The One on One series is a collection of comprehensive interviews with people influential in the Diablo I/II community.  This interview's subject is , author of dozens of Diablo 1 variants, webmaster of Charis' Diablo Variants and Strategy, and co-site founder of Realms Beyond Diablo, a website covering variants and strategies for Diablo II.

Bolty:  Welcome, Charis. Can you tell us a little about yourself to start things off?

Real Life name is Larry - I'm a Chemical Engineer PhD currently doing mathematical modeling, programming and consulting for companies that face combinatorically complex problems (e.g., scheduling, logistics). Before that I was an Asst. Professor at Harvard Medical School doing Cancer Research, mathematical models of drug delivery. The recent switch to the Midwest and a calmer lifestyle has been great for my wife and I. We like to be active in church and other activities, so having a life helps. :)

Bolty:  I hear your screen name has quite the etymology. Care to share it with us (and how it's pronounced as well)?

Charis is Greek for one of my favorite words - "grace." It's supposed to be pronounced like "car"+"iss", I tend to pronounce it like the 'char' in character; either way, the 'h' is not pronounced.

Bolty:  On to the Diablo questions: your passion for creating variants of play to Diablo seems endless; you have written dozens of different variants for the game. When did it all get started and how?

Very early in my Diablo days (1.5 years ago) I wanted to add a role playing element to the game. I had not heard of variants, or BNMs, but figured that not all rogues needed to use bows. So I came up with a draft of the Amazon and posted in on the DSF. A guy named Moriah (later a good friend) not only replied, but spent many many hours mulling over and testing the Amazon. Another named Whyte Tyger played one and wrote some great stories about his Amazon, Erim Lera. WT pointed me to Woody's Asylum, the home of Variants - I was stunned - there were people like me out there! In games before Diablo, like Angband, I also had like to play 'non-standard' characters.

Bolty:  What's your favorite variant?

Gosh that's really a hard one. The Amazon and Goth are the two favorites that I've written, for their tremendous depth and versatility. Some of the favorites I like, however, are for their simplicity as well as challenge - the BARbarian, Geezer and Elitist come to mind. For me, a variant has to have a role playing component. Although some of my variants have (cough) quite a bit of rules, they're not arbitrary.

Bolty:  The Amazon variant must be the most popular one you've created. What did you think of the Diablo II character of the same name when you heard of it?

That first Amazon just turned 50 this month - ChariSena(AMZ). Her name actually has 2 origins: i). Sena sounds like Xena; ii) overall sounds like kerosene, a volatile liquid. The stories of Erim Lera and encouragement of Moriah are what pushed it forward. When I heard that D2 was planning to have an Amazon I thought "oh crud!!" - of course, I expected the game out soon, not over a year later. I also penned the Necromancer variant, and was surprised to see that become a D2 variant. As it turns out, there was a D1 variant for every D2 class that came to be.

Bolty:  While a variant enthusiast, you're also quite the Ironman lover. How many Ironman games have you played, in your estimation? How far have you gotten through the game playing Ironman?

I've not played nearly as much as some others (Friar, Kshira and Gumby come to mind). Probably not more than 50 games. KingOfPain was a regular partner (our styles are so similar yet complementary, and his patience is amazing). Cyrene and Nystul would take the third slot, each adding a certain... unpredictability and fun to the game. Nystul is a great mage and Cy is the master of monster AI. My far and away best game of IM was a normal difficulty victory - ChariSycho as Warrior and KoPsycho as Mage. He got absolutely the worst drops and books I've ever seen, and I ended up having to face dlvls 10 and on essentially alone. The Constricting Ring, Schaefer's Hammer, a Blood Fountain, and extreme caution were the deciding factors. In our NM difficulty continuation, we reached and died on NM/11 - to Storm Lords. These guys are the nemesis of IM players - I got three on me was down so fast it was incredible. This set the record, but it was soon tied (by the KFG team) and just this week beaten, by KoP's solo Warrior getting to Hell difficulty, level 7.

Bolty:  What tips could you offer to new Ironman players?

Although many like solo, in some sense it's the ultimate coop game. I would suggest finding some partners with similar styles (and some patience) and get to work as a team. There is really just one goal - avoid death. Sounds simple, but it's not. Two objectives which help this goal: i) learn to not drink, and ii) learn to drink. There was a while where KoP and I became masters of IM church - 2/3 games could be done without drinking a single potion. But this kept us from getting through Cats for the longest time. One game we died with over 60 potions left and a full belt - it was time to re-learn how to drink. Our game 'picked' up a lot after that.

Bolty:  I've seen reports of some fairly long and tough games you've had - what were your hardest games?

The Ironman victory and NM continuation took over 6 weeks, with 40 hours game time for the first game, and another dozen hours in the continuation. No character who has hit 30 has not done a 3@30. For my BAR this meant either reverting to 1.05 for one game, or have him use a +tohit weapon for one game. I took the latter route, going for a naked except for a strange blade 3@30 - that was excruciating, almost 11 hours, and I had searched for stairs from town-13-14-15 adjacent first. My Muscle Mage's spell-free 3@30 was also a grind, not quite 10 hours (well, almost spell-free, I did have to recover once, so I cast SC, re-equipped, let them wake up, and went back to beating on 'em). Yet the game that outshines all of these was the H/H Bar victory. It was the very definition of coop play - no one character (or even pair) alone could do it - it was a true team effort. Even searching for a near-clean path to 15 first, it took 29 hours games of game time, spread over a few weeks. There were a lot of tactics in that game, that we had to develop on the fly, it wasn't "just" whack-a-mole.

Bolty:  You're insane, right?

Nope, just tenacious as a pit bull. I like pushing the limits of what can be done. It helps thought to surround yourself with crazy people.

Bolty:  Diablo II questions: Think you'll be playing Hardcore a lot?

Hmmm... I'm not sure. That depends a lot on the D2 servers. I'm pretty worried about random glitches destroying characters, items or experience, and the whole server-side things leaves me a little queasy. I'll likely have 90% open characters, and a few Hardcore. From the beta and ST hardcore attempts, I can tell you it's a rush - some real white knuckle action knowing that one death will be your last.

Bolty:  Still, Hardcore mode makes for good Ironman play, don't you think?

Yes! I'm very much looking forward to some D2 IM games. With no res possible, they are Hardcore whether you want them to be or not. I just found out this week that "open" hardcore IS an option - I had otherwise for a long time, but I tried it out and it works. For HC and/or IM, lag may very well be the biggest killer of characters. The Acts are SO long compared to D1 'sections' that the whole game equation will change. Careful resource management and choosing the terrain were huge. With mana regen, prayer, find health pots... and with huge open areas and running, it's a new ballgame. :0

Solo IM as an open HC will be lag free, and a lot of fun. But the synergy of a whole party of Hardcore... woo! A game last night with an Amazon and Necromancer using Inner Sight and Amplify Damage constantly went extremely nicely. We were as a team mowing things down that would have slaughtered either one alone. This is the glory of Diablo, in my opinion, true teamwork play. And Ironman is one of the purest forms of this.

Bolty:  Have you already thought of some possible Diablo II variants?

Oh ya! The problem is, I badly don't want to rush things, and I think we should all just play and ENJOY the darn game. Good variants were based in deep understanding of the game, and required some very fine balance. This will not be possible for some time. In some sense every character in D2 is a variant, thanks to the breadth of the skill trees, the greater distinction between classes, and viability of melee without shield. But I do find myself with many ideas, and with Variants now accepted and played by many people, I know that a majority of players will churn out all manner of drivel under the banner of variants, so 'sitting on the sidelines' would be tough too. (There will also be many fine ideas posted by many people, of course.)

I do intend to 'port' several of my variants to D2 - especially those with a role playing element. The Valkyrie, a pseudo-spear wielding rogue, was pretty tough to play or imagine in D1, but when I saw the Javelin/Spear tree, and the Valkyrie spell, I immediately thought of her. I'll have very rough 'guidelines' for the Amazon, Goth, and others, to help others who will carry over 'characters' from D1 and transplant them as strangers in a strange land.

Bolty:  You're a co-site founder of Realms Beyond Diablo, a website dedicated to Diablo II variants and variant strategy. When did this partnership with KingOfPain for the project begin to form?

Six-eight months ago. I think it was KoP's initial idea - to team up for a website. Our skills and interests are nicely complementary, and both of us wanted to do something for D2 but were concerned about the time required to keep a good site up to date. We also wanted to make sure that there would be a home for Variants, Ironman, and coop Hardcore players, in D2. The great graphics (and, cough, colors) are done by KoP. The beta reports, and some upcoming table, analyses, etc, I've been working on.

Bolty:  What are your plans for the site in the near future?

Just as we were launching the site, three things happened. KoP got a cool project at work that required him to pack for San Francisco for several months (he's still there). Then I was fortunate to be invited to participate in the D2 beta. Those 3-4 weeks, and the 3 weeks after catching up on sleep and time with my beloved Mrs. C., meant little time for web development. And then as I'm about ready to get back into it, things go so well at work that I got promoted to VP of R&D :-). A very good thing, but it too has meant a real lack of updates for the site. We FULLY plan on making that not just a good site, but a great one. In the near future we need to get up a 'Master' Variants directory, house several new ones, and get some strategy guides for the D2 classes online. Judging from our audience, we need to think about a new color scheme too (waves at KoP! J) A key focus, once we learn more, will be on coop-strategies in higher difficulties.

Bolty:  So what do YOU think of Charsi the Blacksmith in Diablo II? Coincidence or not?  :)

Good grief! I was 100% convinced that it was pure coincidence. Besides, it's pronounced totally different, with the 'h' sound (Her name was spoken in the beta). But then I see other D1 people showing up as mercenaries, to-be-seems from the mpq file, and I see my new friend PHu not shoot down that idea in your last interview. So now I'm just totally confused. I still see myself as a nobody far from Blizzard's radar, but maybe someone in there actually plays variants. ;)

Bolty:  From your closed beta experiences, what's your favorite Diablo II class right now? Why?

What I was VERY happy to see in the beta was that they ALL were very good. For fun and playability - none stood out to me as being overly strong or overly weak. (I know, it's too early to tell from just Act I). The Barbarian would probably be my least favorite, but even he is fun. Favorite... would probably have to be Paladin. That's the class I'm happiest to see join into a game, and it's likely the D2 class that CAN choose a very versatile path and stay strong. All classes have different ways to specialize and be strong, but from what I've seen so far, if you try jack-of-all-trades, no other class can pull that off as well as the Paladin. Going with the skills, the RPG factor is also very good for the Paladin. The Amazon is a close second, but there's one issue that really bugs me. My favorite mode for the Ama in the beta was javelin+shield, with jab. If there is no one-handed magic javelin in later acts, I'll be extremely disappointed.

It took me about 2 weeks after release to get my copy, but I do have the retail PC (D2CE) version now. About 6 characters, highest has just completed Norm/Hell - a lvl 27 Amazon - jack of all trades, likes spear a lot though.

Bolty:  Are there any initial Variants you're thinking of for Diablo II that you're still forming? What do you think of the character balance?

Likely most of my first 'Variants' in D2 will be 'ports' from D1. I'm actively playtesting a new set of 'Amazon' and 'Goth' rules, for example. I plan to port the "Glutton for Punishment" - a D1 variant that was a hit point freak. Combining some of these rules with something like a Thorns-pumping Paladin is going to be fun. There are many D2 styles which seem variant-ish, but "use lightning tree only" does not a variant make. One problem is that in D1 I knew the game inside out, and could tell how minor rule tweaks would impact them in Norm, NM and Hell. In D2 I've not even gotten through NM/Cats yet, so balance, which is critical in good variant design, is going to be very difficult.

Game balance? Great question. I think Blizzard did a *SUPERB* job in balancing the classes for Normal difficulty. Each class is not only playable, but has a wide variety of styles that will work. The problem is, the balance breaks down in NM, and worse in Hell. As several threads on the Lurker Lounge forum have pointed out, the "scalabilty" breaks down. Skills that just add a few more points, instead of dealing with percentages of Hell attributes, lose balance exponentially. Corpse Explosion is a prime example. Compare it to Poison Explosion. The latter is an slowly increasing but fixed number of points of damage. CE is 60-100% of *corpse* hit points. Two casts will destroy a screenful of Hell difficulty monsters. That is TOTALLY insane. Beyond normal diff, where there are many spells that can wipe out a mob quickly, it's totally unbalanced. Static field, due to many comments in the beta, was reduced in effectiveness, rightly so. It's still a very useful spell, but it was adjusted in the right direction. For CE, reducing damage is a must. 25-33% of monster hit points, for example, requires him to kill four monsters, not just one, to wipe out a mob. Even then, it's a bargain spell. In normal difficulty, the trees of the Amazon are nicely balanced. But many folks are upset on higher difficulties. Why? A *single* point in jab, and a moderately good rare Pike, turns her into a killing machine. Pre-beta, Multishot could hit a single monster with more than one arrow - you could choose a tight spread. Problem was, you could open the door to Andariel's chamber, fire twice with high lvl MS, and she was dead. This was nerfed, and correctly so, IMHO. However... this left the bow tree unbalanced. Perhaps if the fix the piercing problem, and had area bow effects trigger on contact, and not pass through with no effect, things would be better. I'm also hearing Whirlwind for high level Barbarians reigns.

There are two very sad things here:
1) If they had given a full game beta out to a select crowd of no more than 20 folks, at same time as start of beta, they could have seen these major unbalancing flaws before the game was released. Or heck, give Jarulf and me the formulae for skills and damage and get an engineering analysis... ;) (Seriously, Chemical Engineers live to scale things up from pilot plant to real plant.)

2) Now that the game is released, and there are characters at lvl 80, I do *NOT* think they are going to do the nerfing they need to do to balance. Why? Uber-characters are fun. Blowing up screenfuls of monsters, or whirling through them is fun. And it sells. And the griping you would get from changing CE from 60-100% to 25-40% (or, gasp, to a fixed number of points that goes up with slvl and has a CAP of the # of monster hit points), would be intense. If you doubt me... I hope I'm wrong, but was the D1 Fireball spell ever fixed? No, the Hell-AC bug was fixed, which hit hard the most underpowered class.

Bolty:  Find any bugs in the beta tests?

For sure. I logged about a dozen bug reports and even more suggestions for gameplay or balance. But I doubt any of the bugs were unique reports. The oddest one I saw was the 'enter-a-random-game' bug - making a brand new private game with a password you would sometimes enter someone else's private game. The one I joined I didn't notice the game name was different, and wondered how the heck he got it. He likewise was astounded I had 'guessed' his password and was wondering who I was.

Bolty:  Any parting thoughts?

Yes, but not Diablo related. Do what you love doing. Surround yourself with great people. Push yourself, but don't let life pass you by.
I've been in, and have escaped from, the rat race. If you're doing something you hate or at such a pace that you lose your love for it, stop and think. I've seen SO many people going through hell in what they think is a temporary situation, only to find that the next phase / job is more demanding than the first, and realizing too late it has cost them family and friends. I would also like to close by thanking my many friends and coop partners over the past two years - it's YOU who have made Diablo the best game ever, and I look forward to new Realms in Diablo 2.

Bolty:  Thanks, Charis!  Here's to your future variants and website.

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