The first one was in a thread about Zombies where Bashiok didn't answer the thread directly, but cut out a quote and made a comment:
Official Blizzard Quote:
20 years later in sanctuary and hell still commands zombies to rise?
The dead are not rising in Tristram because Hell commands them.
Another user asked about if the Diablo III beta would follow the trend of SC2 and not have an NDA (Non-disclosure agreement), thus making it open for anyone to discuss it, to which Bashiok replied:
Official Blizzard Quote:
I don't believe we're planning to impose NDA's on future beta tests for any of our franchises. That's of course subject to change.
We also got a small reply regarding pet control.
Official Blizzard Quote:
Does diablo 3 allow player to micro pets like in titan's quest?
Sort of. Direct control of their actions, no, but there's a lot of thought and strategy that can go in to pet control far beyond just summoning new ones when the old ones die.
The last and longest post was concerning the Wizard skill Disintegrate. A rather lively discussion was brought up about how the skill worked, both on the official forum and here on DiabloFans. Some users feared that the skill with it's high responsiveness would be too easy to use in PvP which caught Bashiok's attention:
Official Blizzard Quote:
I haven't had any problems countering it. The arena maps have a bit of LoS just for that reason. Also, if you don't have some kind of mobility skill you're probably doing it wrong. Lastly it requires constant use of Disintegrate to build up to full power (damage) and a wizard sitting still for that long is just asking for it.
It's a great skill, and can definitely be used to great effect, but the instant-on and instant rotation, in my experience, don't make it so amazing that it feels cheesy when I get killed by it. It's usually because I got outplayed. Disintegrate is usually an annoying chip away at health from range, or an awesome finish if you can combo a stun and the opponent can't break out of it. There's not usually a middle ground to use it. Having to stop for that long is just a bad idea.
Anyway, sort of tough to discuss when build potential is still such an unknown and likely will be for a while after release. Like Disintegrate with obsidian makes it a short range cone attack that it super strong, so maybe a melee wizard would love it that way. It's a good skill at its base mechanic, useful, but I don't feel it's OP.
As for the NDA, I am glad that as soon as beta drops, the flood of Diablo information will come forth.
With the zombies, how can anyone complain about having zombies? There a must in any "horror" game.
The laser thing to me is more of an aesthetic than function issue. I would just like to see some sort of whippy motion when twirling it around.
Yes, I agree! I'm not too concerned about pet control though, I think it will be worked out just fine and I will probably not miss targeting features that much.
I too think a whip effect to Disintegrate could improve the feel of the spell a lot. Although that could make it maybe too weak against fast moving creatures, depending on how responsive you make it. They could probably balance that as well though. We'll have to wait and see how it plays out with runes and such.
Zombies & no NDA <3
same thought here. I like how they're encouraging "melee wizard" what with certain skills, and now with runes
And as far as Disintegrate goes, it never struck me as OP. Having to stand still and its low damage, (it was ticking for 15-20 on targets with 800+ hp in those PvP videos) makes it a pretty situational skill. Like Bashiok said, its easy to get out of line of site in those arenas. The only thing that struck me as a problem with it is that if you're a Disintegrate Wizard, what do you do during a boss fight other than avoid damaging stuff and sit there casting Disintegrate? Like if its your most damaging still thats the only way I see it working out. I'm sure thats not the case though, and if it is, I'm avoiding that boredom at all costs.
I'm pretty sure the reason that the Zombies aren't attached to Hell anymore is because of Mephisto (I think he was the undead leader) is dead/gone. Bashiok is obviously trying to imply something though, or at least carefully choosing his words to let us know something weird is up. Maybe its whoever is the Act 1 boss?
Keep in mind that bosses are going to be a lot more interesting than they were in D2. Blizzard said themselves that they want to make bosses more like a Zelda boss, and from what we've seen so far, there is going to be a lot more happening in a boss fight that just a simple attack/dodge scenario. Couple that with the number of skills and rune variances, I find it hard to believe you will want to just use one skill.
I REALLY like this. it makes a lot of sense. +1
Official Blizzard Quote:
Does diablo 3 allow player to micro pets like in titan's quest?
Sort of. Direct control of their actions, no, but there's a lot of thought and strategy that can go in to pet control far beyond just summoning new ones when the old ones die.
There're so much excitement in me now for knowing there's more to it than exploding my pets brains out when they are looking fried. Just the thought of now minions are being dealt in more depth, I can calmly execute any further worrisome comments that has been swimming in my mind ever since the first zombie dog revealed its inners in great purple clouds. Hey, whatever. As long as they're "having a lot of thought" for any sense of pet controls. Great post.
Oh of course, but if my go-to attack is one where I hold down RMB and a laser comes out and i just stand there with it charged until the boss does something that makes me have to move, it would be kinda boring. I'd personally much rather be using multiple attacks in that time, and what I was pointing out is that since Disintegrate takes up all your time, I don't see how it fits into a skill rotation or anything. I mean I'm sure I'm oversimplifying it, but it just doesn't seem like a terribly interesting skill to me. Which is fine because theres plenty of other skills to choose from.
Man, they know how to speak to a naive crowd. Yes, I'm sure you'll be really happy when you realize that this extremely inaccurate comments, translated to: "Well, I hoped that we would, but I can't say exactly how it is because it might just not happen. And here the game is released and you get some lame ass options. But hey, people we're happy about it until they bought it. Win!"
They shouldn't even be allowed to talk if they're going to be so stupidly vague.
The real step up would've been any possible D3 world editor release from Blizzard. Unfortunately it's been decline gently by the development team themself.
That's a bummer, it's true though.
I was going for a fan comment reinforcement to Bashiok's statement with stronge approval. But it's true the depth will never go into a real "instruction" we hope to be specific with.
Why do I really feel that way though? Probably the same as you do. The sense of pet "micro" doesn't theme to the kind of game they're going for? God I hope that's not true. But there is an idea oh sir we all know that very well, and the right for us to handle creative minion micros are not favored, too much "brain" to be gifted into the world they're going for.
Therefore I can only applaud to whatever additional features to be add into a summoner's deal.
There's got to be more to it than stay/defensive/offensive. Sorry if I'm completely obsessive with this thread, for I'm subconsciously driven to the idea that one of Blizzard's staff is reading this post, and Bashiok's interest was meant to see how the community reacts.
Here I'll say this, even if most players will focuse on solo activities to one's builds pontential, the "instructions" creation doesn't really hurt the format infact the two dementional world of Diablo encourages it, and I think a true summoner is something decent to be looking forward to in the new Diablo.
I think some people's blood can get real pumped up for this possibility. A Witch Doctor. Obviously this can be dealt with without making it as dramatic as RTS standard. Maybe I'm battleing alone here, but I see summoners as something that was eventually going to evolve out of Necro. And it could allow summoners pvp viable as well.
Why not take considerable care into what this system can accomplish? Is there really no one out there wants to see a Diablo version of a summoner? The angle of its world really can give a clear picture of what a summoner should look like.
Wouldn't that be nice. That will be a recapturing of something important for me actually (defnitely not talking about pet mechanics this time :>)
I learned the word "necromancer" because of the need of knowing why my character look so weird. This was in my six grade? Fifth? No clue, remove my father's big-whale-stomache dictionary from the study and check on the whole deal of necro myself. Quite satisfying.
Can we look forward to the dev team annually expanding the game's content? Do you think that's possible?
Well, there was a slew of hellish minions that were undead in e.g. the River of Flame who were definitely under Diablo's command. Mephisto was also I believe called the Lord of the Undead or something like that since undead minions were his specialty. As far as the regular undead like zombies and skeletons are concerned, however, I find it interesting that Bashiok only mentions Tristram as the place where the undead are not raised by Hell. One has to ask what is in Tristram that could make the undead rise from the grave? I think he's hinting at King Leoric (about whom we already know). Leoric is, true, controlled by Hell to some extent (...prepare yourself, mortal, to serve my MASTER for eternity) but it is in fact he who can make undead rise from the grave. So even though Hell (or one of the Prime/Lesser Evils to be exact) is responsible for Leoric's presence in New Tristram, it is Leoric who raises the undead from the grave. Ooor...I'm completely missing the point and there is another story about all this which we still have to hear. If that's the case, you can merrily disregard everything I just said as nothing but ramblings of a new poster :biggrin:
1. The NPCs are wrong the undeads are caused by cultists or other.
2. Or the meteor came from Heaven. Angels conjuring zombies is kind odd rofl.
And we should keep in mind that the Angels in Diablo are much more sinister than the angels in the Bible. Not to mention that God/Jesus raising the dead is part of the Apocalypse, so its not out of the question that the Heavens are commanding the dead in D3.
fuckingcalled it!My freak juice is flowing just by you contributing such fun facts. Angels in Diablo are sinister? (mmmm monsterous elemental beings?)
No argument with bible's reference; and I simply feel joyful for how literal can the dev team be with the activities of angels in Diablo.
I really should start paying attention to Diablo story content. And of course I'm prepared to take considerable focuse in D3's storyline. While I've never taken a serious notion to Diablo plotwise in the past, I'll admit much of it has to do with the age when I engaged in D1 on playstation platform. Mmm, but such facinating knowledge for the activities angels played in the story of Diablo.