Act 1 vs Act 3-4

[nightshark]

OK so the 1.0.3 patch notes say that there is a 2% chance of finding a level 63 item in Act 1 now.

My question is whether it is possible to roll an item in Act 1 that is just as good as anything you could possibly get in Act 3-4. Or are there different types of items in acts 3 and 4 that have a better base DPS/more armor points attached to them

Cheers

[lokithor]

Yes the loot you can get from Act 1 can be just as good as anything from Act 3 or 4.

[Illuminance]

The ilvl (in this case, 63) sets the stat budget for the item. In theory, you should be able to get top tier items with a low drop chance in Act 1 inferno.

[darklogrus]

but in the end all you will get from Inferno is an ilvl 63 sword with a Dps 202.2 and 30int...

[nightshark]

but in the end all you will get from Inferno is an ilvl 63 sword with a Dps 202.2 and 30int...

Yeah this is a pain in the ass.

Seems the best choice for me is to continue farming Act 1 until I get at least 40k DPS...

[Dhurn]

Yes with the changes Act 1 is almost always the best place to farm now unless you have incredibly godly gear. For example I can kill 12-20 elite packs depending on spawns in about an hour in Act 1, and like 4-5 in act 3 in the same time. Technically over a large sample the 4-5 packs from A3 would yield more lvl 63 items, but when you factor in repairs from deaths (which never happens in A1), and more gold drops + random blues for salvage in A1, it's not even a contest.

[Firecrest]

From a farming standpoint, Act II is not so bad either. It seems to have a denser elite population (since the first 1/3 of Act I has pretty much zero elites) and is not that much harder than Act I since the patch.

Of course, it is quite possibly the most universally loathed Act in the game...

[nightshark]

I've been starting from quest 6 on Act I since you will have a 5 stack in less than 5 minutes. There's
1) "Take the Hill" quest, +1 neph
2) The Warriors Rest/Crypt of the Ancients +2 neph
3) Usually 2 champ packs in the swamp, 5 neph.

I did try Act2 last night but with 18.5k DPS it does not seem worth it at all. I can take hits and deal DPS but the main problem is the amount of time mobs spend in a sort of "invulnerability" state. Whereas I just blow through Act1 and usually clear quests 6-10 without dying, in less than an hour.

[Dacien]

Yeah this is a pain in the ass.

Seems the best choice for me is to continue farming Act 1 until I get at least 40k DPS...

I'm farming Act 2 and the enemies mostly melt like butter, and I only have 33k DPS. Gets harder towards Kulle.

I usually do Maghda, starting in Black Rock Mines or whatever it's called. Just to the right of the waypoint there is a goblin spawn. Rack up 5 stacks and kill Maghda in about 30 minutes.