sad way to start the New Year

So... while I'm upset that the Darkening of Tristram event is just the same as last year's, I am glad to see it back. It gives me that feeling of, "Hey, something special to break up the monotony!"

I mean really, how many times can I run a season from 1-70 and not be bored out of my mind? I came back to Diablo 3 on the 1st for the anniversary event, yet quickly found out that it's the exact same as last year's. No new pet, nothing. No new incentive to come back to fight the minions of hell. I can't keep playing seasons only to be stuck in the Greater Rift grind over and over again.

I'd love to see more events, but really what I want to see is more story. We got these new realms to Act 4, but what are they? How do they fit in the story?

What about Kingsport? Will we ever get to go there and explore it with a map of its own?

I love the new zones, but all of this focus on seasons, grinding, hunting down Primal Ancient weapons... which I can't even get because I can't clear the required grift level... you're adding aspects I can't even achieve, and really... why do I need to hunt these things down? There's no super-hard content that requires these weapons, aside from higher torment difficulties.

Before, there was the promise of Uber bosses with epic loot/crafting capabilities, but now? There's no reason to farm super powerful stuff. 

I'm really sorry, but I'm falling out of love, Diablo 3. I hope you give me a reason to stay.

Achievement: Protector of Tristram

My husband has been running for this achievement for a couple of days now, & took quite the meticulous notes on his farming, here are his records:

1. not listed

2. not listed

3. Baron Sludge

   Blackstorm

   Viperflame

   Graywar the Slayer

4. Bloodskin Darkbow

   Bloodgutter

   Breakspine

   Bluehorn

5. Foulwing

   Nightwing the Cold

6. none

7. none

8. Rustweaver

9. Goldblight of the Flame

10. none

11. Steelskull the Hunter

12. none

13. Broken storm

Isn't that something? On the 13th run on Friday the 13th, my husband finishes his farming. :) We both thought it was really cool, so we decided to share. ^^

How are you guys doing on your runs? Have you gotten all of your achievements yet? Feel free to share!

DONE!

100%!

Short Map

Thank goodness I'm shooting for speed & not completion! lol

Trying to shoot for level 12 to see if Viperflame is finally there. After 3 runs I hope so. ^^

Progress 10/11

Woohoo! Now just one more to go! Just grabbed Steelskull the Hunter on Level 14, so all I need to do is farm Level 12 for jerkface Viperflame. TT.TT

Progress 9/11

Baron Sludge can be checked off the list! I just beat the crap out of him on Level 8 - just 2 more to go!

Viperflame - Level 12 // Steelskull the Hunter - Level 14

Progress 8/11

Foulwing is dead (level 5)! Only 3 more to go until I can unlock the Classic Demon portrait. ^^

*~*~*~*

It is so nice to be as up-to-date as I can be when it comes to games, & what I mean by that is this:

I played Generations 1 & 2 Pokémon games. I tried playing Generation 3 & I just couldn't do it, so I stopped.

In December of 2015, my husband & I decided to treat ourselves to Pokémon X & Y, my first Pokemon game in so many years, & I was so happy... but oh so many new creatures to catch! I was overwhelmed, but on December 1st of 2016, I did it: I finally caught them all.

. . . of course by then Sun and Moon had already launched in November, but I was caught up. All I had to do was catch this new generation's Pokémon & I'd be set.

As soon as Pokemon Bank updates sometime this month, I'll finally be able to restart my copy of Moon & transfer my living dex over so that I can finally have all of them, & be up-to-date on every Pokémon that's been released (waiting on you, Marshadow).

today's plan

Just found out about the Darkening of Tristram 'hidden' pet: The Royal Calf! So I went ahead & got it because, well, I already had Wirt's Leg & didn't need it for anything else so BOOM I salvaged it to get the Map of Stars.

Going to be farming the final 4 elites that I need -- Baron Sludge, Foulwing, Viperflame, & Steelskull the Hunter -- so hopefully I'll get those today. ^^

Let the grind begin!

pages

I FINALLY GOT IT!

It's on my Seasonal character, so I can't trade all the pages to my husband, but OMG I got it! Page 5 of the Cultist Pages is now mine! Hallelujah!

Achievement: I Sense a Soul in Search of Answers - complete

[source]

Progress 7/11

Ran into The Flayer on level 10 of the Labyrinth! My husband is running into all the ones I still need & it's wonderful!

*~*~*~*

Achievement Farming: (4)

Protector of Tristram

     * Baron Sludge     * Steelskull the Hunter

     * Foulwing             * Viperflame

I Sense a Soul in Search of Answers

     * need page 5

Progress 6/11

Aaaand we just found Oozedrool on level 9 of the Labyrinth! I'm on my Monk, Ulla, & husband is playing his Wizard!

Only 5 more special bosses until the achievement!

*~*~*~*

Achievement Farming:

Protector of Tristram

     * Baron Sludge          *Goldblight of the Flame

     * Shadowcrow          * Oozedrool

     * Foulwing                  * Steelskull the Hunter

     * Lionskull                    * Blacklash the Burning

     * Rustweaver              * Viperflame

                        * The Flayer

I Sense a Soul in Search of Answers

     * need page 5

Progress 5/11

Smacked Shadowcrow on level 5 of the Labyrinth! 

*~*~*~*

Achievement Farming:

Protector of Tristram

     * Baron Sludge          *Goldblight of the Flame

     * Shadowcrow          * Oozedrool

     * Foulwing                  * Steelskull the Hunter

     * Lionskull                    * Blacklash the Burning

     * Rustweaver              * Viperflame

                        * The Flayer

I Sense a Soul in Search of Answers

     * need page 5

Progress 4/11

Tackled Rustweaver on level 13 of the Labyrinth! (I really hope these are set spawns so that you guys don't go farming these levels & then never find them TT.TT I would feel horrible).

*~*~*~*

Achievement Farming:

Protector of Tristram

     * Baron Sludge          *Goldblight of the Flame

     * Shadowcrow          * Oozedrool

     * Foulwing                  * Steelskull the Hunter

     * Lionskull                    * Blacklash the Burning

     * Rustweaver              * Viperflame

                        * The Flayer

I Sense a Soul in Search of Answers

     * need page 5

Progress 3/11

I just found Lionskull on level 12 of the Labyrinth!

My only tip is this: go everywhere. Even if you've played the same dang map 20 times, go down every hallway. Find every nook & every path that seems like a dead end, because there might be a purple-named enemy just waiting for you. I know it's tedious, I know it sucks, but hey...

Welcome to the grind. ^.~

*~*~*~*

Achievement Farming:

Protector of Tristram

     * Baron Sludge          *Goldblight of the Flame

     * Shadowcrow          * Oozedrool

     * Foulwing                  * Steelskull the Hunter

     * Lionskull                    * Blacklash the Burning

     * Rustweaver              * Viperflame

                        * The Flayer

I Sense a Soul in Search of Answers

     * need page 5

Progress 2/11

Achievement Farming:

Protector of Tristram

     * Baron Sludge          *Goldblight of the Flame

     * Shadowcrow          * Oozedrool

     * Foulwing                  * Steelskull the Hunter

     * Lionskull                    * Blacklash the Burning

     * Rustweaver              * Viperflame

                        * The Flayer

I Sense a Soul in Search of Answers

     * need page 5

2/11

I just found Goldblight of the Flame! Level 10 of the Labyrinth is where I happened to find him, so I hope that helps. ^^

*~*~*~*

Having trouble getting my husband logged in or else I would totally have him in game with me. Then again, I do want him to play the Darkening of Tristram on his own at least once through so that he can see the story & things for himself. I think that makes him happier. Then, once he's experienced the thing, then I can do whatever I want afterwards, lol. ^^

Rather than make a new character & run it through for him, I'm pretty sure the goal is to wait for Season 9 to drop so that we can get it all out of the way at once rather than have to create 2 characters back-to-back.

1/11

Just got Blacklash the Burning on level 4 of the Labyrinth, alongside Gharbad the Weak. I don't know if this is a random encounter or just where he normally is, so if anyone has any input, I'd be happy to hear it.

This means I only need 10 more special elites until I get the achievement!

Wizard Transmog

Here's my current Wizard transmog, just in case anyone was wondering: (everything is infernal dye except shoulders)

Head
   Red Soul Shard

Shoulders
   invisible dye

Chest
   Archon Armor

Gloves
   Grips

Pants
   Archon Faulds

Boots
   Silk Shoes

Main Hand
   Atrophy

Off Hand
   Myken's Ball of Hate

Pet
   Butcher

Progress!

Achievement Farming:

Protector of Tristram

     * Baron Sludge          *Goldblight of the Flame

     * Shadowcrow          * Oozedrool

     * Foulwing                  * Steelskull the Hunter

     * Lionskull                    * Blacklash the Burning

     * Rustweaver              * Viperflame

                        * The Flayer

I Sense a Soul in Search of Answers

     * need page 5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPOILER BELOW

l

l

l

l

l

Reward for: An Eerie Red Glow Blurs Your Vision

pet: Butcher

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finished!

Well, I finished the new content fairly quickly, I think, so now I'm achievement hunting!

The whole thing takes maybe 30 minutes? I ran it with my paragon 565 Witch Doctor on T5 just because I wanted to see everything. :) I'll be making a level 1 to run it through, too, but later. Right now I'm collecting Cultist Pages & then I'll restart my game, go back into the Labyrinth, & keep grinding. ^.~

Current Achievement Tally: (6)

The Dark Passage

The Chamber of Bone

The Halls of the Blind

Psst... Over Here...

Champion of the Townsfolk

Thank Goodness You've Returned!

Farming These Achievements: (3)

Protector of Tristram

I Sense a Soul in Search of Answers

An Eerie Red Glow Blurs Your Vision

NOTE: Something really nice about the Cultist Pages is that they are not bind on account (BoA), so if someone's having a hard time, you can trade with them. ^^

In my case, depending how many duplicates I get, I'll just send them over to my husband so he can have the achievement. ^^
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMAGES BELOW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Portal to Darkening of Tristram

Original Tristram - to the Cathedral!

Made it to Level 16! Woohoo!