DiabloFans

Welcome back. Some of us old-timers are around trawling the boards still.

Rebjorn - I think that's a fantastic idea and one that would truly benefit the community and the players. Thinking about this makes me wonder why Blizzard hasn't done something along these lines (though, I suppose I wouldn't consider them particularly supportive to mods, unlike other developers like Bethesda). If Blizzard is truly as profit-driven as it seems to us, that leads to the question: if there were a profitable way to do this, why haven't they done it?

Certainly, there is a degree of risk involved in greater support for modding / releasing source code, but I imagine the potential for profit could easily outweigh these risks, especially considering D2 is an older property. Perhaps, then, the potential for profit isn't as significant as we believe. I find it doubtful they haven't at least considered possibilities like this - so perhaps they have done analysis and found that the profits just aren't there for some reason (or the risks are larger than we have considered).

Maybe, for example, they are concerned about drawing attention away from their newer properties (i.e. D3, D4, Diablo Immortal, etc) by shifting player focus back onto D2 - cannibalizing some of their own audience. This could make sense, considering they are surely aware of the legacy of D2 compared to the somewhat lukewarm perception of D3, D4, and Immortal.

They also may simply prefer to maintain greater control over their properties - something which supporting modding on an older title might undermine. It's harder to justify DRM, paid DLC's, and micro transactions on a new title if you're actively supporting modding on an older (arguably, more popular) title. This higher level of control and propriety over games is, unfortunately, gaining in popularity. It may be less beneficial for players, but it is a safer bet for the developer and shareholders.

Ultimately, I think that your idea is great - arguably, better than Blizzard attempting a remaster / remake (as I agree that the fanbase and modders are more likely to put in the effort to crafting a more soulful and honest experience) - but it would likely require a major shift in Blizzard's direction... something which isn't likely to happen if they're content and profiting off of their current model.

In short, this is a great idea but, if Blizzard is as greedy as it seems, I doubt it will happen (sadly). Not enough control over the product, maybe too much doubt about losing audience from their newer games.

Hey, thanks a lot! I'll check it out.

Hi all,

Is there any sort of live chatroom (or similar) set up for DiabloFans or for the Diablo community in general?

Happy to receive any/all recommendations.

Thanks!

Hi Duke,

Your English is excellent - no need to apologise.

I think this is an interesting idea for a game mechanic. I'm curious how it would integrate with the rest of the game (i.e. could you just always try and set up a courier quest when travelling to gain extra XP or rewards from it, or would they pop up randomly and you would have to choose whether to accept or not?)

It seems like you've thought the idea through a fair bit. If I come up with any other ideas re: mechanics I'll add them here!

Hi Bagstone - thank you very much for that informative post!

By the time of RoS, I was long gone, so I had no idea of the effect it had on the D3 experience or DFans userbase! That's very interesting.

It's sad to hear that Blizzard has changed so much - I wonder if this is, in large part, due to the merger/acquisiton with Activision? (I haven't been paying close attention for years, so I'm not all caught up).

Perhaps Diablo 4, if it's able to deliver on what it seems to be promising, will lead to a resurgence. Perhaps if the upcoming Netflix series is revealed, that could lead to some additional activity as well.

Ultimately, Reddit is such a powerhouse, I'm not surprised a lot of the fanbase has moved there. In my experience, Reddit has largely replaced the forum-based communities that once made up such a large part of the internet (from early 2000's through ~ 2010ish, at least for me).

This is too bad, though, because I think Reddit simply doesn't have the same intimate community feel that a more specific website/forum (such as DFans) can provide. This is something I find lacking in the Reddit experience for me - though I know some do get more connected. I think this is largely due to the site being so "like" driven (so only top content really gets viewed by the majority of users, who don't sort by "new").

I'd love to see some more discussion and community posts here, as it does seem that most of the remaining activity is very build-oriented (which is great, but only one piece of the greater picture).

Thanks again for all the information and opinion - and for the welcome!

EDIT: For what it's worth - I was able to 'resurrect' my account by sending a message to the forum's support email (support@diablofans.com) and asking for it to be connected to my Twitch account. It took a few weeks, but it allowed me to re-accedd my old account, even though I had never 'consented' to the account being carried over... I wonder if this is true for other old members as well?

I wonder if there is any plan to revitalise the forums, considering Diablo is still such an active property...

Very interesting. This site has a fascinating 'behind the scenes' history.

Originally Diablo3.com was owned and managed by Mockery who, if I recall correctly, was based out of Quebec (maybe Ontario?). Umaro was aother primary admin for the site with him at the time (who was a bit more 'active' in the day-to-day running of the site).

Blizzard contacted Mockery about purchasing the Diablo3.com domain name in anticipation of the game announcement, but Mockery (I think, quite cleverly) opted instead to 'donate' the domain name to them in exchange for promotion - specifically, listing the new site (DiabloFans.com) on the official Diablo III website. When the game was announced, this led to a huge surge in users (IIRC from about 10,000 to 30,000 - practically over night). It was just before this 're-brand' that Umaro asked me onto the team to help with the graphical elements (e.g. new logo & banner, forum re-skin, etc).

Not long after, it was announced that Mockery was moving on from the site and selling to the Curse gaming network (I believe around 2010-2012). At first, the site experienced a lot of growth during this period as anticipation for Diablo III grew - however, I believe shortly after the game was released, the site's activity experienced a decline. My guess would be this was for a few reasons. I think the mutual anticipation of the game had held more energy than the actual game itself and, when it was released, I think a lot of the spirit subsided. Many of us were tired of the wait by this point. Additionally, some, like me, were probably disappointed in Diablo III and weren't as motivated to remain active in the community. These factors probably combined to produce a decline in activity.

Curse operated the site as part of its network for some time - before being acquired by Amazon / Twitch in 2016. Then, in 2018 the site (and many of Curse's assets, including DiabloFans.com and other similar sites) were bought by Wikia (aka Fandom). The current owner/operator of DFans is MagicFind - which appears to be a subsidiary of Fandom/Wikia - as their advertising is generated by Fandom (though I haven't actually confirmed that this is the relationship).

I'm guessing that the 'blackout' you've been referring to happened sometime in that 2018-2020 range (does that seem correct?)

ANYWAYS! All this has been very interesting to reflect on and research. I had to dig through some old emails from pre-2010 and do some Googling - which has all been surprisingly enjoyable. Thanks everyone for the nostalgia trip!

What would be better - a straight remaster of the original game (gameplay and mechanics unchanged) or a remake (with actual gameplay and mechanics updates as well as enhanced graphical elelements)?

As much as I love the original D2, I could see room for improvement - though I'd be concerned that too much unnecessary tweaking could be problematic.

Perhaps if they released a 'remake' with a 'classic' / 'vanilla' option that could be a good compromise (though that seems like much more work).

This said - I'm skeptical they would remaster or remake D2, as they are still actively making so many new entries into the Diablo franchise. Re-releasing the most beloved entry in the series might cannibalize a good portion of their audience for the newer titles.

What do the rest of you think?

Hi Rebjorn,

Very nice to see you here! I wasn't aware of all the 'troubles' DFans has gone through - was it a planned shutdown? How long ago did this happen?

I do think the site activity was at an all-time high around the release of D3, and when I 'took off' the forums were booming!

As much as I would love a D2 remake, I am quite certain it will never happen (unless fans take on the project themselves - a risky proposition).

I've seen a bit about PoD, but haven't looked into it very far. Is it strictly for D2? Is it still pretty active? Could be interesting to check out.

Thanks for your message!

Hey, thanks!

That's interesting. What are the limitations on the randomisation (how crazy does it get)?

I'm wondering if this mod is intended to create a chaotic ridiculous experience or simply to enhance replay value by allowing more variation.

Thanks!

Hello all,

Jetrall here - I'm an old timer, but I've been away for some time now and figured I may warrant a re-introduction.

Many years ago, when this site was still Diablo3.com, before the game was announced and Blizzard bought out the domain, I was a Mod here - and, later, an Admin. I was tasked with re-designing the site prior to the Blizzard buyout and the logo I made still sits atop the site today.

I experienced some disappointment with the initial release of Diablo III and that, combined with a general burnout with online gaming and seeking a degree, led me away for a long while.

I was, however, intrigued by the Diablo IV trailer and it got me reminiscing. I figured, if I wanted to stay up to date on the series and see where D4 is heading, it would make sense to come back and keep an eye on the forums & news.

I'm especially interested to know if there are any others, like me, still around from the 'old days' and I'd also love to see how the site and its users have grown and changed over the years. What are the best new things on DiabloFans.com? Who are the users to know?

Also - thanks to Chaud for resurrecting this account for me!

You can't take a picture that small and blow it up without it looking awful.

I look basically the same as 7 years ago. I guess that's a good thing? Maybe it's bad? I dunno. Who cares.