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IMPORTANT: Never use the /players X command when playing this mod.
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The massive XP gain provided by using something like /players 8 will make the
game easier quickly and ruin the experience.



THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
==========================

Don't expect everything to be finished. 



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HOW TO PLAY
===========

Character creation
------------------
- Choose your character
- Think about how you would like to play your character
- Choose your starting weapons

Right-click on the gold in your inventory to get your "item selection tokens"
Select your starting weapons at Charsi's
All starting weapons types available to your character can be used with skill(s) you have.
Difficulty may vary, be creative!


Themes
------
- Demons, possession, death, isolation, and fighting agaisnt all odds
Watch the cinematics if you haven't already. I included one more before the main menu.


Gameplay
--------
- Move forward and survive with that you can find
- Going back to easy areas you have already done before means you failed
  to make it with what was available to you
- Hardcore mode is recommended for experienced players looking for a scary experience
  (not recommended if it's your first time playing this mod)


Short act 2
-----------
- Bloodraven drops the viper amulet
- The countess drops the staff of kings


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IMPORTANT!!
-----------

- Regular Battle.net is not supported, so it's best to avoid logging in.
  It's greyed out in the main menu for a reason... don't go there.
- Should you click "Battle.net" by mistake, nothing will happen, but I advise
  you not to enter your password and then login.
- I am not responsible in any way if what you do causes you to get banned from
  Battle.net. This mod is not meant to be played on regular Battle.net


OTHER MULTIPLAYER
-----------------

- LAN works but you should make sure all players have the same Diablo 2
  version (either 1.13d or 1.14d) and have the mod installed on
  all computers.
  
- Open Battle.net is not the same thing as "regular" Battle.net, and should
  work. To avoid issues, it's probably best to make sure you are using the
  latest version and that everyone have the mod installed, and to only use
  password protected games.




Thanks to Violet-and-red for testing and feedback




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CHANGELOG
=========


Test v 20-07-C
===============
- changed main menu
- fixed open battle.net buttons
- changed cinematics menu background
- town portals only drop in strategic quest-related places
you should no longer get stuck in dead ends at the end of quests
- you can only carry 1 tp at a time
- removed the stash
- removed act 2 town gate
(it's no longer possible to get the full staff the vanilla way,
you have to complete act 1 quests instead)
- attempt at a fix for a rare crash bug when clicking weapons racks (probably armor racks too)


Test v 20-07-B
===============
- adjusted potion drop rates for a smoother experience
- bloodraven now has 0 defense and higher min damage but lower max damage
(same average damage but this makes her hits more predictable, lowers the risk of a one shot kill)
- reduced rogue attack speed with 2 handed swords
- several changes to magic modifiers, cleaned the files
- sorc staves now spawn with sockets
- changes to unique and set item modifiers
- unique items and set items now spawn with sockets
- fixed warrior multiple shot number of arrows display
- added charges for dark sorcerer staves


Test v 20-07-A
===============
- new drop system to replace the previous vanilla D2 one
previously, new groups I designed were "plugged in" the existing vanilla system, 
now everything is controlled by my new system and the remaining vanilla groups are 
"plugged in" my new system
- radament no longer drops the cube
- griswold drops a non-magical non-socketed lower defense scale mail
- red portals on waypoints
- graphic changes to dead rogues
- replaced town rogue graphics with two different rogue styles
- added more rogues
- useless magic modifiers will no longer appear on new items
- other magic modifiers changes
- mana % bonus on staves (doesn't include starting staves)
- lower armor pieces durability
- higher armor pieces drop rates (related to the rate at which they break)
- removed Duriel's aura
- increased Duriel's walking speed
- changed main menu buttons
- fixed crash issues related to amazon animation sequences (attacking with a staff)
- poison and cold no longer change the color of players and monsters



Test v 20-06-A
===============
- fixed issue with sockets not spawning on caps
- removed one starting scroll pack
- reduced the stat differences between character classes
    - changed all starting stats 
    - changed all mana/hp per level and mana/hp per point
- adjusted mana costs in relation to the char classes
- new book drop system (all character classes have equal chances to get a book they can use)
- more jewel drops, less gem drops
- thawing potions and antidotes should no longer drop


Test v 20-05-B
===============
- disabled stash item storage space
- cube now takes 1x1 space
- the inside of the cube is now 3x3
- edited cube icon
- edited inside of the cube graphics
- cube available at start
- fixed a major crash bug associated with using town portal scrolls dropping from book cases
(replaced with jawbone item that does nothing - no crash)
- removed drops from act final bosses
- removed almost all horadric cube recipes not related to quests
- added sockets to shields and caps


Test v 20-05-A
===============
- changed version format
  test v = testing version
  20 = year (2020)
  05 = month (May)
  A = first release of the month
- compressed monster hp data to reduce peaks
  there's no longer an extreme difference between low hp monsters and high hp monsters
  (with some exceptions for boss monsters)
- removed a lot of champion and unique monsters
- less monsters
- faster xp progression
- "standardized" basic durability for items
- durability icons now only show the damaged parts
- akara no longer sells starting scrolls
- removed hp, mana, xp, and stamina numeric displays over the HUD
- replaced town portal books with town portal scrolls
- removed throwing warning icons


Version 0.7b
============
- the countess now drops the staff of kings and radament drops the cube
- removed gold drops and pre-placed gold (gold still drops from the countess' chest)
- impossible to buy anything else than starting items
  (unless you try an extremely pointless and hard endeavour)
- starting equipment choice
- first level up now comes very quickly
- resized some items
- added magic requirements texts for sorcs
- added magic requirement for chain lightning (sorc)
- removed skill pre-requisites
- made masking xp bar larger to fix issues in certain display modes
- made some optional areas in act 1 impossible to enter or mostly empty
- Nightmare/hell are no longer playable. They were never ready to be played in the first place.
  I have some ideas for special game modes but don't wait for those.
- 2 more identify scroll packs at start
- Gold increase modifiers will no longer be on new items
- Durability modifiers can no longer be on belts and weapons
  (these items are already indestructible)
- all new armors, helms, boots, shields, and gloves have -25% durability


version 0.7
===========
- way darker
- gameplay shift from town oriented to dungeons oriented
- most drops (in normal) modified - relatively even item type proportions and higher quality
- slower run speed
- no stamina drain (infinite run)
- gold is meant to help starting characters or to choose a different weapon at start, 
  gold starts decreasing in act 2 until the gold system gold is phased out of the game
- increased gold drop value in act 1 and 2
- selling items will always give you 1 gold
- new HUD
- larger inventory
- smaller stash (classic Diablo 2 size)
- resized a lot of items (some still have to be resized)
- all weapons are indestructible weapons (throwing weapons are different)
- cannot repair anything, armors will break
- 33% less monsters on average in most areas
- 33% more hp for most monsters
- new potions (rejuvenation vial, small/medium/large potions)
  note: small, medium and large potions are based on the different effects
	when drinking partial potions with different characters in Diablo 1
	For instance, a small potion of mana is based on the formula for a 
	Warrior drinking a potion of mana, a medium one is based on the rogue, 
	a large one is based on the sorcerer.
- blood raven has less hp
- blood raven now drops the viper amulet
- andariel drops the cube
- radament drops the staff of kings
- shorter act 2, changed monsters in the sewers and palace levels
- bows no longer use arrows
- all items that have quantity auto-refill except the rogue's starting bow
- magic requirements for sorceress and dark sorcerer
- fixed succubus "defense curse"
- some other small changes


version 0.6c
===========
- fixed an issue with flash and nova


version 0.6b
===========
- fixed a crash bug associated mostly with opening chests
- new Magic Books are not set items anymore
- fixed arctic blast for sorc max level
- fixed dark sorc curses
- fixed rogue faster attack description
- reverted claymore to original stats except for faster attack speed
- small potions (hp/mana/rejuv) will now work like they did for the Rogue in Diablo 1
  (using the exact same formula but numbers rounded down to integers)
  refill values range from 18% to 56%
  (previously, small hp/mana pots would always refill 38%, small rejuv 33%)
- changed block speed for the warrior, amazon and rogue
- block speed will no longer be different depending on what weapon you are using
- starting gold is now 150 instead of 100


version 0.6
===========

- 3rd skill tab redone
- 3rd skill tab renamed to "Shared"
- Max level for skills/spells in 3rd tab is now level 5
- Energy renamed to "Magic"
- Spell Book renamed to "Magic Book"
- Book system reworked
- Removed + other skills modifiers on magic items
- No more synergies based on character level
- No more synergies based on base mana
- Scepters are no longer sold by merchants
  (the plan is to either remove or replace them later)
- Faster attack speed for polearms, maces, 2 handed axes
- Quick fix for akara selling overpowered staves
  (min levels required)
- Guided arrow no longer requires cold arrow
- Fire Claws synergies changed
- Holy shock no longer requires a missing skill
- Various skill description fixes


version 0.5
===========
First public release


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MOD MADE BY VINCE_HELM
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