Isaac is a Classic Barbarian. This is going to be really fun since Classic 1.09b is pretty much my favorite version of the game. It still reminds me of original Classic but just improved in every way. Specifically because by this point, Diablo II was fully developed and pretty much stabilized (After all that happened with 1.07 and 1.08 about 2~ months prior). The game has a bit different mechanics than pre lod of course, like crushing blow now works against bosses, and MF actually applies to bosses as well, and you can farm them too. There's also a lot more loot available than in prelod. You also have the players command officially implemented (Although Singling already provides this for 1.00, 1.05, 1.07, and 1.08 - so this isn't the most important feature). One of my favorite things is that partial set bonuses are actually implemented and apply to Classic as well. Either way, I'll still enjoy 1.05b and 1.10 as well, but there's something special about 1.09b Classic (and also of course, the legendary, 1.09b Expansion). 1.09b has the perfect balance and stability in the game, while still being tailored in a way towards Single Player. Some people feel 1.09b is too easy, but given that I don't play MP at all, I really enjoy the more simpler, easier type of game, which reminds me of the difficulty and the "fun-ness" of Diablo 1. It doesn't have to be the most difficult game, it's perfect just like it was in 1.09b. This includes game balance like the distribution of immune monsters and all of that. I also like that it still doesn't have mana sold in stores. Don't get me wrong, I loved the mana pots in stores since that's what I grew up on, so it was a shock and difficult for me to adjust when I started 1.09b, but playing 1.05b and 1.09b for a while now has made me understand the game more and it's nice to have things like "Mana Per Kill", "Energy Attribute", "Energy Stats..", "Warmth", "Mana Regeneration", and Tir Runes (Because MPK) actually mean something. It's nice for resource management to actually be a thing, and to carefully use your attacks so that you don't waste all your mana before you can find more mana pots from monsters and chests. The 1.09 item rebalancing definitely helped massively with this since they increased the mana pot drop rate a lot compared to prelod. You really needed to be more careful in 1.05b when it comes to mana.
[1.09b] Ladder 4 Begins Now! Isaac's Adventure
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fearedbliss
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[1.09b] Ladder 4 Begins Now! Isaac's Adventure
Everything seems to have aligned up nicely.. All Cactus and Singling work has been completed, and D2R Patch 2.4 came out today, and I have been dabbling with starting my Ladder 4 for a while now. So let's do it! All my chars have been wiped (archived to my NAS - Hall of Heroes?) and started a new ladder. This time I decided to go with 1.09b w/ Singling. 3D Sound / EAX Enabled of course, and cnc-ddraw using one of my favorite shaders (Which I haven't used for a while btw), sabr-3.0. This shader makes the game a lot more "smoother" and "creamier" which I LOVE <3. It gives it almost a more modern look but while really enhancing and still using those original textures. You can see the screenshots below.
Isaac is a Classic Barbarian. This is going to be really fun since Classic 1.09b is pretty much my favorite version of the game. It still reminds me of original Classic but just improved in every way. Specifically because by this point, Diablo II was fully developed and pretty much stabilized (After all that happened with 1.07 and 1.08 about 2~ months prior). The game has a bit different mechanics than pre lod of course, like crushing blow now works against bosses, and MF actually applies to bosses as well, and you can farm them too. There's also a lot more loot available than in prelod. You also have the players command officially implemented (Although Singling already provides this for 1.00, 1.05, 1.07, and 1.08 - so this isn't the most important feature). One of my favorite things is that partial set bonuses are actually implemented and apply to Classic as well. Either way, I'll still enjoy 1.05b and 1.10 as well, but there's something special about 1.09b Classic (and also of course, the legendary, 1.09b Expansion). 1.09b has the perfect balance and stability in the game, while still being tailored in a way towards Single Player. Some people feel 1.09b is too easy, but given that I don't play MP at all, I really enjoy the more simpler, easier type of game, which reminds me of the difficulty and the "fun-ness" of Diablo 1. It doesn't have to be the most difficult game, it's perfect just like it was in 1.09b. This includes game balance like the distribution of immune monsters and all of that. I also like that it still doesn't have mana sold in stores. Don't get me wrong, I loved the mana pots in stores since that's what I grew up on, so it was a shock and difficult for me to adjust when I started 1.09b, but playing 1.05b and 1.09b for a while now has made me understand the game more and it's nice to have things like "Mana Per Kill", "Energy Attribute", "Energy Stats..", "Warmth", "Mana Regeneration", and Tir Runes (Because MPK) actually mean something. It's nice for resource management to actually be a thing, and to carefully use your attacks so that you don't waste all your mana before you can find more mana pots from monsters and chests. The 1.09 item rebalancing definitely helped massively with this since they increased the mana pot drop rate a lot compared to prelod. You really needed to be more careful in 1.05b when it comes to mana.
Isaac is a Classic Barbarian. This is going to be really fun since Classic 1.09b is pretty much my favorite version of the game. It still reminds me of original Classic but just improved in every way. Specifically because by this point, Diablo II was fully developed and pretty much stabilized (After all that happened with 1.07 and 1.08 about 2~ months prior). The game has a bit different mechanics than pre lod of course, like crushing blow now works against bosses, and MF actually applies to bosses as well, and you can farm them too. There's also a lot more loot available than in prelod. You also have the players command officially implemented (Although Singling already provides this for 1.00, 1.05, 1.07, and 1.08 - so this isn't the most important feature). One of my favorite things is that partial set bonuses are actually implemented and apply to Classic as well. Either way, I'll still enjoy 1.05b and 1.10 as well, but there's something special about 1.09b Classic (and also of course, the legendary, 1.09b Expansion). 1.09b has the perfect balance and stability in the game, while still being tailored in a way towards Single Player. Some people feel 1.09b is too easy, but given that I don't play MP at all, I really enjoy the more simpler, easier type of game, which reminds me of the difficulty and the "fun-ness" of Diablo 1. It doesn't have to be the most difficult game, it's perfect just like it was in 1.09b. This includes game balance like the distribution of immune monsters and all of that. I also like that it still doesn't have mana sold in stores. Don't get me wrong, I loved the mana pots in stores since that's what I grew up on, so it was a shock and difficult for me to adjust when I started 1.09b, but playing 1.05b and 1.09b for a while now has made me understand the game more and it's nice to have things like "Mana Per Kill", "Energy Attribute", "Energy Stats..", "Warmth", "Mana Regeneration", and Tir Runes (Because MPK) actually mean something. It's nice for resource management to actually be a thing, and to carefully use your attacks so that you don't waste all your mana before you can find more mana pots from monsters and chests. The 1.09 item rebalancing definitely helped massively with this since they increased the mana pot drop rate a lot compared to prelod. You really needed to be more careful in 1.05b when it comes to mana.
Re: [1.09b] Ladder 4 Begins Now! Isaac's Adventure
Ah, yes. My beloved 1.09b -- Welcome welcome, enjoy your stay. 
You made some good points regarding Classic vs. LoD for 1.09b. For me I really like Act 5, and some of the other things about LoD, but that's what's amazing to me about Diablo 2... there are just so many flavors and ways to play...
And I love the Hebrew name you chose for the Baba. Most of my characters have Hebrew names, or have Hebrew origins. The Sorc i'm leveling atm is simply named "Eden". And I thought I was being clever with the name "Aerin" for my Bowazon, which in Hebrew (I believe) means "enlightened", but then during the leveling process for her, I think normal Act 3, someone dropped an "Aerin Shield". I was like "no f'n way!"... Had I known I would have saved that one for a Paladin, lol.
Actually, recently I've also started a bunch of characters that won't be leveled much, but will primarily be made to sport & use a myriad of low-mid level sets that I've collected during my farming.
Thus, I have a Paladin named "Isenhart", a Barb named "Sigon", an Assassin named "Natalya", etc. etc. Probably not an original thought at all, but having not really played the game since BNET in the early 2000's means I was accustomed to never having the name I wanted for a character lol. So it's definitely another reason to love offline/single-player.
And thanks for sharing about the shader. I'm going to have to try that one out. I've always just left it on the default one you have set up in Cactus/Singling.
You made some good points regarding Classic vs. LoD for 1.09b. For me I really like Act 5, and some of the other things about LoD, but that's what's amazing to me about Diablo 2... there are just so many flavors and ways to play...
And I love the Hebrew name you chose for the Baba. Most of my characters have Hebrew names, or have Hebrew origins. The Sorc i'm leveling atm is simply named "Eden". And I thought I was being clever with the name "Aerin" for my Bowazon, which in Hebrew (I believe) means "enlightened", but then during the leveling process for her, I think normal Act 3, someone dropped an "Aerin Shield". I was like "no f'n way!"... Had I known I would have saved that one for a Paladin, lol.
Actually, recently I've also started a bunch of characters that won't be leveled much, but will primarily be made to sport & use a myriad of low-mid level sets that I've collected during my farming.
Thus, I have a Paladin named "Isenhart", a Barb named "Sigon", an Assassin named "Natalya", etc. etc. Probably not an original thought at all, but having not really played the game since BNET in the early 2000's means I was accustomed to never having the name I wanted for a character lol. So it's definitely another reason to love offline/single-player.
And thanks for sharing about the shader. I'm going to have to try that one out. I've always just left it on the default one you have set up in Cactus/Singling.
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fearedbliss
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Re: [1.09b] Ladder 4 Begins Now! Isaac's Adventure
Haha np. The Isaac name actually came from the main character of Golden Sun 1. Sometimes I'll also name a character Felix as well. I need to start using the other GS names as well haha.
Re: [1.09b] Ladder 4 Begins Now! Isaac's Adventure
Haha nice. Never played that one. Maybe I'll try it on virtual console for Wii U.