This may not have much to do about Diablo 3, thus far, except Warcry tossed a catchy question at Travis Baldree, asking his opinion on the Art Direction of Diablo 3. This was his response.
Warcry: Just for fun, what do you think about the discussion swirling around the "tone and color" of Diablo 3?
Travis: Personally, I think what they've done with Diablo 3 is fantastic. It seems pretty obvious that the mandate was to make the game look like a concept painting brought to life, and I think they've succeeded pretty wildly. The contrast and use of color really works well for an Action-RPG, where there are hordes of monsters and spells, and separation of individual entities is required for satisfying play. I can't wait to play it!
Blizzard is really second-to-none, and I have nothing but admiration for their work. I know a lot of people are lamenting what they see as a move away from the grim vibe of Diablo, but I think a lot of that gothic feel is really sold by a combination of sound, content and story, and the visceral nature of the game - and Blizzard certainly isn't skimping on the visceral if the videos are any indication. I also feel strongly that there's some pretty grim content they haven't bothered to show everyone just yet.
Watch the gameplay trailer in HD again, I agreed with Elfen when he says that it looks more like God of War than World of Warcraft.
Diablo is that kind of "cartoon" that you watch and then you suddenly have a heart attack because because suddenly everyone gets gruesomely killed by dark crazy demons or because you saw one of those badass angels. Those random pictures people used to make a darker D3 DONT MAKE TRUE JUSTICE TO DIABLO 3. Some areas in the dungeon felt quite dark like when you see the Siege Beast walking in the shadows after they rescued Cain... "There's something in here"... You would have never seen that in Wow.
As for those complaining about the shoulder pads, it's Blizzard style to exaggerate things. I think it's cool for a huge Barbarian to have them this big but not for classes like the Witch Doctor. They take away the gracefuleness, just look at Tyrael on the Blizzcon banner you'll know what I mean. Some guys are just meant to look more like a wolf rather than a bear.
Some guy who knows a bit about what he's talking about said the art looked great in an interview, and gave us a good reason for his opinion. I agree with him, wooho.
P.S. He has credibility because he's D1/D2 developer? That's what I understood.
well said!
i dont get you.. i really dont.. i mean.. i LOVED d2 and barely got to play D1.. but I simply loved them, but some of us can love both things, colorful things and dark things, and I love the way D3 looks atm.. i dont want it to change, that doesnt mean im not a "true" fan..
its been said 1000 times before.. and its probably going to be said 10000 times again..
this isnt going to change.. you dont like it? dont buy the game.
The direction they took Diablo seems to be an evolution to the series that works. It looks like a fantasy painting come to life. It fits. No matter how you nitpick every aspect of it - it's still Diablo in the end.
I guess I'll be the first then.
The reason no one ever fights back is because if they dopn't agree with your opinion they're suddenly not "a fan". They suddenly are "WoW scum". (Although I do share a deep hatred of it for stealing the spotlight for years.)
Color has always been in Diablo. It's what made the gore and the "atrocities" seem so diverse. Remember Kurast? Yes, greenery everywhere. Kettles of stewing body parts. Towering mortarless buildings embedded with rubies in their interior. Fruits and such left in deserted cities strewn with dead. Mephisto's Durance filled with bright blood pouring from shoots and stagnating in pools. Gold glistened on spikes and embroidery in murals and doorframes.
Act IV- the flames of Hell rising up all about you. The Damned occasionally breaching the surface of the River of Flame. In the CIty of the Damned there's actually colorful stained glass windows that you can smash.
Act II- The dry, bright arid desert, the Aranoch. Bodies left to dry and stagnate in the heat and sweltering sunlight. Skeletons lay across the sands, bleached white with age and sun exposure. The whole scene the definition of lifelessness. The Arcane Sanctuary, cast in blues and reds, filled with stars and strange archetecture.
Act V- White snow pouring down from the skies. Glowing ballistics beseiging the fortress city, Harrogath. There's actually bunny fauna if you look. The halls of Nihlathak's temple levels were covered in multicolored murals depicting ancient rights. The frozen caverns bright with the blue/white reflectiveness of light passing through aged ice crystal. The Worldstone Chamber and the Worldstone Keep levels, filled with bright red, glowing rocks, patterned, jigsaw like floors.
Act I- Lush, green countryside as far as the eye can see.
What was bland and colorless so as to prove a point that you are in a desecrated, hopeless area? Caverns, tombs, and dungeons. Normally the last areas you visit are of this nature, like the Catacombs or the Durance.
Color makes the contrast. If you fail to see this, you are completely stupid.
All I can say is... "you stupid stupid child"
Its not a matter of love, its a matter of respect and appretiation.
There is no difference.
[EDIT] What the fuck is wrong with the textures and the lighting?
I am almost certain there will be environments released in the future that will be more grim and dark, even with the new art style.
This game is going to rock and I can't wait to play it.
I guess you could say I'm an optimist...maybe so.
Blizzard hasn't let me down yet.
I'd like to point something out here.
Theres being a fan and theres being a fanboy. You see, a fan isn't blind, deaf and stupid to everything around them. A fan can accept faults in a game, or whatever their a fan of, and still enjjoy it, like it, and want more.
A fanboy beleives everything is perfect and that anyone who found any fault in what they love isn't a fan and, infact, is just some poser or hater.
So yes, I do beleive true fans could have loved the previous games and still not have liked their graphics.
Oh, and on another note. Its not diablo? Again, did no one play the first two damn games? Cause seriously. I keep hearing this bitching and whining about how its not dark like the first two. Then I think back and wonder. . why do they say this? DId they skip act 2? What about the numerous outdoor areas where sure, it was overcast, but it wasn't pitch black? What about the dungeons? They weren't pitch black either. Light changed between 1and 2 as new technology came out, making it more realistic. Thats all tahts happened between 2 and 3.
Oh, and also, I know blizzard has stated this and none of you forum monkeys seem to give a damn and are ignoring it, but uh, the game is supposed to get darker and grittier in appearence as it goes on. You know, as the demonic influence returns to the world after 20 years of silence.
For those of you keeping track, this is the /same/ shit that happened in d2. You started off in a place that had been influenced for a /long/ time by Diablo. Then you moved on, following Diablo and his brothers path. It wasn't so influenced, things slowly changed as you followed them. Things got worse as their influence took hold until act 5 when it all culminated in the final battle and it was heavily influenced in many ways.
In short, please, QQ more. Your delicious tears of imagined suffering really make the day go by much quicker.