(Oct 14) Three-hour Hardcore Ladder Race

VERY close race.

For reward feedback, this seems alot better. Prizes still felt rewarding, but someone not running the race could have come close playing normally.



Edit: prizes from prize character #2?

died as a caster shadow at around 1 hr 20 , remade as mara and got lvl 22

They actually only nabbed 4 demis this time.

I wont comment on the mara issue, or party vs solo for now.

I got lucky finally, and it showed, thanks Chris & GGG!

I played this race rather unconventional.
Since I know I'm not that good at higher levels of HC, I simply rushed as many characters I could to level 10.

What I did (which worked out reeeeally great):
1. Make 6 guys(duelists) before the race.
2. Run each to the town where:
2a) I talk to Tarkleigh and check for magic 1h/gloves/boots/helm (only costs 2 ID-scrolls)
2b) Check iron ring(or coral ring if you already got imba dmg etc)
etc etc, stuff it all to the stash, with the ID-scrolls and some mana flasks.
This should leave you with at least one nice 1h, gloves/head with max life for example, 10% MS on boots, 2 rings and a few ID-scrolls to ID relevant rares.

3. First guy medicine chest, get phase run, go go mud flats, go go the ledge, level to 10 - TP town and ditch the gear in stash, level the next guy(this one not needing to do medicine chest) etc, repeat.

Also you might be lucky so that Hillock drops


I managed to get 5 guys to 10, though my 6th guy died at lvl 13 with 20 minutes to go. (Told you, not good in HC-rush)
And now I am laughing the whole way to the bank! X)

EDIT: lol :)
http://templeofexiles.com/ladder-race/Oct-14-2012HCLadderRush/experience?char=HoolaI%2CHoolaII%2CHoolaIII%2CHoolaIV%2CHoolaV%2CHoolaVI&tf1=1&tf2=183

Wow finished 50th overall. Did horrible this time around with a Frost Nova Templar.

He was beast all the way up until Merveil and then Frost Nova is just completly ineffective after that.

Templar gets No other spells after that and I could not grab a ground slam or sweep either. A bunch of useless gems to choose from. A spark gem may have helped.

Congrats to my team as they carried me through all of Act 2. Once we hit Cruel I let them go on without me as I was completly useless.

Next time more alchs, Chris. Thx.

Poor race overall.

Average drops but zero flask upgrades and no gloves drops at all in act 1, with mostly average and a couple above average drops in act 2. Got the usual glut of rares near the end, not really the sort of rng love im looking for but better than nothing i suppose.

Brutus battle was terrible, he kept desyncing and causing me to teleport due to his hook, and at about half health he managed to hook me through 3 walls, embedding me in the wall closest to him and forcing me to save out. Merveil went fine; other a2 bosses not so much due to them desyncing into walls or getting trapped in objects. Also had to bail twice in pyramid due to attacking things when i needed to move, and once due to flasks not working.

After the two aborted pyramid attempts, i felt i didnt have time to make cruel ledge profitable and just grinded waterfall cave to the finish. 3rd place shadow in the end.

So, feedback:

- Brutus hook is a desync monster. When its not causing desync, it makes him far easier as well- he spends way too much time winding up at range now.

- Merveil battle is annoying/boring as ever (easy or not) and could use a full makeover at some point.

- I spend more effort in these races trying not to die to desync, flask failure and the lack of a dedicated move command than anything else. Really looking forward to a time where the majority of the challenge comes from the actual game, not netcode/ui issues and bugs.

- Party mechanics still need work. Infinite portal use, boosting etc... basically the only advantage a party should be seeing is from their own teamwork.

And thats it. See you next race!

114 prize orbs with 2 exalted, 11 fusing, 5 chaos, 2 prisms, 7 alchemy, some scouring. Not bad for 3 hours.