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Games => General Gaming => Topic started by: PyroMenace on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 03:22:22 AM

Title: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: PyroMenace on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 03:22:22 AM
Gamespot live blog feed announces it. (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6193003.html?tag=topslot%3Btitle%3B1&om_act=convert&om_clk=topslot)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 03:24:23 AM
I am so happy and tired right now.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 06:01:44 AM
FINALLY!
Thank you, Blizzard and Gamespot!

EDIT:
This is from Diablo III's Official FAQs (http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/faq/) on the new official D3 site. (http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/)

Quote
GENERAL

    "
    What is Diablo III?

                

    We’re developing Diablo III to be the definitive action role-playing game, and a true continuation of the Diablo series. Players will create a hero from one of five distinct classes, such as barbarian or witch doctor, each equipped with an array of spells and abilities. As these heroes adventure through rich and varied settings, unraveling an epic storyline and engaging in combat with hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, they’ll grow in experience and ability and acquire items of incredible power.

                

    The game takes place on Sanctuary, a world of dark fantasy. Unbeknownst to most of its inhabitants, Sanctuary was saved some twenty years ago from the demonic forces of the underworld by a few brave and powerful heroes. Most of those warriors who directly faced the armies of the Burning Hells -- and were fortunate enough to survive -- went mad from their experiences. And most of the others have buried their haunted memories and pushed the horrors from their thoughts. In Diablo III, players will return to Sanctuary to confront evil in its many forms once again.

                

    Diablo III will be a fitting sequel to Diablo II, with the easy interface, fast-paced action, and visceral gameplay that Diablo players have come to expect and enjoy. It will also include many new features that will take the Diablo action-RPG experience to the next level. We look forward to going into much more detail on our plans for Diablo III as development on the game progresses.

             
    top
    ""
    What’s new about Diablo III compared to the previous Diablo games?

                

    Exciting new classes like the witch doctor bring new gameplay options to the table. Returning classes, like the barbarian, have been completely redone with new skills to give them a feel unique to Diablo III. New customization options will provide for an even greater level of character specialization than the previous Diablo games, allowing the player to create unique characters brimming with power.

                

    Diablo III is powered by a new graphics engine that can display characters and hordes of monsters in lush, fully 3D environments. Powerful special-effects systems and Havok-powered physics allow the player to lay waste to the Hells' minions in spectacular ways.

                

    Also, Diablo III builds on the random environments of the previous Diablo games by introducing a host of new ways to create random scripted events throughout the game. This creates a dense and exciting world alive with quests, NPCs, dynamic encounters, and viciously challenging new monsters and bosses. Diablo III's environments add a great deal of interactivity to the game, including destructible elements and environmental obstacles that can be turned against your enemies.

                

    In addition, Diablo III will benefit from Battle.net upgrades that will provide some exciting new features for players. Cooperative online play remains a primary focus, with multiple enhancements being planned to make connecting with your friends easier and cooperative gameplay even more fun. We'll have more details on all these aspects as well as other exciting new features at a later date.

             
    top
    ""
    Can you give an overview of Diablo III's storyline?

                

    It has been twenty years since the events of Diablo II. Of those who faced the Lords of Hatred, Terror, and Destruction in the battle over the fate of Sanctuary, there are few still living who can bear to remember the horrors that the Prime Evils wrought upon the world. And of those who did not witness the terrible events firsthand, most believe the stories to be little more than myth. But something evil is stirring once again in Tristram, and it may already have claimed its first victim: Deckard Cain.

             
    top
    ""
    Will there be any other familiar faces in Diablo III (other than Deckard Cain)?

                

    Yes. Players will encounter several new characters as well as a number of characters from the previous games.

             
    top
    ""
    Will players be visiting any familiar locations in Diablo III, such as Tristram?

                

    Yes, definitely. Players will return to Tristram and certain other locations from the previous games, and they'll be exploring new areas of Sanctuary as well.

             
    top
    ""
    How many character classes are included in Diablo III? What are they?

                

    Five character classes will be included in the game, two of which, the barbarian and witch doctor, were revealed when the game was announced at the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational. The other classes will be announced at a later date.

             
    top
    ""
    Will players be able to choose the gender of their character, regardless of class?

                

    Yes. Players will be able to create male and female characters for all five classes.

             
    top
    ""
    Will Diablo III be playable over Battle.net? What new features can we expect?

                

    Yes, Diablo III will be playable over Battle.net, and Battle.net will offer some exciting new features to enhance players' Diablo III experience. We'll announce specifics and go into much more detail at a later date.

             
    top
    ""
    Will there be a single-player component in addition to multiplayer?

                

    Yes. In addition to battling the hordes of the Burning Hells cooperatively with friends over Battle.net, players will be able to adventure through the world of Diablo III solo. More details on both the single-player and multiplayer experience will be revealed at a later date.

             
    top
    ""
    What will questing be like in Diablo III? Will it be similar to Diablo II?

                

    Our plans for the story and quest mechanics are still under wraps. We'll go into detail on those elements of the game at a later date. We can say, however, that we expect to have class-based quests in addition to the main story-line quests.

             
    top
    "

TECHNICAL ASPECTS

    "
    What engine is Diablo III running on? What graphical enhancements are included?

                

    Diablo III runs on a custom 3D game engine for rendering full-3D characters and environments. The 3D game engine not only simulates advanced animation sequences and sound effects, but also uses a custom physics engine that allows for realistic object dynamics and cloth simulation.

             
    top
    ""
    What are the system requirements for Diablo III?

                

    We'll announce specific system requirements at a later date.

             
    top
    "

RELEASE PLANS

    "
    When will Diablo III be released?

                

    It's too early to estimate Diablo III's release date. As with all Blizzard Entertainment games, our goal is to create a game that is as fun, balanced, and polished as possible. We intend to take as much time developing Diablo III as is necessary to ensure the game meets our own high expectations and those of our players.

             
    top
    ""
    Will the game be released in multiple countries? Will the release be simultaneous? Which countries and what languages will Diablo III be localized in?

                

    As with all of our games, our goal with Diablo III is to release the game simultaneously in as many regions as possible, and to localize the game in several languages. We'll have more details to share about countries, languages, and specific dates as we get closer to release.

             
    top
    ""
    Will Diablo III be available on Windows and Mac simultaneously?

                

    Yes. As with all of Blizzard Entertainment's recent releases, Diablo III will ship for both Windows and Mac simultaneously.

             
    top
    ""
    How much will Diablo III cost? Where can I buy this game?

                

    Pricing and availability for Diablo III will be determined and announced closer to the release of the game.
    "
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 09:56:02 AM
(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2008/179/930659_20080628_screen008.jpg)

Looks sexy.  They did a great job in the switch to 3D, it seems, though it looks a bit more cartoony than the past games.  Like the player characters look slightly mow WoW-ish.  Still, the whole thing looks slick, I'm not complaining in the least.

(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2008/179/930659_20080628_screen017.jpg)

(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2008/179/930659_20080628_screen021.jpg)

I am so looking forward to this.  Who's gonna' skip the SP entirely and play through multiplayer with me?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 10:51:12 AM
If the SP and MP are the same exact campaign, I'll probably just do the MP so I can play with others.
that's basically what I did w/ Hellgate.


 
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 12:56:42 PM
I foresee not being able to run this.  It looks . . . monstrous?  Is the release ballpark this year, 2010, or what?  They're mum about that.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 01:35:12 PM
No release date announced.
Hell, no rumors yet, either.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: gpw11 on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 03:00:41 PM
I never played the older ones but I'll probably play this.  I'm probably alone on this, but I kind of wish Blizzard had more than one fall back art style.  I get that the whole cartoony thing is kind of their look, but for this type of game I certainly appreciate a more realistic graphical style.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: sirean_syan on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 03:25:28 PM
It didn't use to be their only look. Look at some of the old art or screenshots from original Diablos. There is no way I would have placed that in with the cartoony crowd. This look only became their standard since Warcraft took off like a bandit.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: JacksRag(e) on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 03:35:09 PM
So, it looks like I'm gonna be playing this with you guys come 2011.
Makes me want to bust out Titan Quest though..anyone game?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: sirean_syan on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 03:41:35 PM
Screw Titan Quest. Just reinstall Diablo II.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 03:46:29 PM
I never did play Titan Quest.  I'm all about the Guild Wars for my fantasy needs these days anyway, maybe even more so now that I know D3 is going to look more cartoony and less dark.  That doesn't mean I won't look forward to it, but I definitely wish that they'd continued along the gritty path of D2 and taken that to the next level instead of taking a step back like this.  I don't mind a colorful palette, nor do I mind the move to 3D, and while ultimately I don't suspect this will have much bearing on my enjoyment of the game, it's quite disappointing at this initial stage.

EDIT - And less disappointing after watching most of the 19-minute gameplay trailer.  Shit, if you don't think that looks super-awesome, something is wrong with you.  I still wish it looked slightly more dark and real as opposed to cartoony, but all in all, I think it's more a side effect of Blizzard going 3D with this.  I don't think they really know how to do anything but cartoony in that realm, or at least that's the impression I get.  Anyway, the rest of it all looked so fucking good that everything else seems irrelevant.  It's a good sign that my initial annoyances were totally outweighed within 3 minutes of watching gameplay.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 05:16:04 PM
I never did play Titan Quest.  I'm all about the Guild Wars for my fantasy needs these days anyway, maybe even more so now that I know D3 is going to look more cartoony and less dark.  That doesn't mean I won't look forward to it, but I definitely wish that they'd continued along the gritty path of D2 and taken that to the next level instead of taking a step back like this.  I don't mind a colorful palette, nor do I mind the move to 3D, and while ultimately I don't suspect this will have much bearing on my enjoyment of the game, it's quite disappointing at this initial stage.
I do get what you mean about it missing the dark and gritty look D2 had, as the D3 game looks quite shiny and cartoony.
The game's story still looks like will still have that a dark tone.

Quote
EDIT - And less disappointing after watching most of the 19-minute gameplay trailer.  Shit, if you don't think that looks super-awesome, something is wrong with you.  I still wish it looked slightly more dark and real as opposed to cartoony, but all in all, I think it's more a side effect of Blizzard going 3D with this.  I don't think they really know how to do anything but cartoony in that realm, or at least that's the impression I get.  Anyway, the rest of it all looked so fucking good that everything else seems irrelevant.  It's a good sign that my initial annoyances were totally outweighed within 3 minutes of watching gameplay.
God, the action looks incredible in this game.
Especially w/ the Barbarian going nuts and slamming everything.

Oh, the destructible environments looks awesome.
As violent as Diablo is, this fits right in.

The armor looks freakin' sweet.

....

Watching Witchdoc' in action.
Conjuring up a Wall of Zombies = TOO AWESOME.

....

OMG at that boss battle they show at the end. Awesome.

Goddamn, this can't be open soon enough...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 06:13:30 PM
Idol found this image (http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/7807/itshouldrh5.jpg) and it's exactly right.  Diablo just needs to look more gritty, less clean.  That image demonstrates perfectly where the misstep lies.  That's some brilliant use of post-processing and highlights changes in color and lighting that suit the game much, much better and make it feel much closer to its predecessors.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 06:28:28 PM
Idol found this image (http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/7807/itshouldrh5.jpg) and it's exactly right.  Diablo just needs to look more gritty, less clean.  That image demonstrates perfectly where the misstep lies.  That's some brilliant use of post-processing and highlights changes in color and lighting that suit the game much, much better and make it feel much closer to its predecessors.

The new clean-extremely shiny D3 look does look like something you'd expect out of a game that more suits that look like say...oh, Titan Quest.

Regardless, D3 still looks awesome.

BTW, that gritty-enhanced pic -- that gritty-look looks awesome; and indeed, more true to Diablo series. Maybe a D3 Expansion will go for a grittier darker-look?

Regardless, I want D3 like...NOW.

Maybe I'll go play some D2 now...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: JacksRag(e) on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 06:33:27 PM
I can't find my D2 cds....might have to buy it again.  But yea, maybe they'll have like a gritty setting in the game, just for kicks.  I find it to be amusing.
And I was just thinking what if someone made a hack and slash dungeon game with zombies..I've been reading Monster Island and it just seems like tons of fun. Different zombie classes, modern weapons lying around and dungeons could be tunnels underground that lead topside and buildings where you need to collect medicine and supplies for your ill.  I think it'd be fun...in my head...and stuff.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 06:47:47 PM
I can't find my D2 cds....might have to buy it again.  But yea, maybe they'll have like a gritty setting in the game, just for kicks.  I find it to be amusing.
$10 off the reg. price Diablo Battle Chest at GameStop, currently.
It's $30 -- from June 27th - July 3, 2008.

Make sure you install the newest D2 Patch and follow the directions so you don't have to deal w/ the discs anymore, since it removes the CD Check.

Quote
And I was just thinking what if someone made a hack and slash dungeon game with zombies..I've been reading Monster Island and it just seems like tons of fun. Different zombie classes, modern weapons lying around and dungeons could be tunnels underground that lead topside and buildings where you need to collect medicine and supplies for your ill.  I think it'd be fun...in my head...and stuff.
That would be a fun game action-RPG game, in the style of say Diablo and TQ.

On a zombie-killing note, there will be a game called Dead Island for PC and X360 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Island) by Techland (the dudes who made the underrated Call of Juarez).
Dead Island will be an open-world style first-person survival horror game.
See my thread (http://www.overwritten.net/forum/index.php?topic=2564.0) on it for more info.

 
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 06:53:53 PM
If you happen to have your D2 cd keys, you can add them to your account on the Blizzard store and then download the games (I believe Diablo is now available).
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: JacksRag(e) on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 09:18:05 PM
Found the discs.  So, if anyone has time in the upcoming weekend or sometime later, let's do this!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: gpw11 on Sunday, June 29, 2008, 01:46:04 PM
Would anyone be down for playing Titan Quest?  I'm tempted to buy the Gold edition, but don't know how much I'd play it just for single player.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Sunday, June 29, 2008, 02:23:33 PM
Ive reinstalled TQ (And D2..heh). Never played it online, though.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: gpw11 on Sunday, June 29, 2008, 03:10:36 PM
Awesome.  I guess I'll go pick up Titan Quest Gold if I can find it at a store.  I don't really feel like buying it through STEAM and downloading 6 GB.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: JacksRag(e) on Sunday, June 29, 2008, 05:13:05 PM
I'd be down if we can work out a good time to play.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: gpw11 on Sunday, June 29, 2008, 05:44:41 PM
I found Titan Quest Gold for $19.99 at a store and UT3 for $9.99 as well.  Awesome
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, June 29, 2008, 07:33:36 PM
I found Titan Quest Gold for $19.99 at a store and UT3 for $9.99 as well.  Awesome

Ooooh, I got both of those -- both still installed, too. :)

UT3 is definitely worth $9.99, easily.
Even more so of a steal, if that was the Collector's Ed.

EDIT:
I still have D2: LOD installed, as well. I have an Account, but never did anything on BNet with it. I usually play SP with that game.

But, yeah -- I'd be down to play D2: LOD on B-Net sometime soon.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: gpw11 on Monday, June 30, 2008, 02:19:08 AM
Oh god, Titan Quest is like crack.  UTIII not so much, but that might just be because I seem to be about 5% of the online population of that game.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: scottws on Monday, June 30, 2008, 06:20:26 AM
I must be the only person who simply doesn't give a rat's ass.  Diablo 2 was a nice looking game and otherwise excellent from a technical perspective, but the gameplay was pretty lame.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Monday, June 30, 2008, 06:56:23 AM
I must be the only person who simply doesn't give a rat's ass.  Diablo 2 was a nice looking game and otherwise excellent from a technical perspective, but the gameplay was pretty lame.
I was never a big fan of the gameplay either. Diablo (1 & 2), Titan Quest, and Dungeon Siege are games I generally put up with the tedious tasks just to progress the plot and build my characters. I've never enjoyed hordes of monsters barraging at me but in co-op it's definitely more fun!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: gpw11 on Monday, June 30, 2008, 12:04:03 PM
I've never been a huge fan of these types of games either.  It's not that I don't like them, more that I just never really got into them.  I played a fair amount of Dungeon Siege when it first came out, but that's pretty much it (DS II had my attention for a couple of days before I got bored). 

I find Titan Quest pretty awesome right now, but I can definitely see myself getting bored with it pretty quickly.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, June 30, 2008, 01:48:02 PM
Audience Q&A from Paris on D3 (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/30/wwi08-diablo-3-design-fundamentals-part-2-qanda/)

Quote
Audience Q&A

Q: Do you plan to keep the 4/5 man typical group size or will you design for much larger groups?
A: Group size isn't a technical restriction, but a gameplay one. Smaller groups are better due to the camera restriction. We haven't really decided but we'll focus on whatever gives the best experience, that'll be 4 or maybe 5 person parties.
Okie dokie.

Quote
Q: Will you increase inventory size?
A: We haven't decided. We're improving the inventory system and it'll be easier to trade items between your characters or other players. We'll pick a size appropriate to gameplay.
In my opinion, I think it would be best to split them up into categories like other games do like say Silverfall: EA, Gothic, and Oblivion do --  one inventory tab for Weapons, one tab for Armor, one for Quest Items, etc etc.

Quote
Q: There are a lot of WoW players and Diablo II players, which audience are you aiming at?
A: We haven't a particular aim. We're making the game for people who love Diablo, and there's plenty of room for both WoW and Diablo, we've no intention to play one game against the other.

Q: Will the seven classes from Diablo II be kept as well as the new classes you're introducing?
A: We have no plans to carry classes over. It's a fresh start, we haven't finalized the final classes or how many there will be. We're not trying to bring back Diablo II classes.
Yet, the Barbarian's back...

Quote
Q: Will there be different systems like mana, energy and rage for each class?
A: We're exploring these systems, we have no specific plans.

Q: Will there be hardcore mode in Diablo III?
A: I don't see why we wouldn't. That decision is made towards the end of development, we might not, but we probably will.
How vague...

Quote
Q: With the loot system in Diablo II, the player with the fastest connection often got the loot. Will this change?

A: We're changing the drop system. Monsters will drop multiple items, each player will see loot generated for them.
Cool.

Quote
Q: Will you be able to respec your player's skills?
A: We're not talking about it but I think it's a bad idea not to. I can't give you any specifics.
Okay.

Quote
Q: Is the witch doctor a spiritual successor to the necromancer?
A: It's not really a replacement. It's a really cool class that we liked the sound of. The witch doctor doesn't prohibit us deciding to put a necromancer class in too.
I wonder if the Necromancer will be back...

Quote
Q: How does the gear system differ from Diablo II?
A: There are new features for items planned. The core system isn't drastically changed. The loot structure is already good, we've maintained and improved on that.
Okay. If it ain't broke, don't fix it too much, I guess.

Quote
Q: Will there still be the ability to cheat over Battle.net?
A: I can't give you specifics, there's a new version of Battle.net with a huge focus on cheats and anti-hack. We really want to make sure it works as cheating hurts the community.
Good.

Quote
Q: Will there be secret areas and hidden levels?
A: That's a secret.
Makes sense. :P

Quote
Q: Will single-player and co-operative play be balanced? Do you have to group to get the best items?
A: The game experience is different in co-op but items will be available in both modes, there won't be anything available in co-op you can't get in single player.
Makes sense.

Quote
Q: You announced LoD in 2001, why is the sequel so late?
A: It's a development issue. We wanted to make a game worthy of being a Blizzard game, so it took this long to make it that good.
Makes sense.

Quote
Q: Will male and female characters have different attributes?
A: There will be no differences beyond physical appearance. We don't want to get into that area.
Okay.

Quote
Q: Will system requirements be high or will a WoW-capable PC run it? Will you need DirectX 10?
A: It's not settled but Blizzard's goal is to support a broad set of systems. We'll have as low system requirements as we can. We don't plan to use DirectX 10 at the moment.
It doesn't seem like many games seem to be adopting a DX10-Only approach. Most are supporting both DX9 (Windows XP) AND DX10 (Win Vista).

Quote
Q: Will there be a map editor?
A: We haven't nailed specifics but the Diablo series isn't very friendly to mods, mostly due to the random nature of the game. It's not a big focus of ours. But we haven't decided.
That'd be awesome if there is a level editor for the SP portion of the game.

Quote
Q: In Diablo II there was a rune system, will you keep that?
A: No comment at this time.

Want to know what else went down at this year's Worldwide Invitational? Check out WoW Insider's coverage of the event!
Okay.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: gpw11 on Monday, June 30, 2008, 04:03:52 PM
Aaaaand, I think I'm already bored with Titan Quest.  These games kind of just aren't for me I guess.  I mainly play them to see new enviroments, but find the overall gameplay not very exciting (yet not entirely boring).  Without something extra to keep me coming back, chances are I'll get sick of them extrememly fast.  A great and immersive story line could keep me interested (although I've yet to come across a game like this with one) or high quality large production value set pieces and scripted events (ala CoD4 or God of War), but the general hack and slash just to get slightly different gear doesn't really appeal to me.

Co-op could still be fun though.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Monday, June 30, 2008, 05:15:45 PM
All this Diablo awareness sucked me in too.  I ended up playing D2: LoD a few hours with a couple of different advanced characters I had.  So you're bored from hordes of monsters attacking you?  Attack them them back with your own horde.  My favorite character is a necromancer who can summon 66 beasts.  The breakdown is 23 skeletons, 23 skeletal mages, 19 revived enemy corpses and one golem.  Things slow down to a crawl sometimes, but shit is flying all over the screen.  My main job is summoning new critters from corpses as the old ones time out or get killed.  I defeated Diablo himself on nightmare difficulty with Boney last night, and moved on to the expansion.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: gpw11 on Monday, June 30, 2008, 05:46:51 PM
Maybe that's the issue - I'm going about this the wrong way.  The character I started to develop seemed like he would be fun to play (warfare + dream), but I have a problem getting through the grinding in order to develop the skills that would make it fun. 
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, June 30, 2008, 06:51:13 PM
Yeah, I don't see how you can possibly find slaughtering endless hordes of monsters boring.  Also, don't ever fucking lump Diablo 2 in with the shit pile that is Dungeon Siege.  Those games are nothing alike on any but the most basic levels.

But yeah, the Diablo experience isn't necessarily readily apparent.  You can't play it for a few hours and expect to understand why it has the longevity that it does, and why it's so much fun.  You have to give it a good shot, and once you beat it and begin another game with the same character, you start to understand the cyclical, escalating nature of it, and why the challenges are so much fun to try and overcome.  From what I've read, Titan Quest is kind of fun, but it's still a Diablo knock-off that doesn't really hold the same appeal, much less for the length of time Diablo can keep you enthralled.

I'd say that coop in these games does increase the fun factor, though.  The original Diablo probably more so than Diablo 2 just because the first game wasn't as much fun in single player.  A little too primitive and limited.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, June 30, 2008, 09:00:03 PM
Yeah, I don't see how you can possibly find slaughtering endless hordes of monsters boring.
Diablo series and TQ just wouldn't be so much fun, if there wasn't tons of skills to learn/master and tons of loot to get. That's a major part of its appeal, I think.

About story-depth, I don't think we expect a Diablo or TQ to be on the level of say a Planescape, BG2, or The Witcher. Then again, what games really are?

If I was to suggest some action-RPG games w/ a better story, cool atmosphere, and has the crazy non-stop action and insane unique-loot dropping of say a Diablo; but also has some decisions to make when doing quests -- here's my own suggestion. I'd say to look at Silverfall (Original) + Silverfall: Earth Awakening. I suggest you should only play these two w/ having both installed together. There's just too many technical issues by owning ONLY Silverfall: Original alone -- since the original edition is just not getting patched anymore; Silverfall: EA does fix a lot of issues with the original game (technical performance and a much much much better interface). Really, the USA needs to release that expansion pack and/or release a pack w/ both Silverfall plus SF: EA together.

Also, Divine Divinity (if you can find it these days) is another pretty good for an action-heavy RPG like Diablo, too. The story is actually pretty good and the setting itself is pretty good. And yes, the questing has more depth to it than say Diablo's. One thing -- make sure you got the patch patch, b/c the game had a ton of bugs upon release; the game's in great condition now, w/ numerous bugs all cleared up. Another thing -- the voice-acting is all over the place. Some of it is bad, some of it is okay, some of it is good. With the game patched-up and all, the voice-acting is really the only weakness in the actual game itself now.

I've yet to finish Beyond Divinity (which is also a hard find these days), but it is another pretty good action-RPG. Story's much darker and so is the atmosphere, when compared to Divine. Definitely action-packed, in the gameworld. The gameworld in Beyond is not as open-world style as Divine is, but it still gives you options and stuff when questing -- often, good vs. evil stuff. Plus, you control two characters here -- a character you create and an (Evil) Dark Knight forced upon you. Again, the same ordeal as Divine -- get the newest patch (this time, b/c it removes the StarForce CD check completely). And yes, unfortunately again, the voice-acting is all over the place.

Quote
Also, don't ever fucking lump Diablo 2 in with the shit pile that is Dungeon Siege.  Those games are nothing alike on any but the most basic levels.
DS: Original + DS: LOA took what was great about Diablo -- ridiculous amounts of loot to get. It also took the Morrowind thing -- whatever skills you use, will improve. It also took what was great about Baldur's Gate series and Icewind Dale series -- full-party control, for big strategic battles.

It got all the basics right, gameplay-wise -- though unfortunately, DS never really had the atmosphere, character, style, plot, nor the presentation to catch up with Diablo series.

DS2 took a few steps forward (adding skills trees like Diablo II, adding somewhat of a plot, and somewhat better characters over the original), but also many steps back (the removal of the formation system, game does go on way too long, and an ending that leaves the player majorly hanging after 40 hours of playing).

Not really until DS2: Broken World did finally DS Series get things finally right, if you ask me (putting the party formation styles back in, a much more interesting plot, much more interesting atmosphere, more interesting NPC's, better banter, better presentation, some side quests give the player choices in how to finish a quest, and the game doesn't overstay its welcome). I'm sure many gamers felt it was TOO late to get it right w/ Broken World, but whatever -- it took Broken World expansion to finally get DS right.

And that's what gets me about DS3, w/ Taylor talking about removing the party entirely. I mean, Space Siege is a side-game in the Siege series that is in a sci-fi setting -- so, it's okay to toss the party out there; it's its own thing. Do they really need to obliterate the party for DS3? I mean, it'll probably basically become another Diablo game even more so, by tossing the party out. We don't need another Diablo -- that's what the hell Diablo is for. I always though DS was always about having a big band of adventurers to strategically slay stuff.

Quote
But yeah, the Diablo experience isn't necessarily readily apparent.  You can't play it for a few hours and expect to understand why it has the longevity that it does, and why it's so much fun.  You have to give it a good shot, and once you beat it and begin another game with the same character, you start to understand the cyclical, escalating nature of it, and why the challenges are so much fun to try and overcome.  From what I've read, Titan Quest is kind of fun, but it's still a Diablo knock-off that doesn't really hold the same appeal, much less for the length of time Diablo can keep you enthralled.
I think TQ probably lacks the support of the MP-gamers and most importantly lacks Iron Lore supporting the MP with something like a Battle.net -- even more so, with Iron Lore gone now, obviously. I think most people play TQ to play solo, not MP. I never tried TQ's MP, b/c I want to finish SP first -- but I'm sure, I'll eventually try it out; hopefully, someone will be playing it on MP side of things! :P

While I think TQ is a fully 3D graphically prettier-looking Diablo II placed over a Greek Mythology setting, I think TQ has done the Diablo-style clone-thing better than anyone else.
 
Quote
I'd say that coop in these games does increase the fun factor, though.  The original Diablo probably more so than Diablo 2 just because the first game wasn't as much fun in single player.  A little too primitive and limited.
D1's SP was just okay. The MP on Battle.net was where that game really shined, that.

D2's SP is actually good and addictive. I'd expect its MP to be even better, myself -- since the D1 MP was very good.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Ghandi on Monday, June 30, 2008, 09:53:58 PM
I'd say that coop in these games does increase the fun factor, though.

Absolutely. Anyone who judges Diablo 2 solely based on single player isn't really taking into account the whole game. A large portion of the game is based around the fact that you will be playing with other people.

As fun as Diablo 3 looks, the fact that Blizzard is making it means that it will probably be pretty fucking awesome when it rolls around. I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, July 01, 2008, 02:27:46 AM
I've always loved co-op multiplayer. In any game. Deathmatch and PvP are okaaay but I get bored of them quickly.

MyD:
Isn't that the Necromancer in Que's first screenshot?

(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2008/179/930659_20080628_screen008.jpg)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, July 01, 2008, 06:39:07 AM
New character, Witch Doctor.  Seems to be sort of a Necromancer 2.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, July 01, 2008, 12:20:27 PM
New character, Witch Doctor.  Seems to be sort of a Necromancer 2.
I thought the Witchdoctor had like a Haka mask with feathers!

I am really curious about what their final decisions will be.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, July 01, 2008, 01:37:38 PM
If you look at my Q&A post in this thread, Xessive -- Blizz has said that just b/c they put in the Witchdoctor for D3 does not mean there will not be a Necromancer class in D3.
(Doesn't mean that there will be a Necromancer class in D3, either.)

So, I'm guessing the Witchdoctor class is still gonna be much different than any version of the Necromancer class quite a bit, at least...

EDIT:
By the wall, Wall of Zombies ability the Witchdoc has is just TOO DAMN cool.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, July 01, 2008, 02:17:49 PM
Idol found this image (http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/7807/itshouldrh5.jpg) and it's exactly right.  Diablo just needs to look more gritty, less clean.  That image demonstrates perfectly where the misstep lies.  That's some brilliant use of post-processing and highlights changes in color and lighting that suit the game much, much better and make it feel much closer to its predecessors.

Some fans not thrilled w/ the artwork style for D3 are petitioning online for a change in art direction to be more like the old-Diablo style. (http://www.actiontrip.com/rei/comments_news.phtml?id=070108_6)

Quote
Unhappy Diablo Fans Start Petition
[Ure "Vader" Paul]
09:13 am EDT @ July 01st, 2008
Filed under: BLIZZARD, DIABLO, DIABLO 3, WORLD OF WARCRAFT

It appears that Blizzard's new art direction for Diablo III made certain fans of the franchise rather unhappy. (http://www.petitiononline.com/d3art/petition.html) They've decided to express their discontent with a petition that asks people to support the notion of a darker, more realistic art style, and not something that's, as they put it, so similar to World of Warcraft. Here are some of their wishes:

    * A darker, gothic, cryptic and creepier environment.
    * A more realistic artistic direction, more independent from the Warcraft universe art direction.
    * Darker dungeons without a blue/green environment, Diablo dungeons are dark and shadowy.

You know there is some truth to this. It's obvious Blizzard moved away from the style and art of the old Diablo games. Speaking as a true-hearted Diablo fan, I must say that this new direction is a good choice. True enough, it is similar in some ways to WoW's artwork, but c'mon guys, why are you so bothered by it? It's really not something I'd start a pointless petition over. The game looks awesome at this point
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, July 01, 2008, 05:59:20 PM
I added my signature, for what it's worth.  I actually like the blue/green look to the dungeons, but I agree with everything else.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: gpw11 on Tuesday, July 01, 2008, 10:13:20 PM
Goddamn it, every time I decide I don't like these types of games I get sucked back into Titan Quest. 
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, July 02, 2008, 01:36:11 PM
Goddamn it, every time I decide I don't like these types of games I get sucked back into Titan Quest. 

TQ and D2 are like crack w/ its single-minded style of play -- you play it for a bit, you put it down for a while, but then you come right back to it for a short period of time has gone by, repeat process.

I don't think D2 and TQ are the kind of game that you can really play for hours and hours and hours and hours....

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, July 02, 2008, 02:51:34 PM
GameSpy Interview w/ Leonard Boyarsky of Blizz
Diablo III's Lead World Designer, who so happens to be Leonard Boyarsky, talks w/ GameSpy.

Side note: Some of you around here may remember Leonard Boyarksy as one of the lead designers/lead writers from the old-school BIS days (Fallout 1 and 2) and also Troika Games days (Arcanum, Vampire: Bloodlines). (http://au.pc.gamespy.com/pc/diablo-iii/885172p1.html)

Having him aboard Blizzard to do D3....damn, this is just more great Diablo 3 news, if you ask me....

Quote
Diablo III: Deep in Hell with Leonard Boyarsky (PC)
We talk with Diablo III's lead world designer about creating a rich world that many gamers will never see.
By GameSpy Staff | June 29, 2008

Leonard Boyarsky has a very tough job. He's lead world designer for Diablo III, the sequel to the quintessential action-RPG notorious for appealing to players who would never read quest text in an MMO and think story is that annoying few moments between fights and the next piece of "phat loot." Boyarsky is the guy who integrates the vast background of Diablo's world of Sanctuary with its diverse civilizations and rich and storied history into a game that prides itself on blazing action. Despite this and the punishing pace of working a show as chaotic as Blizzard's World Wide Invitational in Paris, France, though, Boyarsky seems like a pretty chipper guy. The reason is that he sees the challenge of integrating a deep background and a rich story into Diablo III as less a problem than an opportunity to try out a new twist on storytelling in games.

"I wasn't a hardcore Diablo fan before joining Blizzard," Boyarsky says as we begin talking. "I played them, of course, and I really liked them, but I usually like a lot more story depth in my games." According to Boyarsky, what drew him to the project was what he sees as the franchise's untapped potential for storytelling. "A lot of people are afraid that we're going to slow the gameplay down by enriching the story parts of the game. We're not doing that at all." The idea is to use some simple cinematic techniques such as dialogue rather than monologue to convey quest information and crafting richer backstories for the main characters that will be reflected in their artwork and the way they view the central action of the story.

One of the examples of this Boyarsky likes to use is the new Witch Doctor class. Unlike the previous games in which the player's avatar was more archetype than actual character, the classes in Diablo III are designed with complete backstories including who they were before the story began, why they're interested in the events of Diablo III, and who they are as people. The Witch Doctor is angry, someone who's been broken by a life that's dealt a few too many hard knocks and not enough joy. This is someone tired of being smacked in the head, so he uses his mystical powers to get into the heads of others (and if that doesn't work, a swarm of locusts will get under their skin). Boyarsky also cites the new city of Caldeum that became the seat of government when Karast fell in Diablo II. How an open-trade city changes when its freewheeling style is co-opted by colorless government bureaucrats is something that informs everything from character development to artwork to the nature of quests.

"Working all of this stuff out is a day-to-day challenge," Boyarsky says of the continual iterative process. As he describes it, it "...bounces back-and-forth between story and art and gameplay design." While Boyarsky is responsible for the creative integrity of the storyline, the details of the world often change based on what comes out of other areas. An artist will create a really cool piece of artwork that has to be fit into the history of the world somewhere and gameplay mechanics must be invented for. A new monster is built around a really interesting combat encounter and Boyarsky's the one who must rip pieces of the world away, juggle them around and put them back together in a way that makes sense within the rules of Diablo's fictional universe.


"I do recall one idea that I was really resistant to," Boyarsky recalled. "It was going to require me to re-write a third of everything I had created and looking back, I resisted because I just didn't want to do it." In the end, however, the idea was just too good and ended up going in the game, making it an argument Boyarsky says he's glad he lost. "One of the reasons this process works is because we're all gamers. It made the game better and that's the bottom line."

"I often use other games as examples of why story is important, even in an action game," Boyarsky said. "Sadly few games really love to tell stories." He cites games like Half-Life and Half-Life 2 as examples of games that integrate stories into dialogue and environment without sacrificing any of their fast-paced action. "The word around the office is that Diablo III is 'action with a capital A'," he said. "Lately, though, it seems like people are looking for more story in genres that aren't necessarily known for being story-driven." This is what pushes Boyarsky on. "People are ready for us to take Diablo III to new places rather than make Diablo all over again.

EDIT, 7/3/2008:
1Up has an interview with Ron Pardo of Blizz
1Up interview w/ Ron Pardo (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3168515)
Quote
1UP: On the subject of Diablo III being a more colorful game, there's already comments online about the color palette. Can you talk about how the team arrived at the decision for a wider color palette?

RP: Yeah, so we've probably been through, I don't know, maybe three major art direction changes on the game. And the previous two were probably a little more similar to the Diablo II look. But it just didn't feel right anymore. It didn't feel like an interesting enough environment to play in anymore. So when we finally came up with this look, what we're really trying to do is add more color to the game, and we were very careful to not want to go to WOW. We don't want the game to look like WOW. We want it to look like Diablo. But we felt that there was an opportunity to add more color to the game but still keep the game feeling dark. And I think that's something a little tougher to see in a demo. I think when you're playing the game, people will fall in love with it, and will realize, "you know what? You can have reds and blues and a more painted look and still have a very dark, gothic feel to it all."
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, August 05, 2008, 07:02:43 PM
Diablo III designer Jay Wilson talks about The Necromancer Class -- why it was cut from D3, that it was even unpopular amongst designers to have this class not included D3, and that the class might be back sometime down the road (like say in say a D3 Expansion). (http://bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=viewthread&threadid=90068)

Quote
On Diablo III's Necromancer Cut & Possible Return [August 05, 2008, 7:21 pm ET] - 5 Comments
Diablo III Designer Explains Why Necromancer Was Cut (http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/08/05/diablo-iii-necromancer/), Hints At Return on MTV Multiplayer justifies cutting the Necromancer class from the action/RPG sequel, and hints that this may not be a permanent situation: The reason it was cut was because they didn't want to rehash the characters from previous Diablos (the Barbarian returns because they thought they had a new take on the character), but lead designer Jay Wilson indicates this was not a universal opinion, even among the Diablo III developers, so the Necromancer may eventually be, yes, resurrected:

    “There’s a lot of people on our team who aren’t happy with our class choices,” he admitted. “But after we’ve established ‘Diablo III’ as its own game with its own type of gameplay and experiences, I wouldn’t be opposed to looking at old classes. We are trying to design [the Witch Doctor] class so that if we did bring back the Necromancer, there’s room for him. We’re looking out ahead of time at what our expansions are going to be, so we’ve got to keep room open for some of those other classes down the road.”
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, August 05, 2008, 08:11:46 PM
I think it's funny that they care at all about rehashing when people are still playing Diablo II and still aren't sick of it.  I mean, the classes are half the fun.  I wouldn't mind new takes on old classes, of course, but it seems weird to just drop them.

All I know is I want a return of the Rogue.  Damn it!  Amazons just didn't cut it.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Sunday, September 14, 2008, 02:52:58 PM
Brad Shoemaker changing his tune (http://www.giantbomb.com/news/diablo-iii-maybe-the-philistines-are-right/230/)?  I agree with the dude in comments who said Jeff just likes to take whatever side the net mob isn't on, so he can seem reasonable by contrast (because he never does on his own), and the other, smarter members of the team sort of go along with it.  But it's interesting to see Brad's take on this video, which I wasn't even aware of until today, and I was actually surprised at it.  I didn't think the use of color was really what bothered me so much, but after watching that video, it absolutely looks 100% better to me.  It was like an epiphany... suddenly it looked like a Diablo game.

What do you guys think of it?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, September 14, 2008, 03:51:22 PM
Regardless of the art direction-style, Diablo III looks very impressive either way.
Though, I do prefer the old-school dark Diablo-look over the new clean-cut look.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Monday, September 15, 2008, 07:15:55 AM
I think beyond the new art style, Diablo III's animations are what will really shine. Blizzard will make it smooth and sleak that years down the animations will still look great.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 02:54:58 AM
Well I dont know if my opinion matters too much since Im not totally endeared to the Diablo games. I can say Im pretty happy with the look Blizz has set for it and when I watched the video where the colors desaturated to nearly black and white and made the game more difficult to see, I was immediately turned off. I really hope Blizzard doesnt listen to these people.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 04:16:25 AM
Blizzard have done an impeccable job with all their titles and I think the fans should trust in what artistic decisions they've made. In the end, this is Blizzard's own franchise, they're not developing it on behalf of someone else; it is their baby!

Personally I like the new art style.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 06:55:45 AM
Except that probably none of the people working on Diablo III had anything to do with the previous two.  Frankly, I think the whole "ownership" argument is done to death and not particularly compelling.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 07:57:52 AM
Either way the people in charge at Blizzard wouldn't allow it to turn into something terrible.

I know the whole "ownership" discussion is overdone but it's still valid to an extent. Regardless, I always hope that any discourse leads the developers into an even better direction. No contest, no development, right?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 05:32:22 PM
Again, I don't think the game is going to be terrible.  I think that no matter what direction it takes, it's going to be awesome and even people who might wish it was more in line with what came before it will still be swayed into liking it simply because it's one of Blizzard's usual pieces of greatness.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't think it's a huge issue, or one that will ultimately make the franchise hang in the balance or anything.  Just sucks to watch a unique franchise start to look like everything else, even if only visually.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 06:12:56 PM
Again, I don't think the game is going to be terrible.  I think that no matter what direction it takes, it's going to be awesome and even people who might wish it was more in line with what came before it will still be swayed into liking it simply because it's one of Blizzard's usual pieces of greatness.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't think it's a huge issue, or one that will ultimately make the franchise hang in the balance or anything.  Just sucks to watch a unique franchise start to look like everything else, even if only visually.
I know what you mean. It's like the devs are just slaves to trends. Remember when the Bloom effect was the "in" thing?

I have faith in Blizzard. Afterall, they cancelled StarCraft Ghost because they felt it would be inconsistent with the StarCraft universe and its original fanbase.

I feel like reinstalling Titan Quest now!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, September 22, 2008, 08:19:35 PM
Just something interesting I ran across the other day (from the introduction of The Witcher's artbook) that I think gives a little more practical substance to the arguments about Diablo's traditional visual design and the impact it had.  It just sounds like whining from fans, yet the impact was made; and in this circumstance, you can see that it helped inspire the beautiful and acclaimed visual design of one of the best RPGs in years.

Quote from: Adam Badowski, Head of Art, The Witcher
We drafted the artistic concept [of The Witcher] at the turn of 2002 and 2003.  Familiar with Andrzej Sapkowski's prose, having a clear idea of how it should look in game form, we devised the overriding visual formula within a few weeks.  The Witcher would draw on the 'dark fantasy' genre and the best available example of it - Diablo 2.  This was consistent with our vision of a brutal and grimy game world that would afford little room for charming illusions.  It had to be a thoroughly believable world, a convincing backdrop for the contemporary social problems that would play out within it.

And that isn't to say that The Witcher isn't vibrant and full of color, because it is.  You just have to know what you're doing and figure out how to properly marry that richness with the bleakness that makes dark fantasy what it is.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, September 22, 2008, 11:58:58 PM
Earlier, I felt weird complaining about the art style myself, because it indeed did feel like the typical internet whining, but the art design of Diablo III really does need some changes.

For me, Diablo is all about atmosphere. That atmosphere is created by the music and the art direction. Without that, the game might as well be Titan Quest.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 05:38:24 PM
I'm with Que on that. Yeah, Witcher really knew what it was doing, when to be colorful and when to be gritty and bleak.

Vizima itself was a very bleak place; in color and whatnot....
(click to show/hide)

Though...
(click to show/hide)

Though, I also think much of the color in the game can be found on most of the women in the game and anybody with some sort of aristocratic importance.


Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 06:15:18 PM
But there are lots of moments that break through the bleak coat of paint.  Often indoors you'll see shafts of light illuminating certain areas from windows or what have you, there are some fantastic sunsets that paint buildings and fields with lovely tones, and many of the costumes, setpiece areas for unique encounters, and that kind of thing stand out from the rest.  I love those moments... but the bleakness is what gives them more power than they might otherwise have.  A pretty little tavern full of happy drunkards is dime-a-dozen stuff in a game like Fable, but in The Witcher it's a refreshingly bright bastion in a long expanse of darker stuff, because you don't see trees with blossoming flowers every time you turn around, and the sky gets overcast a lot, and you see the filth on the streets and the dead from the plague.  Even in areas where things are nicer, you get the social problems to cast a nice shadow over the more pleasant-looking architecture, you work the story to bring those dark fantasy elements flooding back when the player least expects it.  The game isn't a cartoon in any sense (other than some of the technical shortcomings which add unintentional humor, heh), and I think I'm realizing now that this is why I'm so afraid of Diablo 3's potential for being more cartoony.

Because Diablo is really a fucking cartoon.  Run into huge hordes of dudes, swing away, watch them all explode and fly back in showers of blood, then go follow the totally comic-booky fantasy story and love the hell out of it.  I mean, there really isn't much character drama, that much concern for people, that much that draws you into the world as a whole.  And that part is totally fine being a sort of caricature, because the dark visuals back it up and make it feel like it has some real substance.  But take away the bleakness, the rawness of the visuals, what with giant pools of blood full of naked rogues, or the tree where all the dead hang above the graveyard... and all you've got is the mechanical parts of the game that made it so great.  Which are still great, but it's a big loss.  Warhammer 40k is totally awesome, but how much would it lose if you took off that gritty, gothic, bitter, nasty edge?  Even if it was still dark, it's defined by the sharpness of that edge in so many ways, it's just something that has to remain intact.  I think Diablo would simply lose a lot of what made it feel more poignant within the context of its own silliness if it was to move away from the sheer decadence of its prior art.  It needs that to help drive it, at least for me.

So maybe I just figured out why this bothers me when it doesn't seem like such a big deal.  The Witcher has a ton of subtext which means the visuals could merely compliment what is an inherently deep, dramatic, emotional experience... much more isn't needed from them, even though they often do more than simply compliment something else.  Diablo fundamentally lacks subtext and the ability to emotionally engage on a deeper level.  It doesn't have any deep-set nuance.  I don't mean to say it's ultimately shallow, because there's definitely more there than its commonly given credit for, and what's there is totally fun... and engaging, even if not emotionally.  But still, take away the punchiness of it, and I think the experience as a whole is going to suffer.  We have a lot of really good Diablo clones out there, but I think simple mechanics may be less of a reason why so many of them failed, and the lack of a deep, dark chain of striking imagery may be the real culprit.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 07:50:29 PM
I thought The Witcher was done masterfully. Visuals, sound, music, story, it was all fantastic! It really is an amazing piece of art and I can't wait to see how well it was perfected in Enhanced Edition.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, October 10, 2008, 10:45:02 AM
New Diablo 3 class unveiled.
The Wizard (http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/wizard)

Quote
Wizard!!!
Posted 10th Oct 2008 05:09 PM by Elly

The new character has been revealed and, as somewhat expected, it’s a mage. A wizard, to be exact.  There are a bunch of screenshots and a new gameplay movie featuring the new character.  Updates to come very soon, we’re in the press room working away right now.

Here’s the press release blurb.

Quote
Blizzard Quote:    
   During the show, Blizzard Entertainment also unveiled the game’s third playable class: the wizard. A wielder of the elements and a master manipulator of time, the wizard can hurl environment-shattering lightning bolts, channel explosive arcane energies, and create pockets of space outside the normal temporal flow. BlizzCon attendees were able to adventure as either the wizard or the previously unveiled barbarian or witch doctor, battling alone or with up to three other players through the catacombs beneath Tristram Cathedral to a final showdown with the Skeleton King.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Friday, October 10, 2008, 03:49:26 PM
Lots of awesome new D3 info. A work in progress full Wizard skill tree (http://www.shacknews.com/featuredarticle.x?id=1020) and info on Skill Runes (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55258).
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, October 10, 2008, 10:30:01 PM
It is actually called a Wizard?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Friday, October 10, 2008, 10:54:48 PM
Yes.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Saturday, October 11, 2008, 05:37:54 AM
Haha I think Pug is so underwhelmed but the banality of that title :P Call that class Warlock, Sorceror, or Mage even!

Wizard.. Sounds too close to wizzer, or a wizzer-lizard, a wizard.

I wonder if the assassin class will make an appearance.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Saturday, October 11, 2008, 07:44:53 AM
Yup, I am just surprised by the title. It goes back to the days of Diablo1, when we had a "fighter" class.

Even titles like Warlock and Mage are a touch spicier than Wizard. I'd say that the word "Wizard" along with "Sorcerer" is the oldest and most easily recognizable word used to describe a man who does magic. Imagine if the next class is simply called "Thief".

This isn't meant as a criticism of course. I'd love to run around in Diablo 3, looking like an absolute cliche of a Wizard... with my long white beard, my staff, my patched up robe, and of course... my cat.

Come to think of it, it doesn't sound that exciting. :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, October 12, 2008, 03:46:09 PM
Sounds like some of D3's MP feature will cost some money.

Sounds like there might be some official DLC that you will have to buy and maybe extra-special things you can get that'll cost $$, sometime down the line. (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55271)

Quote
Subscribe to Shacknews or visit our front page for the scoop on all of your favorite games on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and PC/Windows.
Blizzard on Battle.net Subscription, Diablo 3 Modding
by Nick Breckon Oct 10, 2008 7:58pm CST tags: Diablo 3

Diablo III director Jay Wilson said today that the company does not have a great desire to charge a subscription fee for the upcoming revision of its multiplayer client Battle.net. However, the developer did note that Blizzard will likely monetize unknown features of the game.

"We are going to monetize features so that we get to make them," said Wilson. "We kind of have to."

Wilson noted that whatever the content would be, it would have an appropriate value to users.


Fans of map hacking and other Diablo II modifications have little to look forward to with the sequel, as Wilson shot down any talk of mod support.

"We don't have a lot of plans to do that. It would make our lives so much harder" he said, adding that despite the fact that he and many other designers got their start in modding, the team takes a strong stance on the hacking of their games.

Wilson also used the panel to reemphasize the trading aspect of Diablo III, saying that no items outside of specific quest rewards will be bound to players.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, October 12, 2008, 09:07:59 PM
As long as all the original MP features of Diablo are free, I am happy. But this does have me worried. What the hell sort of age are we reaching in gaming?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, October 12, 2008, 09:46:06 PM
As long as all the original MP features of Diablo are free, I am happy. But this does have me worried. What the hell sort of age are we reaching in gaming?

Nickel and diming age.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Sunday, October 12, 2008, 10:00:40 PM
The problem for me is that I just don't care enough to pay.  There are a lot of games that will go this route and I'll stop supporting them, not really out of spite, but because it just doesn't matter enough for me.  I would love to play Diablo 3 online with Sy and Idol... but pay for it?  What the fuck for?  I can go play Guild Wars and not pay a dime.  It just doesn't matter enough to me.  It'll have the single player, which *may* be attractive enough for me to make the purchase, but there's no guarantee.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Sunday, October 12, 2008, 10:23:13 PM
I seriously doubt they will make Diablo 3 pay-to-play over bnet. I just hope the stuff they do charge for isn't stuff I REALLY want.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, October 13, 2008, 01:48:55 AM
Yup, I am pretty sure normal Bnet stuff will be free.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Monday, October 13, 2008, 03:02:22 AM
This micro-transaction crap is getting irritating. I'm already seeing so much crap on the Playstation Network that is basically worthless yet still costs some money. Most recently I was kind of bugged that Megaman 9 costs $13 (which is a bit much for a game that really ought to be under $5) and its additional game modes are around $4 and $2.50, totaling $19.50.

What's bugging me even more is seeing more games sticking to digital distribution. Which is a bonus to publishers in that they charge us full retail price anyway and it pretty much solves their issues with the used games market.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, October 13, 2008, 06:22:58 AM
If they start charging for items and stuff, I just plain won't play it.  The entire Diablo experience is around getting new gear and stuff, and if the best items are reserved for those who shelled out extra money, I can guarantee you I won't set foot anywhere near this.  If it's more like Guild Wars where they make totally unnecessary perks available for hardcore users (buy extra character slots, etc.), that's fine, but there's a fine line there, and it's one I'm afraid Guild Wars 2 may even cross.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, October 13, 2008, 07:31:51 AM
If they start charging for items and stuff, I just plain won't play it.  The entire Diablo experience is around getting new gear and stuff, and if the best items are reserved for those who shelled out extra money, I can guarantee you I won't set foot anywhere near this.
Or say you wait for a Diablo 3 Battle Chest which includes access to that stuff. :P Hopefully that'd include that stuff in one final D3 Battle Chest. :P

I can say understand them selling DLC, which would be like expansions or mini-expansions, adding a few hours of new areas, new levels, new story, and new weapons. People would jump for that, if it was priced reasonably -- worked for Oblivion.

Quote
If it's more like Guild Wars where they make totally unnecessary perks available for hardcore users (buy extra character slots, etc.), that's fine, but there's a fine line there, and it's one I'm afraid Guild Wars 2 may even cross.
I hope GW2 don't cross that route.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Monday, October 13, 2008, 07:49:04 AM
If they start charging for items and stuff, I just plain won't play it.  The entire Diablo experience is around getting new gear and stuff, and if the best items are reserved for those who shelled out extra money, I can guarantee you I won't set foot anywhere near this.  If it's more like Guild Wars where they make totally unnecessary perks available for hardcore users (buy extra character slots, etc.), that's fine, but there's a fine line there, and it's one I'm afraid Guild Wars 2 may even cross.
That would be a serious deal-breaker issue for me as well.

Speaking of Guild Wars, apprently the Complete Pack has been released, it costs about $45 USD and I was seriously thinking about but I figured I ought to try a demo out first. Even though I have only ever heard great things about GW.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, October 13, 2008, 09:52:10 AM
Speaking of Guild Wars, apprently the Complete Pack has been released, it costs about $45 USD and I was seriously thinking about but I figured I ought to try a demo out first. Even though I have only ever heard great things about GW.
That's a hell of a deal.

Only one I'm missing is Factions.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Monday, October 13, 2008, 10:18:08 AM
Fear not! (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/13/blizzcon-2008-rob-pardo-talks-battle-net-monetizing/)

Quote
With Battle.Net we're definitely looking at possible different features that we might be able to do for additional money. We're not talking about Hellgate or anything like that. We're not going to tack things on. I think World of Warcraft is a great example to look at. We charge people if they want to switch servers or if they want name changes, things that aren't core to the game experience, they're really just optional things that some people want. It takes us some development work to do it, so it makes sense to charge for it. We would never do something like say to get the full game experience, you'll have to pay extra.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: scottws on Monday, October 13, 2008, 11:16:51 AM
I was just about to say "Didn't they learn anything from seeing what happened with Hellgate?"  Then I saw idol's last post.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, October 13, 2008, 11:17:07 AM
hahaha I love how they mentioned Hellgate by name.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, October 13, 2008, 11:18:10 AM
hahaha I love how they mentioned Hellgate by name.

Of course they would mention Hellgate by name.
Blizzard probably wanted Flagship to wind up Flagshipped.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, October 13, 2008, 05:39:56 PM
What the fuck does that even mean?

Anyway, yeah, it definitely makes me happy to hear that from Bliz.  I'll keep my chin up for now.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, October 13, 2008, 06:02:16 PM
What the fuck does that even mean?

Anyway, yeah, it definitely makes me happy to hear that from Bliz.  I'll keep my chin up for now.

Flagshipped means "fucked," basically.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: scottws on Monday, October 13, 2008, 06:43:46 PM
Wow you just got MysterD-ed.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, October 13, 2008, 06:56:08 PM
Wow you just got MysterD-ed.

Basically.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Monday, October 13, 2008, 08:09:43 PM
ahaha
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Monday, October 13, 2008, 08:13:21 PM
oh btw i totally played this at this years blizzcon.. i only tried to Sorceress but it was really cool! Me and 2 friends co-oped it and tried to get to the boss but we all wanted to play the sorceress so we pretty much got wtfpwned by one of the mini bosses.. the trouble was that we kept running out of mana in fights and the only way you can regen mana is to just stand around and regen it or get a blue orb that drops from enemies. unfortunately, not many dropped so in long encounters we got totally owned.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: iPPi on Monday, October 13, 2008, 11:21:50 PM
I didn't get a chance to try this at Blizzcon.  The lineup was way too long.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 12:52:19 AM
Dude! i didn't know you went to blizzcon! we could have totally met up
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 01:49:47 AM
ahaha

I totally LOL'ed myself.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 01:52:41 AM
Dude! i didn't know you went to blizzcon! we could have totally met up

I went as well. But I didn't go for Blizzcon.

Keebler, did you know you have a strange mole behind your left ear? You can see it when the wind ruffles your hair. You should have it looked at.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 05:51:36 AM
Wow you just got MysterD-ed.

Is that why I feel so dirty?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: iPPi on Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 04:26:11 PM
Dude! i didn't know you went to blizzcon! we could have totally met up

It was the first time I've ever been to Blizzcon.  I was lucky enough to get tickets this year.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 08:23:01 PM
I'm really concerned about them monetizing certain aspects of the game.  Very.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 02:39:33 PM
Expect Diablo 3 to have a bunch of expansion packs. (http://www.actiontrip.com/rei/comments_news.phtml?id=111908_3)

Quote
Diablo III to Get Several Expansions
[Ure "Vader" Paul]
07:42 am EST @ November 19th, 2008
Filed under: DIABLO 3, BLIZZARD

Fan site Diii.net takes the time to speculate what's certainly a strong possibility. When Blizzard Entertainment announced its action RPG Diablo III they still haven't discussed potential expansions packs. Of course, it's obviously too early, seeing as there's a lot of work awaiting the developers for the main game.

Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime talked on the subject of WoW expansion packs recently. "I don’t think Blizzard will ever be able to do sequels of products like a 'Diablo III' or 'Diablo IV' on an annual basis, but we might be able to do expansions to those games close to annually," said Morhaime to MTV. "Hmmm, is there more profit? In an ideal scenario, I think we’d probably do [expansions] a little bit more often than we’ve been able to do. But I agree — I think putting too many expansions out too frequently, you probably get to the point where people do need to start taking a little break," he added.

When Diablo III finally hits store shelves, I would imagine that a few add-ons are Blizzard's likely course of action, as opposed to a completely new installment.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 04:34:44 PM
I'm really concerned about them monetizing certain aspects of the game.  Very.

I know this is an old post of yours, but I thought I'd respond to it anyway. They clarified that by monetizing, they meant minor stuff like switching servers constantly and lots of extra character slots etc.

As for what D posted, I never like hearing a company talk about expansion packs when their base game is still in development. It kinda rubs me Hellgatish.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 08:08:24 PM
I know this is an old post of yours, but I thought I'd respond to it anyway. They clarified that by monetizing, they meant minor stuff like switching servers constantly and lots of extra character slots etc.

As for what D posted, I never like hearing a company talk about expansion packs when their base game is still in development. It kinda rubs me Hellgatish.

Hell, a lot of companies are talking DLC before a full game is released.
Just look at PoP and FO3, for example...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Friday, November 21, 2008, 12:05:59 AM
I don't trust most companies with that shit, though.  I trust Bethesda because they make sure they pack in a meaty and vital game for your initial investment.  DLC is just gravy, not buying parts of the game that should have been there to begin with.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, November 21, 2008, 03:24:08 PM
I don't trust most companies with that shit, though.  I trust Bethesda because they make sure they pack in a meaty and vital game for your initial investment.
That's why I bought The FO3 Collector's Ed -- I trust them with the amount of content they throw down for their newly released game. I've got ridiculous amounts of time out of both Morrowind and Oblivion alone; throw in their DLC and expansions, and the amount of time goes even further up. Crazy,.

Quote
DLC is just gravy, not buying parts of the game that should have been there to begin with.
First time through FO3, I got around 50 hours out of it and wasn't bored one minute of it -- what more could I really ask for out of one play through for a brand new game at full price (especially in this day and era)?

I'm playing a 2nd time through and it's great checking out all the alternative solutions to quests and some of the stuff I missed the first time through.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, August 21, 2009, 01:44:41 PM
4th class has been revealed.
The Monk. (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/60134)

You can check it out here. (http://www.shacknews.com/screenshots.x?gallery=12667&game_id=5483#img139625)

Quote
Diablo 3's Monk Class Revealed
by Nick Breckon Aug 21, 2009 1:46pm CST tags: Diablo 3, BlizzCon 09
Diablo 3

The latest class announced for Blizzard's Diablo III is the Monk, a character first introduced in the original Diablo's 'Hellfire' expansion.

An image of the Monk leaked early on the Korean Blizzard site, beating the official announcement at BlizzCon.

"It's a class that has its roots in old school fantasy, but we believe you haven't seen it quite like this before," said Blizzard's Chris Metzen during the official unveiling. "I'm very proud to introduce to you, the new Diablo 3, with all of its open-handed, Tiger-strike packed fury, the Monk."

A cinematic using the Diablo III engine was hsown, with a bald-headed, staff-wielding Monk battling a fire-shooting demon. The beareded Monk used its bare hands near the end, finishing off the demon with an open-palmed attack.

Gameplay footage showed the Monk using quick jabs and punches to attack enemies, with several attacks that hit many monsters in quick succession.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, August 21, 2009, 03:22:47 PM
Oh jeeze. Milking to create hype has become a bit of an art. There comes a point where you really don't care anymore and just want to play the damn game.

Give us Diablo III already!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Friday, August 21, 2009, 03:55:09 PM
Try not to get excited. Blizzard said to only expect Starcraft 2 and the next WoW expansion in 2010. Its going to be a good long time before we're playing D3.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Friday, August 21, 2009, 04:48:50 PM
Yeah as much as I want to play D3 I'm resigned to not thinking about it until there's a solid release date.  I'm telling myself it hasn't been announced.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, August 21, 2009, 05:15:32 PM
It's still a ways down the line...

So, I think maybe I'll go play some Sacred 2...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Sunday, August 23, 2009, 06:02:54 PM
so I put in some quality time with Diablo 3 this year at Blizzcon and MAN was I impressed. This game is seriously fun! I tried out the new Monk class and it was awesome. The game is just so fluid and looks really really great.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, August 23, 2009, 07:07:02 PM
Keeb, that's good to hear!
I really didn't expect anything less from Blizz -- especially since the game probably won't make 2010.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 02:48:12 PM
Looks like D3 might not have skill trees.
Might be a skill-based system. (http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=viewthread&threadid=104646)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 03:06:08 PM
Sounds more natural. I am all for something different if it works.

I also read that Blizzard were saying that perhaps they announce games too early.

How good of them to realize.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 03:55:46 PM
Sounds more natural. I am all for something different if it works.
Fine w/ me.

Quote
I also read that Blizzard were saying that perhaps they announce games too early.

How good of them to realize.
Oooh, thanks for the info, Pug.
For those who missed what Pug is speaking of - here's the link that talks about that. (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/61356)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, March 08, 2010, 06:09:15 PM
Some Diablo 3 fans are not happy w/ the "effeminate" Male Wizard character. (http://www.gamegrep.com/blog/30878-diablo_3_fans_upset_over_effeminate_male_wizard/)

Now, IncGamers takes a look and talks about all the character class models and how they compare to the Male Wiz. (http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/the-wimpy-male-wizard-and-posturing)

So, here's the Male Wizard's look and animation (http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/characters/wizard.xml?rhtml=y) that are riling some fans up...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, March 08, 2010, 06:45:54 PM
Wizards are pussies.  I thought we all knew this already?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, March 09, 2010, 12:05:55 AM
People need to get a life. People who think that is weird have obviously not used Voldo in Soul Calibur.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: W7RE on Tuesday, March 09, 2010, 04:37:53 AM
Wizards are pussies.  I thought we all knew this already?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, March 09, 2010, 09:34:27 AM
Hmm, that was pretty effeminate. He looks like he might have a stiff-upper-lip British accent, like most kiddie anime villains. Come to think of it, he looks like a kiddie anime villain. By kiddie anime I mean stuff like Yu-Gi-Oh or Card Captors, or any of that crap.

I think the Alchemist from Torchlight got it right. Small, not physically overbearing, non-threatening.. until the magic comes out!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 01:59:50 PM
Shacknews -> Diablo III - Artisans, Crafting, and Salvaging Features Video from GC 2010. (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/65193)
G4TV -> Write-up on the new features in the above video shown at GC 2010. (http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/706971/Blizzards-Reveals-New-Diablo-III-Details.html)

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, September 13, 2010, 01:51:22 PM
Shacknews -> Info on Diablo 3's new Health System. (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/65544)

Health System - In General
Quote
Blizzard has updated its Diablo III page (http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/systems/health.xml) with some details on the game's health system, which primarily utilizes health globes to restore the health of a player and his party without the use of potions or spells.

Health System - In Boss Fights
Quote
Major boss fights make unique use of health globes. Each boss battle includes a custom-designed means of utilizing these globes to regain health.

For example, in one fight, you might have to split your attention between weakening a dangerous boss and slaying its irritating but ultimately less-dangerous minions in order to get enough health globes to stay standing.

In another fight, the boss itself might drop health globes when it takes damage, or you might have to hunt for hidden caches of globes in the midst of battle.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Monday, September 13, 2010, 03:48:24 PM
Well, it's not original but it might work for Diablo's frantic gameplay.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Monday, September 13, 2010, 04:12:23 PM
I think its a good change. Its kind of annoying having to pound the "chug potion" button all the time. It sounds like a more elegant solution. Of course without a huge stock of potions the player is going to have to pay a bit more attention to the fight and their health since there won't be a one button fix for it.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: iPPi on Monday, September 13, 2010, 04:46:41 PM
Well I remember in D2 specifically that chugging a potion wasn't enough, with the exception of a full rejuvenation potion in Nightmare and Hell.  You had to rely on life leech attributes to survive the hordes of enemies.

This is a somewhat interesting change.  I wonder if life leeching and mana leeching will still be in the game.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Thursday, October 07, 2010, 08:06:05 AM
Eurogamer -> 3-page Interview on Diablo 3 w/ Jay Wilson of Blizz. (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-10-07-designing-diablo-iii-interview)

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: W7RE on Thursday, October 07, 2010, 11:03:36 AM
This game is going to be game of the year (2014).
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Thursday, October 07, 2010, 11:12:39 AM
This game is going to be game of the year (2014).

I'm definitely looking forward Diablo 3 - BIG TIME.

But, damn - I need to make time to even work on D2 + LOD.
Ain't finished either.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, October 22, 2010, 01:50:37 PM
Blizzard.com -> Demon Hunter Class revealed. (http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/characters/demonhunter.xml)
Destructoid -> More on Demon Hunter class. (http://www.destructoid.com/-demon-hunter-class-announced-for-diablo-iii)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Friday, October 22, 2010, 02:10:21 PM
Sweet.. It's kinda like a cross between the Assassin and the Amazon.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, October 22, 2010, 02:49:06 PM
Kotaku -> Diablo 3 will support Player Vs. Player Battles in Arenas. (http://kotaku.com/5670946/diablo-iii-will-have-player-vs-player-battle-arenas?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kotaku%2Ffull+%28Kotaku%29)

(http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/10/500x_ss140-hires.jpg)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: iPPi on Friday, October 22, 2010, 02:55:42 PM
Hmmm... I'm unsure how Diablo pvp will work.  Characters in Diablo II were ridiculously overpowered with decked out gear and proper synergy one shots were regularly occurring. 

If Blizzard manages to get Diablo III balancing to what WoW is like, I could see the pvp working.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Friday, October 22, 2010, 03:37:43 PM
Hmmm, that could be pretty fun. Maybe it'll be kind of like Guild Wars PvP where you go to the arena to fight. Maybe there will be a level cap or specific PvP gear to keep players sort of even.

I actually thought WoWs PvP arenas could work as their own standalone action games. Maybe this will be like that.

EDIT

Or maybe I should learn to read.
Quote
Taking place in carefully designed arenas--unlike Diablo 3's random dungeons--the battles will let you use "the character of your choice, with access to all of the gear and skills you've accumulated playing the game in single-player or cooperative mode."
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: W7RE on Friday, October 22, 2010, 06:03:13 PM
So they're recreating WoW's arena system on Diablo III...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Saturday, October 23, 2010, 12:28:11 PM
Shacknews hands on with the PvP (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/66153). Sounds kinda fun.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, October 23, 2010, 12:36:49 PM
@Idol
That sounds like a blast. :)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: gpw11 on Saturday, October 23, 2010, 04:16:44 PM
Have all the classes been announced yet?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Saturday, October 23, 2010, 04:20:10 PM
I think Demon Hunter was the final one.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: iPPi on Saturday, October 23, 2010, 06:51:43 PM
Blizzard is really slowly trickling the information out for this game.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Saturday, October 23, 2010, 08:05:52 PM
They have to make it last for another 2 years.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 12:27:18 AM
Yea this is really frustrating because I want to play the game so badly. And Blizzard are whores when it comes to stuff like this. Just shut up till the game is a year from launch...

That's the problem when you have events like Blizzcon, where Blizzard make tons of money. They aren't just looking to keep their games business successful, but their events, where they sell overpriced products as well. So, not only are they building hype slowly for the eventual game release, but it gets worse when Blizzcon is around the corner. That seems to be why they announce their games 20 years before they are ready.

It is really annoying because I absolutely love Diablo.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 06:12:36 AM
At least Blizz games ain't buggy as sin when they get released.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 08:46:41 AM
wha
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 08:53:19 AM
wha

You were complaining Blizz tells too little info over too much amount of development time.

Blizzard might take forever to make a game, but at least it ain't released in buggy and technical issues galore states - like say Gothic 3, Divinity 2, or FO: New Vegas.

EDIT:
Every time I have heard more Diablo 3 info, as little as it might be, it seems like it's always good stuff. So, oh well - I can wait for greatness. Plenty other games to tide me over, in the meantime...

EDIT 2:
Oh, this a good reminder - I need to finish Diablo 2: LOD.
Hell, I ain't even finished Diablo 2, nevermind the LOD content.  :o
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 09:49:07 AM
No I was complaining that they market their upcoming games far too early in the development cycle.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 09:54:23 AM
No I was complaining that they market their upcoming games far too early in the development cycle.
Do you think people lose interest in an upcoming Blizz game b/c of this?

EDIT:
I can't speak on your behalf, but it ain't bothering me w/ Diablo 3...yet.
Though, I can say - I'm still annoyed by Valve w/ the wait that's going on for the next Half-Life...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Ghandi on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 10:14:28 AM
wha
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 12:39:26 PM
;D
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 12:40:10 PM
Do you think people lose interest in an upcoming Blizz game b/c of this?

EDIT:
I can't speak on your behalf, but it ain't bothering me w/ Diablo 3...yet.
Though, I can say - I'm still annoyed by Valve w/ the wait that's going on for the next Half-Life...

No, I give you permission to.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 01:21:28 PM
No, I give you permission to.

No thanks.
LMAO! :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 03:47:52 PM
I want to punch you in your kidney so badly.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: iPPi on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 06:33:49 PM
haha.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Ghandi on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 07:00:00 PM
(http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/gallery/angry.jpg)

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tYiCGgNLJ8c/R8DZLF-FJwI/AAAAAAAADxo/nwB7BJ2i124/s1600/fight0209-d.jpg)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, October 25, 2010, 03:12:22 PM
I'll be honest with you guys. I was trying to fall asleep last night, when I suddenly started thinking about this thread and the kidney thing and the wha thing, and to quote Eddie Murphy, I giggled my mutherfreakin' ass off... while trying to fall asleep. My face was on my pillow, and I was giggling, trying to stop, but I couldn't.

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Ghandi on Monday, October 25, 2010, 04:06:24 PM
:D

Back on topic:

http://kotaku.com/5672068/diablo-iii-arena-battles-will-devour-your-soul
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Monday, October 25, 2010, 04:50:20 PM
I haven't been this excited about a PC game in a very very long time.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 12:00:53 AM
I'll be honest with you guys. I was trying to fall asleep last night, when I suddenly started thinking about this thread and the kidney thing and the wha thing, and to quote Eddie Murphy, I giggled my mutherfreakin' ass off... while trying to fall asleep. My face was on my pillow, and I was giggling, trying to stop, but I couldn't.



This post felt like a good idea at 2:00 am last night night.... Reading it now, I sound like some psycho!

Anyway, I am so getting the CE for this. That Kotaku article is exciting.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 07:06:42 AM
Haha I can relate to you, man! I've had some seemingly crazy reactions to some posts too :D
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, November 15, 2010, 03:16:34 PM
Kotaku -> Is Diablo 3 also going to have console versions? (http://kotaku.com/5690583/blizzard-seeking-diablo-iii-talent-for-console-development?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kotaku%2Ffull+%28Kotaku%29)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, December 19, 2010, 07:37:36 AM
PC Gamer -> 4 page preview on Diablo 3. (http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/12/16/diablo-3-a-hellraising-preview/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 03:42:03 PM
Kotaku -> What Diablo 3 looked like in 2005... (http://kotaku.com/#!5761172/this-is-what-diablo-iii-looked-like-a-long-time-ago/gallery/1)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, April 18, 2011, 05:53:17 AM
AtomicGamer -> 2-page Interview w/ Kevin Martens, Lead Content Designer at Blizzard on Diablo 3.
He talks about D3 and the ARPG genre. (http://www.atomicgamer.com/articles/1235/diablo-iii-interview)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, May 13, 2011, 01:49:07 PM
PC Gamer -> Diablo III - 'Followers' Trailer. (http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/05/13/diablo-3-trailer-shows-followers-and-freakish-enemies/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Monday, August 01, 2011, 08:23:49 AM
Blizzard ruins Diablo 3 (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/08/01/diablo-iii-no-mods-online-only-cash-trades/)

No mods. No offline play. Auction house using real money.


Ok, I could deal with no mods (didnt mode D2) and there will also be a regular AH that uses in-game gold, but no offline mode is bullshit.
Quote
“One of the things that we felt was really important was that if you did play offline, if we allowed for that experience, you’d start a character, you’d get him all the way to level 20 or level 30 or level 40 or what have you, and then at that point you might decide to want to venture onto Battle.net. But you’d have to start a character from scratch, because there’d be no way for us to guarantee no cheats were involved, if we let you play on the client and then take that character online.”
And...whats wrong with starting from scratch? Diablo 2 had online and offline characters and that seemed to work out just fine. Why drop offline mode?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Monday, August 01, 2011, 09:26:08 AM
I'll give you 3 guesses, and the right one starts with DRM.

No uncracked D3 for me then.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, August 01, 2011, 09:57:51 AM
*sigh*
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, August 01, 2011, 11:31:31 AM
Wow no offline play... that's just... wow...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Monday, August 01, 2011, 11:46:30 AM
While I can definitely see why people would be upset with that, realistically I played offline D2 for all of five minutes during the untold hours I logged with that game.  Offline's lack of inclusion is concerning, but I wasn't planning on playing offline anyhow.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cools! on Monday, August 01, 2011, 11:57:20 AM
Not surprised. No offline/lan mode in SC2 either.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Monday, August 01, 2011, 12:14:42 PM
It's Blizzard, they can do whatever they please.. They're the Apple of the game world.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, August 01, 2011, 12:27:51 PM
That's sort of how I feel about them now. I loved Blizzard. For years. I loved them and was a huge fan and everything... post-WoW, even though I still think they're a talented group who do great things, I just can't get excited. They're too huge and making too many decisions I simply won't stand for. This is just another of them.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, August 01, 2011, 02:34:20 PM
Torchlight 2 is the new Diablo 3.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cools! on Monday, August 01, 2011, 03:17:56 PM
Keep telling yourself that...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Monday, August 01, 2011, 03:22:11 PM
Yeah I mean I like Torchlight, and I'll likely buy 2.  But there's no way in hell it ever replaces D3
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: iPPi on Monday, August 01, 2011, 03:43:34 PM
I think I only spent about 1% or less of my time playing Diablo II offline.  Granted, not having that option is somewhat disappointing.  Blizzard probably wants to streamline (re: control) the experience more, kind of like what they've done in Starcraft II by removing LAN play.

Like Xessive said, Blizzard is like the Apple of the PC Gaming market; they can probably do whatever they want and their games will still sell like mad.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Monday, August 01, 2011, 03:55:44 PM
Yep.  Because like it or not, their games are as close to guaranteed awesomeness as you can get with a game nowadays.

Not to mention unprecedented support.  Still updating D2 after 10 years?  Who else does that?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: W7RE on Monday, August 01, 2011, 04:00:32 PM
75% or more of my time in Diablo 2 was offline. I played with my brother and RL friends, so there were never hacks or dupes. We never traded with anyone but ourselves. As far as we were concerned, there was no widespread multiplayer or public games. It was just coop. I never really had any intention of playing with strangers in Diablo 3 either. I don't see the need for matchmaking or anything. I'll play in private games with people I know, and that's it.

I don't see the lack of offline affecting me. It's still a major bullshit move. But hey, it's Blizzard. I've come to expect bullshit.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, August 01, 2011, 04:07:33 PM
I did a lot of both with that game. I had characters on and offline, though I'm sure I spent a lot more time online than off. I was a major player of both games for several years, part of an informal group on Battle.net and an official guild, and really enjoyed the hell out of it all. I won't get into some of the weirder shit associated with that time. I've probably told a few of you.

I guess I'd 2nd what W7 said. Probably wouldn't affect me all that much, though it's bullshit, but we expect it. I think the shame of it is that we've come to expect bullshit from Blizzard. Because it used to be that they were the last group I expected bullshit from.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: W7RE on Monday, August 01, 2011, 04:11:22 PM
I guess I'd 2nd what W7 said. Probably wouldn't affect me all that much, though it's bullshit, but we expect it. I think the shame of it is that we've come to expect bullshit from Blizzard. Because it used to be that they were the last group I expected bullshit from.

Yea, before WoW I adored Blizzard. WoW was even great. It was the updated to WoW adding constant grinds and little effort to add fun, constantly adding services to charge you for, constantly recycling content and boss mechanics. Then there was Starcraft 2 and it's split into 3 games, Blizzard claiming copyright on anything modders make, etc. Bullshit has just become standard practice. They really do fit it as a part of Activision now, though I think some of it may have started before they were bought.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, August 01, 2011, 04:17:09 PM
I did a lot of both with that game. I had characters on and offline, though I'm sure I spent a lot more time online than off. I was a major player of both games for several years, part of an informal group on Battle.net and an official guild, and really enjoyed the hell out of it all. I won't get into some of the weirder shit associated with that time. I've probably told a few of you.

I guess I'd 2nd what W7 said. Probably wouldn't affect me all that much, though it's bullshit, but we expect it. I think the shame of it is that we've come to expect bullshit from Blizzard. Because it used to be that they were the last group I expected bullshit from.
What did you expect, since they're with Activision?
What's next? Monthly sub-fees for Diablo 3 on Battle.net?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: W7RE on Monday, August 01, 2011, 04:32:12 PM
What did you expect, since they're with Activision?
What's next? Monthly sub-fees for Diablo 3 on Battle.net?


My brother was telling me about the D3 real money auction house and some details I hadn't heard. I haven't really read about it in detail. (this is second hand info, so it might not be 100% accurate) So you have to pay a fee (probably monthly) to access the RL money AH (like the web/mobile AH for WoW), but you also have to pay a realm money deposit on auctions, Blizzard takes a cut of all auctions, and there's a fee to withdraw money from your Battle.net account.

So you see, Blizz isn't just allowing people to buy things with real money. They're doing it in a way that they get money every step of the way.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Monday, August 01, 2011, 04:45:35 PM
Not going to begrudge them for that.  They found out a way to monetize something that gold/item farmers have been doing for years.

you will buy it one way or the other, might as well be through blizz.  At least you won't have to take chances with third party sites.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: W7RE on Monday, August 01, 2011, 04:55:48 PM
you will buy it one way or the other, might as well be through blizz.  At least you won't have to take chances with third party sites.

Will buy in game items? For real money? I won't be doing that. I don't buy gold, I don't buy items except for with in-game currency, and 99% of the time I don't buy anything in F2P games (if I seriously get into one, I'll allow $15/month worth of item shop purchases, which is what it would cost me to play a sub based MMO). I have done realm transfers and such in WoW, but those are services that I feel might not exist normally and I don't expect my $15/mo to cover them. I've never bought any of the mounts/pets Blizz sells for real cash. I will never buy Diablo 3 items for real cash.

If I ever use the realm money AH in D3, it will be strictly to sell and attempt to make some profit. There's no other reason for me to go near it.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Monday, August 01, 2011, 05:00:49 PM
Yeah it makes sense that Blizzard is going to take a cut of the real money sales. Otherwise, why bother setting it up?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Monday, August 01, 2011, 05:06:18 PM
Will buy in game items? For real money? I won't be doing that. I don't buy gold, I don't buy items except for with in-game currency, and 99% of the time I don't buy anything in F2P games (if I seriously get into one, I'll allow $15/month worth of item shop purchases, which is what it would cost me to play a sub based MMO). I have done realm transfers and such in WoW, but those are services that I feel might not exist normally and I don't expect my $15/mo to cover them. I've never bought any of the mounts/pets Blizz sells for real cash. I will never buy Diablo 3 items for real cash.

If I ever use the realm money AH in D3, it will be strictly to sell and attempt to make some profit. There's no other reason for me to go near it.

So it's there for the people that will use it.  Believe me there are plenty.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cools! on Monday, August 01, 2011, 06:29:28 PM
I think I only spent about 1% or less of my time playing Diablo II offline.  Granted, not having that option is somewhat disappointing.  Blizzard probably wants to streamline (re: control) the experience more, kind of like what they've done in Starcraft II by removing LAN play.

Like Xessive said, Blizzard is like the Apple of the PC Gaming market; they can probably do whatever they want and their games will still sell like mad.

Dude, when are you going to play SC2 again?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Monday, August 01, 2011, 06:43:01 PM
It's hard to foresee how exactly using real money in the Auction House is going to be a good thing.   Won't items just be farmed by various Chinese sweat shop workers to the point of absurdity?  They don't even have to advertise, hack accounts, or risk being banned any more.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Tuesday, August 02, 2011, 07:35:23 AM
100% of my considerable time in D2 was offline.  Played honestly a long time, hacked godliness in for a while, shelved it, went back to it years later.  This cycle repeated at least twice.  I bought both the game and the expansion too.  Can't say that will be happening with D3.  It's possible.  Blizzard may decide to be reasonable again, eventually.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: iPPi on Tuesday, August 02, 2011, 11:00:13 AM
Dude, when are you going to play SC2 again?

Probably never.  I've gotten so bad at the game that I don't feel like playing it again.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cools! on Tuesday, August 02, 2011, 11:18:32 AM
:(
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Friday, August 05, 2011, 06:32:35 AM
You know, I love Blizz a lot more than other game companies.  But this whole "DRM never entered into our minds" business is bull.  You can tout the advantages of a persistent connection all you want (and there are some), but in the end you want to combat piracy.  Just say so.  I won't be mad at you.  You want to keep people from pirating the game.  I can respect that.  Don't feed us a line of bullshit though.

Quote
Diablo 3 requires a constant internet connection -- a decision that has caused some strong reactions from folks looking to play the game solo, or those pushing against overly demanding DRM schemes. MTV spoke with Robert Bridenbecker, the Vice President of Online Technologies at Blizzard to get the developer's side of the story.

"Internally I don't think [always-on DRM] ever actually came up when we talked about how we want connections to operate. Things that came up were always around the feature-set, the sanctity of the actual game systems like your characters," said Bridenbecker. "You're guaranteeing that there are no hacks, no dupes. All of these things were points of discussion, but the whole copy protection, piracy thing, that's not really entering into why we want to do it."

Bridenbecker goes on to mention that Diablo 2 offline characters couldn't be used online, which got messy for players and the developer, so this time they decided to "just keep everything clean." As for those looking to play alone, they don't have to interact with any other online players if they don't want to -- but they'll still need that internet connection.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Monday, August 22, 2011, 04:09:31 PM
This Wilson guy at Blizzard? Yeah, I don't like him. At all. (http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/08/22/diablo-3-lead-designer-on-lack-of-offline-mode-the-game%E2%80%99s-not-really-being-played-right-if-it%E2%80%99s-not-online/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cools! on Monday, August 22, 2011, 04:15:19 PM
You know what's going to be awesome? Losing all your loot cause of an internet hiccup!

Getting dropped from a game actually happens fairly frequently in StarCraft 2 and I imagine Diablo 3 game sessions will last a lot longer than 30 minutes. So yeah, can't wait!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Monday, August 22, 2011, 05:47:09 PM
I used to get dropped from D2 all the time.

And a quick Google search suggests that only 65% of Americans have access to high speed Internet.  What is this guy smoking?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, August 22, 2011, 06:38:21 PM
Seriously.  And Tim Willits, in an interview linked right underneath that, said (paraphrased because *gasp* my connection here sucks and I don't feel like reopening the article) "We have fast internet. All our fans have fast internet. What's the problem?" Fuck that, I used to be the biggest id fan ever, and you don't see me doing any fucking cartwheels. I'm pissed enough about Rage to not buy the fucking thing, and that will be the first id game in the history of id that I don't have in a box on my shelf. Don't you dare presume to tell me what I'm okay with you colossal dick.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Monday, August 22, 2011, 06:49:09 PM
I love that designers want me to purposely wait for their game to some ridiculously low-price since they want to toss in some ridiculous DRM/always online requirements. While this make sense for MP portions of a game, this makes NO SENSE for SP components. This "we all must be connected" stuff is silly for anything that even remotely acts like a SP game.

If I can play a game with ALL bots and AI while online and the game can be finished w/out any other players joining my game ever, I should be ALSO be able to play it offline. That's it - end of story.

So, yeah - when's Torchlight 2 coming?  :P

Really makes me glad that people like CD Projekt are around that hate DRM and will remove it, whether their publisher likes it or not. They got balls. I hope they can stick around for A LONG TIME, too.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Monday, August 22, 2011, 10:33:22 PM
What's.. uh.. what's going on with the pompous, overzealous developers? Why are they making such wild assumptions about their fanbase?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Thursday, September 22, 2011, 07:50:20 AM
How the always online requirement will affect you. (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/09/22/how-diablo-iiis-drm-will-affect-you/)

No pausing even when playing completely solo. Get a phone call in the middle of a fight? Hope you like dying. And then being logged out for inactivity.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Thursday, September 22, 2011, 09:09:12 AM
No.  I guarantee you that it will not affect me.  Guarantee.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Thursday, September 22, 2011, 09:16:19 AM
Exact same scenario playing solo on bnet in D2. Since the idea of the game is built around people jumping in and out of your games via bnet, it makes no sense to be able to pause it.

This is just a direct byproduct of there being no offline mode.

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Thursday, September 22, 2011, 09:17:34 AM
Also, there was no pause in Demon's Souls, and that was lauded as "hardcore"
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Thursday, September 22, 2011, 03:14:16 PM
But it didn't have 2 prior games in the series that operated in an entirely different manner.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Thursday, September 22, 2011, 07:41:59 PM
But D2 operated exactly in that manner...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Thursday, September 22, 2011, 08:17:04 PM
None of this affects me at all so i dont care. I'm pretty much always online and if i get a phone call, i pick up my cell phone like 1 foot away from me and multi task. I know some of you are against it solely on principle but i don't have any so.... SEE YOU ON D3 DAY 1
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Thursday, September 22, 2011, 08:21:34 PM
Additionally,

Torchlight 2 is the new Diablo 3.


(http://www.memesters.com/images/items/lol1_Big.png)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Thursday, September 22, 2011, 08:35:43 PM
I will be there with you, Keebs...provided ol' bessie can handle the game.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Thursday, September 22, 2011, 10:06:53 PM
But D2 operated exactly in that manner...

No, D2 had a single player mode that didn't operate in that manner at all.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Thursday, September 22, 2011, 10:55:43 PM
No, D2 had a single player mode that didn't operate in that manner at all.

Most people were playing the D2 multi over the single player even when high speed internet wasn't widely available. I remember playing multiplayer on my shitty dial up connection after barely having touched the single player campaign. Now that (nearly) everyone has high speed internet, the disparity between the two will probably be even greater..especially since you can have the single player experience (e.g the story) on-line.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Friday, September 23, 2011, 06:34:46 AM
So what? My point is that there were people who used it, myself and Cobra included. I'm sure many others did as well. And don't give me "most people", you don't have the slightest idea what the ratio of SP to MP was for users of the first two games. Likely there were people who did a fair bit of both and also people who had no interest in ever taking it online, just as there were people who played online exclusively. Regardless, my point was only that the other games offered it and this new one doesn't. That's a precedent that's being broken. You may not care, but your viewpoint doesn't speak for everyone. Yes, I'm sure the game will sell twelve bajillion copies just like every other Blizzard property, and I'm sure most people will just be fine with it and do whatever, and *I* don't even care *that* much because I no longer spend my entire life playing videogames, but it irks the fuck out of me when somebody acts as though nobody else's preference matters, that whatever they happen to think should be the norm should be the accepted standard for everyone. People have every right to be annoyed that they have to partake in a "service" just to play a fucking videogame. Generally speaking, I don't want to sign up for anything, I don't want a fucking username, I don't want to give them my email address or my credit card or tell them where I live. I just want to put the disc in the drive and play the goddamn game I just bought. Given that this is an established property which had a single-player mode that didn't require Battle.net in the last 2 games, it's entirely reasonable to be disappointed in the changes being made. If I actually bought D3 it likely wouldn't matter to me as I'd be buying it to play online with Sy, but Cobra enjoyed both of the prior games in a different way, and I think it sucks that he's being ignored by Blizzard when he's just as much a fan of the games as anyone. More than I am, even. I played a shitload of D2 online and off, but Cobra seems to have done way more in the SP than I ever did, period.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Friday, September 23, 2011, 06:59:32 AM
The bottom line is that single player mode is absent from this game.  The game requires a persistent internet connection.  The only method of play is by logging into Bnet, and the limitations that Idol listed above existed in Bnet D2 play.  So it's a little absurd to be surprised by those limitations.  That's what I'm referring to.  You can't compare offline SP in D2 to D3 because there are no comparisons to be made.

I know people are pissed about the lack of offline mode, but that wasn't my point.  My point is that the requirements and limitations for D3 mimic precisely the requirements and limitations for D2 (apparently right down to the random server drops).
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Friday, September 23, 2011, 07:11:08 AM
Yes, it may otherwise be exactly the same, but all I was trying to say is that Demon's Souls was a new franchise and chose how it was going to do things. Diablo is an established franchise and it sucks that Blizzard has decided to change the gameplan, because they've already established a different precedent. I think that's shitty. It doesn't affect everyone, but it pulls the rug out from under others.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Friday, September 23, 2011, 07:55:03 AM
Got pushed back to early 2012...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Friday, September 23, 2011, 08:00:52 AM
The bottom line is that single player mode is absent from this game.  The game requires a persistent internet connection.  The only method of play is by logging into Bnet, and the limitations that Idol listed above existed in Bnet D2 play.  So it's a little absurd to be surprised by those limitations.  That's what I'm referring to.  You can't compare offline SP in D2 to D3 because there are no comparisons to be made.

I know people are pissed about the lack of offline mode, but that wasn't my point.  My point is that the requirements and limitations for D3 mimic precisely the requirements and limitations for D2 (apparently right down to the random server drops).

Why is it absurd to be surprised?  I wasn't merely surprised by this development; I was shocked.  (I mean yanking away offline SP, not just the most recent developments, which only add to the rage.)  Here is an essential game series in my life which, IMHO, is getting borked up the backside, and effectively removed from my consideration--all for self-serving motives, because no one can convince me that this helps any gamer in any way.  If that's not a good reason for me to be pissed, I don't know what is.

And everything Que said above.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Friday, September 23, 2011, 08:12:35 AM
Its just the way of the times. I certainly don't agree with an online single player but if you play games, then high chances are, you have internet, and I would say those chances are higher if you were a gamer with a PC that played the first two Diablo games. If you are the minority that doesn't, then you probably have never heard of Diablo. Blizzard is catering to online PC gamers, hell the PC gaming market caters to online gamers. Again, I don't like online SP components in games, but I am privileged enough to have the requirements for them, but Im not going to get all uppity for that small minority that gets left behind.

I can't imagine being a gamer without any access to the web, in fact it would feel so gimped and problematic you wouldn't want to consider gaming as a hobby again.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Friday, September 23, 2011, 08:13:57 AM
Bizzard are catering to themselves.  No one is saying that online isn't important.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Friday, September 23, 2011, 08:14:53 AM
You obviously didnt understand the correlation I just made.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Friday, September 23, 2011, 08:17:07 AM
You also said I'm part of a small minority.  You can't possibly know that for a fact.

What didn't I understand.  In order to cater to online folks, the company must abandon offline?  That makes no sense at all.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Friday, September 23, 2011, 08:20:30 AM
You also said I'm part of a small minority.  You can't possibly know that for a fact.

You're posting here. You can play D3.

Quote
What didn't I understand.  In order to cater to online folks, the company must abandon offline?  That makes no sense at all.


PC gamers have internet, they can play D3.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Friday, September 23, 2011, 09:30:57 AM
Look, whether or not we agree with the decision is pointless.  I don't agree with the decision but that sure as hell isn't going to keep me from playing it.  It is what it is.
 
If you don't want to play the game out of principle, that's fine.   Online only is a shitty thing, sure.  But I've got the requirements to play it so I'm going to play and enjoy it.

The only person in this forum with a real reason to bitch and complain is Idol, because he will legitimately have no access to the game.

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Friday, September 23, 2011, 09:31:25 AM
And personally I'd like more talk on how fucking awesome this game is going to be when it comes out.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Friday, September 23, 2011, 12:40:03 PM
I actually haven't been terribly impressed with anything about it, which is almost a relief. The only things that have stood out to me have been the negative. I have no plans to buy it, less because of ideology and more because it just doesn't seem very exciting or interesting to me. Maybe I've just spent so much time playing these now that I don't care? I don't really know. If I watched/read more that might change, as admittedly I haven't been proactive about it, but the stuff that I've been linked to by friends and whatever hasn't wowed me at all.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cools! on Friday, September 23, 2011, 12:59:26 PM
I watched some beta footage. Character animations look very nice and smooth. It's colorful enough to look pleasing without being too much and confusing (at least from what I've seen). Demon huntress character looks nice.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Friday, September 23, 2011, 04:46:25 PM
So what? My point is that there were people who used it, myself and Cobra included. I'm sure many others did as well. And don't give me "most people", you don't have the slightest idea what the ratio of SP to MP was for users of the first two games. Likely there were people who did a fair bit of both and also people who had no interest in ever taking it online, just as there were people who played online exclusively. Regardless, my point was only that the other games offered it and this new one doesn't. That's a precedent that's being broken. You may not care, but your viewpoint doesn't speak for everyone. Yes, I'm sure the game will sell twelve bajillion copies just like every other Blizzard property, and I'm sure most people will just be fine with it and do whatever, and *I* don't even care *that* much because I no longer spend my entire life playing videogames, but it irks the fuck out of me when somebody acts as though nobody else's preference matters, that whatever they happen to think should be the norm should be the accepted standard for everyone. People have every right to be annoyed that they have to partake in a "service" just to play a fucking videogame. Generally speaking, I don't want to sign up for anything, I don't want a fucking username, I don't want to give them my email address or my credit card or tell them where I live. I just want to put the disc in the drive and play the goddamn game I just bought. Given that this is an established property which had a single-player mode that didn't require Battle.net in the last 2 games, it's entirely reasonable to be disappointed in the changes being made. If I actually bought D3 it likely wouldn't matter to me as I'd be buying it to play online with Sy, but Cobra enjoyed both of the prior games in a different way, and I think it sucks that he's being ignored by Blizzard when he's just as much a fan of the games as anyone. More than I am, even. I played a shitload of D2 online and off, but Cobra seems to have done way more in the SP than I ever did, period.


dude you can get the same single player experience in multi player.. and if you want to complain and moan that getting a username and needing internet is an inconvenience then i think i've heard enough first-world whining to last me the goddamn week. and seeing as how you have made it abundantly clear that YOU ARE NOT EVEN BUYING THE GAME, then why are you still bitching? it sounds like because blizzard had a single player component in diablo 2 suddenly you are entitled to one for this game.

man louis c.k was right. everything is amazing and nobody is happy



reference:
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, September 23, 2011, 05:21:32 PM
Why is it absurd to be surprised?  I wasn't merely surprised by this development; I was shocked.  (I mean yanking away offline SP, not just the most recent developments, which only add to the rage.)  Here is an essential game series in my life which, IMHO, is getting borked up the backside, and effectively removed from my consideration--all for self-serving motives, because no one can convince me that this helps any gamer in any way.  If that's not a good reason for me to be pissed, I don't know what is.

And everything Que said above.
I agree w/ everything Que and Cobra has said. It really sucks that previous games in Diablo franchise had offline SP portion, yet D3 doesn't.
Though, there might still be a chance I'll buy D3...just, unsure of when and depends on price, of course.

I think my big worry w/ successes like Blizzard's D3 is that MORE companies will have MORE games having just a full-blown "always online" game - where the game can be played like a SP game [w/ bots instead of players] ONLY online.
It sucks to see UbiSoft even try having Assassin's Creed 2 PC, which was a SP-only game, be always online for DRM - thank God, most of PC gaming revolted and Ubi listened and pulled the DRM back a bit. I really don't want to see games that are a full-blown SP experience require the silly "always online" component.

I like that games like Sacred 2, Diablo 2, Titan Quest, Borderlands, and many other ARPG campaigns can be played OFFLINE OR ONLINE.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Friday, September 23, 2011, 05:28:57 PM
I agree w/ everything Que and Cobra has said. It really sucks that previous games in Diablo franchise had offline SP portion, yet D3 doesn't.
Though, there might still be a chance I'll buy D3...just, unsure of when and depends on price, of course.

I think my big worry w/ successes like Blizzard's D3 is that MORE companies will have MORE games having just a full-blown "always online" game - where the game can be played like a SP game [w/ bots instead of players] ONLY online.
It sucks to see UbiSoft even try having Assassin's Creed 2 PC, which was a SP-only game, be always online for DRM - thank God, most of PC gaming revolted and Ubi listened and pulled the DRM back a bit. I really don't want to see games that are a full-blown SP experience require the silly "always online" component.

I like that games like Sacred 2, Diablo 2, Titan Quest, Borderlands, and many other ARPG campaigns can be played OFFLINE OR ONLINE.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/ANGRYKEEBLER/diablo3.jpg)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, September 23, 2011, 05:31:39 PM
It's okay - Blizzard's gonna be saving me some $60.
I'll spend my money on something else.
I normally DO NOT buy their games - and most games, for that matter - upon release at full price, anyways.
[shrug]
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Friday, September 23, 2011, 05:34:40 PM
because torchlight 2 is the new diablo 3 right?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, September 23, 2011, 05:42:53 PM
because torchlight 2 is the new diablo 3 right?
No, not entirely - they'll both obviously be different ARPG's, in some regards.
I'm sure Blizz's production values will be tons better, for starters.
And obviously, both game's settings will be MUCH different [medieval-fantasy/steampunk for TL2 vs. medieval-gothic of Diablo series].

You're taking my points of why I said that completely out of the context that I meant for it.

Torchlight 2 has ALL of the features that I'd really want and expect from a Diablo 3 - LAN support; MP online support; SP mode.
We can go a step further - Torchlight 2 even will have SDK Support.
I really never expect mod support from Blizzard, given past Diablo games.

I also meant - I'll be WAY more willing to drop money on initial release for Torchlight 2 [which will be much cheaper] than say Diablo 3.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Friday, September 23, 2011, 05:45:33 PM

I also meant - I'll be WAY more willing to drop money on initial release for Torchlight 2 [which will be much cheaper] than say Diablo 3.


and then never playing it, amirite?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, September 23, 2011, 05:48:04 PM
and then never playing it, amirite?

I have spent $ on Guild Wars and all its expansions - which, might I add, is an ONLINE Only game.
B/c it's online only, you damn right that I didn't buy it at full price.

There's a pretty good chance I will buy D3, at a much cheaper price.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Friday, September 23, 2011, 05:48:57 PM
I have spent $ on Guild Wars and all its expansions - which, might I add, is an ONLINE Only game.
B/c it's online only, you damn right that I didn't buy it at full price.

There's a pretty good chance I will buy D3, at a much cheaper price.

enlighten me, how many games do you have in your collection that you wasted money on and never played
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, September 23, 2011, 05:49:34 PM
enlighten me, how many games do you have in your collection that you wasted money on and never played
I lost count LONG ago.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Friday, September 23, 2011, 05:54:26 PM
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/ANGRYKEEBLER/fbmysterd.jpg)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Friday, September 23, 2011, 06:00:37 PM
Way to troll up the thread while simultaneously missing the fucking point. Kids these days.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Friday, September 23, 2011, 06:03:26 PM
Way to troll up the thread while simultaneously missing the fucking point. Kids these days.

i'm only trolling MysterD. It's like the national past time on these boards.


and I forgot why I stopped arguing with you long ago. Oh, right because it's fucking impossible.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, September 23, 2011, 06:10:24 PM
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/ANGRYKEEBLER/fbmysterd.jpg)
At least those games that I ain't gotten around to, the chances are pretty good they have a SP mode and I don't have to rely on some company's servers just to RUN and BOOT the damn game.

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Friday, September 23, 2011, 06:12:07 PM
At least those games that I ain't gotten around to, the chances are pretty good they have a SP mode and I don't have to rely on some company's servers just to RUN and BOOT the damn game.



No, they ALL do. If you don't believe me, go install them and find out.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Saturday, September 24, 2011, 06:12:36 AM

dude you can get the same single player experience in multi player.. and if you want to complain and moan that getting a username and needing internet is an inconvenience then i think i've heard enough first-world whining to last me the goddamn week. and seeing as how you have made it abundantly clear that YOU ARE NOT EVEN BUYING THE GAME, then why are you still bitching? it sounds like because blizzard had a single player component in diablo 2 suddenly you are entitled to one for this game.

man louis c.k was right. everything is amazing and nobody is happy



reference:


It's called a forum for a reason.  I'll bitch here every time the spirit moves me.  And no, you can't have a SP experience in MP.  They are fundamentally different, and that includes technical requirements.  The internet is not a technical requirement for SP.

If you all want to ignore Blizzard yanking away your freedoms, that's your choice.  I refuse to bleat along with the crowd, and I will be vocal about it.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Saturday, September 24, 2011, 06:40:57 AM
Yanking my freedoms away? Really? Do you think that Blizzard is some fascist regime? Then next Hitler? Are they coming for you Cobra?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Saturday, September 24, 2011, 07:10:16 AM
I reserve the right and freedom to not buy this game ;)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Saturday, September 24, 2011, 07:30:09 AM
Joking aside, lets move passed this and get on to something more substantial, like Loot! (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/item/). The Diablo 3 site has added an armory like database of all the items (I think) so far.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Saturday, September 24, 2011, 03:37:25 PM
It's called a forum for a reason.  I'll bitch here every time the spirit moves me.  And no, you can't have a SP experience in MP.  They are fundamentally different, and that includes technical requirements.  The internet is not a technical requirement for SP.

If you all want to ignore Blizzard yanking away your freedoms, that's your choice.  I refuse to bleat along with the crowd, and I will be vocal about it.

Fine. But that means I'm allowed to bitch about your bitching.



Whiners.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 07:18:04 PM
This is like an internent meme. (http://www.gamefront.com/blizzcon-2011-blizzard-says-diablo-3-is-the-most-moddable-version-of-diablo-theres-ever-been-but-they-cant-allow-mods/)
Quote
GameFront: While there will be no official mod tools for Diablo 3, does Blizzard condone D3 mods?

Julian Love: There’s no direct intent to say that we don’t want D3 to be moddable. And, to be honest with you, the technology itself, on just a fundamental level, makes this the most moddable version of Diablo there’s ever been.

However, we have these other goals that supersede modding; we want to provide a safe and secure experience for players to play in and trade items in, and in order to do that, we had to make the game online play only. Once we made that decision, that effectively eliminated the possibility of having moddable games, since you’re going to have to connect to our service in order to play. So that’s a slight consequence of our online-only decision.

I’ll say that there’s never really been an intention with past Diablo games to make them moddable, either; it’s just that people found a way to make it happen. It’s not necessarily something we went out of our way to support.
Scumbag Blizzard: Makes Diablo 3 the most moddable Diablo yet; won't allow any mods.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 08:13:26 PM
Don't insult their sacred cow.  You'll get lynched.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: gpw11 on Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 08:35:52 PM
Wasn't Warcraft III fairly mod-able in MP?  Like, that's where DotA came from...and you'd be connected to their service.   
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 09:53:11 AM
This is like an internent meme. (http://www.gamefront.com/blizzcon-2011-blizzard-says-diablo-3-is-the-most-moddable-version-of-diablo-theres-ever-been-but-they-cant-allow-mods/) Scumbag Blizzard: Makes Diablo 3 the most moddable Diablo yet; won't allow any mods.
WTF?  :o
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 10:05:49 AM
Sure moddable games are cool. But is it really a scumbag move for a developer to make their own game unnmoddable?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 10:21:06 AM
Sure moddable games are cool. But is it really a scumbag move for a developer to make their own game unnmoddable?
I guess now the only good thing about it being easy moddable is it'll be easy for the dev's to change, rebalance, tweak, and play w/ anything they really want. [shrug]

It's half of a waste - b/c the dev's will be using this, not the gaming PC community.

Thing is - you'd figure a mod kit would be something great for gamers doing SP-oflline stuff.
Oh, yeah - that's right, this game has no offline-SP portion...

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 11:21:40 AM
Sure moddable games are cool. But is it really a scumbag move for a developer to make their own game unnmoddable?
I used "scumbag" since thats the meme.

But its just a weird answer. "Theres no mod tools and we wont let you mod the game. But its the most moddable one we've ever done. We just wont let you. Do we still get credit for that?"
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, January 27, 2012, 08:49:24 PM
Companion and Reforging Scrolls removed from D3 Beta Patch 10.
Don't expect them in game's initial release, either. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/3967947023)

Quote
A few more changes have made their way in to Diablo III beta patch 10, including the removal of Scrolls of Companion and Scrolls of Reforging, and we’ll be updating the patch notes to reflect that.

In both cases these are features we felt were underdeveloped and just not quite good enough for the game in their current state. The companion pets felt like they were mandatory to maximize play efficiency and some of the pets were too cutesy for the gritty, dark world of Sanctuary. Neither of those are issues we felt like we could solve without a lot of additional work, and we’re trying to close in on a solid release date for the game, not move further away. When weighing these systems against releasing the game, we decided to cut these scrolls and stay on track for the game’s release.

We think we can make companion pets into a much cooler system (both mechanically and visually), and evolve the reforging scrolls into a more meaningful system at some point in the future. For the time being, they will not be in the initial release of the game.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, March 09, 2012, 08:36:40 PM
NO PvP at Launch in D3.
Expect it later in an update when they feel it is up to their standards, though. (http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=viewthread&boardid=1&threadid=130659)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Monday, May 14, 2012, 08:20:38 PM
(http://i49.tinypic.com/2vdqr02.gif)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Monday, May 14, 2012, 10:27:22 PM
Hmmm... (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/05/15/hack-slashes-three-hours-with-diablo-iii/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Monday, May 14, 2012, 11:00:33 PM
Yea, that's how I predicted it would be. It's basically an MMO launch, sucks that it has to happen with a game like this. I'll be able to check it out tomorrow morning and afternoon but I don't think I'm going to delve into it too much. I'll probably just mess with some of the classes and just see how long it takes for the game to smooth out.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Monday, May 14, 2012, 11:03:32 PM
No surprises with connection issues.  I'm all downloaded and ready to go, but I know it will be a few days until I can really enjoy it.  Just the nature of things.

It's actually kind of nice that the 3 hour review doesn't have much bad in it despite the always on/DRM whining. :)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, May 14, 2012, 11:20:05 PM
The fact that you lose progress is idiotic. How did they build the game from the ground up knowing it was online-only and not make any kind of failsafe to avoid you losing progress? That's pretty bad.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Monday, May 14, 2012, 11:38:38 PM
Is it different from WoW/all other MMOs?  In those, if you disconnect, you'll just stand there until you log back in.  If you are in a hostile zone or attacked, the NPC/person will probably kill you.  If you are not, you'll be fine.  And it's not possible to "lose" anything because it's all on the server anyway, so there's never a time when the game needs to "save" or do anything like that, it's just synced all the time.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 01:07:43 AM
Is it different from WoW/all other MMOs?  In those, if you disconnect, you'll just stand there until you log back in.  If you are in a hostile zone or attacked, the NPC/person will probably kill you.  If you are not, you'll be fine.  And it's not possible to "lose" anything because it's all on the server anyway, so there's never a time when the game needs to "save" or do anything like that, it's just synced all the time.
Not exactly. In my experience with the D3 beta basically it knocks you back to the last checkpoint when you log in again, anything done between checkpoints is not saved (I think town visits count as checkpoints). It's not a huge loss but it can be pretty frustrating.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 01:46:55 AM
My D3 won't arrive for a few weeks. Still waiting for PlayAsia to announce the Asian CE.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 06:15:10 AM
Not exactly. In my experience with the D3 beta basically it knocks you back to the last checkpoint when you log in again, anything done between checkpoints is not saved (I think town visits count as checkpoints). It's not a huge loss but it can be pretty frustrating.

I honestly didn't play the beta enough to notice it, but I'd be real surprised if this continued to be an issue in the retail game.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 07:42:52 AM
Then clearly you didn't read the article idol posted.

EDIT - Unless you meant they were going to patch it out. Then yeah, I'd be surprised too. That's something that should be fixed, stat.

EDIT x2 - Courtesty of K-man on IRC: http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/diablo-3-psa-dont-give-a-templar-follower-a-shield/

Apparently giving your templar follower a shield causes complete destruction of your game until they patch a fix.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 10:01:00 AM
I don't think anyone operated under the expectation that the launch would be flawless and the game wouldn't have bugs.

And yeah, I meant patching it out.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 10:34:40 AM
I am sure they will patch it. A day's pain is only temporary. :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 11:19:34 AM
Well, a frind just surprised with gorgeous retail copy of Diablo III!

Installation took some time, and the excitement quickly wore off when I was presented with a "The servers are busy right now. Please try again later." message about 17 times.

Diablo III is a welcome gift but this is exactly the reason I was afraid to buy it.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 11:22:52 AM
AHHHHHHH I WANT YOUR FRIEND!

Did you register it already? You could have sold it to me. :P PlayAsia is being a bitch.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 12:10:07 PM
I read some reports that people couldn't even install it because the installer wouldn't sync with bnet or something. This is a pretty epic clusterfuck.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 12:17:07 PM
I've been playing for around 5 hours and I haven't encountered any bugs yet, aside from general connectivity issues (usually takes a while to get in).  This is going much better than I thought it would go.

Also, the monk is FUN.  I didn't play the beta at all, so this is all new, but the monk is super awesome.  I'm  having a blast.

Haven't tried the others yet.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 12:24:30 PM
I read some reports that people couldn't even install it because the installer wouldn't sync with bnet or something. This is a pretty epic clusterfuck.

It is, but again, people that expected things to go off without a hitch are either 1) ridiculously naive or 2) have never played an MMO before.  Hard to know how bad it is for everyone else, but so far, this is going about as well as a WoW expansion goes.  In other words, it's inaccessible for a few hours after launch, then ridden with connectivity issues for a few days after that.  And then things settle and it gets boring within a few months.

Epic clusterfuck seems to overstate it.  Maybe I've just grown accustomed to this all because I've played WoW for so long, but meh.  You get used to it.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 12:36:14 PM
Sorry, Pug ;D had I known I totally would have given it to you! I do have a free guest pass though!

I was finally able to log in after switching my region to Asia (apparently Americas and Europe were facing the highest difficulties). Managed to play for about half an hour or so.

Anyway, I exited to the character menu, but I didn't log out since I didn't want to have to go through the login connectivity issues, went to the kitchen to grab a yogurt, when i came back I click on Resume Game and I was greeted with another unique message "The Diablo III servers are currently full. You have been added to the queue." I am already logged into my Battle.net account, I am not playing online, I am just trying to resume my singleplayer campaign. This is fucking bullshit. Sorry, I'm just really frustrated.

If Blizzard are going to force us to go online they damn well should have made sure their servers could handle it. Plus I think they should at least give us all the benefits of being online i.e. cloud storage for saves etc.

EDIT:
Sorry, Shock, just spotted your reply. It's not an MMO though. Yes, it does have multiplayer but it's not on a mass scale. It feels like Blizzard just decided to bring all the woes of MMOs (pardon the rhyme) to a singleplayer experience for no good reason. Even 2-4 players who want play coop together shouldn't have to deal with MMO-class connectivity issues.

It just doesn't make any sense to me as a single player to have jump through all these online authentication hoops to play by myself. It's like government-monitored masturbation.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 12:38:00 PM
Re: shock:

Diablo 3 isn't an MMO. Diablo 3 is a single-player and multiplayer game with forced connectivity. I'd call this a clusterfuck. All the people who aren't hardcore gamers and don't read shit about anything before they buy it are pissed off. Lots and lots of Diablo 2 fans fall into that category.

It just didn't need to be this way. Include the should-have-been-there offline mode and everyone's reasonably happy.

EDIT - Also X, you are playing online. Everything is server-side. So even though you're playing alone, yes, this is an online-only game. The action happens elsewhere and is transmitted to you.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 04:19:42 PM
PC Gamer -> Tom Francis - Diablo 3 Impressions As It Happens (http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/05/15/diablo-3-review-as-it-happens/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: W7RE on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 08:56:43 PM
I like how he said "2 hours in I just finished the first big story quest, which is how far the beta let you go."

Last night when I was trying to play, 2 hours in I had only been in game for 15 minutes because of login issues and server congestion.

I'm writing this while waiting for another unexpected outage to be over. I'd probably be a lot more angry if I weren't playing with friends. (because then I'd beeffectively waiting to login to a single player game) but still, an offline single player with separate characters (like in Diablo 2) would be a great distraction during the server downtime.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 10:10:08 PM
I've started playing on Asia since those servers are up.  I started a Demon Hunter.  REALLY like it.  I think I'm going to start one on the Americas once they finally get the fucking servers up.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 10:17:51 PM
I'm anxious to jump back in.

I think I'm going to exclusively play coop to justify the online requirement.

If I can't change something I'll have to find a way to cope with it, this seems like it'll keep me relatively sane.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 10:22:26 PM
Yea, I would say a clusterfuck is overstating it especially when this was expected to happen. Que I don't see how this is any worse than say how bad Skyrim was when it launched or even Stardocks game Elemental.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 03:37:13 AM
Elemental was definitely a clusterfuck. That's undeniable. Sad mess too.

Skyrim had (and still has) many bugs but it wasn't game-breaking for the majority nor was it related to connectivity issues. One time activation on Steam for the installation then you can go into offline mode. People who pre-ordered were also able to pre-load about a week in advance.

With Diablo 3 it feels like clusterfuck because of those of us who don't play many MMOs are not familiar with this scale of launch connection issues. Granted many shooters have connectivity issues at launch as well but at least we can always muck about in the singleplayer until it's resolved.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 04:04:45 AM
Skipped the midnight release and bought it in the morning. Installation and everything went by super smooth. been playing  for a while now. Love it. 0 problems.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 06:19:30 AM
A friend hooked me up with a starter pass yesterday, so I've bought myself a little time to get a CE.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 08:41:27 AM
I had no problems with either Skyrim or Elemental. And neither of those games had any problems related to artificial DRM requirements. They just had bugs. And I still have only experienced 2 bugs in Skyrim in over 100 hours of play.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 08:54:04 AM
I think I've devised the ideal way to perceive Diablo 3 in order to feel better about it!

Diablo 3 is a MMO with no monthly fees, smaller concentration of players per session, strong story elements and background lore. Sounds like a great MMO, right?

Sadly, thinking of it that way makes what it's missing stand out more compared to other MMOs: character customization, mounts, guilds/clans, hats.. ok, I don't care about hats.

Meh, it's a hybrid. It's a game that bridges the singleplayer experience with MMO.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 11:04:55 AM
In terms of whether they had DRM or not, those games had serious game breaking issues, so I can at least weather the storm for this.

So I've played it up to the point where the beta ends, fortunately I've had no issues with connectivity and the game runs really well but my hours of play are in the early hours of morning so that probably helps. The combat and dungeon crawling really never felt better, all the small touches with the way enemies get obliterated and how the environment breaks apart under your attacks, it is extremely satisfying. Been playing as a monk, and so far it's been pretty easy, I hope the game does get a bit more aggressive later. My monk's dashing strike into the middle of a group followed by lashing tail kick destroys everything around to ashes, aahhh yeaaaa.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 12:40:49 PM
I'm up to Level 15 and it definitely starts getting harder.  I've started playing with friends, too.  MUCH more fun.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 01:15:18 PM
I'm not saying games don't have issues or that they should be given a pass for bugs. But this isn't a bug. This is a shitty decision on the part of a developer which creates problems that don't need to be there. I think there's a distinction between the two.

And if giving a shield to one of your followers causes your character to become unusable, that's what I would call a showstopper bug, so it's not like D3 doesn't have anything going on there. I just think they could have had a better launch than they did. I call it a clusterfuck not because it's that much worse than anything else, but it didn't really have to be like that.

Anyway, this is nothing to do with the game itself, only the online issue, and while you can't entirely distance one from the other, clearly we've discussed that to death. Perhaps it would be better to leave that for the other thread and leave this one to discuss the actual game. I think everyone has made every point possible from both sides as far as the online junk, and it's not going to change, so like it or not, it is what it is. Either you buy the game knowing these facts or you don't.

Me? I bought it.

WHAT? OMG, HYPOCRITE.

Yeah... kinda. I'm a tool.

Honestly, I couldn't take it anymore. I'd been waiting for this fucking game for so long, I was totally disappointed by basically everything surrounding it over the last year or so to the point where I didn't even like the looks of it or care about it, and then everything changed at launch. All of a sudden the stuff I was seeing didn't even look like the shit they'd been showing before. Turns out the art style isn't really that bad, and from what I can tell, the final product looks almost nothing like the stuff I was seeing before. I mean in practice. It's got some depth and nuance, it's dark, and even if things are a bit more caricatured, it almost works in the game's favor because the tech is pretty unimpressive. The artistry is there... things die and explode real nice, but the game doesn't push your system. I don't even get a hitch.

Except that's not true. I get a lot of hitching because I'm playing online. It's a bit obnoxious to watch the world skip around and stall when I'm not playing with anyone, but like X, I basically lie to myself and say... this is a whole system. It's Bnet. You've got a profile, tons of achievements, a robust framework there that works (I mean when the servers are up, obviously) and is compelling. It's a lie because obviously I'm not in favor of this whole thing going the way it did, but I just had to know if I was going to like the game or not. I watched videos and it looked so different from the stuff I'd seen before, I just had to know. And I had a really bad day yesterday, was bored as fuck, and I've been jonesing for a good action RPG for a while now. I'm still excited about Grim Dawn, but that's next year, and I just wanted something I could pick up, play for a bit, put down.

So I got it.

Yes, I feel like a tool, but I'm beyond the point where I feel like voting with my dollars means a fucking thing. I'm depressed with the state of the industry, depressed with the people who buy games, depressed with a lot of it... but god damn it, at least it's a high-profile PC game. And that's a total cop-out, I know, but I decided in the end I just wanted to know if this was really going to be a great game just beyond all the BS. It was driving me crazy not knowing if the legacy was alive or dead.

And it is great beyond the BS. It's sublime. It isn't perfect, and there are some rough spots, some things that feel cheap or rushed a little (like how you vanish from the world when loading a zone, and how cardboard and artificial zone-loading feels), and it's waaay the fuck too easy so far (I'm playing a monk primarily, though I also have a Demon Hunter and Wizard on Asia and Europe servers to avoid outages, which kept me playing last night), but the game just moves like butter, things die so nicely, and I love (as mentioned) the framework behind it. I'm not one on achievements and stuff to earn points, but I like them in individual games, an ongoing sense of accomplishment. This has that, and it doesn't seem tacked-on or lame. I like the changes from D2 also. Some might not, but I think a change was needed and this feels interesting. I'm curious to see how it will work out later in the game when I've got more options.

So yeah... I'm angry at myself for biting, but it had been distracting me to the point of preoccupation, so I decided to take the hit and be a douchebag. So here I am.

Am I glad I did it? Not really. I have no doubt that I'll enjoy most of my time with the game when there aren't outages or something stupid keeping me from playing it, and if I end up playing with Sy like we used to in the good old days that would be nostalgia city, but I feel guilty for supporting a direction I clearly don't agree with. Again, though, I don't think my contribution or lack thereof ultimately matters, and with nothing else filling this bill right now for me until Grim Dawn... it is what it is. I feel weak, and I guess I am. But so what, I guess. Not like anybody really gives a shit.

So yeah. Battletag Quemaqua1641. We should play and stuff.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 01:32:58 PM
I don't "vote with my dollars".  I genuinely want no part of this kind of a rectal ream, not even for (what otherwise might have been) the best game in the history of mankind.  I know that voting with my dollars is a waste of time when so many brain-dead doofi nullify it.  Sometimes even the not-so-brain-dead lend them a hand.  :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: sirean_syan on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 01:54:38 PM
Ha! Now I don't feel so bad; I bit last night as well. I don't think I was quite as hard on the game as you, but I was disappointed with the online only decisions. Maybe my opinion was slightly tempered because I had already bit with Star Craft 2. While I don't have any understanding of how MMO-like justifications can be made with the game or how things like the auction house will do anything good for the game, it's mostly because I don't intend to play the game in a way that is in line with these. At most, I'll play with you guys. That's about it and it doesn't require this online shackling.

I've got about two hours in last night with a Witch Doctor and had fun with how odd the class is. You could say it's like the Necromancer, but the Necromancer was so much more straightforward. I don't necessarily like how MMO-trappings have made it into the game and I feel like something is lost with a bit of the 3D NPC animation (the main characters and monsters look great, however). The feel of the gameplay is spot on though and I think I dig the way skills are handled now.

Anyway, I'll play with you Que. You'll just have to put up with me running off every few minutes to change a diaper... that and my hours may be somewhat limited for a bit of time. Think of this as a long term project and we're good.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 03:53:57 PM
I'd be more than happy to start a side character with you that we could play whenever. I'll probably main the monk and then start another character to play with you or something.

Ugh. The game is so good. It's getting a lot better as it goes.

EDIT - Sy, add me next time you're on.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 05:00:55 PM
Don't you assholes tempt me.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 05:17:46 PM
GiantBomb -> Diablo III: D-Day Plus One - 44 minute QuickLook. (http://www.giantbomb.com/diablo-iii-d-day-plus-one/17-5982/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 05:28:01 PM
I like how the next post after that is a Quick Look, Idol.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: idolminds on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 05:41:10 PM
NOT HELPING
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 05:44:51 PM
NOT HELPING
Okay, I'll help Idol...

With your 56K, how many Error 37's you think you'd get? :P

EDIT:
Remember, Torchlight 2 has SP Mode, LAN Mode, and MP Mode...and is only going to be $20 upon release.
There's other ARPG's out there, as well - i.e. Titan Quest and Sacred series.

EDIT #2:
A lot of complaining again on Twitter - Error 37 & 33 are hitting again...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 07:16:04 PM
This might help, in case some of you D3 players are wondering if their servers are up or not...
Might even wanna bookmark it and whatnot.

Diablo 3 - Server Status Page. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/status)

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 07:31:35 PM
I'm hobbes#1580.  I added you, Que.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 07:34:17 PM
good deal, man. I'll add you probably tomorrow, looks like I won't be home to play tonight.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 09:30:35 PM
Kotaku -> Blizzard apologizes for the messy D3 Launch and delays Real $ Auction House. (http://kotaku.com/5911013/blizzard-apologises-for-diablo-iii-launch-mess-delays-real+money-auction-house?utm_campaign=socialflow_kotaku_facebook&utm_source=kotaku_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 11:38:56 PM
Que and I just had a really fun session.  I'll be around for a lot of tomorrow if anyone else wants to play!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 02:58:08 AM
God damn it. My character is bound to the region selection. Well, that sucks.

I posted this on the D3 forums too:

Quote
I chose the Asia region since I'm in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), because geographically the U.A.E. is in Asia. Apparently, according the FAQ they're lumping the Middle East as part of Europe.

Way to go Blizzard, like people don't have a hard enough time locating us on a map, now you tell them we're part of Europe?!

There ought to be a migration option at least to rectify the ambiguity Blizzard created by burying the Region selection in the options menu rather than making it a top-tier selection e.g. as part of the login process.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 06:03:22 AM
That's a bummer. You should start an Americas character anyway so you can play with us!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 06:14:34 AM
That's a bummer. You should start an Americas character anyway so you can play with us!
I think I'll have a character set up in each region.

Also, it's too bad the "global stash" is not actually global.. It can only be shared by heroes you create in the same region. One more note: the friend list is also region-based!

I'll create a character in Americas region so I can at least join up with you all. Hmm, I have a Demon Hunter in Asia, a Monk in Europe.. I think I'll go Barbarian in Americas, or whatever you class you guys need to diversify our little troop.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 06:35:49 AM
Why does the monk sound like Zangief?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 07:18:07 AM
Why does the monk sound like Zangief?
Haha yeah he look kinda like a skinny version of him too :P Nonetheless he is badass!

I love how they made custom intros for each character class and gender.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 07:40:18 AM
Yeah, I like that too. And I'm digging the monk.

And X, everything is region-based. Nothing transfers from region to region, not even achievements or anything.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 08:18:25 AM
Yeah, I like that too. And I'm digging the monk.

And X, everything is region-based. Nothing transfers from region to region, not even achievements or anything.
Characters I'm willing to understand, it's the MMO way. But the friend list should be universal! It should be tied to the Battle.net account! Like Steam or Origin.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 11:11:28 AM
Agreed.  Some things do transfer across characters if you are in the same region, though.  Blacksmithing skill level, for example. I'm not sure if achievements do, but I don't get too into those.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 11:37:13 AM
Everything is universal for your account within a region. So yes, achievements included. It would make no sense if not since there are a bunch of class-specific ones.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 03:20:11 PM
GameFront -> Jim Sterling - Bitching About Diablo 3 Is Allowed. (http://www.gamefront.com/bitching-about-diablo-3-is-allowed-advertising-in-games-can-go-to-hell/)

EDIT -- 5-21-2012:
Destructoid -> Jimquisition -- Whining About Diablo III. (http://www.destructoid.com/jimquisition-whining-about-diablo-iii-227792.phtml)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 03:24:03 PM
MysterD's favourite hobby
(http://i.neoseeker.com/mgv/20291-Dynamite/291/115/103469d1316030180deadhorsetestdead_horse_display.gif)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cobra951 on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 11:07:10 PM
Hahaha!   ;D

GameFront -> Jim Sterling - Bitching About Diablo 3 Is Allowed. (http://www.gamefront.com/bitching-about-diablo-3-is-allowed-advertising-in-games-can-go-to-hell/)


Actually, that was a very succinct and deserved smack in Blizzard's face.  The guy just says what needs to be said and moves on.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 11:25:06 PM
Quote from D's link:
Quote
Don’t listen to the people calling you an entitled whiner. Don’t listen to the pundits suggesting you shouldn’t complain, or that you’re an “idiot” for buying a game you wanted instead of a game they wanted you t0 buy. Last night, a chap told me he felt bad for being annoyed about the Diablo III downtime. He said it made him feel spoiled and entitled. Now, the “entitlement” argument is up for debate when you’re talking about preferences, purism, and differences of opinion. As far as I am concerned, that word has no place in a discussion about the inability to use a product that has just been purchased for a not-insignificant amount of money. It’s embarrassing enough for a real MMO, where the downtime is at least expected as part of the experience, but it’s simply not acceptable in this circumstance. Some of you will counter by saying that Diablo III is not a single-player game. Even if that’s true (it’s debatable considering co-op is still optional), here’s the thing — it isn’t an MMO either.

At the end of the day, Blizzard’s reasons and justifications don’t matter. They don’t. You can give me any number of reasons why Diablo III has to be consistently connected to the Internet. You cannot, however, give me a single solitary reason why it’s okay for paying customers to be unable to play a game they just bought. The bottom line is that loyal consumers are being given a problem that shouldn’t be theirs to deal with, and that’s all I give a shit about. That’s also why, if you are pissed off at Blizzard, you ought not feel bad about it. It’s not “entitled” to want to play Diablo III if you paid for it. You actually are entitled to that.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Friday, May 18, 2012, 11:11:33 AM
I am in agreement.

But instead of just rehashing this by saying the same shit over and over again, I'm actually going to make a point related to my impression of the game: this is far and away the most solo-friendly Diablo of the 3 despite being the only one that forces you online. I have felt almost zero need to play with others. Not because that isn't fun, and I'll probably do a lot more of that when I've been through it once, but I almost feel like I'm missing out when playing with others because I don't get to use the followers.

Why? Because I like them! They're so much more than the followers in D2 were. They talk to you, they talk to others who might be in your party, and new dialogue options open up for them as you play, revealing some of their personal history. I haven't really used the Scoundrel yet, but the Templar and Enchantress are both great. They level up, and I believe at 10, 15, and 20 you get to choose skills for them to use, then at 18 you open up a new equipment slot for a special item type only they can use. Otherwise, you can equip them with weapons, rings, and an amulet.

You only get one at a time, but the fact that you can tailor them to what your own character is doing is fun, and being able to upgrade them as you go makes them another piece of that loot-grabbing/leveling fun.

So yeah, the great irony of this whole situation is that I think Diablo 3 is a great single-player game, far more so than the other two. Even if the story itself isn't so robust, some of the things that are in there have some depth to them, and the storytelling is wonderful. It's all about presentation.

So: I'm on Act 2 now, a short ways in, and the game is just phenomenal. I think I really wanted to hate this game because of all the aggravating bullshit it's saddled with, but I can't. I will never stop calling that bullshit what it is, but the game is too good for me to care. And that's saying a lot.

The art style works. I've mentioned this already, but it bears repeating because of how much I disliked what was shown prior to launch. There are bits that look a little bit like WoW-lite, but mostly it has a more painterly look to it, and the parts that seem a little too cartoony are usually offset by the obscene amount of violence.

No, seriously. This game is violent and gory. Not like Diablo as a franchise has ever been known for being cheery and filled with fluffiness, but this takes it to a new level. The physics are a big part of that, so bodies fly around with suitable gusto, guys explode in bubbles of blood, and the occasional dismemberment and decapitation are just gleefully terrible. Also: baskets of severed heads you can punch clear across the screen. And it isn't just the outright active violence, it's the environments. There is an obscene amount of gore. I guess they figured that a cult hellbent on using people as fodder for new undead don't fuck around, so there is more than a little evidence of their gruesome doings.

I'm not quite sure what I expected, but this level of violence definitely wasn't it. And that's a good thing. The rainbow that got everyone all worked up is still there, and I have to admit it still seems sort of out of place, but that's not at all indicative of the game. There are some attractive environments, and so far it doesn't feel as dark as D2 on the whole, but I think the tone is about right.

Act 2 has opened up "the east", so we're back to Lut Gholein except... not. And man is it cool. The town area has tons of personality, the sands are nice-looking, and some of the underground areas there are gorgeous and unique.

I'm enjoying the way character development works. It's a solid system that allows for a lot of playing around, but there's one issue.

So the way it works by default is you have categories. For my monk, these are: Primary, Techniques, Defensive, Focus, and Mantras. As you level up, you unlock new abilities in each category, and you get to pick one from each. However, if in the options menu you check a box at the end of a list that simply says "Elective Mode", you get to not only reorder things on the menu bar, you also get to choose as many skills as you want from each category. So you can have one primary, 3 techniques, and a mantra, foregoing two categories altogether.

The problem? Nobody tells you about it. I mean, this is the way to play the game, but it's just a checkbox, and Blizzard doesn't tell you anything about it. Even the description just says "Enable full customization of skill selection and placement on the action bar," which really doesn't suggest how important it is to turn this bastard on. They've stated that they wanted the game to stay really accessible, and certainly simplify things to just picking one skill from each category does that (and you still get plenty of customization because of the rune system, which grants you a single bonus out of a number of bonuses that you unlock for each individual skill), but it's not even a fifteenth as powerful as the full customization allows. And I had to find out from GiantBomb's Quick Look, which I might not even have watched!

So now my monk does the following:

Spend spirit to dash into the fray, spend spirit to grab enemies within 24 yards to me in a circle, spend spirit to palm and bleed one of them, then attack until that enemy dies while still bleeding, which causes him to explode, damaging all other enemies in the area. And this wouldn't be possible without Elective Mode, as Exploding Palm and Dashing Strike are both in the Technique category. You could also have two primary attacks active if you wanted, which would give you some versatility. For the monk, those are attacks that build spirit, which you spend like mana and then regain again by using your primary "free" skills. But those skills do different things. One is long and with a certain rune spreads out wide, so you can hit tons of enemies at once. Another will slow and reduce the attack speed of enemies in a circle around you.

Anyway, so there's a crapload of info for anyone curious. I'm in love with the game.

Haha... and the funny thing? I started this post this morning, like... hours ago. I went to check something, ran through a couple of enemies really quick, and here it is after 1:00 PM. Oops.

*ahem*

EDIT - Typos.

EDIT x2 - Just a couple notes.

Firstly, interesting article (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-05-17-always-online-what-diablo-3s-battle-net-does-right) from Eurogamer about the things Battle.net isn't doing wrong with D3.

Also, I have not once looked at the in-game gold auction house. The cash AH isn't live yet and clearly there is no pressure to use it. I'm tempted to at least partly believe them when they said they just wanted to keep people from doing dangerous trades outside of their control. I'm sure they want the money too, obviously, but that may truly have been where the idea came from. It's there if you want it, but they don't put it in your face at all. It's no integrated into the main game at all, you get to it through a menu. There's not even an in-world thing to click on or anything So that's good.

Also, having to repeat progress after a disconnect... it's just how it works when you log, and it isn't a big deal. Checkpoints are frequent, and the game is built on repetition. Period, whenever you quit the game, even intentionally, everything resets. You'll be able to re-explore any areas previously completed. They'll automatically have been wiped, reset, and re-randomized. So if you quit before hitting a checkpoint, you'll have to redo some stuff. If you find a warp, you can use that from town to warp right back, but the area will still be reloaded. This isn't a problem. The game moves quickly and you'll never be like, "Oh noes, I have to awesomely kill more enemies and get more loot." I doubt this will ever be changed.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: PyroMenace on Friday, May 18, 2012, 12:13:03 PM
So far from what I have gathered, your first play through is pretty easy since it's your first exposure to all your class abilities. I was worried the game was too easy but I was finally overwhelmed and finished off for the first time, then again killed a few more times. At that point it becomes more apparent to utilize your abilities for optimal damage. Stats become more apparent and elective mode should become more of an option as your abilities are more abundant. My brother has already finished the game on nightmare and has gone a little ways into the Hell difficult, its really fucking hard.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Cools! on Friday, May 18, 2012, 12:18:44 PM
Glad to hear you like the game. I had no idea about this Elective Mode. I'll have to check into it when I get the game.

One thing I was wondering about is how the ability to change skills at any moment would affect your attachment to the character. In the previous games you obviously couldn't go back and change what you spent skill points on so you constantly had to make a decision that would affect how you played the game. In the end the character felt very unique, very personal to you. Do you guys find you get the same attachment to the character with the new system?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Quemaqua on Friday, May 18, 2012, 12:26:46 PM
I find it hard to change abilities because I'm attached to them. But I don't lose any attachment to the character if I do. You've still earned all those skills, they don't come right away. Plus you've got your gear, your progress, your followers you've probably upgraded. I don't think it cheapens anything. If just gives you a chance to change things up if you feel you need to, or even if you just get bored, or if you find gear that may make a certain build more suitable. I think it works.

As far as difficulty... I had a couple near-misses in the desert, but still haven't died. I don't know how long I've been playing. I'm about halfway through Act 2.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Friday, May 18, 2012, 04:07:44 PM
Normal is pretty easy until you get to the higher acts.  With friends, it is also pretty easy.  I think the real challenge is when you raise the difficulty and start replaying stuff.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Friday, May 18, 2012, 05:52:31 PM
Kotaku -> PC System Performance Benchmarks on Diablo 3. (http://kotaku.com/5911522/which-pc-hardware-works-best-with-diablo-iii)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: shock on Friday, May 18, 2012, 08:07:03 PM
Just finished my first play-through.  I agree with almost everything Que said.  I'll do more of a write up soon, but at the moment, I'm having too much fun to stop.

Also, the servers have been perfect for me for the last few days.  Barring some random hiccups, I expect they will be solid from this point on.  WoW's servers would occasionally have issues, but rarely for more than a few hours.  Comes with the territory.  And I know this is a preliminary judgment, but I think the online aspect of it was the right call.  It is SO much different than the any other single player game in how easily you can connect with your friends.  The game seriously feels very MMO like despite the fact that it isn't.  And ultimately, it's always the community aspects of a multiplayer game that keep it going, and this game makes community integration natural and easy.

In short, I'm going to be playing this for at least the summer.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Saturday, May 19, 2012, 04:06:12 AM
I just dinged 30 and loving the game thus far. I funny observation though.. There are like like hallways in the game where you have to run through avoiding traps like a giant cleaver or fire. So far on normal, these "traps" do jack shit for damage. I just stood in a fire a few minutes ago and it didn't do any damage. Is this actually a challenge in harder modes?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Saturday, May 19, 2012, 04:25:48 AM
Additionally, this new "wall" power that some mobs have is the most annoying thing.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Saturday, May 19, 2012, 05:05:54 AM
Get up early with the baby. Get her fed and changed. Finally get her back to sleep. WOO Diablo time! NOPE! SERVER MAINTENANCE!

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Xessive on Saturday, May 19, 2012, 11:58:07 AM
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/7210362840_89e9476112_z.jpg)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, May 20, 2012, 09:40:35 AM
@Xessive
IGN compiled a whole bunch of Error 37 jokes. (http://pc.ign.com/articles/122/1224696p1.html#.T7kcUeVFSi0.twitter)
We all knew Hitler would get in on the action, too....or try to... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ATOY47iVdsc)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: angrykeebler on Sunday, May 20, 2012, 05:59:18 PM
@Xessive
IGN compiled a whole bunch of Error 37 jokes. (http://pc.ign.com/articles/122/1224696p1.html#.T7kcUeVFSi0.twitter)
We all knew Hitler would get in on the action, too....or try to... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ATOY47iVdsc)

(http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080202231027/uncyclopedia/images/archive/1/11/20080202231407!Beating-a-dead-horse.gif)
(http://i.neoseeker.com/mgv/20291-Dynamite/291/115/103469d1316030180deadhorsetestdead_horse_display.gif)
(http://buymarijuanaseeds.com/community/attachments/beat_dead_horse-jpg.236910/)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hSs34-d9qO4/S7lGccO9UJI/AAAAAAAAAGU/m4hjQ9kvFJ0/s1600/beat_dead_horse2.jpg)
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SD7emP6U9XM/T5DKp-KGSbI/AAAAAAAABvA/7rB7upvCxk4/s1600/beating-a-dead-horse-horse-demotivational-poster-1267844749.jpg)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, May 21, 2012, 05:45:13 AM
But by repetitively posting 'Beating a Dead Horse' jokes, are you, yourself, not doing what you are mocking him for?

You are a dead dead horse beater.

And you are Asian.

I am disgusted.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is announced
Post by: K-man on Monday, May 21, 2012, 06:48:18 AM
So yeah I'm basically in love with the game.

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: shock on Monday, May 21, 2012, 09:21:25 AM
Servers have been bulletproof since about the end of the 2nd day.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, May 21, 2012, 09:24:50 AM
Yeah, I've not had any connection issues at all past day 1. Which is no excuse for what it is, but at least we can say that it does do what it's supposed to at this point.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: K-man on Monday, May 21, 2012, 10:20:02 AM
I've actually had some server disconnects.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, May 21, 2012, 11:24:51 AM
PlayAsia is yet to ship my copy. It seems like I won't join you guys for at least 25 days, it seems. :(

I could cancel my order and just buy the digital version. How good is the retail box? I really want it. Is it nice, or is it just a crappy modern day box.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: sirean_syan on Monday, May 21, 2012, 01:11:21 PM
Retail box is better than most modern boxes. The box itself is nice and has a little raised lettering along with a fold out on the front. There are some nicely printed guest passes inside for both D3 and WoW along with a manual far shorter than the old school Blizzard ones. It's full color, but the printing looks like it came off a color copier.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: Xessive on Monday, May 21, 2012, 01:24:02 PM
Servers have been bulletproof since about the end of the 2nd day.
Not really.. The Asia server has been on and off frequently. In the last 3 days I've only been able to log in twice.. Once for about 20 minutes before I was kicked, and the second time was tonight, finally playing normally.

I have no doubt they will settle eventually. Given Blizzard's history they do inevitably deliver top-notch quality products and services.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: MysterD on Monday, May 21, 2012, 03:18:24 PM
Forbes -> Some Blizz accounts are losing items - people reporting missing gold, items, etc. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/05/21/breaking-blizzard-diablo-iii-player-accounts-hacked-items-and-gold-stolen/)
Might wanna go check your accounts, guys...
Possibly a bug or might've gotten hacked....

EDIT:
Blizzard is at work on the matter. (https://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5149539239#4)
Quote
Hey guys,

We are very aware of these reports and are taking them very seriously. Please keep an eye on the General Discussion forums as Community members will be posting something soon.

If you have been hacked, please contact Customer Service as soon as you can. In addition, using an Authenticator can help secure your account even more.
                               
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, May 21, 2012, 04:45:07 PM
Well that's just great. What was supposed to make the game cheat-free (right, sure) has, less than a full week later, actually been responsible for people's games being ruined. Way to go, Bliz. Don't say thousands of us didn't tell you how full of shit you were.

Now granted, this could have happened to anyone playing online, but if you've been playing entirely singleplayer (which I basically have, barring one short jaunt with shock and a couple short sessions with Sy), this wouldn't have been an issue for you. So it sucks for anyone who hasn't been really getting out there and being social or doesn't want to. They're saddled with this potential awfulness without reaping any reward for it.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: angrykeebler on Monday, May 21, 2012, 04:50:59 PM
Using an authenticator is hard.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: MysterD on Monday, May 21, 2012, 04:55:59 PM
Diablo III (PC) -- REVIEWS

Scored out of a max of 10
IGN -> 9.5 (http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/14/diablo-iii-review-in-progress)
InsideGamingDaily -> 9.5. (http://www.insidegamingdaily.com/2012/05/19/diablo-iii-review/)
Wired -> 9 (http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/05/diablo-iii-review/all/1)
AtomicGamer -> 9. (http://www.atomicgamer.com/articles/1387/diablo-iii-review)
Eurogamer -> 9. (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-05-21-diablo-3-review)
Edge -> 9. (http://www.edge-online.com/reviews/diablo-iii-review)
GameTrailers -> 8.8 (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-diablo-iii/730503?)
GameSpot -> 8.5 -- VIDEO Review; (http://www.gamespot.com/diablo-iii/videos/video-review-diablo-iii-6378251/) WRITTEN Review. (http://www.gamespot.com/diablo-iii/reviews/diablo-iii-review-6378132/)
Destructoid -> 8.5 (http://www.destructoid.com/review-diablo-iii-227864.phtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Destructoid+%28Destructoid%29&utm_content=FaceBook)
EGMNow -> 8.5 (http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/egm-review-diablo-iii/)
GamesRadar -> 8. (http://www.gamesradar.com/diablo-iii-review/)
Metro -> 8. (http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/899456-diablo-iii-review-hack-n-click)
GamesTM -> 8 (http://www.gamestm.co.uk/reviews/diablo-iii-review/)
GameArena -> 6.5 (http://www.gamearena.com.au/pc/games/title/diablo-3/reviews.php)

Scored out of 100
PC Gamer -> 90% (http://www.pcgamer.com/review/diablo-3-review/)
GameOver -> 85% (http://www.game-over.com/reviews/pc/Diablo_III.html)

Scored out of a max of 5
GiantBomb -> 5 stars (http://www.giantbomb.com/diablo-iii/61-20803/reviews/)
Joystiq -> 5 stars (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/diablo-3-review-hitting-the-jackpot/)
RPGamer -> 5 stars (http://www.rpgamer.com/games/diablo/diablo3/reviews/diablo3strev1.html)
G4TV -> 4.5 stars (http://www.g4tv.com/games/pc/28197/diablo-3/review/)
GameRevolution -> 4.5. (http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/diablo-3)
Escapist -> 4 stars (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/9628-Diablo-3-Review)
Quarter To Three -> 4 stars (http://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2012/05/17/diablo-iii-unfurls-a-long-narrow-stairway-to-heaven/)
Guardian -> 4 stars (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2012/may/16/diablo-3-pc-game-review)
DigitalSpy -> 4 stars (http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/review/a382617/diablo-3-review-pc-a-hellishly-good-dungeon-crawler.html)
GameSpy -> 4 stars (http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/diablo-iii/1224673p1.html)

No score listed
GameBanshee (http://www.gamebanshee.com/reviews/108191-diablo-iii-review.html)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, May 21, 2012, 05:04:37 PM
For those who can't be bothered to read the article before making snarky comments:

Quote
“One theory suggested by players on the Battle.net forum revolves around hijacking session identifiers, which would allow hackers to take over accounts without alerting Blizzard’s authentication server. Again, this remains unconfirmed.”

Whatever the case, Blizzard authenticators don’t seem to be working properly, allowing hackers to bypass the system entirely.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: MysterD on Monday, May 21, 2012, 05:35:20 PM
I just won a Starter Edition [Guest Pass] code, since Chris Watters [of GameSpot] just put one up on his Twitter...
NICE!
Now, I can see what all the hub-bub is about...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: angrykeebler on Monday, May 21, 2012, 07:27:23 PM
For those who can't be bothered to read the article before making snarky comments:


Quote
“One theory suggested by players on the Battle.net forum revolves around hijacking session identifiers, which would allow hackers to take over accounts without alerting Blizzard’s authentication server. Again, this remains unconfirmed.”

Whatever the case, Blizzard authenticators don’t seem to be working properly, allowing hackers to bypass the system entirely.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: angrykeebler on Monday, May 21, 2012, 07:43:27 PM
See, normally I wouldn't be so snarky but I have one small axe to grind here. For literally years, some people on these forums have complained about Diablo 3. From the artwork, to the online only, to the RELEASE DAY BUGS all I hear on these forums aside from a few people is bitching, bitching bitching. Look at what was written just a few posts down "Don't say thousands of us didn't tell you how full of shit you were.". Go back a few pages on this thread and yes, theres a giant argument over this game.


For years, just bitch, bitch bitch... Then the game is finally released. And what does some people do?

They buy the fucking game

at least SOME OTHER people who have been bitching for as long have stuck to their principles and just post any miniscule thing that goes wrong ON THE DAY THE GAME LAUNCHES. Least those people didn't buy the game they've spent years complaining about. So awesome job MysterD. You may bring up super petty issues to assuage your dislike for the game but at least you stuck to your guns. Which is something I can't say for some people around here.

anyways, i think i need a break from this place.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: idolminds on Monday, May 21, 2012, 07:51:41 PM
angrykeebler
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: MysterD on Monday, May 21, 2012, 09:27:48 PM
Finished the First Act - which is what the Guest Pass takes you up to. Took somewhere around 2-3 hour ballpark.

Damn, I am really saddened that this game is attached to the hip w/ the "always online" DRM. Since you can go right ahead solo w/ this game no problem [which is what I did], this game just doesn't really deserve to be stuck w/ that "always online" DRM. Asking for a one-time online activation per PC is one thing, but this is another monster entirely.

I did experience lag a bit during transitions and had been knocked-off their servers once. Thankfully, right before I got knocked-off, I just finished a quest, got back to town, and...wasn't doing much. I did make 2 training purchases boosts to an Artisan, then got kicked-off. So, had to re-do the 2 Artisan boost purchases. Oh, and I had to re-do a conversation  - but, yeah...you can skip through conversations at your own will, anyways, thankfully. Annoying, yes. It could've hit me at a worse time, though...A LOT worse....
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 01:47:08 AM
Retail box is better than most modern boxes. The box itself is nice and has a little raised lettering along with a fold out on the front. There are some nicely printed guest passes inside for both D3 and WoW along with a manual far shorter than the old school Blizzard ones. It's full color, but the printing looks like it came off a color copier.

Thanks bud. I am just going to wait and live through you people in this thread. ;)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: shock on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 06:25:15 AM
I do get somewhat annoyed when I see a lot of complaining.  Yes, some things suck.  Yes, random bad things will happen to random people when all data is served on Blizz servers.  Yes, people get randomly disconnected.  That said, this really is a fantastic game, and I don't want the opinions of a few to overwhelm that fact.  I have had absolutely 0 problems since the 2nd day after launch.  I've never been disconnected, never lost an item, never been hacked.  Almost everyone on the America servers I have talked to has said the same thing.  Hackings or server issues happened in WoW, too.  There, Blizz fixed it all within a day or two, which is pretty damn impressive.  I don't expect this game to be any different.

This game is REALLY meant to be played online.  Whenever I get online, I see what friends are on and what levels their characters are.  I'll always jump into a game with someone.  If not that, then I join a public game.  It's so much more fun with people.  And you get more gold, more experience, and better loot.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME, fuck you naysayers!
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 06:34:39 AM
See, normally I wouldn't be so snarky but I have one small axe to grind here. For literally years, some people on these forums have complained about Diablo 3. From the artwork, to the online only, to the RELEASE DAY BUGS all I hear on these forums aside from a few people is bitching, bitching bitching. Look at what was written just a few posts down "Don't say thousands of us didn't tell you how full of shit you were.". Go back a few pages on this thread and yes, theres a giant argument over this game.


For years, just bitch, bitch bitch... Then the game is finally released. And what does some people do?

They buy the fucking game

at least SOME OTHER people who have been bitching for as long have stuck to their principles and just post any miniscule thing that goes wrong ON THE DAY THE GAME LAUNCHES. Least those people didn't buy the game they've spent years complaining about. So awesome job MysterD. You may bring up super petty issues to assuage your dislike for the game but at least you stuck to your guns. Which is something I can't say for some people around here.

anyways, i think i need a break from this place.
I received it as a gift.. Does that count?

Also, look back through the threads and posts, you'll see no complaints from me about the art style. My complaints/bitching have been strictly reserved to online-DRM and regional stuff. In fact that applies to all games not just Diablo 3. That's something I'll always bitch about though. Regional restrictions are gradually becoming redundant.

Hail Kobreebler!
(http://img-cache.cdn.gaiaonline.com/f61c4e4a623684fce5ebb5cec7303c33/http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f209/AsuraSyn1/cobraCommanderPoseclear.jpg)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 07:10:48 AM
I've had game disconnects pretty regularly since I got the game.  And last night I experienced significant lag for about 15 minutes after starting my game.  It's pretty terrible.  And it's markedly similar to how bnet ran with Diablo 2 back in its heyday.  Of course I have no reason to think that most of it won't get ironed out eventually. 

The bottom line is that whenever I get real pissed off about the disconnects or lag, I have to remind myself that I played a true SP character in D2 for all of five minutes.  The game just isn't the same offline.  Now I certainly feel like there should have been an offline mode included for those that wanted it, but I'd never use it.  And I wish Blizz would just come out and say "we did this because we want more control" instead of bullshit about the "user experience" and all that.  They want to centralize their product and control how it gets to you.  Hands down.  If they could retrofit WC3, D2, etc they would.  In fact they sort of have, what with being able to register your keys directly with Blizzard.

But in the end, it's a game.  A damn good game, actually.  One that people like me have been waiting years for.  Do I agree with certain decisions and practices? No.  Do they affect me personally?  Not really.  If they were a big enough deal to me I wouldn't have bought it.  I'd guess that most all of you are willingly giving your money to some other company that's treating you way worse right now, myself included. 
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 07:47:32 AM
I can't think of any. Other than maybe my cell phone company.

Also:

Quote
Whatever the case, Blizzard authenticators don’t seem to be working properly, allowing hackers to bypass the system entirely.

If you don't want to hear people voice complaints about a product they've bought, I don't know what to tell you. Why don't you just not read the stuff that apparently pisses you off so much? Which I can't for the life of me figure out why. You don't work for Blizzard. What, do you own stock or something? I explained in detail everything that's gone on with me in terms of reactions to Diablo 3 from the beginning, including my eventual purchase of the game and my mixed response to it, and I've got as much right to complain or discuss ongoing issues as anyone. Even though I haven't done all that much complaining since purchase. My point with this last thing is simply that forcing people online forces them into issues like this, and seeing as almost every single major company has had security breaches and such these days, being forced into that for a game you never intend to play with anyone is pretty shitty. It leaves you no option to avoid that risk. I don't see that as a step forward.

I've had my bnet account hacked twice now, and there are several Wow characters on my account that aren't mine. I think 3 of them. I don't know how long someone was using it while I wasn't. It was eventually caught, but at least one of the characters was 60. I don't recall ever seeing a charge on my credit card, but clearly this shit isn't fireproof.

And I totally disagree with shock. I mean, not to say that this isn't fun with others, because it is. I've enjoyed playing with folks. But I've not really had any more or less fun based on whether I was playing with friends or followers. In fact, I love the side characters in this game, and the god-awful stupid plot is more or less saved because of them. The big twist in Act 3 is just stupid and poorly handled, but it actually ends up seeming halfway okay because of all the context the smaller characters give it. The main plot really hasn't done much for me at all, but the carrot-on-a-stick progression of the followers has done a great deal to make up for that. I like their stories, and they're gradually revealed as you play. That's pretty cool.

But yeah, I find there to be a couple glaring issues with the way the online stuff works now. Firstly, anyone can join your game at any time. I don't know if setting "busy" changes that or if there are hidden settings somewhere, but I haven't seen any. Secondly, you can't hide your online status. If you want to play but don't want anyone to know you're on, too bad. You can set busy or away, but that's not the same. And while it's cool that you can remain open to your buddies if they want to hop on and play with you, you can't be selective about it. So if you don't want to play with someone who moves really slow and explores every nook and cranny, he might join your game anyway. Or if you want to stop and smell the roses, take your time and pick up every last item, your friends who are career players and are jamming through the game can join up and more or less take over the pace of the game. Or if someone decides they want to sit in town and do nothing, like join your game and then "oh shit, brb" for twenty minutes, you're stuck with enemies that might be too tough for you to fight on your own, but you won't even be able to take a follower with you because you're in a party.

So yeah, there are problems. I see the advantages of the online system, but I don't think it's remotely perfect, or even as good as most people seem to think. And most people have been reporting that the AH totally breaks the game and ruins most of the fun in terms of the addictiveness of finding loot. I'm glad I haven't touched it. I've heard almost nothing but complaints about it so far because apparently you can get awesome stuff for way cheaper than it seems like it should be. I haven't tried it myself, but I can see that being a big problem. Which again makes me very happy that Blizzard made it so easy to ignore. I think that was a great decision.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: angrykeebler on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 01:43:06 PM
I can't think of any. Other than maybe my cell phone company.

Also:

If you don't want to hear people voice complaints about a product they've bought, I don't know what to tell you. Why don't you just not read the stuff that apparently pisses you off so much? Which I can't for the life of me figure out why. You don't work for Blizzard. What, do you own stock or something? I explained in detail everything that's gone on with me in terms of reactions to Diablo 3 from the beginning, including my eventual purchase of the game and my mixed response to it, and I've got as much right to complain or discuss ongoing issues as anyone. Even though I haven't done all that much complaining since purchase. My point with this last thing is simply that forcing people online forces them into issues like this, and seeing as almost every single major company has had security breaches and such these days, being forced into that for a game you never intend to play with anyone is pretty shitty. It leaves you no option to avoid that risk. I don't see that as a step forward.

I've had my bnet account hacked twice now, and there are several Wow characters on my account that aren't mine. I think 3 of them. I don't know how long someone was using it while I wasn't. It was eventually caught, but at least one of the characters was 60. I don't recall ever seeing a charge on my credit card, but clearly this shit isn't fireproof.

And I totally disagree with shock. I mean, not to say that this isn't fun with others, because it is. I've enjoyed playing with folks. But I've not really had any more or less fun based on whether I was playing with friends or followers. In fact, I love the side characters in this game, and the god-awful stupid plot is more or less saved because of them. The big twist in Act 3 is just stupid and poorly handled, but it actually ends up seeming halfway okay because of all the context the smaller characters give it. The main plot really hasn't done much for me at all, but the carrot-on-a-stick progression of the followers has done a great deal to make up for that. I like their stories, and they're gradually revealed as you play. That's pretty cool.

But yeah, I find there to be a couple glaring issues with the way the online stuff works now. Firstly, anyone can join your game at any time. I don't know if setting "busy" changes that or if there are hidden settings somewhere, but I haven't seen any. Secondly, you can't hide your online status. If you want to play but don't want anyone to know you're on, too bad. You can set busy or away, but that's not the same. And while it's cool that you can remain open to your buddies if they want to hop on and play with you, you can't be selective about it. So if you don't want to play with someone who moves really slow and explores every nook and cranny, he might join your game anyway. Or if you want to stop and smell the roses, take your time and pick up every last item, your friends who are career players and are jamming through the game can join up and more or less take over the pace of the game. Or if someone decides they want to sit in town and do nothing, like join your game and then "oh shit, brb" for twenty minutes, you're stuck with enemies that might be too tough for you to fight on your own, but you won't even be able to take a follower with you because you're in a party.

So yeah, there are problems. I see the advantages of the online system, but I don't think it's remotely perfect, or even as good as most people seem to think. And most people have been reporting that the AH totally breaks the game and ruins most of the fun in terms of the addictiveness of finding loot. I'm glad I haven't touched it. I've heard almost nothing but complaints about it so far because apparently you can get awesome stuff for way cheaper than it seems like it should be. I haven't tried it myself, but I can see that being a big problem. Which again makes me very happy that Blizzard made it so easy to ignore. I think that was a great decision.

A year after WoW came out, I had to get my car fixed which cost me several hundred dollars. 5 days before I would get paid again I had about $6 in my bank account and it was the day my WoW account would get charged. I petitioned a GM and asked them if they could extend my time 5 days. Not a problem he said.

When tickets for Blizzcon 2009 when on sale I waited in the online queue to try and get tickets. I made it to the front of the queue and was trying to pay with an American Express. I tried 3 times but it kept declining the card even though there was no balance on it and it clearly said they accepted AE cards. The timer to buy tickets expired and I was expelled from the queue. The event quickly sold out and I was bummed. 3 days later I was sitting in a restaurant when I got a phone call. It was Blizzard and they saw that I tried and failed to buy tickets. They apologized for the trouble and asked if I would still like to use the card to buy up to 4 tickets.

But the best thing they ever did for me was way back when I was in 7th grade. I had an uncle who wasn't related to me by blood but was my dads best friend. I was closer to him than my own dad to be honest. He was a hero of mine. He bought my first NES when I was a kid and he also served in the Army during the first Gulf War. I have fond memories of him bringing me Saudi Coca Cola and army rations. He was awesome. He was the one who helped me convince my parents that computers weren't going away and we should get one. He would take my sister and I to the movies and Magic Mountain. He was also the first person I ever knew that died. He passed away from cancer and I was devastated.

One of my friends at school let me borrow his copy of Warcraft 2. It had been out a while but was new to me. Man, I played that game for months on end. It really helped me in a time of grief. I decided to write some fanmail to Blizzard telling them how much I liked their game and it helped me get over my uncles death. I didn't think I'd get a reply or anything but a couple months later I got a package in the mail. It was filled with Warcraft 2 swag like posters and stuff. There was also a handwritten letter saying they were glad they enjoyed the game and how sorry they were about my uncles death. It was signed "From our family to yours". At the bottom there was a hand drawn sketch of a Warcraft knight bowing his head solemnly.

So no, I don't work for them or own stock but they will have my loyalty forever. You know, the U.S government was hacked by Anonymous a few days ago and you are losing your shit because Blizz did as well? Why don't you show some anger towards, oh i dunno, THE HACKERS? I know Blizzard are responsible for our account security but anyone can be hacked. It even says in the article they are apologetic and are fixing the problem but you were still a judgemental prick about that and the launch day errors. DUDE SHIT HAPPENS. unlike a lot of other companies, at least Blizzard doesn't sit on their asses for weeks on end promising patch after patch to solve the problem. They fix their problems faster than pretty much any other game company and their customer support is the best in the business. And yeah you do have a right to complain like you've been complaining for years but that doesn't mean you aren't a giant whining douche.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 02:01:43 PM
S'all good guys. Let's all enjoy the game!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 02:08:02 PM
S'all good guys. Let's all enjoy the game!

You have to buy the game to enjoy it, asshole.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 02:10:45 PM
I watch the streams! Almost the same. :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 02:52:53 PM
I think some of you need to take up meditation and stuff. It really really helps. Take it easy. Who cares. At the age of 30+ video games shouldn't be such a huge part of our personal identity that we get entangled in arguments that lead to emotional stress.

I am so glad I am past this stuff. I thank Buddhism. :P

You have to buy the game to enjoy it, asshole.

hahah that was so random... it was like watching a movie where there is a bar fight and them some other guy just randomly punches another person.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 03:16:17 PM
Quote
The event quickly sold out and I was bummed. 3 days later I was sitting in a restaurant when I got a phone call. It was Blizzard and they saw that I tried and failed to buy tickets. They apologized for the trouble and asked if I would still like to use the card to buy up to 4 tickets.

But the best thing they ever did for me was way back when I was in 7th grade. I had an uncle who wasn't related to me by blood but was my dads best friend. I was closer to him than my own dad to be honest. He was a hero of mine. He bought my first NES when I was a kid and he also served in the Army during the first Gulf War. I have fond memories of him bringing me Saudi Coca Cola and army rations. He was awesome. He was the one who helped me convince my parents that computers weren't going away and we should get one. He would take my sister and I to the movies and Magic Mountain. He was also the first person I ever knew that died. He passed away from cancer and I was devastated.

One of my friends at school let me borrow his copy of Warcraft 2. It had been out a while but was new to me. Man, I played that game for months on end. It really helped me in a time of grief. I decided to write some fanmail to Blizzard telling them how much I liked their game and it helped me get over my uncles death. I didn't think I'd get a reply or anything but a couple months later I got a package in the mail. It was filled with Warcraft 2 swag like posters and stuff. There was also a handwritten letter saying they were glad they enjoyed the game and how sorry they were about my uncles death. It was signed "From our family to yours". At the bottom there was a hand drawn sketch of a Warcraft knight bowing his head solemnly.

That is just amazing. You've never shared this with us before. Thank you. I mean it.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: idolminds on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 09:38:59 AM
ZOMG MONK NERF (http://www.shacknews.com/article/73932/diablo-3-nerfs-monk-with-drastic-rune-change)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 03:01:00 PM
6.3 million sold so far. (http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/23/63-million-own-diablo-iii?utm_campaign=ign+main+twitter&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social)
Fastest selling PC game of all time [so far].

EDIT:
G4TV -> Talkabout - Diablo III discussion w/ Leah Jackson [played MP mostly] and Steve Johnson [mostly played SP] - around 7 minutes long. (http://www.g4tv.com/videos/58621/diablo-3-talkabout/)
G4TV -> Feedback - Diablo 3 round-table discussion on DRM, the game itself, etc etc - around 38 minutes long. (http://www.g4tv.com/videos/58624/feedback-blizzards-diablo-3/?quality=hd)
G4TV -> 8 Quick Tips You Need To Know for Diablo 3. (http://www.g4tv.com/videos/58576/diablo-3-top-8-tips-you-need-to-know/)

EDIT #2 -> 5-28-2012:
Forbes -> Erik Kain - The 'Diablo III' That Never Was; look-back at the original D3 canned in 2005. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/05/28/the-diablo-iii-that-never-was/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: gpw11 on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 09:13:00 PM
A year after WoW came out, I had to get my car fixed which cost me several hundred dollars. 5 days before I would get paid again I had about $6 in my bank account and it was the day my WoW account would get charged. I petitioned a GM and asked them if they could extend my time 5 days. Not a problem he said.

When tickets for Blizzcon 2009 when on sale I waited in the online queue to try and get tickets. I made it to the front of the queue and was trying to pay with an American Express. I tried 3 times but it kept declining the card even though there was no balance on it and it clearly said they accepted AE cards. The timer to buy tickets expired and I was expelled from the queue. The event quickly sold out and I was bummed. 3 days later I was sitting in a restaurant when I got a phone call. It was Blizzard and they saw that I tried and failed to buy tickets. They apologized for the trouble and asked if I would still like to use the card to buy up to 4 tickets.

But the best thing they ever did for me was way back when I was in 7th grade. I had an uncle who wasn't related to me by blood but was my dads best friend. I was closer to him than my own dad to be honest. He was a hero of mine. He bought my first NES when I was a kid and he also served in the Army during the first Gulf War. I have fond memories of him bringing me Saudi Coca Cola and army rations. He was awesome. He was the one who helped me convince my parents that computers weren't going away and we should get one. He would take my sister and I to the movies and Magic Mountain. He was also the first person I ever knew that died. He passed away from cancer and I was devastated.

One of my friends at school let me borrow his copy of Warcraft 2. It had been out a while but was new to me. Man, I played that game for months on end. It really helped me in a time of grief. I decided to write some fanmail to Blizzard telling them how much I liked their game and it helped me get over my uncles death. I didn't think I'd get a reply or anything but a couple months later I got a package in the mail. It was filled with Warcraft 2 swag like posters and stuff. There was also a handwritten letter saying they were glad they enjoyed the game and how sorry they were about my uncles death. It was signed "From our family to yours". At the bottom there was a hand drawn sketch of a Warcraft knight bowing his head solemnly.




I have now forgiven Blizzard for whatever the hell pissed me off about StarCraft 2.  Anyone who treats my Keebs right is okay in my book.   I still hate Keebs though.

Maybe I should buy this game.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: shock on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 10:57:55 PM
I love Keebs' story.  It is very moving, and it is wholly consistent with my experiences with Blizzard.  I don't have any stories as dramatic, but all of my interactions with them have been positive.  They have always come across as caring, down-to-earth, competent, and usually quite funny. Rare traits in the industry.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Thursday, May 24, 2012, 03:28:52 AM
Man, that's a heartfelt story. Wish more devs were like that.

It always feels great when you feel that a company is made up of people who acknowledge that you're a person too and not just another number.

I've gotten generic "thank you" responses from some companies when I send fanmail but every once in a while I get a reply that's clearly human, that feels like it was read and appreciated.

I got a response like that from Eidos, several years back. Since I was a huge Tomb Raider fan, I sent them a letter just expressing the sheer joy I got from the games and how they have affected my life and education (apparently polygonal boobs + archaeology = study NOW!). Anyway, they sent me a copy of Tomb Raider The Last Revelation along with some swag (pewter figurine, posters, etc.). I thought that was pretty cool of them and they won me over (well, teenage me).

Keebler, I feel for ya man. That experience explains your devotion to Blizzard. I would be a dedicated fan too.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Thursday, May 24, 2012, 05:28:25 AM
6.3 million sold so far. (http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/23/63-million-own-diablo-iii?utm_campaign=ign+main+twitter&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social)
Fastest selling PC game of all time [so far].

EDIT:
G4TV -> Feedback - Diablo 3 round-table discussion on DRM, the game itself, etc etc. (http://www.g4tv.com/videos/58624/feedback-blizzards-diablo-3/?quality=hd)

You don't have to say so far dude, when you say all time.

In spite of all the problems, I am really happy to see something like this happen for PC gaming. The Day 1 issues make sense now. I guess, even Blizzard wasn't prepared.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Thursday, May 24, 2012, 04:38:01 PM
In spite of all the problems, I am really happy to see something like this happen for PC gaming. The Day 1 issues make sense now. I guess, even Blizzard wasn't prepared.
Agreed - about being glad to see an exclusive PC game [at least for now, anyways] sell so well. That's just great. :D

The only real problem that I see w/ D3 selling that many copies - especially at full-price - is that many more dev's and publishers might think the message is that it is okay to go ahead to shoehorn any sort of SP-style campaigns w/ that  "always online" requirement, since Blizzard just did it and sold a record of over 6 million copies.

Patching in a "SP offline mode" would go a long way in making me think twice about this game, at its current price...

Of course, having a "SP offline mode" in the first place probably would've alleviated a lot of the gamers' issues, in the first place. Probably would've caused less people to even try to play online, in the 1st place - and keep those online players numbers down [since BNet wouldn't be forced]. If they [the player(s)] couldn't connect to BNet for any reason, at least they could play the game alone that they paid good $ for...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: gpw11 on Thursday, May 24, 2012, 11:14:04 PM
Okay, I totally haven't been looking into this at all, so it might be a stupid question, but is there no SP mode at all (like you have to be online completely while playing) or do you just sign in and authenticate and then can play offline?

Because I share a house with 2 other dudes - wireless N router is on the third floor, my room with Wireless G card in the basement suite.  I'll sometimes lose connection for 30 seconds to a minute and it can be a bitch with games like BF3 and such.

You know, in case  I ever cave and think about buying this.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Thursday, May 24, 2012, 11:55:34 PM
Okay, I totally haven't been looking into this at all, so it might be a stupid question, but is there no SP mode at all (like you have to be online completely while playing) or do you just sign in and authenticate and then can play offline?

Because I share a house with 2 other dudes - wireless N router is on the third floor, my room with Wireless G card in the basement suite.  I'll sometimes lose connection for 30 seconds to a minute and it can be a bitch with games like BF3 and such.

You know, in case  I ever cave and think about buying this.
You need to have a constant internet connection at all times. You sign in and stay in to play. The singlelpayer is basically like playing an MMO on your own. Assuming the servers are not busy and there are enough available slots, you can play but you may suffer lag and at any given time you may get kicked out for disconnection or server maintenance (which you'll get a heads-up warning for).
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: gpw11 on Friday, May 25, 2012, 12:12:02 AM
Is lag bad in this type of game?  And would I lose progress if I lost the connection?  Because that would happen exactly once and I'd never play the game again (and make posts about how Diablo 3 pissed me off and I hate Blizzard but can't remember why when the next Starcraft game came out).
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Friday, May 25, 2012, 12:40:32 AM
Is lag bad in this type of game?  And would I lose progress if I lost the connection?  Because that would happen exactly once and I'd never play the game again (and make posts about how Diablo 3 pissed me off and I hate Blizzard but can't remember why when the next Starcraft game came out).
Had several instances where I died because of lag. It's not turn-based, t's real-time action so lag could be an issue if you're up against a mob.

If you get disconnected logging back in takes you back to the last checkpoint. Fair enough, only problem is checkpoints are unevenly distributed and unless you're doing a main quest they're few and far between. Apparently using a town portal doesn't count as a checkpoint, which would have made sense since you can only town portal if you're not being attacked.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: angrykeebler on Saturday, May 26, 2012, 07:21:10 PM

I have now forgiven Blizzard for whatever the hell pissed me off about StarCraft 2.  Anyone who treats my Keebs right is okay in my book.   I still hate Keebs though.

Maybe I should buy this game.


I remember what pissed you off about SC2!





THE FACT THAT YOU WERE TERRIBLE AT IT
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Monday, May 28, 2012, 09:14:25 PM
BNet -> Diablo III - Game Design Update. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6018173)
LONG post about stats so far on players; upcoming patches planned & some details on what they will be changing; some of their thoughts on difficulty levels; some thoughts on game design; etc etc.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 08:51:34 AM
Nice stuff.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 02:49:26 PM
Patch 1.0.2.9749 released. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6020042/Patch_102_Now_Live-5_29_2012)
D3's Real Money Auction House is expected to be online by June 12th, 2012. (http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/diablo-iii/1224886p1.html?utm_campaign=twposts&utm_source=twitter)

GOG's thoughts on Diablo 3's DRM - it's a DANGER to Gaming History. (http://www.cinemablend.com/games/GOG-com-Says-Diablo-3-DRM-Danger-Gaming-History-42969.html)
EGMNow -> Korea-FTC might get involved w/ forcing some refunds over there, due to server issues people have had w/ Diablo III. (http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/blizzard-refund-policy-diablo-3-korea-server-issues/)

EDIT - 6-1-2012:
Forbes -> Blizzard's offices in Seoul raided by Korea-FTC b/c of many complaints of users unable to access or play D3 for all kinds of reasons. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/05/31/korean-government-raids-blizzard-offices-over-diablo-3-launch/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: sirean_syan on Friday, June 01, 2012, 04:12:04 AM
Huh.

Korea: We take our video games super serious.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, June 01, 2012, 04:53:37 AM
I heard Que lead the raids. :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cobra951 on Friday, June 01, 2012, 08:02:39 AM
EDIT - 6-1-2012:
Forbes -> Blizzard's offices in Seoul raided by Korea-FTC b/c of many complaints of users unable to access or play D3 for all kinds of reasons. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/05/31/korean-government-raids-blizzard-offices-over-diablo-3-launch/)

What are the odds that would ever happen in America?  I'd say a snowball has a better chance in Diablo's final act.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Friday, June 01, 2012, 02:46:22 PM
What are the odds that would ever happen in America?  I'd say a snowball has a better chance in Diablo's final act.

Probably not gonna happen, unless enough people complain or some lawsuits get thrown around. There's petitions going around...one of them had like 25,000 signatures for wanting a D3 SP offline patch!

Really though, if Blizz implemented offline SP [like D1 and D2], this would problem is not an issue. Yeah, it'd suck you might or might not be able to hit BNet to play online, but all Blizz could say is, "Play the SP offline portion and keep checking BNet to see if the MP portion is up." You know some people just will stick w/going for the SP portion period and not even care about MP. I'm sure that would help Blizz out quite a bit, too - it'd lower the number of people playing on BNet at once and lighten that load.

All people really want to do is at least be able to play their game they dropped $60 for, in some shape or form.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: angrykeebler on Friday, June 01, 2012, 03:15:40 PM
Probably not gonna happen, unless enough people complain or some lawsuits get thrown around. There's petitions going around...one of them had like 25,000 signatures for wanting a D3 SP offline patch!

Really though, if Blizz implemented offline SP [like D1 and D2], this would problem is not an issue. Yeah, it'd suck you might or might not be able to hit BNet to play online, but all Blizz could say is, "Play the SP offline portion and keep checking BNet to see if the MP portion is up." You know some people just will stick w/going for the SP portion period and not even care about MP. I'm sure that would help Blizz out quite a bit, too - it'd lower the number of people playing on BNet at once and lighten that load.

All people really want to do is at least be able to play their game they dropped $60 for, in some shape or form.

You really need to shut the fuck up about this. Here it is- people who purchased Diablo 3 KNEW FULL WELL that it was battle.net only. They were what they were signing up for. Everyone knew that the launch of possibly the most eagerly awaited PC game of all time would be a little rocky. If they didn't want that they should have just REFRAINED FROM PURCHASING THE GAME. DON'T FUCKING BUY IT. HOW HARD IS THAT?!?!?!

DON'T

BUY

IT

DON'T BUY IT
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gouZlZfqrDk/Te7c_Y8aWPI/AAAAAAAAAXk/bdNcGXOcNLw/s1600/110-zoolander_mugatu_crazy_pills.jpg)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Friday, June 01, 2012, 04:00:21 PM
You really need to shut the fuck up about this. Here it is- people who purchased Diablo 3 KNEW FULL WELL that it was battle.net only. They were what they were signing up for. Everyone knew that the launch of possibly the most eagerly awaited PC game of all time would be a little rocky. If they didn't want that they should have just REFRAINED FROM PURCHASING THE GAME. DON'T FUCKING BUY IT. HOW HARD IS THAT?!?!?!
Well, you know how well boycotts go here, these days - that's right, they basically don't. See what happened (obviously) w/ D3 and when also COD series hopped onto Steam. Yeah, gamers still didn't want to deal w/ that DRM, still bought it anyways. That's how bad they want the game.

Blizz just sold record numbers for Diablo 3. And you know what? Other companies [like EA, UbiSoft, etc] are going to look at this example - and think their games, which basically have a SP-portion and decide for it to be forced to be played always online, as well. Not everybody has this kind of bandwidth. Not everybody has a consistent Internet connection. Not everybody is a hardcore gamer like us here on OWNet and knows what DRM is, unfortunately. Not everybody reads the game-box, unfortunately. Not everybody wants to be renting their game or forced by Blizz to play when Blizz lets them.

How UbiSoft and EA get slammed for doing this nonsense of forcing SP online, yet Blizz doesn't [in actual sales numbers] - it's pretty much beyond me. People complain, yet Blizz hasn't done anything to satisfy these gamers who want SP offline mode. It's not like they're asking for anything ridiculous here. I mean - UbiSoft & EA have both often changed their "always online" DRM on numerous games whether on launch or actually a bit later, due to gamer backlash. See what happened to the next SimCity game. Other games, like Darkspore and C&C4, tanked namely b/c of their ridiculous DRM - which they really should go ahead now and change for any sort of SP-portion of the game.

Forced always online games are not the future - PC and consoles. And neither is forced cloud gaming, for that matter. As an extra option, playing online and cloud gaming are actually GREAT ideas. :D

EDIT:
You know what would be a real slap in PC gaming's face? If Blizz does port D3 to the consoles and the SP can be played OFFLINE.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: angrykeebler on Friday, June 01, 2012, 04:13:24 PM
Well, you know how well boycotts go here, these days - that's right, they basically don't. See what happened (obviously) w/ D3 and when also COD series hopped onto Steam. Yeah, gamers still didn't want to deal w/ that DRM, still bought it anyways. That's how bad they want the game.

Blizz just sold record numbers for Diablo 3. And you know what? Other companies [like EA, UbiSoft, etc] are going to look at this example - and think their games, which basically have a SP-portion and decide for it to be forced to be played always online, as well. Not everybody has this kind of bandwidth. Not everybody has a consistent Internet connection. Not everybody is a hardcore gamer like us here on OWNet and knows what DRM is, unfortunately. Not everybody reads the game-box, unfortunately. Not everybody wants to be renting their game or forced by Blizz to play when Blizz lets them.

How UbiSoft and EA get slammed for doing this nonsense of forcing SP online, yet Blizz doesn't [in actual sales numbers] - it's pretty much beyond me. People complain, yet Blizz hasn't done anything to satisfy these gamers who want SP offline mode. It's not like they're asking for anything ridiculous here. I mean - UbiSoft & EA have both often changed their "always online" DRM on numerous games whether on launch or actually a bit later, due to gamer backlash. See what happened to the next SimCity game. Other games, like Darkspore and C&C4, tanked namely b/c of their ridiculous DRM - which they really should go ahead now and change for any sort of SP-portion of the game.

Forced always online games are not the future - PC and consoles. And neither is forced cloud gaming, for that matter. As an extra option, playing online and cloud gaming are actually GREAT ideas. :D

EDIT:
You know what would be a real slap in PC gaming's face? If Blizz does port D3 to the consoles and the SP can be played OFFLINE.


all i got from that is that the average consumer doesn't have any self control or principles. maybe you should rant about them.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Friday, June 01, 2012, 04:30:56 PM
all i got from that is that the average consumer doesn't have any self control or principles. maybe you should rant about them.
When eventually a very poor atmosphere will be created by dev's and publishers by forcing this kind of always online garbage on us and a majority of the houses use this [especially from AAA dev's and publishers], what can even gamers do? They've lost even their rights - which, who knows if the US FTC will even stick up for. At least Korea's FTC has some balls here.

Regardless of the gamers buying games w/ horrible DRM at sky-high prices (i.e. $60), this still doesn't really give the ones who are developing & publishing these games the right to keep basically trying to take more and more rights away from their customers, slowly but surely. That's what's been happening over the years w/ DRM. DRM has just been getting worse and worse and worse and worse, over the years, for the most part. I don't think this trend is going to get any better - especially thanks to D3's success. There's been problems w/ gamers lagging, connecting, and complaining about no SP offline mode - and Blizz still hasn't fixed these issues.

We've gone from disc check DRM; to one-time online activation DRM w/ install limit DRM; to forced-client DRM; to now this always online DRM.
Eventually, forced cloud gaming might come about where we won't even be storing our games on our PC's...and things will be even worse then, as we'll now be basically renting everything.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: angrykeebler on Friday, June 01, 2012, 05:02:37 PM
YES
OF COURSE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT
)_P(@*#)(@*#(@*

They DO have the right to do this. What part of that aren't you getting? They are a business and can ship their product however they want.

You have the right to NOT buy it along with everyone else. What can gamers do when AAA titles ship with this DRM? HEY GUESS WHAT MYSTERD. VIDEO GAMES ARE NOT A NECESSITY IN YOUR LIFE. YOU DO NOT NEED THEM TO LIVE. STOP BUYING THEM. BILLIONS OF PEOPLE DO THIS DAILY.

GODDAMN YOU ARE THICK

If game companies are taking away more and more rights like you claim then STOP SUPPORTING THEM WITH MONEY.

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Friday, June 01, 2012, 05:08:16 PM
I'm beginning to think the on-going discussion in this thread about "always online DRM", "SP shouldn't be forced to always online [IMHO]", "cloud gaming", and all of that related stuff [that is going on here] is beginning to take a major life of its own and probably deserves its own thread on these gaming boards, AWAY from the Diablo 3 game thread here.

It kind of reminds me of this thread we had about UbiSoft U-Play DRM, in particular. (http://www.overwritten.net/forum/index.php?topic=6177.0)

Please tell me what you guys here think of that idea.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: sirean_syan on Friday, June 01, 2012, 05:23:51 PM
Honestly?

I think you should just drop it for now.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Friday, June 01, 2012, 05:31:08 PM
Patch 1.0.2a - v.1.0.2.9858 released. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6020043/Patch_102a_Now_Live-5_31_2012#blog)

Quote
General
    Tooltips for the following class abilities have been updated to reflect changes made in patch 1.0.2 and previous hotfixes:
        Demon Hunter
            Smoke Screen (Skill Rune – Lingering Fog)
        Monk
            Fists of Thunder (Skill Rune – Quickening)
            Mantra of Healing (Skill Rune – Boon of Inspiration)
        Wizard
            Energy Armor (Skill Rune – Force Armor)

    Nigel Cutthroat has recently fallen on hard times and will now drop lower quality items when slain
    Gold and quest experience rewards for replaying "Heart of Sin: Get the Soul of Azmodan" have been reduced
    Gold and quest experience rewards for replaying "Heart of Sin: Go to the Keep" have been removed

Auction House
    The maximum duration for posted auctions has been reduced from 48 hours to 36 hours
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Monday, June 04, 2012, 06:54:33 AM
Finished on normal over the weekend.  Good ways into Act 1 on Nightmare.  I have to say, the game's much better when not burdened with a story.  I just can't believe 12 years and this is what they came up with.  Once you've seen it through and officially give zero shits about the narrative, the game gets a lot better.

There needs to be some sort of regulation in the AH though.  Stuff is getting out of hand real fast, what with people putting stuff up with bids and buyouts that are in the millions.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: PyroMenace on Monday, June 04, 2012, 07:10:55 AM
Yea I finished it up as well. I would say the story is competent, but yea, there's nothing outstanding about it.

Ive already made my way to Act 2 on nightmare. It's crazy how we play through games and put them down to move onto the next one, that doesn't exist with Diablo 3. I finished it, and without blinking, started it all over again. I know its Blizzard and its a game about getting loot, but I feel like with other games like this, it doesn't even come close to how addictive it is.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: sirean_syan on Monday, June 04, 2012, 07:47:47 AM
Finished on normal over the weekend.  Good ways into Act 1 on Nightmare.  I have to say, the game's much better when not burdened with a story.  I just can't believe 12 years and this is what they came up with.  Once you've seen it through and officially give zero shits about the narrative, the game gets a lot better.

I feel pretty much the same way. It seemed like they tried to do too much with the story but didn't have the ability to pull it off. Things would have been so much better if Blizzard had just stuck to the sort of minimalist narrative they had going in originals. That doesn't mean they had to skimp on things like town talk or lore because those are mostly optional and were generally very good, but  in-engine cutscenes and interruptions in the field were not helping things. This is especially true in acts III and IV where I'm pretty sure some of the coolness was lost due to frequent chats in the field.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Monday, June 04, 2012, 08:17:54 AM
Summary of D3 (from a thread on the official forums that Blizz has since deleted):

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, June 06, 2012, 04:07:49 PM
PC Gamer -> Massive List of Diablo 3 features comfirmed, denied, and thinking about from Bashiok of Blizz for future patches. (http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/06/05/massive-list-of-diablo-3-features-confirmed-and-denied-by-bashiok/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Thursday, June 07, 2012, 07:12:21 AM
Quote
Planned feature:
Changing follower AI so they don’t target invulnerable enemies and aren’t so zealous to engage things like treasure goblins before you start attacking

OH THANK GOD
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Friday, June 08, 2012, 08:03:34 AM
For your reading pleasure, a thread about the release of Diablo 2 from 2000:

http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65309
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, June 10, 2012, 09:18:55 AM
Got the Diablo 3 collector's edition on eBay! Got the CDKEY from him while he ships the package to me!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: idolminds on Sunday, June 10, 2012, 03:51:11 PM
Real money AH requires you to have an authenticator. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5594218404)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Sunday, June 10, 2012, 08:30:37 PM
Makes sense.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, June 11, 2012, 11:09:02 AM
How do you get those?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: idolminds on Monday, June 11, 2012, 11:16:32 AM
You can buy them direct from Blizzard or download an app for your smartphone for free.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, June 11, 2012, 11:23:50 AM
Cool! Thanks.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 03:57:28 PM
Patch 1.0.2c released. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6360585/Patch_102c_Now_Live-6_12_2012#blog)
Real Money AH is patched-in and is now live.
Also, Error 37 is gone - now it'll keep re-trying to log you in, instead of giving you the Error 37.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: sirean_syan on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 05:37:02 PM
And the stories start rolling out. (https://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5794629534) (even if they're probably fake)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 06:11:37 PM
And the stories start rolling out. (https://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5794629534) (even if they're probably fake)

Thread's gone already.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: sirean_syan on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 07:08:56 PM
Oh well. It was a touching tale of a dude who spent the money his mother gave him to buy a father's day gift for the family. In the end, he also bought the wrong item and completely wasted his money.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Friday, June 15, 2012, 06:33:11 AM
I can't speak for Sy, but as a new father I find this game to cater to my newly forced gaming habits pretty well. 

I get a large block on Sat and Sun mornings to play, but otherwise it's just here and there.  And if I only have 5 min?  Browse the AH!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: sirean_syan on Friday, June 15, 2012, 08:12:23 AM
Yeah, it's done pretty well for me. Although, if you look at my profile you'll see I've put a fair amount of time into the game. That's partially inflated because I have a tendency to just leave the game running if I have to do something else for a while, although my real hour count is pretty damned high.

I did finish up a nightmare run last night and I'm kind of proud of myself although I know that's pretty slow compared to the main Diablo crowd. Having gotten this far, I feel like the end of nightmare is a lot closer to what I feel like the end of normal Diablo 2 was, maybe only slightly harder. What I've really been struggling with is finding a good skill setup which can both dish out damage and protect me when I need it. In the end I ended up going nearly full protection and picked away at last bosses.

I've also crumpled and used the gold auction house every now and again. Seeing as there really isn't a gambling vendor anymore and the crafter often lacks gear at my level, the auction house gives me a place to spend some money. In the end it's kept in the game in terms of gear throughout nightmare, but it never made me feel like I was overpowered. So, at least the gold auction house isn't so bad.

As for the real money auction house? Fuck that shit. People are paying hundreds of dollars for items? Who the hell is buying it? I can somewhat understand dropping a dollar or two over the course of a couple months, but to pay more than the cost of game for a single item just makes my brain fizzle.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, June 17, 2012, 09:09:06 AM
GameSpot -> Confessions of a Diablo III Day Trader. (http://www.gamespot.com/features/confessions-of-a-diablo-iii-day-trader-6382716/)
This is basically their pro-tips on how to sell items on the RMAH.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Monday, June 18, 2012, 07:22:08 AM
I finished up Nightmare over the weekend.  I've got 1.5 bars of experience left before I can start to tackle hell (Minimum of level 50 required).

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 04:03:01 PM
D3 CE came and it is awesome. Installing now! WOOOOOH!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 04:45:34 PM
So I am having trouble deciding what class to start with. I want my classic sword and shield fighter, damnit! The only problem I see with the game is how every class is a bit freaky. You need your staple classes too Blizzard. Hopefully we will get a Paladin in the expansion.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 04:49:38 PM
So I am having trouble deciding what class to start with. I want my classic sword and shield fighter, damnit! The only problem I see with the game is how every class is a bit freaky. You need your staple classes too Blizzard. Hopefully we will get a Paladin in the expansion.
I am betting that was Blizz's plan all along - to get everybody to play D3 w/ "not-so-traditional classes" by NOT including any of the traditional classes.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 05:10:15 PM
Ahhhhh... D.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 06:49:19 PM
I am a Demon Hunter! The game is beautiful looking! EVERYONE ADD ME DAMNIT! Pugnate#2375
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: sirean_syan on Thursday, June 21, 2012, 03:00:32 PM
Hey, wanna buy a new copy and are keen to digital media? Well fuck you. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5889089807)

I really have enjoyed my time with Diablo. I really have. I'll probably start putting more in at some point. However, there's been so much general strangeness to the game that's sometimes it's hard to separate the game from the mess in my mind. If that's something that should even be done is entirely up to you to decide, but for me I don't think history is going to look on Diablo III very kindly or, at the very least, there will be some taint always attached to the game. For me, I think everything that has gone wrong started with the decided to make the real money auction house. While it might always be right, it's not hard to see nearly all the strange decisions, gameplay or restrictive rules, were made while considering the the auction house. Even now that items are selling for hundreds of dollars in a Blizzard sanctioned part of the game makes me feel uneasy when ever I boot up the game. It's silly, yeah, but a lot of it just feels wrong.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Thursday, June 21, 2012, 03:05:13 PM
PC Gamer -> Blizzard to issue refunds to South Korean gamers who had issues w/ the game...under a few conditions. (http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/06/21/blizzard-to-issue-refunds-to-south-korean-gamers-affected-by-diablo-3-server-problems/)

Quote
The announcement – which was originally posted on the Korean Battle.net blog, and subsequently translated by the Wall Street Journal – says that players up to level 40 can apply for refunds, and those still below level 20 can also return the game.

So, for those who have been playing the FULL version of the game and do have an answer to this, I'm curious...
How many hours it take you to hit Level 20?
What about Level 40?

Also, when doing ONE playthrough on ANY difficulty, what level are you when you finish the game?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: sirean_syan on Thursday, June 21, 2012, 03:39:10 PM
You get to about level 30 by the time you finish a run through normal. That takes maybe 15-20 hours. For level 40.... maybe 25-30 hours. I imagine you could shave a bit of time off that if you rushed.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Friday, June 22, 2012, 01:42:47 AM
I just finished normal - level 30 something. Took about 40 hours but I repeated a few quests over when I was playing coop.

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Friday, June 22, 2012, 03:13:51 AM
Aaaaand Euro server's down again.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Friday, June 22, 2012, 10:32:09 AM
Here are my thoughts on the game:

I like the new skill system. It keeps things fresh by encouraging experimentation, but at the same time you are never caught in a situation where your skill-set is completely useless (like in a boss fight). Overall, the combat is hectic and lots of fun, even more so in coop. The classes themselves are very interesting, though I mainly have experience with the Witch Doctor at this point.

So, now the bad: I can't believe this is the shit plot they came up with after 12 years though I should hardly be surprised after StarCraft II. I know the plot was never a critical part of Diablo games and I wouldn't complain if it weren't for the fact that there is just so much talking in this game. And yeah, 12 years... Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the early banter between your character and the hirlings, but after Act II I just stopped caring about them because there wasn't anything beyond the yapping. I really wish there were actual side quests for the hirlings.

What annoys me the most is just how happy the game is. I really miss the dread and atmosphere that Diablo 2 had. Everything in Diablo 3 is now bright (in terms of visuals) and comical. Hey, how about a monster that makes farting noises!?? Joy! Characters seem like they are out of Final Fantasy. It just never felt like a Diablo game to me. Don't get me wrong, I liked the locals and the visuals, but I just wish the game was a lot darker, more twisted.

So what now? Well, I know higher difficulty is where the real fun begins so I'm going to try that. Hopefully the intense action can make me forget how horrible the plot is.





Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, June 22, 2012, 12:40:59 PM
I absolutely love it. I know the other stuff isn't great, but I really don't care. I just like running around, finding cool stuff, and playing with other people like this. The skills and stuff are fun to execute.

I do really miss the old skill system though. Here it really doesn't feel like this character is mine so much.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Friday, June 22, 2012, 12:46:32 PM
I thought the same as well at the start, but the ability to quickly change skills makes your character a lot more flexible and fun in the end. I'm guessing it'll come in even more into play when PvP comes.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, June 24, 2012, 02:57:38 PM
So the game rocks but I really hate playing with random people online. They don't even clear the map and just run from quest point to quest point.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, June 25, 2012, 04:37:41 AM
Hey, wanna buy a new copy and are keen to digital media? Well fuck you. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5889089807)

I really have enjoyed my time with Diablo. I really have. I'll probably start putting more in at some point. However, there's been so much general strangeness to the game that's sometimes it's hard to separate the game from the mess in my mind. If that's something that should even be done is entirely up to you to decide, but for me I don't think history is going to look on Diablo III very kindly or, at the very least, there will be some taint always attached to the game. For me, I think everything that has gone wrong started with the decided to make the real money auction house. While it might always be right, it's not hard to see nearly all the strange decisions, gameplay or restrictive rules, were made while considering the the auction house. Even now that items are selling for hundreds of dollars in a Blizzard sanctioned part of the game makes me feel uneasy when ever I boot up the game. It's silly, yeah, but a lot of it just feels wrong.

Yea the 3 day hold on a starter edition for digital copy buyers really troubled me. That's just too much, and that's just something Blizzard can do because of this whole online system. I was considering buying my bro a digital copy but am going to hold off now.

I do love the game.

Oh and now I know why I wasn't seeing you guys when I added you.

Because I was on the European servers and apparently even friends lists don't cross over! I think that's pretty dumb. At the very least I should be able to see you guys on the other servers. I understand I can't join you, which is fine .

Anyway, loving the game overall.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: JacksRag(e) on Monday, June 25, 2012, 09:45:22 AM
This game makes me feel like Natalie Imbruglia. 
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: shock on Monday, June 25, 2012, 09:29:50 PM
I'm still playing a ton.  I've got a 60 demon hunter, 58 barbarian, 50 wizard, and a 40 monk.  Maybe too much?

I have a feeling I'm going to burn out soon. We'll see, I guess.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Monday, June 25, 2012, 10:25:06 PM
I've been stuck with my lvl 32 Demon Hunter and my level 4 monk.. I've been unable to play regularly since the first update suddenly all servers are laggy.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: shock on Monday, June 25, 2012, 10:34:49 PM
Crazy you guys are having so many problems.  I literally have not had a problem since launch day.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Monday, June 25, 2012, 11:20:45 PM
Crazy you guys are having so many problems.  I literally have not had a problem since launch day.
I suspect my problem are primarily due to region-related issues (poor server connectivity etc.).

Bear in mind that as a frequent offline player I may be more sensitive to these issues because I'm not used to having to deal with them on a regular basis. I seldom play MMOs and I usually play on-the-go. So when I play singleplayer and notice a fraction of a second delay I get all bent out of shape! hehe

Whenever I wanna take out my frustrations with online games I just lose myself in Skyrim, good, old-fashioned, offline Skyrim.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 01:33:01 AM
Quote
Bear in mind that as a frequent offline player I may be more sensitive to these issues because I'm not used to having to deal with them on a regular basis.

No, I don't think that's it at all. We are all sensitive to lag.

I think something is up with your connection or players from UAE perhaps. Check on CNET internet speed test your upload and download are up to mark?

You said your latency was 700-1500? That is incredible and not much to do with sensitivity! On my crappy work connection my ping is 250ish on Euro and 300ish on US. On my good connection it is about 150ish.

Why is your ping so high? That's incredibly bad. I am in Pakistan and not that far from UAE. Sometimes these ISPs in our region offer great download speeds but horrible upload speeds. Maybe that's the problem. No wonder you are facing so much lag. :(
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 01:37:01 AM
Crazy you guys are having so many problems.  I literally have not had a problem since launch day.

For me the matchmaking has been brilliant. I love how Blizzard have made the online play so smooth by letting a lot of the stuff happen only on your own computer, like looting and stuff. I am sure it has contributed to the smooth multiplayer gameplay.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 07:32:55 AM
Yep, it is weird. On speedtest it usually reads it accurately enough, giving me around 28~29Mbps. Also, this lag only started after the update. Before the update I was green all the time, 200-260ms. That's how I played right up until I was level 32 (assuming I didn't get Error 37). I'm gonna give it some time and then log the connection speed each time.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: shock on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 07:30:01 PM
I play the game like an MMO.  I get really bored really fast if I just play it by myself.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, June 27, 2012, 01:14:25 AM
haha me too. But I am letting my Demon Hunter do a solo so I can absorb the story and play everything right. Then I have my other characters do the public games.

The game is becoming a bit of a problem. I always sit down to play 30 minutes before bed and those easily turn into hours. I am not getting enough sleep!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Thursday, June 28, 2012, 04:09:02 PM
GameSpy -> Dan Stapleton - "Diablo III Isn't An Action RPG." (http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/diablo-iii/1225243p1.html)

Like Dan, I've always had the thoughts that games labeled as RPG's had either 2 elements - decision-making on the game itself and your character.

For me, that's namely...
1. The game has decision-making elements in main quests and/or side quests that can change the outcome of the game itself, world itself, and/or its inhabitants...
2. AND the game has a decision-making element where you change your character itself, on their base stats and skills.

But, D3 is an interesting beast - it's just the crazy-insane amount of loot now, which decides the difference in your character, for the most part.
But, the loot is STILL so rampant in D3 [from the Guest Pass alone even], it still felt like D3 was still an ARPG. Most games that are in the action genre [with little to no RPG elements in them] don't deal out the amount of DIFFERENT gear that the Diablo series does.

So, what do you guys think?

Curious on your thoughts.

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Thursday, June 28, 2012, 04:32:12 PM
Sure D3 is an A-RPG, if the A stood for Auction...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, June 30, 2012, 10:56:53 PM
Bluesnews -> Some people are having all kinds of issues w/ the RMAH... (http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=viewthread&boardid=1&threadid=133426)

Quote
A thread on the Diablo III forums (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5978788079?page=1) has a complaint from a user who claims to have been charged $149.99 for an item in the Real-Money Auction House for Diablo III after bidding on an item they say was posted at $0.00. They offer evidence to support this claim as well indications that the bug they encountered is still occurring. On a semi-related note, this thread (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5978428874) has the account from a user claiming to have lost a Battle.net balance of $200.00 after changing the region on their account, while this one (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5978428723) is from someone who says they called the FBI to report Blizzard for wire fraud, alleging having never received a $49.99 payment for an item they sold. These threads have attracted a lot of attention from users, but so far have received no official "blue" comments from Blizzard.


Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Monday, July 23, 2012, 07:40:32 AM
CVG - Diablo III Exploit Makes WIZARDS Invulnerable. (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/359275/diablo-3-exploit-makes-players-invulnerable/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Monday, July 23, 2012, 08:29:10 AM
Haha.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Monday, July 23, 2012, 08:56:31 AM
I guess everybody will be able to finish HC Mode as a Wizard, now. ;)
Though, I wonder w/ this exploit out there, Blizz will drop the hammer and might issue suspensions, bans and/or pull Achievements on those cheaters, if gamers keep using this Exploit.

I wonder when they'll go ahead, fix this exploit and get it out there to the gamers...
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Monday, July 23, 2012, 09:07:03 AM
I imagine they'll fix this particular one pretty quickly.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, July 24, 2012, 08:18:52 AM
I imagine they'll fix this particular one pretty quickly.

Bluesnews -> Blizzard will be rolling a hot-fix for the Invulnerable Wizard exploit soon. (http://www.bluesnews.com/s/133984/diablo-iii-wizard-bug-fix-barbarian-bug-found)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, August 01, 2012, 03:14:07 PM
I freakin' love this game. My barb is awesome. I want to play with you guys. Euro server is better for me. It is my home server and ping is green. US is mostly yellow.

Anyone want to play on the Euro servers? Even US will do.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Wednesday, August 01, 2012, 11:08:33 PM
I do! But My character is really low level since I've been playing on the Asia server.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Thursday, August 02, 2012, 06:53:39 AM
OK let's start anew on the Euro server. Or we can play on Asia.

edit:

Xessive, I am pretty sure EU is your home server as it is mine. That's where the optimal ping is. Maybe it lags less for you there?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: PyroMenace on Thursday, August 02, 2012, 10:31:24 AM
Hey what time do you guys play?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Thursday, August 02, 2012, 10:46:12 AM
For me it is typically about 12pm to 6pm New York time. :P

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Thursday, August 02, 2012, 12:28:00 PM
Pyro, any instant messenger you use? I am on Google Talk mostly. Also, Steam and FB chat.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Thursday, August 09, 2012, 04:00:35 PM
MUST READ - Battle.Net has been hacked. (http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/securityupdate.html)
You're going to want to change your password; and security question & answer.
If you have any other accounts using same password as your B-Net password, you'll wanna change those, too.

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Friday, August 10, 2012, 01:23:17 AM
Wasn't able to change my secret question and answer.. Found out why from FAQ:

Quote
Why not immediately invalidate the secret questions and answers that were compromised?

This was a difficult decision to make but in the end we believe that keeping the secret questions and answers in place still provides a layer of security against unauthorized users who don't have access to the compromised data. In the meantime, we are working quickly to create a mechanism for players to change the secret question and answer on their account. Our customer service staff will also know to use additional measures to verify player identities and not rely solely on secret question and answer.

Apparently, they haven't implemented a system to change it yet.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Friday, August 10, 2012, 04:28:50 PM
GameSpy -> Blizzard admits Solo Play is the clear choice for Diablo III players. (http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/diablo-iii/1225710p1.html?utm_campaign=twposts&utm_source=twitter)
Battle.Net -> Info on upcoming Patch 1.0.4. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6923456/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Monday, August 20, 2012, 06:54:53 PM
Battle.Net -> NEW Paragon System to be introduced in Patch 1.0.4. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6968517/)

Quote
The new Paragon system coming in patch 1.0.4 is designed to address Magic Find gear-swapping while providing players who’ve reached level 60 with an extended progression system.
Here’s how it works:

After you hit level 60, any further experience you earn from killing monsters will begin to count toward Paragon levels
There are 100 Paragon levels
Every Paragon level will reward you with:
--> Core stats such as Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Vitality in amounts similar to what you’d gain from a normal level
--> 3% Magic Find and 3% Gold Find
In addition, a distinctive increasingly-impressive border will surround your character portrait in the in-game party frame to denote your Paragon progression, with a new frame earned after every ten levels. Your Paragon level will also be visible to other players wherever your normal level is shown

(http://us.media5.battle.net/cms/gallery/VXFDNA3S9D0M1345154452638.jpg?v=1)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: W7RE on Monday, August 20, 2012, 08:46:10 PM
So you gain base stats in the same manner as gaining a level, and you earn it from gaining XP... why the hell didn't they just increase the level cap to 160?

I guess "New and exciting Paragon system coming to Diablo III!" sounds better than "Yea we fucked up, so we raised he level cap to 160 so people can level up more and do Inferno mode".
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: sirean_syan on Monday, August 20, 2012, 08:55:29 PM
That's more or less my thought too, although I have no idea what the game looks like beyond Nightmare. I sorta moved on from the game at that point and with all the strange news and general backlash I haven't had much desire to turn it back on.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Monday, August 20, 2012, 09:48:49 PM
That's just hilarious.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 01:17:45 AM
awesome!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: shock on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 07:25:51 AM
I leveled 4 classes up to the 50-60 range before getting bored.  Haven't played in months. Great game, but it gets really repetitive playing the same maps over and over again.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: W7RE on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 06:48:30 PM
I was talking to my brother about this the other day. Looking back, I think I liked the level design of the original Diablo the best. It was plainer, but it was more randomized and unpredictable, and had more of a feeling of discovery. It was sort of an action based roguelike, a real dungeon crawl. If only the combat mechanics held up as well, I'd probably reinstall it and play it again.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: sirean_syan on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 07:02:56 PM
I definitely had that problem with DIII. There were far too many areas that were predesigned. Boss rooms and towns are good, but everything else should be constantly changing. It seemed like half the world in Diablo III was always the same and the other half didn't have much variability. I understand that makes the game look a little prettier, but I don't remember not enjoying the dungeons visuals in the first two games.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Thursday, October 04, 2012, 02:58:59 PM
Played 3 hours of Diablo 3 with MysterD.

That was awesome. Great fun with the D man. ;)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Thursday, October 04, 2012, 04:57:57 PM
I definitely had that problem with DIII. There were far too many areas that were predesigned. Boss rooms and towns are good, but everything else should be constantly changing. It seemed like half the world in Diablo III was always the same and the other half didn't have much variability. I understand that makes the game look a little prettier, but I don't remember not enjoying the dungeons visuals in the first two games.

Yeah and the dungeons in D3 just seem smaller in comparison to the previous games.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Thursday, October 04, 2012, 06:20:42 PM
Played 3 hours of Diablo 3 with MysterD.
That was awesome. Great fun with the D man. ;)
And I had a great time, too. Thanks for playing D3 w/ D. :)
We gotta' do it again soon! :D
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, October 05, 2012, 01:20:17 AM
Pity we couldn't get to Act 2. I felt sleepy. :P

But yea soon for sure. :)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, October 05, 2012, 01:21:51 AM
I was talking to my brother about this the other day. Looking back, I think I liked the level design of the original Diablo the best. It was plainer, but it was more randomized and unpredictable, and had more of a feeling of discovery. It was sort of an action based roguelike, a real dungeon crawl. If only the combat mechanics held up as well, I'd probably reinstall it and play it again.

That is one issue. Also by taking away skill points, and making finding gold and weapons a little useless, they've hurt the game. I still love it plenty, but there are those flaws.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, October 06, 2012, 04:03:30 PM
I finished D3 earlier today w/ my Solo Character (Witchdoctor) on Normal.

Damn, what an awesome game!

It's awesome, even despite some of my minor complaints (no way to sink points literally into your character build like in the older Diablo games so players can have some different builds of the same exact class; graphics aren't anything spectacular technically...especially when zoomed-in); AND of course my MAJOR complaint (the always online DRM - especially in a game that is VERY SP-friendly and is even more SP-friendly than ever before).

EDIT:
I really LOVE the way they took the mechanic of giving the player tons of info and backstory, as they are playing.

The way the Lore works, it reminds me of the System Shock 2 and BioShock mechanic of when you find a new Log - you can play it NOW or listen to it in your Logbook. When you pick up some sort of Lore in the gameworld; encounter certain people; encounter certain events; or say kill a monster for the 1st time -- this Lore is all for you to read & listen to all voice-acted right then and there w/ the click of a button. Miss one by accident b/c you didn't hit the Lore button in time or do you just want to listen to it later? No problem! All of this Lore, it's stored in your Logbook - so if you want to listen to it later, go right ahead and open your Logbook up and read and play the audio at your own discretion! In an ARPG, this stuff never seems to get in your way of your actual gameplay. This stuff is perfect to listen to & read this stuff when you're taking a break from the breakneck face of action - like say when you're back In Town doing much more relaxing things than slaughtering monsters.

All the NPC's even have their own back-story and you can chat them up for more info, as well. Even your class character, he has his own story - you can hear it tossed in here and there, when he talks to other Followers or NPC's; or even in the Main Quest stuff sometimes. I love the way Blizzard didn't pepper too much at once & made most of this stuff optional to get involved with - as you can pretty much ignore most of this stuff, if you want - and just want to go ahead and slaughter things. The game doesn't seem to have many in-game cut-scenes - and even when it does, they don't seem to be that long, either. I really like seeing this stuff in an ARPG - and they seem to have taken this stuff to the next level & set a new standard in the ARPG genre.


Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, October 06, 2012, 06:47:22 PM
The problem is that all of the backstory and lore are crap and not worth listening to.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Saturday, October 06, 2012, 08:47:14 PM
The problem is that all of the backstory and lore are crap and not worth listening to.
I don't think I've seen a ARPG in this genre even remotely try the Lore & Back-Story thing to the extent D3 aims for: lore & back-story stuff peppered everywhere that is BOTH fully written in text & voice-acted.

What D3 is doing is nowhere even close to as great of achievement as what Mass Effect 1 introduced to the world w/ its expertly fully voice-acted and extremely well-written Codex. Then again, there ain't many who write dialogue, text, prose & lore as great and as consistent as BioWare does. D3 is totally doing something I don't think I've seen others of this particular breakneck-paced ARPG genre even try - and surely is setting a standard for other ARPG's in this genre to match: fully voice-acted and text for the Lore & Back-Story.

D3's Lore and story is lot better than the stuff in Dungeon Siege 2 and many others in this particular genre, if you ask me. Mind you, I don't expect the prose & writing of say a (full-blown RPG like) Planescape: Torment in ARPG's like Diablo, either.

If we talking ARPG's and actual stories in them - Divine Divinity is probably one of the better ones in the ARPG club. Though, the voice-acting is all over the place (often ranging from horrible to good) - and pretty much my only (minor) complaint of that game.
In your honest opinion, in the ARPG genre (for isometric ARPG games like Diablo, Sacred, Dungeon Siege, Divine Divinity, etc etc), what games do you think did the best story and best job w/ handling Lore & Characters?

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, October 06, 2012, 09:26:24 PM
I was bored to utter death by Diablo 3's lore and a lot of its characters. Some junk writing in there, and just... it's not like you can fault them for it being there. It was nice to have something, I guess, just most of it was so... meh. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

Though the minions and their stories, and the shopkeepers and such... that was a brilliant move that totally made up for it. It's just a shame the main narrative was so stupid. I really didn't have that much issue elsewhere. The game certainly doesn't have the longevity it should, but I wasn't planning to put much time into it anyway because I really just can't.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Saturday, October 06, 2012, 09:42:05 PM
The lore is nice, but the problem for me with the helpers' back-stories is that there weren't any actual side plots related to them that you could go through later in the game.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, October 07, 2012, 04:22:01 AM
D,

I'll be on Steam chat same time as last. We should play if you are up for it. Coop is fun with someone you know. :)

(D gives a lot of high fives :P)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Sunday, October 07, 2012, 04:47:19 AM
D,

I'll be on Steam chat same time as last. We should play if you are up for it. Coop is fun with someone you know. :)

(D gives a lot of high fives :P)
I might try to join you guys.. If at least to justify the $60 I paid for this game :P

Will you guys be on the US server?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, October 07, 2012, 06:54:29 AM
The lore is nice, but the problem for me with the helpers' back-stories is that there weren't any actual side plots related to them that you could go through later in the game.
Yeah, that would've been sweet - if the followers has their own side-quests you could take care of in the game.

D,

I'll be on Steam chat same time as last. We should play if you are up for it. Coop is fun with someone you know. :)

(D gives a lot of high fives :P)
That was around 2:30pm or so my time (Eastern Time Zone), right?
I should be here! :D

I might try to join you guys.. If at least to justify the $60 I paid for this game :P

Will you guys be on the US server?
That's what we did last time!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Sunday, October 07, 2012, 10:43:26 AM
K, post when you guys are playing. I'll join you if possible.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, October 07, 2012, 10:59:59 AM
K, post when you guys are playing. I'll join you if possible.

Sounds good to me! :D
Now, where's Pug and X? :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, October 07, 2012, 11:16:34 AM
I am here buddy. Give me a few minutes. Look me up on Steam. BTW, X, the US server has terrible ping for me, but playing with D has been fun and worth it. Playing with OW guys should.

Come on Skype and we can all audio chat while we play.

My Skype is Pugnate. Yuli, do add me to Skype. I am also on Steam chat.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, October 07, 2012, 11:54:24 AM
Alright! Time to rock! :D
Me and Pug are ready!

I'm MysterD#1173 on BNet!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Sunday, October 07, 2012, 02:15:12 PM
Btw, it was awesome. I really miss gaming OW style! haha
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Sunday, October 07, 2012, 02:27:48 PM
Haha, yeah that was fun.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, October 07, 2012, 02:31:18 PM
That was really awesome! D and I had started on lvl 1 a few days ago and had gotten to level 12 each. Tonight we started and were soon joined by X and then Yuli. X by some coincidence had a level 11 char rug. I am a crazy female witch doctor with my collector's edition wings and white skull mask and clothing look like death. D was the tank while Yuli just started a new char at level 1. A female monk.

Yes, D was the stud of our group.

It was funny because Yuli was 12 levels behind us but started catching up fast,, though we all died many times. It was a lot of fun. Haven't had this much fun in D3 before. I was unleashing my leaping frogs, X was firing his crossbows like a machine gun, Yuli was doing weird superfast kungfu moves, and D was just hacking and slashing. This was fun and hope to do it again soon. :)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, October 07, 2012, 03:08:04 PM
That was really awesome! D and I had started on lvl 1 a few days ago and had gotten to level 12 each. Tonight we started and were soon joined by X and then Yuli. X by some coincidence had a level 11 char rug. I am a crazy female witch doctor with my collector's edition wings and white skull mask and clothing look like death. D was the tank while Yuli just started a new char at level 1. A female monk.

Yes, D was the stud of our group.

It was funny because Yuli was 12 levels behind us but started catching up fast,, though we all died many times. It was a lot of fun. Haven't had this much fun in D3 before. I was unleashing my leaping frogs, X was firing his crossbows like a machine gun, Yuli was doing weird superfast kungfu moves, and D was just hacking and slashing. This was fun and hope to do it again soon. :)
Oh, and when I had blunt weapons - I was smashing and bashing, too!
Man, this was fun as Hell (pun intended) getting an OWNet Super Group together for D3. :)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 12:59:06 PM
You guys need to play more! I've already levelled my crazy Monk to 24. :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 01:34:24 PM
Aww that's my multiplayer for OW. I have three others that are in their 30s on the EU server. :)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 04:03:58 PM
I created my Monk for OW as well. :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: shock on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 07:03:25 PM
I'm going to put download the client again on my laptop and see if it runs.  I haven't played in months.  If I remember right, I have tons of level 40-60 characters.

More to come.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Thursday, October 11, 2012, 02:01:47 AM
D, the weekend comes! :D
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Thursday, October 11, 2012, 10:09:42 AM
I'll probably be level 40 by then. :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Thursday, October 11, 2012, 10:35:51 AM
YOU CAN START A NEW CHAR! :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Thursday, October 11, 2012, 10:44:50 AM
Oh running around with nothing on was fun. :P
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Thursday, October 11, 2012, 12:41:48 PM
hahahaha... I like how three of us were just chicks for no reason.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, November 07, 2012, 04:39:54 PM
IGN -> D3 Expansion confirmed. (http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/07/diablo-iii-expansion-confirmed-by-blizzard)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Wednesday, November 07, 2012, 04:57:00 PM
Not interested unless they add a ton more content and make it darker.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Thursday, December 27, 2012, 03:54:44 PM
Kotaku -> D3's planned upcoming Team Deathmatch PvP Mode = CANCELLED. (http://kotaku.com/5971547/blizzard-axes-diablo-iiis-team-deathmatch-pvp-mode)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Thursday, January 17, 2013, 04:55:13 PM
Battle.net -> Jay Wilson (Game Director of D3) leaves D3 to go work on some other upcoming Blizzard project. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/7592242994#1)

EDITS:
March 25, 2013 -> Destructoid -- Console versions of D3 will NOT have RMAH nor Always Online DRM. (http://www.destructoid.com/diablo-iii-on-consoles-won-t-have-auction-house-or-drm-249402.phtml)
March 29, 2013 -> PC Gamer -- Jay Wilson (former D3 lead designer) admits RMAH "really hurt the game." (http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/03/29/diablo-3-auction-house-jay-wilson/)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, August 21, 2013, 02:57:41 PM
Kotaku -> Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion pack announced. (http://kotaku.com/diablo-iii-gets-its-first-expansion-pack-1176592023?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Facebook&utm_source=Kotaku_Facebook&utm_medium=Socialflow)

Quote
Reaper of Souls is the first expansion for Diablo III. Blizzard revealed a whole new act, a new hero called The Crusader and the act boss: Malthael.P

What has been revealed so far, behind closed doors [Updated]:P

The expansion is called Reaper of Souls.

The new, playable, mid-range melee class is The Crusader. Focuses on flails, shields and it is inspired by Diablo II's Paladin. Uses "Wrath" as a resource.

The level cap is increased to 70. This means new runes and skills for every class. And hopefully a fresh economy on the AH.

Act V (probably Westmarch) will be dark, filled with graveyards.

The final boss will be Malthael, the angel of death.

New monsters will include some nasty fallen angels like The Seraph, The Summoner of Death, The Executioner or the Death Maiden.

New endgame feature - Loot Runs: These runs will be completely random dungeons, with several levels and a random boss at the end. Clearing them would take 15-20 minutes.

A new ally, The Mystic will appear in town. He's capable of rerolling one of the stats on rare and legendary items. Similar to World of Warcraft, he can also transmogrify (change the look of) items.

The Paragon level system will be now account wide, and no longer has a cap (you heard it right).
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, August 21, 2013, 10:12:35 PM
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Thursday, August 22, 2013, 01:33:14 PM
If nothing else, it's a very big chance to try to fix a bunch of the broken shit.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, August 23, 2013, 04:40:06 AM
I am really excited for this. :)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Friday, August 23, 2013, 05:23:27 AM
If nothing else, it's a very big chance to try to fix a bunch of the broken shit.

That's how I view it.  I'll buy it, if anything, in hopes that it will make my initial $100 investment worth it.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Friday, August 23, 2013, 05:58:49 AM
If I see that they took the game in what I think is the right direction then I'll probably get it as well.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cobra951 on Tuesday, September 03, 2013, 07:08:42 AM
It seems that this is now out for consoles, and according at least to Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-08-29-diablo-3-console-review), the port is very nicely done, more of a UI redesign, really.  No always-online crap, so now I'm interested.  No auction house either, with revamped loot drops.  Less amount, much less crap, more class-useful items (again, according to Eurogamer).  I'll be looking seriously at grabbing this sometime.  I want to read up more on it first.  I've ignored it completely up to now.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, September 03, 2013, 10:21:06 AM
Ok.. So now I ask, where is the PC upgrade that includes all those wonderful fixes?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: idolminds on Tuesday, September 03, 2013, 11:07:03 AM
PC will get a 2.0 rebalance patch (http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/08/29/diablo-3-to-get-free-update-alongside-reaper-of-souls-expansion/)

Quote
Much like World of Warcraft expansions, Reaper of Souls will be pre-empted by a huge “2.0″ patch that will overhaul Diablo III in preparation for new items, abilities and areas.

Lead content designer Kevin Martens ran us through the free features of patch 2.0. “You’re going to get all the loot, you’re going to get all the new item types, you’re going to get all the new legendary affixes, you’re going to get our new gem type – which is the diamond – and you’re going to get all the changes to the rules, the smart drop system, the targeted drop system, probably you’ll get loot runs – we haven’t figured that one out yet – probably you’ll get paragon, etc, etc.”
So it won't be everything and the always online thing wont be going away. Sad face.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: PyroMenace on Tuesday, September 03, 2013, 12:13:38 PM
Can someone explain to me how the loot system is broken and how it worked in Diablo 2? And also what does the smart drop and the targeted drop systems do?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: idolminds on Tuesday, September 03, 2013, 12:38:09 PM
Quote
Blizzard are rebalancing loot drops in a big way to try and make more drops relevant to your character. There will be fewer common (white) drops, and they can be melted down into a new crafting reagent to stop them being completely useless past level 10. Rare drops will be reduced but there’s a high chance of a “smart drop.” These items will feature stats tuned to your character. More legendary items will drop, and they’ll come with new interesting new effects. Blizzard’s examples included a weapon that spawned an instant treasure goblin when equipped, and a staff that adds a chance to spawn hydras from dead bodies.
It seems like smart drops and targeted drops are more or less the same thing. You will have a higher chance of getting loot that your character can actually use.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Tuesday, September 03, 2013, 01:11:34 PM
Can someone explain to me how the loot system is broken and how it worked in Diablo 2? And also what does the smart drop and the targeted drop systems do?

In Diablo 2, anything and everything had a chance to drop.  it was all based on magic find percentages and character level.  Gold equipment is what you strove for.  Those were always the best available equipment (well, until runewords became a thing...then it was debatable).  Now you have some purples and yellows with better stats than the "rare" gold equipment.  I understand what blizz was trying to accomplish.  They wanted more variety in equipment builds.  But in doing this they've effectively rendered gold equipment pointless.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Tuesday, September 03, 2013, 03:17:09 PM
Eurogamer -> Face-Off on the 3 versions of Diablo 3 - X360 vs. PS3 vs. PC. (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-diablo-3-face-off?utm_source=eurogamer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=net-daily)

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cobra951 on Tuesday, September 03, 2013, 06:58:15 PM
Not surprisingly, the PC port works better on the PC-like 360.  Good thing Sony learned their lesson about weirdo system architectures.  Next gen, hopefully both systems will get a lot of love from PC-centric devs.

Thanks for that link, D.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Thursday, September 05, 2013, 07:37:52 AM
In Diablo 2, anything and everything had a chance to drop.  it was all based on magic find percentages and character level.  Gold equipment is what you strove for.  Those were always the best available equipment (well, until runewords became a thing...then it was debatable).  Now you have some purples and yellows with better stats than the "rare" gold equipment.  I understand what blizz was trying to accomplish.  They wanted more variety in equipment builds.  But in doing this they've effectively rendered gold equipment pointless.


The loot just becomes pointless since all you are looking for are increases in your primary character stat. What it is (blue, gold, rare) doesn't matter anymore because the secondary bonuses don't impact your character as much. It's the same with the gem system, you either put in your primary stat or health. Boring.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Thursday, September 05, 2013, 08:36:40 AM
Also, while I think I like the fact you can respec your character at any time, it sort of removes the long-term impacts of builds.

Like I'd almost feel better about it if you had to pay some exorbitant gold fee to be able to respec your character.  That's probably a silly thing to say.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Thursday, September 05, 2013, 09:00:59 AM
I think if the loot had more impact (and the characters weren't so dependant on the primary stat and the weapon(s)) it would've made the characters more unique, more "you". Then respecing would've balanced things out pretty well by letting you try new things without too big of a penalty or having to create a completely new character in the first place.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: idolminds on Tuesday, September 17, 2013, 11:20:44 AM
If you want to sell your loot, make it fast. (http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/10974978/)

Quote
When we initially designed and implemented the auction houses, the driving goal was to provide a convenient and secure system for trades. But as we've mentioned on different occasions, it became increasingly clear that despite the benefits of the AH system and the fact that many players around the world use it, it ultimately undermines Diablo's core game play: kill monsters to get cool loot. With that in mind, we want to let everyone know that we've decided to remove the gold and real-money auction house system from Diablo III.

We feel that this move along with the Loot 2.0 system being developed concurrently with Reaper of Souls™ will result in a much more rewarding game experience for our players.

We're working out the details of how the auction house system will be shut down, but we wanted to share the news as soon as we made the decision in order to give everyone as much advance notice as possible. Please note that the shutdown will occur on March 18, 2014. We will keep everyone informed as we work through this process.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Tuesday, September 17, 2013, 11:24:25 AM
Ok, so they're argument for why the PC version absolutely needs to be online at all times is now undeniably moot.. So, when are we getting our offline mode??
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cobra951 on Tuesday, September 17, 2013, 11:56:31 AM
I imagine when sales taper off to a trickle.

Idol beat me to the AH story.  I'm guessing the looting design of the console game is something Blizzard wants to do across the board now.  It would makes sense that it isn't really a design specifically for consoles, but rather a redesign that debuted first on consoles.  They're trying to make looting fun and addicting again, and auction houses just have no place in that.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, September 18, 2013, 02:55:40 PM
So, when are we getting our offline mode??
I imagine when sales taper off to a trickle.
That'd be great - I do so hope so.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: scottws on Thursday, September 19, 2013, 04:56:29 AM
I don't understand.  Didn't this game come out a year ago?  Why am I suddenly seeing tons of advertisement for this game on consoles the last month or so?
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cobra951 on Thursday, September 19, 2013, 08:09:26 AM
Because it just released on consoles in the last month or so (more like 2 weeks).  It also takes some welcome departures from the PC version--a better loot system, no auction house, and no always-online bullshit.  So after ignoring it for a year because of the unacceptable bullshit, I'm now playing it on a console.  Feels just like a Diablo game too.  Simplified, but not dumbed down.  They did a great job on the user interface for controllers.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: W7RE on Friday, September 20, 2013, 10:09:38 AM
I only played Diablo 3 for a week or two on PC. I tried the Xbox 360 demo and really want it now. The console version fixes my main 2 gripes about the game: direct character control, and no AH or RMAH (and better loot as a result)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cobra951 on Friday, September 20, 2013, 03:59:33 PM
The game is very good on the console.  I can't compare to the PC version, since I haven't played it.  But I did play Diablo 2 on PC for a long time.  3 definitely has that same feel, except (as you said) with direct character control.  I played through Normal with the barbarian, just to get used to the mechanics with a known straightforward class.  It was fun, but demon hunter is even better.  His ranged attacks quickly develop into urban warfare and his evasion skills let me dart all over the screen.  He takes a lot more damage, but he can escape it a lot better too.  Won't be falling asleep with him.  The barbarian is such a tank that he can get boring by comparison.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Saturday, September 21, 2013, 03:38:06 PM
So I haven't been following the expansion at all. How are they changing the loot? I guess in the past you could just buy the best equipment on the AH and call it a day, but it's not like anyone forced you.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: W7RE on Saturday, September 21, 2013, 04:41:46 PM
So I haven't been following the expansion at all. How are they changing the loot? I guess in the past you could just buy the best equipment on the AH and call it a day, but it's not like anyone forced you.

They're removing the regular Auction House and the Real Money Auction House. They're revamping the loot system to drop less items overall, but better quality on average. (a trickle of decent to good loot instead of a flood of crappy items not even worth picking up to sell) This is all coming to PC in March 2014. (I think that's the date) The console versions already have all of this in place.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Saturday, September 21, 2013, 09:22:13 PM
All great changes but the PC version will still lack an offline mode, gamepad support, and one-screen multiplayer.

Removing the Auction Houses is a big move for Blizzard, they wouldn't have come to it on a whim, especially since they were pushing so hard for it early on. I'm almost certain there's a lot more to it than "it ultimately undermines Diablo's core game play: kill monsters to get cool loot." Nonetheless, it's a step in a good direction for me.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Monday, September 23, 2013, 07:14:24 AM
Well, I finally got through Hell difficulty with my monk.  I leveled him to 60, so I've started Inferno difficulty.  This is the first max-leveled character I've had, so I'm just now beginning to experience the whole "Paragon levels" and the rare mob magic find boost.  The boost stacks 5 times.  So it's a nice incentive to keep playing.  In theory, that is.  With a 5 stack rare mobs and bosses shit yellows out of every orifice.  And it's always gear for other classes, at least it has been that way in my experience.  I've obtained one legendary so far, and humorously enough it's something I already bought from the AH for my follower.

The overall difficulty has been lessened.  When the game came out you hit brick walls which basically pushed you toward the AH.  Now I have not felt the need to really hit the AH to up my gear (although that hasn't stopped me).  In that regard, I don't think the AH is as needed as it was upon release.  I think their goal of reducing the amount, but providing better loot will take the game in the right direction.  It still isn't there, yet.  One thing that made D2 tolerable with loot runs is the fact that boss runs were pretty easily accessible.  That's not so much the case in 3.

I was really down on the game after my first bout with it.  But it looks like some of the improvements they've made since I stopped playing have made the game better. 
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, March 03, 2014, 06:20:51 PM
I put my robe and wizard hat on ...

(http://bookruptcy.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/quessa.jpg)

Figured I may as well resurrect this thread and start talking about the game in here rather than the retro thread. I definitely like the new system better. Stuff since the patch has been really smooth, and I enjoy the varying challenges. You get to feel powerful with most mobs, but then the elite dudes remain a challenge, and some of them just get ridiculous. I'm playing on Torment II right now, which feels about right. Torment III was just a little too much.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, March 19, 2014, 02:00:32 PM
So I get to review Reaper of Souls. Hurrah. Can't wait. I am glad they are introducing a Paladin like class. The game was really missing that.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Wednesday, March 19, 2014, 07:58:25 PM
Heather and I are still playing. She's got a 60 DH and 60 wiz, I've got a 60 monk, wiz, and barb, with a low-level DH and a mid-level WD. Started a hardcore wiz as well, since I've never played a hardcore character (not even in D2). Still having fun with all the new changes and additions (I didn't realize at first, but the patch actually added new rooms/areas to some of the existing random dungeon content), but really looking forward to all the stuff that's coming in the expansion. It's really looking great.

About to do the infernal machine for the first time.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, March 19, 2014, 11:42:48 PM
Yeah I stopped a few months ago after hitting 60 on three classes.

My native server is the EU, but I can still play on the NA server with everyone.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, March 21, 2014, 12:02:38 PM
Umm... shocked there are hardly any people playing the game. Actually, there seems to be something wrong with the Battlenet code as there are 1000s of people in the chat room looking for people but when I look on the public server, there are only 7 people... for the entire ACT!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Friday, March 21, 2014, 06:49:37 PM
I've heard that the vast majority of the player base is in private games. I would never even consider looking for a pug. I'll play solo or with friends, that's about it. Almost everyone else I've talked to operates the same way. That does seem like something is goofy, though. But honestly, I've never once even looked at the server screen for other games, so I suppose I can't say I really have any idea.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Friday, March 21, 2014, 10:57:26 PM
It bothers me because when the game launched there was no shortage of players looking to just start a game. Even six months ago.

I am wondering if it is because they've divided the game into 4 difficulties, plus they've included higher level caps and it has split the community. I mean there are thousands of people online, but they are now in different subgroups. Before, it was just one difficulty level, so you had tons of people always ready for a game on normal. But even if you divide that by four, it still doesn't explain why I Blizzard couldn't match me with three other randoms within seconds like it used to.

BTW, I was completely mistaking about my chars. They are at level 30ish not 60ish. That's OK. For now they've started this bonus where anyone playing gets double experience. I am considering grinding up some chars.

Anyone on EU servers wants to play? I can also join on US servers but timezones is an issue, plus I am so busy now with writing assignments.

 
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Saturday, March 22, 2014, 02:20:11 AM
It bothers me because when the game launched there was no shortage of players looking to just start a game. Even six months ago.

I am wondering if it is because they've divided the game into 4 difficulties, plus they've included higher level caps and it has split the community. I mean there are thousands of people online, but they are now in different subgroups. Before, it was just one difficulty level, so you had tons of people always ready for a game on normal. But even if you divide that by four, it still doesn't explain why I Blizzard couldn't match me with three other randoms within seconds like it used to.

BTW, I was completely mistaking about my chars. They are at level 30ish not 60ish. That's OK. For now they've started this bonus where anyone playing gets double experience. I am considering grinding up some chars.

Anyone on EU servers wants to play? I can also join on US servers but timezones is an issue, plus I am so busy now with writing assignments.

 
I'd like to play, if just to make the game worth it.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Xessive on Saturday, March 22, 2014, 06:36:52 AM
I very nearly purchased Reaper of Souls. I ran into two scenarios:

1. I could buy it from Blizzard directly for 40 Euros ($55 USD) or the CE for 60 Euros ($83 USD), so I'd be getting ripped off by about $15-$23.
2. I could buy a physical copy from Amazon for $48 ($40 + $8 in tax and shipping) but the game will be shipped on release date, meaning I'll get in approximately 9-10 days after that.

The problem with the first option is obvious; Blizzard have no concept of fair pricing.

The problem with the second option is that Blizzard put a deadline for key redemption. Basically, if you don't redeem your key by 31 MAR 2014 you only get the standard edition, even if you pre-ordered. Not that I care about it and I see no value in pre-ordering, but the fact that Blizzard would treat their own customers that way just rubbed me the wrong way. Now I have no desire or intention of buying Reaper of Souls at all.

I'm not saying "Blizzard is evil" or anything as asinine, I simply don't agree with their ideology or their methods. I will vote with my wallet and not buy any Blizzard products. I will advise others to avoid Blizzard products as well.

Fuck Blizzard.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Saturday, March 22, 2014, 12:22:39 PM
It's pretty much standard for the industry, not just Blizzard, though I agree that such pricing models suck. I don't understand why that problem hasn't been swept away already across the board, but such regional bullshit seems to remain prevalent. How do people not understand currency conversion rates? This baffles me.

Also, the only thing you get for predordering is the worthless cosmetic wings which I believe they only provided to keep a vocal minority from bitching about something or other. So you're really not missing anything at all.

As for the difficulties ... Pug, there were originally 4 difficulties. Normal, Nightmare, Hell, and Inferno, and getting from one to the other required a complete play through the campaign. Thus you had to play the campaign 3 times to get to Inferno with any character, where the real endgame actually began. This was changed to 5 difficulties, Normal, Hard, Expert, Master, and Torment (Torment having 6 variants ... I guess the naming convention was just an expedient), but now you can play all of them any time you want, except for Torment, which unlocks at level 60 (though you only have to unlock it with a single character). I have no idea how this changes public games as, again, I don't play them or have any desire to. It's a much better system overall as far as actual gameplay is concerned. I routinely bump my characters to Expert by level 17-ish, and Master usually by 25 (though this is much tougher now with the big experience bonus, as you level much faster—thus the enemies do too—than you can reliably upgrade all your gear, though crafting helps mitigate that a lot, which is nice if you've got a bunch of stuff stockpiled like I do), so the drop quality and rewards scale up nicely, and the game is more fun to play when it's tough. Hardcore is a blast now because there are a lot more genuinely terrifying situations to get into.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Sunday, March 23, 2014, 07:59:37 AM
I've put a small amount of time into this game in the last few days.  Last night I had two legendary items drop in a span of 3 minutes.  Is this typical now or did I just get incredibly lucky?

I was playing on expert.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Sunday, March 23, 2014, 01:08:46 PM
I think you may have been a little lucky.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Sunday, March 23, 2014, 04:31:27 PM
Lucky. But the droprates are defnitely better. I've several times gotten 2 or even 3 legendaries during a long day of play when I decided to say fuck work and just sit on my ass. Actually, I feel like I've been getting better drops in general the last couple nights, and I wonder if they didn't increase them a bit to compensate for how you and the enemies outlevel the gear pretty quick with this free xp weekend. I found a ton of good shit today even in just a few hours (only 1 legendary, which I couldn't use, but like 3 or 4 quite nice rares).
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, 04:26:00 PM
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (Expansion) - REVIEWS

METACRITIC:
PC (http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/diablo-iii-reaper-of-souls/critic-reviews).

Scored out of 10:
GameInformer -> 9.25 (http://www.gameinformer.com/games/diablo_iii_reaper_of_souls/b/pc/archive/2014/03/26/reaper-of-souls-review.aspx)
Strategy Informer -> 9.0 (http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/diabloiiireaperofsouls/2314/review.html)
Destructoid -> 9 (http://www.destructoid.com/review-diablo-iii-reaper-of-souls-272063.phtml)
MMORPG -> 8.5 (http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/644/view/reviews/load/315/Diablo-3-Reaper-of-Souls-Finally-the-Game-D3-Was-Meant-to-Be.html)
Machinima - Inside Gaming Daily -> 8 (http://www.insidegamingdaily.com/2014/03/25/diablo-iii-reaper-of-souls-review/)

Scored out of 100:
GamingTrend -> 90 (http://gamingtrend.com/reviews/diablo-iii-reaper-of-souls-dungeons-demons-and-loot-done-right/)

Scored out of 5:
GamesRadar -> 4 stars. (http://www.gamesradar.com/diablo-3-reaper-of-souls-review/)
Cheat Code Central -> 3.6 (http://cheatcc.com/pc/rev/diablo3reaperofsoulsreview.html)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: idolminds on Saturday, March 29, 2014, 09:24:16 PM
So I got my patched up files today (Thanks Pyro!) and gave it a whirl. Did some solo play up to the Skeleton King, then Que joined me and we played for a while, just past the sunken temple? Drowned temple? Something like that.

Playing Witch Doctor because...well, I don't think I can play much else. The zombie dogs I spawn end up doing a majority of the work for me, along with my other tagalongs. In a fun bit of internets, the chat is decoupled from the game and is not lagged out in the same way as the game itself can be. So Que and I would get into a huge fight, and after a minute or two Que would tell me everything was dead. But on my screen the boss still has 80% of its health and a pile of minions to go. Basically thats when I stop clicking and just watch the rest of the fight play out for another minute and a half, then my connection stabilizes and we move on to the next fight.

I think I should get an achievement for this.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Sunday, March 30, 2014, 06:17:32 AM
Idol plays the true Diablo hardcore: when you're stuck back in time from the rest of the gameworld.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: idolminds on Sunday, March 30, 2014, 11:46:25 PM
I wish I knew exactly what helped me, but tonights play was better. I decided I wanted to try another class, just to see the differences, so I picked a wizard. I was worried that when I get into the heat of battle that I would lag so much and die quickly without something like my server side zombie dogs that the witch doctor gets.

I don't know what thing made the difference, but I went through those same areas as last night and I just tore through it with only slight lag in a few fights. I was playing solo, but I wouldn't think another player would take much additional bandwidth above regular enemies. Do more enemies spawn in co-op instead of just getting stronger? I'm kind of thinking that the wizard powers were just good at wrecking shit so fast that the fodder enemies were getting killed before I could really lag too badly.

Gonna run with this character for a while and see how it goes. See if it lags again when in co-op...which would suck if that was the culprit. At least it was a bit easier going so hopefully I can make it further into the game. Was getting worried I wouldn't get very far if that lag was going to be common.

I had a couple legendaries drop which has been pretty nice. I'm only level 14 so I'll probably outgrow them fairly quickly but the added damage has been nice.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Monday, March 31, 2014, 11:04:05 AM
Witch was my first char as well and compared to the other ones I've played since it did feel weaker at the start. After about level 40 it gets really nice. New char I started is a Barb just because I got tired of ranged characters.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, March 31, 2014, 01:54:34 PM
Took me a long time to get my barb where I wanted him, but he's finally in a good spot. Kind of an odd class, there are so many strange ways to build them, and without some good complementary gear it can be a bit of a pain. Wiz is pretty great. My 70 girl melts everything in sight, much more so than I feel like she should, almost. I'm not one of those incredible players who micromanages every last detail, yet this build with the gear I have has just worked out incredibly.

EDIT -


Some video. Nothing too impressive, basically just wanted to convince Sy to get the expansion and show idol what he'd be up against lag-wise in endgame. But that's my main. I'm pretty proud of her for being an average player.

EDIT x2 -


Worth watching! Though it does preview a bunch of the environments from Act V, so watch at your own risk if you're one of those people ridiculous about every kind of "spoiler". But it's just a video of neat flyovers of various places from angles you can't see in-game, nothing story related.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Monday, April 07, 2014, 05:13:19 AM
Spent a ton of time with the game over the weekend and believe I can finally agree with the thread title.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Sunday, August 24, 2014, 05:02:54 PM
Best Buy this week has PC versions of Diablo III base-game + Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion-pack are each $19.99 a piece.

I bought my copy of RoS.
See y'all on Battle.Net. ;)
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: idolminds on Sunday, August 24, 2014, 05:24:19 PM
It has been tempting me.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: W7RE on Monday, August 25, 2014, 04:08:52 AM
I signed up for a free month of Gamefly and rented D3 for console so I could buy the old pre-order bonuses for the 360 version. I was going to just make a character, buy the DLC thing, then export my save. I ended up playing for 80 hours during the 2 weeks I had it. I've been playing the new version pretty much non stop since it came out. I'm loving the gamepad controls, and the various little tweaks and additions to the console version are awesome.

They announced they're going to support the PS4 and Xbox One versions with the same patches that the PC is getting. No ladders though, since game saves are stored locally and are less secure. It would be nice if there's no delay between PC and console patches, but I'm not holding my breath for that. Some of the stuff in patch 2.1 looks fun.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cobra951 on Monday, August 25, 2014, 06:08:51 AM
Yeah, the console port became the best version of the game (direct control of your character, no online DRM, good loot drops often keyed to your class, no real-money auction house) back when I got it for the 360.  Then most of the improvements were retrofitted to the PC version.  And now the new gen of consoles is getting it.  Everyone wins.  I was super-addicted to it until other stuff pulled me away.  I've been meaning to get back to it.  So much backlog.  I love it.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: W7RE on Monday, August 25, 2014, 12:38:33 PM
Patch 2.1 releases tomorrow on PC:
http://www.diablofans.com/news/48184-2-1-releases-tomorrow-patch-2-1-roundup
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Monday, August 25, 2014, 02:36:38 PM
Yeah, the console port became the best version of the game (direct control of your character, no online DRM, good loot drops often keyed to your class, no real-money auction house) back when I got it for the 360.  Then most of the improvements were retrofitted to the PC version.  And now the new gen of consoles is getting it.  Everyone wins.  I was super-addicted to it until other stuff pulled me away.  I've been meaning to get back to it.  So much backlog.  I love it.

PC version still has the always-online DRM though. :(
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cobra951 on Tuesday, August 26, 2014, 04:36:29 AM
PC version still has the always-online DRM though. :(

Yessir--worse even.  You don't get the entire game; some of it remains on their servers, and even your save files belong to them too, not to you.  I will never buy the PC version because of that.  Fortunately, they gave me an acceptable way to experience the game.  It's awesome in its current console form.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: W7RE on Tuesday, August 26, 2014, 07:43:06 PM
I almost got to that healing well...




edit: After the fact, I realized that the yellow named enemy that kills me is named Xiar Fleshfeast. I thought it might have copied the name from my character, but apparently that's just his name.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 07:53:04 AM
A couple of us on here (Pyro and myself mainly) have gotten back into the game.  I was probably the most vocal critic of D3 upon release, and rightfully so.  Blizz had the better part of a decade and managed to deliver a turd.  The vanilla game was disappointing, underwhelming, and at times frustrating.  The auction house was good in theory but terrible in implementation, legendary weapons weren't worth the time and effort to find, and randomly generated content was nowhere to be seen.  

I have spent a bunch of time with it here in the past few weeks.  And if you totally rip nostalgia out of it, Diablo 3 is finally a better game than Diablo 2.  They have managed to fix the game for the most part.  And the funny part is that they basically fixed it by segregating the improvements/additions from the base game/story line.  You no longer have to involve yourself with that Saturday morning cartoon plot.  Once you play through once you never look back.

Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 08:07:51 AM
Yep. I should get back on and play with you guys, except that Dark Souls is sort of the only thing I want to play right now. Let me know when you guys are gonna play, though, and I'll try to get on one of these days soon. Might even be able to convince Heather to come along.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Cools! on Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 10:39:48 AM
Maybe one day I'll buy the expansion, for now I have so many other things I need to play. Have fun guys!
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: PyroMenace on Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 06:28:20 PM
Actually right now D3 and Reaper of Souls are on sale $20 each.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: iPPi on Saturday, October 04, 2014, 06:07:13 PM
Actually right now D3 and Reaper of Souls are on sale $20 each.

I saw that.  I can't decide if I want to grab them or not though.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: PyroMenace on Monday, March 02, 2015, 05:53:06 PM
So seasons have been pretty fucking bad right now. As in there's really no point to playing them. Not only did Blizzard take their sweet time ending and starting the next season which equated to nearly no new content, people just find exploits within the first day of the season starting and get to nearly a thousand paragon levels in no time. Making the entire competitive aspect of it pointless and completely broken. If you're thinking about going back in, just be aware of that.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, March 02, 2015, 07:57:32 PM
Well that sucks. I hadn't really been all that interested, but I was kinda wondering what was going on with it. At some point I wouldn't mind playing again.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: W7RE on Tuesday, March 03, 2015, 02:19:33 AM
I'm really liking the setup on console, if only they would update more often (though they really haven't been too bad about it). I think the latest update consoles have is the one that added ancient legendaries. We don't get seasons, but we get the new items and changes that come with them. I never have to start my character over and I get new stuff to go after and play around with when the seasonal stuff comes out. I'm still playing it a couple times a week, even if it's just to run 1 or 2 rifts/greater rifts.

Of course, you can dupe and cheat, but I only play with friends, and they only play with friends, and none of us do that stuff.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: K-man on Thursday, January 05, 2017, 06:44:44 AM
Currently Blizzard is celebrating Diablo's 20th anniversary.  Every game gets a little something, but Diablo 3's additions for the celebration went live last night.  It's essentially a condensed recreation of the original game.  The portal to it is in the Old Ruins part of Act I, just south of the waypoint.  It takes you to Tristram, where you can enter the 16 level labyrinth.  A graphical filter is used to simulate the graphics of old, and the old sound effects return.  And there's a few side quests to do as well.  A lot of Diablo's gear makes a return as well.  It's not exactly like the first game, as it uses the D3 tile sets.  But if you were a fan of the original game you won't be able to help but reminisce.

I went through the instance twice last night.  The most unexpected thing was the long conversation I had with other people in general chat about the first game.  It was kind of cool seeing people who obviously hadn't played the first game experience some of that stuff for the first time.  Probably the first legitimate decent conversation I've ever had in general chat in D3.

I'd love to see a similar treatment with Diablo 2 in 2020.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: W7RE on Thursday, January 05, 2017, 11:49:13 PM
The music is the biggest source of nostalgia for me. The tilesets taken from D3 don't looks quite like the D1 counterparts, but the music really sells it. I ran through the whole dungeon solo with a fresh character (there's a pet reward for doing it this way), and by the end I was wearing some Godly Plate of the Whale. I also noticed a few other familiar sounding item names.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: MysterD on Friday, January 06, 2017, 04:57:00 AM
If people are looking for D3 + RoS....

On Battle.Net Store - https://us.battle.net/shop/en/product/game/diablo
D3 base-game for PC (download) = $9.99
D3: RoS for PC (download) = $9.99
D3: Battle Chest (with D3 base + RoS) for PC (download) = $19.99

GameStop has - http://www.gamestop.com/browse?nav=16k-3-diablo+3,28zu0
D3: Battle Chest for PC (retail box) = $19.99
D3: Ultimate Evil Edition for X1 or PS4 (retail box) = $19.99
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Monday, January 09, 2017, 04:03:32 AM
So basically I can't play Darkening of Tristram unless I've completed Reaper of Souls? Weak. I can't find the portal. And all my characters on the US server are new.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

edit:

Checked and yes,  I don't have access to Adventure Mode. Super weak.

edit:

Well, I can find it in Season 9 I think. They've made a lot of change to Diablo 3. This Season stuff is new.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Quemaqua on Monday, January 09, 2017, 10:18:45 AM
You have to beat the story stuff normally, yeah, and it remains as dumb as anything, especially since the story isn't worth shit (though in your case, RoS is actually pretty good, so don't fret it too much). Season characters don't need to do that, thankfully, but I don't know why they haven't fixed the idiotic restrictions. Nobody likes your stupid story, Blizzard, stop forcing us to interact with it. Even worse on console. I had the PS4 version so Heather and I could play on the couch together, and we had to take 2 characters all the way through the whole damned thing just to get to the end so we could play adventure mode. It wasn't fun in the least, in large part because on console, it doesn't let you freely select difficulty past a certain point until you beat it, and the game offered us absolutely no challenge through its entirety. Basically could just stand there and mash X. I focused every single piece of my gear on damage output to make it go faster, at the total expense of personal safety, and still never died.
Title: Re: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!
Post by: Pugnate on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, 05:18:44 AM
So I just finished it. I had a blast, to be honest. Too bad I can't keep the loot.

Anyway, Diablo 3 is a beautiful looking game, but this little campaign reminded me of everything that's wrong with Diablo 3. The aesthetics are just too toony and colorful. It's just too big a departure from Diablo 1 & 2. Let's hope they have learned their lesson for Diablo 4.

As for DoT, I only wish it was longer.

I look forward to starting D3 from the beginning and working through the campaign. But the moment I restarted (just to have a tiny taste) I was just struck by how unDaiblo like the art direction is.

edit:

The music... oh the music.