DiabloFans

A lot of people have been going around complaining about the Diablo 3 art style far past the lighting conditions, saying that it's too much like WoW and that Diablo 3 shouldn't be in any way like that 'insult rambling insult against WoW that makes no sense here'. Now, this will probably be the one post I made on this subject where I don't openly insult the people trying to play these opinions, but rather attempt to make them see exactly how... ludicrous their position is in regard to the game itself.

You see, Diablo 3 is being made by Blizzard Entertainment, a company which has a proven history of excellence in their products. Now, when you have a single gaming studio that makes games, there's a high chance you're going to see a degree of overlap in the art styles employed, as more than likely they are being designed by the same people. So how does this affect Diablo 3? Well, the point to it affecting Diablo 3 is that Blizzard Entertainment also made another massively popular game, called World of WarCraft. This game brought in a lot of people and has given Blizzard the resources through its continued sale and success to really put the effort they want to into their own games. The art of Diablo 3 is being influenced thusly, as Blizzard has a sort of art style going into things now that is generally reflecting what came before.

Now, there's also the matter where people may contest as to why Blizzard cannot make Diablo 3 in the same style as Diablo 1 and 2. The quickest and most apt answer is that it might be because Diablo 1 and 2 were not made by Blizzard. They were made at the now-defunct Blizzard North studio, most of whom broke away from Blizzard entirely when the studio was assimilated back into the main HQ and went on to form Flagship Studios, the company that made the floppish title, Hellgate: London. So this means that not only do you have a different set of people working on the game, but the people that originally made the first two games(and even the division from which they hail) no longer exist.So, I've come to the point where I will use previously posted evidence to support my point as to how and why the art style currently is.

First comes a comparison between Diablo 3 and World of WarCraft. People have been saying that Diablo 3 is exactly like World of WarCraft, and that the graphics are both equally cartoony. My evidence to counter this statement is some of the same evidence ironically used to back up the argument. Between the two images, that of a female Barbarian and a male Orc Warrior from World of WarCraft, you will notice the difference in the saturation of color and the effect of 'grain' upon each model. While the Orc is given a vivid vibrancy, the Barbarian is rather dulled down, brought more to a reasonably level rather than holding the same sort of 'technicolor explosion' vibe. Furthermore the Barbarian is more detailed than the Orc, both physically and in the design of the armor and weapons, which shows they were going for a more mature policy of design using what resources they had.


Now, there's also the point where people may wish to use these two images to say that Blizzard is blatantly copying armor designs. I will now counter this accusation. Spikes on armor is not a new concept, and big shoulderpads are not either. On the contrary, the concept of bulky armor has for a great deal of time been known as a method to increase the intimidation factor that a figure portrays. It artificially elevates the appearance of their posture in a way commonly used in nature by certain species of animal to bluff their way out of a confrontation. So the idea is hardly even something originally thought up by Blizzard. As to the similarity to the armor designs, it /does/ make sense that they would bring over their old concepts and rework them for the new game. Yet take note that the Barbarian's armor is far more detailed, and far better designed than that of the World of WarCraft Orc. Where one seems to be novelty armor, the other looks as though it is a realistic piece of combat gear from the more mature and more dark-inclined genre of which Diablo is a part of.

Now, to address the environments, I'd like to make a few things clear. If you design everything to be dark, you'll have trouble pressing in that something in particular is /especially/ dark. If you make everything gloomy, gory, or depressing, you'll have trouble pressing in the idea that something in particular of /especially/ gloomy, gory, or depressing. That said, the artistic design seen in the Diablo 3 trailers is most definitely not the position taken for the entire game. It was most likely simply a demo environment put together to give a general idea of how the game would work. In other areas of the game we haven't even begun to see, I'm sure there is a wider variety of darker, as well as lighter areas. Diablo 3 is a game that wishes to pull us through the highest peaks of the Heavens and into the darkest bowls of the flaming Hells. Before you demand the game be brought down, take that into consideration. Also take into consideration that horror and atrocity become meaningless within an environment horrible and atrocious.

What this petition is saying: Diablo 3 shouldn't be a game made by Blizzard. How does it say this? Because you're bitching about the art style of Blizzard Entertainment entirely. They have a philosophy they follow to make a game, and the same philosophy and people that made WoW are making Diablo 3 from the artistic level. You have to remember that Diablo and Diablo 2 were not made by Blizzard. They were made by Blizzard North, a studio which no longer exists. If you can't stand the fact that Diablo 3 will at least somewhat visually hold similar undertones as WoW, then I advise you to just walk away and spare yourself the grief. It already is darker and grittier than WoW.

By the way: The thread title is a parody. It isn't a serious position. I love the current Diablo 3 with all my heart, and if you noobs ruin it for me I'll be forced to do something rather drastic and mean.

Wahh wahh black sheep, have you any wool?

This thread was to make the point that the big petition out there now is essentially anti-Blizzard. Blizzard Entertainment has an art style. That art style reflects in their games. I'm saying Diablo 3 will have something in common visually with WoW, because it's a Blizzard game.

Obviously, with the revelation of the petition against the art style in Diablo 3, it's become obvious that people have become way, /way/ too biased against the style maintained by Blizzard in general. I mean, Diablo 3 shouldn't be a fun game. It should be /dark/ and /gritty/. Games should /never/ be fun. So maybe we should compare things.

Bethesda:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvX7gVSCVQA
Mmm... mmm... those dark bland dungeons sure look inviting, don't they? Wouldn't you just love to be trapped in /them/ for well on over 100+ hours of constant repetetive gameplay? And the hardcode. Well, who cares about the horrific lag, and slowdown! Look, Bethesda will even add in minigames that you'll be forced to play while exploring the dungeon!

Flagship:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe5cOGp0C2s
Who needs detail at all when we can just have everything as an ill-defined grey paste smeared over the entire ruined cityscape? A company formed by the people who actually made Diablo and Diablo 2, who else would be better than a company that prides themselves on exploitable code and mismanaged, undirected projects?

But serious folks. You either want a game that holds the Blizzard style, which is also the style seen in World of Warcraft /TO AN EXTENT/, or you don't want a Blizzard game. If you hold bias against the entire company's art philosophy for WoW, you're not going to like how the dice fall on that one.:P

Quote from "reptilian" »

http://machinecode.org/diablo3/

made some edits to the screenshots to show more like the stuff i want.

Why do you want Diablo 3 to look like WarCraft 3?

Quote from "Ronkis" »

yea they artwork is great, but not for Diablo.
why make it look like WoW when its Diablo?
i dont want WoW to look like Diablo and i dont want Diablo to look like WoW.

...Do you even know what Diablo looks like?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U59_BasPW00

Diablo 3 isn't being made now in a WoW style, you chowderheads. It's being made in a Blizzard style. Maybe you'd prefer it in a Bethesda style or a Flagship style, where the game looks dark but the code is so full of holes that you'll be getting 5 frames per second due to people exploiting it for their own advantage.

Please, for the love of all things holy... stop running off your mouths and showing just how much of an ignorant WoW-hating mob you are. D1 and D2 weren't Blizzard. They were Blizzard North. You don't want Diablo 3 to be a Blizzard game? I'd recommend you break away and walk the desert.

Love that warm arcane glow, that feeling of the energy coursing through you as you drive the blade through a goat-man's thro- e... I mean yes, I like the weapon glow.

It'll be a Diablo MMO. They're grooming the Diablo franchise just like they did to WarCraft with WC3. They might release an expansion before they announce it.

Quote from "Siaynoq" »

Link please?

If it's true anyway, I'm sure they're only doing it to restore the balance. That's what they do best!

http://www.shacknews.com/featuredarticle.x?id=909&page=3

Quote from "Siaynoq" »

They are? Where on Earth do you get that?

They mention it in one of the panels or interviews. Regardless, I prefer the Witchdoctor.

He was saying that if they wanted to do a Necromancer, he'd be a different type of Necromancer and that he wouldn't tread on the toes of the Witchdoctor. Which is difficult considering Necromancers are now enemies.

Spoiler: D1 and D2 weren't made by Blizzard but rather by Blizzard North. Blizzard North doesn't exist anymore and so Blizzard is trying to create a worthy sequel. It will bear similarities to WoW because it has some of the same artists as WoW. It's taking on the style that Blizzard games do, and you will never get the same style as seen in D1 and D2. Suck it up or move on.

/signed

Blizzard artists working on a project means the project will most likely come out with a Blizzard art style.

sudo apt-get install EndOfDiscussion

You have to remember that this is the first Diablo game that's actually been designed by Blizzard. You have different people, different styles, different philosophies. You also have to be tolerant of the changes that come and of the features that find themselves in place. So far, it seems that Diablo 3 expands upon all that was in the previous titles while improving upon it with what Blizzard has learned from their other games.

Will it have similarities to World of Warcraft in some ways? Yes, because WoW has proven itself and is very successful. Will it still be Diablo? Yes, because Blizzard has proven themselves time and time again. Try to embrace the changes and adapt if you can.