Night Owls of Sanctuary Unite!

Hello again, night owls!

Before I go any further, I have a confession to make: I've been pulled back into Diablo IV by my husband. I know, I was surprised too.

To begin my journey into the Vessel of Hatred content, I created a rogue because I'd never played one before and thought I was past due to try. 

Cue the entrance of my rain of arrows rogue, resplendent in a masquerade outfit dyed in royal mariner's dye. My one complaint is that the arrows get so thick at times that it's hard to see anything else, and if you have a second rogue nearby, it's darn near impossible. With the Season of Witchcraft underway, there are loads of players head hunting at any given time, and their character abilities also crowd the screen, making it difficult to find anything that's dropped. Annoying, but more or less manageable. I tend to play later at night when there are fewer people online. Problem solved.

Then, a few weeks ago, my husband and I started up our stream and loaded up our rogues to cause generic mayhem. That’s when it happened—a viewer popped in and offered to join our party, tossing advice about stats and affixes we should seek on our gear. Normally, I don't enjoy backseat gaming, but this person—let’s call her Ness—was different. Her advice was sharp, thoughtful, and genuinely helpful (unlike the typical "git gud" comments floating around gaming chats). She and another viewer, who we'll call Boo, helped us with boss summoning for better armor and, over time, they became much more than viewers—they became friends.

Through Ness and Boo’s guidance, we delved deeper into builds and tactics, crafting necromancers and later druids. Ness even shared detailed guides and walkthroughs, completely altering how I view the game. While Diablo 4 still doesn’t match my fondness for Diablo 3, I’ve found myself enjoying it far more than when I began.

This experience got me thinking—what started as a small act of streaming turned into a doorway to friendships I never imagined forming. Streaming has this incredible power to bring together people who might never cross paths otherwise. It creates an environment where strangers bond over shared interests, offering camaraderie, laughter, and learning.

Streaming has shifted how I experience games. It’s no longer just about the grind or the loot; it’s about the people I meet along the way. Ness and Boo, two individuals I wouldn’t have encountered without this digital bridge, have not only enriched my gaming journey but also reminded me how technology can connect us in unexpected, meaningful ways.

If you find yourself browsing twitch sometime on a Tuesday afternoon or find yourself wandering the world of Sanctuary late at night, feel free to pop by and say hi. Who knows? You might be the next Boo or Ness in our story!

D4 Necromancer Update

March may feel like a lifetime ago, but I’ve been meaning to share my necromancer, Razenia, with you all! 

Earlier this year, I unlocked World Tier 4 in Diablo IV, but, honestly, I haven’t played much since then. 😅 At the time, I had to drop back down to World Tier 3 because the challenges were just too tough with the gear I had. I can’t even remember if I ever bumped it back up, but the urge to jump back into the game has been growing.

Recently, I picked up the Vessel of Hatred expansion and am excited to give the Spiritborn class a try. It’ll be fun to explore something new, but I know I’ll eventually find my way back to Razenia. Once a necromancer, always a necromancer, right?

In the meantime, there’s plenty to look forward to! Once I start playing again, I’ll be sure to share updates & all the fun (& probably some fails) along the way. Between then & now, we’ve been busy playing all sorts of games over on our Twitch channel, Bear_Dogs. If you haven’t stopped by yet, you’re missing out on some good times!

So, keep an eye out for updates. Whether it’s tales of Razenia’s adventures, my first impressions of the Spiritborn class, or the next game that grabs my attention, there’s always something happening. Let’s dive into some gaming fun together!

Diablo 4 Open Beta

Pleased to say we were able to play the Open Beta of Diablo 4 & I must be honest, it was worse than last weekend. So many bugs/errors, but the bug reporting feature had been disabled - not very nice at all. 🪲

As promised, I played a necromancer while my husband played a druid. A few hours into the beta, however, my husband said the druid felt clunky & not at all what he hoped for, so he swapped to a necromancer & found it much more enjoyable. Sadly, however, the guides we found online were lacking. The builds we found depended on having too many abilities enabled that would not fit on the skill bar.

But I don't fault the writers of the builds, after all the early access to the game was only enabled for, what, maybe 6 days total? And both my husband & I had fun all the same, & that's what counts!

What class was your favorite? Or did you choose not to play in order to leave some mystery for the game's release in June? Let me know in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you!

Screenshots

 Some more pictures from the Diablo 4 early access!

D4 Thoughts

Well the Early Access to Diablo 4 just ended about an hour ago and I have some thoughts. The graphics are amazing, like we knew they would be. The opening intro is beautiful, there's mystery, all of that.

Amita, level 20 sorceress.

I know I'm not as well-versed on Diablo lore as some--I've never heard of Estuar, for example--but the denizens of Fractured Peaks seem to be inspired by Russia or Siberia as far as accent, the ambient music playing in Kyovashad, even the clothing styles are very Slavic-styled. Players weren't permitted to enter the Dry Steppes region or anywhere outside of Fractured Peaks, which is understandable, but even in just that one place there are so many quests. I was missing about 6 side quests--there were apparently 35?--and the main story of Act 1 is fairly straightforward.

Story Thoughts

Now... as for the vibe of the game, it's very well-suited to the horror genre. Jumpscares, blood, gore, mutilation... it's all there, & that's all just Act 1. I don't recommend it for anyone who's squeamish and I definitely don't recommend it for anyone with religious trauma. The story is steeped in zealotry and verbiage to that is potentially triggering to those who grew up in households that used religion--specifically Christianity--as a means of control or otherwise.

If you are able to get past it, the story focuses on the opposing forces of Inarius and Lilith, the progenitors of the Nephalem (humans). Lilith has broken free from whence she was sealed and Inarius and his forces seek to end her once and for all.

Lilith thought their children should be allowed to be all-powerful, Inarius wanted them to serve and be grateful that they were born in the first place, blah blah. It's Inarius' followers that are very hard for me to stomach and my husband can verify that I was railing at them all through the Early Access. 🤣

But! We did make it to level 25. My husband played as a rogue and I chose the sorcerer (lightning build) & we both loved the classes we chose. This coming week the druid and necromancer will be launched, and we've already decided I will be playing the necromancer and my husband will play druid, so I'll have plenty to update on that as well.

Gameplay Thoughts

I really dislike skill trees. I remember playing World of Warcraft back in 2006 when they still had those skill trees and I hated every single minute of it. In order to have a viable build, you have to allocate your skill points in exactly the right combination of abilities or you're destined for ruin. Thankfully you can refund all your points at the click of a button, but I'm not sure if that will remain through to the game's launch in June.

The skill tree is also difficult to see in its entirety. I dislike the layout very much; even when fully zoomed-out the whole tree isn't visible, which makes planning difficult.

Small gripe: the waypoints are nice, but there's so much walking between the waypoint and where you actually need to go. Very Skyrim-esque.

Other than that, no real complaints, though I probably wouldn't play the game if not for having pre-ordered it due to the skill tree alone. That and everything surrounding salvaging for transmogs versus extracting legendary affixes--which cost money now?!--there are too many moving parts. If it weren't for the fact that we'd already bought the game, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't play it.

If you like horror and gory games, this probably isn't all that gross compared to some of what's out there, and if you're more mechanically minded, this is probably the game for you. Very reminiscent--at least to me--of Diablo 2 and very number crunchy. Not at all my cup of tea, but to each their own.

Did you get to play the Diablo 4 Early Access? Will you be playing the Open Beta this coming weekend (24 March)? What class did you play/will you play? Let me know in the comments below!

Stuck in the Queue

 

We're getting closer & closer to playing Diablo 4!

Beta Test: Launch!

Let's get ready to play Diablo 4! If you want to play together, let me know with a comment
below!

DIABLO 4!!!

OMG the beta starts today!!!

In just 9 hours, we'll be back in Sanctuary to explore Diablo 4! The husband will be playing a rogue & I'll be trying out the sorcerer for this first beta weekend & then for the second we'll be playing druid & necromancer - wish us luck!