**OFFICIAL** Diablo 3 Thread

Page 281 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

bonkers325

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
13,076
1
0
Not going to get into it again. Most arguments against the theory are all predicated on arguing that competing is impossible without AH. It isn't. Which means that those arguments are useless.

Bottom line, and one that I have yet to see a conclusive argument defeating is that Diablo 3 is balanced based on the use of Auction house, and thus increasing the availability of (generally) more powerful and appropriate items. Therefore the inclusion of the AH altered the game play. Pure and simple.

Inclusion of the auction house leads to use of same. Blizzard takes a cut of the gold (and hence removes it from play) in AH transactions. Less money in game means more incentive to do RMHA. (Just because incentive, doesn't mean you HAVE to do it!). More people doing RMHA, the more money Blizzard makes. And they apparently are greasing the slope that direction.

players will be naturally inclined to follow the path of least resistance to gearing up. the auction houses are there, therefore people will use them. the fact that blizzard charges a fee indicates that blizzard knows this and wants to offer a 'safe' method of trade/sale while taking fee for each sale. without the GAH/RMAH, you would have tons of scamming and whatnot, blizzard just acts as middle-man for all trading.
 

darkewaffle

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2005
8,152
1
81
No one is saying you 'Can't do it without AH'. Merely that the developers clearly balanced the game with the AH in mind. Or at very minimum to take into account the AH. Otherwise, AH players would find the game far too easy.

...they do find it too easy. It's been a pretty common complaint that the difficulty curve is too relaxed up until Inferno for most players.
 

HardWarrior

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2004
4,400
23
81
heaven forbid $$$ for items.

I wasn't going to address this, sometimes it's best to leave deeply held attitudes alone, but I have to inquire: Why the open dislike for either flavor of AH?

I've used both and don't feel bad about it in the least. If another approach is preferable to the player, that's fine too.
 

thespyder

Golden Member
Aug 31, 2006
1,979
0
0
players will be naturally inclined to follow the path of least resistance to gearing up. the auction houses are there, therefore people will use them. the fact that blizzard charges a fee indicates that blizzard knows this and wants to offer a 'safe' method of trade/sale while taking fee for each sale. without the GAH/RMAH, you would have tons of scamming and whatnot, blizzard just acts as middle-man for all trading.

And for a profit. I mean, why not? And if they grease the slopes to incent a few more to go that direction, well that isn't a bad thing either, now is it?

...they do find it too easy. It's been a pretty common complaint that the difficulty curve is too relaxed up until Inferno for most players.

"up until Inferno"
 
Last edited:

PhatoseAlpha

Platinum Member
Apr 10, 2005
2,131
21
81
I don't understand something. The AH doesn't actually offer you anything that you can't do with regular old trading. It's just less trouble.

Any complaints about the AH should also be directed at in-game trading, which serves the exact same function.
 

DrunkenSano

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2008
3,892
490
126
Most people don't have complaints about the AH, just some are misguided about how evil AH is and how it's somehow ruining the game.
 

darkxshade

Lifer
Mar 31, 2001
13,749
6
81
I honestly don't have an issue with the AH or the RMAH in concept. I don't have any issue with the fees either, it's only fair. What I do have a problem with is that in combination, it has made Bliz turn a blind eye to the botting... because it makes them money. So they don't seem to be stepping up enough to keep the economy in balance.
 

thespyder

Golden Member
Aug 31, 2006
1,979
0
0
I don't understand something. The AH doesn't actually offer you anything that you can't do with regular old trading. It's just less trouble.

Any complaints about the AH should also be directed at in-game trading, which serves the exact same function.

AH offers 'Trading' but with anyone and everyone that plays the game. This is a significantly wider audience than you would ever get merely trading with your friends. It is analogus to saying that the Internet doesn't provide anything that the book section at the local grocery store doesn't offer. It is all about scale. Unless you are on a first name basis with every single player who plays the game, and interact with them daily? In which case, I am moving on Saturday. Be at my house at 8 am. I have a heavy couch to move.

Most people don't have complaints about the AH, just some are misguided about how evil AH is and how it's somehow ruining the game.

You say 'Miss-guided'. I say capable of understanding concepts more complex than "Fire Bad. Tree Pretty." Just because some people are incapable of seeing the villain behind the curtain doesn't mean he doesn't exist. And Blizzard thanks you for your Fanboi-like blind loyalty.

I honestly don't have an issue with the AH or the RMAH in concept. I don't have any issue with the fees either, it's only fair. What I do have a problem with is that in combination, it has made Bliz turn a blind eye to the botting... because it makes them money. So they don't seem to be stepping up enough to keep the economy in balance.

I agree with you. I have no problems with the AH (in all it's forms) in concept. I do have a problem with some of the changes that were made in the game to accommodate it.
 
Last edited:

HardWarrior

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2004
4,400
23
81
Just because some people are incapable of seeing the villain behind the curtain doesn't mean he doesn't exist.

Conversely once you start to equate profit motive with villany it gets increasingly easy to see black moustaches behind nearly every curtain. Blizzard is in it for the money and has rigged D3 in their favor? So?
 

thespyder

Golden Member
Aug 31, 2006
1,979
0
0
Conversely once you start to equate profit motive with villany it gets increasingly easy to see black moustaches behind nearly every curtain. Blizzard is in it for the money and has rigged D3 in their favor? So?

Poor choice of words on my part. But to be fair, I got sucked in to the Fanboi defense.

You are absolutely right. Blizzard did nothing but slant things to their financial benefit. Which, in and of itself is not "Evil". Certainly it isn't 'pulling the heads off babies' evil.

But, clearly they made changes to the balance and design of the game exclusively because of the intent to increase usage of the AH (and by extension RMAH). That may not be evil, but it is certainly subject to a valid dislike by it's consumers.

It's like McD's reducing the meat in a burger by 10% and increasing the bread by 10% to compensate. Thus increasing profits per burger. Not actually "EVIL" but people would be justified in their dislike.

Or a better example would be when Coke actually had cocaine in it's formula. Was it Evil for the Cocacola company to include a potentially addicting formula in it's products, thus insuring it's increased products? Even to the potentially health hazard to those same consumers?
 
Last edited:

Jeffg010

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2008
3,435
1
0
This is way this game is starting to suck. When you have a legendary weapon item 59 and only have 306 DPS on it that is call a fuck up on the design. Why in the hell would you even call this legendary? When I got that drop and saw it was a legendary 1-hand weapon I was like hell ya here we go I thought I was finally getting something. When I click to reveal the stats and saw 306 for DPS I thought the programers were trolling me with this. No one is going to put up with the BS for very long. What is even the point of the game if I can never get a decent drop? All I ask is for the game throw me a fucking bone once in awhile.

2q8anm1.jpg
 

HardWarrior

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2004
4,400
23
81
Poor choice of words on my part. But to be fair, I got sucked in to the Fanboi defense.

You are absolutely right. Blizzard did nothing but slant things to their financial benefit. Which, in and of itself is not "Evil". Certainly it isn't 'pulling the heads off babies' evil.

But, clearly they made changes to the balance and design of the game exclusively because of the intent to increase usage of the AH (and by extension RMAH). That may not be evil, but it is certainly subject to a valid dislike by it's consumers.

It's like McD's reducing the meat in a burger by 10% and increasing the bread by 10% to compensate. Thus increasing profits per burger. Not actually "EVIL" but people would be justified in their dislike.

Or a better example would be when Coke actually had cocaine in it's formula. Was it Evil for the Cocacola company to include a potentially addicting formula in it's products, thus insuring it's increased products? Even to the potentially health hazard to those same consumers?

Nicely said and all true. One addendum though: When Coke contained coca the American public wasn't generally as childish, or as propagandised, as it is today. These sturdier Americans knew what they were getting and were capable of conducting their own cost/benefit analysis. It was possible to walk into a pharmacy and BUY high-quality cocaine without anyone batting an eye. Different times indeed.
 

HardWarrior

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2004
4,400
23
81
When you have a legendary weapon item 59 and only have 306 DPS on it that is call a fuck up on the design.

I feel ya. I got my FIRST legendary (250-hours of play) yesterday. It sucked yak balls. Blizzard is supposedly rethinking legendary gear stats as we speak.
 

lupi

Lifer
Apr 8, 2001
32,539
260
126
I understand legendaries still being random, but they really should have non-suck filters on their randomization.
 

uhohs

Diamond Member
Oct 29, 2005
7,660
44
91
I've been getting level 63 weapons(yellows and blues) with base damage, no damage modifiers at all.
Messed up. :(
 

Adrenaline

Diamond Member
Jun 12, 2005
5,320
8
81
Act 3/4 Hell can drop up to ilvl 62 as well as the hell pony level

I guess it can. I don't ever pay attention to Hell other than to get to Inferno. I would not waste my time in hell considering act 1 inferno is easy along with ilvl 63 gear dropping in act 1.

More details

The drop rates for high-end items (items level 61-63) have been increased for Acts III and IV of Hell difficulty and Acts I – IV of Inferno difficulty:

The new approximate drop rates are as follows:

Hell – Act III and Act IV

iLvl 61: 13.9%, up from 9%
iLvl 62: 3.45%, up from 1.9%
iLvl 63: 0% (no change)


Inferno – Act I

iLvl 61: 23.9%, up from 17.7%
iLvl 62: 12.6%, up from 7.9%
iLvl 63: 4.8%, up from 2.0%


Inferno – Act II

iLvl 61: 23.3%, up from 18.6%
iLvl 62: 18.6%, up from 12.4%
iLvl 63: 9.3%, up from 4.1%


Inferno – Act III and Act IV

iLvl 61: 27.1%, up from 24.1%
iLvl 62: 21.7%, up from 16.1%
iLvl 63: 16.3%, up from 8.0%
 

PhatoseAlpha

Platinum Member
Apr 10, 2005
2,131
21
81
Would someone be so kind as to explain "botting"?

Fundamentally, it's using a program to play the game for you instead of your own input. Not a novel concept - by most reports, at the end of it's life D2 had more bots playing then actual people.

Combine it with a couple of virtual machines though, you can get 6+ accounts all doing simple, repetitive, insanely dull tasks which create profit, constantly. Things like breaking vases and killing the miniboss in the basement in the first town.

Low profit per run, but very little risk, and you don't actually have to do it yourself. Set up bot, walk away, go to sleep, come back to million gold in the morning.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
136
Fundamentally, it's using a program to play the game for you instead of your own input. Not a novel concept - by most reports, at the end of it's life D2 had more bots playing then actual people.

Combine it with a couple of virtual machines though, you can get 6+ accounts all doing simple, repetitive, insanely dull tasks which create profit, constantly. Things like breaking vases and killing the miniboss in the basement in the first town.

Low profit per run, but very little risk, and you don't actually have to do it yourself. Set up bot, walk away, go to sleep, come back to million gold in the morning.

I think its kinda funny that Americans treat games like work and work like games.
We are so screwed.