DiabloFans

Ok, so it's over. As we should expect there isn't much information. The beta is coming "later this quarter", as we expected.

We have up to 2 more months before we see it, though it could be sooner.

I spent all day yesterday debating this with other people and there was one common denominator with people that didn't like this system. They all wanted the ability to "mess up" their characters. They wanted the sense of fulfillment when they finally found a build that they felt "worked" for them.

The funny thing is this system doesn't really change much from the previous. There are only 2 things you lose in the new skill system, neither of which impact "customization" of your character in any way.

The first is, at it's most basic level, the ability to make your character weaker in choosen areas. WIth the old system you basically had to decide which skills you wanted "strong" and then distribute a few points around the rest of the other skills. So, in essence, you choose which skills you wanted to have that would "SUCK" so you could have one or two really good skills.

The second is you loose some of the level-to-level variability between similar classes using the same skills as you. Basically, with the old system it was possible for 2 characters to have a certain skill and have one player use that skill more strongly then the other (because they dumped more points into it at different levels). Obviously the other character would be stronger in another skill, but assuming both characters are of equal level and class, they both have the same relative strength (character level).

But this only seems to matter in those few cases where you're partied up with somone of the same level and class and who has chosen the same skills as you. It's just a way to temporarily flex your e-peen because you have a skill that's "slightly" better then others. The "advantage" is false anyway, since you're not really competing with other characters.

The new system fulfills the same purpose in that, you get to choose the skills you "want" to use and then fill in the blanks with others. It's just that the other skills won't "suck" because you failed to choose to put points into them.

The customization of a character isn't determined by the strength of the skills they choose (skill points were only good for that), but by the skills they choose to actually use.

People who don't like this system really, actually, have a problem with the idea of respeccing, because now it's an inherent part of the skill system, instead of an optional one.

Quote from Cyber_Cheese

Quote from Dolaiim

what the hell, i started this thread. why the fuck does skarin1993 have the first post.

can i get a moderator to PM me ASAP.

Edit: I just realized they re-named another thread and folded my post into this one. And I don't like that.

Anyway, to confirm, The soonest we'll see the external beta is July.

threads got merged dude, they were all on the same thing

kinda depressing listening to them talk about WoW like a cash cow, even though i never liked the game, but wow activision
that spyro game is SUCH A NEW LOW

LOL wow *is* a cash cow. This is a company first and foremost and a publicly traded one at that. Don't let all this talk about quality and making sure it's right get you thinking it's just for us. Don't let it fool you. They want quality products so that they can make more money. The balance sheet is what matters most before anything else.

I don't mean to put that in a negative context either. That is what companies are for and I'm more then happy to let them make the most of their own hard work because, at the end of the day, it's still a job for these people. I work for the paycheck before anything else, that's for sure.

Quote from Dolaiim

It seems to me that since full sets will be dropped as one single recipe while leveling, that will basically mean we'll just be going from set to set until we hit max level.. my instinct is to assume everyone will basically wear the same thing given their level range/class throughout progression. Not sure how I feel about that..

I think that's reading into it a bit too much.

I think it's possible that many people will be wearing the same sort of things at the same levels, but that's also excluding the fact that there are other types of items to use. Granted, the benefit of the sets is in having more of their pieces, I distinctly remember not really caring for the sets in d2 exclusively. I think it's just as likely that people will be wearing the same combinations of uniques and rares (or close to the same combination) because they are combinations that meet a certain need or want.

This is Diablo and there are going to be a *ton* of options at every level, I think.

To jump back on an earlier point - Yes, I think eventually people will have huge stockpiles of stuff. It's inevitable, I think, given the nature of the game. But, realistically, how long is that going to take? I think, for the most part, amassing that sort of in-game wealth will take far more time in d3, then in d2. Just my take on the way everything seems to be stacking up.

Quote from carnage665

'we're on the home stretch': I just missed 27 heartbeats! Like more have said already; dont make it another SC2 stretch plz blizz plz!!!

I have nothing to look forward to anymore: Lost my father to cancer in just 6 weeks time (thats between them finding out he was sick and his actual 'demise'), found out my 2yo son is epileptic, lost my job because of the recession! and to top it all off my wife just lost or second unborn child.

So plz blizz, give me some good news for a change! You're all ive got left to smile once again.

That's terrible, carnage - I'm sorry to hear you've had so much trouble. I can only hope things get better for you soon.

The way I imagine an auction house in D3 working would be something like the trade windows we had from d2 where you can drop one or more items in a "box" set a gold price or allow for counter/barter offers then post the auction. It would show up in a list where people could search for various items, names, prices, etc. Then, when people make offers they too have an "inventory box" where they can put items up as an offer and/or gold. I would hope there would be a section for notes too.

But hey, what do I know - they could totally go a different direction.

I think overall they have made the right decisions on the way to go with DIII and this interview sheds some light on their reasoning. I'm a bit of an optimist but it would take some effort for these guys to come out with something that I would utterly despise. They have a challenge to keep me playing DIII as long as I have DII, but if anyone is up to the task it's them.

I think having the random quests and what not setup the way they do may actually allow them to release content updates easier. They could literally focus on creating random content "tiles" and drop them into the available pool. Granted this is speculation, but I could see something like that happening easier. At worst, it will keep people like me interested for a long time.

Ultimately i'm super-happy about them sticking with the isometric view and despite the long, somewhat loosened, debates about how the game looks; I think it looks amazing. I can't stop drooling over some of the environments we see in the various movies and screens.

Just as a side note regarding the quests: Diablo isn't really known for having quest failures. I'm sure it's something they could, and may have, implemented. But quests in the Diablo games have always been a matter of do until complete or die trying. I'm not sure how a quest failure (like an NPC dying) would fit into the ARPG model anyhow - but I suppose we will see.