkness Weaves, you must learn item management. It is a very good idea to save your best weapon in your inventory and use a weaker one to kill normal enemies. It feels pretty stupid when you break a rare scimitar against a Dark One, leaving you to take Andariel barehanded.
Vitality: Just like in hardcore standard, Vitality is important; especially since life modifiers and good armor are difficult to keep for more than an Act. Put at least one point into Vitality per level, if not two. If you play a Necromancer, make sure you pour points into Bone Armor.
Resistance: Again, like in hardcore standard, resistance plays a big factor in survival. A big surprise for me was that now Poison resistance takes on a new level of urgency. Without a backpack full of Super Healing Potions, Poison tends to hurt quite a bit more. Try to find items with the "Reduced Poison Length" effect or die a slow, slow death.
This, boys and girls, is what happens when you don't think you need that minor healing potion laying on the ground.
This week I managed to snag an interview with the creator of Darkness Weaves, Rexx Law. Enjoy!
Q: What gave you the idea to make Darkness Weaves? It's quite a big departure from other mods, which seem to focus on a different mentality. (E.g. More, Bigger, Faster)
A: It used to be popular to play Ironman in Diablo I. In fact there were several styles of gameplay which included things like Powersweep, Garbage Collecter, etc... Darkness Weaves was just a port of it into the game of Diablo II, once I learned how to mod (and took a break from modding Unreal Tournament) Diablo II.
A: Act 4, Hell [difficulty]. I havent beat Diablo yet. Seems that Blizzard has taken my focus off of Darkness Weaves until the [Expansion Set] is mastered. 8)
Q: If someone really wants to be an Iron man, should they play Darkness Weaves on hardcore?
A: That is the ultimate way to play, but in the game's current build, that might be nearly impossible. The monsters are very very tough and it would require some very careful gameplay styles. If you really, really want to try it, give it a go. Let me know how well you do and how long you last.
Q: Is it okay to cry like a little baby when my level 7 Necromancer bites it?
A: I do it every time I step out of the Rogue Encampment and get whomped. Its even tougher knowing that I brought it on myself by building the mod. 8_P.
Q: Do you have a favorite mod? Besides your own that is, who in the modding community do you respect the most?
A: Its hard to say I have a favorite. K&V have done some great stuff. In fact, I had interviewed them once when I worked for another Diablo II fan site. They provided the inspiration for me to say "Gosh, I wish I could change the game 'this way'". Jeff Bouley (Jbouley), Fusman, Goldark, FireHeart/Jarda... All of them earn my respect as they have proven to be VERY accomplished modders. If I had to pick a favorite it would have to be [Cold] Fusion by Fireheart and the crew. It was the first Diablo II mod I played all the way through and I was very impressed. In fact, Fireheart was a big help to me early on. If I had to pick a most respected modder in the community, I would take the easy way out and say "Anyone who posts at The PhrozenKeep".
Q: How much different do you expect the LoD version to be? Will you weaken the bonuses that ethereal items receive since they will be the same as every other item?
A: I have already started working on the LOD version. I dont see a big difference other than the amount of stuff you can get from the game. Ethereal Items are being reviewed to see what (if any) changes need to be made. Currently I am working up the Dark Crusade version (the basis for the Darkness Weaves version) and then will be making an announcement.
Keep checking the Darkness Weaves site at The Phrozen Keep for updates. When the Lord of Destruction version is released, I guarantee that it won't be a disappointment.
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