DiabloFans

• More so, WHY have you been waiting the time you have?

• What is keeping you going, has there been a point of "had enough, goodluck "WHEN youre done - because i'm done!" "

• Has this candle in the window been similar to any other game you've waited/ing a long time for?

• What makes this game stand out? Can Blizzard keep the "when it's done" thing going for another 6months-1year?

Quote from ScyberDragon

UPDATE:
It appears that this is about the fifth level of armor out of a total of eighteen types.

Official Blizzard Quote:

So what tier is this one, then?

5. Out of 18 or so.

Quote from Shelledfade_4967505

10. The original U.I bag system. Basically copy pasted from WoW. I'll say it one more time since this is a long post and you tend to forget things said earlier, this isn't about WoW its just about the unoriginal take on the entire project. They wanted to add little tiny pixel icons for our gear images. A HUGE part of diablo is seeing your gear and having it look awesome in your inventory. That is why the tetris inventory was so unique and cool. If we never said anything about it, we would have had the same u.i as WoW's aside from the hotkey bar and the orbs on the sides. Again, not about WoW, just about the unoriginal take on diablo 3's entire project and the entire idea it seems was to make it less like diablo with everything. Yes it was changed for the better because people voiced their concerns. If no one did that... well I'll leave it up to you to decide what the end result would have been.

11. Frozen stat allocation. Another hot topic. I am 50-50 on this for obvious reasons such as equality among players however the loss of it making it less like diablo and the loss of customization was rather disappointing.

Quote from Shelledfade_4967505

This will be a long post but it should be fairly interesting if you are looking forward to diablo 3, so don't dismiss it right away please.

Imho I am worried about diablo 3. Hear me out please and take all my points into consideration. I feel that they are not being original enough with diablo 3. Yes I am going to say it, "world of warcraft" but really I don't have any problem whatsoever with that game. In fact when I played it I enjoyed it thoroughly. The only reason I quit playing was because it ended up becoming more like an actual job rather than fun. My real quarrel is that they just aren't being original enough with diablo 3 and maybe they simply lost their blizzard touch on this one.

Again if you are still with me, hear me out please because I would really like to get my point across in detail. I will list a bunch of reasons regarding why I've decided I am worried about diablo 3 and potentially future blizzard games. Some regard to WoW, some regard to the game itself, some points just regarding blizzard in general. Keep in mind my main focus here isn't to compare it to WoW its simply to compare my points to the unoriginality that's being pushed on Diablo 3.

I will be bringing up some old points and some new ones. But again, I would really like you to follow through with me, Look and see where I am coming from because really, I am worried about D3 and future blizz products. I have no doubt D3 will be fun but it isn't the diablo 3 I envisioned when I was imagining what it would be like when I was playing diablo 2. I know everyone out there that played D2 envisioned what a diablo 3 would be like in their own minds. I have to say that I didn't envision D3 to be anything like what they were/are creating.

I will list my reasons for the personal conclusion that I've come to and please keep an open mind. This comes down to originality and making diablo 3 as good as it can be and what it should/could have been like with the right minds doing the right job.

1. My link This is a link to the dark cultist. Copy and paste undead WoW. They could have been a bit more original on this. Yes doing things like this saves time but... it just cuts the originality of Diablo and its sequel #3 like a hot knife through butter. And let's be honest with each other, if they are going to do something as obvious as this WHO KNOWS how many more of these there could be in the game that were just copy and pasted?

2. Diablo 3 items when they first released information about them were originally going to be in a unique- then -epic order with epic items being purple colored and the best you could get until the community outraged and it was changed (at least I think it was changed?). Even if it wasn't changed the point stands on an originality basis.

3. The original Character screen U.I that can be seen in the original gameplay trailer found on the D3 website. Basically copy and pasted from world of warcraft. Again, it isn't WoW being the problem, its the unoriginal eye being scoured into D3 like some hot twisted piece of metal. Yes it was changed for the better, but what kind of product would we have got if we never said anything about their work??

4. The stylized art style. I know its a hot topic and we all know it isn't going to change because it would basically be resetting everything they have done. That isn't the point though and I'm not asking them to change it I'm just dropping it into the melting pot of my overall concerns.

When I first envisioned diablo 3 I envisioned something like this.
My link

I really have to admit that I did not envision anything like this..
My link

5. Health orbs. Yes they feel very arcade like and everyone knows they could do a better job on it rather than putting floating red globes everywhere for health. We all know there can't be any more potion spamming because that just doesn't work but floating red balls that pop out of enemies? Come on, we all know they can do better than this.

6. 60 level limit now. I think this speaks for itself. Nothing really wrong with it but it isn't original for diablo 3, it isn't a good idea in my opinion and it kind of ruins skill tree's based on the fact that you wont have the amount of points to play around with that you did in D2. Once you finish hell you should be level 60. I'm just wondering if there's going to be mounts at 40 now based on this unoriginality thumb print that I can't seem to watch out of my eyes for diablo 3. Just because something works in another game doesn't mean its the best solution and the best idea.

7. The glowing aspects of the game that just look ugly and dumbs the game down. Take the original gameplay trailer as example. The skeletons have glowing shields, the entire area under the dungeon is glowing. There's virtually no realistic firelight radius at all. The glowing weapons on the barbarian that deal extra lightning/ice damage is way to excessive. It's just all too pretty for diablo 3. Just refer to this picture again.
My link This is what it's all about. Not ridiculous amounts of glowing objects/areas however that seems to be the theme on what diablo 3 is based around.

8. Only 4 characters per game based on how intense the visuals are. Here's an idea... tone the visuals down? The combat doesn't have to be a giant glowing rainbow bomb unless they want it to be.

9. None-changing area's. Only dungeons are randomly changed. The outside world is static. I find this completely boring if the level cap will be 60 and if we will finish hell by level 60 I see a very boring game that will be a lot less repetitive than D2.

At the moment I can't think of any other reasons to prove my point that I am very concerned with diablo 3 and concerned for diablo 3's unoriginality and the ideas and gameplay that made blizzard what it did at the time of D2//warcraft 3. When I look at diablo 3 what pops into my mind on what they have done so far is "what was the easiest solution", "What can we copy and paste that will work?", "lets do what will save the most time and resources". Imho Those are the first things that pop into my head when I take a real good look at Diablo 3 so far, I'm just worried about diablo 3 and future blizzard products in general if they are going to keep doing this crap again and again. I mean just think about what we would end up with if we didn't voice ANY concerns about the game at all. Really think about that and re-read my points as much as you want. Just remember, what would we get if we didn't say anything about their progress?

Anyway, I hope you thought this was interesting and at least insightful on some level or another. In the end I personally wont be getting the "OMG THAT IS AMAZING!" Diablo 3 that I expected I would be. Instead I will be getting the handmedown unoriginal game created for the masses. Fun may it still be, the point is what it could have been. In the end my main goal with this was to at least open some peoples eye's just a little bit so we don't end up accepting everything we get without question. If we do that we will all end up like console gamers in the very near future.

Quote from "SpanishBard" »

Well I'm just glad you put that much effort into your first response without being asked or criticized. Oh wait.....

Hey you made up for your mistake. Congratulations. This can be dropped now. So for future reference, just spend a little more time on what the requester needs. Not what you prefer. Ok? Lesson learned, case closed.

1. The Sin War: Birthright
2. The Sin War: Scales of the Serpent
3. The Sin War: The Veiled Prophet
4. Demonsbane
5. The Black Road / Diablo I
6. Legacy of Blood / Diablo II
7. The Kingdom of Shadow / Diablo II
8. Moon of the Spider

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today revealed Diablo III, the newest entry in its critically acclaimed action role-playing-game franchise. The announcement was made during the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational at the Porte de Versailles Convention Centre in Paris, France. A cinematic trailer and an extended gameplay demonstration with commentary from the development team introduced the game to the thousands of players in attendance.

"We've wanted to expand on the epic story and gameplay elements of the Diablo universe for some time now," stated Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We know that players have also been long awaiting a return to the series, so we're very excited to be sharing this announcement with Blizzard gamers here in Paris and around the world today."

Diablo III will pick up the story twenty years after the events of Diablo II. Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal have been defeated, but the Worldstone, which once shielded the inhabitants of the world of Sanctuary from the forces of both the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, has been destroyed, and evil once again stirs in Tristram. Playing as a hero from one of five distinct character classes, players will acquire powerful items, spells, and abilities as they explore new and familiar areas of Sanctuary and battle hordes of demons to safeguard the world from the horrors that have arisen. The first two characters classes -- the barbarian and the witch doctor -- were shown as part of the announcement at the event today in Paris. Diablo III will feature a custom 3D-graphics engine to render lush indoor and outdoor areas of Sanctuary with a high level of detail and vivid special effects. The game's physics-enhanced environments will be interactive and destructible, offering traps and obstacles that create added danger for players and monsters alike. These elements, along with a new quest system and random scripted events, will be integrated into the game's random-level generator, giving Diablo III the ultimate combination of dynamic gameplay and replayability. Cooperative and competitive play will be available online through an upgraded version of Blizzard Entertainment's renowned online gaming service, Battle.net.

What is Diablo III?
We’re developing Diablo III to be the definitive action role-playing game, and a true continuation of the Diablo series. Players will create a hero from one of five distinct classes, such as barbarian or witch doctor, each equipped with an array of spells and abilities. As these heroes adventure through rich and varied settings, unraveling an epic storyline and engaging in combat with hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, they’ll grow in experience and ability and acquire items of incredible power.

The game takes place on Sanctuary, a world of dark fantasy. Unbeknownst to most of its inhabitants, Sanctuary was saved some twenty years ago from the demonic forces of the underworld by a few brave and powerful heroes. Most of those warriors who directly faced the armies of the Burning Hells -- and were fortunate enough to survive -- went mad from their experiences. And most of the others have buried their haunted memories and pushed the horrors from their thoughts. In Diablo III, players will return to Sanctuary to confront evil in its many forms once again.
Diablo III will be a fitting sequel to Diablo II, with the easy interface, fast-paced action, and visceral gameplay that Diablo players have come to expect and enjoy. It will also include many new features that will take the Diablo action-RPG experience to the next level. We look forward to going into much more detail on our plans for Diablo III as development on the game progresses.

What’s new about Diablo III compared to the previous Diablo games?
Exciting new classes like the witch doctor bring new gameplay options to the table. Returning classes, like the barbarian, have been completely redone with new skills to give them a feel unique to Diablo III. 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.
Diablo III is powered by a new graphics engine that can display characters and hordes of monsters in lush, fully 3D environments. Powerful special-effects systems and Havok-powered physics allow the player to lay waste to the Hells' minions in spectacular ways.
Also, Diablo III builds on the random environments of the previous Diablo games by introducing a host of new ways to create random scripted events throughout the game. This creates a dense and exciting world alive with quests, NPCs, dynamic encounters, and viciously challenging new monsters and bosses. Diablo III's environments add a great deal of interactivity to the game, including destructible elements and environmental obstacles that can be turned against your enemies.
In addition, Diablo III will benefit from Battle.net upgrades that will provide some exciting new features for players. Cooperative online play remains a primary focus, with multiple enhancements being planned to make connecting with your friends easier and cooperative gameplay even more fun. We'll have more details on all these aspects as well as other exciting new features at a later date.

Can you give an overview of Diablo III's storyline?
It has been twenty years since the events of Diablo II. Of those who faced the Lords of Hatred, Terror, and Destruction in the battle over the fate of Sanctuary, there are few still living who can bear to remember the horrors that the Prime Evils wrought upon the world. And of those who did not witness the terrible events firsthand, most believe the stories to be little more than myth. But something evil is stirring once again in Tristram, and it may already have claimed its first victim: Deckard Cain.

Will there be any other familiar faces in Diablo III (other than Deckard Cain)?
Yes. Players will encounter several new characters as well as a number of characters from the previous games.

Will players be visiting any familiar locations in Diablo III, such as Tristram?
Yes, definitely. Players will return to Tristram and certain other locations from the previous games, and they'll be exploring new areas of Sanctuary as well.

How many character classes are included in Diablo III? What are they?
Five character classes will be included in the game, two of which, the barbarian and witch doctor, were revealed when the game was announced at the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational. The other classes will be announced at a later date.

Will players be able to choose the gender of their character, regardless of class?
Yes. Players will be able to create male and female characters for all five classes.

Will Diablo III be playable over Battle.net? What new features can we expect?
Yes, Diablo III will be playable over Battle.net, and Battle.net will offer some exciting new features to enhance players' Diablo III experience. We'll announce specifics and go into much more detail at a later date.

Will there be a single-player component in addition to multiplayer?
Yes. In addition to battling the hordes of the Burning Hells cooperatively with friends over Battle.net, players will be able to adventure through the world of Diablo III solo. More details on both the single-player and multiplayer experience will be revealed at a later date.

What will questing be like in Diablo III? Will it be similar to Diablo II?
Our plans for the story and quest mechanics are still under wraps. We'll go into detail on those elements of the game at a later date. We can say, however, that we expect to have class-based quests in addition to the main story-line quests.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS
What engine is Diablo III running on? What graphical enhancements are included?
Diablo III runs on a custom 3D game engine for rendering full-3D characters and environments. The 3D game engine not only simulates advanced animation sequences and sound effects, but also uses a custom physics engine that allows for realistic object dynamics and cloth simulation.

What are the system requirements for Diablo III?
We'll announce specific system requirements at a later date.

RELEASE PLANS
When will Diablo III be released?
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.

Will the game be released in multiple countries? Will the release be simultaneous? Which countries and what languages will Diablo III be localized in?
As with all of our games, our goal with Diablo III is to release the game 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.

Will Diablo III be available on Windows and Mac simultaneously?
Yes. As with all of Blizzard Entertainment's recent releases, Diablo III will ship for both Windows and Mac simultaneously.

How much will Diablo III cost? Where can I buy this game? Pricing and availability for Diablo III will be determined and announced closer to the release of the game.

Bits and pieces from the post-announcement press conference:

• No release date as of yet.
• Development in its "early stages" despite being underway for over four years.
• Brand new in-house engine developed for Diablo III. Includes Havoc physics.
• Co-op is fully integrated into the game's design.
• Will also be released on Mac.
• Similar in length to Diablo II.
• Takes place twenty years after Diablo II expansion pack.
• Only fifty people working on the game at the moment. Content creation the current focus.
• New Battle.net will debut with StarCraft II. Even more features by the time Diablo III launches.
• No console release of Diablo III planned. Other Blizzard title staying on PC and Mac also.
• Pay to play? Totally undecided, though it could vary between regions. For example, China may because of the popularity of internet cafes and the strict gaming laws that are meant to prevent people becoming addicted.
• Could be up to 100 enemies on-screen at a time.
• The ice splash page malarkey was Diablo all along, ditto on the eyes. I am vindicated. The penguin remains a mystery, however.
• Hellgate: London-esque randomness is in, to an extent. Some maps and what have yous will be static.
• Low-spec [computer] losers are being catered to.
• World of Warcraft and The Legend of Zelda heavily influenced boss design and boss gameplay mechanics.
• E-Sports support is a possibility. Team is attempting to form a business plan that works for that crowd.
• No character customisation, just gender selection.
• PvP will likely be included at release.
• Voice communication will be improved.
• Beta is a possibility.
• "Potions are still in the game, they're just not as core an element. So there's a new health system here. Wilson says he actually tried a Halo-style shield system with regenerative health, but didn't put that in because it encouraged players to leave combat. Didn't want to implement a WoW-style health which encourages players to drink and creates downtime when out of combat. Wilson wants the health system to ensure combat, which is health globes were implemented."
• One health pot restores all players in co-op.
• Enemies can miss and get weapons stuck in scenery or world.
• Player characters will be fully voice acted.
• Four-to-five person co-op groups.

• Source

Diablo III's tank profiled:

In my journey to catalogue the various denizens, civilizations, and fauna of our world, I have traveled far and wide, but never before have I been struck with such dismay as when standing upon the ramparts of the ancient fortress of Bastion's Keep. I came to see firsthand the barbarians, those near-legendary, immense, relentless, dual-wielding furies of combat dwelling upon their sacred Mount Arreat.
Instead, I stand here looking at a mountain that has been torn asunder by some extraordinary force. The sight, I must confess, is incomprehensible. Yet what I see before me cannot be denied.
What truly happened here? Where are those majestic warriors of old?
Though they were once misunderstood as simple, bloodthirsty invaders, the long and noble history of these proud people is now rightly acknowledged. And therein lies the greater tragedy here, for those of us familiar with the nobility of the barbarians remember too what they call their "vigil", the concept that lay at the very heart of their culture. The barbarians consider it their sworn duty to protect Mount Arreat and the mysterious object within. They believe that if they fail to uphold their duty to the great mount, or are not given a proper burial upon its slopes, they will be denied a true warrior's death, and their spirits shall roam the land without honor for all eternity. If there are any barbarians left alive, they must truly be without hope. Perhaps this is the genesis of the rumors of monstrous things reported to resemble the barbarians in size and ferocity, but that are in reality nothing more than unreasoning, inhuman beasts. Could the destruction of not only their home but also their very beliefs have actually brought this magnificent race so low?

Most believe the fearsome witch doctor of the umbaru race a legend, but I have seen one in battle with my own eyes. And it was difficult to believe, even then. He dispatched his opponent with terrifying precision, assaulting his victim's mind and body with elixirs and powders that evoked fires, explosions, and poisonous spirits. As if these assaults were not enough, the witch doctor also had at his command the ability to summon undead creatures from the netherworld to rend the flesh from his enemy's body.
I came upon this rare display as I ventured deep into the interior of the dense Torajan jungles that cover the southern tip of the great eastern continent, in the vast area known as the Teganze, with the goal of seeking out the tribes that reside there. This area is extremely secluded, and heretofore unseen by foreign eyes. I was fortunate to befriend the witch doctor I saw in battle, and, through him, his tribe: the Tribe of the Five Hills.
The culture of the umbaru of the lower Teganze is fascinating and perplexing to those hailing from more civilized walks of life. For instance, the Tribe of the Five Hills frequently engages in tribal warfare with both the Clan of the Seven Stones and the Tribe of the Clouded Valley, but these are matters of ritual and not of conquest. I had heard tales that these wars are waged in order that the victors may replenish their supply of raw materials for the human sacrifices that their civilization revolves around, and when I timidly asked my hosts more about this topic, I must admit their laughter made me fear for my safety. However, through stumbled attempts at communication of such complex topics as what constitutes heroism and honor in their society, I gathered that only those taken in battle are considered worthy of the ritual sacrifice, much to my relief.
Upon further discussions with my hosts, I discovered that these tribes define themselves by their belief in the Mbwiru Eikura, which roughly translates to "The Unformed Land" (this is an imprecise translation, as this concept is completely foreign to our culture and language). This belief holds that the true, sacred reality is veiled behind the physical one we normally experience. Their vitally important public ceremonies are centered upon sacrifices to the life force that flows from their gods, who inhabit the Unformed Land, into this lesser physical realm.
The witch doctors are finely attuned to this Unformed Land and are able to train their minds to perceive this reality through a combination of rituals and the use of selected roots and herbs found in the jungles. They call the state in which they interact with this other world the Ghost Trance.
Alongside the primacy of the belief in the life force and the Unformed Land, the second most sacred belief of the tribes is their philosophy of self-sacrifice and non-individuality, of suppressing one's self-interest for the good of the tribe. This idea, so foreign to our culture, struck me as something I wished to delve into much more deeply. Unfortunately, there was intense social upheaval among the tribes due to an incident involving their most current war (inasmuch as I could discern in the ensuing bedlam), and the charged atmosphere warranted my quick departure before I could ask anything further of my hosts.

Diablo III takes place twenty years after the Lord of Destruction Diablo II expansion pack:

Two decades have passed since the demonic denizens, Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal, wandered the world of Sanctuary in a vicious rampage to shackle humanity into unholy slavery. Yet for those who battled the Prime Evils directly, the memory fades slowly and the wounds of the soul still burn. When Deckard Cain returns to the ruins of Tristram's Cathedral seeking clues to new stirrings of evil, a comet from the heavens strikes the very ground where Diablo once entered the world. The comet carries a dark omen in its fiery being and it calls the heroes of Sanctuary to defend the mortal world against the rising powers of the Burning Hells – and even the failing luminaries of the High Heavens itself.

A list of game features has also been made available:

• Explore a fully-realized Sanctuary – the living, breathing gothic fantasy world of Diablo III rendered in gorgeous 3D.
• Battle the unholy forces of the Burning Hells with all-new character classes like the otherworldly Witch Doctor, or with re-imagined warriors from Diablo’s past: such as the fierce Barbarian.
• Rain Hell on your enemies wielding the interactive environment as a weapon: lay cunning traps, turn destructible objects against your foes, and use environmental obstacles to your advantage - all powered by the Havoc physics system.
• Experience the intensity of multiplayer Diablo III over an all-new, wickedly-enhanced Battle.net platform with numerous enhancements to make connecting with your friends easier – and cooperative gameplay more fun.

Other story tidbits can be discovered by watching the super sexy cinematic trailer.