Topic: Diablo 3 is here and ITS AWESOME!

[Pugnate]

awesome!

[shock]

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.

[W7RE]

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.

[sirean_syan]

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.

[Pugnate]

Played 3 hours of Diablo 3 with MysterD.

That was awesome. Great fun with the D man.

[Cools!]

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.

[MysterD]

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!

[Pugnate]

Pity we couldn't get to Act 2. I felt sleepy.

But yea soon for sure.

[Pugnate]

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.

[MysterD]

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.

[Quemaqua]

The problem is that all of the backstory and lore are crap and not worth listening to.

[MysterD]

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?

[Quemaqua]

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.

[Cools!]

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.

[Pugnate]

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 )

[Xessive]

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 )

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

Will you guys be on the US server?

[MysterD]

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 )

That was around 2:30pm or so my time (Eastern Time Zone), right?
I should be here!

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

Will you guys be on the US server?

That's what we did last time!

[Cools!]

K, post when you guys are playing. I'll join you if possible.

[MysterD]

K, post when you guys are playing. I'll join you if possible.

Sounds good to me!
Now, where's Pug and X?

[Pugnate]

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.

[MysterD]

Alright! Time to rock!
Me and Pug are ready!

I'm MysterD#1173 on BNet!

[Xessive]

Btw, it was awesome. I really miss gaming OW style! haha

[Cools!]

Haha, yeah that was fun.

[Pugnate]

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.

[MysterD]

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.

[Cools!]

You guys need to play more! I've already levelled my crazy Monk to 24.

[Pugnate]

Aww that's my multiplayer for OW. I have three others that are in their 30s on the EU server.

[Cools!]

I created my Monk for OW as well.

[shock]

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.

[Pugnate]

D, the weekend comes!

[Cools!]

I'll probably be level 40 by then.

[Pugnate]

YOU CAN START A NEW CHAR!

[Cools!]

Oh running around with nothing on was fun.

[Pugnate]

hahahaha... I like how three of us were just chicks for no reason.

[MysterD]

IGN -> D3 Expansion confirmed.

[Cools!]

Not interested unless they add a ton more content and make it darker.

[MysterD]

Kotaku -> D3's planned upcoming Team Deathmatch PvP Mode = CANCELLED.

[MysterD]

Battle.net -> Jay Wilson (Game Director of D3) leaves D3 to go work on some other upcoming Blizzard project.

EDITS:
March 25, 2013 -> Destructoid -- Console versions of D3 will NOT have RMAH nor Always Online DRM.
March 29, 2013 -> PC Gamer -- Jay Wilson (former D3 lead designer) admits RMAH "really hurt the game."

[MysterD]

Kotaku -> Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion pack announced.

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]

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).

[Pugnate]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH