Paragon Level 340

Paragon Level 302-309

Silly me, I forgot to hit the screenshot button when I leveled up in 306 and 307.

Legendary Gems

So, I've reached Paragon Level 301.

After much consultation with fellow D3 Addicts, Gerry and Aldwin I've picked two gems from my legendary stock - the Wreath of Lightning and the Boon of the Hoarder and installed it on a couple of rings I've been saving for just this occasion.

I actually had to sacrifice a little over 200,000 worth of DPS (from 1,650,000+ to 1,450,000+) to be able to use these babies but it's totally worth it, especially with the Boon. I'll never have to worry about money ever again!

I'm currently working on upgrading and perfecting these gems but I'm already thinking of adding a third Legendary Gem to the mix, this time for an amulet.

Any suggestions?

300 at Last!

I've been busting my ass (whenever I have free time that is) to level up my character to be able to play more comfortably and competitively on Public Games on Torment Level 4.

I've finally reached Paragon Level 300 earlier today and I've got a new Paragon Portrait for my troubles!

Going to spend next week participating in Torment 4 Public Games and maybe see if I'm strong enough to survive Torment 5.

Paragon Level 286-293

Paragon Level 280

Paragon Level 272

The Highest so FAR!

Levelling-up

I levelled-up four times today, public game mode. Awesome!

Maddening Land

I thought it was going to be another day adventuring as a Crusader.

When I happened upon...Maddening Land!

Even the map was screwy.

I was thinking the unicorns were going to be there but there were just the usual enemies. Oh well!

My Crusader

It's official: my Crusader has overtaken my Barbarian in terms of the damage he can dish out (currently at around 1,070,000). Gave him a new set of threads via transmogrification to celebrate his new status as Alpha Male.

Barbarian Level 70, Paragon Level 191

I've been thoroughly enjoying Reaper of Souls, so much so that I've skipped posting here for some time (sorry, guys) and just concentrated on leveling-up my barbarian character. As you can see from the screenshot below, I've been spending quite some time transmogrifying and buying up dyes making sure everything's coordinated and shit.

Right now my barbarian is the most powerful (i.e., the one able to dish out the most damage) among my characters but I have a feeling that my crusader is going to overtake him really fast (at least until he levels up to 70 - just 2 more levels to go). Also, he's the sugar daddy of the bunch, the one tasked to make the most money for spending by the group.

I've given him some rest in the last couple of weeks however, preferring to adventure with my crusader and exploring his different abilities. I'll be getting him back on track soon enough though as the barbarian is my favorite class. I'm currently playing at Torment II but I hope to progress to Torment III as soon as I reach Paragon Level 200 or perfect my gems, whichever comes first.

How're you guys doing with your characters so far?

My Level 70 Crusader

I've been playing Diablo 3 almost exclusively with a Crusader ever since I got Reaper of Souls. I like it a lot. It is without a doubt the most powerful character in the game. I think Blizzard pretty much admitted it as such. I like feeling powerful in a game so I'm really enjoying this a lot.

Fellow player Jonas Diego did mention that this character has a weird dissonance in that his fearsome posture and demeanor seem at odds with an almost swashbuckling dialogue. I tend to agree. But I think that's apparent mostly in Campaign mode, but not at all noticeable in Adventure Mode. I've never played Campaign ever since I beat Act V. I've been playing exclusively on Adventure Mode since then. I've never really looked back.

I like playing in Adventure mode because it allows me a complete gaming experience in a relatively short amount of time. For instance. If I only have time to play for like 15 minutes I can do so in Adventure mode and within that time I would have completed tasks that's both satisfying and rewarding.

I'm currently Level 70, Paragon Level 116. My gear:

Akarat's Champion

Latency has improved dramatically today enabling me to play lag free for the first time in a week. YEAH! I've been leveling up my Crusader and upon reaching Level 25, I gained the "Akarat's Champion" skill, which enables me to literally go berserk for 20 seconds, very much like the Barbarian's "Berserker" skill. The character grows dramatically, looking more ferocious, which is awesome.

When I started this new character by the way, I didn't bother with Diablo 3's "Normal" setting and went straight to "Hard". It's actually not that hard and it's faster to level up.

Serious Latency Issues

I continue to have serious latency issues. In an earlier blog entry I posted about how it became virtually impossible to play properly on the Americas server, causing me to switch to the Asian server. I was able to play OK for a while, but very soon it too became plagued with really bad latency issues. My new Crusader above already died several times because of it.

Can you imagine how frustrating it is when encountering a pack of elites, and you engage them, and everything just stops? You keep on hacking and nothing's happening. 8 seconds later everything moves again but you're dead. I'm like WTF.

Hardcore playing is SO out of the question.

This is not just because of Launch Day because I've been experiencing latency issues for about a week now. It's really soured my playing of the game. It's too bad because my Monk has been kicking ass and this new Crusader holds a lot of promise. Diablo 3 seems like a new and revitalized game. I'm so stoked to play it. But well...

It's just not me though. Looking over the forums at Battle.net, you have an endless list of people having the same issues worldwide. And yes, that includes quite a number of complaints from the Philippines.

Perhaps it is because of the launch. People have started to play Diablo 3 again after a long time and lots of people are starting to log in. Notice how I'm on a queue in the graphic above. I mean, that hasn't happened since the game first launched a couple of years ago.

With a renewed interest in the game, Blizzard has to recognize the fact that they need to make people happy at this time. This time more than ever. Many of these people have already swore off Diablo 3 (including me) and are coming back right now.

You are being given another chance Blizzard...don't blow it.

New Character, New Server!

Fed up by the frustrating lags on the Americas server, I switched to the Asian servers where I'm able to play without lags at all. Unfortunately, my Barbarian, along with all the contents of my chest, don't come with me. I have to create a new character and build up its own inventory.

That's just fine. I created a Monk, which was the very first character I ever played on D3. I found myself leveling up incredibly fast. I mean, I just started this character today and I'm already at Level 24! Something must be in the air, and it turns out I was right!

Apparently, Blizzard has further boosted the Experience bonus to 100% on the eve of the Reaper of Souls launch. YEAH!

I'm not sure how long I will be playing on the Asian server. I will check again upon the ROS launch how playing on the Americas server will be. If it still lags, I will be playing Reaper of Souls, with a brand new Crusader, on the Asian servers for the time being.

The Crusader

)

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls now ready for pre-order!! (UPDATED!)

Happy New Year everyone!! And to start off 2014 right, our good friends at Asiasoft Philippines (Blizzard's exclusive distribution partner for Diablo III in the Philippines) just shared with us the awesome news that starting today, you can now start pre-ordering digitally the much awaited expansion for the PC and Mac version of Diablo III in the Philippines!! :D

Official boxart for the Standard Edition of
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion

For those who isn't aware of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion, here's a quick teaser trailer:


As shown in the teaser trailer, the upcoming expansion pack will feature:

• Act V: A dark and terrifying chapter sending players on a final confrontation with the Angel of Death; Malthael, itself!!
• The Crusader: A brand new class, that is highly reminiscent of the holy Paladin from Diablo II, that brings the might of the heavens upon those who seek its destruction.
• Increased Level cap from 60 to 70!! Also there will be new spells and abilities for all classes to unlock giving returning players more options in dealing punishment towards the denizens of hell.
• Adventure Mode: A new game mode that give players the freedom to go anywhere and slay anything. Perfect for leveling up or grinding in a particular quest/spot. :D
• Bounties: Randomized objectives that reward players in new ways for exploring the world of Sanctuary. Think sidequests... Diablo-style. :D
• Nephalem Rifts: Fully randomized dungeons offering endless replayability and heaps of amazing loot. Perfect for loot-runs and finding that ever so elusive legendary items you're looking for. :D
• The Mystic: A powerful new NPC that appears who will provide heroes with the ability to customize the look of their loot among others. Best suited for those fashion-savvy adventurers of Santuary. :D
• Loot 2.0: Yes its finally coming folks!! The much talked-about Loot 2.0 arrives with the expansion pack and with it the removal of the Real Money Auction Houses (RMAH) for much satisfying loot-runs in Sanctuary!!

And all of this amazing content comes with the Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Standard Edition, which players can pre-order at a SRP of Php1,800!! Not too bad if I may say so, and its quite close to our estimates (we predicted it to be roughly around Php1,400) on our post regarding the price of the expansion pack once it hits our shores locally!! I'm pleasantly surprised with this news and good job to our local distributor Asiasoft Philippines in keeping the price relatively affordable. :D

And to make the announcement even more awesome, we also have confirmation that Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Collector's Edition will also be arriving here in the Philippines!! 

Official boxart for the Collector's Edition of
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion

The Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Collector's Edition comes with the following bonuses for the hardcore Diablo III player:

• A full complement Diablo III helms, and weapons that are primed for transmogrification.
• A Ghost Wolf minion players can summon to keep them company on their journey.
• Three additional character slots to accommodate new heroes.
• A World of Warcraft in-game companion pet, the Treasure Goblin, ready to compete in Pet Battles.
• A set of StarCraft II Crusader-themed Battle.net portraits and Malthael-themed decals.
• A full-color hardcover artbook.
• A behind-the-scenes Blu-ray/DVD two-disc set.
• A limited edition Diablo III: Reaper of Souls mouse pad.

UPDATE: It was previously announced that the Collector's Edition will be available for Php3,500 locally. However according to the official distributor of Diablo III here in the Philippines; tax, freight charges and other unforeseen expenses caused the price to bump up significantly, and the revised Philippine SRP will now be Php4,500.

We also now have the Philippine launch date. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls will be available nationwide on March 25th, 2014.

As for the console versions of the expansion pack, as well as what game stores will the expansion pack be available, kindly keep posted on our blog for more updates in the future!! :)

So what are you waiting for? Pre-order the expansion pack today!! :D

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls to cost Php 1,400?

Blizzard just recently released a survey to owners of Diablo III, which revealed some interesting information about the upcoming expansion pack.

According to this news article, the upcoming expansion pack of Diablo III will be coming in 2 flavors, just like the original version:

• Standard Edition - includes the Reaper of Souls expansion only. To be priced at $29.99 (around Php1,400) 
• Collector's Edition - includes the Reaper of Souls expansion, exclusive in-game content and other bonus items. To be priced at $49.99 (around Php2,200)

Interestingly the survey also asked participants of the survey to rate the features of the expansion pack in order of importance, as shown in the following screenshot:

Since most of us can't participate in the said survey I've made a little poll of my own, and ask everyone what you think is the most important feature of the upcoming expansion pack.

What is the most important feature of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls are you most interested in?
	Raise maximum character level cap to 70
	Loot Runs
	New Crusader playable character class
	Gear transmogrification
	New Act V
	New Paragon level and point system
	Nephalem Trials
	New Loot 2.0 system
pollcode.com free polls

What do you guys think? Sound off your comments below! :)

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

"The lords of hell rage within the Black Soulstone, their souls screaming for vengeance and release. Before the artifact can be sealed away forever, Malthael - Angel of Death - manifests in the mortal realms with a deadly new purpose: to steal the Black Soulstone and bend its infernal power to his will.

So begins the end of all things..."

Reaper of Souls is the expansion for Diablo III coming in 2014 according to the official website.

It features a new bad-ass character class: The Crusader packing "impenetrable armor, gleaming weapons, and heavy damage" which really sounds like the Barbarian to me only with more armor.

He's described by Blizzard as a "natural walking tank."

If it means more ass-kicking however, who am I to complain?

There's also a new act (Act V) featuring the sprawling streets of Westmarch and the ancient walls of the Pandemonium Fortress where you will battle with a host of deadly new enemies.

Reaper of Souls increases Diablo III's level cap to 70 (thank goodness), plus new spells and abilities for existing Barbarian, Witch Doctor, Demon Hunter, Wizard, and Monk characters.

But wait...there's more!

There's two new game modes: Loot Runs and Nephalem Trials, which are "designed to provide players with a highly replayable (and highly rewarding) end-game experience."

Check out the cinematic for Reaper of Souls below: