I'm excited about this game. I played Diablo 2 way back when, but I seem to have missed half of it, going on the feverant replies left late in this thread.
The only thing I've got trouble with is the always-online DRM stuff, because either my ISP or my router hate me, and like to disconnect me when I'm gaming.
I'm excited about this game. I played Diablo 2 way back when, but I seem to have missed half of it, going on the feverant replies left late in this thread.
The only thing I've got trouble with is the always-online DRM stuff, because either my ISP or my router hate me, and like to disconnect me when I'm gaming.
Can't wait to get some co-op done.
I don't know if this will help but I've been using OpenDNS and dd-wrt on my router and my connection has been rock solid through various moves and services over the years.
I'm excited about this game. I played Diablo 2 way back when, but I seem to have missed half of it, going on the feverant replies left late in this thread.
The only thing I've got trouble with is the always-online DRM stuff, because either my ISP or my router hate me, and like to disconnect me when I'm gaming.
Can't wait to get some co-op done.
The always-online DRM is really the only thing that irks me. I can't play the game when I'm not tethered to the internet. No internet = no game. That's a serious bug for a game that can be single player if you ask me. I still submit that this is a thinly veiled attempt at anti-infringement measures, a measure that only punishes the paying customers. Software crackers will have this game running offline before you can say "infringement".
There are people that just want to have a private solo adventure where they can feel like they are the most powerful being in the game. Multiplayer disallows that experience. It puts you in the game with equally powerful characters and you suddenly don't feel all that special. I don't much care for MMO style games simply because most people online are rather selfish and impatient. They act like they are the center of the universe while they step on everyone in their party to get what they want (there are always exceptions, however).
I just want my nice solo adventure that I can have at a time and place of my choosing without the mandate that I have a leash up my ass with a Blizzard logo on it. They should just add a separate mode that is completely cut off from the online features so the luddite in me can play without having to worry that the network becomes unstable. Nothing incites more fury than getting into a high stakes battle and then get dropped to the login because my network had a hiccup and lose all of that progress.
Instead of spending money to stop 3rd party companies from making money on their back, they're gonna make money by taxing them instead.
Realistically, this is a brilliant move - and if Blizzard cares about us enough, they'll keep a close eye on this system and manage it so it doesn't go crazy with inflation so that everyone has everything and nothing's worth working for anymore.
If Blizzard doesn't care, then getting these items would probably be easy as hell to begin with, and then, what does it matter really? I mean if they don't care, they're gonna make the game accessible for noobs, simplified as hell, etc. And then all of this speculation doesn't matter anyway, since none of us would care enough if this system is a good idea or a bad idea.
Personally, I'm much more concerned about how simple and WoW-ish this game is becoming.
No stats, no skill points, 6 available skills, they cancelled the traits system, and it seems like the item system is gonna be much simpler than the one in D2. I think this game's better off being an action game, since it seems as though 90% of the statistics we'll have will just spec themselves automatically. What if I want a Wizard that's specced with STR? I mean in D2 I could be that creative, and would actually get away with it in duels! it seems like now, every class will have it's own play style and whoever wants to be creative - go back to D2, when gamers had an actual functioning brain (or at least when companies credited us for having one, and didn't assume we were a bunch of tards).
Sorry for going emotional, I'm pretty disappointed with all of these changes for the character system. The one thing I hoped would be preserved now seems to be ruined - the deep character development and item system. :<
You're so godamn out of perspective.. You're willingly accepting metagaming and gold farming.
Do you buy your way through games? I bet given the chance, had a company developing an FPS game, offered the ability to aim-bot for a price, you'd be all over it.. "AS LONG AS IT'S COMING FROM THE DEVELOPERS!"
No, I've never bought in game items for cash. But I can still see the place such transactions have in the game. That's what it means to have perspective. :poly121:
The problem is that, when someone does start cheating, people feel the need to create a middle-ground by 1uping them with the same shit.
...
What are they making an incentive? The Auction System which only those with $$ can use, because if you used the Gold system, you'd only get lower tier shit?
Ok, you don't know anything about Diablo apparently.
Diablo is not a hack and slash game. Diablo is a series of farming minigames, combined with a trade system.
Unless you're a noob, the entire point is to create characters, level them up as fast as possible, and grind bosses for xp and items over and over. and over. and over. and OVER, until you've killed Mephisto ten thousand times. The XP goes towards better item farming, and the items go towards in game or forum trades, netting you either real cash or in game items. Then you do it some more, because OOOOH shiny +2 armor of time-wasting!
The people who farmed or bought high level gear NEVER interfered with gameplay because at high level everyone acquires godly gear at some point and it's impossible to tell if it's legit or not, and ultimately it doesn't matter. When your sole purpose is to kill a boss ASAP and loot his corpse, godly geared "cheaters" are actually desirable because they make everything much easier for everyone.
And gold was always useless in D2 and rarely, if ever, bought you high tier items. The D3 AH mirrors this.
Blizzard has been managing D2 for a decade and knows these things, and decided to make them part of the game rather than fight them in a grand exercise of futility. They understand their game; you don't. You're just a casual fan, and your tears don't impact the players who will grind the game for the next decade.
How about the players' request for LAN? No? Eehhmm.. Offline play altogether? No? And no Modding?
D2 was unmoddable, and the very nature of the game is such that modding wouldn't work online without degrading the experience. The LAN thing sucks (as it did for SC2) but is more or less necessary to combat piracy. Deal with it. *shrug*
Especially about the single campaign scenario while OFFLINE, take note all companies - Indy too.
Plus connecting everything to the INTERNET is not a smart move in the least, multi-player should be the only thing you need the NET for besides updates/patches.
I've stopped gaming much ever since the wave of pay to play started hitting & I also wouldn't give my child (if I had one) the opportunity to play a game on this type of system.
I dont have problem, I have internets. Im always connected so... But damn I need a pure knight character or lets say the Paladin back :P Im sure it will come later, cant friggen wait for this game, its gonna be super chill! The relaxed frantic coop action I need!
There are people that just want to have a private solo adventure where they can feel like they are the most powerful being in the game. Multiplayer disallows that experience. It puts you in the game with equally powerful characters and you suddenly don't feel all that special. I don't much care for MMO style games simply because most people online are rather selfish and impatient. They act like they are the center of the universe while they step on everyone in their party to get what they want (there are always exceptions, however).
Good for you then, because you can play alone if you wish to.
As I mentioned further up in this thread, start a private game, don't invite anyone.
My main problems with this game:
Terminology borrowed from Warcraft universe (Witch Doctor? Demon Hunter?), simplified game mechanics (at least when it comes to character development and gear) - everything else, I can accept and adapt to, some of them I like a lot. But these things... they're not change, they're destruction. The Diablo universe is "infected" with things I hoped it wouldn't be.
My main problems with this game:
Terminology borrowed from Warcraft universe (Witch Doctor? Demon Hunter?), simplified game mechanics (at least when it comes to character development and gear) - everything else, I can accept and adapt to, some of them I like a lot. But these things... they're not change, they're destruction. The Diablo universe is "infected" with things I hoped it wouldn't be.
Well, I don't think they've gimped the character development, with all the different runes you can use on your spells, it seems like you'll be able to customize your character to your liking.
I'm unsure about their character changes, but then again D2 was flawed as well. Mana was a useless dump stat for almost all builds, and generally speaking you just put everything into life and around 50-80 points into Str or Dex, making up the difference with gear and charms. It looks like a robust system on the surface, but ends up being superficial.
In terms of skills D2 was complete bullshit until synergies were introduced in later patches, and even now early level skills are generally only there to allow progression to lvl 24/30 skills.
The end game is devoid of any real skill or ability. Just stack items and roll through everything with skill spam. I'd rather they shake up this system in favor of something more MMO-ish rather than stick with something bland and boring. Hell, there are autorun bots for D2 now which do Baal and Diablo runs for you. When a bot can destroy late game bosses on the highest difficulty, you know your system is flawed.
Well taking into account 6 active skills, all the rune combinations, and 3 passives we currently expect each class to have roughly 2,285,814,795,264 different build combinations. Thats not taking into account skill types for ideal builds, but thats always been a big part of the fun of experimenting (and longevity for Diablo II) - finding a build that shouldnt work, and making it.
Was just searching around for more info on D3 combinations and found this. Maybe someone can shed more light on it and its validity. If true, thats a shit load of customisation.
Also, in D2 I was quite precious about my skill points, usually ending up in me researching on forums before I comitted to spending them. Which did become a bit of a chore. I did like researching a bit but I would prefer to just get on with the game this time round.
I'm unsure about their character changes, but then again D2 was flawed as well. Mana was a useless dump stat for almost all builds, and generally speaking you just put everything into life and around 50-80 points into Str or Dex, making up the difference with gear and charms. It looks like a robust system on the surface, but ends up being superficial.
In terms of skills D2 was complete bullshit until synergies were introduced in later patches, and even now early level skills are generally only there to allow progression to lvl 24/30 skills.
The end game is devoid of any real skill or ability. Just stack items and roll through everything with skill spam. I'd rather they shake up this system in favor of something more MMO-ish rather than stick with something bland and boring. Hell, there are autorun bots for D2 now which do Baal and Diablo runs for you. When a bot can destroy late game bosses on the highest difficulty, you know your system is flawed.
I'm not saying D2 was perfect. But it did give you the freedom to experiment, and if they'd have put a team on that system to revamp it and balance it out, making the different skills more useful, it would have worked way better. I remember way back, nobody would EVER dare to make a poison dagger necro - but I was thinking, well, with the right combo of skills and gear, and the right approach, it could really work. So I gave it a shot, and it worked great. I loved that about D2, you could be creative to no end since the core system was full of variety and it allowed you the freedom to experiment with unorthodox things.
What I was scared of, is that D3 will become like WoW. That if you picked a rogue, that's about it, you'll have 2 swords or daggers and you'll use it like everyone else exactly, you'll have the same gear as everyone, you'll use the same skills, the same talents, basically - there's just one single way to play a class in WoW. Or more accurately, you have 2-3 builds and that's it. In WoW, when you see a paladin, he's either protection, holy, or retribution - and whichever he is, you know exactly what his talents are. There's no stat variety, there's no skill variety, there's no item variety.
D3 is starting to shape up to be exactly the same. There seems to be almost no variety. You will be able to choose the skills you use, but what else? In D2 I could pick a barbarian and go with a full energy build, use only shouts, and see what I end up with. I would probably fail, but I COULD DO IT. In D3, if I pick a barbarian, I'll have no control over anything - it's basically an action game with items and skill buffs. That's it.
I know they claim there's a lot of variety and many different builds, but if we should judge by the direction WoW has been going on, all the items will be tailored for specific builds, specific classes, specific everything. And we'll all end up playing the same character.
I'm missing this random effect, and complete freedom, that would allow me to do whatever the hell I want. Crafting a sword and getting Energy on it. Getting a rare 1h sword with insane sorc stats, give that to her and rule everyone with enchant weapon. I don't necessarily want to spend my entire time thinking up new builds, but it's nice knowing that you can never guess what new build you'll come across in the next game you get into. If I play with the feeling that "there's only a couple of ways to gear up and play a monk", I won't be interested in playing a monk once I've tasted what it has to offer once. The longevity of D2 was a result of it being so unpredictable. Yes, everyone used Whirlwind. But apart from that there were so many different approaches to gear and buffs, that you could never really know what you'll see tomorrow.
Totally agree with blaken. The greatest charm of diablo 2 was that the game design was so crazy out there that it was still being designed and evolved years after it was released. Not even polished, totally revamped with crazy new complex ideas: Synergies, items, rune words, expansion areas, new classes, massive balance changes.
After running an MMO, i don't think they realize what's the optimal fun setup for a less serious dungeon romp and stop where you're not fighting in a persistant world with 50000 other people where your character must be relatively balancecd against the others. They're balancing it to an mmo standard. Rather than throwing in tons of cool off-the-wall stuff.
Or MAYBE they're genius in the slow gameplay execution. Simplify the gameplay now, slowly evolve it to the state it was in at the end of diablo 2, selling slews of items with every addition over the years. From the best rare lifetap ruins, to the rarest runewords, to the best class pieces.
Good for you then, because you can play alone if you wish to.
As I mentioned further up in this thread, start a private game, don't invite anyone.
You missed the point. I want to play offline. There's no reason to force me to connect and it only restricts where and when I can play it. Your suggestion doesn't solve any of these glaring issues. And before you say it, "Play something else" is not a valid argument, I just won't buy it. If I buy the game, I expect to be able to play it on every device that can run it, regardless of internet connectivity. This online leash DRM has to stop. Even Steam let's you play offline games without a connection. Online is fine if you want the option of multiplayer. It's not okay to force a single player experience online. What if my internet service goes down? What if Bnet get DDoSed or worse, hacked? Why should that be a barrier to playing what is essentially a single player game with online-enhanced features? Why should I have to "play something else" because Blizzard decided that they don't want to let you play the game offline, even though it's perfectly feasible?
Why should I have to "play something else" because Blizzard decided that they don't want to let you play the game offline, even though it's perfectly feasible?
Because if they let you play offline, they'd let you mod it.. If they let you mod it, they wouldn't be able to charge you for content or even make their Cash AH marketable. - It sounds as though this is a theory, but they specifically told us these were the reasons.
I did get the point, and I agree with you wanting an offline mode for the sake of being able to play the actual game offline,
but you mentioned other things that were completely irrelevant, like multiplayer, people infecting your game, mmo culture and that people want solo adventures.
I agree with greevar, online for SP is retarded
I don't see why the 2 (offline and online) should not interface when available, such as for character saving or updated content, but it should not be mandatory. This is a line crossed really, and Blizzard taking this step can lead the way for many others. I certainly wouldn't want to start seeing games which r perfectly suitable for offline play go online-only. If they wonna do something in the line of Diablo-Arena than fine, but I don't recall that being the case, originally.
This merely seems like another step towards WoW-ing this game, and that agenda is clear.
First i didn't liked the idea of auto-upgrading skills but i think that's good because in D2 and other games you mostly picked 1-2 skills and just pushed them. I always missed the tactical part in mixing different spells.
Forcing online sucks but i have to play it anyway! :,(
I guess characters are no longer been deleted after few weeks not playing them.
About making money with the HV, it's probably all about the drop rate of good items.
I'm lazy, don't feel like picking it up(for whatever reason).
I am literally losing money. Or at least forfeiting the possibility to make more money.
Now I will feel the guilt I feel when I walk by a quarter on the sidewalk without picking it up when i play Diablo III.
-that aside
The news on skill points is what really upsets me. Yeah, most people just loaded all their points into one or two skills in Diablo II. So? Diablo II's been going strong for 10+ years.
You're willing to accept the faults of D2 and allow to them follow over into D3 at their extremes and call them features.
Enjoy your new-age second job gameplay.
Or next 1,000x DLC fad.
It's what Diablo always was, and it's the game I enjoyed for years on end. I really can't see where the problems could possibly be. Seems you played SP and you're mad that Blizzard is focusing on the part of the game that actually matters.
Blaken: I see what you're saying, but there was no real charm or utility to gimmick builds, at least for me or most others on b.net. There are roughly three builds per character, and that's just what people play because the others are useless. D3 looks to solidify a core of useful skills, and then allow customization of those skills, which honestly makes a lot more sense to me.
It's what Diablo always was, and it's the game I enjoyed for years on end. I really can't see where the problems could possibly be. Seems you played SP and you're mad that Blizzard is focusing on the part of the game that actually matters.
Because turning a highly anticipated game into a second job is any developer's focus.
Because turning a highly anticipated game into a second job is any developer's focus.
Any developers focus is to sell you a product and earn money by doing it, and if they can do it consitently after the purchase, they got their buisness model right.
Any developers focus is to sell you a product and earn money by doing it, and if they can do it consitently after the purchase, they got their buisness model right.
That's fine by me, but it's a different model than them setting up their own DLC to sell.
I also am not counting the fact that they're earning anything from this, so don't get me wrong, I don't mind if they earn their extra dollar.
Diablo III Gameplay Preview
Diablo III still isn't out yet, but we do finally have concrete details on the beta. We head to the Blizzard campus for a full report.
Because turning a highly anticipated game into a second job is any developer's focus.
It's what D2 always was! I really can't understand what you're talking about, I doubt you've even played D2 since 2003. What exactly do you think D2 players were doing over the last decade? Playing the story through over and over for shits and giggles or farming like it was a second job?
You're sour that Blizzard isn't making some theoretical game in the Diablo universe which is all epic adventure and hack-and-slash gameplay only. Well tough, they're making Diablo3, and Diablo fans are just fine with that.
It's what D2 always was! I really can't understand what you're talking about, I doubt you've even played D2 since 2003. What exactly do you think D2 players were doing over the last decade? Playing the story through over and over for shits and giggles or farming like it was a second job?
You're sour that Blizzard isn't making some theoretical game in the Diablo universe which is all epic adventure and hack-and-slash gameplay only. Well tough, they're making Diablo3, and Diablo fans are just fine with that.
You're right, I guess I wasn't in the fad of buying and selling gear with real cash as a means for gameplay.
I guess I just enjoyed Diablo 2 and played it how it was meant to be played, as a video game.. My expectations of Diablo 3 also being a video game are void now.
christ almighty! Just play the game, what's it matter if some anonymous dude on the internet bought some expensive armor. At least now you know he didn't just hack or dupe the armor in. You weren't even aware of the hardcore D2 players so why worry about them now.
I'm probably not even going to play co-op much, my friends are going to outlevel me way to fast anyway.
I'll never work, people forced to buy equipment in some kind of arms race. Inflation will hit big. Economy will collapse. Then everybody will go off and play some other game(probably).
Highly unlikely, D2 hit pretty stable trade values after each patch. Problem is that the larger patches sometimes drastically changed item values.
But didnt they have to resort to using some gem thing, as an alternative to the currency? I've only looked at a few links but it doesnt sound like it was great. I've seen that ladders seemed to really disrupt the economy.
I really dont like the idea of auctions deciding the cost of things in games. A fictionalised environment with its own rules and peoples with their own ideas of values. Its bad enough in the real world. In games its very bad.
edit: Someone mentioned you wont be able to use the in game currency because no one would reasonably want to do that, when they could have real money(or the prices in game gold, will be so high as to be unfeasible).
Yesterday we reported that Diablo 3 will let you buy and sell items for real money. During the event, the inevitable question about gold farmers came up: "Doesnt this just make it safer and easier for them?"
Executive producer Rob Pardo replied: Theoretically thats true, but I mean theres really nothing whats the difference between a player that plays the game a lot and a gold farmer? I mean theyre really doing the same activity.
you know how you get items? You kill monsters! Just pretend the auction house doesn't exist and you'll have the exact same experience as D1 & 2 - I know that's what I'm going to do.
you know how you get items? You kill monsters! Just pretend the auction house doesn't exist and you'll have the exact same experience as D1 & 2 - I know that's what I'm going to do.
I'm going to try.. Will most likely just play Hardcore mode where it's unavailable. It's just hard, knowing that they see their players being on par with gold farmers.
Whoa whoa whoa....Premium account? as in monthly subscription?
If you ONLY need a premium account or the auction house. Thats fine. Keep it. I dont want it.
But if you get extras in game with premium account...oooh, I'd be quite cross. I still won't be getting a premium either way. As i've said. As long as everything the game has to offer is available to everyone, without the need for cash. I'm still excited for this game.
Meh, I know I'm going to buy the game. If I need to crack it to separate myself from B.net and disable the "Always On DRM", I probably will.
I'm not sure if console versions have been confirmed, but if they have been, I'll probably just get the game in that form as long as the differences are minimal and I don't have to be connected to play.
But didnt they have to resort to using some gem thing, as an alternative to the currency? I've only looked at a few links but it doesnt sound like it was great. I've seen that ladders seemed to really disrupt the economy.
Gold was never used as a currency item in D2. First the rate was set according to Stone of Jordans, then with the expansion High Runes were the trade value gold standard, with everything falling in line according to their value. This makes perfect sense because gold is easy as hell to come by, and you can only hold a certain and inadequate amount anyways. HRs are very rare and as such provide an appropriate currency benchmark. Low runes provide the more available currency to build up to actual wealth.
I really dont like the idea of auctions deciding the cost of things in games. A fictionalised environment with its own rules and peoples with their own ideas of values. Its bad enough in the real world. In games its very bad.
It will balance itself just as D2 trade values did, with some help from Blizz.
But if you get extras in game with premium account...oooh, I'd be quite cross.
Shared stash of loot, that is pretty cool. Your treasures and pickups are available through all of your characters and not just specifically. I like that.
And he talks about the auction house and everything. So it clarifies a lot of things. I am happy and very excited for the this game.
Gold was never used as a currency item in D2. First the rate was set according to Stone of Jordans, then with the expansion High Runes were the trade value gold standard, with everything falling in line according to their value. This makes perfect sense because gold is easy as hell to come by, and you can only hold a certain and inadequate amount anyways. HRs are very rare and as such provide an appropriate currency benchmark. Low runes provide the more available currency to build up to actual wealth.
It will balance itself just as D2 trade values did, with some help from Blizz.
I'd fly to California and kill people. :poly118:
Yeah I couldnt remember what the name of the thing was. But that Stone of Jordan is basically bypassing the in game currency. It wasnt something that the developers decided. As you said, the gold was unviable. It'll probably be the same for this game unless Blizzard have done something stupid.
I expect the economy will balance itself out eventually but not to the advantage of the majority. Like with free to play mmos, only a small minority really buy anything. Which in this game will mean that the prices for things will probably be quite (very) high. As only those few that can afford it will buy. So only the weatlthy and (mainly)blizzard will be the winners with this auction thing.
I expect the economy will balance itself out eventually but not to the advantage of the majority. Like with free to play mmos, only a small minority really buy anything. Which in this game will mean that the prices for things will probably be quite (very) high. As only those few that can afford it will buy. So only the weatlthy and (mainly)blizzard will be the winners with this auction thing.
If it balanced to the advantage of the majority then the entire economy and its scalability will be cheapened and ultimately kill the game. Diablo runs on item farming, since at some point it goes from game to packrat simulator. It's a good thing to have item rarity. As with D2 the only way to get rare items will be to either A) buy them with real cash, or farm your brains out and gradually acquire higher and higher level items.
Replies
Some people want a legit environment.
I'm excited about this game. I played Diablo 2 way back when, but I seem to have missed half of it, going on the feverant replies left late in this thread.
The only thing I've got trouble with is the always-online DRM stuff, because either my ISP or my router hate me, and like to disconnect me when I'm gaming.
Can't wait to get some co-op done.
I don't know if this will help but I've been using OpenDNS and dd-wrt on my router and my connection has been rock solid through various moves and services over the years.
The always-online DRM is really the only thing that irks me. I can't play the game when I'm not tethered to the internet. No internet = no game. That's a serious bug for a game that can be single player if you ask me. I still submit that this is a thinly veiled attempt at anti-infringement measures, a measure that only punishes the paying customers. Software crackers will have this game running offline before you can say "infringement".
There are people that just want to have a private solo adventure where they can feel like they are the most powerful being in the game. Multiplayer disallows that experience. It puts you in the game with equally powerful characters and you suddenly don't feel all that special. I don't much care for MMO style games simply because most people online are rather selfish and impatient. They act like they are the center of the universe while they step on everyone in their party to get what they want (there are always exceptions, however).
I just want my nice solo adventure that I can have at a time and place of my choosing without the mandate that I have a leash up my ass with a Blizzard logo on it. They should just add a separate mode that is completely cut off from the online features so the luddite in me can play without having to worry that the network becomes unstable. Nothing incites more fury than getting into a high stakes battle and then get dropped to the login because my network had a hiccup and lose all of that progress.
Realistically, this is a brilliant move - and if Blizzard cares about us enough, they'll keep a close eye on this system and manage it so it doesn't go crazy with inflation so that everyone has everything and nothing's worth working for anymore.
If Blizzard doesn't care, then getting these items would probably be easy as hell to begin with, and then, what does it matter really? I mean if they don't care, they're gonna make the game accessible for noobs, simplified as hell, etc. And then all of this speculation doesn't matter anyway, since none of us would care enough if this system is a good idea or a bad idea.
Personally, I'm much more concerned about how simple and WoW-ish this game is becoming.
No stats, no skill points, 6 available skills, they cancelled the traits system, and it seems like the item system is gonna be much simpler than the one in D2. I think this game's better off being an action game, since it seems as though 90% of the statistics we'll have will just spec themselves automatically. What if I want a Wizard that's specced with STR? I mean in D2 I could be that creative, and would actually get away with it in duels! it seems like now, every class will have it's own play style and whoever wants to be creative - go back to D2, when gamers had an actual functioning brain (or at least when companies credited us for having one, and didn't assume we were a bunch of tards).
Sorry for going emotional, I'm pretty disappointed with all of these changes for the character system. The one thing I hoped would be preserved now seems to be ruined - the deep character development and item system. :<
No, I've never bought in game items for cash. But I can still see the place such transactions have in the game. That's what it means to have perspective. :poly121:
Ok, you don't know anything about Diablo apparently.
Diablo is not a hack and slash game. Diablo is a series of farming minigames, combined with a trade system.
Unless you're a noob, the entire point is to create characters, level them up as fast as possible, and grind bosses for xp and items over and over. and over. and over. and OVER, until you've killed Mephisto ten thousand times. The XP goes towards better item farming, and the items go towards in game or forum trades, netting you either real cash or in game items. Then you do it some more, because OOOOH shiny +2 armor of time-wasting!
The people who farmed or bought high level gear NEVER interfered with gameplay because at high level everyone acquires godly gear at some point and it's impossible to tell if it's legit or not, and ultimately it doesn't matter. When your sole purpose is to kill a boss ASAP and loot his corpse, godly geared "cheaters" are actually desirable because they make everything much easier for everyone.
And gold was always useless in D2 and rarely, if ever, bought you high tier items. The D3 AH mirrors this.
Blizzard has been managing D2 for a decade and knows these things, and decided to make them part of the game rather than fight them in a grand exercise of futility. They understand their game; you don't. You're just a casual fan, and your tears don't impact the players who will grind the game for the next decade.
D2 was unmoddable, and the very nature of the game is such that modding wouldn't work online without degrading the experience. The LAN thing sucks (as it did for SC2) but is more or less necessary to combat piracy. Deal with it. *shrug*
Plus connecting everything to the INTERNET is not a smart move in the least, multi-player should be the only thing you need the NET for besides updates/patches.
I've stopped gaming much ever since the wave of pay to play started hitting & I also wouldn't give my child (if I had one) the opportunity to play a game on this type of system.
Bring on Diablo!
Good for you then, because you can play alone if you wish to.
As I mentioned further up in this thread, start a private game, don't invite anyone.
Terminology borrowed from Warcraft universe (Witch Doctor? Demon Hunter?), simplified game mechanics (at least when it comes to character development and gear) - everything else, I can accept and adapt to, some of them I like a lot. But these things... they're not change, they're destruction. The Diablo universe is "infected" with things I hoped it wouldn't be.
Well, I don't think they've gimped the character development, with all the different runes you can use on your spells, it seems like you'll be able to customize your character to your liking.
In terms of skills D2 was complete bullshit until synergies were introduced in later patches, and even now early level skills are generally only there to allow progression to lvl 24/30 skills.
The end game is devoid of any real skill or ability. Just stack items and roll through everything with skill spam. I'd rather they shake up this system in favor of something more MMO-ish rather than stick with something bland and boring. Hell, there are autorun bots for D2 now which do Baal and Diablo runs for you. When a bot can destroy late game bosses on the highest difficulty, you know your system is flawed.
http://www.d3sanc.com/blue-tracker/305-97-billion-builds-per-class-blizzcon/
Was just searching around for more info on D3 combinations and found this. Maybe someone can shed more light on it and its validity. If true, thats a shit load of customisation.
Also, in D2 I was quite precious about my skill points, usually ending up in me researching on forums before I comitted to spending them. Which did become a bit of a chore. I did like researching a bit but I would prefer to just get on with the game this time round.
You're willing to accept the faults of D2 and allow to them follow over into D3 at their extremes and call them features.
Enjoy your new-age second job gameplay.
Or next 1,000x DLC fad.
I'm not saying D2 was perfect. But it did give you the freedom to experiment, and if they'd have put a team on that system to revamp it and balance it out, making the different skills more useful, it would have worked way better. I remember way back, nobody would EVER dare to make a poison dagger necro - but I was thinking, well, with the right combo of skills and gear, and the right approach, it could really work. So I gave it a shot, and it worked great. I loved that about D2, you could be creative to no end since the core system was full of variety and it allowed you the freedom to experiment with unorthodox things.
What I was scared of, is that D3 will become like WoW. That if you picked a rogue, that's about it, you'll have 2 swords or daggers and you'll use it like everyone else exactly, you'll have the same gear as everyone, you'll use the same skills, the same talents, basically - there's just one single way to play a class in WoW. Or more accurately, you have 2-3 builds and that's it. In WoW, when you see a paladin, he's either protection, holy, or retribution - and whichever he is, you know exactly what his talents are. There's no stat variety, there's no skill variety, there's no item variety.
D3 is starting to shape up to be exactly the same. There seems to be almost no variety. You will be able to choose the skills you use, but what else? In D2 I could pick a barbarian and go with a full energy build, use only shouts, and see what I end up with. I would probably fail, but I COULD DO IT. In D3, if I pick a barbarian, I'll have no control over anything - it's basically an action game with items and skill buffs. That's it.
I know they claim there's a lot of variety and many different builds, but if we should judge by the direction WoW has been going on, all the items will be tailored for specific builds, specific classes, specific everything. And we'll all end up playing the same character.
I'm missing this random effect, and complete freedom, that would allow me to do whatever the hell I want. Crafting a sword and getting Energy on it. Getting a rare 1h sword with insane sorc stats, give that to her and rule everyone with enchant weapon. I don't necessarily want to spend my entire time thinking up new builds, but it's nice knowing that you can never guess what new build you'll come across in the next game you get into. If I play with the feeling that "there's only a couple of ways to gear up and play a monk", I won't be interested in playing a monk once I've tasted what it has to offer once. The longevity of D2 was a result of it being so unpredictable. Yes, everyone used Whirlwind. But apart from that there were so many different approaches to gear and buffs, that you could never really know what you'll see tomorrow.
After running an MMO, i don't think they realize what's the optimal fun setup for a less serious dungeon romp and stop where you're not fighting in a persistant world with 50000 other people where your character must be relatively balancecd against the others. They're balancing it to an mmo standard. Rather than throwing in tons of cool off-the-wall stuff.
Or MAYBE they're genius in the slow gameplay execution. Simplify the gameplay now, slowly evolve it to the state it was in at the end of diablo 2, selling slews of items with every addition over the years. From the best rare lifetap ruins, to the rarest runewords, to the best class pieces.
You missed the point. I want to play offline. There's no reason to force me to connect and it only restricts where and when I can play it. Your suggestion doesn't solve any of these glaring issues. And before you say it, "Play something else" is not a valid argument, I just won't buy it. If I buy the game, I expect to be able to play it on every device that can run it, regardless of internet connectivity. This online leash DRM has to stop. Even Steam let's you play offline games without a connection. Online is fine if you want the option of multiplayer. It's not okay to force a single player experience online. What if my internet service goes down? What if Bnet get DDoSed or worse, hacked? Why should that be a barrier to playing what is essentially a single player game with online-enhanced features? Why should I have to "play something else" because Blizzard decided that they don't want to let you play the game offline, even though it's perfectly feasible?
Because if they let you play offline, they'd let you mod it.. If they let you mod it, they wouldn't be able to charge you for content or even make their Cash AH marketable. - It sounds as though this is a theory, but they specifically told us these were the reasons.
I did get the point, and I agree with you wanting an offline mode for the sake of being able to play the actual game offline,
but you mentioned other things that were completely irrelevant, like multiplayer, people infecting your game, mmo culture and that people want solo adventures.
I don't see why the 2 (offline and online) should not interface when available, such as for character saving or updated content, but it should not be mandatory. This is a line crossed really, and Blizzard taking this step can lead the way for many others. I certainly wouldn't want to start seeing games which r perfectly suitable for offline play go online-only. If they wonna do something in the line of Diablo-Arena than fine, but I don't recall that being the case, originally.
This merely seems like another step towards WoW-ing this game, and that agenda is clear.
Forcing online sucks but i have to play it anyway! :,(
Quite possibly. But considering I have a job, a life, food to eat and a need to sleep at night. I won't be considering a career change.
About making money with the HV, it's probably all about the drop rate of good items.
I'm lazy, don't feel like picking it up(for whatever reason).
I am literally losing money. Or at least forfeiting the possibility to make more money.
Now I will feel the guilt I feel when I walk by a quarter on the sidewalk without picking it up when i play Diablo III.
-that aside
The news on skill points is what really upsets me. Yeah, most people just loaded all their points into one or two skills in Diablo II. So? Diablo II's been going strong for 10+ years.
It's what Diablo always was, and it's the game I enjoyed for years on end. I really can't see where the problems could possibly be. Seems you played SP and you're mad that Blizzard is focusing on the part of the game that actually matters.
Blaken: I see what you're saying, but there was no real charm or utility to gimmick builds, at least for me or most others on b.net. There are roughly three builds per character, and that's just what people play because the others are useless. D3 looks to solidify a core of useful skills, and then allow customization of those skills, which honestly makes a lot more sense to me.
Because turning a highly anticipated game into a second job is any developer's focus.
Any developers focus is to sell you a product and earn money by doing it, and if they can do it consitently after the purchase, they got their buisness model right.
That's fine by me, but it's a different model than them setting up their own DLC to sell.
I also am not counting the fact that they're earning anything from this, so don't get me wrong, I don't mind if they earn their extra dollar.
http://www.g4tv.com/games/xplay/
EDIT: heres a preview actually
http://www.g4tv.com/videos/54508/diablo-3-story-preview-with-chris-metzen/
And more power to Blizzard for trying to change things up!
It's what D2 always was! I really can't understand what you're talking about, I doubt you've even played D2 since 2003. What exactly do you think D2 players were doing over the last decade? Playing the story through over and over for shits and giggles or farming like it was a second job?
You're sour that Blizzard isn't making some theoretical game in the Diablo universe which is all epic adventure and hack-and-slash gameplay only. Well tough, they're making Diablo3, and Diablo fans are just fine with that.
You're right, I guess I wasn't in the fad of buying and selling gear with real cash as a means for gameplay.
I guess I just enjoyed Diablo 2 and played it how it was meant to be played, as a video game.. My expectations of Diablo 3 also being a video game are void now.
I have a job, I don't need another.
I'm probably not even going to play co-op much, my friends are going to outlevel me way to fast anyway.
But didnt they have to resort to using some gem thing, as an alternative to the currency? I've only looked at a few links but it doesnt sound like it was great. I've seen that ladders seemed to really disrupt the economy.
I really dont like the idea of auctions deciding the cost of things in games. A fictionalised environment with its own rules and peoples with their own ideas of values. Its bad enough in the real world. In games its very bad.
edit: Someone mentioned you wont be able to use the in game currency because no one would reasonably want to do that, when they could have real money(or the prices in game gold, will be so high as to be unfeasible).
lol, holeeee shit.
you know how you get items? You kill monsters! Just pretend the auction house doesn't exist and you'll have the exact same experience as D1 & 2 - I know that's what I'm going to do.
I'm going to try.. Will most likely just play Hardcore mode where it's unavailable. It's just hard, knowing that they see their players being on par with gold farmers.
Whoa whoa whoa....Premium account? as in monthly subscription?
If you ONLY need a premium account or the auction house. Thats fine. Keep it. I dont want it.
But if you get extras in game with premium account...oooh, I'd be quite cross. I still won't be getting a premium either way. As i've said. As long as everything the game has to offer is available to everyone, without the need for cash. I'm still excited for this game.
I'm not sure if console versions have been confirmed, but if they have been, I'll probably just get the game in that form as long as the differences are minimal and I don't have to be connected to play.
Gold was never used as a currency item in D2. First the rate was set according to Stone of Jordans, then with the expansion High Runes were the trade value gold standard, with everything falling in line according to their value. This makes perfect sense because gold is easy as hell to come by, and you can only hold a certain and inadequate amount anyways. HRs are very rare and as such provide an appropriate currency benchmark. Low runes provide the more available currency to build up to actual wealth.
It will balance itself just as D2 trade values did, with some help from Blizz.
I'd fly to California and kill people. :poly118:
Shared stash of loot, that is pretty cool. Your treasures and pickups are available through all of your characters and not just specifically. I like that.
And he talks about the auction house and everything. So it clarifies a lot of things. I am happy and very excited for the this game.
Yeah I couldnt remember what the name of the thing was. But that Stone of Jordan is basically bypassing the in game currency. It wasnt something that the developers decided. As you said, the gold was unviable. It'll probably be the same for this game unless Blizzard have done something stupid.
I expect the economy will balance itself out eventually but not to the advantage of the majority. Like with free to play mmos, only a small minority really buy anything. Which in this game will mean that the prices for things will probably be quite (very) high. As only those few that can afford it will buy. So only the weatlthy and (mainly)blizzard will be the winners with this auction thing.
If it balanced to the advantage of the majority then the entire economy and its scalability will be cheapened and ultimately kill the game. Diablo runs on item farming, since at some point it goes from game to packrat simulator. It's a good thing to have item rarity. As with D2 the only way to get rare items will be to either A) buy them with real cash, or