Gaming news sites rush to print strawman lies in defense of Diablo 3

[taltamir]

Scathing reviews are abound of Diablo 3. And the gaming media immediately rallied to bash consumers who make their displeasure unknown. By printing strawman arguments and then "debunking" them.

The strawman is that people are entitled whiners who cry about DRM that was necessary to stop the EVIL PIRATES! TM. Even though the real reason for it being online only are obviously the micro transactions from the real money auction house, as well as the destruction of second hand market.

But if this is the strawman, then what is the real argument?

The primary issue that every single gaming media site fails to mention is that every time the game disconnects, you lose all progress since last checkpoint. Losing 30 minutes of gameplay each time the server hiccups is unacceptable. The vast majority of users who complain about connection issues explicitly say this and this is never mentioned in the strawman.

The secondary complaints are the rest of the game. Too easy, too short, no customization (skills unlock automatically on levelup without selection), real money auction house, linear corridors, etc etc. This is completely ignored, with the "professional gaming media" pretending none of it exists and that the ONLY reason D3 isn't pulling perfect scores from every user is because they are whiners who like to complain about "perfectly justifiable DRM".

Those criticism the game via the above secondary complaints appear at a glance to be easily half of those who score the game negatively.

If anyone knows a professional gaming media site that actually mentions the lost game progress issue in their main article about this issue, please link it, I want to see how many are still honest and not bought by Activision advertising dollars.

To clarify, I am not criticizing the game itself in this post, but criticizing the gaming media misrepresentation of what people are complaining about.




Thread has run its course and has devolved into semantics and petty squabbles. Locked.

Anandtech Moderator
KeithTalent

 

[Veliko]

From the gamer's perspective the need for a constant connection during single player is absurd as it offers no benefit to the player at all.

It's like demanding that a laptop is connected to the mains even if the battery works fine.

 

[Maximilian]

Its a shitload of fuck...

Death to DRM!

 

[Dulanic]

I don't mind DRM per say. What I don't want or support is...

1. Online only DRM
2. Limited install DRM
3. License only DRM - No resale

 

[Dkcode]

Scathing reviews are abound of Diablo 3. And the gaming media immediately rallied to bash consumers who make their displeasure unknown. By printing strawman arguments and then "debunking" them.

The strawman is that people are entitled whiners who cry about DRM that was necessary to stop the EVIL PIRATES! TM. Even though the real reason for it being online only are obviously the micro transactions from the real money auction house, as well as the destruction of second hand market.

But if this is the strawman, then what is the real argument?

The primary issue that every single gaming media site fails to mention is that every time the game disconnects, you lose all progress since last checkpoint. Losing 30 minutes of gameplay each time the server hiccups is unacceptable. The vast majority of users who complain about connection issues explicitly say this and this is never mentioned in the strawman.

The secondary complaints are the rest of the game. Too easy, too short, no customization (skills unlock automatically on levelup without selection), real money auction house, linear corridors, etc etc. This is completely ignored, with the "professional gaming media" pretending none of it exists and that the ONLY reason D3 isn't pulling perfect scores from every user is because they are whiners who like to complain about "perfectly justifiable DRM".

Those criticism the game via the above secondary complaints appear at a glance to be easily half of those who score the game negatively.

If anyone knows a professional gaming media site that actually mentions the lost game progress issue in their main article about this issue, please link it, I want to see how many are still honest and not bought by Activision advertising dollars.

Rockpapershotgun gave their honest opinion of these issues with their first few hours evaluation.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/05/15/hack-slashes-three-hours-with-diablo-iii/

I played 30 minutes last night and quit becuase I was bored. I paid £35 from Amazon boxed becuase those jokers at Blizzard wanted £44.99 for a download copy and I still feel ripped off.

Starting to think I should be saved this money towards some petrol instead or used it for this weekends beer.

Best thing I can do is reapproach this game with a different attitude next week.

 

[PrayForDeath]

If anyone knows a professional gaming media site that actually mentions the lost game progress issue in their main article about this issue, please link it, I want to see how many are still honest and not bought by Activision advertising dollars.

I read this yesterday:

I’ve lost all my progress through the current zone and the world has reset and repopulated with monsters, but my character, items and quest status are intact.

There’s a lot to say about the fact that this can happen even in single player, but I’ll keep it brief: this is utter bullshit.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/05/15/diablo-3-review-as-it-happens/

 

[taltamir]

Rockpapershotgun gave their honest opinion of these issues with their first few hours evaluation.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/05/15/hack-slashes-three-hours-with-diablo-iii/

Kudos to Rockpapershotgun for actually mentioning it. Although I do feel they glossed over it rather then making it the central point it should be, they actually reported it instead of hiding it.

 

[Harabec]

I read this yesterday:



http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/05/15/diablo-3-review-as-it-happens/

Isn't this exactly how it was in D2?
Mobs reset after each game (otherwise what would you grind?) while quest progression etc remains.

 

[mikeymikec]

It's like demanding that a laptop is connected to the mains even if the battery works fine.

But, but, you could be using the laptop ANYWHERE! Allowing other people to see you playing the game, possibly even letting someone else have a try! WE MUST PUT A STOP TO THIS AT ONCE! And laptop chargers have to weigh a minimum of 20kg. That should put a stop to his unholy Mobile Piracy Solution.

I don't mind DRM per say. What I don't want or support is...

1. Online only DRM
2. Limited install DRM
3. License only DRM - No resale

I would add:

4. DRM that demands the user to stop passive programs like Task Manager or Process Explorer.

Or just say "don't get in the user's way, providing that they're following a general common sense 'fair use' policy".

 

[EDUSAN]

if i were a gaming media i wouldnt have made a big deal out of that issue with people replaying parts of the game either... im sure its gonna be fixed soon or later

i would just say that the game needs to tell you when its saving a checkpoint (like every other checkpoint game) or implement some kind of visible countdown for the next time checkpoint so you can play like "ok, 20 seconds more and the game is gonna be saved"

but if you think about it... in diablo 2 online mode you just lost everything you've made (in map progress, not in quest completed) because you would always start at the town and i cant remember now if the same was for the single player campaign

i only bought it yesterday and played to lvl 6... its easy, but its supposed to be easy at this moment. I even remember diablo 2 being super easy all the way to baal in the 1st difficulty level. But when you started a nightmare game you couldnt even kill the 1st creep cause it had like 5 special stats (like resistance to magic, etc)

about the customization...yeah...it really really sucks... it has an option that is supposed to make it better called elective skills but i cant remember what it does.
Actually i dont have a trouble with new skills unlocking, my real problem is when i feel i wasted 1 level because i was given a rune to improve a skill i dont want to use

and although i was a diablo 1 and 2 fanboy im not blinded at diablo 3, although i feel the game is quite good, im not amazed.

I dont like the graphics much either :S they are all blurry even with everything on high and the terrain is TOO bright, it doesnt make sense. there is a little graphic mod going around on the internets but im scared to use it and get banned.

 

[Anteaus]

Isn't this exactly how it was in D2?
Mobs reset after each game (otherwise what would you grind?) while quest progression etc remains.

I think the complaint was aimed at server crashes affecting single player and multi player alike. The only way you lost progress in single player D2 was if your computer crashed, which was extremely rare. People tend to point at D2 and say "Look all this happened then to so stop complaining", but in reality it only happened with Battlenet. Online connectivity was completely optional back then, and there were plenty of people who never even played online (myself included).

I am also one of those that thinks they should have kept singleplayer and multiplayer separate just like it used to be. Activation with Battle.net is reasonable, but always on connectivity for singleplayer? Blah.

Anyways, I have NOT purchased it yet, so I'm still in a position to vote with my money. Obviously the hardcore Diablo players love it, but what I've seen of the gameplay they kept a little to close to the D2 formula. In fact, take away the graphics it could just be another expansion to D2. I think D3 is less about the game and more about the auction house. Blizzard is getting good at creating cash machines and this is no exception.

 

[wanderer27]

But, but, you could be using the laptop ANYWHERE! Allowing other people to see you playing the game, possibly even letting someone else have a try! WE MUST PUT A STOP TO THIS AT ONCE! And laptop chargers have to weigh a minimum of 20kg. That should put a stop to his unholy Mobile Piracy Solution.

.

This would almost be funny if I hadn't seen this some weeks back:

According To Author's Guild, You Cannot Read Books Out Loud

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090210/1014293724.shtml


So yeah, don't be surprised if they (Publishers) don't even want other people to see you playing their game.

Rather absurd if you really think about, but then so is DRM these days.


.

 

[EDUSAN]

I think D3 is less about the game and more about the auction house. Blizzard is getting good at creating cash machines and this is no exception.

what makes you think that? because they legalized an illegal market that was created in diablo 2?
i think the real money action house, for the people that use it, its a FANTASTIC IDEA

never bought or sold anything outside d2 for money, but im sure there were a lot of scammers, with this action house you make it totally transparent and blizzard gets a bit of money... seems legit to me

and if you were like me that only played the game, you have the normal action house.

i think that is accusing too much for just 1 feature made

 

[tedrodai]

Really dude? This is the media we're talking about. Doesn't matter what the specific outlet is...if you get into the habit of always expecting the article to be written by an impressionable 12 year old of average intelligence, you'll sometimes be able to gather a few useful tidbits and occasionally even be impressed with the quality of the work. Most of the time it will be garbage.

And you should NEVER come away 100% convinced.

 

[shortylickens]

As someone who pays 60 dollars for a product or service, I am ENTITLED to have and use it as I see fit. If I bought a camera or car or lawnmower and it didnt work right you better believe I'm returning it. And if I couldnt I'd call the BBB and give them all the info and let them deal with it.
If the game were free then whining would be unjustified.

 

[Nintendesert]

What I'd like to know is how some sites already reviewed the game when it's been down so much. The payoffs continue me thinks.

 

[darkewaffle]

Offline singleplayer is not an option in a game where generating gold or duping items would essentially be just a couple degrees away from counterfeiting currency. Because of the RMAH, they need(ed) to do everything in their power to keep it legit, preserve buyer's faith, and most importantly keep it secure. I would actually be surprised if they didn't have to receive some kind of federal clearance for it because of the potential repercussions.

Diablo 3 is MMO-lite, that's just the way it is and anyone who hasn't figured this out long before now simply isn't paying attention. It's not DRM, it's an online game.

 

[wanderer27]

As someone who pays 60 dollars for a product or service, I am ENTITLED to have and use it as I see fit. If I bought a camera or car or lawnmower and it didnt work right you better believe I'm returning it. And if I couldnt I'd call the BBB and give them all the info and let them deal with it.
If the game were free then whining would be unjustified.

Ya know, I've always thought myself as well, but according to the Publishers and many on this site . . . that's just not how it's supposed to work.

Never could understand that kind of thinking . . . just one of my many faults I guess :whiste:


.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Too easy, too short, no customization (skills unlock automatically on levelup without selection), real money auction house, linear corridors, etc etc. .

THIS IS DIABLO!

I have not run into the losing checkpoint saves deal, but every time I log out, it's in town, after a quest.

 

[imaheadcase]

The whole thing could of been easily avoided if blizzard just let people play the game and after a certain level required you to be connected to verify copy. That way people could play with ease, and traffic would of not been a issue since each person would get to that level at different times. The whole We think you are a criminal first and consumer 2nd attitude has to change.

Its not like it stopped DRM for legit users anyways, hours after release pirated offline copies was on sites. Lots of people i know just played that instead.

 

[Stuka87]

1: Always online. It can suck. But it doesnt bother me personally. But it is required due to the RMAH. The last thing Blizzard wants is people finding exploits to steal real money.

2: Too easy. Uh, you start out on normal (ie: easy). SO OF COURSE ITS GOING TO BE EASY. Wait until you move up in difficulty. D2 was laughably easy on normal difficulty. THIS IS NOT NEW. I would venture to say that D2 was far easier than on normal than D3.

3: The check point thing. Well, at least it HAS check points. Diablo 2 had nothing of the sort. When you died you got revived in town and had to thumb it to wherever you died. And if you left the game, you got to start over back in town.

4: Too short. Well, D1 and D2 were not known for their length. You can breeze through the whole game in D2 in just a few hours if you know the shortest path.


I swear, 90% of the people complaining either never played D1 or D2, or have no memory of it. I find most of the complaints to be laughable.

 

[gothamhunter]

Good thing it's not a single player game then.

 

[Anubis]

I swear, 90% of the people complaining either never played D1 or D2, or have no memory of it. I find most of the complaints to be laughable.

yep i agree with this. people is dumb

 

[VashHT]

Its not like it stopped DRM for legit users anyways, hours after release pirated offline copies was on sites. Lots of people i know just played that instead.

You're talking about diablo 3 here? I'm pretty sure there is no way to play a pirated copy of it right now, there was a server emulator during the beta but that was barely working and abandoned when the full game came out.

EDIT: Also agree with Anubis and Stuka, I played a lot of D1 and 2 and I don't see where a lot of these complaints are coming from.

 

[AMDZen]

The primary issue that every single gaming media site fails to mention is that every time the game disconnects, you lose all progress since last checkpoint. Losing 30 minutes of gameplay each time the server hiccups is unacceptable.

This has been my biggest gripe thus far. I don't sit down to game for 12 hours strait and beat the game in the first day/week of a games launch. I have a life, and have a lot of shit to do. I had to work on my sprinkler system one night after work, do other things the next night - didn't even start the game until last night and try to play for 1-2 hrs which is the most I ever would play until a weekend and BAMMMM!!!

I first can't connect. And then I'm in a queue, seriously? A fucking queue for a single player game? Fuck you Blizzard.

Finally get on, cool. Play for 20 mins and BAMMMM!! Disconnected. Apparently there was a server disconnecting message that I didn't notice with all the dialog that I saw when getting kicked and was on the main page. OK. Eat dinner. Go back.

Seems I lost about 20 mins of my play but oh well. Wow this is the very beginning on Old Tristram road and its completely different then the last time I came through here. Amazing recreation of the levels. But oh crap. My character is now hopping around and I go pick up an item and he teleports to the place I was 20 seconds ago. Connection issues I guess and then BAMMM!!! DC'd again.

This went on for the next hour of me trying to play the game. The only cool thing that happened was to see how crazy the level creation is on this game. I remember in Titans Quest and in Diablo they had this but the levels were still mostly the same. In D3, the cathedral was completely different the 2 times I had to enter it because I was disconnected.