I have created this thread for people to ask any questions they have about Diablo III and its development. Since Diablo III was announced, I have tried to catch every bit of news released through Diablo3.com, Bashiok, Blizzcon, Twitter, FaceBook, interviews, videos, and any other way Blizzard has shared information about the game. While I can't answer questions about things that haven't been revealed yet, I can answer almost any question you might have about the games development so far.
My goal is to compile a list of FAQ's for users to come and check out for quick and reliable information. They can check this one thread for any question they may have or ask a new one about Diablo III so far. I will keep this OP updated with all questions asked along with the link to the answer.
So please ask me any question you have about the development of Diablo III. I will do my best to answer it and offer quotes from Blizzard when possible.
*DISCLAIMER - All answers given will be to the best of my knowledge. As mentioned, I will attempt to prove my answers with quotes when possible. However, I am human and am not perfect. I may give an incorrect answer. If you disagree with my answer, please prove the correct answer and I will correct mine. I want this to be a place where people can get the most current and accurate information about Diablo III.
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the first and more obvious question should be "when it's going to be released?" with that awful answer we all know
how many classes will be in D3?
how many acts will be?
is there going to be an expansion?
is there any difference in the background story for both genders?
is Cain going to die???
How will we get around long distances through the game? Are the waypoints being brought back?
(I may know the answer but I thought it would be good for the FAQ, and I'm not quite sure).
the first and more obvious question should be "when it's going to be released?" with that awful answer we all know
how many classes will be in D3?
how many acts will be?
is there going to be an expansion?
is there any difference in the background story for both genders?
is Cain going to die???
uhmm... scratch that last one
those are the FAQs I can come up with now...
I would laugh my ass off if Cain actually died in this one
Players will create a male or female hero from one of five distinct classes, such as barbarian, witch doctor, or wizard, each equipped with an array of spells and abilities. 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.
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While it is unknown exactly how many expansions there will be for Diablo III, Blizzard does plan on expanding the game with future installments.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Morhaime: In terms of expansions, I think a little bit more frequently is probably good with sort of the goal to get closer to an annual expansion. But I think it really depends on what content you put in the expansion. 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.
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.
Official Blizzard Quote:
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.
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THERE IS NO OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE FOR DIABLO III (as of 11/5/2010).
While there is no release date yet. It has been confirmed the Diablo III will not be released in 2010.
Official Blizzard Quote:
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. We're aiming to release Diablo III on both Mac and Windows 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.
Official Blizzard Quote:
"We haven't announced any release dates on any future title. And I'll also reiterate that the [move of] StarCraft into next year does not impact the schedule," said Morhaime, who then, with a slight laugh, added: "And so it would be correct to conclude that you could expect two releases of Blizzard next year. But I will not make any conclusion as to what those titles will be."
(The two titles for 2010 SC2 and Cataclysm)
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Diablo III will be free to play in the U.S.. There will be no fee through Battle.net to play Diablo III. While the game will be free to play, Blizzard has mentioned the possibilities to have certain functions available for a fee. These functions have not been disclosed yet.
*It is unknown what type of sales plans there are for Diablo III for other countries which might include a monthly subscription.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Battle.net, for those who don't know, is the online gaming platform used by many of Blizzard's games, including StarCraft, Diablo, Diablo 2, and both Warcraft 2 and 3. Since its release alongside the original Diablo, Battle.net has always been completely free, which is what made Wilson's answer so jarring.
Official Blizzard 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.
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How will we get around long distances through the game?
There has been no confirmation on exactly how the characters will move from area to area yet. It has been confirmed that the game is linear, meaning that there is only one path to travel unlike an open world such as WoW. Checkpoints and Waypoints are also in the game to help keep progressions and allow you to move instantly from one area to another.
Official Blizzard Quote:
DiabloTwitter
Blizzard Representative
Diablo: @Midnightact We'll have five classes and no we're not creating the entire world in. We're visiting specific locations similar to Diablo II.
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There are two ways that re-spawn will work in Diablo III. The first way is through the new check point system. After clearing so far in the game, the player will hit a check point. If the player dies, they will re-spawn back at the check point with all of the gear still equipped. There will be a penalty to dying but it is still unknown as of now.
The other way to re-spawn is through co-op re-spawn. Party members will be able to resurrect their fallen companions. There was originally a regent needed to do so but it has been removed. No other details are available on how the system works.
Official Blizzard Quote:
On that same note we also don't want to remove the player from the action. Throwing them back to town for every death really breaks up the action, and not in a fun, interesting, or necessary way.
So, with these things in mind we've found that a check point system works really well. Throughout your adventures, and generally at the ends of each "floor" of a dungeon your character is saved to a checkpoint. When you die you're dropped back at the last checkpoint with a small amount of health, and the rest regenerates slowly. It's obviously a very forgiving system as it is. It's just too early to put a ton of thought in to what penalties there should be, if any, added on top of it.
Regardless, potential penalties aside, this is the death mechanic we're currently using and it's working really well so far.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Diablo: Co-Op resurrection mechanic getting changed up. No more reagent.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Diablotwitter
Diablo: @KidSunday The change actually makes it more difficult and has a penalty attached to it. BUT THANKS FOR THE SARCASM
Official Blizzard Quote:
Yeah it's always been instant, the reagent was removed for other... requirements. Which may change, so we're going to keep that a secret for now.
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Respec will be available for Diablo III. It is still unknown exactly how the system will work and the cost/availability to re-spec. There plan is to have a gold cost as well as something else. The respec is also planned to only target select skills and not the entire skill "tree".
UPDATE:
(8/25/2011)
There is no more respec system. Every character will be able to swap out any of their skills at any time.
OUTDATED:
UPDATE: (02/26/2010)
Official Blizzard Quote:
For Diablo III we don't have it really nailed down yet but some of the main points we do want to hit are that it's more than just a gold cost for changing your mind. Although that will be a major component of it. That it's targeted for specific skills so you're not resetting your entire skill tree, but you're able to target specific skills to reset those ones specifically. To also scale the cost of respecing so early on in the game it's cheaper and easier to respec and as you go farther into the game it will be harder and more expensive. And all of those things together make it a very challenging system to implement, hitting all of those notes. And those are all pie in the sky, I guess, hopefuls for the respec system we may not get all of them in. We don't have any specifics on what the actual respec system will have but those are sort of what we're shooting for and of course it's all up in the air still.
*Side note - Diablo II patch 1.13 introduced respec as the reward for a quest as well as a useable items that were transmuted that allowed you to re-spec.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Bashiok: There will almost definitely be some sort of system to respec; however, it isn't likely to be as liberal as World of Warcraft. We don't want to lock a player into a system that punishes them for mistakes, experimenting, or lack of knowledge early on in the game. We also don't think a system that allows immediate, complete, and at-a-whim changes to a character spec matches the feel of Diablo. It's likely to be somewhere in between.
That said we still feel like the desire to play the same class again that you may have played before is still a part of the game, and with some ability to respec could potentially require other incentives.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
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My goal is to compile a list of FAQ's for users to come and check out for quick and reliable information. They can check this one thread for any question they may have or ask a new one about Diablo III so far. I will keep this OP updated with all questions asked along with the link to the answer.
So please ask me any question you have about the development of Diablo III. I will do my best to answer it and offer quotes from Blizzard when possible.
F.A.Q.'s
(last updated 08/25/2011)
GENERAL -
MECHANICS -
*DISCLAIMER - All answers given will be to the best of my knowledge. As mentioned, I will attempt to prove my answers with quotes when possible. However, I am human and am not perfect. I may give an incorrect answer. If you disagree with my answer, please prove the correct answer and I will correct mine. I want this to be a place where people can get the most current and accurate information about Diablo III.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
how many classes will be in D3?
how many acts will be?
is there going to be an expansion?
is there any difference in the background story for both genders?
is Cain going to die???
uhmm... scratch that last one
those are the FAQs I can come up with now...
How will we get around long distances through the game? Are the waypoints being brought back?
(I may know the answer but I thought it would be good for the FAQ, and I'm not quite sure).
I would laugh my ass off if Cain actually died in this one
is the interaction with the NPCs going to change in any way?
At launch, the game will have five different classes, each with a male and female version. The Barbarian, The Wizard, The Monk, The Witch Doctor and The Demon Hunter.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Players will create a male or female hero from one of five distinct classes, such as barbarian, witch doctor, or wizard, each equipped with an array of spells and abilities. 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.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
There has been no confirmation on the actual numbers of Acts. The game is said to be about equal in length as Diablo II.
Official Blizzard Quote:
DS: haha Sounds good. Have you guys sat down and decided on a number of acts for Diablo 3 yet?
JL: I... don't think we have actually. We have a lot of possabilities, but I don't think we've nailed that down just yet.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
While it is unknown exactly how many expansions there will be for Diablo III, Blizzard does plan on expanding the game with future installments.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Morhaime: In terms of expansions, I think a little bit more frequently is probably good with sort of the goal to get closer to an annual expansion. But I think it really depends on what content you put in the expansion. 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.
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.
Official Blizzard Quote:
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.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
There is no difference in story between genders of the same class. The only exception may be the male Barbarian but this is still under debate.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Choice of gender is completely aesthetic.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
THERE IS NO OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE FOR DIABLO III (as of 11/5/2010).
While there is no release date yet. It has been confirmed the Diablo III will not be released in 2010.
Official Blizzard Quote:
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. We're aiming to release Diablo III on both Mac and Windows 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.
Official Blizzard Quote:
"We haven't announced any release dates on any future title. And I'll also reiterate that the [move of] StarCraft into next year does not impact the schedule," said Morhaime, who then, with a slight laugh, added: "And so it would be correct to conclude that you could expect two releases of Blizzard next year. But I will not make any conclusion as to what those titles will be."
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
Diablo III will be free to play in the U.S.. There will be no fee through Battle.net to play Diablo III. While the game will be free to play, Blizzard has mentioned the possibilities to have certain functions available for a fee. These functions have not been disclosed yet.
*It is unknown what type of sales plans there are for Diablo III for other countries which might include a monthly subscription.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Battle.net, for those who don't know, is the online gaming platform used by many of Blizzard's games, including StarCraft, Diablo, Diablo 2, and both Warcraft 2 and 3. Since its release alongside the original Diablo, Battle.net has always been completely free, which is what made Wilson's answer so jarring.
Official Blizzard 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.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
There has been no confirmation on exactly how the characters will move from area to area yet. It has been confirmed that the game is linear, meaning that there is only one path to travel unlike an open world such as WoW. Checkpoints and Waypoints are also in the game to help keep progressions and allow you to move instantly from one area to another.
Official Blizzard Quote:
DiabloTwitter
Blizzard Representative
Diablo: @Midnightact We'll have five classes and no we're not creating the entire world in. We're visiting specific locations similar to Diablo II.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
Yes, waypoints will be in Diablo III. they will function very similarly to Diablo II and will allow quick travel from one area to another.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Updated waypoint design and UI implemented. Waypoints will function similar to Diablo II.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
-How many people can we party up with ?
-We will have to get in a party to do some content or everything is "soloable"?
Those are kinda frequent questions i see that it's not already in the thread. I hope it helped D:
Diablo III Analyst
SC2Mapster
There are two ways that re-spawn will work in Diablo III. The first way is through the new check point system. After clearing so far in the game, the player will hit a check point. If the player dies, they will re-spawn back at the check point with all of the gear still equipped. There will be a penalty to dying but it is still unknown as of now.
The other way to re-spawn is through co-op re-spawn. Party members will be able to resurrect their fallen companions. There was originally a regent needed to do so but it has been removed. No other details are available on how the system works.
Official Blizzard Quote:
On that same note we also don't want to remove the player from the action. Throwing them back to town for every death really breaks up the action, and not in a fun, interesting, or necessary way.
So, with these things in mind we've found that a check point system works really well. Throughout your adventures, and generally at the ends of each "floor" of a dungeon your character is saved to a checkpoint. When you die you're dropped back at the last checkpoint with a small amount of health, and the rest regenerates slowly. It's obviously a very forgiving system as it is. It's just too early to put a ton of thought in to what penalties there should be, if any, added on top of it.
Regardless, potential penalties aside, this is the death mechanic we're currently using and it's working really well so far.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Diablo: Co-Op resurrection mechanic getting changed up. No more reagent.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Diablotwitter
Diablo: @KidSunday The change actually makes it more difficult and has a penalty attached to it. BUT THANKS FOR THE SARCASM
Official Blizzard Quote:
Yeah it's always been instant, the reagent was removed for other... requirements. Which may change, so we're going to keep that a secret for now.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
Respec will be available for Diablo III. It is still unknown exactly how the system will work and the cost/availability to re-spec. There plan is to have a gold cost as well as something else. The respec is also planned to only target select skills and not the entire skill "tree".
UPDATE:
(8/25/2011)
There is no more respec system. Every character will be able to swap out any of their skills at any time.
OUTDATED:
UPDATE:
(02/26/2010)
Official Blizzard Quote:
For Diablo III we don't have it really nailed down yet but some of the main points we do want to hit are that it's more than just a gold cost for changing your mind. Although that will be a major component of it. That it's targeted for specific skills so you're not resetting your entire skill tree, but you're able to target specific skills to reset those ones specifically. To also scale the cost of respecing so early on in the game it's cheaper and easier to respec and as you go farther into the game it will be harder and more expensive. And all of those things together make it a very challenging system to implement, hitting all of those notes. And those are all pie in the sky, I guess, hopefuls for the respec system we may not get all of them in. We don't have any specifics on what the actual respec system will have but those are sort of what we're shooting for and of course it's all up in the air still.
*Side note - Diablo II patch 1.13 introduced respec as the reward for a quest as well as a useable items that were transmuted that allowed you to re-spec.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Bashiok: There will almost definitely be some sort of system to respec; however, it isn't likely to be as liberal as World of Warcraft. We don't want to lock a player into a system that punishes them for mistakes, experimenting, or lack of knowledge early on in the game. We also don't think a system that allows immediate, complete, and at-a-whim changes to a character spec matches the feel of Diablo. It's likely to be somewhere in between.
That said we still feel like the desire to play the same class again that you may have played before is still a part of the game, and with some ability to respec could potentially require other incentives.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team