The Blizzcon Hub
This article was previously an article on the Demon Hunter and PvP, it has been turned into a "Blizzcon Hub", in which you'll be able to find all the resources you need to get the most info out of us.
Now that the first hectic hours of Blizzcon have passed us by, we've had a chance to compile our information, level our heads, and churn out in depth articles covering everything Blizzcon.
We have written out articles on the three main aspects we wanted to bring to light, and links will be provided to help you quickly find them in the chaos Blizzcon has brought down upon us. Welcome chaos, of course, as now we have a fifth class!
The Demon Hunter Unveiled - I take a look at the new fifth class, explore the lore behind the Demon Hunter, give some insight into tactical considerations, and dig up the skills we've been shown. If you want to learn about the fifth class, check this article out!
Character Customization - Scyberdragon compiles everything to do with character customization into one sexy slab of article. Changes to skills, new skills, skill runes, and info on the talisman can all be found here. If you like to tweak your character to your own tastes, this is the article for you.
Diablo III PvP - Battle Arenas - With his first article (give the man a hand), liquorice takes a look at the new "Battle Arena" PvP system in Diablo III. With a blend of facts and speculation, he explores every aspect of the new PvP system, which hopefully will be more complex than the "hostile button" from Diablo II. Cross your fingers.
Wilson on Diablo III and Press Conference - Magistrate, our inside man at Blizzcon brings us the scoop directly from the floor. Read up on the latest info regarding PvP in Diablo III.
Crafting Sanctuary - A collaborative effort; liquorice, Scyberdragon and I cover the latest on crafting, items, monsters, and the world of Sanctuary. Anyone wondering how development is coming along should definitely read up.
You can also see pictures from Blizzcon 2010 as well as upload your own in the new Blizzcon 2010 Gallery.
There has also been a presskit released filled with pictures and a 20min gameplay video. You can download the presskit HERE.
Lastly check out our user/staff D3 game demo experiences.
This post will be updated with more information and new articles as they become available, so check this thread for updates whenever possible. In the mean time, check out the Diablofans IRC channel to chat with your fellow users in real time!
Then I came to the conclusion if magic can make it okay for an arrow(I guess bolt actually)to split up, then magic is an okay excuse for automatic reloading.
Yeah I wasn't honestly trying to doubt the ability to load crossbows in each hand. I was only saying there's too much dual wielding going on in this game to the point of it not being so cool anymore.
I think I see what you mean. I thought you were wondering how individual people joined, but if I am understanding you correctly you are wondering how the group was created. Which is a really good question.
I mean did a bunch of kids just escape death, group together and somehow master how to use crossbows, grenades and demonic magic? There has to be something more than that.
I hope there was a person who just started taking in the orphans and teaching them these skills and that is how the group is formed. Lol, maybe it was the amazon from D2 or something (although I don't know where they would learn the demonic magic from).
Dont to mention the presentation video where a Demon Hunter (Teresa) save a girl who seem will become a Demon Hunter too (Clare)
anyone else think 'demon hunter' is a strange / lame title? I mean, which of the classes ISN'T hunting demons? :confused:
The release trailer is a little meh - about 1/10 the production value of the SC2 stuff.
Personally, I'd rather see a straight ranger than the magic-y elements, which are already represented in the classes. I also think the classes are skewing a little hard to the 'good guy' end, the lack of a necro-type character is a serious loss, but, sadly, it goes with the general young-teen-friendly marketing vibe.
Yeah that's basically what I mean.
The worst thing about this character design though is that she wears fucking high heels. Forget all the shit about reloading crossbows in each hand. Should I just tell myself she also does all that tumbling acrobatic shit in high heels with the help of magic as well? I'm just saying it's old, man. There are tons of ways they can still make this chick look all sexy without putting her in high heels.
I often wonder when they make characters in video games all sexy, just who are they trying to seduce? Is the Demon Hunter gonna use her feminine wiles on a demon to distract it long enough to kill it? No. She's just gonna shoot bolts at it and hurl bombs and shit. I don't know.
First off, let me say that this is my first post here on Diablo Fans. I've been reading the forum for some time now whilst anxiously awaiting news on Diablo 3. I've never felt compelled to join the conversation until now. For the past few weeks I watched as armor sets were revealed and I have to say I was impressed. This of course made me look forward to Blizzcon with even more excitement. I'm in Canada so despite the time zone difference with Anaheim, I was really stoked to watch the opening ceremony live. I loved the speech on geekiness and was sweating with anticipation for the Diablo 3 reveal of the 5th class. I'm now sitting here incredibly disappointed. For me, this is not at all what I had hoped for in a character and I'm confident that when I play Diablo 3 I will have nothing to do with the demon hunter. Here are my reasons for disappointment.
I should start with the fact that I am not a fan of World of Warcraft. I'm not a fan of MMORPGs in general but the story of WOW doesn't do it for me and more importantly I dislike the aesthetics of the game. Not in a malicious way or anything, but I just don't care, nor do I look down on those who spend their time immersed in that world.
Anyway, a little history...I first played Diablo at my uncle's house in Florida. I grew up in conservative home so, needless to say, that game blew my mind. I purchased Diablo 2 the next day and have been playing it since. What I loved about the game is how it wasn't over stylized. It was gritty, it was creepy, it was epic. As an art student I really like how the playable characters were believable in their aesthetics. Their armor and weaponry were proportionate and that made the item collection that much more fun. Another important part of the game to me was how, when playing, you didn't feel as is you were invincible. You feared the enemies you faced and you knew your weaknesses. Those weaknesses could be helped by joining battle net and getting other players to help you and together you could go out against the forces of evil. Awesome. Not to mention, when you actually kill Andarial for the first time, you feel like you've actually accomplished something. With this in mind, it's clear that Blizzard is moving in a somewhat different direction than I hoped. I'm not a purist though. When the first cinematic and gameplay trailers were released I was ecstatic. I thought it looked great and my love of the franchise was rebooted somewhat. This is why this latest release of the fifth class has bummed me out.
When the trailer first starts you see the boots of the new hero...high-heeled? I knew the female wizard also came equipped with these ridiculous accessories so I was hoping it was her and not the new class. It wasn't. Another over stylized character who wears WOW style armor what makes no sense. As the trailer progressed my sense of excitement dissolved into the bitterness which has forced me to write this to you now. BUT, what really made me laugh was that in the trailer the demon hunter says "I stand alone". So badass right? Not exactly. Am I not right to think that this statement goes against the entire promotion of group play? Blizzard has said that they've wanted to increase the need for players to join groups and they release a character who "stands alone". The one thing that has had me worried throughout the news releases over the years has been this idea that characters are SOOO badass that it ruins that fear you experience during the game. Your character is so badass, you can take on all of sanctuary. This is a failure to me.
The nature of this character frustrates me, and the aesthetics of this character are laughable to me. Is there no allure in subtleness anymore? I'm a fan of the underdog and that's exactly the appeal of Diablo and Diablo 2. Heros that are badass in their own smaller ways, not over the top, who go out and try to save the world. But don't worry Diablo 3 fans...the demon hunter is here. Come to save the day with her highly practical pistol-like crossbows and super sexy high-heels. Sorry female barbarian, you'll have to sit this one out. Your sword just won't cut it and your feet are clearly too big.
On that note, I think PVP looks awesome! And although my excitement has diminished, I'll still be standing in line to pick this game up on the day of it's release.
Actually, I find it kind of weird that this turns out being the final class. My first guess at it, about 2 years ago (since I thought it would be the 4th revealed), was a "Van Helsing" type of character. Which I thought would be named "Slayer" instead of Demon Hunter.. but still pretty close :P.
Then as time past, I slowly changed my thoughts, drawing further from my original guess. I went from Slayer to Force-of-Nature-Archer, Shapeshifter, then to Knight. Who would've known my first guess would turn out to be right. Awesome!:). Although I thought they said guns weren't very Diablo-ish and wouldn't be implemented?.. Anyways, I'm glad they chose to do this class, fits very well within the theme IMO.
I just watched the whole D3 panel and it was FUCKING AWESOME!
Too much d3 news at once! cant handle! aHGHHH
Anyway im still gona play the barb first but the DH is gona be my second
I will not be able to ditch my association with Illidan, though. Maybe I'll call my male Demon Hunter Illidan.
We're scrambling to cover it all, expect another article within the hour.
Assassin + Bow was the more boring way to go about it, but I guess they wanted the Witch Doctor to be the only pet class, and also desired the full blown dominatrix look.
I hope the progression artwork on the official page rings true - that her glowy eyes are dependent on the helm she wears.
Diablo hasn't been remotely realistic past Diablo 1. The snake men of Diablo 3 are a thousand times more realistic than the cartoon goobers in 2...... heck, look at how goofy spirit wolves really are zoomed up close. High resolution ftw..
But I'm also not really bothered by the crossbows. I would be, except that we've already seen far more ridiculous in the form of the Amazon's automatic spread-fire longbows.
No kidding! Even if this one isn't my favorite, having one unknown class was disproportionately bothersome.
Isn't that a gun at the end? that the Hunter gives to the other girl..
Umm I just looked at the vid again.. I guess it could be a crossbow, makes more sense. True.. But I don't know, I was certain it was a gun.. Like the way the video ends, with the weapon given to her and the close-up on it, seemed to me like it was a "reveal within a reveal" kind of thing. As if that weapon was new to us and the world of sanctuary... or something. It does look alot like a gun tho, amirite?
But bah, you're probably right. Nvm.
Edit: 200th post Btw! Hellz yaa.
Jay Wilson and the others mentioned in the DH creation panel that they don't want the DH to be the assassin all over again. It's supposed to be a mixture of the amazon and assassin and while it has some similar features it's not meant to replace the assassin archetype, if it exists.
The lore is basically that she's reacting to the invasion of the demons by become a demon-obsessed, race-netural character. She's not from any particular race or region or religion, the DHs are chosen and train in a base in the Borderlands up north. If they already have the lore up on the main site, sorry for rehashing it. very busy x.x
However, I haven't seen the release date brought up yet (in this thread, that is)..
So, with this new look on the developement of Diablo 3, when do you think it will be out?
Personally, I'm going to go with June/July 2011.