Hey Guys

[FoxBat]

I've had a few minor projects on the back burner forever, D3 hype has finally forced me to finish them.

What do I have?

- Minor update to Seven Lances, makes it compatitible with 1.11-1.12 right out of the box.  (It's still a 1.09d mod, I just use alot of DLLs so it can work with a 1.10-12 installation seamlessly.)  Also some fixes on bugged act 2 drops/act 3 spawns.  And Dark Lord got his lightning attack neutered after he instagibbed my HC sin with beyond max lightning resistance. 

- Update to D2Accelerator for 1.12, also fixes a bug with black lava tiles on the way to Chaos Sanctuary.

This does NOT mean I am planning significant projects or work on 7L in the future.   But I'll try to keep these updated if patches break them.

So who is running this place now?  Who still plays D2?  Is this an appropriate place to host files?  Is there a realm anymore?  Is KoL treating you well? 

[Zaranthos]

Woah FoxBat! Thanks a ton for the update. You're still a bit a of legend to the few people around here that still remember who you are. 

If you have an updated installer for Seven Lances I'd love to have it. I can host it on my web server and get the links updated around here.

I can put D2Accelerator up also so people here can get it if they want.

What? No improved drop rates for that pesky guy that hides below the Icy Cellar (or one of those caves where I was hunting that secret cow level item)? 

Mephista is still the big boss around here. I think she's trying to survive medical school so she stays pretty busy. I try to keep things running smoothly where I can.

The D2 realm status? Probably down. I think the computer that ran that died. Which I guess wouldn't be terribly hard to fix considering all the hardware I have sitting around here. But most of the people that used to play either got bored or moved on to 1.1x MODs. Still I've never had as much fun playing D2 as I did when I played Seven Lances on the realm here. If I had more time I'd put some effort into reviving that. Heck I might anyway if I get the motivation. At some point in the future I may get a second ISP connection to the net as a backup for my business. If that happens I'd consider running a full time server for Seven Lances here. It would still be nice to have it running since it was handy for other Blizzard Battle.net based games also.

This does NOT mean I am planning significant projects or work on 7L in the future.   But I'll try to keep these updated if patches break them.

Ok, fine, we won't torment you with requests for massive amounts of your time.  We'll save that for the Diablo 3 Seven Lances MOD!

[cavaloso]

With all these new improvements, I might be your next newb.

[Mephista]

I have a new machine, and I pay $20/month for the static IP that still is the same old realm address that people might have had 3-4 years ago.  If there's demand, I can get the server up on this computer.

I have all the save files.  I've not used the software in ages, hope I still remember how to config stuff... I remember it was quite frustrating to learn, but I got pretty decent at it after running the server for a few years. 

I put the new version files in the appropriate folder on the 7L.net server.

It is great to see you, Silly Girl.  =) 

Grad school is crazy and so is my life in Boston.  I am so very happy with my life here.  =D  Been playing a bit of D2 on East with a friend from RL.

I'm glad someone remembers who I am.  =)! 

[Sir Francis]

Hi Mephista!! long time no see! Would love to play a game of D2 with you and Z again

How's med school coming along? When will you be Dr. Mephy?

Best wishes!

Sir Francis, aka, Mrs. Z, bka Froggie

[Mephista]

I will be Dr. Dr. Mephy in as little as 2.75 years and as much as 3.75 years.  (Assuming I get my PhD in 4 years, the lower number, if it takes 5 then the higher one... for a grand total of 8-9 years in grad school!)  From what I've seen, being ready to write the thesis comes very suddenly.   

[Zaranthos]

I might be a little rusty setting up the realm software but I've done it so many times in so many different ways I'm sure I could help set it up.

[Mephista]

New version is up on the downloads page, all pretty and happy! 

[silly girl]

Mephista!!!!!! 

[Mephista]

Allo!  =)

[DiNg0]

All this D2 talking makes me want to grab a bunch of people and have a D2-7L iron-man
(I wonder if mephista is taking good care of my Hc zon )

[Mephista]

I have all the save data.  Backed up in several places.  Server not online yet, but when it is it'll be on the same IP as before, even.

[Artega]

I tore some tendons in my left hand a few weeks ago, which results in me being restricted to playing one-handed games.  After playing through Baldur's Gate II and Throne of Bhaal with all the bells and whistles twice, I went out and picked up the D2 battlechest for kicks (would you believe stores wanted $40 for it?  Got it for $15 plus shipping off ebay...) and remembered 7L.

I'm not sure what name I went by back then (I'm pretty sure it was Artega, I could be wrong), but I do remember having a lot of fun playing it with all the big names from the Lounge and 7L mini community that came about.  I also remember trying to get better than 20 fps on the puny little 333MHz PC I was using back then

From what I've seen, I'll need to update vanilla D2 to the most recent version (1.12?), then install 1.26b, then overwrite it with 1.27?  Or would you recommend digging up vanilla 1.09d and just not bother with 1.10+?  I don't plan on playing online.

[Artega]

Well, I got it all set up and running well.  Updated to 1.12, then installed 1.26b from the installer, and unzipped 1.27 on top of 1.26b.

Now have a Lv19 Barbarian most of thw way through Act II, and I gotta say the difference is night and day.  Vanilla D2 is just plain boring by compare.

I'm doing the sword and board route, with plans on using Whirlwind for crowds and Stun for control and single targets - I'm not sure, however, because Concentrate may be better for bosses.  I'm still using the cold arrow rogue I hired in Act I, and plan on using her unless she becomes a liability, figuring I can just give her an elemental damage bow for PI stuff.

I've had some great luck with drops so far.  I got two set items - the Sparkster's small shield and Clawmaster's heavy boots - and an amazing rare light belt in the catacombs of Act I.  I've also found three unique items: the heavy gloves and katar (which got vendored) and the scale mail (which I'm using.)  I also found set scale mail early in Act II, which my rogue is now using.

I got a pretty solid long sword in the sewers (Terrifying of something or other), which I can't use till Lv20.  I also got a magic gorgon shield, the NM spiked shield, magic NM compound bow, and rare centaur belt (NM light belt) in the tombs along the way, like halls of the dead and stony tomb, all of which will be unavailable till 26.

I'm currently mostly immune to poison, due to duration reduction, HP regen, and maxed 60% resistance, and I've also got a pretty solid amount of fire resistance.  I'm currently looking to add some lightning resistance to the mix (probably sacrificing some PR to do it, since I've got about 80%) after some very lose calls with LE bosses and the damned lightning beetles.

All in all, 7L is every bit as fun as I remember it, and it's fun seeing new enemies, like the genies and efreeti derived from the Baldur's Gate II djinni model

[Zaranthos]

I don't know if whirlwind is the great killer it is in normal D2. You'll find that a lot of things in 7L aren't quite like they are in regular D2. But that's also what makes it fun. You might have to try new things to see what works best. Watch out for poison and LE monsters. When you get to NM and Hell difficulty they'll make you work for your pay. :-)