Darkness Howls
01-01-2008, 10:21 PM
Here is the old median 2008 sticky...lucky for you all, I saved it on my computer. ;)
Introduction
So, you may be asking: What is Median 2008? Median 2008 is a modification of Diablo II’s single player game which adds new quests, skills, items, and much more! This modification is not meant to be a substitute for unmodified single player; it is merely an alternative mode of play for those who have already beaten the game and are looking for a fresh perspective on things. So, if you haven’t already, play through Diablo II’s single player normally before trying this! If you have already done so and are interested, continue…
Installation
Many people seem to have a problem with this, for some reason. I think it’s pretty straight-forward, but I’ll try and be as detailed as possible with my instructions.
Note-You must have a working version of WinRar to do this! Download it here (http://www.download.com/WinRAR/3000-2250_4-10745708.html).
1.) Go to the Median 2008 Download Page (http://www.fileplanet.com/hosteddl.aspx?%2fhst%2fb%2fr%2fbrotherl%2fMedian20 08_v157b.zip). (Fileplanet not working? Look here ( http://modsbylaz.planetdiablo.gamespy.com/download.html) for mirrors.)
2.) Scroll down to the bottom and find the Free Servers. Click “Download Now!” on the server with the shortest wait. In the box that pops up, click “Click here to begin download”.
3.) From what I understand, this is the part that most people get mixed up on. A box should pop up asking whether you’d like to Save or Open. Select “Save”.
4.) A new box should pop up which allows you to browse your system and choose where to save Median. For simplicities sake, save it in your Diablo II directory (C:/Program Files/Diablo II/).
5.) After you do this, it will begin downloading the file. Wait. You can go look at whatever you’d like while it’s downloading, just don’t interfere with the download itself. When it finishes, a box will pop up asking if you’d like to open the file. Click “Open Folder”. This will take you to the Diablo II directory.
6.) In the Diablo II directory, search for a Winrar archive called “Median2008_v156”. If it’s there, great, you did everything right so far! Right click on the archive and in the menu, select “Extract Here”. It will ask if you would like to overwrite your existing d2_patch.mpq. Select Yes ONLY if you have backed up your original patch!. For instructions on how to do this, scroll down to the FAQ. Now, if you have saved your original Diablo 2 patch, select yes. A voila, you have installed Median! (Median not working? Make sure you followed all the above instructions correctly and check the FAQ. If you still have a question, PM me.)
Pros and Cons of Median
Well, Median is a great mod, but you should know what’s what with it before you start playing. Here I will outline some of the pros and cons of switching to this mod.
Pros
-Entirely reworked skills and items.
-New monsters!
-Special new “uber quests” which drop special rewards on Destruction (Hell) difficulty.
-Tons of new cube recipes, runewords, and unique items.
-Very stable mod; it will almost never crash the game (unless you do something really stupid).
Cons
-This is a con of all mods; No Closed Battle.net.
-All single player characters created before switching over to Median cannot be played on this mod.
-You must replace the d2_patch.mpq file each time you want to switch back to normal Diablo II.
--
There you go, the pros and cons of Median. While this mod offers tons of new content and hours of rediscovery, it cannot be played online (save for in arranged Open Battle.net and TCP/IP games) and it can be very tedious to switch back to normal Diablo (See FAQ for directions on how to do this, BTW.). So, if you aren’t concerned about taking some time off from the realms to play this mod, this should be a good fit for you. However, if you think the game is only fun when playing online with others, you may want to stick to normal Diablo. Still, why not try this? It never hurts to experiment with something new!
FAQ
Q. Where can I go to get news about this mod and talk with other people about it?
A. Here ( http://modsbylaz.planetdiablo.gamespy.com/) for news and here (http://modsbylaz.14.forumer.com/index.php) for discussion.
Q. Where can I find character builds for this mod?
A. Here (http://modsbylaz.14.forumer.com/viewforum.php?f=7&sid=888c42af024d00341bbcb4eaaff5877d).
Q. Do I need a working CD key when I play this mod?
A. Well, you need a working copy of Diablo II v 1.10 or 1.11, and as far as I know that requires a working CD key. So yes, you do.
Q. Is this only single player or can I play with other people also?
A. You can play with other players via Open Battle.net and TCIP/Hamachi. For more information, check here (http://phrozenkeep.planetdiablo.gamespy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39376).
Q. This mod is too easy!
A. Well, that’s not a question…still. If you think this mod is too easy, try playing it on /players8 (press enter and type in “/players8” without the quotes ingame). If that’s not enough, go to the uberlevel “Kurast 3000 BA” on Destruction (Hell) difficulty and kill the skeletons until they drop the “Hard Mode Charm”. If things are still too easy for you, cube the charm with a healing potion to make things even tougher.
Q. How do I backup my original d2_patch.mpq
A. Well, go into your Diablo II directory. Search through it for the file d2_patch.mpq. Right click and select copy. Go to another place on your system where you can save it (perhaps your “My Documents” or Desktop). Paste it there. A voila
Q. OK, the mod is cool, but how do I switch back to normal Diablo?
A. Copy the d2_patch.mpq that you (hopefully) saved somewhere else back into your Diablo II directory. It should ask if you’d like to overwrite the existing patch. Select yes. There you go. On a similar note, to switch back to Median, just re-extract the modified patch from the Winrar archive in your Diablo II directory.
Q. Wahhh, I forgot to save my original patch!
A. Don’t panic! All hope is not lost, you’ll just need to do some more downloading to get it back. Go here ( http://phrozenkeep.planetdiablo.gamespy.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=1325) and download the patch from fileplanet. Download it as you did Median, copying the Winrar archive into your Diablo II directory. Then right click it and select “Extract Here”. There you go, you have clean Diablo II.
Q. I did everything you said and it still says I have normal Diablo II!
A. Well, if you did everything I said you wouldn’t have normal Diablo II, so you obviously made a mistake. Reread my directions and make sure you did everything right. If you’re still convinced that you aren’t at fault, go to your Diablo II directory and highlight d2_patch.mpq. If the file size is 2.00 MB, then that is not Median 2008 and you didn’t extract the modified patch correctly. If it is somewhere around 29.8 MB, then that is Median 2008 and it should be working (Assuming it is in the Diablo II directory), sp something else must be the problem.
Q. I did as you said and saved the Winrar archive to the Diablo II directory, but it isn’t showing up!
A. Did you save it to the right place? Are you sure you selected save and not open? Did you follow the instructions? If you did, then you shouldn’t have this problem!
Q. My question isn’t answered here! Wahhhhhhh!
A. PM me if it is a really important question. Otherwise, just ask in this thread or in the forums.
Well, that’s it…enjoy the mod!
*Nibbles on kitten*
Introduction
So, you may be asking: What is Median 2008? Median 2008 is a modification of Diablo II’s single player game which adds new quests, skills, items, and much more! This modification is not meant to be a substitute for unmodified single player; it is merely an alternative mode of play for those who have already beaten the game and are looking for a fresh perspective on things. So, if you haven’t already, play through Diablo II’s single player normally before trying this! If you have already done so and are interested, continue…
Installation
Many people seem to have a problem with this, for some reason. I think it’s pretty straight-forward, but I’ll try and be as detailed as possible with my instructions.
Note-You must have a working version of WinRar to do this! Download it here (http://www.download.com/WinRAR/3000-2250_4-10745708.html).
1.) Go to the Median 2008 Download Page (http://www.fileplanet.com/hosteddl.aspx?%2fhst%2fb%2fr%2fbrotherl%2fMedian20 08_v157b.zip). (Fileplanet not working? Look here ( http://modsbylaz.planetdiablo.gamespy.com/download.html) for mirrors.)
2.) Scroll down to the bottom and find the Free Servers. Click “Download Now!” on the server with the shortest wait. In the box that pops up, click “Click here to begin download”.
3.) From what I understand, this is the part that most people get mixed up on. A box should pop up asking whether you’d like to Save or Open. Select “Save”.
4.) A new box should pop up which allows you to browse your system and choose where to save Median. For simplicities sake, save it in your Diablo II directory (C:/Program Files/Diablo II/).
5.) After you do this, it will begin downloading the file. Wait. You can go look at whatever you’d like while it’s downloading, just don’t interfere with the download itself. When it finishes, a box will pop up asking if you’d like to open the file. Click “Open Folder”. This will take you to the Diablo II directory.
6.) In the Diablo II directory, search for a Winrar archive called “Median2008_v156”. If it’s there, great, you did everything right so far! Right click on the archive and in the menu, select “Extract Here”. It will ask if you would like to overwrite your existing d2_patch.mpq. Select Yes ONLY if you have backed up your original patch!. For instructions on how to do this, scroll down to the FAQ. Now, if you have saved your original Diablo 2 patch, select yes. A voila, you have installed Median! (Median not working? Make sure you followed all the above instructions correctly and check the FAQ. If you still have a question, PM me.)
Pros and Cons of Median
Well, Median is a great mod, but you should know what’s what with it before you start playing. Here I will outline some of the pros and cons of switching to this mod.
Pros
-Entirely reworked skills and items.
-New monsters!
-Special new “uber quests” which drop special rewards on Destruction (Hell) difficulty.
-Tons of new cube recipes, runewords, and unique items.
-Very stable mod; it will almost never crash the game (unless you do something really stupid).
Cons
-This is a con of all mods; No Closed Battle.net.
-All single player characters created before switching over to Median cannot be played on this mod.
-You must replace the d2_patch.mpq file each time you want to switch back to normal Diablo II.
--
There you go, the pros and cons of Median. While this mod offers tons of new content and hours of rediscovery, it cannot be played online (save for in arranged Open Battle.net and TCP/IP games) and it can be very tedious to switch back to normal Diablo (See FAQ for directions on how to do this, BTW.). So, if you aren’t concerned about taking some time off from the realms to play this mod, this should be a good fit for you. However, if you think the game is only fun when playing online with others, you may want to stick to normal Diablo. Still, why not try this? It never hurts to experiment with something new!
FAQ
Q. Where can I go to get news about this mod and talk with other people about it?
A. Here ( http://modsbylaz.planetdiablo.gamespy.com/) for news and here (http://modsbylaz.14.forumer.com/index.php) for discussion.
Q. Where can I find character builds for this mod?
A. Here (http://modsbylaz.14.forumer.com/viewforum.php?f=7&sid=888c42af024d00341bbcb4eaaff5877d).
Q. Do I need a working CD key when I play this mod?
A. Well, you need a working copy of Diablo II v 1.10 or 1.11, and as far as I know that requires a working CD key. So yes, you do.
Q. Is this only single player or can I play with other people also?
A. You can play with other players via Open Battle.net and TCIP/Hamachi. For more information, check here (http://phrozenkeep.planetdiablo.gamespy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39376).
Q. This mod is too easy!
A. Well, that’s not a question…still. If you think this mod is too easy, try playing it on /players8 (press enter and type in “/players8” without the quotes ingame). If that’s not enough, go to the uberlevel “Kurast 3000 BA” on Destruction (Hell) difficulty and kill the skeletons until they drop the “Hard Mode Charm”. If things are still too easy for you, cube the charm with a healing potion to make things even tougher.
Q. How do I backup my original d2_patch.mpq
A. Well, go into your Diablo II directory. Search through it for the file d2_patch.mpq. Right click and select copy. Go to another place on your system where you can save it (perhaps your “My Documents” or Desktop). Paste it there. A voila
Q. OK, the mod is cool, but how do I switch back to normal Diablo?
A. Copy the d2_patch.mpq that you (hopefully) saved somewhere else back into your Diablo II directory. It should ask if you’d like to overwrite the existing patch. Select yes. There you go. On a similar note, to switch back to Median, just re-extract the modified patch from the Winrar archive in your Diablo II directory.
Q. Wahhh, I forgot to save my original patch!
A. Don’t panic! All hope is not lost, you’ll just need to do some more downloading to get it back. Go here ( http://phrozenkeep.planetdiablo.gamespy.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=1325) and download the patch from fileplanet. Download it as you did Median, copying the Winrar archive into your Diablo II directory. Then right click it and select “Extract Here”. There you go, you have clean Diablo II.
Q. I did everything you said and it still says I have normal Diablo II!
A. Well, if you did everything I said you wouldn’t have normal Diablo II, so you obviously made a mistake. Reread my directions and make sure you did everything right. If you’re still convinced that you aren’t at fault, go to your Diablo II directory and highlight d2_patch.mpq. If the file size is 2.00 MB, then that is not Median 2008 and you didn’t extract the modified patch correctly. If it is somewhere around 29.8 MB, then that is Median 2008 and it should be working (Assuming it is in the Diablo II directory), sp something else must be the problem.
Q. I did as you said and saved the Winrar archive to the Diablo II directory, but it isn’t showing up!
A. Did you save it to the right place? Are you sure you selected save and not open? Did you follow the instructions? If you did, then you shouldn’t have this problem!
Q. My question isn’t answered here! Wahhhhhhh!
A. PM me if it is a really important question. Otherwise, just ask in this thread or in the forums.
Well, that’s it…enjoy the mod!
*Nibbles on kitten*