this is getting pathetic. I'm sorry, but, to have a bunch of guys who claim to be diablofans go on like this is something i don't wanna be a part of.
I AM SURE BLIZZARD HEARD YOU, ALL OF YOU, THIS NEWS IS ALL OVER THE WEB.
I agree that the game is too artsy, and you know what? BLIZZARD WILL MOST PROBABLY CHANGE IT.
So stop fucken whinging, and get back to your homework. especially you, Drake Tristan, you were ten fucken years old when diablo2 came out. which means you were only legally allowed to purchase it a year ago.
BTW: and bigup on this one, the images linked on your sig, tristan, are awesome.
BLIZZARD GETS THE POINT! NOW WAIT IT OUT
I'm not saying me alone, I'm talking about the nearing-30,000 people that have signed the petition. I think that Blizzard are more concerned with 30,000 people that are so unhappy with Diablo III's art-style that they've signed a petition, than the 10-20 nerds that's hearts are bleeding for Blizzard; Blizzard don't give a fuck whether you praise them or not, as long as they get your hard earned cash, that's all they care about.
I am sure I am not included on that counts...
None of them...
I am not taking part of any sides of this discussion...
The only thing that you guys are not considering is that when Diablo 2 was released (2000) we didn't have all the advance in tech. we have today...
I can say that Diablo 1 and 2 were the best games i've ever played... And I wouldn't change anything on any of them...
But I just wouldn't play a Diablo 2 with new contents...
I really want improvements on the game... On gfx, gameplay and everything else...
But on Diablo mood...
I signed the petition... I would like to see the game less WCish... But I doubt that will change anything... Anyway.. I signed..
On the other hand... I don't think the game will suck if it is realeased like this... It will be the same... I will be playing Diablo 3... And there are lot of things that attracts me on the game, other than it's rustic gfx...
Thats it...
BTW... If you want to be taken serious... Stop acting childish and insulting everyone...
What you will get from this? The topics are going to be deleted...
I hope the game ends up as I want... But I trust blizzard, whatever they come up with...
You can say anything you want... But I've never seen any game better than Blizzards... That is not lucky...
You can say whatever you want from SC2 and D3... But it will be only supositions... The games are under development...
I doubt that Blizzard will change much.
Maybe they will make the dungeons a little darker but they wont change how to outdoors look like where they want those places to be colorful
I'm looking at Drake Tristan's picture comparison and it just looks so damn dark, lol. I can see why Bliz went with their colorful ways. So let those rainbows shine! Let those flowers bloom! Let's see some butterflies too! Oh ya baby! lol j/k.
Has anyone considered that they'll probably be much more darker-themed area's? In combination with whatever little effort Blizzard will make to make it even more darker. I remember in an interview, the producer I think, said that they wanted darkness to be an emotion and not necessarily the overall visual theme. Rainbows in D3 ftw, rofl.
I totally agree with the resemblance between armor and so forth, with WoW though. Those kind of things look really similar, so shame on Bliz for that at least. Should've made stuff like that look more distinct. Other than that, enjoy seeing those sparkling rainbows in D3. ;o
Sounds like color is going to stay, even though "full of contrast" isn't the phrase I would describe the screenshots as.
Give me the option to play with the saturation and what not... throw the people who think WoW has a bland and unimaginative color scheme and style a friggin' bone.
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[FONT=Garamond][SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
[/FONT]
Quote from "DIABLO »
[FONT=Garamond]Not even death can save you from [/FONT']
Okay, I'm back to say this, and only this: Lethlan: FUCK RIGHT OFF! Crawl back under whichever fucking rock you came from. Do not respond to this, you fucking retard.
Dewd, grow up, how can you tell a person what to do but dont like ppl telling you what to do?? Do you see the logic in that? This is a fansite... dont mess it up for the other ppl, we are all supposed to be "grownups" here. I really dont wanna read 50 pages of bitching and moaning and trying to figure our who has the longest dick in the channel. You have said your say, now leave it at that, log off, take a shower and get into bed, you are gonna pop a artery, and then Blizzard is gonna sell one less copy of D3.
Personally, I signed the petition...I'm VERY dissappointed with the colorscheme...and wowish graphics. I LOVED the dark theme with the previous titles. What else do you expect with a world overrun by demons. I expect blood, guts, and gore. The first two titles were Rated M...by the looks of Diablo 3....it looks like a Rated E game.
The outside world should be dark and dreary...maybe even rainy. NOT bright and sunny....that does NOT fit the theme of the previous titles...and what ALL of us fans expect to see from the 3rd title.
If Blizzard Entertainment is looking for diversity...then leave WoW with WoW...and Diablo with Diablo. You have a diversity of fans and that will keep them happy. Let your diversity in the game be known...but keep it true to its theme! That's why we all love Diablo for what it is (was)!
I respect WoW....but I have no appreciation for it. Graphics have always been a little out there in my opinion. However, Diablo 2 is probaby the best PC game I've ever played.
That gameplay trailer absolutely oozed Diablo. Deckard Cain was spot on, the fluid animations were incredibly Diablo-esque, but obviously the game isn't going to directly look like D2 - it being a different game for a start, made by a different team and ramped up to 3D.
Even the old D2 art team couldn't make Hellgate look good in 3D.
While I can agree that several aspects of the trailer were very well done, I feel as though the atmosphere behind the game leaves something to be desired. The art director seems to be promoting the use of color to establish a mood, but I feel as though did not translate the appropriate atmosphere for a Diablo game.
One of the things that was established in the last two games was a very specific palette of coloration that conveyed a specific mood. You can even gather a series of images and examine the histogram and see quite clearly that the color profiles for the two games are very different. The reason why so many people are upset is that in their advances to use color as a tool, they've taken a complete departure from what was established in the previous games. It's almost like an emotion or feeling that doesn't associate with what was seen in the video. The problem here is that people feel completely detached from what they knew of the previous games and have to grow accustomed to whatever scheme Blizzard wants to use.
If this is the case, you must really wonder... what was so wrong about the original color scheme that warrants the change? I feel as though they should be able to take at heart, what really made Diablo look the way it did, and involve that along with new ideas and techniques for the artwork.
Blizzard has a fantastic art team, but they're not immune to making mistakes. What they've done with the lighting has much more room for improvement, and they CAN include more color into the game, but they have to do it intelligently. In some cases, I feel as they they've introduced an array of hues just for the sake of adding them. Everything is diffused and has lost it's punctuality, and the scenes generally lack visual conflict. It's not suiting to the type of game everyone knows to be as Diablo. For me, this isn't just about the game looking like WOW, I think that Blizzard can do better this time and develop a visual style that's more suitable for the type of game they're trying to develop.
The "who isn´t with me is against me" is making a very interesting talk into a simple spam war. I like the colors, but can see that those who want a darker diablo 3 have a point, and a very good one.
But any of both sides isn´t going to be stronger just for say things lowder or with more anger.
You see a clip from a game that is far from finished, and start complaining that it's not "dark" enough? You guys are morons. The reason why the graphics in d1 and d2 were so "grainy" and "raw" was because they were shitty and pixelated, D2 was released in 640x480.
Diablo 1 was far darker than Diablo 2.. Diablo 2 wasn't dark at all... I don't see how you can say that D3 is letting down the dark feel of Diablo 2 when you have barely seen any of the game. If they showed only act 2 outdoor environments in a clip of Diablo 2 would you have started moaning about it back then? That's far from a dark feel at all.
Blizzard knows what they are doing... every game they release is massively successful, I'm sure they've discussed the issue of art for countless hours, and like they said, creating a dark mood isn't all just about putting in bland colour and raw edgy graphics.
Sigh, so many people are taking the petition completely out of context, turning it into anti-blizzard hate propaganda, fueled by people who want d3 to be delayed for years or even indefinitely. This is not its original intent!
Truth is, were just a little TOO passionate about diablo. We just want d3 to be perfect, and are fighting to IMPROVE it pertaining to the look and feel of the game deviating too much from the originals. Of course this is objectable, which is why were merely making heat-felt SUGGESTIONS via a petition, and stating our OPINIONS on these forums. We arent trying to make everyone think like us, or demanding that blizz heeds our demands or else heads will roll; we simply want them to KNOW of our opinions, and take them into consideration during the rest of the games development (if possible).
Obviously the petition was successful at gaining their attention, and I hope they diffuse this argument soon by releasing some info about the first graphical styles they looked into but abandoned for whatever reasons (or atleast some more “diabloy” looking screens), so that we can judge whether we agree with their new “controversial” design change. We know the game is still under construction and all we have to criticize is a 20 minute demo, but that doesn’t mean it’s unreasonable or too early to voice our opinions when it concerns one of the most important core foundations of the game. So until they specifically announce that the look is a done deal and set in stone, we are going to speak up about it!
I hate seeing us petitioners attacked daily just because were raising points of interest that are very important to us. We ALL love this game and we will ALL surley play it for the great gameplay we ALL expect, just stop screaming at those of us that want a little more.
To me....the Diablo series was unique to itself....with it's dark morbid theme. However, D3 seems themed like many other dungeon crawlers that have already been released...making it no longer unique.
The dungeons in D3 immediately reminded me of WoW and it's colorschemes.
The outside environment immediately reminded me of that beginning area in Guild Wars or Titan Quest.
Aside from graphics...gameplay looks awesome!
I've said it before and I'll say it again...."Keep it true to it's theme!"
I'm not even sure how some of the speculation around the look of the game evolving around the plot line started. I haven't seen any evidence to indicate that Blizzard actually intends to do that. The part that makes me doubtful is some of the general explanations the art director has given in regards to the direction of the game. His 'general' comments apply to the whole of the game, and what we've seen in the video seem to support what was said in his comments.
Getting a bit more technical though, I've looked at the actual scheme behind the lighting, and the techniques they've used early on probably won't change as the game progresses. My reasoning is that some of the textures for the characters won't exactly work under low light conditions, and everything seems to be designed specifically for diffused lighting. Some of the textures don't have very much contrast, if you just lower the light levels, the game would be extremely difficult to navigate and you would not be able to see monsters very well. It would be a large artwork blunder if they were to do that, so I'm not exactly confident that the game is going to get darker and gritter as the game progresses.
As for the drastic change, that's also something I have to question. Why should they feel the need to incorporate a large amount of color into the game when so many other titles have done the same thing? At first I actually thought the game looked more like Neverwinter Nights, or some other fantasy based RPG. Wouldn't adding liberal colors be a move that follows the basis for all other fantasy RPG titles? Personally, I feel the original look of Diablo was far more distinct than any of the other comperable titles on the market. If you're going to go out and make a successor to Diablo II, I think you should try and preserve the qualities that made it unique. Even some of the concept art seems to reflect that direction.
I'm willing to trust them to some extent, but unlike others... it's not going to be trust without limit. There are plenty of great aspects to the gameplay video, and I think that's exactly what has people excited about the game thus far and agreeing with the art direction. I'm really just putting some constructive critisim up to the community and trying to rationalize a change in the artwork. You'll note that I only have about 4 posts, but I did play both games despite not being an active member of the communtiy. I've really only registered to put some good arguments because all I've seen thus far is mostly ridiculous polarization on the issue and fits. Everyone should have a better understanding of the issue and actually submit a more coherent set of critisims for Blizzard, or it's really going to be ignored. I might actually take some time over the next couple days to write up some good stuff that hopefully will give the Art Director something to think about.
I posted these in another topic, but they seem relevant here as well.
Just as a quick point. What about performance? Some anti-art people are asking to increase the detail on the models. How do you propose they do this while still catering to a larger range of computers? Think about the amount of enemies that are on screen during D2. You would have to sacrifice gameplay in order to acheive higher detail on all of those monsters, not to mention the environment, and then it wouldn't feel like Diablo. Blizzard wants to cater to as many players as possible, which would need lower requirements. Thus, you have the level of detail so many complain about.
In response to a comment about the core feeling of the game.
I don't think they set out to destroy the core feeling of the game. They said that it was one of the things they wished to preserve. What I think has happened is that they attempt to demonstate the feeling less thematically and more viscerally. I think they're trying to set the mood, and then let your own imagination fill in. Unfortunately for Blizzard, many have grown found of Diablo's gothic theme and shy from seeing it presented through different means. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but with a series that is eight years old, they need to breath life into it. In this case it means colour and art design some are not familiar or comfortable with. They are attempting to relate with a larger audience and, to some loyal Diablo fans, it feels almost alien.
Visual Redesigns
As for the visual redesigns, they said that it just didn't work. What I'm assuming is that using the old system didn't allow for as much flexibility in the storytelling department. Imagine using the D2 set of lighting and colours and trying to portray something moving in the darkness. It would be harder. However, with the current colours and lights you can see the sillouette of the SiegeBreaker in the background. Combine that with a gaurd panicking about something being alive down here, and you have a palpable mood to work with. Darkness and realism don't always help the feel.
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"Understanding is a three-edged sword: your side, their side, and the truth."
"Never argue with idiots, they will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience."
"A person is smart, people are idiots."
I posted these in another topic, but they seem relevant here as well.
Just as a quick point. What about performance? Some anti-art people are asking to increase the detail on the models. How do you propose they do this while still catering to a larger range of computers? Think about the amount of enemies that are on screen during D2. You would have to sacrifice gameplay in order to acheive higher detail on all of those monsters, not to mention the environment, and then it wouldn't feel like Diablo. Blizzard wants to cater to as many players as possible, which would need lower requirements. Thus, you have the level of detail so many complain about.
In response to a comment about the core feeling of the game.
I don't think they set out to destroy the core feeling of the game. They said that it was one of the things they wished to preserve. What I think has happened is that they attempt to demonstate the feeling less thematically and more viscerally. I think they're trying to set the mood, and then let your own imagination fill in. Unfortunately for Blizzard, many have grown found of Diablo's gothic theme and shy from seeing it presented through different means. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but with a series that is eight years old, they need to breath life into it. In this case it means colour and art design some are not familiar or comfortable with. They are attempting to relate with a larger audience and, to some loyal Diablo fans, it feels almost alien.
Visual Redesigns
As for the visual redesigns, they said that it just didn't work. What I'm assuming is that using the old system didn't allow for as much flexibility in the storytelling department. Imagine using the D2 set of lighting and colours and trying to portray something moving in the darkness. It would be harder. However, with the current colours and lights you can see the sillouette of the SiegeBreaker in the background. Combine that with a gaurd panicking about something being alive down here, and you have a palpable mood to work with. Darkness and realism don't always help the feel.
About performance, there are ways to manage that as well. Some people have asked repeatedly that Blizzard should add more grit and detail to the textures. And the argument against that was that performance was going to drop substantially if they increased the texture resolution to add that detail. That isn't exactly true, there is a simple shader operation that you can do to overlay grit details with a higher resolution texture over a lower resolution diffuse base. Provided their engine doesn't have too many problems with Z fighting, they can also overlay burn and crumble details on their existing texture as well. Even in the case that such shader operations were too much of a performance hit, it could be turned off in the options as well.
The use of color is not a bad thing, but they should have included it in a more analogues color scheme. They've also nearly eliminated black and all of the color entities they've included are far less profound and dramatic because of it. It's almost as though they feel that a range of values is pointless and have grouped the majority of their colors under the same value range while changing the balance and distribution of hue. Suffice to say, there is not going to be much visual conflict anymore and that's one of the better points of the look of diablo. It includes dark, mid range, and highlights along with some complimentary colors to suit the environment.
i cant believe how many complaints i have seen here after only a week since the game was announced. as long as the gameplay stays true to diablo form what is there to whinge about? i remember when i saw lut gholein for the first time and thinking how bright that was in comparison to diablo 1. most of the haters here seem to make comparisons to wow. fair enough, wow is not to everyones taste but graphics are only a small part of a game. hell diablo 2's graphics are crap but people still play it due to the addictiveness of the gameplay.
the graphics in diablo are only the first thing you see... how many people actually care how 'dark' the game is after the first time they complete the game? its the extensive loot options, the fact that you can play for 1hr or 10 hours and still feel like you are getting somewhere (unlike wow where very little can be done in an hour), its the fact that you can level a character relatively quickly then upgrade it with loot, its the fact you can get your lvl 90+ char and join a low lvl game and go in and wipe out everyone playing in the game hah.
seriously, stop your whining and wait till game release then make your judgement. if you dont like it dont play it!
I think people needs to open their mind a little bit. "ITS CARTOONISH". <-- WTF are you talking about!!!! Go get some lessons about art and you will notice it's nothing about Cartoons.
Sorry but I can't remember seeing something look like this in the video.
What people SHOULD say is that graphic approach CHANGED. Of course it changed, nobody can deny that. You may like it or not, it still NO DAMN CARTOON.
Personaly I think it's just fine how it is. dungeons may look a little bit more "dirty" but I think the color are just perfect
People use the word Cartoonish for a lack of better vocabulary. It's not being suggested that the game has literally gone cell shaded, but the use of strongly saturated colors and broad, less detailed shapes do bring some cartoon-like qualities.
There's still considerable room for improvement in regards to the colors though, I wouldn't consider the color selection that they've made perfect.
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I AM SURE BLIZZARD HEARD YOU, ALL OF YOU, THIS NEWS IS ALL OVER THE WEB.
I agree that the game is too artsy, and you know what? BLIZZARD WILL MOST PROBABLY CHANGE IT.
So stop fucken whinging, and get back to your homework.
especially you, Drake Tristan, you were ten fucken years old when diablo2 came out.
which means you were only legally allowed to purchase it a year ago.
BTW: and bigup on this one, the images linked on your sig, tristan, are awesome.
BLIZZARD GETS THE POINT! NOW WAIT IT OUT
I am sure I am not included on that counts...
None of them...
I am not taking part of any sides of this discussion...
The only thing that you guys are not considering is that when Diablo 2 was released (2000) we didn't have all the advance in tech. we have today...
I can say that Diablo 1 and 2 were the best games i've ever played... And I wouldn't change anything on any of them...
But I just wouldn't play a Diablo 2 with new contents...
I really want improvements on the game... On gfx, gameplay and everything else...
But on Diablo mood...
I signed the petition... I would like to see the game less WCish... But I doubt that will change anything... Anyway.. I signed..
On the other hand... I don't think the game will suck if it is realeased like this... It will be the same... I will be playing Diablo 3... And there are lot of things that attracts me on the game, other than it's rustic gfx...
Thats it...
BTW... If you want to be taken serious... Stop acting childish and insulting everyone...
What you will get from this? The topics are going to be deleted...
I hope the game ends up as I want... But I trust blizzard, whatever they come up with...
You can say anything you want... But I've never seen any game better than Blizzards... That is not lucky...
You can say whatever you want from SC2 and D3... But it will be only supositions... The games are under development...
Enough right?
Cya!
Maybe they will make the dungeons a little darker but they wont change how to outdoors look like where they want those places to be colorful
[/LEFT]
Has anyone considered that they'll probably be much more darker-themed area's? In combination with whatever little effort Blizzard will make to make it even more darker. I remember in an interview, the producer I think, said that they wanted darkness to be an emotion and not necessarily the overall visual theme. Rainbows in D3 ftw, rofl.
I totally agree with the resemblance between armor and so forth, with WoW though. Those kind of things look really similar, so shame on Bliz for that at least. Should've made stuff like that look more distinct. Other than that, enjoy seeing those sparkling rainbows in D3. ;o
Give me the option to play with the saturation and what not... throw the people who think WoW has a bland and unimaginative color scheme and style a friggin' bone.
Dewd, grow up, how can you tell a person what to do but dont like ppl telling you what to do?? Do you see the logic in that? This is a fansite... dont mess it up for the other ppl, we are all supposed to be "grownups" here. I really dont wanna read 50 pages of bitching and moaning and trying to figure our who has the longest dick in the channel. You have said your say, now leave it at that, log off, take a shower and get into bed, you are gonna pop a artery, and then Blizzard is gonna sell one less copy of D3.
The outside world should be dark and dreary...maybe even rainy. NOT bright and sunny....that does NOT fit the theme of the previous titles...and what ALL of us fans expect to see from the 3rd title.
If Blizzard Entertainment is looking for diversity...then leave WoW with WoW...and Diablo with Diablo. You have a diversity of fans and that will keep them happy. Let your diversity in the game be known...but keep it true to its theme! That's why we all love Diablo for what it is (was)!
I respect WoW....but I have no appreciation for it. Graphics have always been a little out there in my opinion. However, Diablo 2 is probaby the best PC game I've ever played.
While I can agree that several aspects of the trailer were very well done, I feel as though the atmosphere behind the game leaves something to be desired. The art director seems to be promoting the use of color to establish a mood, but I feel as though did not translate the appropriate atmosphere for a Diablo game.
One of the things that was established in the last two games was a very specific palette of coloration that conveyed a specific mood. You can even gather a series of images and examine the histogram and see quite clearly that the color profiles for the two games are very different. The reason why so many people are upset is that in their advances to use color as a tool, they've taken a complete departure from what was established in the previous games. It's almost like an emotion or feeling that doesn't associate with what was seen in the video. The problem here is that people feel completely detached from what they knew of the previous games and have to grow accustomed to whatever scheme Blizzard wants to use.
If this is the case, you must really wonder... what was so wrong about the original color scheme that warrants the change? I feel as though they should be able to take at heart, what really made Diablo look the way it did, and involve that along with new ideas and techniques for the artwork.
Blizzard has a fantastic art team, but they're not immune to making mistakes. What they've done with the lighting has much more room for improvement, and they CAN include more color into the game, but they have to do it intelligently. In some cases, I feel as they they've introduced an array of hues just for the sake of adding them. Everything is diffused and has lost it's punctuality, and the scenes generally lack visual conflict. It's not suiting to the type of game everyone knows to be as Diablo. For me, this isn't just about the game looking like WOW, I think that Blizzard can do better this time and develop a visual style that's more suitable for the type of game they're trying to develop.
But any of both sides isn´t going to be stronger just for say things lowder or with more anger.
JELL
PUERTA DEL INFIERNO
http://www.puertadelinfierno.com
I'm merging this with the other one.
Diablo 1 was far darker than Diablo 2.. Diablo 2 wasn't dark at all... I don't see how you can say that D3 is letting down the dark feel of Diablo 2 when you have barely seen any of the game. If they showed only act 2 outdoor environments in a clip of Diablo 2 would you have started moaning about it back then? That's far from a dark feel at all.
Blizzard knows what they are doing... every game they release is massively successful, I'm sure they've discussed the issue of art for countless hours, and like they said, creating a dark mood isn't all just about putting in bland colour and raw edgy graphics.
Truth is, were just a little TOO passionate about diablo.
We just want d3 to be perfect, and are fighting to IMPROVE it pertaining to the look and feel of the game deviating too much from the originals.
Of course this is objectable, which is why were merely making heat-felt SUGGESTIONS via a petition, and stating our OPINIONS on these forums.
We arent trying to make everyone think like us, or demanding that blizz heeds our demands or else heads will roll; we simply want them to KNOW of our opinions, and take them into consideration during the rest of the games development (if possible).
Obviously the petition was successful at gaining their attention, and I hope they diffuse this argument soon by releasing some info about the first graphical styles they looked into but abandoned for whatever reasons (or atleast some more “diabloy” looking screens), so that we can judge whether we agree with their new “controversial” design change.
We know the game is still under construction and all we have to criticize is a 20 minute demo, but that doesn’t mean it’s unreasonable or too early to voice our opinions when it concerns one of the most important core foundations of the game.
So until they specifically announce that the look is a done deal and set in stone, we are going to speak up about it!
I hate seeing us petitioners attacked daily just because were raising points of interest that are very important to us. We ALL love this game and we will ALL surley play it for the great gameplay we ALL expect, just stop screaming at those of us that want a little more.
The dungeons in D3 immediately reminded me of WoW and it's colorschemes.
The outside environment immediately reminded me of that beginning area in Guild Wars or Titan Quest.
Aside from graphics...gameplay looks awesome!
I've said it before and I'll say it again...."Keep it true to it's theme!"
Getting a bit more technical though, I've looked at the actual scheme behind the lighting, and the techniques they've used early on probably won't change as the game progresses. My reasoning is that some of the textures for the characters won't exactly work under low light conditions, and everything seems to be designed specifically for diffused lighting. Some of the textures don't have very much contrast, if you just lower the light levels, the game would be extremely difficult to navigate and you would not be able to see monsters very well. It would be a large artwork blunder if they were to do that, so I'm not exactly confident that the game is going to get darker and gritter as the game progresses.
As for the drastic change, that's also something I have to question. Why should they feel the need to incorporate a large amount of color into the game when so many other titles have done the same thing? At first I actually thought the game looked more like Neverwinter Nights, or some other fantasy based RPG. Wouldn't adding liberal colors be a move that follows the basis for all other fantasy RPG titles? Personally, I feel the original look of Diablo was far more distinct than any of the other comperable titles on the market. If you're going to go out and make a successor to Diablo II, I think you should try and preserve the qualities that made it unique. Even some of the concept art seems to reflect that direction.
I'm willing to trust them to some extent, but unlike others... it's not going to be trust without limit. There are plenty of great aspects to the gameplay video, and I think that's exactly what has people excited about the game thus far and agreeing with the art direction. I'm really just putting some constructive critisim up to the community and trying to rationalize a change in the artwork. You'll note that I only have about 4 posts, but I did play both games despite not being an active member of the communtiy. I've really only registered to put some good arguments because all I've seen thus far is mostly ridiculous polarization on the issue and fits. Everyone should have a better understanding of the issue and actually submit a more coherent set of critisims for Blizzard, or it's really going to be ignored. I might actually take some time over the next couple days to write up some good stuff that hopefully will give the Art Director something to think about.
Just as a quick point. What about performance? Some anti-art people are asking to increase the detail on the models. How do you propose they do this while still catering to a larger range of computers? Think about the amount of enemies that are on screen during D2. You would have to sacrifice gameplay in order to acheive higher detail on all of those monsters, not to mention the environment, and then it wouldn't feel like Diablo. Blizzard wants to cater to as many players as possible, which would need lower requirements. Thus, you have the level of detail so many complain about.
In response to a comment about the core feeling of the game.
I don't think they set out to destroy the core feeling of the game. They said that it was one of the things they wished to preserve. What I think has happened is that they attempt to demonstate the feeling less thematically and more viscerally. I think they're trying to set the mood, and then let your own imagination fill in. Unfortunately for Blizzard, many have grown found of Diablo's gothic theme and shy from seeing it presented through different means. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but with a series that is eight years old, they need to breath life into it. In this case it means colour and art design some are not familiar or comfortable with. They are attempting to relate with a larger audience and, to some loyal Diablo fans, it feels almost alien.
Visual Redesigns
As for the visual redesigns, they said that it just didn't work. What I'm assuming is that using the old system didn't allow for as much flexibility in the storytelling department. Imagine using the D2 set of lighting and colours and trying to portray something moving in the darkness. It would be harder. However, with the current colours and lights you can see the sillouette of the SiegeBreaker in the background. Combine that with a gaurd panicking about something being alive down here, and you have a palpable mood to work with. Darkness and realism don't always help the feel.
"Never argue with idiots, they will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience."
"A person is smart, people are idiots."
About performance, there are ways to manage that as well. Some people have asked repeatedly that Blizzard should add more grit and detail to the textures. And the argument against that was that performance was going to drop substantially if they increased the texture resolution to add that detail. That isn't exactly true, there is a simple shader operation that you can do to overlay grit details with a higher resolution texture over a lower resolution diffuse base. Provided their engine doesn't have too many problems with Z fighting, they can also overlay burn and crumble details on their existing texture as well. Even in the case that such shader operations were too much of a performance hit, it could be turned off in the options as well.
The use of color is not a bad thing, but they should have included it in a more analogues color scheme. They've also nearly eliminated black and all of the color entities they've included are far less profound and dramatic because of it. It's almost as though they feel that a range of values is pointless and have grouped the majority of their colors under the same value range while changing the balance and distribution of hue. Suffice to say, there is not going to be much visual conflict anymore and that's one of the better points of the look of diablo. It includes dark, mid range, and highlights along with some complimentary colors to suit the environment.
the graphics in diablo are only the first thing you see... how many people actually care how 'dark' the game is after the first time they complete the game? its the extensive loot options, the fact that you can play for 1hr or 10 hours and still feel like you are getting somewhere (unlike wow where very little can be done in an hour), its the fact that you can level a character relatively quickly then upgrade it with loot, its the fact you can get your lvl 90+ char and join a low lvl game and go in and wipe out everyone playing in the game hah.
seriously, stop your whining and wait till game release then make your judgement. if you dont like it dont play it!
Sorry but I can't remember seeing something look like this in the video.
What people SHOULD say is that graphic approach CHANGED. Of course it changed, nobody can deny that. You may like it or not, it still NO DAMN CARTOON.
Personaly I think it's just fine how it is. dungeons may look a little bit more "dirty" but I think the color are just perfect
There's still considerable room for improvement in regards to the colors though, I wouldn't consider the color selection that they've made perfect.