DiabloFans

Announcing Callback Support

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker/ Official Forums)

On Thursday, January 9, Blizzard is launching a new callback-based system for players who need phone support. This is a big change from our traditional phone support, so we wanted to provide some details about this service.

How will the callback system work?
Instead of calling a number (and potentially waiting on hold) for support, you’ll use the support site on Battle.net to set up a callback. Just enter information about your issue, along with your phone number, and a Game Master will give you a call back!

How will the callback system benefit me as a player?
You won’t have to navigate a phone menu or spend time on hold. Since the support site collects critical details in advance (like the answer to your security question), you’ll jump directly into problem solving.

What will happen to Blizzard Customer Support’s existing phone numbers after this change?
Our phone lines will no longer present their current menu system, and will instead play a brief message directing users to the support site.

We hope you enjoy using the new service to get help when you need it!

Diablo III: Storm of Light Excerpt

Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker/ Official Forums)

"Of late, my dreams as haunted by one thing: the Black Soulstone. I see the crystal reflected in all things, at all times. It has become my obsession, my purpose in life."

A few months ago we announced the upcoming Diablo III: Storm of Light, and today we're thrilled to offer you an exclusive preview of this epic new chapter of Sanctuary's continuing story, which is set to be released on February 4, 2014.

Written by Nate Kenyon, author of The Order, Storm of Light is a bridge between the events of Diablo III and the story that is to come in its first expansion, Reaper of Souls. This new novel is now available for pre-order at Simon and Schuster and features Jacob and Shanar from the Sword of Justice comic series, as well as other characters from the Diablo universe that players have previously met.

In Storm of Light, the Angiris Council has recovered Diablo's Black Soulstone and they now stand vigil over the cursed artifact deep within the glimmering Silver City, unwittingly condemning the High Heavens to its dark corruption. Imperius and the other archangels vehemently oppose moving or destroying the crystal, leading Tyrael to put Heaven's fate in the hands of mortals. Drawing powerful humans to his side from the far ends of Sanctuary, Tyrael reforges the ancient Horadrim and charges the order with an impossible task: to steal the soulstone from the heart of Heaven.

Read on for an exclusive excerpt from Chapter 4 of Storm of Light!

"Then tell us what insights you have gained from Chalad'ar, Wisdom," Imperius said, his voice mocking once again. "Tell us what to do with the stone. The Council has been divided on this for too long. Or are the rumors among the angels correct, and you have yet to consult the chalice?"

Itherael and Auriel turned to Tyrael, waiting for him to offer a solution. He looked at the soulstone on its perch, imagined he saw a beat of blood-red light at its core. The darkness pervades this holy place, he thought. It creeps in unbidden and corrupts everything it touches.

Tyrael had come to his own decision. But he was unsure about how his advice would be taken by the others and hesitated for a moment too long.

Imperius turned away. "Malthael would have never been without an answer, yet this one is silent once again. I shall speak for him, then. We break the stone at the Hellforge."

A murmur from Auriel brought a fast response. "We should not risk destroying it," Itherael said. "It was forged by human magic; its destiny is a mystery to me. Even the Scroll of Fate cannot tell us what might result from such an attempt--"

"It must be hidden!" Tyrael said.

His words rang out, stronger than he might have intended. The others stopped, their attention returning to him. He cleared his throat again, hating how weak it made him sound. A throat made of flesh and blood was not a trustworthy vessel for such a speech. He tried again. "Itherael is right," he said. "The Black Soulstone's power is unknown to us. The Horadric mage Kulle forged it using magic the nephalem alone possess. We cannot risk trying to destroy a thing like this; it may even release the Prime Evil upon us once again."

"Hide it where?" Auriel's tone had grown cautious, as if she knew what he might say. "We have already discussed shrouding it but could not come to an agreement. It cannot stay in the Council chambers forever."

Tyrael looked at his fellow archangels, sadness washing over him. He imagined that they viewed him with suspicion, perhaps thinly veiled hostility. Even Auriel's aura had changed, her wings pulsing softly with a light that mirrored the taint he had seen in the gardens among the trees.

He was not Justice, nor Wisdom, nor was he a man; he was a mortal angel, and this did not fit with the world they knew, or with any other. His vision of peace with the land of men and a new life ending in eternal sleep was swiftly fading.

He had never meant for it to come to this.

"In Sanctuary," he said finally. "We must hide the stone in a place where neither angel nor demon can reach."

So prepare for the return of Tyrael and the new Horadrim, and make sure to pre-order your copy of Storm of Light at Simon and Schuster today so that you can be among the first to find out what happens to our heroes in their next great adventure!

Blue Posts

Originally Posted by Blizzard

Crafting Mats Drop Rate Concerns
I've noticed that there have been several threads concerning crafting costs and resource acquisition, so I'll chime in on the subject. I guess the first thing I should mention is that it's something we're keeping an eye on, and we're still doing tuning passes on it. Acquiring crafting materials is closely tied to drop rates, so it needs to be tuned every time drop rates are adjusted. 

We'll be keeping an eye out for additional crafting feedback once things have been a little more fine tuned, so please be sure to keep letting us know what you think. Thanks! (Blue Tracker/ Official Forums)

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Legendary Crafting Clarifications

The item stats rolls/lvl depends on the character level

The item's stats are rolled based on the character that's crafting it, using the Smart Drop system in Loot 2.0, but the level is static to the recipe used to craft the item. This means if you know how to craft a level 61 Belt, for instance, it will always produce a level 61 belt. However, a Wizard crafting that belt will receive one with stats on it that benefit him most, such as Intelligence or bonus damage to one of their skills, while a Demon Hunter will receive Dexterity or an appropriate bonus damage affix. (There are other combinations possible when crafting, I'm just using these as possible examples!)

Crafting recipes for legendary/set items can drop on any level and thus you can craft one piece on lets say lvl30, or craft it on lvl60.

I don't believe that Legendary patterns will have a chance to drop at every level, but I'm doing some double checking to be sure. What I can share in the mean time is that the old patterns, such as the Cain's Fate set, will continue to craft level 25 versions of the gear. In addition, new level 70 versions for many legacy Legendary patterns will also be available to acquire. 

Normal Legendary drops, such as Magefist , however, will have a chance to drop starting at it's original level (in this case, 19) and any level thereafter. That might be where some of the confusion is arising. =)

No changes to the crafting there are just new legendary recipes, that drop on RoS.

Crafting's getting a pretty extensive overhaul. There's a small peek at what's coming in the Patch 2.0.1 PTR/Closed Betanotes, but in summary: new recipes, upgraded versions of existing recipes, consolidated crafting materials, and smart drops applying to crafting are all upcoming changes. Bear in mind that recipes for levels 61+ will be exclusive to those with the Reaper of Souls expansion, but the other changes will come in the pre-expansion patch for all players. (Blue Tracker/ Official Forums)

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Difficulty/Item Quality Relation

Also one last question, the Legendaries that can be acquired by gambling... are they restricted by difficulty? Or can gambling not even produce a torment level Legendary?

Okay, bit more info: Torment restricted Legendaries will not be able to be generated by the Blood Shard vendor. Difficulty setting will have no impact on the items generated from the vendor, which should help prevent situations where players start a new, higher difficulty game before spending their shards.

Thanks for the feedback and reports, everyone! This kind of stuff is incredibly useful, and if you continue to experience similar oddities (especially after the next Beta patch), please don't hesitate to let us know! I'll be here to listen and read it all. =) (Blue Tracker/ Official Forums)