Blizzard's Game Design Update

[Roland]

Ok then. Here is my character, here is all of my gear, here is how I play, here is EVERYTHING. And here is how easy Inferno is for me at the place that I am at.

Love the video, and it does demonstrate how to play. The biggest nitpick I see is as a Demon Hunter player, in that there's no way you can come to those sorts of defensive stats without vastly more powerful gear. Yes, we will have slightly higher than 30% dodge rate, and yes that does help, but there is virtually now way for us to get that kind of armor, and so far +resist all has been hard to come by in my experience (thus my own resistances are poor, despite trying to raise them where I can). I'm not arguing against your valid main point, just demonstrating that there is one class that doesn't have it so easy as all the rest. The Demon Hunter, IMHO, is flat out the most difficult and fragile class to play.

Inferno is a place I enjoy playing, because it challenges me to be the best that I can, and I'm not looking forward to them nerfing it too much (although I agree there is too much spiking going on). I have right around 34k life, and just broke 18k damage last night with a new bow, and though I haven't tested it fully yet I finally feel as though I can progress through Act I Inferno comfortably. For us Demon Hunters, the best defense is a good offense. We flat out have no skills to boost our armor, or resistances, like every other class does. We have no passive damage reduction. My skill bar is set up the way Blizzard wants it - one skill from each "branch" - so I know my skills should be viable in Inferno (and so far I've seen nothing to indicate otherwise). However, because of the very limited amount of defensive skills we get we have to survive offensively, and learn to kite better than anyone else. I die plenty in Inferno, and it's usually because I get caught by Jailer, Waller, or Vortex. Otherwise, it's next to impossible for me to die without it being my own fault. So gearing is that much more critical to a Demon Hunter than for you as a Wizard, and thus bad gear punishes us that much more.

Anyway, enjoyed the vid, and it gets me excited to head back into Inferno (been busy this weekend, so no time for playing). I'm sure I'm among those who were / are "undergeared" for Inferno, but it's also a badge of honor to me that I can survive as far as I have with what I've had based upon my skill as a player alone. It's been frustrating at times, yes, but when you finally pull off that victory it's that much more rewarding. Personally, I use the AH exclusively to farm gear. I just don't have the time to find it on my own, and everything I ever find is crap (too worthless to be sold on the AH, and not even worth using for myself). So, I vendor all my sub-Inferno yellows and blues (unless I find something compelling for friends, or another character), and stockpile my gold when I can until I can buy another upgraded piece of gear (always without sacrificing what I have, which is getting more and more difficult ). I think it will be quite awhile before I get into Act II Inferno, but I'm OK with that - just so long as someday I can do so.