Official Blizzard Quote:
We've been working with a level cap that's quite a bit different. It was something I had alluded to a while back but I think it's probably worth discussing sooner rather than later.
So, we're working with a lower level cap for a myriad of reasons but really the main point that they're more or less all linked to is that we came to the conclusion that a cap of 99 exists for the sake of itself. Meaning that it's a really high number despite all sorts of good things like meaningful player/skill/power pacing, item distribution, balance, etc. It's sort of this long term goal that really didn't matter, almost an Achievement without the flashy graphics or *bwong* sound. You didn't need to reach 99 to do anything, in almost all ways the game stopped somewhere in the 80's (for a lot of people a lot lower), but by stretching the player out over an additional 20 or so levels to 99 it created all sorts of issues we were having problems justifying forcing the game in to. So we're working with a level cap of 60 at the moment.
This is the point where some of you scream "60!? That's like original World of Warcraft!" And then the rest of you /facepalm and say "60!? Couldn't you pick any other number? Now everyone is going to compare it to World of Warcraft!"
The 60 level cap we're working with came from a lot of time and thinking about our content and how we want the experience to feel at every level. It so happens that it works for us really well.
Of course it all comes down to an XP curve. We could, for instance, say the level cap in Diablo III is 60 and then pace that curve and gain out over what we estimate it took someone to reach 99 in Diablo II. Of course we wouldn't do that but it should help illustrate that the time from 1-60 in Diablo II does not equal the amount of time it will take to reach 60 in Diablo III. 60 levels versus 99 levels doesn't mean less content or less powerful characters, etc. These aren't uniform levels of power that move from game to game. And in fact we are pushing a longer game that Diablo II and I'd argue our characters feel way more powerful. Ok, that out of the way, moving on!
The leveling experience is always going to stop somewhere because the real game is the item hunt. So, instead of letting it drag out to a less meaningful 80 or so levels like most people saw in Diablo II, we have 60 levels of awesome; at every level you'll get a meaningful and noticeable increase in power. It has a ton of other benefits and fixes a lot of problems a higher cap causes, but I'll take pause.
Bashiok pointed out some very good reasons for this level cap. Most importantly, that this number really is arbitrary. Whether it is sixty or ninety-nine, the actual game and content will be no different. If anything, it just makes gaining each level that much more rewarding. This could also be beneficial for helping with end game content with the natural flow of then end of the game getting your character to max level. Bashiok further commented that the leveling increment would be around level thirty through the first difficulty, level fifty by the end ofthe second and sixty after the hardest difficulty. With this idea, is it possible that the whole game is developed enough to be playable since they know how the flow of leveling will work out over the course of the game?. It will also be interesting to see how this new level cap will work with the new skill system they have in place. Will we only get sixty skill points or will skills not directly level with character level. While this news leave a lot unanswered, it is nice to get another concrete fact about the game.
Naturally, the more and more comparatives there is between the new diablo and wow the less excited I got for the new game. And we have to face it with a level 60 cap, it simply just screams WOW!!! Any other number could have done the trick, be it 63 or 66. Hopefully the next official blizzard quote won't be anything like this: HEY guys, now you can go fishing or bake your own cake, in-game!
Also sorry for the whining
The only thing I'm worried about is this: in D2, it was almost impossible to reach the max level without spending a lot of time doing specific runs. That also meant that in theory, your characters never felt "finished". So everything you did still kinda made sense, because you could still use the xp.
But in D3, when we reach level 60 at the end of the game, won't that mean we're less motiviated to keep playing with that character? It's like.. it's finished, it's done. Even the search for better items won't matter too much, because your character already reached max level.
One way around this would be some end game content only available to lvl 60 characters. That would make reaching lvl 60 feel like a pass to some other special activities.
That pretty much sums up the entire decision on them making the level cap 60. Jay Wilson and all the WoW fanbois strike once again into the hearts of diablo fans everywhere. When are true diablo fans going to say enough is enough? Only time will tell..
Embrace the changes? You mean play world of warcraft... Sorry but I will pass on that, not because world of warcraft is a bad game but because I've already played too much of it and I don't really want to be reminded of it constantly in another game (diablo 3) that shouldn't have nearly all the similarities that it already has in regards to world of warcraft. I mean a level 60 cap? They could have made it 85. Why 60? Are they retarded or what?
Secondly the reason I feel they have given a level cap , cause it automatically doubles up like a skill cap.No more skill tree means no more synergy which allowed for 20+ points in single skill.You can have only 60 points spent in skills.They cant afford to balance it to 99 with all the modifiers they are including.
Although I can see that they wanted to make it 30 in Normal, 20 in Hard and 10 in Hell so 50 wouldn't have worked.
This has to be the most brain-dead posts I have read on the internet in a long time.
I had a response typed out, mainly pointing out that you didn't have flying mounts at level 60 and that vanilla WoW wasn't the stigmatised mess that WotLK turned it into but you're not worth it.
If you feel so strongly that using level 60 as the cap is copying WoW, don't buy the game. Please don't. The playerbase will be better off without you.
seriously now, what's more important? a game that will be balanced and interesting up to end-game or a game that has a number people like because people like it?
*edit* did that last part make any sense? i almost loled at my english.
Im not so much worried about hacks on Bnet, altho i agree it could really ruin the expirence. I wish they could come up with a way to stop people from selling items. Way back when i had that idea where really good items would bind to your account when you picked them up. so like if you had a Barb, but found something really good for a wizard, you could still use it.. ahh fuck it, it was a dumb idea, you get the point tho. its just a game, why do i let shit like that bother me? im rambling now, this is pointless, carry on.
Also in D2 your character was pretty much done when u hit 80.. it could do almost anything already.
he was joking, using the 85 bit... you need to play moar wow =D cos wow is the besterest... if you like warcraft lore or grinding (with new and more interesting quest content!) to be a little more powerful
i toats aggree, i dont like having to ding before having to worry about death and loss of xp in d2. and it will be nice to have the top level a little more reachable before focusing on the aim of the game, puwarful itumz etc... not that it wont be hard to reach
yes it will "feel" like you getting "more" from each level...the thing is why not do it for 99? or 70? or even 65? get my point they can make it "feel" like you are getting ALOT done in 60 levels...or 70...or 80... I personally think the only reason why they are doing this is to "give" more content or "feel" like they are giving more content because you got 10 more levels and a new act in the expansion...which I don't mind....its not that bad...this whole post was to agree and to let people know that it doesn't matter they could still make it 99, a little less grinding and still add the same type of end game...
we will see... ethier way it will be a awsome game
ps someone ragging on this more then me he said something like the tree skills the purple items and level caps from wow something like that...not to burst ur bubble but....alot of features from wow originated from D1 D2 and LoD and as for alot of other games and just like MOST GAMES. If I make a game right now I would put aspects of other games into that game because i liked it and thoses games where or still are fun to this day...hence the talent trees in WoW came from Diablo universe its self no if ands or buts... blizz said them selves on that one...Meaning I bet you that there was at least one guy out there waiting for wow to come out and seen the skill trees and hates diablo(idk how anyone can...). He would say something like *holds nose(do this for real and read whats next out loud u will get my drift ;)) "OMG thoses talent trees look just like diablos skill trees HOW GAY"... LOL
~Mike~
i'd rather say Diablo =/= WoW to make it more valid
each has its own good and bad things and even though WoW got more from Diablo (and Diablo II) it still doesnt change the fact that if some features fit, they're good for the game no matter which game they come from!
~Mike~
there was something else i wanted to add but forgot HAHA
I REMEMBER NOW LOL
i think really they are now working on ideas about expanion and that is a influence. Personally that whole thing with that guy posting that pic on the internet from gamestop (rather its true or not) but that came out like 6 months ago or more and half the games on their no one knew the release dates to and almost all of them that I can see are ethier on the dot or a few months/days off it says 3/1/11 for D3...personally i still think 6/29/11 but who knows sorry for off topic trying to mention it for the expansion part on why they are doing lvl caps...who knows we will find out ethier way HAHA
Very sweet news.