DiabloFans

I'm not sure having an AH in Diablo is wrong, but that it doesn't fit the fast pace of the game.

I think the real challenge is coming up with an integrated trade system that exists outside of the instanced game worlds. One could argue that the trade channel is exactly that, but in reality, it's only a chatroom for advertising (read: spamming) or brokering a deal verbally. The actual trade takes place inside an instance.

What really should happen is that they create a usable and intuitive interface for advertising which items you're offering that persists while you're hacking away at mobs as well as while you're back in the channels/matchmaking interface.

It's this persistence that was lacking in D2. This doesn't mean players should be able to bid on items, but that it be possible for them to browse for and leave offers for items in the owner's mailbox of sorts (that are verbal and nonbinding, but offers nevertheless).

This facilitates trading in a more robust way without slowing the economy or the pace of the game. It encourages interaction and communication and it might even reduce spam in some way.

I'm pretty sure they confirmed gambling in some capacity. Jay mentioned players had mixed experiences; some figured it out (and then they had to go nerf it by taking away uniques) while others rolled for worthless items and never went back to it. I think gambling would be great especially if gold were worth something. A precious chance for an elite item. That's the way it should be.

PVP in D3 could potentially be very similar to PVP in D2 with some modifications. My suggestion is that a new element of notoriety be incorporated into the game. In RL, ff you were a really efficient and feared murderer you would have a reputation and that reputation would be known by those who are sufficiently experienced and possibly murderers themselves, correct? The greater your reputation the less experienced one would have to be to know of you. For example, your children may already know of the most heinous of criminals that ever existed, but it would take an older, more educated and wiser person to know of the lesser or more esoteric criminals.

If they can provide a mechanism whereby players are more attuned to a hostile individual's status (with experience) or perhaps create quests or events that allow you to buff your awareness without overtly tipping off the true nature of a player (i.e. the PK wouldn't get the obvious label "Murderer" appended to their name), there would be that lingering sense of danger - but it would be more realistic. You'd have to be very experienced to spot an edge-case killer, but the most grotesque and accomplished murderers are easily spotted even by lowbies.

Quite opposed to the random "take your chances" feel of PVP in D2 but still in accordance with the evil and gritty Diablo environment that makes the game what it is.

EDIT: In addition, your reputation can dwindle the longer you go without killing another player - thereby slowly eliminating the perceived threat to other players. You would have to kill again to bring it back up. It makes for a more legendary experience - a single player can be known as the one who slayed thousands, but has slipped into memory - his presence hardly known. You could make a character whose primary goal is to terrorize others - and then slowly play him into extinction - only to be resurrected more brutal than before at an unexpected moment.

I really think that each rune on the ice represents each of the Blizzard franchises.

Solar system for SC, a hel rune for Diablo, a viking compass for the Lost Vikings.

It could be a tribute to all the success they've had and they want to show the fans that they haven't lost their roots and are really going to please the crowd this time around.

It's preposterous how this thread has gone to 209 pages in length.

And I haven't chimed in a bit.

As for the teaser, I have no speculatory quip. I am simply going to wait until big Blue unveils their new prized secret. I will not be content until I have heard it straight from the mouths of the Blizzard executives.

As I listen to the gentle grooves of the Tristram theme I contemplate a world that sees the third installment of the Diablo series - be it an MMO or another familiar hack 'n slash. As a faithful fan and staunch supporter I will trod forward with the series as it propsers or fails as I've done over the past eleven years.

I am a Diablo fan.

Are you?

Come on. After years of speculation, the endless debates - over 120 pages of forum comments during Blizzcon with several of us GLUED to our monitors watching giga.de broadcast embarrassingly pointless footage - watching the hordes (oh, pun? maybe ;)) of WoW fans clamor for more of their digital crack while we remain restless and disgruntled yet hopeful - this community has stuck it out through all of it. How many nay-saying trolls have we had to stomp to keep our dignity and the truth of the series at the forefront?

Every single crumb of hope we've seen we've made mountains out of - and now some of you want to downplay this? I find that ridiculous.

If there was ever a time to be excited about the Diablo franchise, NOW is the time.

Hallelujah! This rules guys. Excellent work and I really really like the new design. I'm so happy right now.

What if we're all getting beta keys to Blizzard's "next-gen MMO" (doesn't have to be that particular one, but substitute your favorite Blizz genre here)?

That doesn't particularly mean an imminent announcement nor does it place a title squarely in the picture. What it does is say "thank you for being Blizzard fans and we are really excited that you have stuck with us for so long."

I can dream can't I?

Quote from "Medievaldragon" »

Sounds like they are busy folks nowadays.

I like the way this sounds. I also like the way an "announcement of an announcement" sounds, but I believe that they let that news drop about three and a half weeks before the tournament last year and it wasn't necessarily a publicity thing, rather a matter-of-fact press release.

Exactly! It's bunk. I think it's nice that someone went to the trouble of stuffing it into a dvd case this time though. I was getting sick of those rather awful box art hoaxes.

Softpedia is occasionally nonsense, but I will post this either way. It's definitely, at least, a conversation starter. Again.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Diablo-III-Packshot-and-Info-Leaked-82083.shtml

Info could be bunk. Photo could be a doctored up DII cover stuffed in a Windows DVD case for all I know. Just have a look-see.

I didn't read all 20 pages of the post, so if this is somehow "old news" forgive me:

Another Surfergirl update.

Again, disclaimer remains: this is not gospel. It's industry insider speculation. It may be incorrect, but I do hold firm that SG is a pretty solid source overall.

If it's correct it is, indeed, congruent with the idea of a WWI announcement. If they are playing the anniversary tip as well, then I think we're all in for a treat.

Otherwise, Blizzard will just bone us like they have in the past. Whoa, was that some pessimism creeping into my voice? How dare me. :rolleyes:

Aw, man. I gave up looking at the Blizzcast page for the longest time because I thought they were never going to post it.

Oh well.

It only has one quick mention of the Sin War anyway. They really boned us on this one.

I now interrupt this forum topic with the following:

Blizzcast Episode 2 is out.

http://us.blizzard.com/blizzcast/

Have at it.

PvP is an interesting topic for the next Diablo. I have no doubts as to whether or not Blizzard will implement it in a polished format. I'm not sure that Diablo I and II were ever intended to be PvP intense games to begin with. The option was made available, however the fact that Blizzard never took the game in that direction wasn't entirely surprising. For the next game it should be a more rewards-driven model a la WoW. I believe that D3 can make PvP everything that WoW fails to make it. (Off topic, but pertains to combat in general, oh wait - no this whole post is off topic, nevermind) I also sincerely hope that the next form of Diablo keeps all the formula-intensive, math-nerd gear attribute structures (e.g. IAS, Ignore Target Defense, AR, etc.) and that it's not simply reduced to the "lite" version of stats and attributes that we have in WoW.