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Playing the original Diablo for the first time... what do I need to know?

Zor

Zor

Member
Oct 30, 2017
11,446
I grabbed this on GOG when they put out the updated HD version with the expansion pack last year. I've never played Diablo before, nor this kind of game outside a little bit of Torchlight a few years back. It's a series (along with Starcraft) that I've always wanted to make time for. What advice should I know before going in to help me have the best possible experience as a first timer?
 
TheMoon

TheMoon

|OT|
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,780
Video Games
Zor said:
I grabbed this on GOG when they put out the updated HD version with the expansion pack last year. I've never played Diablo before, nor this kind of game outside a little bit of Torchlight a few years back. It's a series (along with Starcraft) that I've always wanted to make time for. What advice should I know before going in to help me have the best possible experience as a first timer?
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Save often. Buy Town Portals.

That's all you need.

Oh, and you can drop shit on the floor in town and it'll stay there. Make use of it.
 
Daggoth

Daggoth

Member
Oct 25, 2017
663
Click fast, click often.

If you feel you need to power up more, you can start a new game with your character carrying their stats.

Items are droppable in town, they will stay there. If you restart per the previous paragraph, they will disappear. Beware.
 

Daxa

Member
Jan 10, 2018
622
If you don't recover your corpse, all your loot is just gone.

Multiplayer is a lot of fun, if you can get it to work.

Make sure to talk to all the townspeople, game has some of the best dialogue and voiceacting.
 

Syril

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,895
If you play warrior, his repair skill seems crazy useful, but be aware that using it reduces the item's maximum durability. Same for the sorcerer's recharge staff skill.
 
OP
OP
Zor

Zor

Member
Oct 30, 2017
11,446
Thank you everyone, this is all great. I chose Rogue to start so will see how I get on.

By the way, I noticed that only the original game is on GOG in this updated form. Does that mean Diablo 2 on Battlenet will play fine on a Windows 10 machine too, as I might buy that also.
 
Fanto

Fanto

Is this tag ok?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,863
Zor said:
Does that mean Diablo 2 on Battlenet will play fine on a Windows 10 machine too, as I might buy that also.
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It does, yes. I haven't played it in a while, but I do own Diablo 2 through the Battle.net store and it worked fine when I played through it.
 
TheMoon

TheMoon

|OT|
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,780
Video Games
Zor said:
Thank you everyone, this is all great. I chose Rogue to start so will see how I get on.

By the way, I noticed that only the original game is on GOG in this updated form. Does that mean Diablo 2 on Battlenet will play fine on a Windows 10 machine too, as I might buy that also.
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Yes Diablo 2 didn't need any special update. OG Diablo had some issues with recent Windows, hence the need for this.

Btw I hope you bought the Hellfire bundle because otherwise you're stuck with walk-only speed. Hellfire added a "fast walk" that is, for me, crucial.
 
OP
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Zor

Zor

Member
Oct 30, 2017
11,446
TheMoon said:
Yes Diablo 2 didn't need any special update. OG Diablo had some issues with recent Windows, hence the need for this.

Btw I hope you bought the Hellfire bundle because otherwise you're stuck with walk-only speed. Hellfire added a "fast walk" that is, for me, crucial.
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I did yeah, but I didn't select Hellfire when I launched the game as I didn't know if the expansion was separate. Is it better to play that version? I can start over, I'm still very early.
 

ThreePi

Member
Dec 7, 2017
4,781
Drop an item on the ground, take like 10 steps away from it. Then click the item to go pick it up, if you click on a potion on your belt at precisely the same time as you pick up the item off the ground you will get the item in your inventory and the potion that you clicked it will dupe into the item.
 
Maccix

Maccix

Member
Jan 10, 2018
1,251
If you somehow know someone who wants to play it with you,then try to get it to work. Multiplayer is really where the first one shines.

If you like the concept but think it's too rough,then give the 2nd game a chance. With its addon Lords of Destruction it improves on every aspect of the first game by a LOT. It's a blizzard game in their absolutely prime and it shows.
 
OP
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Zor

Zor

Member
Oct 30, 2017
11,446
Maccix said:
If you like the concept but think it's too rough,then give the 2nd game a chance. With its addon Lords of Destruction it improves on every aspect of the first game by a LOT. It's a blizzard game in their absolutely prime and it shows.
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Oh yeah, I'm for sure going to play 2.
 
TheMoon

TheMoon

|OT|
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,780
Video Games
Zor said:
I did yeah, but I didn't select Hellfire when I launched the game as I didn't know if the expansion was separate. Is it better to play that version? I can start over, I'm still very early.
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Restart now. It is seamlessly integrated. Don't bother with vanilla Diablo.

Either way, the sanctity of this place has been fouled.
 

Powdered Toastman

Member
Oct 30, 2017
254
This shrine list is nice to have, as they only give you a vague message when activated. Effects are mostly positive, but not always, so be aware...

diablo.fandom.com

Shrines (Diablo I)

Shrines are environmental objects found throughout the journey within the labyrinth beneath Tristram. Each shrine can only be used once, but they bestow a (semi)permanent effect upon the user. Not all of these shrines are beneficial. Some have been cursed by the minions of Hell, and permanently...
diablo.fandom.com diablo.fandom.com

Warrior is good to play, but I had most fun with the wizard.
 
TheMoon

TheMoon

|OT|
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,780
Video Games
Zor said:
Done! Chose Warrior this time. And holy shit, you really do book it around town with that run!
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You'll learn to appreciate that even more when you ran out of town portal scrolls and have to backtrack a floor or two to get to a telep--- wait, Diablo 1 didn't have teleports. Shortcut exits, I mean lol.
 
OP
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Zor

Zor

Member
Oct 30, 2017
11,446
I also wanted to ask if anyone had recommendations for games along similar lines to the Diablo games that are worth checking out? Really doesn't matter how old they are, as long as I can run them on Win10 without much faffing about.
 

Syril

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,895
Zor said:
I also wanted to ask if anyone had recommendations for games along similar lines to the Diablo games that are worth checking out? Really doesn't matter how old they are, as long as I can run them on Win10 without much faffing about.
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Nox
www.gog.com

Nox™

An excellent action/RPG hybrid with very unique gameplay. Your name is Jack Mower, a 20th
www.gog.com www.gog.com
It works if you set compatibility to Windows 98/ME in the properties of the application.
 
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Saikyo

Saikyo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,347
Start with rogue or wizars, its hard but the warrior is imo almost useless solo when you go to the last part of the game needing to use more the bow than your sword.

Or I messed up something in my build :v
 
Joseph Merrick

Joseph Merrick

Member
Jun 13, 2018
173
Zor said:
I also wanted to ask if anyone had recommendations for games along similar lines to the Diablo games that are worth checking out? Really doesn't matter how old they are, as long as I can run them on Win10 without much faffing about.
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www.gog.com

Grim Dawn

Enter an apocalyptic fantasy world where humanity is on the brink of extinction, iron is
www.gog.com www.gog.com

:)

I also have a real soft spot for https://www.gog.com/game/sacred_2_gold but that's a weirder one

now excuse me I'm gonna have to reinstall diablo and do a quick rogue run. they better fucking announce rogue as a class again for diablo 4.
 
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Zor

Zor

Member
Oct 30, 2017
11,446
Wait... I'm confused... I just encountered The Butcher, at Level 8, and all I did was rail on him with my claymore and popped a couple of healing potions while hammering left click. He's dead. I was expecting something much more dramatic. That said... really cool as fuck moment! Loved seeing the room absolutely packed with corpses. Had an inkling something was going to happen before heading in.
 
TheMoon

TheMoon

|OT|
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,780
Video Games
Zor said:
Wait... I'm confused... I just encountered The Butcher, at Level 8, and all I did was rail on him with my claymore and popped a couple of healing potions while hammering left click. He's dead. I was expecting something much more dramatic. That said... really cool as fuck moment! Loved seeing the room absolutely packed with corpses. Had an inkling something was going to happen before heading in.
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Level 8 is a really late spawn for him. Iirc you do come across his lair much earlier on average (Diablo 1's floors are procedural, in case you didn't know) so that's probably why.
 
OP
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Zor

Zor

Member
Oct 30, 2017
11,446
TheMoon said:
Level 8 is a really late spawn for him. Iirc you do come across his lair much earlier on average (Diablo 1's floors are procedural, in case you didn't know) so that's probably why.
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Yeah, makes sense. I completely managed to miss him for a few floors by not filling in the map on that level, then bumped into him when I realised I hadn't fully explore yet.
 
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Zor

Zor

Member
Oct 30, 2017
11,446
So I've finished The Butcher AND The Well, but no other quests have shown up yet. Do i just keep going deeper in the church?
 
johancruijff

johancruijff

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,236
Italy
SparkleMotion said:
You should know that there are two better sequels.
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tenor.gif
 
TheMoon

TheMoon

|OT|
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,780
Video Games
Zor said:
So I've finished The Butcher AND The Well, but no other quests have shown up yet. Do i just keep going deeper in the church?
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Always go deeper.

But also talk to people in town again. I think Griswald gives you a quest at some point?

There's also a certain ...err... obejct(?) you can find out in the town by the brook in the west ....
edit: nope, that's D2 lol

but basically, you also get quests from items you pick up, or when you read a tome or something. there's no real deep quest system in this one. you just go deeper and deeper....
 
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Zor

Zor

Member
Oct 30, 2017
11,446
TheMoon said:
Just cause his name literally ends in "bad?" lol
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AND he's a goat demon. But, yes, also the bad part.

I just reached the catacombs. This shit just get helluva hard for a warrior. I might need to start getting into ranged combat. Been using the butcher's cleaver for the past few levels and it's worked well enough, but now the difficulty seems to have spiked.
 
TheMoon

TheMoon

|OT|
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,780
Video Games
Zor said:
AND he's a goat demon. But, yes, also the bad part.

I just reached the catacombs. This shit just get helluva hard for a warrior. I might need to start getting into ranged combat. Been using the butcher's cleaver for the past few levels and it's worked well enough, but now the difficulty seems to have spiked.
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If you're cool you'll also learn the Book of the Blind by heart, like me. If you're even cooler you'll not write it on the blackboard at school like a creep, though.

Also, don't limit yourself to class stereotypes. If you find a magic spell and the INT req isn't outrageous, dump some points in there. Firewall = chefkiss.

TheDestructiveSquirrel said:
What part?
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Presumably "ahhh, fresh meat!"?
 
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