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A Guide to Amazon Basin Games

Version 1.4 (covers Diablo Expansion Pack version 1.11).

Tired of PKers (player killers), bigots, immature attitudes, and selfish play? If you are, the Amazon Basin is the place to go. Players gather in the channel (op theamazon-basin) to meet friends and to set up games. The Amazon Basin is a great place to start when playing Diablo II, with many ways to make new friends. This is a short guide for those new to the Amazon Basin, intended to help you and those you play with enjoy the game more. Most of what is here is common sense -- honesty and consideration.

This Guide covers a variety of topics including a description of the Amazon Basin, etiquette, how we deal with deaths, item drops, and shrines; party friendly skills, playing styles, and mercenaries; types of Basin games, and our gaming rules. Those interested in hardcore play may also want to check out the new guide here. If you need help with any of the terminology used in this guide, click here for a glossary. Younger players can get quickly up to speed with our Starter Guide to Basin Games.

What is the Amazon Basin?

The Amazon Basin is an online community of friends playing games. You can read about the history of the Basin here. The Amazon Basin maintains an online presence on Battle.Net and the web with:

  • A web site with tons of information, including
    • a series of forums that includes dedicated meeting places and discussion areas
    • a private messaging system often used to set up new games with friends
    • gameplay guides
  • A Battle.Net channel (op theamazon-basin) where people can gather and chat.
  • A series of password protected games. The passwords are available on WeaselTech, and all new Community Members are eligible upon registration to request access via the online Games Application Form.

If you are new to the Basin, you may want to check out the guide here.

Etiquette

Although the "rules of etiquette" of Basin games are not hard and fast, disrespectful behavior is never welcome in our games. The basic guideline is to be respectful to your gaming partners at all times. Good communication is a common thread in Amazon Basin etiquette.

In-game chat

As with all on-line chat, ALL CAPS is considered rude. Racism, bigotry, gay or cultural bashing and other disrespectful behavior is unwelcome in the Amazon Basin channel and games. You can learn more about messaging and the chat commands here.

Gaming behavior

The key to Amazon Basin gaming behavior is to imagine that you are sitting in a room together with friends having a conversation. Shouting and swearing would be frowned upon. Grabbing all the snacks would not make you popular. Equally, ignoring others in the room to get up and leave would be seen as bad manners. Consider the "Golden Rule": in the Amazon Basin, treat others as you would have them treat you; play the game the way you would like them to play.

Once you see the game in terms of playing with your friends, it’s easier to see why the following behaviors are considered rude when playing in an Amazon Basin game:

  • Taking an experience shrine when you're not the lowest level player at that location. It is our custom that these go to the youngest character in the game there. The only exception to this is in high level areas where experience shrines may be given to a character at level 85+ -- when the shrine is useful because it's so much harder to gain experience at that level. This rule is somewhat flexible, but only if discussed beforehand.
  • Stealing quests. It is bad form to do quests in the game when others may be working towards them. Always ask and be willing to wait a few minutes for people to catch up. Specifically avoid:
    • Killing an act boss without asking the others in the game. Mephisto is a prime example.
    • Doing quests without asking when others are near to that logical point in the game.
    • Doing the Hephasto quest without asking if others need the quest. If anyone else needs the quest, you should agree on who will take the quest, then unparty from the group to complete (this allows others to complete the quest later). The drop is yours alone in this case (note this is an exception to the normal Basin policy).
    • Killing Baal while partied with people in Act V who are not doing the quest - this is because all will get credit, regardless of where they are in the act.
  • Popping seals, urns or initiating other potentially dangerous actions when people aren't ready for the battle. Teamwork is vital in Basin games, especially in hardcore. At a minimum we type 'r?' for 'ready?', and 'r' in return, to make sure everyone is prepared. Dangerous actions also include The Summoner in Act 2, entering The Ruined Temple in Act 3, and tackling any of the act bosses.
  • Leaving a hot town portal up without telling anyone. A "hot TP" is one surrounded by monsters, one that would be dangerous to enter. Your approach should be to warn your teammates ("my TP is hot"), and then attempt to recast it somewhere safe. You may consider exiting and rejoining the game to remove a hot town portal. Similarly, you should warn your teammates if a waypoint is left hot.
  • Leeching from people without permission. This means playing in an area when you are not of sufficient level to survive and/or defeat the monsters there.
  • "Helping" lower level characters, when in fact you are preventing them from meaningful participation and gaining experience, because your character is so much higher in level. While your intentions may be good, many people prefer to progress slowly through the game, completing each quest themselves. Again, good communication helps: before rushing lower-level characters through the quests, ask if in fact they want your help.
  • Gambling in a regular Basin game where it may spoil unique drops for other players. There is a chance for any item in the gamble screen to be a unique, and the roll occurs (and the unique spawns if the roll succeeds) even if you don't pay for the item. Once a unique spawns it cannot spawn again, so it cannot drop for anyone in that game. Because gambling can quickly spawn hundreds of items on the gamble screen, and because no one knows which of them might have spoiled the chance for a unique to drop, gambling is best done in a private game or a game where no one else is likely to play any further.

Death

If a player dies, the team should rally to clear the corpse and provide a return town portal (tp) for their fallen comrade. With the expansion pack, you recover 50% of your experience lost if you recover your corpse without logging out and back, so teamwork is important. In some circumstances, it may be best to log out and rejoin the game; remember to consider the danger to your teammates as they attempt to clear your corpse.

It is considered very bad form to steal the gold or potions dropped by a fallen teammate.

You should be especially careful that your character does not pick up and equip any other item before recovering the items on your corpse, because if you do so and die, that equipment is restored when you restart the game. This is a potential disaster: all of your original equipment will be left on the ground. In this case, all team members should make every effort to help with recovery of equipment.

Item drops and shrines

Drops are treated differently in Amazon Basin games than elsewhere on Battle.Net. Most players are familiar with the almost suicidal mad rush to grab rare or unique drops in open games. In Basin games, all drops (at least those worth picking up) are left in town for all to see. At the end of the game, the items are given to participants who need them first followed by those who want them. Items left are disposed of depending on those in the game -- some players sell and split the gold; some leave the drops for Battle.Net to eat. If you need gold to revive a mercenary or for repairs (or if you just want to clean up the clutter of junk in town), it is polite to ask before selling to raise the gold you need. This is one of the best things about Basin games: true sharing and team play. The "Magic Find" worn by individual teammates is irrelevant when sharing drops. For many of us, the biggest thrill is to see and identify new rare and unique items -- and foist them off on our friends!

While you may want an item you see on the ground in town, most players prefer to leave the division of spoils until the end of the game or when a logical break in play arises (killing a boss, clearing a level, etc.), as a discussion on sharing drops can disrupt game play. However, if you want to leave the game early or before a break arises, then you should ask if you can take those items that you want ("Does anyone mind if I take the Magefists?”). If there are others interested, they should speak up (be aware, however, that they may be busy playing and may require a minute or so to respond). Usually you will get a round of “sure”, “gfi” (“go for it”), etc., but if someone else speaks up for the item then it will have to be decided by the team.

For the most part, sharing of items applies only to those playing in the same party and in the same area of the game. It is at the discretion of the team whether or not items should be shared with those playing in other areas of the game, or unpartied.

First time drops

The first time a player kills an Act Boss, there is a significantly improved chance for better drops. For this reason, those who are questing for the first time are entitled to share any or all of those drops as they see fit. This also applies to the Hephasto quest in Act 4, as described above.

Who gets the great drops?

There is a chance for hard feelings when deciding who should get a highly-prized item. There are a number of factors that affect who should get such a drop; the first rule is simple: if the group decides who should get an item, there is no need to apply any other rules. Among regular players, there is considerable give and take. If someone gets a great item, they should back off and allow others the next great item(s).

Sharing does not necessarily apply to those playing in other areas of the game; if someone is soloing in another act or area, they do not have claim to a great drop. Another exception may be if you are poweracting a low level character who is waiting in town or leeching -- this is something that should be agreed upon before starting.

If a group is working together to clear an area, then all should share in the proceeds, regardless of their levels of magic find. Here is a priority list that can be followed when several people want an item:

  1. If the item is class-specific, and there is a character in the game who can use it immediately. Priority is generally also given to those playing purist (no-twink) characters.
  2. If someone in the game can use the item (either on the character they are playing, or another not in the game.)
  3. If it is known that another member (Basin or Community) can use the item.
  4. If someone else comes into the game after the drop, and expresses interest in an unclaimed item.

Drops are NOT to go to those who want the item to trade for another piece of gear.

Drops are ID’d and left in town. When a particularly good item drops, it should be announced (‘Windforce dropped’); if the item is good enough it should be stashed rather than risking leaving it in town. If that is the case, the person who stashed should resolve disposition or give the item to a remaining player if they leave before the game finishes. In some cases it may be worthwhile to quickly leave and re-enter the game to prevent bnet from eating the item.

If there are several people interested in an item, and they all fall into the same level on the priority list, then a lottery of some form can be held (chest, pick an number, etc.)

However, it's important to remember how one member summarized the AB philosophy: "I wish we could find a good way to say to folks 'yes, many of us enjoy items, and experience, and leveling, and all of those marks of 'achievement' in the game. But that's not the #1 reason we play together.'" The reason? The many friends we have made in the Basin.

Shrines

Shrines are treated differently in our games -- we communicate who should get the benefit of the shrine, taking into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of our teammates. For example, the "tanks" of the party should take the Armor and Combat Shrines, and spellcasters should take mana shrines. Skill shrines depend on the playing style of your team, they should typically go to the player for whom a skill increase will most benefit the group. This will usually be a Druid (if their Oak Sage is less than level 20), Paladin, Sorceress, or Necromancer.

If you run across a Gem or Experience shrine, it is considerate to see who can use it most -- Gem shrines go to those with the highest level gem available for upgrade (many carry flawless gems) and Experience shrines should go to the lowest level player in the game. This may be reversed in Hell games, where experience shrines may go to those at level 85 or above, since it is much harder to gain levels at that point in the game. There are times when the 'correct' person is elsewhere, or declines because they are close to leveling, etc. In those cases, the shrines tend to go to the closest if no one else wants them.

Fire shrines are best avoided -- they damage you and your teammates as much as the monsters.

Character skills

Team Play is important in Amazon Basin games -- learn to play your role effectively, no matter what your character. All characters have skills they can use to help the group; learn to use them effectively. Players will quickly make friends by using party-friendly skills. If you are a melee player you may be expected to tank for the group so let people know if there are situations you can't handle. Other characters should provide supporting spells, ranged fire, traps or other skills which help the group through the game.

Team play

Supporting characters should not try to lead the group -- this is usually the role of the tanks. This is especially true if your character is weaker than the rest of the group -- deaths are inevitable, but they slow the pace of the game. In especially tough areas, it is advisable for the team to clear the perimeter of an area, then work your way to the middle.

Try not to wander off on your own; a team will usually do best when working together. If you feel it would be best working in smaller groups or to use different tactics talk about it before starting to play. Remember to keep a watch on your teammates’ life bars -- they will give you an indication of who may need help. If working in smaller groups and asked to join another group try to do so as quickly as possible -- they may see something that will cause them a problem and need your help.

It is important to learn not to block others' progress; standing in a doorway may offer you an easy retreat, but it blocks access to the room for others. Ranged attackers should remember to let the tanks by to do their job. Be especially careful not to block your partners’ retreat; you will not make friends if they are killed because you blocked their escape route. Knowing what position to be in and not blocking whoever is ahead and behind you can be especially important in the Maggot Lair, where getting around other players is difficult much of the time.

When there are multiple players of the same class, it is a good idea to coordinate skills. This is especially true of barbarians, necromancers and paladins: it is a good idea at the start of the game for them to figure out who will be using which skill so they don't overcast a lower level version of the same one and reduce the benefit. Also, multiple strong auras can be very beneficial to the group.

Mercenaries

Your choice of mercenary can be important to the team, especially in hardcore games. Here are your choices:

Act I Rogues can use bows (but not crossbows), and cast Inner Sight with either Fire or Ice Arrows. They cannot use Amazon-only items.

Act II Desert Warriors Jab with Spear or Polearm class weapons. They share their auras with the party: (Normal and Hell Difficulties) Combat/Prayer, Offensive/Blessed Aim and Defensive/Defiance. In Nightmare difficulty they acquire Combat/Thorns, Offensive/Might, or Defense/Holy Freeze.

Act III Iron Wolves are sorcerers who use one-handed swords and shields. Lighting mercs cast Charged Bolt and Lightning; cold mercs use Glacial Spike or Ice Blast with Frozen Armour; and fire mercs use Inferno and Fireball.

Act V Barbarians Bash or Stun with swords. Although they cannot dual wield or use a shield, they can use barbarian-only gear.

Your choice of mercenary should complement your character’s playing style. Melee fighters may want cold, either from a Rogue, and Act 2 Holy Freeze merc or an Iron Wolf; ranged fighters tend to prefer Desert Warriors. Prayer, Might, and Holy Freeze are all good choices depending on your playing style. Mercenaries also give you a great use for ethereal items - their gear will never wear out.

Games

New and experienced players meet in the channel to play and level new characters at all levels. WeaselTech games are generally used to gain experience in normal, nightmare, and hell games. Your resistances go down (-40 to all resists in Nightmare, and -100 to all resists in Hell) and the monsters get tougher as you move up in levels; adding players to a game also makes things harder. Playing in eight player games is much easier and more enjoyable if you play as a team. The payoff is greater experience and better drops.

No-twink/purist games

Twinking is the practice of handing down better equipment to your new characters. In no-twink games, the team meets on a regular basis to play their characters from scratch, using only what they find in the game. No outside items are used and no trading is allowed outside the group. This adds a new challenge to Diablo, and requires much tighter team play. If you want to participate in one of these games or find out how the various groups are faring, check out the reports in the Meeting Place forum on the Amazon Basin web site. A list of current groups, and if they are accepting members, is listed on the Our Games page.

Specialty games

If you go check out Our Games, you’ll see that Basin members are very creative in creating different group games. Some have organized groups where the characters play -- in hardcore no less -- without armor. Others organize groups based on one character class, but members specialize in little-used skills. Still others organize groups in which characters play with inappropriate weapons (javelin-wielding sorcs, wand-barbs). Any member of the Basin community can propose a special group. All it takes is a post in the Meeting Place to see who would be interested.

Muling

Because muling is discouraged in Basin games, at the end of many of the Basin games, some players may create a game to transfer items to their mules (characters used to store extra items). It is an honor to be trusted enough to be asked to join one of these games; stealing in one of these games is the second fastest way (after PK'ing) to be excluded from the Amazon Basin community.

If you wish to transfer in an open AB game with characters not currently in the game, you are required to:

  • Obtain explicit permission of all players already in the game before starting to transfer. Explicit permission is only given if every player in the game has actively said, "yes."
  • Obtain explicit permission from new players as they arrive before continuing to transfer. If permission is denied by a newcomer, you are allowed to re-enter the game with one other character to retrieve your items, prior to returning with your playing character.
  • Neither transfer when permission has not been explicitly given, nor question the choice of those who do not give permission.
Click here to read the Basin policy on mule games.

Amazon Basin game no-no's

We at the Amazon Basin wish to make a fun and safe environment for all those who play in our games. The following behaviors are those which we deem to be rude, dangerous or unfair to players, or which compromise the security of our games. Should you note any of the following behaviors in any Amazon Basin game, we urge you to go here to find out what to do.

  1. Hostiling and PK’ing in non-dueling games*.
  2. Stealing items from games -- this includes both stealing items from muling games, and stealing items considered shared drops*.
  3. Revealing the WeaselTech password to anyone*.
  4. The use of hacks and cheats*. Click here to read the Basin policy on cheating.
  5. The use of racist or bigoted language when chatting in games*.
  6. Begging for equipment is annoying and is to be avoided; if you play in Basin games enough, you will find that better gear comes your way regularly without asking -- those in the Basin community are generous to a fault. The expectation in our community is that equipment handed down to you will be passed along to another player when your character no longer needs it.
  7. Swearing: Because of the different sensibilities and backgrounds of people playing in our games, it is generally considered rude to swear in Amazon Basin games.
  8. Begging for P/A or cheese. Poweracting/cheese is a favor from friends, not something that you are entitled to. Also, many players avoid cheese and prefer to play the game normally.

* These behaviours are considered clear grounds for removal from the Amazon Basin Community.

Membership

If you are interested in being part of the Amazon Basin community, check out the guide here. The real benefit of the Amazon Basin comes from playing great coop games with nice people.

The Amazon Basin Community

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