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Do you want to come to a party? Southern California punk rock legends Blink-182 will be playing in front of a sold-out BlizzCon® crowd on November 9, and you’re invited! If you’ve already scored tickets to BlizzCon 2013, then we’ll see you there! If you’re not on the guest list, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.

To enjoy the show from the comfort of your home, check out the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket, and you’ll have a front-row seat to all the festivities, from exclusive developer panels to our famous costume contest, and what is sure to be an epic concert from Blink-182 to close out the show.
So what are you waiting for? Order the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket BlizzCon Virtual Ticket to catch the action online, or check out thepress release for more details. We’ll see you at the rock show!

There was a time when Westmarch was a lively, vibrant city. Now, an unnatural chill hangs over the sprawling mass of Gothic architecture, and the unmistakable stench of decay chokes its few remaining survivors.

Take a trip with us through Reaper of Souls's first zone and peer behind the scenes at our design team's process in putting together the gloom and eeriness of a city under Death's siege.

Westmarch, Interrupted

When discussing Westmarch, we've often referred to it as the site of a "haunted apocalypse." What was once a bustling metropolis and the military capital of the west has now been reduced to something of a wasteland, its previous grandeur (and population) gutted by Malthael's vile, soul-pillaging minions. The elegant Western European and Gothic themes, upon which this city draws heavily, are now juxtaposed by the stomach-knotting dread that only the Angel of Death and his agents can bring.


Don't expect Westmarch to be a simple palette of browns, blacks, and grays, though. More than a swatch of colors was considered when crafting this locale. Creating a truly dark and foreboding city requires evoking an emotional atmosphere, and you'll feel the burden of that weight as you brave the dangers wrought by Maltheal's reapers.

The Lay of the Land

Picture the fog-laden cobblestone streets of London in the 1800's, in the midst of England's Gothic revival. The rows upon rows of buildings tightly packed together, occasionally punctuated with small, dilapidated shops and sprawling passageways. The rotting clotheslines hung precariously between shingled rooftops and grimy windows, heavy with freshly-washed laundry. Or the pools of fetid water flooded with animal waste and discarded trash stagnating in neglected gutters and potholes, ideal breeding grounds for unspeakable plague.

That foreboding feeling, a setting where Jack the Ripper or Mr. Hyde might seem perfectly at home, is what you can expect as you navigate the winding, narrow alleyways and broad town squares of Westmarch. Our artists and designers worked to further this sense of dread and doom by leaving visual breadcrumbs of Malthael's presense, covering the city in a blue-green haze and littering its byways with freshly-reaped corpses. To give Westmarch a more worn-torn, apocalyptic feel, they also peppered the landscape with tattered remnants of failed defenses (smashed bulwarks, supply carts, and spiked blockades, for example) and emptied the city of its living denizens, replacing them with animated constructs—all macabre reminders of the slaughter that has occurred.



A Welcomed Reprieve:
The inspiration of this Gothic age does not stop there, however. The Survivor's Enclave, the artisan and quest hub for Act V located in the heart of Westmarch, was designed to be a place where the remaining citizens could feel safe as they seek refuge from Malthael's army, and also a location where the nephalem can rest and regroup.

Settled atop a hill overlooking the city, this cathedral square has been modeled after a real world locale in Toledo, Spain. As a densely packed city originally built in the 13th century, its large cloister safeguarded by soaring towers seemed to fit the safe haven tone just right.



Event Planning:
Littered throughout the zone, you'll also find multitudes of randomized sequences we affectionately refer to as "cellars," named after the one-room events scattered throughout Old Tristram in Act I.

This concept of one-room events has been taken to a new level in Reaper of Souls, to the point where you might consider these less like events and more like mini dungeons. One of our artists, Johannes Thé, came up with a new idea on how to chain together multiple types of rooms, which has allowed our designers to create some truly immersive experiences!

Imagine starting in a small house that opens up into a courtyard, where a path guides you through an alleyway to a new house. Not only is this a great way to introduce larger, more interesting story elements, but it's an opportunity to experience Westmarch as though you were actually traveling through it.


Overall, there are about 30 different cellars, more than in any other zone, scattered throughout Westmarch, each providing more juicy insight to the city’s history and people (and, of course, luscious loot).

Per Ardua ad Astra: Adversity in Design

Designing Westmarch did not come without its difficulties, however. The camera system used in Diablo III quickly proved an interesting obstacle when creating an urban feel. Our lead level designer Dave Adams offered some insight on this challenge.

"When we think of cities, even old ones, they are typically filled with tall buildings packed together. We wanted that vibe, but we did not want to have all those buildings fade out in front of the player. It can become very distracting after a while and take away from the gameplay experience."

What then, was the best solution to this issue? The fading of buildings has been reduced by positioning the buildings of Westmarch on opposite sides of the street to the regular camera angle. Roofs, similarly, have been angled away to minimize foreground distractions.



This effect results in the feeling that you are really making your way through a realistic cityscape.

The Journey Begins

Westmarch has been a challenging delight to explore, design, and implement. With this particular zone, we didn’t just want to set the stage for Reaper of Souls. We wanted to take you to a place of which you have heard only the faintest of whispers, to bring forth from your imagination a legendary location and make it breathe. Through the greatest depths of our artists' and designers' passion, it has been brought to life. . .only to be crushed beneath Malthael’s advancing legions.
Are you ready to face the horrors that loom around each cobblestoned turn? Prepare yourselves, nephalem: Death awaits you.

What first comesto mind when one thinks of Westmarch, the first zone players will encounter in Diablo III's upcoming expansion, Reaper of Souls? From the home base of an eponymous order of knights to an architectural wonder built of monuments to King Rakkis's conquests, it is a city steeped in tales both heroic and bloody.

But what of its founding? Or the secrets that drove King Rakkis to be buried in a fetid swamp rather than his shining capital? It is said that the best preparation for the future is to study the past, so let's take a closer look at these legends as we steel ourselves for the impending destruction and chaos of Malthael, the Angel of Death.

Product of Conquest
Nearly two and a half centuries past, at a time when the Zakarum faith was quickly gaining momentum, the empire of Kehjistan was beset by a myriad of troubles. From famine and disease to rioting amongst the citizenry, the stage was set for a new faith to rise and stoke the fires of hope in the hearts of the desperate. While many politicians and nobles saw this evangelical traction as a threat, Emperor Tassara, fresh to his rule, realized the teachings of Akarat could be used as a tool to solidify his reputation. By embracing the burgeoning religion, Tassara would hasten the rapid acceptance of the Zakarum doctrines, allowing him to ensure the people would stay devoted to his cause.

The Rise of Rakkis:

Soon after his ascension, competitors for Tassara's throne banded together in an attempt to overthrow the emperor before his position was fully secured. Anticipating this insurrection, Tassara enlisted the help of one of the most zealous Zakarum converts and a skilled military general: Rakkis. The exploits of Rakkis echo through the annals of history, but it is important to note that his undeniable strength and his series of victories to protect the crown were an inspiration to the common folk.


Rakkis's popularity proved a double-edged sword, however, as Tassara began to consider the general a potential threat to his own rule. Thus, he ordered Rakkis to venture west and spread the Zakarum faith through conquest.

As this crusade tore across the land, Rakkis's army faced steep resistance, especially from the nation of Ivgorod and the barbarians of Mount Arreat. Despite these setbacks, Rakkis eventually banded together nine warring clans of the subcontinent under his banner, slowly integrating the Zakarum faith into their culture. This new force allowed him to crush the remaining resistant natives of the south.


Soon, it came time for the general to claim proof of his deeds. To this end, he declared the land he seized Westmarch, in honor of the task to which Tassara had assigned him. Its capital, which would share the same name, was settled as a river port, and its convenient proximity to the sea allowed the city to quickly flourish into the mighty martial and mercantile power it is today.

The City Under Siege
Westmarch enjoyed many decades of peace and prosperity, as few would dare the wrath of its intimidating military. Those who did, such as Khanduras’s ill-fated invasion during the Darkening of Tristram, were slaughtered, with few survivors left to tell of their decimation. In the two hundred plus years since Westmarch’s founding, no outside force would visit harm upon those within the city’s formidable walls, until the arrival of Malthael, intent on slaughtering the entire population of the capital for an as yet undetermined purpose.
This begs the question: Why Westmarch? What secrets does the city hold that would lure the Angel of Death to its doorstep?

A Secret History
Generally speaking, if one were to carve a vast nation from the wilderness, the least appealing location to build one's new home would be next to a sprawl of fetid marshes. Yet, that is precisely what Rakkis did when he chose the location for his nation’s capital. Was there an ulterior motive? Surely there must have been, as the site would later draw forth the interest of not one, but two independent members of the Angiris Council.
Near Westmarch lay a treasure far more valuable than anything Rakkis had procured during his campaign. After his coronation, the king spent many years of his reign wandering the cyclopean ruins that lay forgotten beneath the adjacent marsh. At his behest, King Rakkis was laid to rest within it after his death. It was whispered by some that the ruins were not those of just any civilization, but rather, a lost city of the Nephalem.


This location holds undeniable power, and few have managed to pry secrets from its ancient corridors. The greatest quality the lost city is said to possess, however, is remarkable warding against the trespass of both angels and demons. Mentions of this warding were well hidden, but the new mortal Aspect of Wisdom, Tyrael, learned of the ancient protection in a time of great need. Seeking a place of refuge on Sanctuary for the Black Soulstone, he planned on using these ruins to hide the terrible artifact, shielding it from both demonic and angelic intervention alike. With power of the Prime Evil stored within the stone’s murky facets, not even the High Heavens could be trusted with its safekeeping.
Unfortunately, no one, not even Tyrael himself, could have foreseen the adversary who would pluck the Black Soulstone from its refuge. . .


Like Tyrael, Malthael had undergone a transformation, and his new incarnation as Death allowed him to cross the threshold of the ruined city unhindered.

The Future of Westmarch
Now, dangers beyond imagining threaten to lay waste to Westmarch, and only you, brave Nephalem, can save the historic city from ruin. Its residents are being culled and raised as an undead army bent on serving Maltheal’s every whim. How will you help cleanse Westmarch of the evil that’s befallen it? What unknown horrors do you imagine wait to stop you?
Let us know in the comments below, and remember: Be careful what you wish for!

With BlizzCon just around the corner, it’s time to share the adorably lethal secret that waits inside this year’s Goody Bag. . . .

As a memento for joining us at the heart of the storm, BlizzCon attendees will receive a BlizzCon 2013 Cute But Deadly Souvenir Set featuring the delightfully menacing likenesses of Arthas, Kerrigan, and Diablo. The result of a universe-crossing collaboration, this trio kicks off an exciting new line of figures—and there are even more cute but deadly surprises to come. This limited-edition set is an exclusive gift for BlizzCon attendees, and will never be reproduced for commercial sale. Now isn’t that special?!

Check out the Cute But Deadly lineup below:

Why can Tyreal still wield El'Druin if he is no longer an angel?
Tyrael's mortality has no bearing on his ability to wield El'druin. After all, it's his sword. =) This is also not the first time a mortal being has wielded El'druin. Jacob Staalek once used the sword to great effect protecting his home. This event was covered in the comic books and referenced in the Book of Tyrael.

I still can't fathom why Malthael wouldn't try to simply kill Tyrael on the spot, though...
Malthael is extremely in tune with souls.When he inspected Tyrael's soul, he found no evidence of demonic taint. Ergo, he did not consider Tyrael his enemy. It really is that simple, as Death tends to see things in black and white.

I'm wondering why El'druin brought back his power though, unless it's as simple as just him forgetting who he is so he has a hidden power and El'druin helps him remember, releasing the power.
El'druin is a unique item in that it isn't simply an angelic weapon, but a part of Tyrael. In order for Tyrael to be whole again after he cast himself from the High Heavens, El'druin needed to be restored. It's inexorably tied to his being, regardless of what state Tyrael is in. Hypothetically speaking, if Tyrael were to somehow become an actual human, El'druin would remain equally integral to his being. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

I took a crack at this in another thread. Here's what I originally suggested (keeping note that this is a personal opinion):

Monk: Lawful Good
Barbarian, Demon Hunter: Chaotic Neutral
Wizard, Witch Doctor: True Neutral
Crusader (for bonus points!): Neutral Good

Mind you, I think these choices might vary depending on the gender of each character you play. They all react a bit differently to certain conversations and events. For reference, my Nephalem are Female for the Monk, Demon Hunter, Witch Doctor, and Barbarian, and Male for the Wizard. In addition, remember that alignment is an extremely subjective mechanic, primarily because it can be interpreted very differently from person to person. Some consider it rules that you must absolutely adhere to, while others may see it more as a generalization.

It's a system that I don't think lends itself too well to the Diablo universe. I wouldn't say there's a one "true" answer to this question, but it's definitely interesting to hear others' thoughts on why they think a character adheres to a particular alignment. As an avid tabletop nerd, I'd love to hear your reasoning. =)

I have no idea what chaotic good or neutral good is... Is it supposed to make sense?
So, what I'm referring to is a two-axis alignment system, commonly found in table-top pen and paper RPGs (or their video game counterparts).

The first axis measures a character's capacity for Law or Chaos. The three denominations are Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic. Lawful characters are generally predictable and adhere to a code of some kind, either literally (like a town's laws or a code of chivalry), or personally. Chaotic characters are generally unpredictable, and tend to take the path of least resistance for just about every situation.

The second axis measures a character's capacity for Good or Evil. That's pretty straightforward, but it also has three denominations: Good, Neutral, or Evil. So in all, there are nine alignments.

That's a very rudimentary explanation (there's certainly much more depth to be explored), but I hope it gets the basic point across. =)

Personally I would have guessed Chaotic Good for the Crusader as they are pretty zealous.
Crusaders are extremely devoted to their cause, and their methods are occasionally a bit more unconventional than others. However, that isn't to say they are vehemently against what they are told to do - their entire quest occurred because they were issued an order, and they stick to that order no matter the cost. That's what leads me to believe they fall in between law and chaos, rather than one side of the spectrum.

Again, that's a personal interpretation. But that's the inherent nature of the alignment system, it's all a matter of interpretation, as the alignments are "guidelines" rather than rules to adhere to (kind of like the Pirate Code).

I thought it'd be really funny to take this a step further with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality system, but after some research I decided that would just be way too freakin hard.
It would be difficult, but definitely interesting! These kind of psychological studies have always been intriguing to me. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Over the last two months, artists from around the globe have put pen to parchment to create over 300 t-shirt designs worthy of the heroes of Sanctuary.

Today, the winners of Blizzard Entertainment and Design By Humans' Diablo III t-shirt contest have been announced! And best yet? You can get in on the action by purchasing a t-shirt or phone case emblazoned with art from one of the top 26 winning entriesas well!

Check out the five Grand Prize winners below.







Head over to Design by Humans' blog for all the details and make sure to check out all the incredible contest submissions!

Thanks to you, hero, the Prime Evil has been vanquished and the Lords of Hell locked away within the Black Soulstone. You've saved countless lives on your adventures through the High Heavens and back, but your journey isn’t over. A terrible evil rises to threaten Sanctuary again—thankfully, another skilled Artisan has emerged to aid you.

(Re)Introducing, The Mystic:
In Reaper of Souls, you'll have the opportunity to join forces with a new and powerful ally: Myriam Jahzia, the Mystic.


Myriam Jahzia is a wise woman who will offer you sage advice during the turbulent times ahead. She and her clan are nomads known as the Vecin—a spiritual people, blessed with magical visions. They hail from a matrilineal society who worship a powerful deity known as the Allmother. The Vecin believe that the Allmother is the source of their visions, and that it is because of her that all Vecin possess a sixth sense they call the Sight. While the Sight always manifests more strongly in Vecin women, it's especiallystrong in Myriam.

Although she is quite a resourceful individual, Myriam proves no match for Malthael's forces and is trapped by their relentless advance. You will have the chance to save Myriam while adventuring in the city of Westmarch, and shortly after encountering her, she will offer her Artisan services to you, regardless of your level.


Like your companions Haedrig Eamon the Blacksmith and Covetous Shen the Jeweler, Myriam the Mystic is a skilled Artisan, capable of altering the very nature of even the most elaborate armor and weapons. Over the years, Myriam has learned to harness her craft, and as thanks for rescuing her from Malthael’s vicious constructs, she offers two unique services to aid you on your mission: one that strengthens and enhances your items (Enchanting), and one that allows you to further customize your appearance (Transmogrification).

Enchanting:

Have you ever looted an item whose stats were almost perfect, but one property just wasn't quite what you had hoped for? Or perhaps you found an item you love, but are starting to outgrow its power? With Enchanting, you will be able to reroll one property on a Rare or Legendary item simply by speaking to Myriam, opening up her Enchant menu, and then paying a material cost. It's that easy!
While not all properties can be rerolled, most can, and you'll be able to reroll a single property over and over again, as many times as you like. This allows Enchanting to feel meaningful, while still allowing lots of room for you to hunt for even better base items (which, of course, you can then Enchant into even more powerful items, and so on).

How Enchanting Works:
Enchanting an item is simple:

1.) Talk to Myriam and select her "Enchant" Menu.


2.) From there, place an item onto the Enchanting window. A list of properties will appear under your item. You can choose to reroll any one of these properties, and you can find out what resulting properties you have the possibility to obtain by clicking on the question mark to the right of each property.


3.) Once you've decided what property you want to reroll, simply gather the required crafting materials and the necessary gold, select the property you wish to reroll, and then hit "Replace Property" to lock in your choice.


4.) Select your replacement property from the list of available choices. You can view the possible replacement properties to the right on the advanced Enchanting window.


5.) After you've Enchanted an item, you will have the option of replacing its previously Enchanted property with a new property for an additional gold and crafting material cost.


Further Enchanting Details:
Since the resulting property you receive during Enchanting will be random, it's possible that the new properties you're provided may end up being less desirable to you than the one you are replacing. But fear not! In order to mitigate this type of buyer's remorse, Myriam will also offer the previous property in the list of options when using Enchanting. So if you don't like the new property that Enchanting offered you, you can always choose to keep the old one.
Keep in mind that when choosing which property you wish to reroll, you will only be able to reroll that one property from then on out. After a single property has been changed via Enchanting, all other properties will become "locked in" and cannot be rerolled. Also, once you Enchant an item, it will become bound to your account and can no longer be traded to other players.

Transmogrification:

As you travel through Sanctuary on your quest to vanquish Malthael and his minions, you're sure to encounter a wide array of new and familiar armor and fearsome weapons. While you will still want to carefully check and compare stats on these items to make sure your hero is as powerful as can be, thanks to Myriam, you will also be able to access a new feature in Reaper of Souls called Transmogrification, which will allow you to change and customize the appearance of your hero’s items without having to sacrifice any of their power!

How Transmogrification Works:
All items with a visual appearance are currently planned to be eligible for Transmogrification, including Legendary and Set items. In order to use a specific visual appearance, you’ll first need to unlock it; once unlocked, however, that appearance will be available to all heroes on your account. Common, Magic, and Rare item appearances will unlock as you level up the Mystic, while Legendary and Set item appearances will unlock only after you’ve identified them.
Transmogrifying an item is easy:

1.) Talk to Myriam and select her "Transmogrify" Menu.


2.) From there, place an item onto the Transmogrification window.


3.) A list of new visual options will appear under your item. You can select any of these appearance options and check out their look on your character in the Preview panel on the right.


4.) Once you've decided what item look you like, simply gather the necessary gold, select the new item look you crave, and then hit "Transmogrify" to lock in your choice.


5.) Adventure on, in style!


Additional Details:
There are a few restrictions to keep in mind whenever Transmogrifying an item:

• Item appearances you collect in Normal mode will be separate from the unique item appearances you collect in Hardcore mode.
• While all items with a visual appearance are eligible for Transmogrification, the item appearance you want to use has to have the same underlying animation set as the item you want to Transmogrify. (For example: You could replace the appearance of one two-handed sword with another two-handed sword, or a one-handed sword with a one-handed axe or one-handed mace.)
• As you acquire new items you're eager to Transmogrify, you'll need to return to the Mystic again in order to have her work her magic on your armor and weapons. This is because Transmogrification affects an individual item, not the item slot.
• You can dye Transmogrified items; however, if you Transmogrify an equipped item that’s dyed, that dye will be overridden with the current color of the item appearance you’ve selected.
• Legacy items (items that drop before [the expansion/pre-expansion patch] goes live) will not unlock unique item appearance, but they can be Transmogrified.
• As with Enchanting, Transmogrifying an item will also bind it to your account, so it pays to plan ahead.

Rolling the Cart Forward:

Myriam the Mystic will be a powerful ally on your journey through Westmarch and beyond. Whether you’re looking to improve a property on an existing item or eager to show off a unique outfit you’ve created, her Artisan services will help you get some extra mileage out of your arsenal and exotic wardrobe.

While there is sure to be a plethora of new weapons, exquisite armor, and other trinkets to discover in Reaper of Souls, what item looks are you eager to collect for Transmogrification purposes after Reaper of Souls launches? Do you have any current items you're looking forward to Enchanting? Let us know in the comments below!

The first step in designing any Legendary is to figure out what kind of item you want to create. Do you want a weapon? An off-hand? A ring or amulet? A piece of armor?

For this particular project, we'd like to focus on a Legendary weapon, more specifically a melee weapon. We decided to do this for a few reasons.


The first reason is that Legendary weapons typically have a very strong visual identity. Unlike other item types—like a ring or a belt, for example—you can see the weapon you're wielding, often very prominently. This is important because, in addition to discussing the mechanical design of Legendary items (its stats and powers), we also want to talk about their visual design, and that's much easier to do when you've got something that's bigger and has a lot of visible components.

The second reason is that Legendary weapons are iconic, and there's a much stronger fantasy behind them than, let's say, a helm or pair of pants. As a result, players tend to identify with weapons more than any other item type. That doesn't mean the other types are any less important, but Legendary weapons are certainly more recognizable and carry more street cred (so to speak).

As for why a melee weapon instead of a ranged weapon (or both)? Pretty simple. Of the weapon types available to all classes, melee weapons are used more often.

Okay, so we're designing a Legendary melee weapon. Done. But what class of weapon should we create? Well that's up to you! We've selected 10 different classes of melee weapons for you to choose from and have set up a poll to help collect your feedback. Pick your favorite by using the voting options below, and be sure to spread the word. Whichever weapon class gets the most votes globally wins!

After the poll has closed, we'll tabulate player votes from all our different Diablo III communities around the world to determine the winner and share the results next week. Don't delay, though—this poll will close Wednesday, October 30.

So, wait -- what's being debated? (Sorry, I'm not totally sure why we're arguing.)

For players who are interested in learning more about item design in Diablo III (and/or contributing to it), then this will hopefully be a fun little activity. For players who aren't interested in either item design or the structure of the activity itself, then it may not be. If you don't find it interesting or worth your time, that's fine. Skip it! No biggie. (Seriously.) You shouldn't feel obligated to participate in something lighthearted like this, especially since it's completely voluntary.

I mean, let's use your PoE example. I don't imagine that all Path of Exile beta players opted to create a custom unique, right? Similarly, I don't imagine that all current players would necessarily choose to participate today given the chance -- because, hey, not everyone likes the same thing. That doesn't mean that particular service wasn't worth doing or keeping, though. Just look at how much you enjoyed it! I think that's awesome, and I'm glad you had the opportunity to get involved with something you found fun and engaging. In that same vein, we hope that D3 players will find the Design a Legendary project fun and engaging too (albeit for different reasons), but we certainly don't expect it to appeal to everyone.

Right, so I explained my point. PoE did it first, are still doing it, and doing it better.
Keep in mind that the goals of this activity and Path of Exile's custom unique service aren't in competition with one another (nor are they even really the same), so directly comparing them is a bit short-sighted. At the end of the day, if the Design a Legendary project can help interested players get a better idea of how Legendary items are made in Diablo III and make them feel like they had a hand in shaping something in the game, then we'll consider that a success. And who knows? Maybe it'll lead to other bigger, even funner projects in the future.

With Blizzcon only about 2 1/2 weeks away is this something that will be explained further in detail or that will be show cased? It seems like Blizzcon would be a great plat form to go over this.
Hm. While hopefully a fun/insightful activity, the Design a Legendary project isn't something that's core to our development process or Reaper of Souls, so it's not going to be a topic covered at BlizzCon. I imagine the development team will likely discuss Loot 2.0 (and Legendary items) in greater detail, though!

I'm not interested in anything other than seeing why it takes several months to create a single legendary item.
Of, pft. It doesn't actually take months to create a single Legendary item. That time frame is tied directly to the fact that we want to get the community involved. Specifically, we want to make sure that interested players have time to participate.

If we create a poll, for example, we'll want to give that at least a week -- enough time for people to find out about it and then vote. Then we need another week to tabulate the global results, inform the community, implement whatever you all chose, and then prep for the next stage. Similarly, if we hold a contest, that's going to need a few weeks as well. Podcasts also require time to set up, promote, and then recap. (Logistics, man. Always a party!)

Now, before anyone starts to panic: this isn't going to impact development for ROS. While we may take things a bit slower for this one single Legendary item, the developers will continue to design, iterate, and implement as usual for everything else at their previously-scheduled pace.

Let that sink in.
Shall I do so with a bang or a whimper.

Goblin Death Penalty
That's an interesting idea! If I'm understanding this correctly, you're suggesting that a Treasure Goblin should spawn whenever you die that will grab any of the local gold and items that you were unable to gather prior to your death. This way you would never lose any of the stuff you've already got, but risk losing uncollected rewards if you die in the middle of a fight.

How many of you would like it if this was put into the game? Would you change the way it works, and why?

Great thread, Zyron! (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Preparing for the Expansion
There's nothing wrong with trying to maneuver yourself into a more advantageous position for Reaper of Souls, but I feel like I should point out that it's not necessary to enjoy it. However, I like the conservative approach when it comes to preparing for the expansion, and feel like it's a relaxing way to get ready.

I'd like to hear more about how other people are getting ready for RoS. Are you preparing for the expansion? How are you gathering your resources? Do you feel like your method is working well for you?

Thanks for posting this thread, papadanko! (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

I wouldn't say our approach has really changed fundamentally with Reaper of Souls, but it’s certainly been adapted. We're still very proud of the environments and level design of Diablo III and feel that the overall look and feel of the original game was very appropriate for that particular narrative. In Reaper of Souls, though, the narrative has changed—it's darker, more moody, and deals with the concept of death very directly—so the environments and storyline have also evolved to reflect that new direction.

Philosophically speaking (both in terms of Diablo III and our art style as a whole), we always want to try to provide players with a variety of settings whenever possible, so that you aren't constantly having to play through the same landscapes (or type of landscapes) over and over. We also love that Diablo III—and even each Act within the game—has a very clear, very distinct visual identity. While this means that some areas may be more colorful or vibrant than in the past, it was something new (a nice contrast) and made sense within the context of the story. The same applies for our direction with Reaper of Souls.

Even so, we've definitely paid attention to the feedback shared by the community since launch and have made some decisions in terms of the visual design for the expansion which we hope everyone will enjoy.

Now, since the "proof is in the pudding" (as some say), I'm just going to leave you with these two screenshots from the first zone in Act V:

- Cathedral entrance in Westmarch

- Alley way leading to a central courtyard, also in Westmarch (which we lovingly refer to as "the corpse blanket")

More screenshots are available here, and you can check out more of Westmarch in this gameplay teaser:


Hey Lylirra, I wonder if adding an enemy affix that does "Horror" would make the game feel a bit more "Gothic". In short, it drastically reduces your vision (much like Light Radius in Diablo 2 when you were in a dark cave). You wouldn't know what's coming at you. It would be a nice touch.
Interesting thought! Happy to pass it on.

Nothing revolutionary. It's Tristram Cathedral with shades of Blue, Gray, Black. With more ghostly aspects and skeletons.
It's still the world of Sanctuary (and the same game engine, too), which means things aren't going to change dramatically. We may not be able to achieve "revolutionary" given those contextual and technical limitations, but one of the goals of Reaper of Souls is definitely to harken back to Diablo's darker, more gothic roots. Not copy it exactly, mind you, since this is a different game with its own identity, but we've certainly made an effort to draw upon notable themes from those earlier chapters.

Hey Lylirra!
So have you guys made some changes in the previous acts art style/story tellin wise?
Hm. We've completely integrated the Crusader's storyline into Acts I-IV, but no other significant changes have been made to those zones as of current design (at least in terms of lore or visual design).

Edit: typo

So what if a Paladin and Crusader runs into each other?
Hm, a curious question. I think it would be a rather one-sided encounter in terms of interest. The Crusaders are a relatively secret sect, and not much is known about them. I think a Paladin would show less interest in a Crusader, viewing him only as a fellow devout worshiper of the Zakarum. The Crusader might have a more distrustful perspective, viewing any Paladin as "tainted" given that their quest is to purge all darkness from the Zakarum.

They've also been fairly disassociated from current events in the church since the era of Rakkis over two hundred years ago, when they were formed.

We'll see how they will interact but it can be assumed that probably the leader of Paladins is the boss of Crusaders aswell.
Remember that Crusaders are loosely organized, and they follow a calling rather than a commander. Crusaders were quite deliberately formed as a separate entity from Paladins, for fear of carrying over corruption into their new sacred duty, so what they share does not stretch much further than their faith.

Here's a post where I speak of the various incarnations and existing factions of holy warriors (note, the monks aren't included for the moment).
http://us.battle.net...pic/10262657166
This is a very insightful thread! You hit on a few key points I think are being overlooked. I definitely recommend this to anyone who may be confused on the historical order of these events.

Now they're trying to suggest that all paladins are corrupt and that crusaders would have little to nothing to do with them.
I can see where you may have interpreted this from my statement, but I did not mean all paladins being corrupt as a fact. Rather, I meant that it may be what a Crusader erroneously believes when encountering a Paladin. Just as little is known about the Crusaders, their focus on their task at hand hasn't lent itself well to keeping up on current events in the rest of the world, and they may be unaware of the splintering of the church that's occurred since they originally set out.

Many Paladins were corrupted (The Hand of Zakarum). Shortly after the Zakarum Inquistion, a small group broke off and traveled to Westmarch (The Order of Paladins). They were later absorbed into the Knights of Westmarch (which is where the D2 Paladin was from). This all happened separately from the Crusaders traveling East, which happened much earlier, when Rakkis first set out to conquer the West.

Banning Bots
As always, we're staunchly against the use of botting programs, and we regularly issue account bans to those players found to be using bots while playing Diablo III.

These account bans are issued on a weekly and sometimes daily basis, and it's important to keep in mind that while we don't make announcements every time we action players for cheating, our teams are always hard at work to ensure that your online experience is as free of cheats, hacks, bots, and other exploitative activities as possible.

To learn more about our exploitation policy for Diablo III, please visit our official support site. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Game Cursor and Color Blindness
This isn't currently planned, but we may look into something like this in the future. If we were to add this kind of customization, what support would you like to see? We'd love to hear more from players who are color-blind, especially if you are experiencing challenges with particular UI aspects. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Note: All the examples I've provided below are as of current design and may change before Paragon 2.0 goes live.

Don't make the same mistake again by telling players what stat to take.
Just to be super clear, when you earn a Paragon Point, that point will only be restricted to a specific category, NOT to a specific stat. Within each category (Core Stats, Offene, Defense, and Utility), there are four different stats, and you will have the freedom to choose which stat that point will be assigned to.

So, for example, if you've just earned a point in Offense, you'd have the opportunity to assign it to Attack Speed, Critical Hit Chance, Critical Hit Damage, or Cooldown Reduction. If you've just earned a point in Utility, you could assign it to Maximum [Resource], Magic Find, Movement Speed, or Gold Pick Up Radius.

Again, the round-robin style only limits which category you earn Paragon Points in; it doesn't restrict which stat within that category you can assign that particular point to.


The removal of innate doesn't need to suck. As long as they can provide enough point per level. For example, as we can only put 1 point to MF every 4 lvl, if that point increase the MF by at least 10% then it is OKish. We would still have our MF as now, just a little bit later that is all.
I really wish Lylirra would confirm the details of the change.
The bonus granted by each Paragon Point currently varies per category, and sometimes per stat. For example, all the Core Stats options grant +5 per point and all the Offense options grant +0.20% per point. Meanwhile, the options in Defense and Utility grant different bonuses per point. To use Utility as an example again, each point spent in Maximum [Resource] will grant +1.00, while each point spent in Movement Speed will grant +0.50%.

Keep in mind that, while the bonus increments you're able to earn through Paragon 2.0 may differ from the current system, we're also making fairly notable changes to items, monsters, hero skills, and game difficulty. Paragon 2.0 numbers are being balanced with those changes in mind (rather than how the game plays right now), which makes a significant difference.

(Again, none of this is final and totally subject to change before release. We may decide to change what bonuses we give out or how much the bonuses are worth. This is just to give you an idea.)

thanks for your answer. You are right, most people will probably be aiming for mainstat + vitality. But don't forget, that there is a cap for these stats, so you can't dump all of your paragon points into one single stat.
As noted by Travis Day in his sticky thread, there is a cap to the total number of Paragon Points players can earn in the Offense, Defense, and Utility categories; however, there is no cap for the Core Stats category.This means that after you've capped Offense, Defense, and Utility (which will currently occur at Paragon 800), any Paragon levels you gain after that will award you a Paragon Point in the Core Stats category.

At present all categories other than Core Stats (Str, Int, Dex, Vit) have a cap on the number of points that can be allocated to them, which also means there is a cap to the total number of points that 3 of the 4 categories can have. If you reach Paragon 800, you will have maxed the number of points that can be allocated to the Offensive, Defensive, and Utility categories and all future Paragon levels will grant you a point in the Core Stat category instead.

I believe this is the article you're referencing: http://us.battle.net.../blog/11291161/

The goal of this particular project is to give interested players a more in-depth look into how Legendary items are made, particularly under our new "Loot 2.0" philosophy. By using a single Legendary item as a point of reference and sharing interviews with the artists/developers responsible for designing and implementing it, we can (hopefully) provide players with a better, more direct understanding of item design in Diablo III and Reaper of Souls.

To makes things a bit more interactive, we're also giving the community the ability to contribute to different parts of the design process for this particular Legendary item. We'll be using polls, podcasts, and contests to facilitate this. This certainly isn't a new idea, and it definitely isn't groundbreaking, but we think it'll be fun (and ideally educational).

We'll see how it goes!

It's time for another Community Commentary, and this week we'd like to highlight a discussion created by Tulki over on Reddit Diablo which asks:

So we know [Reaper of Souls] is bringing lots of big changes. What small quality of life changes would you want as well?

Quality of life updates are usually small changes that make navigating the game a little more convenient for everyone -- like highlighting numbers in green when it's an upgrade in the Quick Comparison window, for example, or marking the mini-map with a star icon whenever a Legendary item drops.

If you're having trouble narrowing down exactly what kind of changes qualify as "quality of life," here are a few more examples of things already in Diablo III to help get the creative process rolling:

• Artisans can now craft items with materials in your stash
• You can disable the confirmation box when salvaging Rare items
• Combat notifications for party members

Join in with your own ideas (or just read along) in the original discussion thread onReddit Diablo, and please feel free to leave us your thoughts in the comment section below!

Malthael, the Angel of Death, grows restless. Having sieged the historic city of Westmarch, he now sets his sights on a new metropolis: Anaheim, California—the great gamer haven of the West. Soon, his forces will begin their march on the hallowed halls of BlizzCon and only you, mighty Nephalem, can defend its denizens and help put a stop to the coming apocalypse.

Are you ready?

Join the Crusade, November 8-9

Summon your allies, ready your best weapon, and prepare to make a stand against Malthael in Hall A of the Anaheim Convention Center.

With 300 PC demo stations at their command, attendees will have the opportunity to join the fight for Westmarch, seek fame and treasure in all-new Nephalem Rifts (previously called Loot Runs), and journey through Adventure Mode, where the world itself is your battlefield. All five of the original Diablo III classes will be playable, as well as the recently-unveiled Crusader, a fierce mid-range melee warrior who wields punishing weapons (and an even more punishing arsenal of spells and abilities).

Reaper of Souls Invades PlayStation® 4

We're also excited to announce that Diablo III: Reaper of Souls will be making its public debut on the PlayStation® 4 at BlizzCon 2013!

In our action-packed single-player and same-screen co-op demos, players will get to explore the haunted streets of Westmarch as one of our five original classes or test their mettle as the unyielding Crusader. Attendees will also be some of the first in the world to take on Death itself using a DUALSHOCK®4 controller, featuring touch pad technology designed to help keep heroes out game menus and focused on what they do best: killing monsters.



For those of you who are BlizzCon-bound, we salute you! If you can't make the show in person, be sure to check out the Virtual Ticket, which includes over 60 hours of high-definition footage so you can catch all the action from the comfort of your home.

Head on over to BlizzCon.com for panel schedules, event maps, hotel and travel information, forums, and more, and be sure to stay tuned to diablo3.com for all the latest news for Reaper of Souls on PC and PS4!

BlizzCon 2013 is just over three weeks away! Whether you're joining us at the Anaheim Convention Center in person or viewing from home with the BlizzCon® Virtual Ticket, we've got a lot of fun and festivities lined up for you.
To help you form a plan of attack, we've just posted a schedule of the panels, eSports tournaments, and other events happening at BlizzCon on Friday and Saturday. You can also check out the floor map to get a lay of the land.

If you'd like to watch online, the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket grants you access to the events on the Main and Panel stages, along with this year's in-game goodies. We’ll also be broadcasting the opening ceremony and this year's eSports tournaments—including the StarCraft II WCS Global Finals—for free at www.blizzcon.com. Stay tuned for more information!

By the way, we have changed the name of our newest game for the third time. You can look forward to more information regarding Heroes of the Storm at BlizzCon!

Have you ever wondered what kind of sweat, tears, and ritual sacrifice goes into designing a Legendary item in Diablo III? Or perhaps even entertained the idea of creating a Legendary of your own?

Well, hang on to your hauberks, Sanctuary, and ready your anvils. It’s time to get crafty.

The "Design a Legendary" Project

Inspired by the many passionate discussions we've seen about itemization (particularly Legendary itemization) in Diablo III, we wanted to take some time to expand on our evolving design philosophies and practices, as well as reiterate our goals for Legendaries in Reaper of Souls.

As we started to put our pens to the proverbial paper, though, we had an epiphany: "Hey, instead of just telling players about item design, why not actually show them?"

And so the Design a Legendary project was born.

So, How's It Work?

Over the next few months, we'll take you through the all the different design stages behind bringing a single Legendary item to life, from concept to creation to iteration, all the way through animation and implementation. We'll chat with each developer involved and share progress updates along the way, giving you a unique behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making a Legendary item that looks epic, feels epic, and fits within the larger network of hero skills, monster tuning, and overall game balance.

Pretty sweet, huh?

But wait -- that’s only one part of this project! (Oh snap.)

Tell Us More, Lylirra!

We'll also be involving you, our awesome community, in various parts of the design process. Leading up to release of Reaper of Souls, you'll have the opportunity to not only weigh in, but actually help guide development on a Legendary item that will be implemented and playable. We'll be holding global community votes, hosting podcasts, soliciting ideas, and even running a contest or two to ensure that this is truly a worldwide, player-driven initiative.
The result? We hope this activity will help give players a better understanding of everything that goes into item design, as well as wind up being something that's both fun and uniquely interactive. Also, once everything is said and done, there will be a Legendary item in the game that you had a hand in making. How cool is that?!

We'll be kicking off the first stage of this project next week, so stay tuned to diablo3.com and get ready to Design a Legendary!

So the whole statement about releasing the paragon 2.0 systems and Loot 2.0 systems BEFORE the expansion are null and void?
We're still looking to release Paragon 2.0 and Loot 2.0 in a pre-expansion patch. The information you quoted was simply providing examples in the context of two co-existing level caps (level 60 for players who don't purchase the expansion and level 70 for players who do purchase the expansion).

The basic gist is pretty straightforward, though. If your character is considered to be at max level cap, that character will earn Paragon experience. If your character isn't considered to be at max level cap, it won't earn Paragon experience.

since obviously Loot 2 will come before RoS, what will happen to the paragon points you have earned if you install RoS to raise your lvl cap to 70? will they vanish, because you no longer can paragon-level until you reach the NEW cap?
Nothing will happen to your existing Paragon levels or Points in that scenario. You'll just stop earning Paragon experience while you level up from 60 to 70, which means you won't be gaining any additional Paragon levels or Points during that time either (but you also won't be losing any). Once you reach level 70, you'll start earning Paragon experience again from where you left off. Easy-peasy.

Will dead HC characters with paragon levels count towards our total? I don't think this has been answered yet.
For clarity, this has not been decided yet.

Is blizzard removing the MF/GF bonus currently with the paragon levels, and are we going to have to assign points to MF/GF, if we choose, over other stats?
Yup. Under current design, that's how it'll work. (Everything still subject to change, of course.)

Bit more detail: When Paragon 2.0 goes live, the innate bonuses granted by the current system will be removed; all the Paragon experience across your characters will be added together to determine your new shared Paragon level; and then, based on that level, each of your characters will be granted a specific number of Paragon Points (your total # of shared Paragon levels = your total # of Paragon Points). From there, players will be able to allocate their Paragon Points into different stats across four different categories: Core Stats, Offensive, Defensive, and Adventure. Magic Find is available in the "Adventure" category. Gold Find isn't a Paragon 2.0 stat right now, but again...that may change.

(Note that what category a Paragon Point can be spent in will be determined by what Paragon level you earn. Paragon level 1 gives you a point to spend in "Core Stat," Paragon level 2 gives you a point to in "Offensive," Paragon level 3 gives you a point to spend in "Defensive," and Paragon level 4 gives you a point to spend in "Utility" (or "Adventure"). Each Paragon level past that follows the same pattern.)

Removing this bonus and making us spend points on MF/GF reverts back to the original problem that the paragon system originally solved: the gear swapping. How is this going to be handled?
Gear swapping is still a concern, and getting rid of the innate bonuses and having Magic Find as a Paragon 2.0 stat does reintroduce some issues. That's something we're still tinkering around with, but haven't settled on a design solution for just yet (a few other gameplay systems and changes need to be finalized first). I fully anticipate that will be something we communicate to players ahead of time, before it's implemented, or at least once we lock down exactly what we'd like to do.

Diablo III Console Patch 1.0.2 is now live for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Check out the full patch notes below to learn all about the latest bug fixes. For a list of known issues in 1.0.2, please visit our Console Known Issues List.

Diablo III Console Patch 1.0.2

Crash Fixes

• Fixed a crash that could occur when quitting the game during a cutscene.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when interacting with the stash while another player attempts to join your game.
• Fixed a crash that could occur after connection failures caused by NAT/Firewall settings.
• Fixed multiple crashes that could occur as a result of memory corruption.
• Fixed crash when casting Hex with the Painful Transformation rune on a Fetish Shaman in Acts III and IV.
• Removed unnecessary "Clear Skill" option that could appear on the Passive Skill screen and would crash the game when selected.

Gameplay Fixes

• Enabling Elective Mode no longer causes "New Slot" notification stars to appear for the original slot as opposed to the slot the skill is assigned to.
• Hardcore characters in the process of taking fatal damage while exiting the Scorched Chapel will no longer be permanently killed.
• Followers can no longer permanently lose all items after migrating from one game host to another.
• The following four item sets will no longer repeatedly and permanently add core stat bonuses each time the player logs out of the game: Blackthorne's Armor, Endless Path, Zunimassa's Whispers, and Guardian's Contingency. (This fix will also retroactively correct inflated core stat bonuses on heroes affected by this bug prior to our hotfix going live.)
• Equipping a quiver with a two-handed bow will no longer cause Quick Compare to incorrectly reflect a loss in damage.
• Square gems should now only drop in Hell difficulty, which is also where the required items to combine them drop.
• The Paragon experience bar for Player 2 and Player 4 now displays correctly instead of being visually clipped at the ends.
• Fixed a bug that caused a player's experience bar to not display in multiplayer games if a another character with a Paragon levels had entered the game first.
• Fixed a bug that caused the inventory to not display unidentified Legendary items.
• Fixed a bug that caused the inventory to display equipped items twice if you exited the gem socketing sub-screen with the Select/Back button.
• Fixed a bug that caused the controller to become stuck vibrating indefinitely.
• Made changes to address corruptions of saved game data.

Torment Difficulty: 3 playthroughs or 4 or 5?
We'd like to give players more control over the difficulty settings, and we're looking at ways to accomplish that. It's a little early to share any details, but there was an interview prior to gamescom where Josh Mosqueira shares some of his thoughts about it. He mentions (at 7:30) that Diablo III has a great engine, but we constrain some of it's awesome potential by forcing players to replay the same Acts, quest, and levels over and over.

Any changes to dye mechanics? Are they just simply bought from vendors or are changes being made to them?
Transmogrified items can currently be dyed in the same manner regular items are (the dye is applied to the item).

What is the reason behind this? If you don't want the transmog look to carry to another player why not just have it removed once it is traded?
It's a matter of whether or not you wish to utilize the item. If you think something would best benefit you by trading it, it should not be enchanted or transmogrified. If it's instead something you see yourself wearing for a while, you should feel good about customizing it to fit your needs (visually or mechanically via Enchanting). Doing either is meant to be a player decision that carries weight.

TR:DL Will transmog allow to double equip same appearance items as weapons if the legendaries that they were made of are Unique Equipped?
Yes! You can visually be wielding two Skycutters, so long as you have unlocked its appearance.

Why not? Why is "similar animations" the limit? Why can't you 'mog an item's appearance and it's animation?
It would open up a lot of unintended options, such as swinging a bow like a sword. While we could ensure these oddities generally don't occur, we'd prefer a system that's always working.

will this count items id'ed prior to 2.0 or only post 2.0?
We're still working on some of the finer details, so I don't have an answer to this just yet.

Will ROS have increased skill limit?

No current plans to increase the 6-skill limit. We still feel that 6 is a good number, enough to give you flexibility in your build choices, but not too much to where you don't have to make thoughtful decisions about what you put on your bar. (We actually had 7 skills available for a pretty substantial period of time before Diablo III shipped; however, after lots of testing and feedback rounds, we reduced the number to 6. So, this is definitely something we've not only considered, but also evaluated heavily in the actual game environment.)

Now, we know that some players may disagree with that approach. Totally cool, but let me turn the question back on you (and then add a few more), because learning why you prefer one gameplay feature over another is super meaningful. Also, sometimes it can be pretty fun, too.

• How is having only six skill lots negatively impacting your gameplay experience right now? If you can cite specific examples, even better!
• On the flip side, how would having an extra skill slot improve your game experience?
• If you had a 7th skill slot, what additional spells or abilities would you add to your bar (on top of the builds you use currently)?