Hey all. Here's an idea that's bounced around in my head for years. Since Diablo 3 is getting closer to an actual release, I thought I'd share the thought.
For me, Diablo 1 was my first gaming love. There is really no comparison. Diablo 1 is the best Diablo and a timeless classic. I fire it up every year and beat it at least once. There are many people who feel the same way. Those people eventually went on to stretch their creative muscles and create amazing Diablo 2 mods such as Back To Hellfire in order to bring back the fun of Diablo 1 using a slightly more modern (for the time) engine.
I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this. With the advent of Diablo 3, we have a chance to see a rebuilt and retooled Diablo 1. However, Blizzard has thrown down the ban hammer and forbid any modding of Diablo 3 (we'll see how long it'll take for someone to work around said restrictions). So here's the question: what about a Blizzard remake of Diablo 1? I would be thrilled to see Blizzard come in and make an "Anniversary Edition" of Diablo 1. I will admit, it doesn't make a lot of sense to make it back to back with Diablo 3 but perhaps it could find a place to fit in as it would probably take a few years to make.
Maybe I'm a little too nostalgic for the good old days but it's fun to dream. Perhaps it could find life as a single player expansion campaign for Diablo 3 or maybe it's best left as is.
This brings in another question: modding. I understand Blizzard's mentality for locking down Diablo 3. They want to eliminate the chance of people cheating and upsetting their cash cow. I hear it is very temperamental when it doesn't get fed large denomination bills at regular intervals. Joking aside, there are ways Blizzard can be creative about this to where people can still mod the game, yet keep Blizzard happy by leaving the primary game untouched. Diablo 3 could be broken down into two installs: a primary, and a mod-friendly install. The primary cannot be tampered with (at least not without getting you banned) and the mod-friendly install is for those few brave souls who wish to code into the wee hours of the night to bring forth a custom Diablo experience.
It could be a lot like Diablo 2 is organized now. Regular B.net and a "modded" B.net. Just like a first person shooter game that has custom maps, you download the game files and fire up your mod to play with your friends. Blizzard could even take advantage of this concept themselves. They could create special game modes for Diablo 3 or mini-levels that explore various aspects of Diablo's lore all without messing with the primary Diablo 3 experience.
I doubt rather highly that Blizzard is going to budge on the whole "no modding" thing though. They seem very adamant in throwing in things we don't like or won't want into a game we all are hoping very much that we'll love. Though to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the average Diablo player doesn't care one way or the other if you can mod the game. I, for one, am disappointed that you can't mod the game, however, I can live without it.
What do you guys think? Would you pay for a remake of the original game? Would you like to see special modding privileges? Or is it better to simply lock down Diablo 3 and forge ahead without a glance back?
Would be fun but as wingless stated, probably wont happen unless someone actually payed blizzard to do it and a mod probably wouldn't cut it completely.
However, I don't see Blizzard ever making a remake. Those guys generally don't do ports, they develop from the ground up. So they'd spend a lot of times on a game with a pretty basic storyline, no franchise progression and slightly smaller than usual audience.
Think of it like, the time they'd spend on a D1 remake they could spend on D4. Because that's how they work, they won't make it half arsed and release it.
But a mod could indeed be fun (but again, would fall in the "half arsed" category).
Maybe a SC2 mod?
I actually was thinking about a SC2 mod. After all, someone made that ridiculously well done WC3 mod simulating the demo from 2008. I can imagine it would work a lot better using SC2.
But ya, I know what you mean, Blizzard goes forward, not backwards. Unfortunately I don't think there will be a "Diablo 4." I think this'll be the last time we get to kill Diablo in this story arch. However, I don't see any reason why they wouldn't rewind time and shoot us back to play as Horadrim chasing the Prime Evils with Tyrael or visit other story archs started in the novels. It's hard to imagine what direction they'll go with the game seeing as there's not much more you can do and it's not really a "Diablo game" if you aren't killing Diablo =\
For me, Diablo 1 was my first gaming love. There is really no comparison. Diablo 1 is the best Diablo and a timeless classic. I fire it up every year and beat it at least once. There are many people who feel the same way. Those people eventually went on to stretch their creative muscles and create amazing Diablo 2 mods such as Back To Hellfire in order to bring back the fun of Diablo 1 using a slightly more modern (for the time) engine.
I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this. With the advent of Diablo 3, we have a chance to see a rebuilt and retooled Diablo 1. However, Blizzard has thrown down the ban hammer and forbid any modding of Diablo 3 (we'll see how long it'll take for someone to work around said restrictions). So here's the question: what about a Blizzard remake of Diablo 1? I would be thrilled to see Blizzard come in and make an "Anniversary Edition" of Diablo 1. I will admit, it doesn't make a lot of sense to make it back to back with Diablo 3 but perhaps it could find a place to fit in as it would probably take a few years to make.
Maybe I'm a little too nostalgic for the good old days but it's fun to dream. Perhaps it could find life as a single player expansion campaign for Diablo 3 or maybe it's best left as is.
This brings in another question: modding. I understand Blizzard's mentality for locking down Diablo 3. They want to eliminate the chance of people cheating and upsetting their cash cow. I hear it is very temperamental when it doesn't get fed large denomination bills at regular intervals. Joking aside, there are ways Blizzard can be creative about this to where people can still mod the game, yet keep Blizzard happy by leaving the primary game untouched. Diablo 3 could be broken down into two installs: a primary, and a mod-friendly install. The primary cannot be tampered with (at least not without getting you banned) and the mod-friendly install is for those few brave souls who wish to code into the wee hours of the night to bring forth a custom Diablo experience.
It could be a lot like Diablo 2 is organized now. Regular B.net and a "modded" B.net. Just like a first person shooter game that has custom maps, you download the game files and fire up your mod to play with your friends. Blizzard could even take advantage of this concept themselves. They could create special game modes for Diablo 3 or mini-levels that explore various aspects of Diablo's lore all without messing with the primary Diablo 3 experience.
I doubt rather highly that Blizzard is going to budge on the whole "no modding" thing though. They seem very adamant in throwing in things we don't like or won't want into a game we all are hoping very much that we'll love. Though to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the average Diablo player doesn't care one way or the other if you can mod the game. I, for one, am disappointed that you can't mod the game, however, I can live without it.
What do you guys think? Would you pay for a remake of the original game? Would you like to see special modding privileges? Or is it better to simply lock down Diablo 3 and forge ahead without a glance back?
I actually was thinking about a SC2 mod. After all, someone made that ridiculously well done WC3 mod simulating the demo from 2008. I can imagine it would work a lot better using SC2.
But ya, I know what you mean, Blizzard goes forward, not backwards. Unfortunately I don't think there will be a "Diablo 4." I think this'll be the last time we get to kill Diablo in this story arch. However, I don't see any reason why they wouldn't rewind time and shoot us back to play as Horadrim chasing the Prime Evils with Tyrael or visit other story archs started in the novels. It's hard to imagine what direction they'll go with the game seeing as there's not much more you can do and it's not really a "Diablo game" if you aren't killing Diablo =\