I've never played any Diablo games, I just heard of it from friends, they didn't really tell me much information about the game.
What makes Diablo I and II fun? I was considering picking it up. I dont mind graphics, and I know the graphics aren't really good... but what makes Diablo I and II fun?
Also, I've heard that the Diablo series was "innovative" in its time when it came out... what was new or innovative about Diablo I and II? Just out of curiosity.
I'll start by saying that the graphics are in fact good. But a lot of younger gamers these days are too obsessed with graphics in a game that they forget about all the other things that are supposed to make a game good.
The truth is, it takes me too long to talk about why these games are great. And I'm at work right now so I can't get into any of that much. Perhaps later.
first of all there's the item game in d2
items drop randomly any mob you kill has a chance to drop somethign really great or really crappy; so it's like a lottery game every time you kill a monster
then the loot itself is great in that rare and magic items are randomly created so that some magic items or rare items can be the best items in the game.
on top of those items there's set items (that grant more bonuses the more pieces that you have of a set), uniq items, and there's runewords.
anyway the loot is really great i'll just leave it at that; in d2 the kind of gear your character uses is probably the most important determiner of your character's success.
the skills are fun and the combat is fast paced.
you kill multiple mobs at once. and it's easy to see the progression of your character's strengths.
the pvp is more balanced than in most games in that for the most part any character class can beat character class another 1 on 1 in pvp if geared for it
the community can either be the best or worst part about diablo. but the ways in which you can interact with the community with public or private games or channels was innovative at the time. the easy access means that it's really easy to be drawn into all types of competition (pvp, ladder leveling, getting best gear, trading etc)
it's easy to find people to help or get help; it's easy to find people to mess with or people that want to screw you around
hardcore mode! there's a mode you can play that if you die you're dead. so it makes keeping your character alive actually meaningful
uh there's lots of other reason but there's a few
that said. online d2 has really become a cesspool of cheaters.. there's so many third party programs that people use that it's almost not worth it to play online.
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they'll never see me coming.. life is a sequence of tragedies, inconsistent only by fleeting, elusive moments of pleasure,
serving only to ensure absolute vulnerability to the pain of their inevitable absence.
COUSE D1 AND D2 ARE JUST PLANE AWESOME!! AWESOME GAMEPLAY AWESOME STORYLINE AWESOME THINGS AWESOME DUDAS!! ITS JUST AWEESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! pick up a book at stores near you
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If you want to arrange it
This world you can change it
If we could somehow make this
Christmas thing last
By helping a neighbor
Or even a stranger
And to know who needs help
You need only just ask
I know you didn't really think much of this when you asked, but theres so many things about the Diablo games that its quite a list to explain.
Diablo1
This game was released in 1996, and is still refered to as the "grandfather" of the Hack-and-Slash. The concept is basic now, but was a milestone back in the day. During the development of the game, in its late stages the whole gameplay was changed by taking out the turn-based combat system and replacing it with realtime combat. Doesn't sound quiet as impressive anymore, but when it was still new on the block, it captured people with its relentless action and relatively fast pace at the time.
You have control over a Hero that you create that, for his or her own motives, tries himself with the mysterious threats emerging from a cathedral in Tristram. You venture into a labyrinth that is completley random in its layout every time you start a new game, killing demons to gain experience. You level up and invest points into attributes that will let you decide what weapons and magics you use to become stronger. Loot is dropped randomly as well, a sword could drop that is useless, but you could also find the best sword by chance as well. This may seem like an inconvinience, but its balanced very well and will make you appreciate the good things you find.
Another thing people praise all day and night is the atmosphere this game emerged you in. You will notice your progress in the game by the level designs and the music, which will get darker and emitt more despair as you push on until that despair turns into a hellish rush. If you get in the zone while playing, you will feel the area you are in, much opposed to many generic games nowadays.
Diablo2
This game was praised left and right, and is still held high even by commercial magazines and such that don't focus on new = better, but on quality that games are filled with, despite their time. Even today when a new game appears that may be slightly reminiscent of D2, they are almost always compared to it because there is no other benchmark that captured and still captures as many people for this genre of gaming.
This installment brought more of the same, although people will definantley notice changes from D1 to D2. In other words, the good aspects of D1 were taken and developed further, while maintaining the general style. More areas, more items to find, more characters to choose from, more skills and and and... you get the point.
D2 has something to offer for everyone, the leveling is epicly long so it won't be easy to achieve top level. The trading is crazy with so many different items being able to drop at any time, and the PvP section got its boost as well by making characters different enough. The amazing thing is that the game that initially looks so flat becomes very different as you play it. You're not gonna think that you want to beat the game and find something else to play, you're going to make a character to beat the game, and then make another to beat it in a different way. Its inevitable, and you will probably get through all characters at least once, especially if you play on B.Net.
Overall, these games have flaws. However, they are for the most part simply because we are now accustomed to newer things. I can't really say that there has been any other game that sucked me in as much as Diablo has though, despite some of their shortcoming, the games have longterm appeal that is unfathomable. Even now, 8 years after D2 and 12 after the first, I have just recently made new characters in both games yet again to beat it in a different way, trying to find something I haven't done before. Its... hard to put into words for someone who hasn't experienced it yet.
Lore
Initially, this is something that was enough to make a game, but fans of the games get a craving for more once you get into it. I'm generally fairly ignorant of nearly any form of literature, but theres some things that even intruiged someone as ignorant as me. The manuals for the game are actually very interesting to read, especially the first one. Items won't just have listed what they do, they also have a background story. It will explain whats going on in the game, what the story is about and what part we have in it. Sometimes on a rainy afternoon after getting home from work drenched, I'll get comforable and just pick one of the game manuals up and read - simply for fun. Can't say that too much about other games
Eventually, books were written that take place in the same world, and while they're not mainstream successes, or even the best literature, once you get into Diablo, you may actually reach a point where you will read them without caring. You will want to know many more details about Diablo and the characters, why things are the way they turned out to be.
The lore part is something Blizzard really wants to develop for the players of the upcoming D3. Personally, I hope that they smudge it into every little corner of the game, because I will be one of those players who will try to learn everything about it.
Summary
The games are great. D1 is enthrallingly atmospheric, while D2 just won't let you go because of the things you do ingame. If you are interested in D3, theres really only one thing I have to say for you:
If you get D3 to play an actionpacked game, go ahead. Once you get into it though, you will bite yourself in the ass if you haven't already played the first two, at least to see what it was like and why so many people still talk about a game a decade after it release like its a holy grail.
You hit the nail on the head. Couldn't say it better myself!
ooh didn't see his question was about diablo games (including d1) instead of just d2 since it was in this section
but yes ferret nailed it all
d1 rekindled my love of pc games (i'd been playing console at the time for a long time) and was my gateway drug to all other pc games.
it was the fast combat and the dark and desolate atmosphere that ferret explained so well:
Quote from "Ferret" »
You will notice your progress in the game by the level designs and the music, which will get darker and emitt more despair as you push on until that despair turns into a hellish rush. If you get in the zone while playing, you will feel the area you are in, much opposed to many generic games nowadays.
just wanted to add that you can play demos of the game from here diablo 1 diablo2
i'm sure they don't do them justice but better than skipping
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they'll never see me coming.. life is a sequence of tragedies, inconsistent only by fleeting, elusive moments of pleasure,
serving only to ensure absolute vulnerability to the pain of their inevitable absence.
What makes Diablo I and II fun? I was considering picking it up. I dont mind graphics, and I know the graphics aren't really good... but what makes Diablo I and II fun?
Also, I've heard that the Diablo series was "innovative" in its time when it came out... what was new or innovative about Diablo I and II? Just out of curiosity.
Thanks guys
I'll start by saying that the graphics are in fact good. But a lot of younger gamers these days are too obsessed with graphics in a game that they forget about all the other things that are supposed to make a game good.
The truth is, it takes me too long to talk about why these games are great. And I'm at work right now so I can't get into any of that much. Perhaps later.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
items drop randomly any mob you kill has a chance to drop somethign really great or really crappy; so it's like a lottery game every time you kill a monster
then the loot itself is great in that rare and magic items are randomly created so that some magic items or rare items can be the best items in the game.
on top of those items there's set items (that grant more bonuses the more pieces that you have of a set), uniq items, and there's runewords.
anyway the loot is really great i'll just leave it at that; in d2 the kind of gear your character uses is probably the most important determiner of your character's success.
the skills are fun and the combat is fast paced.
you kill multiple mobs at once. and it's easy to see the progression of your character's strengths.
the pvp is more balanced than in most games in that for the most part any character class can beat character class another 1 on 1 in pvp if geared for it
the community can either be the best or worst part about diablo. but the ways in which you can interact with the community with public or private games or channels was innovative at the time. the easy access means that it's really easy to be drawn into all types of competition (pvp, ladder leveling, getting best gear, trading etc)
it's easy to find people to help or get help; it's easy to find people to mess with or people that want to screw you around
hardcore mode! there's a mode you can play that if you die you're dead. so it makes keeping your character alive actually meaningful
uh there's lots of other reason but there's a few
that said. online d2 has really become a cesspool of cheaters.. there's so many third party programs that people use that it's almost not worth it to play online.
they'll never see me coming..
life is a sequence of tragedies, inconsistent only by fleeting, elusive moments of pleasure,
serving only to ensure absolute vulnerability to the pain of their inevitable absence.
If you want to arrange it
This world you can change it
If we could somehow make this
Christmas thing last
By helping a neighbor
Or even a stranger
And to know who needs help
You need only just ask
And wasn't Diablo 2 the first game to have skill trees?
Please, correct me if I'm wrong though, I may be misinformed.
You hit the nail on the head. Couldn't say it better myself!
but yes ferret nailed it all
d1 rekindled my love of pc games (i'd been playing console at the time for a long time) and was my gateway drug to all other pc games.
it was the fast combat and the dark and desolate atmosphere that ferret explained so well:
just wanted to add that you can play demos of the game from here
diablo 1
diablo2
i'm sure they don't do them justice but better than skipping
they'll never see me coming..
life is a sequence of tragedies, inconsistent only by fleeting, elusive moments of pleasure,
serving only to ensure absolute vulnerability to the pain of their inevitable absence.
Really? Wow nice