I find it best to be proper in response to all reasonable requests (note the word "reasonable"), but to constantly push for self-reliance: there are few cases (like being in danger of losing an irreplaceable everything) when another player really needs the help of another. (The usual solution is to gain a few levels, save up some gold, go hunting for equipment or whatnot.) While multiplayer is encouraged, a character should be able to finish an act (but not necessarily the boss) by herself before moving on to the next. Otherwise, she's just not ready for that act. Hence, a character who is being thrashed in A3 should move back to A2 to gain levels (preferably while moving through the entire act) and prepare themselves for A3, not ask for the help of another (unless it's Hell difficulty, where everything is hard).
This being said, one should exercise proper conduct at all times, even on b.net. Especially on b.net, since words — and the way a person presents those words — mean everything: there is no body language, no effective ways to communicate sarcasm and no facial expressions to follow. People tend to respond positively towards a polite person and the attitude one displays under the cover of anonymity is, more often than not, what that person is truly like. Metal is tested by fire; man is tested by his words.
Don't beg for gear, ever. Trade, call in a favor from a friend or be receptive to the occasional high-level who likes to give away stuff (but don't make it a habit. Those high-level players do it to be nice, not because they're obligated to help.) Don't ask anyone to help you kill a boss for you, ever. If you can't get past a boss, then gain some levels, get some gear: the bosses are what cull the weak, impatient and stupid from the smart, persistent and strong.
CAPITAL LETTERS ARE ANNOYING AND HARD TO READ. Unless you're Hunter S. Thompson, use them sparingly; type was designed to be set in both upper- and lowercase with ascenders and descenders so they'd be easier to read. It has been that way for hundreds of years; don't expect to break this rule anytime soon. Those who use capital letters may be too stupid to type properly, overly excitable or too inconsiderate to find the CAPS LOCK key, forgetting that capital letters EQUATE TO SHOUTING ON THE INTERNET.
Though I can see to the ends of the earth
Still I ramble this treacherous path.
Over my shoulder I glimpse the corpses gathering.
This day I walk the Way of the Beast.
— Hiroaki Samura, trans.
PvP isn't my favorite activity; refer to PvME's Bowazon Dueling Guide and ChunLi's Bowazon Guide as references on dueling as a bowazon. The advice I give to prospective duelists is; one, don't go hostile on anyone for no reason at all. Be a duelist, not a player-killer. Potions (of any kind) are not allowed in duels. The Buriza-Do Kyanon ballista is generally not accepted in duels: it's too easy to fire off one or two Guided Arrows and kill a target with 100% piercing. Overloading on items with PDR is generally not accepted into duels, as Shaftstop, Vampire Gaze and String of Ears give the wearer a 55-70% resistance to physical attacks, in addition to the 50% damage penalty of PvP, making anyone who wears PDR items incredibly hard to kill. Slow Target items like Cleglaw's Pincers or Nosferatu Coil are generally not accepted in duels as Cleglaw's Pincers chain gloves alone can render any target helpless and having more than 40% Slows Target simply makes things too easy for a bowazon who doesn't even need to look at her target to kill it. The same applies to items with knockback and items that cast Amplify Damage. Keep in mind that all damage is cut and calculate your equipment accordingly. Try to keep it fair and note that clvl-1-29 is its own special area, then 30 on up; it's clearly not fair for a clvl-31 character to duel a clvl-28 character, much less a clvl-45 to take on a clvl-20.
Remember, if your opponent runs back to town, you've won: if they weren't in danger of dying right then and there, they wouldn't go to town, now would they?
Want to avoid getting cheated? Then avoid the so-called "trading channels." The thing that is most accepted and demanded (begged for?) at trading channels are Stone of Jordan rings. If you don't want to trade SoJs, then find a game called "trade#" or "trades#", where "#" is anywhere from 1-20. Most of these games are normal, with a bunch of Meph runners who don't have tons of SoJ and simply want items. Surprisingly, you can get a ton of good deals here, so long as you don't base them on a SoJ-to-SoJ basis. Another place to go would be the marketplace at diabloii.net, where scams and bad deals are easier to avoid due to valuation forums and feedback.
last updated: Thursday, December 05, 2002
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