Wyatt Cheng Playtest With Streamers
D3 dev Wyatt Cheng played RoS' Beta with 3 streamers today and shared some interesting info and thoughts. The streamers (you'll see links to their channels in the blue post) are our fellow DFans member Jaetch, Moldran and Archon!
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker/ Official Forums)
Even if the team stay together the range to get the effect is by far to small! It's anough to be half a screen away to not get the bonus ... which sucks!We've been noticing the same thing whenever we play in the office, and we’re looking to increase the range that party members receive the Pool of Reflection bonus (currently, we’re thinking that we’ll have them mirror the same radius that shrines use). We're also planning to update the mini-map icon so that you can tell when a Pool of Reflection well is depleted. We don't have a time frame for this change at the moment and the exact details are still subject to iteration, but we'll be sure to keep the community updated.
Wyatt Cheng just actually spoke about this topic over on Twitch. His playtest with Moldran, Archon the Wizard, and Jaetch is still in progress if you want to tune in:
http://www.twitch.tv/archonthewizard
http://www.twitch.tv/moldran
http://www.twitch.tv/jaetch
More On RoS Beta Invites
The epic discussion on RoS Beta invitation priorities goes on over at the official forums. Vaneras keeps on giving useful insight on the process.
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker/ Official Forums)
Why not give Beta access to everyone at this pointIt is mostly a capacity issue preventing this, but the signal to noise ratio matters as well—feedback gathering is usually best when you hit a "sweet spot" balance between the number of testers and the diversity of testers.
Let players try new features and decide if they want the expansion or not.But that is not really the primary purpose of a beta though. To me it kind of sounds like that what you are really asking for is a demo? Or am I wrong?
As in general to have separate Beta and PTR is strange.I can see why you would think that if the expansion content is the only thing that really matters to you. But the separation is necessary because the revamped systems need to be tested and work well both in the "vanilla" environment as well as the expansion environment.
One more reason to allow more(not just +3000 invites) people into Beta, will allow to stress test servers before Expansion launch.There are other ways to perform stress tests than merely "opening the flood gates" and making the beta available to everyone who wants it. In fact, we have been doing a lot of stress testing on the PTR and beta already.
So if you are still sending out invites means you haven't hit that "sweet spot", or not?We are in a fairly good spot now as far as I'm aware, but since the "sweet spot" is not something you can easily define or quantify with a specific number, people are invited in waves as long as we feel that we are still getting a good "signal to noise ratio".
I believe the primary purpose for beta is to find maximum amount of bugs at his stage before final product is presented to masses. If this is the same for you, then i don't understand why invites are send randomly.The purpose of the beta is more than just finding bugs, it is just as much about tuning and polishing the gameplay so that it feels good to play for as large a part of our audience as possible. Since our audience is so diverse, the random invitations ensures that we get more different types of gamers into the beta, and not just the most active and hardcore gamers. I mentioned this in my previous post as well.
Random doesn't help your most loyal fans feel appreciated when you distribute the coveted beta keys in this way Van.Yep I do understand that, I really do, so trust me when I say that it is not at all our intention to make you guys feel unappreciated or dismissed.
I say this knowing you to be a man of principles and character and NOT autonomous (or possibly even influential) in the granting of beta keys - but you might pass on the sentiment to those that do have discretion in the selection process.
I am aware that our beta invitations are coveted by many, and I honestly think that is both a curse and a blessing. It is a blessing because we see that there are so many people out there who are passionate about our games and who are willing to spend their time helping us testing our games, but it is curse because people tend to think of beta invitations as a tokens, which sucks when it is not possible to give one to everyone who wants one.
Blizzard And DeviantART Present: Reaper of Souls Fan Art Contest
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker/ Official Forums)
You've fought bravely against the forces of the Burning Hells, banishing the Prime Evil and restoring Hope to the High Heavens. However, a new terror awaits. Soon, the sickening forces of Death will advance on the mortal realm of Sanctuary, ushering in a new age as Diablo® III: Reaper of Souls™ is unleashed upon the world.
The time has come for heroes to rise to a new challenge and prove their mastery of both the sword andthe pen. So, crack open your stash of art supplies, nephalem, and get ready to get crafty!
To celebrate the upcoming launch of Reaper of Souls, Blizzard Entertainment and deviantART have joined forces to bring you a truly Legendary fan art contest. With over $11,000 worth of prizes and a two-night trip to Blizzard HQ in Irvine, CA up for grabs, we're calling all talented artisans from Caldeum to Kehjistan to take up their styluses in defense of the realm.
Your challenge, brave heroes, is to channel your arcane power and create an illustration depicting one or more central figures of the expansion getting ready for the coming conflict against the Angel of Death. These figures may include the six heroes of Sanctuary or even Malthael himself.
Your entries will have a chance to be seen not only by the millions of passionate Diablo players from around the globe, but also by the teams at both Blizzard and deviantART. In addition to scoring some truly epic prize packages that even the pickiest treasure goblin would be jealous of, the top 25 winners will also have their art displayed at Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, California, with the top three winners hand-selected by Christian Lichtner— art director of Diablo III.
We've shared some of the tantalizing contest details below, but make sure to head on over to deviantART’s contest page for further information as well as the official rules and submission guidelines.
Best of luck to all artisans, and may the most devious designs win!
Contest Prizes:
1st Place
- A two night trip to Blizzard HQ in Irvine, CA to meet the artists and developers of Diablo III
- A framed print of the winning work signed to the artist by the Diablo III Creative Team
- $5,000 USD
- Signed boxed copy of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Collector's Edition
- 8,000 deviantART Points
- 1-year Premium Membership to DeviantART.com
2nd Place
- A framed print of the winning work signed to the artist by the Diablo III Creative Team
- $3,000 USD
- Signed boxed copy of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Collector's Edition
- 4,000 deviantART Points
- 6-month Premium Membership to DeviantART.com
3rd Place
- A framed print of the winning work signed to the artist by the Diablo III Creative Team
- $1,000 USD
- Signed boxed copy of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Collector’s Edition
- 4,000 deviantART Points
- 6-month Premium Membership to DeviantART.com
22 Semi-Finalists
- Signed boxed copy of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Collector's Edition
- 1,000 deviantART Points
Contest Rules:
- Show one or more central figures of Diablo III getting ready for the coming conflict against Malthael. You may choose figures from the six heroes of Sanctuary or even Malthael himself!
- Entrant must be at least 17 years old as of February 13, 2014;
- Entrant may reside anywhere in the world;
- Entries must be received by 11:59:59 p.m. PT (Los Angeles Time) on March 13, 2014 and be submitted through the contest gallery on deviantART;
- Membership to www.deviantart.com is required to enter the Contest. Membership towww.deviantart.com is free. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THE CONTEST;
- Your submitted entry is to be an original artwork inspired by Diablo III in the form of a portrait or an illustration showing a central figure from one of the six classes of Heroes of Sanctuary or of Malthael preparing for the coming conflict;
- You may use any visual medium excluding cosplay, photographs, or moving images. Photographs of an entry made in another medium are acceptable. Licensed brushes and textures are permitted. Read the official rules for more details;
- You may reference but not actually duplicate visual materials provided or referenced in the Asset Page;
- Your entry must be in the form of a single JPG or PNG file at least 2000 pixels and at a minimum of 72 dpi;
- Other requirements and restrictions apply, please read the official rules carefully.
Contest Deadlines:
- February 13, 2014 - Diablo III Fan Art Contest on deviantART Launches
- March 13, 2014 - Art Submissions Close at 11:59:59 p.m. PT on March 13, 2014
- March 18, 2014 - 25 Contest Semi-Finalists Announced
- April 2, 2014 - Top 3 Contest Winners Announced
Are you planning to enter this epic fan art contest? Let us know below, and be sure to share your works in progress and final creations with us on Twitter using the hashtag #D3DA!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker/ Official Forums)
Fallen are red,
Reapers are blue.
Check out this seriously sweet art we've made for you. <3
"Be Mine" by Anessa Silzer, 3D Artist - Diablo III
"Till Death Do Us Part" by Christian Lichtner, Art Director - Diablo III | base art by John Polidora
"Heart Struck" by Kevin K. Griffith, Senior 3D Artist - Diablo III
Happy Valentine's Day, nephalem! <3
7 Reasons to Date a Gamer
In the spirit of Valentine's Day Jess and Andrew from Curse have created a nice video showcasing the great qualities a gamer has, which lead to a successful relationship!
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