Personally, I liked what I saw -- and I saw that demo right on my face on a HUGE screen at the event with plenty of detail. The outdoors naturally need to look sharp and colorful, while the dungeons have that dark ambience. There is also obviously a change of illumination between 2D and 3D environments.
UPDATE: This quote was from the same day the game was announced, so it doesn't reflect much on the afterward fan response to the game. In short, he did not read the petition at that point. However, for your knowledge, I submitted today the Diablo III Art Design Direction Survey thread to Bashiok (Diablo III Community Manager). Your feedback was confirmed to have been received.Keith Lee - One of the things that we considered when we were working on the visuals for Diablo III is the fact that color is your friend. We feel that color actually helps to create a lot of highlights in the game so that there is contrast. A great analogy is like in Lord of the Rings. Not everything is dark. It allows you to see what a creepy dungeon can be like but if everything is dark it doesn't allow you to have a lot of contrast.
He continued: Diablo I and Diablo II are darker, and I think that the one of the main reasons why is the fact that in Diablo I, you're basically in a dungeon the whole time. And in contrast to Diablo III, you'll be exploring outdoors, you'll be in dungeons, you'll be experiencing so many different areas. We want to bring as much variety as we can when you're playing the game so that you're excited to check out new environments. We don't want everything to look the same and that's really what we're trying to aim for.
Said thread contains links to three of the online petitions.
The lack of detail in the models/enviroment is for performance, which Blizzard has always done as to allow them the maximum number of players to play on a greater range of computers. Imagine the realistic detail many of you have asked for and apply it to the enviroment and to the 30 mobs running around your screen, now add the multitude of attacks that you and your enemies will be performing. If you want the gameplay to remain the same, i.e. you fighting off an army, you'll have to sacrifice some detail. Seriously, whose going to be paying attention to a smooth gargoyle with glowing eyes when they're smashing enemies into oblivion.
As for the gothic feel to the game, tell me how a Yeti is gothic. How about a bright, blue demon? Maybe midgets(Fetish, Act3) are more gothic for you? As for the darkness of the game, the only times it became truly noticeable were at the times when it was crippling. And the supposed feel of the game was ruined by the fact that you could TP your way to freedom anytime you were overwhelmed in a dark corner somewhere.
I'm anti-petition. Not necessarily anti-change
And to be back on topic, I support Blizzard and like the fact the it's trying to breath life into the series.
idk i had one though
here ill give a link
http://d3.zuggaming.com/wp-content/gallery/d3screens/diablo_3_screenshot14.jpg
http://www.pcgamersblog.com/mythos_screen_02.jpg
I will not play D3 if it goes fee based. As simple as that, yes. I have nothing against MMO's, I just cannot personally justify a monthly fee for a game. I do pay for X-Box Live fees, but that's more a service than a specific game fee. And if I kill my X-Box Live account it's not like any of my X-Box games will stop working.
I guess the main thing is just what I said, if you pay a fee there is a pull to play as much as possible to get the most value. I just don't have enough time to game like that so I know I would be paying for a full month but only using a few days worth.
I also cancelled my Netflix and Gamefly subscriptions for much the same reason. I never had the time to watch the DVD/play the games and send them back qucikly enough to make it worth my while!
hmm..mythos is cartoony looking lol, D3 is much more of a comparison to guild wars for sure
1. Blizz hasn't come up short yet.
2. Its the very beginning and even then its a very short amount of time that we've seen.
3. If they had shown us Act 2 of Diablo 2 when the announced it we would've had about the same reaction, and that still ended up being an epic game.
go look at the blizzard.com splash intro or the cinematic trailer. both of these show a pretty damn bad ass looking diablo (well, i assume that it's diablo ^_^)
diablo's face in the splash intro looks like it could be the album art for Tool CD for cryin out loud
I wouldn't be too worried about it, especially this early.
This is a respectful, formal criticism in no way meant to offend, disparage , or disrespect Mr. Lee or any member of the Diablo III team. In fact, were I to have anything but the utmost respect for Blizzard, the Diablo franchise, and the Diablo III team, I would certainly not bother with the effort put forth in this reaction.
In what follows I argue that lead producer Keith Lee's reasoning fails to justify the change in artistic direction from Diablo I and II, to Diablo III. Three premises will support this conclusion:
- The analogy made to Lord of the Rings only corroborates the claim of a disconnect between the Diablo fanbase and the in-game art direction of Diablo III.
- I show, contra Lee, that there is potential for great diversity within the traditional artistic style of the Diablo Universe.
- I demonstrate the likelihood of contrast between in-game and out-game, not in-game and in-game, as that which constitutes the success of the Diablo Universe.
I. The Analogy Made to 'The Lord of the Rings'
There can be no doubt that The Lord of the Rings is a fantastically successful franchise. There can also be no doubt that, at certain instances, the art direction in The Lord of the Rings is near to the wishes of the Diablo community for Diablo III. The problem in using this analogy is this: these instances occur only in The Lord of the Rings' darkest, most decadent moments (in the sense of the word that reflects a state of deep moral and cultural decline). Indeed, there is much darkness in The Lord of the Rings, but not much of it is dark enough, or decadent enough to satisfy the Diablo fanbase.
The moments that do are comparatively few in relation to the whole, thus they do not characterize the artistic style of Lord of the Rings. Darkness and decadence does, however, because it is so prevalent in Diablo I and II, characterize the aesthetic style of the Diablo Universe. A vast majority of the Diablo fanbase wishes to preserve the aesthetic character of the Diablo Universe. Therefore, the analogy made to The Lord of the Rings, because it is different in aesthetic character from the Diablo Universe, only corroborates the claim of a disconnect between the Diablo fanbase and the in-game art direction of Diablo III.
It could be responded that these decadent moments in Lord of the Rings, to which the traditional style of the Diablo Universe is analogous, are effective only insofar as they stand in contrast to its many bright and colorful moments. Therefore, it could be argued that Diablo III ought to incorporate bright and colorful moments. I hold this to be fallacious mainly for reasons shown in premise three; but, in addition to the theoretical reasoning put forth there, I shall hold the following empirical reasoning (reasoning based on observation) to dismiss this objection: 1) the traditional style of the Diablo Universe contains only a small range of in-game contrast, and 2) despite this (or, as I will later argue, because of this), Diablo I and Diablo II were tremendously successful.
II. Diversity within the Traditional Artistic Style of the Diablo Universe
Mr. Lee holds that the traditional artistic style of the Diablo Universe does not allow for the diversity necessary for Diablo III. Contained in this position is the following proposition implied by it: Diablo III should be diverse to the point which requires deviation from the tradition artistic style of the Diablo Universe.
The problem with this proposition implied by Mr. Lee’s position is obvious and two-fold.
First, the Diablo fanbase is mostly and seriously opposed to it; Diablo III, they say in great number, does not require deviation from the traditional artistic style of the Diablo Universe. Second, the fanbase is right; but not for any reason I have seen explicated thus far. They are right because diversity in any increased amount does not require deviation from the traditional artistic style of the Diablo Universe.
The best example of this claim is Heaven. For example, the overwhelming darkness of Hell could be complimented by overwhelming lightness in Heaven. This would add enormously to the diversity of the game without at all violating the traditional artistic style of the Diablo Universe. Therefore, there is potential for great, even infinite diversity within the traditional artistic style of the Diablo Universe.
What is opposed to the artistic style of the Diablo Universe? The answer to this question is simultaneously that which would be the most egregious error against the will of the fanbase: anything cartoon-like in form, color, texture, or tonality.
“[C]olor is your friend,” Mr. Lee correctly states. Nevertheless, its usage must be responsibly dictated in ways that do not transpose another universe on top of it, but enhance and diversify this universe, the Diablo Universe. The potential for this within the traditional artistic style of the Diablo Universe is unlimited.
III. In-Game and Out-Game Contrast
In this premise I wish to put forth a theory which would partly explain the enormous success of the Diablo franchise. The traditional Diablo Universe, we know, includes some but no great amount of contrast in color and tonality. Why, then, if contrast is so important, is the Diablo franchise so successful?
I theorize that the fanbase is so loyal and loving of the traditional artistic style of the Diablo Universe not because in it (in-game to in-game) there are great contrasts, but because its dark and serious character contrasts with the character of the world around them (in-game to out-game). The character of the world around us can sometimes seem silly and superficial, and for this immersion in a dark and serious universe is a deeply satisfying antidote. Therefore, it is possible that the contrast between in-game and out-game, not in-game and in-game, is that which constitutes the success of the Diablo Universe. In light of this theory and the premises above, lead producer Keith Lee's reasoning fails to justify the change in artistic direction from Diablo I and II, to Diablo III.
Conclusion
I again state that this reaction is meant in to be taken as formal critique, and thus attached to it are no intentions to offend, disparage, or disrespect Mr. Lee or any member of the Diablo III team. I would have no desire to explicate my views were anything but respect and admiration for Blizzard, the Diablo franchise, and the Diablo III team, especially Mr. Lee, present in me. Nevertheless, his positions on the tonal character necessary for Diablo III, as they are represented in the above referenced article, are mostly fallacious. This conclusion is adequately demonstrated by the above premises.
We give to the creators of universes freedom to do what fans least expect, and sometimes what they least want. This can have explosively wonderful consequences, as these creators are trained as experts and they know, most times, what fans will enjoy better than the fans themselves. Nevertheless, the success of creators is wholly determined by how well their judgements align with fan preferences, whether in the fan they be realized yet or not. The following, however, is a preference certainly realized: that the traditional artistic style of the Diablo Universe be upheld. Many things may be diversified within it, but Diablo III will not be a success without it.
About me: I am a graduate student in philosophy at West Chester University and an avid gamer, which explains both the style of this reaction and my passion for Diablo.
Post reactions or feel free to email me at louisdilello@gmail.com.
Thanks!
That isnt anything to be proud of
good point...
Dude, I think you need to get laid or something.
Honestly who the hell has time to sit around and type this shit up? If you think anyone working on D3 at Blizzard is even going to read past the first few lines of this your delusional.
this here sums up everything we have all been talking about. who cares about color, who cares about textures of big sholder pads. that stuff is pety. DIABLO 3 WAS ANNOUNCED. appreciate... dont hate