There's no doubt in our minds that Diablo III is the game we're all waiting for. We often soothe our demon-killing needs with poorer substitutes like Sacred and Dungeon Siege, but we know that in our collective heart of hearts that Blizzard's masterpiece is the only series we'll return to in the end.
Two writers at the gaming blog Hellforge are coming up with a new series of articles revolving around The Great Wait forDiablo III andFinal Fantasy XIII with exactly that in mind.
The Final Fantasy articles are penned by a talented writer with numerous passions in her heart, whose first love as a young impressionable girl was none other than Final Fantasy VI, while the Diablo III articles are written by yours truly.
Within the articles, we seek to document our obsessive struggle in anticipation for our two favorite upcoming games, discussing the latest rumors (in true literary snark), our assessments of their validity plus practical ways of coping with the mounting build up.
It is by no means whatsoever a replacement to the pertinent and up-to-date news that you'll find right here at Diablofans.com. But if you've any interest whatsoever in finding out why I believe Diablo III will be a game worth waiting for, feel free to check out the feature.
"and a single failed expansion pack from Sierra Entertainment"
Oh, come on. Hellfire wasn't that bad was it? I realize though it is regarded as not exactly a successful release.
"Diablo's plot was delivered not in long, over-elaborate prose, but in brief, but well-written lines of dialogue delivered by the game's few characters"
And don't forget the books read that are supposedly narrated by Archbishop Lazarus.
Apart from the Run function, I found Hellfire to be a pretty bad expansion. The story didn't make much sense and the monsters were a bit too alien for my tastes. They omitted the events and the existence of the monk from D2, too. It's like it never happened.
Apart from the Run function, I found Hellfire to be a pretty bad expansion. The story didn't make much sense and the monsters were a bit too alien for my tastes. They omitted the events and the existence of the monk from D2, too. It's like it never happened.
Yeah, I think Hellfire was more unplanned and improperly thought up than it was bad. Personally, I think it gave me something to be interested in.
I very much enjoyed the read, and I've got to say I'm pretty pleased that I found Hellforge. I'd never heard of it, and it looks like a very nice site.
edit: wow, biased: "some of its developers would part ways with Blizzard Entertainment to form a company of their own that would later create several ill-fated titles before closing their doors, leaving the Diablo series safe at the hands of its owners at Blizzard."
I'm not sure i'm liking this, to be honest.
Blizzard owned/owns the right to the Diablo franchise; (even if it was condor games-(Blizzard North) that made the games). Because those who left Blizzard failed at their attempts to bring forth improvements to the Diablo franchise and bring forward action RPG gameplay(largely due to lack of funding), the Diablo franchise and basically a sequel to Diablo 2 is now left to Blizzard.
I don't find the bias alarming, because what he said is basically true, Blizzard owns the right to the Diablo franchise, and there have not been any games that can truly eclipse or even match the Diablo experience(in its genre).
If you know of any let us know; there have been many "diablo clones" that have tried to add to the features of D2 and bring the genre forward, but none of them have really been as addictive as Diablo 2 is/was.
I have played the titan quest demo, own sacred/sacred underworld, and though both were decent, (sacred was fun for a while); they do not create an experience which is extremely re-playable and which has been played and modded for years.
I do not think there is a very large modding community for TQ, Sacred, or any of the other "diablo clones" out there, but D2 has an extensive modding community with many mods released. This shows how much we like the gameplay and mechanics/random loot, etc. of D2.
I really should be doing something else...
I am not the most experienced gamer(am actually quite picky when it comes to what games I like) so I may be wrong (as always).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"This is the triumph of man:
Where there is truth, he must find.
Where there is destruction, he must rebuild.
Where there is love, he must protect."
World's Fair Exhibit
"God gave us memories, that in life's garden we may have June roses in December."
Blizzard owned/owns the right to the Diablo franchise; (even if it was condor games-(Blizzard North) that made the games). Because those who left Blizzard failed at their attempts to bring forth improvements to the Diablo franchise and bring forward action RPG gameplay(largely due to lack of funding), the Diablo franchise and basically a sequel to Diablo 2 is now left to Blizzard.
I don't find the bias alarming, because what he said is basically true, Blizzard owns the right to the Diablo franchise, and there have not been any games that can truly eclipse or even match the Diablo experience(in its genre).
None of this explains 'The first action-rpg', unless you are deeming it worthy, on a scale it would be the 'first', but that seems unethical.
Very bad article. Extremely biased, and that just shows Diablo fans from a really bad angle.
I don't take Diablo I seriously without Hellfire. It's too short and small without it. I don't see how it failed at all.
Stop calling Sacred a clone. It's not.
If a game is a Hack&Slash, it does not make it a clone (wow, this must be news for you).
Quote from "jwest88" »
I don't find the bias alarming, because what he said is basically true, Blizzard owns the right to the Diablo franchise, and there have not been any games that can truly eclipse or even match the Diablo experience(in its genre).
If you know of any let us know; there have been many "diablo clones" that have tried to add to the features of D2 and bring the genre forward, but none of them have really been as addictive as Diablo 2 is/was.
I know tons of people that enjoyed many of "Diablo clones" a lot more than Diablo. Stop assuming this junk simply because it's your opinion. I believe Nox is not a clone at all and is made much better than Diablo in every possible sense. I also believe Sacred 2 is not a clone, and, again, does many things much better than Diablo. It is starting to worry me, too, because I fear due to certain reasons I won't even find Diablo III enjoyable. And there's Alien Shooter which is pure Hack&Slash and is very enjoyable. There are a few others. Divine Divinity is one I didn't get my hands on yet.
Just because it's a DIablo fansite does not allow you to make such biased claims as "no game ever came close". That's very far from the truth, but you may need to open your eyes.
eh like said previously... hellfire just wasnt very well planned... monsters didnt always fit in the diablo theme and were a bit alien in this aspect...
This article is pretty thin, but it does get one thing right - the central role of David Brevik in creating the title.
However, there is one significant error: "several ill-fated titles before closing their doors"
Assuming this is a reference to Flagship, they released exactly ONE title before the doors were closed less than 9 months after shipping Hellgate. Mythos was never released. Of course, FSS never included more than a fifth of the Blizzard North people credited on "Diablo II" - something the article also fails to mention.
The fact that absolutely none of the people at Condor at the time still work at Blizzard is also worth mentioning, though the article neglects that one. Nor does it mention that the most important people at Irvine at the time helping to make the title happen - Adham, Wyatt, O'Brien - have long since left.
But at least it doesn't make four errors in the first three lines, like another overview of the Diablo series recently linked here.
Very bad article. Extremely biased, and that just shows Diablo fans from a really bad angle.
I don't take Diablo I seriously without Hellfire. It's too short and small without it. I don't see how it failed at all.
Stop calling Sacred a clone. It's not.
If a game is a Hack&Slash, it does not make it a clone (wow, this must be news for you).
I know tons of people that enjoyed many of "Diablo clones" a lot more than Diablo. Stop assuming this junk simply because it's your opinion. I believe Nox is not a clone at all and is made much better than Diablo in every possible sense. I also believe Sacred 2 is not a clone, and, again, does many things much better than Diablo. It is starting to worry me, too, because I fear due to certain reasons I won't even find Diablo III enjoyable. And there's Alien Shooter which is pure Hack&Slash and is very enjoyable. There are a few others. Divine Divinity is one I didn't get my hands on yet.
Just because it's a DIablo fansite does not allow you to make such biased claims as "no game ever came close". That's very far from the truth, but you may need to open your eyes.
Well, first of all ... the bashing by the OP of Flagship Studios was unwarrented. There was a lot of unfortunate circumstances that went against them - aka, the Hellgate fiasco. In their defense, Mythos was a brilliant game and I'm happy to have gotten to test it as long as I did. Now on to Equinox's post.
It depends on what exactly you're wanting from the game. Do you want a flat out single player RPG? Then those aforementioned "Diablo Clones" may be for you. But if you're trying to insinuate that any of those games have the online capabilities and gameplay that Diablo has, then you're making a laughable argument. Most people I know love Diablo because of how well the game translates and plays online. Titan Quest has complete garbage of online play to the point they may as well not even have it. Sacred doesn't do it much better.
And, this being a Diablo fan site DOES allow him to make such biased claims. That's why people are here. To say extreme love for Diablo and hate on other things, if they so choose. If that's their opinion, who are you to tell them that they're not allowed to express their views, however bias?
I'm also curious as to why you wouldn't enjoy Diablo III. Not as a means to attack you, but just to understand what about the game people currently dislike.
And I also don't consider saying that no game of that genre has obtained the gameplay value that Diablo has achieved. That much is true, and is undeniable. And keep in mind, we're not talking about the single player experience. That only goes so far.
Of course, if you like playing alone, by yourself, without other people and friends - then that's your problem and you're entitled to liking it, I suppose. But you're missing out.
This article is pretty thin, but it does get one thing right - the central role of David Brevik in creating the title.
However, there is one significant error: "several ill-fated titles before closing their doors"
Assuming this is a reference to Flagship, they released exactly ONE title before the doors were closed less than 9 months after shipping Hellgate. Mythos was never released. Of course, FSS never included more than a fifth of the Blizzard North people credited on "Diablo II" - something the article also fails to mention.
The fact that absolutely none of the people at Condor at the time still work at Blizzard is also worth mentioning, though the article neglects that one. Nor does it mention that the most important people at Irvine at the time helping to make the title happen - Adham, Wyatt, O'Brien - have long since left.
But at least it doesn't make four errors in the first three lines, like another overview of the Diablo series recently linked here.
Much of that detail is superfluous and deliberately omitted from the article.
I had an entire laundry list of facts in bullet point that I could have added to the history of the series but I'd be able to compile a very small book had I chosen to write it all in. For instance, I could have even mentioned Throne of Darkness, or how three of the developers including the man who designed the "Diablo" character founded a studio called Hyboreal Entertainment but nothing has come of it so far. Rick Seis and several others went with Castaway Entertainment, and that company floundered as well.
This information or "developer drama" is not pertinent to the development of the Diablo series origins, hence the reason why it was not in there.
Well, first of all ... the bashing by the OP of Flagship Studios was unwarrented. There was a lot of unfortunate circumstances that went against them - aka, the Hellgate fiasco. In their defense, Mythos was a brilliant game and I'm happy to have gotten to test it as long as I did. Now on to Equinox's post.
Well, I have a lot of history with them. I was the founder and director of Hellgate Guru, which was easily the largest Hellgate London fansite. I think I was being quite mild in my treatment of Flagship in my post.
And, this being a Diablo fan site DOES allow him to make such biased claims. That's why people are here. To say extreme love for Diablo and hate on other things, if they so choose. If that's their opinion, who are you to tell them that they're not allowed to express their views, however bias?
That's right. Having an opinion is a beautiful thing when it comes to writing an article and expressing ones views. It'd be a bland Wikipedia article otherwise.
This information or "developer drama" is not pertinent to the development of the Diablo series origins, hence the reason why it was not in there.
If you're actually trying to give an overview of the series' origins, I would say that this kind of information is of the essence. And if you're trying to give some insight as to why it has been almost nine years since D2's release with not even a beta of D3 on the horizon, I'd say that "developer drama" is more than a little relevant.
It's a shame that you couldn't use your personal familiarity with some of the principals involved to give something more than a superficial presentation of material which is already out there. Why isn't a single person from the original team which made a series which sold almost 20 million boxes (and maybe more if "Battle Chests" are counted as individual games) still working there? What was the background of the guys at Condor before making the game? Were they working on other titles at the time? Are they on record as finding other previous works influential? This article gives absolutely no insight into that, or to the relationship between the Bay Area and Irvine team at the time.
Very bad article. Extremely biased, and that just shows Diablo fans from a really bad angle.
I don't take Diablo I seriously without Hellfire. It's too short and small without it. I don't see how it failed at all.
Stop calling Sacred a clone. It's not.
If a game is a Hack&Slash, it does not make it a clone (wow, this must be news for you).
I know tons of people that enjoyed many of "Diablo clones" a lot more than Diablo. Stop assuming this junk simply because it's your opinion. I believe Nox is not a clone at all and is made much better than Diablo in every possible sense. I also believe Sacred 2 is not a clone, and, again, does many things much better than Diablo. It is starting to worry me, too, because I fear due to certain reasons I won't even find Diablo III enjoyable. And there's Alien Shooter which is pure Hack&Slash and is very enjoyable. There are a few others. Divine Divinity is one I didn't get my hands on yet.
Just because it's a DIablo fansite does not allow you to make such biased claims as "no game ever came close". That's very far from the truth, but you may need to open your eyes.
I should have clarified; I have not played very many games. I have only until recently been able to play PC games on an old PC with no graphics card(besides an outdated onboard); and my most recent console is now the gamecube, which is a recent purchase.
I am not trying to insinuate that all the games in the genre failed; I do not see the Diablo games as amazing and unblemished; I am thoroughly bored of D2 and won't pick up D1 now because it feels too slow after faster paced games(walking speed).
In my experience, many games are linear without randomly generated content. With Sacred, there was only a save/load game feature, and the storyline was not too compelling. (that is not to say Diablo's storyline is amazingly compelling either).
I hope Sacred 2 is successful, as well as other games out there; there has been a lot of time and effort put into making them.
I like games like Secret of Mana, Soul Blazer, Secret of Evermore, Final Fantasy 3, Earthbound, Illusion of Gaia, and the Zelda games. I have not explored many of the hack and slash options out there or even the more modern options of games available now.
On the PC the only games I've ever played are: D1, D2(and mods), Sacred, Doom, Unreal Tournament, Darkstone, sacred 2 demo, TQ demo, a small amount of fable, some of Warcraft 3, and some free MMO's. Basically, I am not the best person to judge what games are "successful." Seeing as I have very meager experience of many games.
I wasn't trying to sound like all other games failed, and I have not played most of the titles you listed, maybe I'll make a list of them and if I feel like playing games check some of them out. A feeling of stagnation has led me to a discomforture of playing games while I should be doing something more productive. Basically my views are my own, though narrow and twisted by circumstance they may be.
I am not trying to "assume" anything, my response was based on my experience, and I am not trying to imply just because a game is not Diablo it is "junk;" I am sure they are great games, I (again) simply do not see games without random drops/content being as re-playable as games with them are. (and replayability is a large factor to me). Granted, I have played and beaten secret of mana many times even though it is the same every time and I have the whole thing memorized; but if even a piece of a game is different every time around that refreshes the experience greatlly.
Oh and one more thing, "just because this is a diablo fansite..." I would not go to a game's fansite and thrash other games just because it was a "" fansite; thats just dumb and counter-productive. I was simply stating my opinion, narrow though it may be on this subject; oh, and I used the term " Diablo clone" because it is such a widely used term for the games inspired by Action RPG gameplay, the term is not very accurate; but I just used it by default; I guess I should stop because others may not like the term...Yes maybe I do need to "open my eyes..."
I should get some sleep.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"This is the triumph of man:
Where there is truth, he must find.
Where there is destruction, he must rebuild.
Where there is love, he must protect."
World's Fair Exhibit
"God gave us memories, that in life's garden we may have June roses in December."
John Barrie
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Two writers at the gaming blog Hellforge are coming up with a new series of articles revolving around The Great Wait for Diablo III and Final Fantasy XIII with exactly that in mind.
The Final Fantasy articles are penned by a talented writer with numerous passions in her heart, whose first love as a young impressionable girl was none other than Final Fantasy VI, while the Diablo III articles are written by yours truly.
Within the articles, we seek to document our obsessive struggle in anticipation for our two favorite upcoming games, discussing the latest rumors (in true literary snark), our assessments of their validity plus practical ways of coping with the mounting build up.
It is by no means whatsoever a replacement to the pertinent and up-to-date news that you'll find right here at Diablofans.com. But if you've any interest whatsoever in finding out why I believe Diablo III will be a game worth waiting for, feel free to check out the feature.
Hellforge: Forging a passion for video games.
Oh, come on. Hellfire wasn't that bad was it? I realize though it is regarded as not exactly a successful release.
"Diablo's plot was delivered not in long, over-elaborate prose, but in brief, but well-written lines of dialogue delivered by the game's few characters"
And don't forget the books read that are supposedly narrated by Archbishop Lazarus.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
I wonder why they chose him.
Hellforge: Forging a passion for video games.
Yeah, I think Hellfire was more unplanned and improperly thought up than it was bad. Personally, I think it gave me something to be interested in.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
He was such a douche though!
I read the article, and it wasn't bad.
Blizzard owned/owns the right to the Diablo franchise; (even if it was condor games-(Blizzard North) that made the games). Because those who left Blizzard failed at their attempts to bring forth improvements to the Diablo franchise and bring forward action RPG gameplay(largely due to lack of funding), the Diablo franchise and basically a sequel to Diablo 2 is now left to Blizzard.
I don't find the bias alarming, because what he said is basically true, Blizzard owns the right to the Diablo franchise, and there have not been any games that can truly eclipse or even match the Diablo experience(in its genre).
If you know of any let us know; there have been many "diablo clones" that have tried to add to the features of D2 and bring the genre forward, but none of them have really been as addictive as Diablo 2 is/was.
I have played the titan quest demo, own sacred/sacred underworld, and though both were decent, (sacred was fun for a while); they do not create an experience which is extremely re-playable and which has been played and modded for years.
I do not think there is a very large modding community for TQ, Sacred, or any of the other "diablo clones" out there, but D2 has an extensive modding community with many mods released. This shows how much we like the gameplay and mechanics/random loot, etc. of D2.
I really should be doing something else...
I am not the most experienced gamer(am actually quite picky when it comes to what games I like) so I may be wrong (as always).
Where there is truth, he must find.
Where there is destruction, he must rebuild.
Where there is love, he must protect."
World's Fair Exhibit
"God gave us memories, that in life's garden we may have June roses in December."
John Barrie
I don't take Diablo I seriously without Hellfire. It's too short and small without it. I don't see how it failed at all.
Stop calling Sacred a clone. It's not.
If a game is a Hack&Slash, it does not make it a clone (wow, this must be news for you).
I know tons of people that enjoyed many of "Diablo clones" a lot more than Diablo. Stop assuming this junk simply because it's your opinion. I believe Nox is not a clone at all and is made much better than Diablo in every possible sense. I also believe Sacred 2 is not a clone, and, again, does many things much better than Diablo. It is starting to worry me, too, because I fear due to certain reasons I won't even find Diablo III enjoyable. And there's Alien Shooter which is pure Hack&Slash and is very enjoyable. There are a few others. Divine Divinity is one I didn't get my hands on yet.
Just because it's a DIablo fansite does not allow you to make such biased claims as "no game ever came close". That's very far from the truth, but you may need to open your eyes.
gamma11 > east
However, there is one significant error: "several ill-fated titles before closing their doors"
Assuming this is a reference to Flagship, they released exactly ONE title before the doors were closed less than 9 months after shipping Hellgate. Mythos was never released. Of course, FSS never included more than a fifth of the Blizzard North people credited on "Diablo II" - something the article also fails to mention.
The fact that absolutely none of the people at Condor at the time still work at Blizzard is also worth mentioning, though the article neglects that one. Nor does it mention that the most important people at Irvine at the time helping to make the title happen - Adham, Wyatt, O'Brien - have long since left.
But at least it doesn't make four errors in the first three lines, like another overview of the Diablo series recently linked here.
Well, first of all ... the bashing by the OP of Flagship Studios was unwarrented. There was a lot of unfortunate circumstances that went against them - aka, the Hellgate fiasco. In their defense, Mythos was a brilliant game and I'm happy to have gotten to test it as long as I did. Now on to Equinox's post.
It depends on what exactly you're wanting from the game. Do you want a flat out single player RPG? Then those aforementioned "Diablo Clones" may be for you. But if you're trying to insinuate that any of those games have the online capabilities and gameplay that Diablo has, then you're making a laughable argument. Most people I know love Diablo because of how well the game translates and plays online. Titan Quest has complete garbage of online play to the point they may as well not even have it. Sacred doesn't do it much better.
And, this being a Diablo fan site DOES allow him to make such biased claims. That's why people are here. To say extreme love for Diablo and hate on other things, if they so choose. If that's their opinion, who are you to tell them that they're not allowed to express their views, however bias?
I'm also curious as to why you wouldn't enjoy Diablo III. Not as a means to attack you, but just to understand what about the game people currently dislike.
And I also don't consider saying that no game of that genre has obtained the gameplay value that Diablo has achieved. That much is true, and is undeniable. And keep in mind, we're not talking about the single player experience. That only goes so far.
Of course, if you like playing alone, by yourself, without other people and friends - then that's your problem and you're entitled to liking it, I suppose. But you're missing out.
CyberPunk RP Nexus
Much of that detail is superfluous and deliberately omitted from the article.
I had an entire laundry list of facts in bullet point that I could have added to the history of the series but I'd be able to compile a very small book had I chosen to write it all in. For instance, I could have even mentioned Throne of Darkness, or how three of the developers including the man who designed the "Diablo" character founded a studio called Hyboreal Entertainment but nothing has come of it so far. Rick Seis and several others went with Castaway Entertainment, and that company floundered as well.
This information or "developer drama" is not pertinent to the development of the Diablo series origins, hence the reason why it was not in there.
Hellforge: Forging a passion for video games.
That's right. Having an opinion is a beautiful thing when it comes to writing an article and expressing ones views. It'd be a bland Wikipedia article otherwise.
Hellforge: Forging a passion for video games.
If you're actually trying to give an overview of the series' origins, I would say that this kind of information is of the essence. And if you're trying to give some insight as to why it has been almost nine years since D2's release with not even a beta of D3 on the horizon, I'd say that "developer drama" is more than a little relevant.
It's a shame that you couldn't use your personal familiarity with some of the principals involved to give something more than a superficial presentation of material which is already out there. Why isn't a single person from the original team which made a series which sold almost 20 million boxes (and maybe more if "Battle Chests" are counted as individual games) still working there? What was the background of the guys at Condor before making the game? Were they working on other titles at the time? Are they on record as finding other previous works influential? This article gives absolutely no insight into that, or to the relationship between the Bay Area and Irvine team at the time.
I should have clarified; I have not played very many games. I have only until recently been able to play PC games on an old PC with no graphics card(besides an outdated onboard); and my most recent console is now the gamecube, which is a recent purchase.
I am not trying to insinuate that all the games in the genre failed; I do not see the Diablo games as amazing and unblemished; I am thoroughly bored of D2 and won't pick up D1 now because it feels too slow after faster paced games(walking speed).
In my experience, many games are linear without randomly generated content. With Sacred, there was only a save/load game feature, and the storyline was not too compelling. (that is not to say Diablo's storyline is amazingly compelling either).
I hope Sacred 2 is successful, as well as other games out there; there has been a lot of time and effort put into making them.
I like games like Secret of Mana, Soul Blazer, Secret of Evermore, Final Fantasy 3, Earthbound, Illusion of Gaia, and the Zelda games. I have not explored many of the hack and slash options out there or even the more modern options of games available now.
On the PC the only games I've ever played are: D1, D2(and mods), Sacred, Doom, Unreal Tournament, Darkstone, sacred 2 demo, TQ demo, a small amount of fable, some of Warcraft 3, and some free MMO's. Basically, I am not the best person to judge what games are "successful." Seeing as I have very meager experience of many games.
I wasn't trying to sound like all other games failed, and I have not played most of the titles you listed, maybe I'll make a list of them and if I feel like playing games check some of them out. A feeling of stagnation has led me to a discomforture of playing games while I should be doing something more productive. Basically my views are my own, though narrow and twisted by circumstance they may be.
I am not trying to "assume" anything, my response was based on my experience, and I am not trying to imply just because a game is not Diablo it is "junk;" I am sure they are great games, I (again) simply do not see games without random drops/content being as re-playable as games with them are. (and replayability is a large factor to me). Granted, I have played and beaten secret of mana many times even though it is the same every time and I have the whole thing memorized; but if even a piece of a game is different every time around that refreshes the experience greatlly.
Oh and one more thing, "just because this is a diablo fansite..." I would not go to a game's fansite and thrash other games just because it was a "" fansite; thats just dumb and counter-productive. I was simply stating my opinion, narrow though it may be on this subject; oh, and I used the term " Diablo clone" because it is such a widely used term for the games inspired by Action RPG gameplay, the term is not very accurate; but I just used it by default; I guess I should stop because others may not like the term...Yes maybe I do need to "open my eyes..."
I should get some sleep.
Where there is truth, he must find.
Where there is destruction, he must rebuild.
Where there is love, he must protect."
World's Fair Exhibit
"God gave us memories, that in life's garden we may have June roses in December."
John Barrie