Diablo III release date April 17th?

[thespyder]

The reason you play online all the time is because you are playing on a server all the time. You do this, because there is absolutely no difference between starting a character by yourself or in co-op. This also cuts down on duping of items, which was a common problem in Diablo II. Cutting down on duping is necessary for the real money auction house.

In Diablo 2, if you created a single player character, they could never be part of a multi-player game. It was simple and elegant, and the way I would prefer this whole thing to be handled. and it would address the concern you suppose was the driver for the decision in a much better and easier manner with no impact to the consumer. I am not telling Blizzard "how to do it" merely that as a consumer my preference would be different than the way they went.

I'm not saying this is the nicest way to handle it and will work well for everyone, but there is a staunch difference between the reason why Blizzard requires you to be online for Diablo III and why Ubisoft requires you to be online with Anno 2070.

Other companies have done similar, and I don't like that either. Just because someone else does something similar, doesn't make it OK.

Honestly, if you don't like all of that, just wait for Torchlight II. It will be everything that you want (no online required, mod-able, etc.) and only cost $20.

It might have to be. Although to be honest, and has been said above, Torchlight is NOT Diablo. D1-D2 were the pinacles of the genre and have yet to be topped (in my book). Torchlight was a cute entertaining diversion during the wait for Diablo 3.

EDIT:

To kind of make it simpler, you're really playing a "lite MMO". Instead of seeing other players in the world by default, you join instanced versions of the world with them.

thanks for the (over) simplification. It disgusts me to think that the intent of Diablo 3 was to be an MMO (lite or otherwise) and suggests a significant decline in the franchise as a whole. Always assuming that was the intent.

 

[Anonemous]

Major lag on bnet right now. My lvl 6 wizard died.

 

[Nizology]

Release date imminent? I think so!

http://www.diablofans.com/news/1114-diablo-iii-pvp-update-pvp-arena-system-postponed/http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/4574895

Not really into Diablo pvp myself so, meh. Can't wait!

 

[Grooveriding]

Release date imminent? I think so!

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/4574895

Not really into Diablo pvp myself so, meh. Can't wait!

Saw that, we'll hopefully hear the release date before the end of next week. PvP is my main focus in Diablo, at least it was in D2, and likely will be in D3. I can wait for it though to get my hands on the full game and see if it is worth playing. Besides, couldn't be bothered with pvp until I hit the max level and have time to accumulate items regardless.

Bring it on ffs! Waited too long for this game.

 

[Nizology]

Besides, couldn't be bothered with pvp until I hit the max level and have time to accumulate items regardless.

Exactly. They're making a good decision.

 

[Aikouka]

I guess it's not terribly surprising given WoW didn't ship with the PVP system in place either.

 

[Anubis]

fuck PVP

 

[Dumac]

Why is it that I keep seeing people state that there's "no reason to be connected" when it's been stated many times that EVERYTHING IN DIABLO III IS GENERATED ON THE SERVER... YOU ARE EFFECTIVELY PLAYING AN ONLINE GAME ALL THE TIME.

This isn't like UbiSoft who requires you to connect to their server as a sort of authentication mechanism. While Blizzard's online requirement may help in that way too, it isn't only for that purpose. I would suggest that having heavier server control over things is necessary if Blizzard wants to let users sell items for money. If people could dupe items, that would utterly destroy the monetary value of said items.

People aren't arguing that you could have offline-mode with the current system. They are arguing that current system is dumb, and that creating a design that allowed offline play (like D2) would have been better.

Release date imminent? I think so!

http://www.diablofans.com/news/1114-diablo-iii-pvp-update-pvp-arena-system-postponed/http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/4574895

Not really into Diablo pvp myself so, meh. Can't wait!

Eh, as long as they add PvP in later free-of-charge, then it isn't an issue for me.

 

[Doppel]

Release date imminent? I think so!

http://www.diablofans.com/news/1114-diablo-iii-pvp-update-pvp-arena-system-postponed/http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/4574895

Not really into Diablo pvp myself so, meh. Can't wait!

Today, we wanted to let you know that we’ve made the difficult decision to hold back the PvP Arena system and release it in a patch following the game’s launch.

LOL, like I said earlier something is terrible wrong with this project. I think Blizzard knows it and finally somebody with a spine said enough of this sh*t you guys are putting this forward or we're going to start axing positions. Finally with some fire under ass they are going to release it, even if it's not finished despite having years to get it done.

 

[CottonRabbit]

It's been more than 6 years of development, and they can't wait a couple months to release a full game? Any other dev would have been shuttered for this lack of productivity. PvP was supposed to be a huge part of the end game.

 

[Fenixgoon]

It's been more than 6 years of development, and they can't wait a couple months to release a full game? Any other dev would have been shuttered for this lack of productivity. PvP was supposed to be a huge part of the end game.

i did pvp all of like twice in d2...was all about the loots and coop for me

 

[TridenT]

PVP was only a huge part of the game if you used hacks. (Oh hey, I'm an Amazon with level 30+ charged/power strike. LET ME DESYNC BRO.)

Outside of that, it was rarely worth the time.

 

[CottonRabbit]

PVP was only a huge part of the game if you used hacks. (Oh hey, I'm an Amazon with level 30+ charged/power strike. LET ME DESYNC BRO.)

Outside of that, it was rarely worth the time.

Wrong. That may have been your perception, but that is not the experience of many players (not to mention that far casting was only an issue after 1.10). What else is there to do after you get all the best loot besides PvP? With respecs, we don't even have to waste time re-rolling now. Also, knowing this dev team, there is no way they will give PvP to us in a timely manner.

Yes, I know I'm QQ'ing a lot in this thread, but that's because, as a long time fan, watching the D3 train wreck has been absolutely brutal the past two months. It seems like the beta has literally been going backwards. In August we had a relatively polished, feature rich game; now major game systems are in constant flux and features are continually being removed or tabled. I get a sinking feeling every time I see a new Blizz update. /first-world-problems

 

[TridenT]

Wrong. That may have been your perception, but that is not the experience of many players (not to mention that far casting was only an issue after 1.10). What else is there to do after you get all the best loot besides PvP? With respecs, we don't even have to waste time re-rolling now. Also, knowing this dev team, there is no way they will give PvP to us in a timely manner.

Yes, I know I'm QQ'ing a lot in this thread, but that's because, as a long time fan, watching the D3 train wreck has been absolutely brutal the past two months. It seems like the beta has literally been going backwards. In August we had a relatively polished, feature rich game; now major game systems are in constant flux and features are continually being removed or tabled. I get a sinking feeling every time I see a new Blizz update. /first-world-problems

I was never a fan of PVP in Diablo 2. I doubt it will be any better in D3. Oh, and getting all the best loot in Diablo 2 was essentially impossible unless you had 20 bots running. There was so much shit that you would only get until the end of the ladder season was over... then it's all to non ladder where no one plays and everything is worthless. :/

That said, I liked Diablo 2 a lot. It had way better game mechanics than D1 (Running, being able to teleport easily, etc). However, it lost a lot of the cool shit that Diablo 1 had... like the ambiance, book spells, scrolls, etc.

 

[Anonemous]

I was never a fan of PVP in Diablo 2. I doubt it will be any better in D3. Oh, and getting all the best loot in Diablo 2 was essentially impossible unless you had 20 bots running. There was so much shit that you would only get until the end of the ladder season was over... then it's all to non ladder where no one plays and everything is worthless. :/

That said, I liked Diablo 2 a lot. It had way better game mechanics than D1 (Running, being able to teleport easily, etc). However, it lost a lot of the cool shit that Diablo 1 had... like the ambiance, book spells, scrolls, etc.

You just needed one bot running 24/7 on Baal to get all the items. But all the best gear in D2 was duped.

 

[TridenT]

You just needed one bot running 24/7 on Baal to get all the items. But all the best gear in D2 was duped.

Uh... You needed more than one if you want to get any good items in any reasonable time.

 

[Fenixgoon]

You just needed one bot running 24/7 on Baal to get all the items. But all the best gear in D2 was duped.

Uh... You needed more than one if you want to get any good items in any reasonable time.

weren't some of the best items actually the runewords? in which case you ran the countess all day.

 

[Anubis]

weren't some of the best items actually the runewords? in which case you ran the countess all day.

yes
fing zod runes
GAH


PVP in D2 consisted of dueling which is lame or ganking/greifing which is even more lame

 

[Soccerman06]

Im actually quite glad I wont be doing boss runs in d3. I always preferred running around and killing random elite groups in d2.

 

[Grooveriding]

Uh... You needed more than one if you want to get any good items in any reasonable time.

^^

Back in the day I had three Baal bots and 2 pindle/shenk/snapshatter/pit bots going 24/7. Have something in the area of 30,000fg still on d2jsp, hoping it proves useful for D3.

I have no plans to bot D3, it certainly ruined the aspect of D2's item hunt for me once I used bots. I was also privy to a few dupe exploits in the 1.08 patch and earlier days, that was fun, but again detracted from the experience.

I am wondering what D3 will be like with item rarity vs D2. The good stuff was extremely rare in D2 and D3 is said to have a bigger focus on rare items like classic D2 did. So not only will you want rares to drop, you'll need to get really lucky and have it roll some nice mods. I have my doubts they will make very good items just as rare as they were in D2, but hope they do. I do doubt it though because there will be so many entitled players complaining if they are confronted with the rarity of uber items like we saw in D2.

 

[drebo]

It's been more than 6 years of development, and they can't wait a couple months to release a full game? Any other dev would have been shuttered for this lack of productivity. PvP was supposed to be a huge part of the end game.

Er, no it wasn't. Blizzard has always said that, yes, there will be an arena for PvP, but that they will place absolutely no focus on balance for the sake of the arena.

That tells me that it's an afterthought for the 15 year olds.

 

[Generator]

^^

Back in the day I had three Baal bots and 2 pindle/shenk/snapshatter/pit bots going 24/7. Have something in the area of 30,000fg still on d2jsp, hoping it proves useful for D3.

I have no plans to bot D3, it certainly ruined the aspect of D2's item hunt for me once I used bots. I was also privy to a few dupe exploits in the 1.08 patch and earlier days, that was fun, but again detracted from the experience.

I am wondering what D3 will be like with item rarity vs D2. The good stuff was extremely rare in D2 and D3 is said to have a bigger focus on rare items like classic D2 did. So not only will you want rares to drop, you'll need to get really lucky and have it roll some nice mods. I have my doubts they will make very good items just as rare as they were in D2, but hope they do. I do doubt it though because there will be so many entitled players complaining if they are confronted with the rarity of uber items like we saw in D2.

When you think about that black market that you yourself participated in...did it not enhance the game? Certainly it gave it more longevity. I think you've captured the essence of Diablo in the rare item. It is amazing how real the need for the best gear was.

 

[Grooveriding]

When you think about that black market that you yourself participated in...did it not enhance the game? Certainly it gave it more longevity. I think you've captured the essence of Diablo in the rare item. It is amazing how real the need for the best gear was.

It did, the most amazing items were so rare, that if not for bots - there would of been very few of them. I think it was so prominent that in the game's much later years almost everyone who played was botting. Blizzard basically abandoned the game and never really enforced anything in the way of checks and balances against exploiters.

I suppose it depends on what side of the fence you are on, would you rather the best items be extremely elusive and ones you'd have to farm for months and save 'wealth' for to finally trade for just one - or - as freely available as they were in D2 once botting/duping became rampant.

It's worth saying that the bulk of the very best items, particularly if we are talking runewords, runes and amazing rare items (rings,boots,amulets,helms) were a result of duping - not botting.

Botting watered down the rarity of items like windforce, griffon's eye and grandfather etc. Not even so much shakos, hoz and stormshield - those were not all that rare to begin with. But the uber rares like WF and GF became common place and their value completely obliterated by botting.

I am on the side of keeping items like that extremely rare as it adds an element of 'special' to the item hunt. Very slim to none chance we will see much duping in D3, so the economy will not suffer that badly. Botting will be rampant though imo.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

I'm not saying this is the nicest way to handle it and will work well for everyone, but there is a staunch difference between the reason why Blizzard requires you to be online for Diablo III and why Ubisoft requires you to be online with Anno 2070.

Ugh, Ubi crapped all over Heroes VI. Thankfully, you don't lose much by simply playing offline - no keygen/cracks/etc required even. That's about as fail as Adobe's CS4 protection mechanism.

Disclaimer : Owner of legitimate copy of HOMM VI - imported the collector's edition from Europe even.

 

[mirandu04]

tbh i am still hopping that buying items with real money is still a legend.....