It seems that Blizzard completely changed the light radius system.
According to Bashiok's most recent Blue Post:
Official Blizzard Quote:
We use lighting to add flavor and distinction to each dungeon. A lot of the bigger dungeons tend to be well lit with a specific palette to add to the feel and separate it from other locations. It's about visual variety. And the absence of light is included in that variety. We do change the amount of light from dungeon to dungeon, cave to cave, and there are specific areas where it's much, much darker, and the light radius comes into play. But it's used as a tool to create that visual distinction, and not a rule that applies to the entire game. (We don't have any intent to add a +light radius affix, just because it'd be less useful than it was in Diablo II.)
We try to keep the visuals changing from area to area, even within the same Act. It keeps the game interesting, and is its own reward when a player makes it to that next area and the color palette does a complete shift and the area changes from a dark and foggy moor with blues and greens to a starkly clear dungeon with reds and purples. It's a very powerful way of reinforcing progression. Most people don't think about it as a gameplay mechanic, but it absolutely is.
So instead of groping & creeping your way through the dark dungeon, fearing there's a monster hiding in the corner or a bunch of skeletons shooting arrows at you from the grates of a cell, or hordes of monsters you weren't even aware was there lurking in the dark just a few moments ago ready to pounce on you...
now, with Diablo III's well lit dungeons & being able to see more of the edges of your screen, you can see them a mile away.
Since Dungeon is referred to as "the keep of a castle," as well as "a dark prison cell underneath the keep of the castle."
This dark & evil feeling of a dungeon was better represented in the previous Diablo games with the real-sense of a limited line of sight wherein the place only has limited torches lit up here & there,
and the additional light effect coming from attacks using elemental spells or from an elemental arrow, or the bright blue light emanating from a town portal.
It's a Dungeon, so we should have limited line of sight & not be able to see to the edges of our screen where monsters are hiding (Hello! They're suppose to be hiding).
Blizzard should fix this issue by using less torches to light up their Diablo minion infested dungeons, for that darker & more evil effect.
Blizzard should stick with using the players light radius & the monster's light radius to light up their immediate close area within these dark dungeons & caverns, aside from the light which would be emanating from the player's elemental skill attacks.
Again, this only applies for the dungeons & caves we're talking about (similar to the Den of Evil which was flooded with light only after the hero cleared the cave of monsters, same thing with the Forgotten Tower).
Not being able to see where you're going is more of an inconvenience than an interesting game mechanic IMO. I always hated the light radius in D2. Good riddance.
Not being able to see where you're going is more of an inconvenience than an interesting game mechanic IMO. I always hated the light radius in D2. Good riddance.
omg not this again...look he even said that the game will be like that just not the WHOLE game i agree with him it add veraity and better gameplay....look at REAL caves and stuff...ya alot are dark...but some are not they are amazing loking with greens and purples and all sorts of different colors.....ut hes trying to get and wut im trying to get to you is NOT EVERY cave will be dark gloomy and scary....but the monsters inside will b
Seems like such a minor detail, and I agree with the above poster that variety is nice to have. I think that there are a lot more interesting and creative ways to make a game feel creepy and to build suspense than limiting the player's line of sight.
/snip
there are specific areas where it's much, much darker, and the light radius comes into play. But it's used as a tool to create that visual distinction, and not a rule that applies to the entire game.
/snip
He clearly states in his post there WILL be darker areas where light comes into play, I'm glad that it's used to create atmosphere when appropriate, and not every single cave. It makes sense that some caves and dungeons would be well lit.
Ya the old school half-your-screen-is-black is just out of date, and appropriate for only some circumstances in the game, such as story telling a certain part. I really think it's just people scared of the fact that D3 is brand new with completely new features, and they think they just want a D2 with better graphics. Don't worry, once you play it you'll forget alllll about D2, and all those damn rip off games that are just horrible in comparison =D
Also, quit calling it an issue like everyone is in agreement, and stop telling blizzard what they 'should' do. Its their damn game and they want to appeal to the largest player base, which in this case likes the new look =D Getovait
From what I have read, there is no "set" light radius anymore...I bet you won't even notice a difference.
/agreed..besides that you have to think of it this way...if you are always in a dark and creepy place when it comes down to them really wanting you to feel alone/creeped out or anything in that nature....you wont have that real effect because yu hvae been expercing it the whole time....so in this case D3 you may have a slightly creepy map then when they want to make you feel the way they want they can because you are not subjected to the same emotion for 6 hours stright
I have mixed feelings about this.
Holding my vote until I actually play the beta/retail.
I really loved the dark creepy atmosphere of Diablo 1 and 2. I did use maphacks offline when me and my friends were doing quick runs to Nightmare/Hell and didn't want to waste time looking for the true Tal Rasha's Tomb, but never with the "infinite sight" mode, just map revealing function.
While playing the Blizzcon 2010 demo I didn't really miss it, as the gameplay was so solid and the game so fun that I was hypnotized, specially playing the Demon Hunter. Then again, it had almost no creepy feeling to it, and that's something I would miss in a single player run.
From what I've seen the dungeons look dark enough for me. I like games that are dark, don't get me wrong, but not pitch black where you run into things 90% of the time.
And as mentioned above; we've yet to see 90% of the game, possibly more?
2) Diablo only scared or creeped me out because I was like 5 when I played it.
"Ah, fresh meat!"
I must have been in my teens when that happened and I still just about relieved my body from every possible orifice. The fact that the game freezes for a bit when the door to The Butcher is opened just makes it worse. Then, while your heart is racing and your body goes into an adrenaline rush, you notice your health is dropping rapidly and you cannot take your eyes off the various bodies scrambled around the room.
2) Diablo only scared or creeped me out because I was like 5 when I played it.
"Ah, fresh meat!"
I must have been in my teens when that happened and I still just about relieved my body from every possible orifice. The fact that the game freezes for a bit when the door to The Butcher is opened just makes it worse. Then, while your heart is racing and your body goes into an adrenaline rush, you notice your health is dropping rapidly and you cannot take your eyes off the various bodies scrambled around the room.
If I was older I gurantee you I would have just killed the butcher. I'm not even sure if I was that scared the first time, I don't really get scared easily.
Sorry my personal opinion and gameplay experience differs from yours.
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According to Bashiok's most recent Blue Post:
Official Blizzard Quote:
We use lighting to add flavor and distinction to each dungeon. A lot of the bigger dungeons tend to be well lit with a specific palette to add to the feel and separate it from other locations. It's about visual variety. And the absence of light is included in that variety. We do change the amount of light from dungeon to dungeon, cave to cave, and there are specific areas where it's much, much darker, and the light radius comes into play. But it's used as a tool to create that visual distinction, and not a rule that applies to the entire game. (We don't have any intent to add a +light radius affix, just because it'd be less useful than it was in Diablo II.)
We try to keep the visuals changing from area to area, even within the same Act. It keeps the game interesting, and is its own reward when a player makes it to that next area and the color palette does a complete shift and the area changes from a dark and foggy moor with blues and greens to a starkly clear dungeon with reds and purples. It's a very powerful way of reinforcing progression. Most people don't think about it as a gameplay mechanic, but it absolutely is.
now, with Diablo III's well lit dungeons & being able to see more of the edges of your screen, you can see them a mile away.
Since Dungeon is referred to as "the keep of a castle," as well as "a dark prison cell underneath the keep of the castle."
This dark & evil feeling of a dungeon was better represented in the previous Diablo games with the real-sense of a limited line of sight wherein the place only has limited torches lit up here & there,
and the additional light effect coming from attacks using elemental spells or from an elemental arrow, or the bright blue light emanating from a town portal.
It's a Dungeon, so we should have limited line of sight & not be able to see to the edges of our screen where monsters are hiding (Hello! They're suppose to be hiding).
Blizzard should fix this issue by using less torches to light up their Diablo minion infested dungeons, for that darker & more evil effect.
Blizzard should stick with using the players light radius & the monster's light radius to light up their immediate close area within these dark dungeons & caverns, aside from the light which would be emanating from the player's elemental skill attacks.
Again, this only applies for the dungeons & caves we're talking about (similar to the Den of Evil which was flooded with light only after the hero cleared the cave of monsters, same thing with the Forgotten Tower).
Give us your opinion & suggestions here.
.
My PvP build would be different from these 13.
Check out the leaked Demon Hunter skill list here from Blizzard China: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://tiny.cc/10p16
Diablo III is $50; MSI GT683DXR-423US Gaming Laptop is $1,599; Playing Diablo III w/ my wife & 2 brothers is PRICELESS
This.
He clearly states in his post there WILL be darker areas where light comes into play, I'm glad that it's used to create atmosphere when appropriate, and not every single cave. It makes sense that some caves and dungeons would be well lit.
Then everybody would love Diablo 3.
-Thomas Jefferson
Holding my vote until I actually play the beta/retail.
I really loved the dark creepy atmosphere of Diablo 1 and 2. I did use maphacks offline when me and my friends were doing quick runs to Nightmare/Hell and didn't want to waste time looking for the true Tal Rasha's Tomb, but never with the "infinite sight" mode, just map revealing function.
While playing the Blizzcon 2010 demo I didn't really miss it, as the gameplay was so solid and the game so fun that I was hypnotized, specially playing the Demon Hunter. Then again, it had almost no creepy feeling to it, and that's something I would miss in a single player run.
And as mentioned above; we've yet to see 90% of the game, possibly more?
Hungry? Why Wait? Grab a Barbarian!
2) Diablo only scared or creeped me out because I was like 5 when I played it.
I must have been in my teens when that happened and I still just about relieved my body from every possible orifice. The fact that the game freezes for a bit when the door to The Butcher is opened just makes it worse. Then, while your heart is racing and your body goes into an adrenaline rush, you notice your health is dropping rapidly and you cannot take your eyes off the various bodies scrambled around the room.
If I was older I gurantee you I would have just killed the butcher. I'm not even sure if I was that scared the first time, I don't really get scared easily.
Sorry my personal opinion and gameplay experience differs from yours.