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An interesting change has happened in the Taiwanese region of Diablo 3. In order to combat item duping, which has been reported as a major issue in TW, restored items will now be bind on account. This way Blizzard hope to be able to, if not fully stop, at least greatly lower the number of duped items. If successful we might see this change in EU and US as well.
Here's a translation of the official message on the Taiwanese forums (or if you speak the language visit this link for the original post).
Originally Posted by (Official Forums)
We understand that accounts being stolen is not fun, which is why we provide account restoration. However, we recently found a number of cases of customer service being lied to about theft, in order to get extra items. Accordingly, we have decided to update the account restoration policy in Asia to help players, and at the same time protect the game economy. This change will reaffirm our view that fraud is theft, and take a stance of "zero tolerance".
Starting at 11:00AM Taiwan time on December 18, 2012, all Diablo III restored equipment (including in inventory and the stash), such as weapons or armor, will be bound to the account. This means that these items will not be able to be traded with other players or placed on auction, but they can still be shared with other characters in the account to use, or sold to the commodity NPCs. Note that unless through the account restoration earned gold or material goods. [sic] After the implementation of these policies, as in the past, we will constantly monitor the economic environment within the game, and make additional adjustments if necessary. (Note: once the player account restoration is completed, future drops in the game, or equipment items received through transactions, are not affected by account binding restrictions.)
The account restoration service is to help the players deal with account theft, and we hope that no one would need to use this service. Protect your account security from theft; the best approach is to ensure your computer's security, and use the Battle.net account security, such as the Battle.net authenticator. Further protective measures cannot be guaranteed perfect because of human negligence; according to our data, we often see many players' accounts stolen a second time, after the first time they were stolen, since they did not take any action to protect themselves.
The game economy is an important part of the quality of the gaming experience, and any attempt to use fraud to obtain additional items may cause harm to the economy and the experience of other players in the game. We hope to give a warning to those of dishonest behavior, and further strengthen the stability of the economy and provide a better gaming experience for all players.
Starting at 11:00AM Taiwan time on December 18, 2012, all Diablo III restored equipment (including in inventory and the stash), such as weapons or armor, will be bound to the account. This means that these items will not be able to be traded with other players or placed on auction, but they can still be shared with other characters in the account to use, or sold to the commodity NPCs. Note that unless through the account restoration earned gold or material goods. [sic] After the implementation of these policies, as in the past, we will constantly monitor the economic environment within the game, and make additional adjustments if necessary. (Note: once the player account restoration is completed, future drops in the game, or equipment items received through transactions, are not affected by account binding restrictions.)
The account restoration service is to help the players deal with account theft, and we hope that no one would need to use this service. Protect your account security from theft; the best approach is to ensure your computer's security, and use the Battle.net account security, such as the Battle.net authenticator. Further protective measures cannot be guaranteed perfect because of human negligence; according to our data, we often see many players' accounts stolen a second time, after the first time they were stolen, since they did not take any action to protect themselves.
The game economy is an important part of the quality of the gaming experience, and any attempt to use fraud to obtain additional items may cause harm to the economy and the experience of other players in the game. We hope to give a warning to those of dishonest behavior, and further strengthen the stability of the economy and provide a better gaming experience for all players.
Revised Fan Made Battle.net Screens
In February during the Diablo 3 Beta DFans forum member OneTwoSC created a few screens that grabbed the attention of a big part of the Diablo community. They represented a revised version of the "lobby" for Battle.net 2.0. Back then Blizzard didn't have much to say about it.
Recently though the topic was resurrected on the official forums and a blue response marked the topic in the color of noticability! Below you can view the small official reply and also the beautiful designs that OneTwoSC created. You can also view the topic with all proposed screens by clicking on this link.
Originally Posted by (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Thanks for passing these on!
Nice! D3 Community Manager! Get working (i.e. sending that feedback to developers)!
Fixed.
Nice! D3 Community Manager! Get working (i.e. sending that feedback to developers)!
Fixed.
Blue Posts
Originally Posted by
Could Nephalem Valor Ever Be Removed?
There are no current plans to remove NV, but we do feel like we there are ways that we could continue improve the system to allow for a broader variety of play styles (i.e. shorter play sessions, as mentioned). (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
There are no current plans to remove NV, but we do feel like we there are ways that we could continue improve the system to allow for a broader variety of play styles (i.e. shorter play sessions, as mentioned). (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Poll: Which Act IV Environment is Your Favorite?
The last of the Environment polls is up. So? Which one is your favorite?
Originally Posted by (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Your journey through Diablo III will lead you across a variety of environments. From corpse-laden fields, to festering underground passages, to windswept deserts and bustling metropolises, there are multiple different landscapes your hero must brave in order to thwart the advances of the Burning Hells. Each environment has its own charm, and (of course) tells its own story.
But what we want to know is, out of all these locations, which one is your favorite? Not taking gameplay into consideration and looking simply at the aethestics, what zone or area do you like the most? And more importantly...why?
Since there are so many environments to choose from across the entire game, we're going to break this question down into four polls: one for each Act. This week, we focus on Act IV.
(To check out last week's results for Act III, click here.)
But what we want to know is, out of all these locations, which one is your favorite? Not taking gameplay into consideration and looking simply at the aethestics, what zone or area do you like the most? And more importantly...why?
Since there are so many environments to choose from across the entire game, we're going to break this question down into four polls: one for each Act. This week, we focus on Act IV.
(To check out last week's results for Act III, click here.)
Heart of the Swarm Beta Key Giveaway
Diablofans has some keys to give away for the beta test of Heart of the Swarm! We will be giving away 2 keys every day (Monday - Friday) for the next two weeks. The rules are simple: post a comment relevant to the news in the comment section below. As long as it's on topic, you've entered.
RULES
- Your post needs to be relevant to the news!
- You may post and reply as much as you like, but it will only count once!
- You can enter every day!
- A reply to another user (as long as it is on topic with the news) counts.
- Posting with multiple accounts will get you removed from the giveaway, so don't be naughty!
- You have until the next news post to reply to this post!
- Winners will be announced the following day.
Also glad to hear about account bound restoration! 
