We have the two winners for our booster pack giveaway. Congratulations to our US Region winner DeathsAngel and our EU Region winner Koldunn
Keep in mind if you did not win we will be holding this again on Friday! Note that you will need to be active and have at least 5 new posts between this contest and when you enter the next contest!
Game-Limits Now Live
We reported a few weeks ago that the game-limits would be returning soon to Diablo III. As of today, the game-limits have now been activated (at least on the US realms). You can find the updated blue post on the official forums.
1.0.4 Developer Blogs
A couple weeks ago we got word that Blizzard was working hard on the developer blogs. Though we still don't have a date, we do know they are coming.
Originally Posted by Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
( 1.04 Developer blog. Does it exist? Will we see it before the end of the month? Someone has to be able to share some info...
We've been working in caves in secret, in silence, but it will all bubble to the surface - like so much magma. (Source)
We've been working in caves in secret, in silence, but it will all bubble to the surface - like so much magma. (Source)
Diablo III Profiles - More Info
In case you missed the big news today Diablo III profiles are live! The blues have been active giving some more information.
Originally Posted by Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
(i can't find the achievements section. Anyone know where it is?
Not yet available, but it's definitely in the works: https://us.battle.ne...n/blog/6821782/
Thanks for this update, very useful and looking forward to more:)
Glad you enjoy it! If there are other features you'd like to see for character profiles, please let us know.
Any plans to enable an option to make the profile private if the player chooses?
Not that I know of, but this is certainly feedback that I can relay on to our web and design teams. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
When i look at my profile, I got stuned. I have only 1 char at lvl 5(monk) but when i log in to the game i have all of my chars, even in-game this monk has lvl3. Wonder why?
Because you play on EU: http://eu.battle.net.../DarkCycu-2107/
Hey @Straton, the level requirement reduction stat seems to be a sum of all level reduced gear when shown in the character summary. For instance, I have an armor piece with a level requirement of 2, and one with a 3. In my character's overview, it says "level requirement reduced by 5". This doesn't seem intentional.
Thanks for reporting that bug. I'll add it to the list.
I've never seen you post before. Say's your the Web Guy. If that's true I wanted to say that while I have lots of issues with the game in general, you web guys are doing a Bang up Job! Keep up the good work!
Many thanks. I work with an amazing team and we are extremely happy with the release of the profile feature.
But is there any way to make them private? I don't like people seeing my gear, lol.
We’re glad you’re enjoying the new character profiles! Like the World of Warcraft armory, all character profiles are intended to be visible within the Diablo III character profiles. It’s a great way to share your progress into the depths of Sanctuary with your friends. Remember, if there’s something else you’d like to see appear in a character profile, please make sure to let us know.
As a point of clarification: the character profile pages are spearheaded by our Web and Mobile team, as opposed to utilizing the resources of the Diablo III development team. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
You may be pleased to know that, as other posters have mentioned, the character profile pages were spearheaded by our Web and Mobile team, not the Diablo III development team. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
How often are profiles updated? Like once a day or something?
Yup! Since this is a new feature for the Diablo III community site, we want to make sure that it remains stable and reliably available to you, so updates won't be as frequent as they are for the WoW Armory starting out. Right now, profiles should update approximately once per day. We're looking to have profiles update more frequently in the near future, though (probably whenever your character joins or leaves games or uses the auction house).
i have character on EU serve, but the profile only shows my americas characters. how do i change that?
You should just be able to change "us" to "eu" in the URL to your profile (like this). If you want to view the Friends tab, though, you'll need to log into your Battle.net account on the EU site: https://eu.battle.net (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Not yet available, but it's definitely in the works: https://us.battle.ne...n/blog/6821782/
Thanks for this update, very useful and looking forward to more:)
Glad you enjoy it! If there are other features you'd like to see for character profiles, please let us know.
Any plans to enable an option to make the profile private if the player chooses?
Not that I know of, but this is certainly feedback that I can relay on to our web and design teams. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
When i look at my profile, I got stuned. I have only 1 char at lvl 5(monk) but when i log in to the game i have all of my chars, even in-game this monk has lvl3. Wonder why?
Because you play on EU: http://eu.battle.net.../DarkCycu-2107/
Hey @Straton, the level requirement reduction stat seems to be a sum of all level reduced gear when shown in the character summary. For instance, I have an armor piece with a level requirement of 2, and one with a 3. In my character's overview, it says "level requirement reduced by 5". This doesn't seem intentional.
Thanks for reporting that bug. I'll add it to the list.
I've never seen you post before. Say's your the Web Guy. If that's true I wanted to say that while I have lots of issues with the game in general, you web guys are doing a Bang up Job! Keep up the good work!
Many thanks. I work with an amazing team and we are extremely happy with the release of the profile feature.
But is there any way to make them private? I don't like people seeing my gear, lol.
We’re glad you’re enjoying the new character profiles! Like the World of Warcraft armory, all character profiles are intended to be visible within the Diablo III character profiles. It’s a great way to share your progress into the depths of Sanctuary with your friends. Remember, if there’s something else you’d like to see appear in a character profile, please make sure to let us know.
As a point of clarification: the character profile pages are spearheaded by our Web and Mobile team, as opposed to utilizing the resources of the Diablo III development team. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
You may be pleased to know that, as other posters have mentioned, the character profile pages were spearheaded by our Web and Mobile team, not the Diablo III development team. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
How often are profiles updated? Like once a day or something?
Yup! Since this is a new feature for the Diablo III community site, we want to make sure that it remains stable and reliably available to you, so updates won't be as frequent as they are for the WoW Armory starting out. Right now, profiles should update approximately once per day. We're looking to have profiles update more frequently in the near future, though (probably whenever your character joins or leaves games or uses the auction house).
i have character on EU serve, but the profile only shows my americas characters. how do i change that?
You should just be able to change "us" to "eu" in the URL to your profile (like this). If you want to view the Friends tab, though, you'll need to log into your Battle.net account on the EU site: https://eu.battle.net (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Ugly As Sin: Azmodan Brought to Life
jbabler posted about his Azmodan sculpture a few days ago over on our Fan Art section. However it looks like Blizzard decided to do their own post about it as well!
Originally Posted by Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
(Jason Babler has a sinful hobby. When he's not busy being MAKE magazine's Creative Director or working on projects like the Book of Cain, he likes to dabble in the delightful (and often deviously difficult) trade of sculpting. His most recent creation? A two-foot wide, 17-inch-tall version of the Lord of Sin himself, complete with LED lightning and an intricate level of detail.
Check out images of Jason's Azmodan sculpture below, and be sure to continue reading for a quick Q&A with the artist.
Q. So, why Azmodan?
Jason: First and foremost, the Diablo team did an amazing job designing him. He's vile and unique, but still fits into the designs of the past games. I almost started on the Butcher (I may still do him), but Azmodan was just SO much more epic.
Second, when I worked with Blizzard on the Book of Cain, I just couldn't get enough of that world -- even though I was designing the book with Brom's awesome illustration of Azmodan. So, I decided to take my offline hobby [of sculpting] and bring Diablo III home with me at night, in a sense.
From a sculpting point of view, there were so many technical challenges to his legs, lighting up his hands and mouth, and getting the textures right, that I just wanted to see if I could even do this level of sculpting, since my earlier stuff is very amateurish.
Q. Have you worked on any other Diablo-related sculptures before, or do you plan to?
Jason: On my sculpting site, you'll see I've done almost nothing else BUT Diablo and Warcraft sculpting. From Diablo III, I've also made the Unburied (which actually won first place in a Creature and Model competition), the Dune Thresher, as well as a head study of the Fallen Shaman. I may still go back and finish up the Shaman one day.
One of my earliest sculpts was Illidan from Warcraft, and my Troll Archer was a completed build where I taught myself molding. So yeah, I do love the Blizzard world of monsters
Q. What was the hardest or most challenging part of your Azmodan piece?
Jason: It was trying to make him as detailed and close to the Diablo team's vision as possible, in both texturing, having a dynamic pose, and not making him cartoonish in any way. I was worried that I would not be able to paint him well enough, but I think it turned out well.
Q. If someone is looking to begin sculpting, or taking on a project somewhat like this, how do you recommend they begin?
Jason: Start small. Trying to do a project like this as your first project would be really frustrating. Learn anatomy and basic sculpting skills first, and then work on something like this after you've done a few sculpts.
There are also a ton of great tutorials at www.stanwinstonschool.com. Gnomon School is great, as are their tutorials. I just read a ton, visited sculpting forums, and don't forget: practice, practice, practice!
Q. Obligatory question: what class do you play, or enjoy playing the most?
Jason: I am rewarding myself for finishing this sculpt by finally playing Diablo III as the witch doctor (which brings back fond memories of my necromancer).
To learn more about Jason and his sculpture, be sure to check out this article over on MAKEzine.com.
Check out images of Jason's Azmodan sculpture below, and be sure to continue reading for a quick Q&A with the artist.
Q. So, why Azmodan?
Jason: First and foremost, the Diablo team did an amazing job designing him. He's vile and unique, but still fits into the designs of the past games. I almost started on the Butcher (I may still do him), but Azmodan was just SO much more epic.
Second, when I worked with Blizzard on the Book of Cain, I just couldn't get enough of that world -- even though I was designing the book with Brom's awesome illustration of Azmodan. So, I decided to take my offline hobby [of sculpting] and bring Diablo III home with me at night, in a sense.
From a sculpting point of view, there were so many technical challenges to his legs, lighting up his hands and mouth, and getting the textures right, that I just wanted to see if I could even do this level of sculpting, since my earlier stuff is very amateurish.
Q. Have you worked on any other Diablo-related sculptures before, or do you plan to?
Jason: On my sculpting site, you'll see I've done almost nothing else BUT Diablo and Warcraft sculpting. From Diablo III, I've also made the Unburied (which actually won first place in a Creature and Model competition), the Dune Thresher, as well as a head study of the Fallen Shaman. I may still go back and finish up the Shaman one day.
One of my earliest sculpts was Illidan from Warcraft, and my Troll Archer was a completed build where I taught myself molding. So yeah, I do love the Blizzard world of monsters
Q. What was the hardest or most challenging part of your Azmodan piece?
Jason: It was trying to make him as detailed and close to the Diablo team's vision as possible, in both texturing, having a dynamic pose, and not making him cartoonish in any way. I was worried that I would not be able to paint him well enough, but I think it turned out well.
Q. If someone is looking to begin sculpting, or taking on a project somewhat like this, how do you recommend they begin?
Jason: Start small. Trying to do a project like this as your first project would be really frustrating. Learn anatomy and basic sculpting skills first, and then work on something like this after you've done a few sculpts.
There are also a ton of great tutorials at www.stanwinstonschool.com. Gnomon School is great, as are their tutorials. I just read a ton, visited sculpting forums, and don't forget: practice, practice, practice!
Q. Obligatory question: what class do you play, or enjoy playing the most?
Jason: I am rewarding myself for finishing this sculpt by finally playing Diablo III as the witch doctor (which brings back fond memories of my necromancer).
To learn more about Jason and his sculpture, be sure to check out this article over on MAKEzine.com.
Curse Weekly Roundup
Ths weeks roundup covers Dragons Dogma, SWTOR going free to play, Battlefield, EA, Mists of Pandaria, Minecraft, and our indie highlight Awesomenauts
at face value yeah. But bashiok always gets like that the closer we get!
Really hoping for some awesome 1.0.4 info soon.
This means that anything they post is just going to get an outroar of people saying "I wanted info on X, not this Y stuff" That's my current fear with the blog, hopefully everyone enjoys it regardless
/end venting
Well if no one else does, Molster, you can count on me to enjoy reading it.
The PvP patch was supposed to be soon after release. 1.1 is supposed to be some time after 1.0.4, and we don't even have any idea when it's coming. Plus, for all we know there's going to be another 1-2 months wait for a 1.0.5.
I really don't know why Blizzard takes forever with each and everything they do. Games, expansions, patches, even blogs. Sometimes I imagine they're just sitting around, staring at walls. That or they have the largest communication gaps between their employees, which stunts their design process beyond belief.
I realize that I'm coming to this site less and less, waiting for something to actually happen to this game. D3 has so much promise, but Blizzard is so damn lax, it's frustrating. I really can't wait forever for them to right the wrongs riddled throughout this game.
The GW2 BWEs are just so damn impressive, I can't bring myself to come back to this game. Come 25 August, I'm probably not going to look back at all
I really hope Blizzard gets their crap it together and pull D3 through, cause I think I'm going to wait for the expansion (which will probably take more than 2 years, if HotS is anything to measure it by). If it doesn't look amazing, then it'll be a damn sad day, but I'll be done with this game.
Oh I haven't played D3 in 3 weeks.
...Ok, maybe that was still my cynical side speaking, but I don't think my attitude is too far gone for what others feel as well, and I'll go out on a limb and say that many others feel this way. I mean, it's great that there's going to be a dev blog, but at the same time I have a VERY hard time believing that there aren't a few things the devs can't share with us now. Or at the very least give us an ETA on the dev blog. Better yet, how about them actually getting on the forums and communicating with their fans and answering questions and sharing their ideas with the obvious caveat of 'WIP...NOT FINAL...BUT WE WANT TO TALK IT OUT SOME' to the community. And if they have to put up with hostility...well, at this point they've earned a lot of that with their silence.
I really don't have any hopes for this blog and I doubt there will be anything that good in it. I don't want to sound like a huge Negative Nancy, but after playing WoW for 5 years and watching how poorly the devs handled the Hunter class and seeing how poorly handled Diablo III is after only two months...yeah.
There comes a time in a day where the programmers are programming, and the artists are...doing art stuff. And the devs can take a full 30 mins to write some stuff down for a blog.
They help us know whats going on, and in no way at all effect the dev time in any shape or form
pfffft hunters...
go to mmo-champ, press ctrl+F and type in rogue, see how many pages you can get through with 0 results.
it's always like this. for 7 years it's been like this.
Oh I'm not saying other classes haven't had it bad either. Believe me, I feel for Rogues as well...how much they were messing around with abilities and trees because of their refusal to balance PvP and PvE separately from each other as much as possible. And I have a bad feeling when PvP is introduced into Diablo III they're going to make the same mistake, but that's discussion for another topic.