Considering how easy it is to acquire Spirit remains just way too strong, and basically makes every other low level caster weapons and shields worthless, rares, uniques and runewords alike. Should at least change the Tal into a Hel, if you want to keep it low level, Amn to Io if not (given the vitality-stat). Same really applies to Insight, the Sol really should be switched to a Lem to leave a bit of room for the other lower level weapons.
edit: or just remove the +skills from it, and remove hit recovery from weapon and cast rate from shield, it would still be a great RW, just not ridiculous
3 Likes
Fully agree on Spirit RW, which is imo a very bad item designwise, making so many otherwise notable alternatives totally obsolete.
1 Like
I’m really curious what the reason for this runeword’s creation was. Why did a dev consider it’s ok to make SO many items obsolete.
Something like enigma is totally fine in my opinion because it’s so hard to get that i;ve been playing diablo for months and never got it. But spirit is so crazy easy, you could even reach it by cubing up El runes.
Indeed, it would have been somewhat fine as a two-handed recipe, but one-handed+shields just obsoletes pretty much everything else. Two-handed uniques have way too much working against them already. Of course, it also absolutely destroys almost all low level magic items too.
I have no problems having a lower level RW for casters, even one that is best in slot for X levels, especially for a limited amount of builds, but it needs to leave room for other caster items. Also, while it’s somewhat on me, it kind of gets boring running Ladder with Spirit(s) from levels 25-85, or longer.
P.S. I somewhat disagree with Enigma, but agree that it’s at least difficult to acquire.
2 Likes
Or maybe if it would have worked only in shields. Not many else runewords to use in shields and it’s very hard to acquire if not playing paladin anyway.
But for weapons it’s crazy easy to get. It’s harder to find an item with 4 sockets than those runes.
People today play games differently than back when they where designed. Today people have easy access to information what is best in slot and what not. Also the combination of how easy it is to get a 4s CS plays a big role here.
Stat wise the item might seem to be too strong. But progression wise i think it’s fine because you will be replacing it anyways with Hoto or something similar. And Hoto is also very easy to get.
You don’t need a Crystal Sword for it, Broad Swords work just as well. Regardless, it’s pretty sad that the progression is Spirit → Hoto, when there are so so many uniques, rares, RWs and magic items that become totally obsoleted by that. It’d be somewhat fine if Spirit was something you created towards the end of Nightmare, or during your first Hell run (and honestly, my Hel/Io suggestion is still pretty easy to acquire for those stats).
And yeah, even Hoto is kind of cheap for what it provides, but that’s another discussion.
Well people usually rush through NM and don’t spend much time there. I don’t even bother to farm a CS and do exactly what you where suggesting. I build it when i get the CS in NM or farm it early hell when i am unlucky. I think there are plenty of items that are worthwhile using instead but they are very rare and you usually don’t find them before hell. Like the resistance dagger. Or other items with high FCR
Im fine with nerfing spirit but then uniques need buffs. Else ull just use rhyme anyways
Or maybe just remove level restrictions for a lot of uniques. Or dramatically reduce them. Some level 15-25 items are just so pathetic for their level that even taking spirit out, you’d never use them.
Yeah, there certainly are problems with some uniques, but most of them are good for their level req (not all), though many are overshadowed by RWs or just tend to have issues in general (e.g. 2-handers).
Its as simple as instead of 50/100 to def its 100/150/200% enchanced defense this stuff isnt hard.
I disagree with your demands.
If the oldest person on earth dies, then there will be within a second another person be the oldest men on earth.
People may find Spirit (way) to strong, but I was pleased to get it this year.
I’m playing since the very beginning (Beta of D2) - but I’m a Casual. And Casuals like me are the people who make money for Blizzard! We payed the same prize like everyone but hardly use Blizzards resources (server).
Though please respect our feelings - which I’m sure is the mayority of players - and be glad that we at last can ‘farm’ a decent item too.
If you play more hours than I do, you’ll have items and runes that I can only dream of.
There are plenty of decent items out there, Spirit is way more than that, it replaces most other items in the same slots (for casters). Perhaps another way to look at it would be to raise the level requirement on it, as that would also give some room for other items to shine.
You can currently find the runes for a Spirit in an hour or so of running Countess, at level 25 or so, unless you are unlucky. That’s a really short time for an item you can use from normal act 2 all the way through hell.
1 Like
Is this real? Because then I would farm it with my Ladder level 30 Necro immediately.
I don’t have Gheed’s Fortune (e.g.) yet and that’s the only reason for playing ladder and with Spirit I’ll probably reach Hell much earlier.
But aside the runes from Countess I would still need a 4-socket-item. A monarch shield is out of reach with 165 strenght.
Any idea how to get Gheed’s Fortune easily, that is playing as a solo-casual in ladder?
Gheeds Fortunes isnt super rare. Andy has a (relative) good chance to drop it. I found one today on a random unique in jungle f.e.
Just farm bosses and/or areas in hell
Some nerfs on spirit would most likely be good, as well as insight.
I mean… before talking about a nerf for spirit, why not think about buffing everything else then to some extent to make it viable competition.
There are certainly items that need a bit of a buff, but simply bringing everything up to the level of Spirit just makes the game easier, way easier. It’s fine to want that, but it’s not for me.
Always these cries for nerfs what is this, do you have too much time? rather demands buffs of other uniques, that would be much more interesting…