Diablo 3 News and Forums for PC and Playstation

The Diablo 3 Podcast #94: D3 Year One: Story, Auction House, Gold, and Economy

Flux — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:26:49 +0000

Flux, Xanth, and Aahz discuss the major issues, pro and con, surrounding the Diablo 3 Auction House, especially in light of the v1.08 gold dupe bug. Also, how does D3′s story stand up after a year’s evaluation?

This is part two of TDP #93, but the episodes are edited to stand independently. Approximate segment start times:

1:30 — Hacks and gold botting. Increasingly in Hardcore? Economic ramifications of cheaters.

5:30 — Story. Everyone was disappointed by the main story but most loved all the smaller details. Why? Flux thinks it’s intentional; that the main story was made like a Michael Bay film, so anyone could understand it while paying no attention. Everyone tries to explain Magda. No one can.

20:50 — Auction House. People say they don’t want it, but 3 days of AH downtime while they fixed the v1.08 bug had people going crazy. Could players really stand to go back to the barter system? (No. No no no.) Lack of currency for sales? WUG was hell. The AH does a great job establishing fair market value to facilitate trading. Will the v1.08 in-AH item tooltip compare/display change prices and sales?

35:50 — v1.08 gold dupe bug and Blizzard’s recovery efforts. Restore vs. rollback? The gold duping underscored the problems with the AH, and then the next 3 days of AH-downtime underscored how utterly addicted to the AH are so many players.

The Diablo 3 Podcast Episode Guide in DiabloWiki.net provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.

View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

Get the Podcast RSS feed

The Diablo 3 Podcast #93: Year One Patches and Difficulty Nerfs

Flux — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:45:43 +0000

Flux, Xanth, and Aahz discuss the numerous patches and difficulty changes (nerfs) we saw during the first year of Diablo 3, which made the game easier, characters stronger, and much improved the game.

Approximate segment starting times:

0:20 — Recent play adventures. Xanth’s freshly-dead P71 Monk, and more.
4:45 — Diablo 3 patches relived. Many nerfs over time have made the game much easier and much more fun, showing the lie of our pre-game “we want it harder” claims.

Patch 1.0.3, June 19, 2012. Huge reductions in gem upgrade prices and Inferno-nerfed by huge boosts to the odds of high level items dropping.
Patch 1.0.4, August 21, 2012. Paragon system, skill tweaks, lots of inferno nerfs. Also, sparkles added to Legendaries! (That video is guaranteed to amaze in retrosepct.)
Patch 1.0.5, October 16th. Tons of skill changes/buffs, big Inferno nerf, Monster Power and Infernal Machine enabled.

22:00 — Mage issues. Flux explains why he regrettably has no use for the Diablo III Wizard, after mages were amongst his fave classes in previous Diablo titles.
25:50 — Vote kick fixed and useful crafting (that worked like crafting did during the beta) reintroduced. More patch coverage!

Patch 1.0.7, February 13, 2013. PvP brawling enabled, to universal disinterest. No Inferno nerf for a change, but mega-improved crafting recipes.
Patch 1.0.8, May 8, 2013. Monster density adjustment leads to rejoicing. Also minor skill tweaks and major social feature improvements.

30:50 — We’ve got at least a year until D3X; what can we look forward to before then? Will we ever again see new content in a patch?
35:20 — Whimsyshire! Memories of Diablo III’s secret level.

The Diablo 3 Podcast Episode Guide in DiabloWiki.net provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.

View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

Get the Podcast RSS feed

The Diablo 3 Podcast #92: D3 Year One — The Diablo Community

Flux — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:48:43 +0000

Flux, Neinball, and Wolfpaq discuss the Diablo community and speculate on why passions often run so high, and why so many self-professed “haters” stick around to complain and troll, rather than moving on with their lives.

This is the second half of the show begun with TDP #91, but you need not listen to that one first since the topics are entirely separate between the shows.

Approximate segment starting times:

0:10 — Intro and Diablo 3 community overview.
4:40 — Is the Diablo 3 community really that much more negative than other gaming communities? Why do people who claim not to like Diablo 3 stick around to troll people who do play it and to say that every other upcoming ARPG will be 10x better? Why does this not occur with WoW and Starcraft, even in the downtimes for those games? Is it a testimony to the enduring enjoyment (and rose-tinted glasses) of Diablo 2?
12:00 — Diablo 3 didn’t live up to impossibly-high expectations? Would Diablo 2.5 have been more popular? An update rather than a full sequel?
20:10 — Expectations for upcoming changes to Diablo 3? Anything big coming up before the expansion adds massive content and changes everything?
25:00 — Creepy unicorn sound effects.

The Diablo 3 Podcast Episode Guide in DiabloWiki.net provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.

View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

Get the Podcast RSS feed

We have a quick 1 year anniversary vote for our Facebook fans that’s asking How long have you been playing Diablo 3? There are five options from “since release” all the way to “stopped playing” – select your option.

The Diablo 3 Podcast: Diablo 3 Year One, Beta and Launch Memories

Flux — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:56:43 +0000

Flux, Neinball, and Wolfpaq discuss the highs and lows of development, beta test, and early days of Diablo 3. The game was very different, and very difficult, upon release, and this podcast focuses the highs and lows of those early days.

Part two of this podcast will be posted tomorrow. In it the guys talk about D3′s community and remember the days of Bashiok, Jay Wilson, and other PR emergencies. Two more podcasts focusing on other aspects of Diablo 3: Year One will be posted later this anniversary week.

Approximate segment starting times:

0:30 — Show intro, D3 freespecs, and D2 rose-tinted glasses.

11:30 — Removed features during development make quite a lengthy list. Some are missed but most are unlamented.

15:30 — PvP regrets. Dueling was the best Diablo III feature in Blizzcon demos. All 3 guests still dream of a proper timed team deathmatch system.

23:00 — May 14th, 2012. Preparing for the big day and then launch! And then Error 37.

27:40 — Early days of “gear wall” difficulty. Inferno was infernal.

36:50 — Early days of “straitjacketed” by your build. Players trained by D2 and the easy Diablo III beta had a painful adjustment to Inferno requiring 4 or 5 defensive skills and buffs.

41: 20 — Early days issues with itemization. No one found legendaries and when they did the items were junk. Plus hopes and dreams for future legendary item improvements.

49:30 — Two-handed weapons. Useless in D2, useless in D3, for the exact same reasons.

The Diablo 3 Podcast Episode Guide in DiabloWiki.net provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.
Get the Podcast RSS feed

The Diablo Podcast #90: v1.08 and PTR Debate

Flux — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:53:21 +0000

Ynzerg and Xanth join Flux for a conversation about the v1.08 patch, recent PTR testing, and other current Diablo 3 news. Plus, another bonus obscure item type quiz!

Show program:

0:00 — Intro and recent PTR testing (or not). Will the new game type tags work? Can we just get a return to D2-style game naming?

6:15 — Single player and online-only D3 thoughts.

9:05 — Recent play. Everyone’s still Hardcore, Ynzerg’s new Wizard and the weirdness of being a non-Barbarian (and thus almost dying sometimes).

12:00 — Crafting gear costs vs. big price upgrades.

18:00 — Why it’s impossible to go back to Softcore after playing Hardcore for a while. Also, is the Auction House mandatory for Hardcore success?

23:55 — Monster density changes in v1.08. Will Act 2 will be the best farming ground in v1.08?

38:30 — Possible nerfs to the duration of Archon and Wrath of the Berserker. Given the state of the OPB, why do players waste time with other lesser classes?

44:30 — Other v1.08 skill changes. Ray of Fail, Rapid Fire, etc.

46:30 — Flux rants about the OPB of Inspiring Presence. (Slightly defused by skill unbuff announced earlier this week, after the podcast was recorded.)

55:05 — Craft-o-matic in v1.08. The assembly line begins.

1:00:50 — Boss battle notification coming in v1.08, and the return of the “guess that item type” game.

The Diablo 3 Podcast Episode Guide in DiabloWiki.net provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.
Get the Podcast RSS feed

The Diablo 3 Podcast #89: Hardcore Economy, Itemization Changes, and Console News

Flux — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:06:03 +0000

Flux, Xanth, and Ynzerg talk Diablo 3 economy and the huge differences between the HC and softcore economy. How does the lack of an RMAH in HC affect the economy? Also, impatience at the promised itemization changes and Diablo 3 console news.

Approximate topic start points on this episode:

0:10 — Ynzerg and Xanth intro and recent play experiences. Mostly Hardcore.
4:00 — Trivia quiz. Obscure item names in Diablo 3!
12:00 — The hardcore economy. Thriving market for selling lvl 1-50 gear. Huge price swings since the v1.07 crafting recipes, with gear some slots getting cheaper and others much more expensive.
17:30 — Cost of crafting items in Hardcore is insane, coming from Softcore. Tomes of Secret now cost 40-80x more in HC than in SC. Fiery Brimstones are 25-35x the price. Yet some things are cheaper…
26:00 — Flux can’t afford to upgrade the last levels of Artisans in HC since they require dozens of Tomes of Secret.
32:00 — What effect does the lack of an RMAH have on the HC Economy? Harder to farm gold in HC and no in-game method to sell it for money. Surprised Blizzard never added it in post-release?
37:50 — Shared stash and no corpse looting… ever removed your best items before danger to save them in case of Hardcore death?
41:30 — Flux recounts his first HC death, a 56 Demon Hunter’s tragic fate. Is Vortex the most dangerous boss mod? Frozen?
44:50 — Itemization updates from Blizzard. Why so slow to make decisions and implement them?
51:30 — Console coming soon. Demo at PAX East. Has excite? Not so much…
52:50 — Diablo 3 Expansion thoughts. Wish list for fixes and changes?
55:00 — Final thoughts. Closing Hardcore proselytizing from the guests.

The Diablo 3 Podcast Episode Guide in DiabloWiki.net provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.
Get the Podcast RSS feed

The Diablo 3 Podcast #88: Itemization, Better Co-Op, and Monster Density

Flux — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:18:52 +0000

Flux, Azzure, and Wolfpaq discuss the upcoming Diablo 3 v1.08 patch, with heavy coverage of itemization issues, plus ideas about co-op improvements and fixes to monster density problems.

Show content with approximate subject starting times:

0:50 — SimCity’s terrible launch and online-only DRM provokes Diablo 3 launch flashbacks.

5:50 — Itemization changes coming to Diablo III. Fewer Rares of higher quality. Improvement?

9:20 — Will improved quality Rare items make things more fun or just create inflation? Is Diablo III is more of a gear check than Diablo 2 was, or not?

18:40 — Improved legendaries. More specialized legendary items that fit perfectly with or enable new/different certain builds would be awesome.

27:20 — Does the Auction House exacerbate all item issues by putting such ease of distribution and accessibility into the economy? Opinions differ.

37:50 — Legendary improvement suggestions and theorycrafting.

48:25 — Improving the co-op experience. Adding more bonuses, or improving social tools?

55:25 — Monster density issues and improvements. Flux pitches his idea for bonus dungeons again, and why simply sticking more monsters into the existing levels is a suboptimal adjustment.

1:06:15 — Blizzard’s recently improved community communication. Direct posts from devs, more activity from CMs. What’s fueling this and should we expect more?

The Diablo 3 Podcast Episode Guide in the DiabloWiki.net provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.
Get the Podcast RSS feed

The Diablo 3 Podcast #87: Bold Skill Changes, Get Rich Slow, and Crafting

Flux — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:06:44 +0000

Flux, Xanth, and Aahz discuss current topics in Diablo 3, including get rich slow tips, economy issues, crafting successes, a request for bolder skill changes in patches, and much more.

We recorded this show earlier this week, before the Itemization blog was released, so that is not discussed in this one. (We’re recording a show this weekend that will debate it and other upcoming v1.08 details.) Here’s what we did talk about, with the approximate starting time for each general topic:

0:20 — Intro of Xanth and first time TDP guest Aahz. Everyone shares stories about their recent Diablo 3 play experiences. Xanth’s one billion gold march continues.

4:10 — Rerolling, only 10 character slots, and stash space considerations.

11:00 — Diablo 3 economy and wealth accumulation. Xanth details the crazy prices for crafting mats these days in Hardcore.

17:30 — Multiplayer issues and features. Has anyone tried the new brawling PvP system?

25:30 — The UI vexation of not showing all the buff icons at once.

30:30 — Achievements. Anyone approaching 100% yet? Plus Leah’s hidden Act 3 room.

36:50 — Gosu’s fanifesto suggests many major changes. Discussed on this podcast: 1) Would you like to see big changes to skill runes, rather than just changes that add say, +25% damage to the unpopular ones? 2) How is the overall game difficulty and challenge level?

52:20 — New crafting recipe successes and enjoyment.

56:10 — Final thoughts; everyone likes the game quite a bit despite our complaints. Economics; how did you get rich (or not) in Diablo 3? Plus Xanth signs his new Wizard’s death warrant.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the DiabloWiki.net provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.
Get the Podcast RSS feed

The Diablo 3 Podcast #86: New Crafting, Item Farming, and Passive Skills

Flux — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:11:48 +0000

Flux, Neinball, and Sentarius discuss their recent play, passive skill overhauls, Monk builds and O.W.E. changes, new crafting recipes, and what The Hobbit’s Goblin King and all of Diablo’s Act Bosses have unfortunately in common.

Topics covered on this episode of the Diablo 3 Podcast, with their approximate starting times (all subjects are digressed from, as the conversation flows):

0:30 — Neinball and Sentarius intro. Sentarius is a long-time member of the Holy Knights of Westmarch and he describes the guild support features he would most like to see in Diablo 3.

5:35 — Party skills and varying builds for better party play; the guild member guests describe the current options and their desired changes/improvements.

11:20 — Everyone shares their recent Diablo III play activities and priorities. Monks and leveling for Neinball and Flux, Witch Doctoring and Demon Huntering for Sentarius.

17:00 — Monk discussion leads to Barb vs. Monk comparison and why Barbs are so OP at this point, which leads to Monk passive conversation and the lack of +damage options.

22:00 — Monk’s One With Everything debated, pros and cons and switching all your gear to match a new type of resistance.

33:00 — Passive skills discussion. Which are best/worst, which need changes and improvements? All other classes envy the outrageous DPS+ of Barbarian passives; even the ones that under 5% of Barbs use. Refer to the ongoing forum debates about Barbarian, Monk, Demon Hunter, Wizard, and Witch Doctor passives.

42:00 — Farming and item gathering. What does everyone pick up while playing now? Just selected rares? Plus protips for more efficient play and farming.

48:00 — Tempest Rush part time use as a fantastic speed farming boost.

51:20 — New crafting recipes. Which are you using, what have you upgraded, etc? Pickup radius issues. Awesomely fast and fun Witch Doctor build.

1:02:00 — Final thoughts and future system changes in the expansion.

1:05:30 — The Goblin King’s voice in The Hobbit is awful, in exactly an opposite way from how all the Diablo 3 bosses have awful voices.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the DiabloWiki.net provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.
Get the Podcast RSS feed

The Diablo 3 Podcast #85: The Diablo Console Project

Flux — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 16:05:36 +0000

Flux is joined by Rush to talk about the newly-announced Diablo 3 console project. Will console gamers buy it, how will the game differ with a joystick, will there be an RMAH, and more.

Topics covered on this episode of the Diablo 3 Podcast include:

Will Diablo succeed on the console, given that all top selling PS3 and Xbox360 titles are shooters or action games??

Account security issues, given that the largest data hack in human history came via the PlayStation Network

Will the Auction House drive the console economy? Will there be an RMAH?

Correlation vs. causation: why everything bad in D3 can’t be blamed on the console project.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guidein the DiabloWiki provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.
Get the Podcast RSS feed

Diablo 3 Podcast #84: Jay Wilson’s Resignation

Flux — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 02:29:03 +0000

Flux and Elly chew over Jay Wilson’s surprising and sudden resignation as Diablo 3′s Game Director. What, why, when, where, who, how, and more, all discussed on this show.

Jay’s surprising departure spurred another surprise; the return of Elly to The Diablo Podcast. (With any luck she’ll return fairly soon, as we’ve got a 2012 Year in Review show in the works.) Neither of us exactly “knew” Jay, but we’d had interactions with him and some brief in-person conversations, and we’ve certainly observed the highs and lows of his work, both in Diablo 3 and as a spokesperson for Blizzard Entertainment.

Topics covered on this show include:

The resignation news and the timing of the news.

Rob Pardo recruited Jay to run the D3 team and he (and others at Bliz) still support him.

How must it have felt for Jay to work 6.3 years on D3 before it was released, for the release to be rocky, and then to become a punching bag for every disaffected fan.

How Jay aged 15 years during D3′s development and how we could judge the game’s progress and crunch time by the hollows under Jay’s eyes at game conventions.

The infamous “F that loser” event and its fallout, and how Jay once again took bullets for the team.

Jay’s mysterious future at Blizzard.

Who will be the new D3 Game Director? Why might they benefit from bringing in an outsider with fresh ideas.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guidein the DiabloWiki provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.
Get the Podcast RSS feed

The Diablo 3 Podcast #83: PvP Delays and Dueling

Flux — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 19:26:36 +0000

Flux and Xanth discuss the Diablo 3 PvP system delays and the abrupt change from a team deathmatch to duel system. Disappointment, relief, and surprise are the order of the day.

This is a double show, since we’d recorded one on various topics just before Xmas, but before I could post it the new PvP details were revealed. So Xanth and I talked about the PvP info Thursday evening and I added that conversation to the PvP content from the earlier podcast.

0:00 — Intro from before Xmas: Xanth’s HC column’s imminent return, Ironborn theories, and Xanth’s Hardcore Diablo player’s mentality.
7:22 — Why didn’t we get PvP in 2012, and what was going on with those confusing Jay Wilson tweets?
19:50 — Part two, recorded Dec 27th, all about the PvP announcement.
28:00 — Dueling instead of team deathmatch. How dueling worked (or didn’t work) in D2 and what it means for D3.
32:10 — Yet another attempt of the D3 devs to “reinvent the ARPG wheel” ends in tears.
35:30 — Fan reaction to PvP announcement. Xanth is more disappointed than most of you guys seem to be.
37:40 — Blizzard could have handled this news much better than a terse and belated blog post with “it got boring” as the entire excuse for no deathmatch. Why aren’t fansites or regular players being invited to test out the PvP and Deathmatch systems? Xanth and Flux volunteer.
46:50 — What else will we get in v1.07 to spice up the activities? New items? New events? Better farming areas in Act 1/Act 2?

Podcast guests wanted! I mentioned this last time and heard from a lot of volunteers, but I’m still looking for some more new/fresh voices to appear on the podcast. If you’re interested you need to be an active Diablo III player with good verbal skills, a decent quality headset/mic, a Skype account, and thoughts/ideas/opinions/interests about D3. If you’re interested, contact flux@incgamers.com with a brief note about your D3 play experience and what topics you’d like to discuss on The Diablo Podcast.

(Also, if you’re one of the several people who volunteered last time but who I never met for an audition chat, sorry about that. If you’re still interested email me or IM me on Skype and we’ll find a time that works.)

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guidein the DiabloWiki provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.
Get the Podcast RSS feed

The Diablo Podcast #82: The Diablo 3 Expansion Debate

Flux — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:33:38 +0000

Flux is joined Exile to speculate on all things Diablo 3 expansion. Class and item makeovers, improved B.net features, new monsters, new game modes, Act Five’s setting, and more.

Times and topics are approximate, as the flow of conversation twists and turns.

0:00 — Intro and why it’s more fun to speculate about the future than talk about the present.
3:00 — Improved multiplayer features. More exp/items in MP games? Raid-type content?
8:20 — Better character customization and item system improvements.
14:40 — Level design improvements. More randomness/variety in expansion/act 5?
18:40 — Guest monsters? More monster variety and design?
26:00 — Simplification of features in Diablo III. How does WoW retain more complexity and how can Diablo III add more depth?
36:40 — New class in the expansion. Return of the Necromancer? Paladin? Other? Both?
42:00 — Act five? Where? What? Difference?
46:50 — A new Follower? Sparkle Panda suggestion!
48:30 — New game modes. Tower defense, competitive PvM, bottomless dungeon, etc.
54:00 — When will D3X be released? How did they make D2X with act 5, Druid, Assassin, all the new items and other features in just 12 months?
55:00 — Farewell and thanks to Xanth, and welcome to ZappaFan. Plus new podcast guests wanted.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guidein the DiabloWiki provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.
Get the Podcast RSS feed

The Diablo Podcast #81: v1.05 Soon and Returning Diablo Players

Flux — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:37:19 +0000

Flux is joined by Xanth and Exile to discuss about the imminent v1.05 patch, Monster Power, Magic Find changes, and more. Exile hasn’t played D3 in months, but says that v1.05 might pull him back in.

Times and topics are approximate, as the flow of conversation twists and turns.

0:00 — Xanth’s recent play, PTR testing, and why Exile has been living up to his name.
3:30 — The first Paragon 100 Hardcore.
7:00 — Monster Power function and general game changes and difficulty nerfs in recent patches.
14:20 — Why do all Blizzard’s acronyms now suck?
17:15 — The joys of Monster Power with a new character on MP10, and rushing new characters to 60 ASAP.
25:20 — Diablo 3 improving every patch and gradually becoming what it should have been at launch?
32:20 — Battle.net ghost town. Will Monster Power completely end the already unplayed public games?
38:00 — Is it too late? Even when PvP comes out will there be any players left to care?
41:20 — Paragon System + Monster Power = the end of Magic Find from equipment?
49:30 — Has the conversation and news about Patch 1.0.5 lured Exile back too Sanctuary from Pandaland?

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the DiabloWiki provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.

Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #80: TL2 vs. D3 Features + v1.0.5 Preview

Flux — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:11:39 +0000

Flux, Wolfpaq, and Xanth compare key features in Torchlight 2 to Diablo 3. The item system, character customization, and much more are handled very differently in TL2, with pros and cons. Also includes a D3 v1.0.5 patch preview.

Times and topics listed below are merely a rough guideline, as the flow of conversation twists and turns.

0:00 — Introductions, TL2 launch vs. v1.0.5 patch preview. Recent Dave Brevik Diablo creator coworker praise.
6:40 — Torchlight 2 difficulty and basics. The horror of Elite/Hardcore mode.
12:00 — TL2 deep character customization and permanence vs. Diablo III accessibility and freespecs. Pros and cons.
19:00 — Skill points. In TL2 better customization. Could/should skill points be re-incorporated into Diablo III?
26:00 — Items. The items system is the most common complaint about Diablo III. How is it handled in TL2? Why is it not good in Diablo III?
42:00 — final thoughts on TL2 vs. Diablo III.
45:30 — Diablo III v1.0.5 patch preview. Monster Power issues, Infernal Machine speculation,
50:10 — class skill changes. demon hunter new build options.
58:00 — Does Diablo III still need more incentives to play in parties?
60:00 — final thoughts on Diablo III and the paragon system. When will v1.05 be released? Will we get PvP in Diablo III this year? Moo. Moo. Moo-ooo.
As a programming note, the DiabloPodcast.com site is no more, and going forward, all podcasts will be presented here on Diablo.IncGamers.com in the news.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the DiabloWiki provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #79: v1.05 Preview, Inferno Nerfs, and Auction House Fixes

Flux — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:35:13 +0000

Neinball and Philter join Flux to discuss recent Diablo III news, including the v1.0.5 feature previews, Inferno nerfs, skill changes, item and economy issues, and Auction House problems and solutions.

Times and topics listed below are merely a rough guideline, as the flow of conversation twists and turns.

0:00 — Introductions, recent D3 play, and Torchlight 2 testing.

8:30 — Paragon level 100 already achieved. Was the Paragon system rushed?

16:05 — Banner rewards and armor dyes. Use? Ignore? Wut?

19:45 — Inferno changes, difficulty nerfs, player skill nerfs, new players X system, Infernal Machine speculation.

31:10 — Auction House issues. More item search improvements are needed. Why doesn’t the Auction House in WoW cause the same “grind for gold” gameplay issue that’s made Diablo III not-fun for many players? Would item binding would help the Diablo III economy? Were regular ladder resets the key to D2′s item economy remaining fun?

52:30 — Crafting improvements and general economy issues.

57:00 — Surprised at how many content upgrades we’ve already seen in the Diablo III patches? Final thoughts. Moo. Moo. Moo-ooo.

As a programming note, the DiabloPodcast.com site is no more, and going forward, all podcasts will be presented here on Diablo.IncGamers.com in the news. Due to this change the older shows are not all currently available as mp3s or via iTunes, but they will be added shortly.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the DiabloWiki provides links to every show, plus quick summaries.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #78: Paragons, Items, and Farming

Flux — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 01:10:43 +0000

This episode covers a wide array of topics in v1.04 Diablo III, including the paragon level, item farming, jewelry hunting, a Res All hardcap, needed crafting improvements, coming feature changes, and much more.

Flux is joined by JrMint, Azzure (briefly) and Xanth to talk about all sorts of issues created by the v1.04 patch. All the guests are playing a lot and enjoying the game much more than they did prior to the patch, but not everything is perfect just yet, so there’s plenty to discuss.

Times and topics listed below are merely a guideline, as the flow of conversation twists and turns. Many, many topics come up that are not detailed below.

0:00 — Intro chat and Azzure discusses his happy return to D3.

3:00 — Items in v1.04. Seeking but not finding. Quality issues?

9:00 — Item binding needed in D3 along with increased Legendary drop rates?

11:30 — Are item level 55-59 Legendaries the most useless items in the game?

18:10 — Speculation about upcoming game change features.

24:45 — Xanth enters as Azzure leaves, and talks about his v1.04 Hardcore Inferno play.

26:40 — Does the Paragon system encourage playing just one character forever? Should paragon levels share across all chars on your account?

38:00 — Why is finding good rare jewelry so difficult?

40:10 — Crafting improvements needed?

49:45 — Would a hard cap for RES ALL improve item variety?

56:50 — Xanth on hardcore inferno Witch Doctor improvements in v1.04

60:50 — Xanth on the Monk in v1.04. No changes to encourage the class’ use.

63:00 — Jay Wilson and the “F that loser” controversy.

70:00 — Enjoying v1.04? Still playing? Curious to try new class/skills, or just boosting more in paragon levels?

As a programming note, the DiabloPodcast.com site is no more, and all podcast posts will be displayed right here, in the news. Due to this change the mp3s are currently unavailable for past shows, but they’ll be working again shortly. For ease of navigation, you can use The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki, which has a short summary of every show, or navigate back through the news posts via The Diablo Podcast category tag.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #77: v1.0.4 First Week Play Test Reactions

Flux — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:00:14 +0000

Flux is joined by Muggs and Philter to discuss everything about the v1.0.4 patch after a week of play testing. Everyone is a big fan of most of the v1.04 changes, though there are still issues that can be improved, here and there. Topics include changes to the game on the whole, the Paragon system, improved (or not) item finding, changes to boss modifiers, easier multiplayer gaming, and specific changes to the Demon Hunter, Wizard, Barbarian, and Witch Doctor.

0:00 — Intro and general v1.0.4 reactions.

3:35 — Paragon levels discussion. Magic Find and very slow Paragon level progression. Is +exp gear needed? Should the devs reintroduce +experience from quests? How has v1.04 improved your item finds? Does the Paragon system make you want to play the same char all the time, instead of playing multiple level 60s?

20:40 — Monster and boss changes. Is Diablo 3 too easy now?

26:50 — Demon Hunter.

30:10 — Wizard.

33:20 — Barbarian.

42:35 — Witch Doctor.

57:55 — Monk.

58:15 — Overall v1.0.4 patch change reactions, and final thoughts.

All the class discussion is based on first hand experience, and both guests have played a lot of Witch Doctor, plus that class got the most changes, so that’s the most thorough conversation. The Barbarian gets the second most chat since everyone has tested him out, while the poor Monk is excluded by the luck of the draw.

See the TDP #77 post on DiabloPodcast.com for more show details and the mp3 download link.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
Listen via the video versions of the podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #76: v1.0.4 Class and Legendary Previews

Flux — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:08:55 +0000

Flux is joined by two first time guests, Danthar and Philter, to discuss everything about the v1.0.4 patch previews. Last week brought previews for improvements to Legendary Items as well as the Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Wizard, and Witch Doctor, and on the show we discuss all of those, along with other imminent patch issues. The patch should go online Tuesday, August 21st, and we’ll record another podcast next weekend after five days of patch testing, to discuss the features and changes.

Approximate times when each topic begins:

3:00 — Legendary item improvements and Magic Find changes.

13:00 — Witch Doctor.

29:30 — Demon Hunter.

37:30 — Monk.

47:30 — Wizard.

57:00 — Barbarian.

1:07:00 — Why is there no D3 (PTR) Patch Test Realm?

1:10:00 — What are you most looking forward to in v1.0.4 patch?

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #75: Barbarian Battle Royale

Flux — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:55:25 +0000

Flux is joined by regular guest Xanth and first time guest Sarnakle to discuss all things Barbarian. Why is the class the most popular in the game, what types of play styles are most popular, what are the best and worst (and most fun novelty) skills and rune effects, sword/board vs. dual-wielding vs. two-hander, the best Inferno builds, the magic of Critical Hits, selecting a Fury-spender, defensive options, PvP expectations, and more.

There’s even a bonus digression into Diablo III’s lacking multiplayer incentives, which are largely responsible for the lack of public games (especially in Inferno Hardcore) and how that could be addressed by the developers.

As with the last podcast focused on the Demon Hunter, we made an effort to explain the basics and to keep the conversation accessible to even non-Barb experts. You’ll probably still benefit by referring to a full list of Barbarian skills and passives while you listen. If you really want to educate yourself, you should skim over AlexanderBaron’s titanically-informative Hardcore Barbarian guide, as it’s referred to several times during the conversation.

Due to a technical issue, the audio of both guests is about .25 seconds ahead of Flux’s, so a few times they seem to answer questions before they have been completely asked. (Either that or they’re both impatient psychics.) This is most noticeable during the intro chat, but isn’t an issue for 99% of the show.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #74: The Great Demon Hunter Discussion

Flux — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:05:12 +0000

Demon hunting is serious business.

Flux is joined by long time guest Wolfpaq and first time guest JrMint for a podcast focused (almost) entirely on the Demon Hunter. Both guests and the host have played the class extensively, and we cover every aspect of Diablo III’s pewpewpew expert. Pros and cons of the class, best and worst builds, discussion of almost every skill, favorite rune effects for various situations, passive skill choices, build options and variety, and brainstorming wish lists for ways to improve the class.

We tried to keep the show interesting for experts AND accessible for newcomers, so in addition to debates about the best Inferno builds and high end gear talk, it includes basic info about how the class works, explanations by the guests why they like the DH the best, what new DH players should keep in mind, and more.

Though we tried to explain things as we went, if you’re not super familiar with the DH you’ll probably benefit by referring to a full list of her skills and effects while you listen.

Demon Hunter skills.

Demon Hunter passives.

If you’re not a big fan of the DH, never fear. We’ll be covering all five classes in this level of detail on the podcast, with the Barbarian or Wizard coming up next week, and the others following soon after.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #73: Quitting or Not?

Flux — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:55:55 +0000

Flux is joined by Grug and The Eliminator to talk about their Diablo III experiences thus far. One guest is still really enjoying the game while the other… not so much.

The original plan for this show was for Exile to talk about why he burned out on Inferno, while Eliminator talked about why he still enjoyed it. However, when Flux had to postpone the recording time and Exile couldn’t make it, Grug was able to step in on short notice. That guest substitution changed the show focus, since Grug played much less of the game before burning out. So much less that all of the usual “sick of the Inferno grind/lame end game item system” issues don’t apply to him.

This change was probably for the good of the show though, since instead of another “why aren’t the uniques and set items better” debate that you’ve read in a dozen forum posts by now, the conversation focused on the pros and cons of other aspects of Diablo III, none of them specific to the end game. Topics include repeating content, level design, story, dialogue, expansion thoughts, the skill rune system, and what needs to be changed in patches to improve D3 and win back disenchanted fans like Grug.

Apologies for the YT version on this one: I somehow managed to cut off about the first 10s of audio, so you don’t hear some of the set up and guest introductions, and I didn’t stretch the image properly so it’s a postage stamp. Video editing is not my area of expertise, but I shall check it more closely next time.

The audio is fine on the mp3, if you want to hear what you missed in the opening seconds.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

http://diablo.incgamers.com/wp-content/uploads/podcast/

The Diablo Podcast #72: Inferno Prescriptions

Flux — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:22:44 +0000

Flux talks all things Inferno with long time podcast guest Wolfpaq and first time guest Muggs. Both guests have extensive experience with Diablo III’s end game and enjoy it, though they’ve each got a list of features that could/should/need to be improved and upgraded.

Inferno-related topics include what’s good about the end game, issues with the end game items, D3′s “never level again” experience curve, the Auction House as a blessing/curse/necessity, fast games with Nephalem Valor stacks, pros and cons of the crafting system, nostalgia (or not) for customizable runestones, and much more.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #71: Garwulf’s Conversation

Flux — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 11:33:55 +0000

If you enjoyed the podcast but wish there was just less of Flux talking, this is the show for you. Long-time, old-time Diabloii.net columnist Garwulf, AKA Robert Marks, is the guest and my goodness does he have a lot to say. Fortunately he’s pretty good at saying it, so hear him discourse on his new book project, his place in the origins of video game journalism, the evolution of ebook publishing, and his interactions with Blizzard back in 2000, when he published the first official Blizzard ebook and the first official Diablo fiction, Demonsbane.

Garwulf’s new book is called The Traveller on the Road of Legends. The official blurb:

“We’ve all read fantasies about quests, and dragons, and annoying wizards. In which the fate of the world hangs in the balance. And here’s another one. But this one is intriguingly different. THE TRAVELER ON THE ROAD OF LEGENDS introduces a setting of infinite possibilities, characters we care about, and danger that must be fought right now. A great adventure.”

Get Traveler on the Road of Legends from Amazon.com.
Get Demonsbane via Amazon.com, or read it in print in the Diablo Archive.
Robert’s publishing company: Legacy Books Press.

You can also check the original Garwulf’s Corner columns from 2000-2002, an interview Flux conducted with him upon the publication of Demonsbane, and Flux’s 2002 review of that novella. Garwulf’s blog can be seen at garwulf.livejournal.com.

The whole chat is a good one, but if you’re really only interested in the “writing a book for Blizzard and getting a preview of Diablo 3′s plot” content, you can skip to about 37 minutes.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #70: Inferno Says “No!”

Flux — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:55:46 +0000

After a few weeks off, The Diablo Podcast returns with a new show focused largely on Hardcore, Inferno, and successful (or not) player approaches to both.

Flux is joined by Hardcore expert Xanth for a wide-ranging discussion of all things Diablo III. Topics include Xanth’s Hardcore success (two level 60s and a 59, only two of whom were dead at the time the show was recorded), and how it’s possible to survive playing HC when most players die repeatedly against most nasty boss packs. The build style, the attitude towards using defensive skills, the overgearing and different emphasis on HC chars marks them as very different than Softcore chars, even ones played by careful players.

Other topics include Inferno issues, the mega gear check it provides, the ironic way many players are hobbling themselves for Inferno by Auction House overgearing in Hell, and mixed-laments that so few offensive skills can be used in the end game.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #69: Good Second Impressions, Item Problems, and Difficulty

Flux — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:29:04 +0000

Flux chats with Xanth and Neinball about Diablo III’s second week, and the guys debate going great and what needs work. Topics include character builds and early progress, play styles, reactions to the full game, issues with the economy, the difficulty curve and Inferno, the story and cliffhanger ending, and more. All of the gameplay issues get a Hardcore evaluation as well, since that’s Xanth’s area of expertise.

The second section of the show kicks in around 56 minutes, when Xanth and Neinball check out, and Flux starts a new quick chat with Exile. Exile explains why is his Witch Doctor is level 59.9, talks about the economy and the GAH, revisits some of his pre-game predictions, and more.

This show is not spoiler free. The story is discussed in general terms, and the act bosses are mentioned. We’re sorry, but if you still haven’t completed normal difficulty two weeks after launch, you need to play a little faster. Or skip parts of this podcast; we mention the topic before we start talking about the story, and that’s about 35m in.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #68: First Week of Diablo III

Flux — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:35:38 +0000

Flux, Azzure, and Grug discuss the first week of Diablo III, both in-game and around the Diablo community. Both guests and the host are relatively pleased with the game, though one guest has some strong reservations about a few things.

The launch is discussed and the panelists debate whether the extensive negative press coverage of Diablo III’s “rocky” launch was a big deal or a big overreaction. Most of the show is concentrated on the gameplay, and there is much discussion of first reactions to the retail client after so long in the tiny Beta. Other game issues include everyone’s first character(s) and goals, character builds and rune effect experimentation, issues with the item system’s limited variety, randomization issues with outdoor and indoor areas, and reactions to Inferno being beaten in four days.

This show is spoiler free, in terms of plot or story details.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #67: Diablo 3 Bold Predictions

Flux — Sat, 19 May 2012 07:11:54 +0000

Our Diablo III predictions podcast includes short conversations with eight members of the Diablo community, as they predict how the Diablo III experience will unfold. Not every guest was asked exactly the same questions, but most of them got most of the questions, which included the following:

Name the most and least popular classes shortly after launch. Will they differ for hardcore? Will there be a major hack or cheat or dupe or other problem requiring a patch fix within the first few months. Will Followers be essential, irrelevant, or something in between in Hell and Inferno? Will the RMAH take off with players paying up to the $250 max price cap within the first month? How long will players take to beat Inferno softcore and Hardcore? When will PvP be patched in? When will D3X be announced and when released? Can you make a bold prediction for the 6th class?

Approximate starting times for the various segments:

1:50 — Azzure’s predictions.

8:00 — The Eliminator’s predictions.

14:30 — Xanth’s predictions.

20:45 — MrFrye’s predictions.

24:30 — Exile’s predictions.

32:35 — Grug’s predictions.

38:45 — Neinball’s predictions.

44:00 — Wolfpaq’s predictions.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #66: Beta Reflections and Bashiok Encounters

Flux — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:57:20 +0000

Flux is joined by Grug and Azzure to talk about the highs and lows of the recently-concluded Diablo III beta test. All of the guys were lucky enough to be in the Beta almost from the start, and with the help of numerous fan suggestions in a big beta forum discussion thread, they review the highs and lows of the Diablo 3 Beta.

Topics include the ever-changing difficulty, the slow pace of invites, technical problems, the glorious “Beyond the Gate” preview, the huge number of rare boss monsters, varied special areas and rare quests, the addition of skill runes, the unpleasant new skill UI and chat UI, and several more. Grug then tells the story of his recent encounter with Bashiok at PAX East, and relates more of the new info Bashiok shared with him, before the show wraps up with release night plans and first character choices.

Approximate starting times for the various segments:

0:30 — Beta retrospective; highs and lows.

27:30 — Grug’s conversation with Bashiok at PAX east and the new info he revealed.

37:30 — Release night plans. First class choices. Closing thoughts.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #65: Character Customization and Release Plans

Flux — Sat, 05 May 2012 05:06:59 +0000

Flux is joined by Wolfpaq and Neinball to talk about Wolfpaq’s big and controversial forum list of ways D3 is better than D2. Character customization re: a recent Bashiok debate is also discussed; will we miss skill and custom stat points?

The guys also talk about recent beta play experiences with the test coming to an end, their plans for release day play/spoiler avoidance, and their first class selections.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

Diablo Podcast #63: Naked Runs, Hardcore, and Beta Difficulty Swings

Flux — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 07:00:33 +0000

Flux is joined by The Eliminator and our Hardcore columnist Xanth to talk about all sorts of recent Diablo 3 beta news. The Eliminator has been playing “naked,” trying to play through the entire beta with no armor and only the starting weapon, and he answers numerous questions about that experience. Xanth is all about Hardcore, and he brings that One Life to Live attitude to the Beta.

Other than those specific issues, all three guys have played a great deal with all of the classes, and the conversation ranges over numerous beta issues, including the balance changes in Beta Patch 15, the lack of good single-target attacks for most characters in the early going, a debate about which classes are best and worst vs. the new and improved King Leoric, and everyone’s most/least favorite classes at this point in the beta test.

Since the podcast time was divided by topic, you can skip right to the ones you are most interested in. Be aware that none of these sections stay strictly on the main point, with digressions due to the conversational nature of the intercourse.

0-21:00 — The Eliminator answers questions about playing naked. Why, how, what’s the biggest difference, which classes are strongest and weakest, what he’s learned from his labors, and more.
21:00 — Xanth talks about his beta Hardcore play and what the Halls of the Dead are like, since he only died to test them out. No, really.
37:30 — Most/least favorite characters in the beta right now. Xanth likes the Barbarian and dislikes the Demon Hunter. The Eliminator likes the Witch Doctor and doesn’t like the Demon Hunter. Meanwhile, Flux likes the current Demon Hunter best of all, and not just to be contrary.
49:30 — Skeleton King strategy issues, since most classes lack a good single-target skill when they reach Leoric.
55:00 — Xanth asks about everyone’s plans for release day. Digital or hard copy? Midnight marathon play session and time off from work? Will the servers hold up?

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #60: Beta Patch 13 Class Discussion

Flux — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:22:39 +0000

Flux is joined by Neinball, Exile, The Eliminator, and Wolfpaq to discuss all five character classes in the Diablo III beta. All the classes saw big changes in the Beta Patch 13, and after a week of running numerous characters through to level 13, the guys are ready to debate the pros and cons of everything, single out their favorite skills and skill runes, talk about itemization and play variety, and much more.

The podcast is sorted by topic so you can skip to the classes you like, or skip over the ones you don’t care for. Here’s the discussion order, with approximate time stamps:

0-10:30 — Flux, Neinball, and Exile cover a general discussion of the new skillrune system, the elimination of the deadzone, the new necessity of playing to 60 to try all the runes, and share their general dislike for the new skill UI. Bonus fun from Exile as he describes his total non-gamer girlfriend’s experience with the Diablo III Beta.
10:30: Wizard discussion commences with Flux, Neinball, and Exile. Everyone loves the Wizard.
22:00 — Barbarian discussion with Flux, Neinball, and Exile. Opinions are mixed on the class.
35:00 — Demon Hunter discussion, with Wolfpaq replacing Exile. The class is much improved in patch 13.
51:00 — Monk discussion with The Eliminator taking Wolfpaq’s spot. Opinions differ on the repetitive play nature of the class.
65:00 — Witch Doctor discussion with Neinball, The Eliminator, and Flux. Everyone agrees the class is very strong.
76:00 — Release Date predictions and bovine sound effects..

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #59: The Great Beta Patch 13 Debate

Flux — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:50:58 +0000

Flux is joined by aspiring game developer Grug, and D3 econ guru Azzure to talk about the brand new Beta patch 13. All the guys got in some play testing time Saturday night, and by Sunday they were ready to weigh in on the major game system changes. The biggest, of course, is the new skills system, which integrates runestones right into the interface. Azzure accurately predicted this system several weeks back, and after his verbal victory lap, the discussion turns to the nuts and bolts of the new system. How does it work in practice, what’s wrong with the UI, how will this system play out long term and in the end game, what does this do to character customization, is it really casual-friendly, and more.

Other topics covered on this show include the new Diablo III B.net chat channels, item variety in Diablo 3, general gameplay and monster improvements in this patch, and discussion of some specific class improvements and changes.

Grug and Azzure are both very into game dev theory and design, so they both make some good and insightful comments and provide nice analysis of the nuts and bolts of the game’s new functions.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #58: Beta, Fatalities, and Delays

Flux — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:55:35 +0000

Flux is joined by regular contributor The Eliminator, plus Bladelaw makes his Diablo Podcast debut, bringing a wide variety of topics and opinions to the debate. The guys talk beta experiences, with Bladelaw giving his first reactions and thoughts on the various classes and the (non) difficulty issue, plus Eliminator shares some of the recent exploits of his naked Barbarian.

Other topics covered include non-surprise at the latest slipped release date, concerns and hopes for the game ultimately becoming difficult in Inferno, issues with the removal of player fatalities, expectations for the upcoming skill/runestone revision, and more.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #57: D3 Beta Patch 10 Debate

Elly — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:56:17 +0000

The 57th installment of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. On this show Flux is joined by Azzure and Neinball to discuss the Diablo 3 beta patch 10.

Last week’s big patch brought huge changes to the crafting system, changes to item mods and drop frequency, the removal of value from white items (and clickable bookcases), the sudden and tragic (YMMV) end to gold pets, an overhaul of attributes, a big decrease in difficulty thanks to much higher character hit points, many interface changes, and more. What do the guys think of all those issues, after a week of testing? How do they rate it on the whole? Are the other game changes enough to offset the “it’s not really a game anymore” difficulty nerfing?

Bonus discussion topics near the end of the show include feelings about Blizzcon 2012 being cancelled, and Azzure’s radical anti-itemization theory about the massive changes coming to skills and skill runes.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #56: Big System Changes

Flux — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:29:28 +0000

Wolfpaq and The Eliminator join Flux to talk over all the newly-revealed system changes in Diablo III. Everything new is discussed, including the removal of ID scrolls, the Nephalem Cube, and the Stone of Recall, the changes to crafting recipes and materials, and the complete revamping of the Attribute system. The guys also share some interesting stories from their recent beta testing experiments, and Eliminator floats outrageous rumors about Blizzard hirings and firings.

See more show details and download the mp3 file here.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
Watch the video versions of the podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

This show was recorded the day before the beta 10 patch was released, so most of the conversation is speculative. We’ll post a follow up show next week with first hand reactions to playing the beta in the new patch with all the changes in effect.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #55: The Big Beta Debate, Part 2

Flux — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:00:34 +0000

In part two of our big beta debate, Xanth and Neinball join Flux in a discussion of numerous current issues from the Diablo 3 Beta, as well as some general Diablo 3 conversation. A couple of topics from the last show are revisited to let the new guests offer their opinions on their favorite D3 chars and comparisons to their Diablo 2 preferences. New topics include evaluations of the atmosphere in Diablo 3, discussion of the numerous Diablo I homages seen in the beta, playing Hardcore right from the start, if D3 offers a compelling reason to play MP games, and more.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen Diablo Podcast Episode Guide.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing and subscribe through iTunes.

The Diablo Podcast #54: The Big Beta Debate, Part 1

Flux — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:01:47 +0000

After a holiday break, the Diablo Podcast returns with a big new show. In this episode, Flux discusses the Diablo 3 Beta with Wolfpaq and The Eliminator. Both guests gained their beta access fairly recently, so the experience is still new and shiny to them. The main topic of debate is the “it’s too easy” issue, and there’s also conversation on how everyone’s Diablo 2 play styles are translating into Diablo 3, the problems with the beta version of the Auction House, everyone’s favorite classes and skills, crafting and item balance, sound effects and music, appropriate gender choices for each class, and the usual bad jokes and sarcasm you’ve come to know and love.

See more show details and download the mp3 file here.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
Watch the video versions of the podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

With so many big issues worth discussing in the beta, we’ll be recording a second part of this show over the weekend and posting it early next week. It will feature two new guests and cover numerous topics not addressed in this episode.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

Blizzard Tweaking Diablo 3 Audio – Samples

Rushster — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:26:28 +0000

As we all know Blizzard are still tweaking the game and these audio files in the new patch are a good example of how much attention to detail is being paid to every aspect of the game at this stage. Here are some samples of the Skeleton King dialogue and you can hear the differences between the old voice and the new one in patch #8.

Old

New

Old

New

The Diablo Podcast #53: D3 Beta Issues and RMAH Beta Testing

Elly — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:13:56 +0000

The fifty-third episode of The Diablo Podcast features Flux speaking with D3 economy guru Azzure about various issues including D3 beta discontent and the D3 RMAH, which just began its beta testing.

See the TDP #53 post for more show details and the mp3 download link.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
Watch the video versions of the podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

Both guys have been in the Beta test since the beginning, and both are fairly bored with it by now. As a result, they’ve both been playing some D2, for the first time in a long time, and they get into a number of point by point comparisons between D2 and D3.

Other issues include some speculation about why the Monk doesn’t perform any attacks while actually holding his weapons, why it’s generally more fun to play with bad (or no) equipment in the beta, whether the graphics have been improving during the test, how difficulty will be handled long term in Diablo III, and the never-ending issue of accessibility vs. dumbed down, in light of the parody-worthy fact that Blizzard has nerfed the tooltips.

The main topic starts up 33 minutes in, when the guys delve into the Diablo III Real Money Auction House, which just began testing on the beta realms. Azzure has conducted extensive testing of the new auction house, as well as examined player behavior, and he’s got a lot of interesting insights into how the RMAH will function.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #52: Max Schaefer Interviewed

Rushster — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:03:15 +0000

The fifty-second episode of The Diablo Podcast features Flux interviewing Max Schaefer, CEO of Runic Games. In this interview Max answers numerous fan questions about his time with Blizzard North and the earliest version of Diablo III, talks about his reaction to playing the Diablo 3 Beta, compares Torchlight 2 to his earlier ARPGs, and much more.

Sorry about the sub-par audio quality on this one; it was recorded in the break room at Runic Games in Seattle, and the echo from the walls resulted in a lot of whine and white noise. We’ve cleaned up the file a bit in post production, but the best to be said is that you can understand the voices.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

A few quotes selected from throughout the conversation. These are grouped by subject, and are not strictly not chronological from the recording.

Blizzard North’s Unrevealed Titles

Flux: So back in 2000, everyone in the office was working on D2.
Max: Yes

Flux: And after D2 was finished you guys split into 2 teams?
Max: We kind of always wanted to split into 2 teams. but it’s notoriously difficult to do that. it sounds like it’s easy but it’s really hard. We decided that would be a good time after d2 to split into 2 teams. Half the people worked on Diablo 2 expansion, half started working on some other projects.

Flux: What makes it so hard to split? You have to hire more of everything?
Max: Yeah, but specializing… You really like working with one guy, or you want someone to do something they’re really good at. But they’re working on the other team, now. And it’s really hard to have the same person on two teams; division of responsibilities. Both project leads need something done quickly, sometimes, and the person can’t do both.

Flux: Did any of those Project Xs get to the prototype point?
Max: They all got to prototype, but that’s when you decide if you’re going to continue working on it or go in another direction. This sort of thing happens in every game company, You decide if it’s going to come out and be awesome and reveal to the public. But it’s not like we always hit everything right the first time. So yeah, there was some experimentation, but it didn’t work out.

Flux: What kind of game was the most developed Project X? In the same genre as Diablo 2?
Max: *pauses* Somewhat… I mean it wasn’t like a pinball game. *laughs* It depends on what iteration we’re talking about. There were lots of different versions.

Flux: Mike Dashow had concept art on his site for a while, from an unreleased Blizzard North project. And it looked like an RPG sort of RTS, with four different races and they were like lizard people and dragon people and others. Does this ring any bells?
Max: Oh yeah yeah yeah, I remember this. It was all um… I don’t think there was anything particularly unusual about our… stumbling approaches to making two games. I don’t want to get in trouble for saying anything I shouldn’t but… we had probjects that involved dragony lizard people. *laughter*

Flux: Well that’s half the games released… *laughing*
Max: And you can just fill in the details with your mind. *laughing* Just outsource the details…

Blizzard North’s Diablo III

Flux: Do you remember your early plans for Diablo 3? Were you making an effort to expand the world and change a lot of things just to make a difference from Diablo 2?
Max: Well, it was 3D, and it was an MMO, and it had open world areas. We felt that exploring those avenues, and MMOizing it, was probably radical enough, and that we could keep some of the old conventions intact.

Flux: You probably thought about new areas… the game world got a lot bigger. In Diablo 2 there was a map and all these areas the characters refer to from their origins and such, that are never seen in the game. Even though the world was much larger, with desert and jungle and even Hell. Did you guys plan a lot of new areas in Diablo 3, and think about how those would fit into the world map and story and such?

Max: I’m going to let you in on a secret here about all the Diablos. We basically said, “Let’s go to really cool looking places and then figure out how it works in the story later.” *laughing*

Flux: But every game development works that way…

Max: Yeah every game works that way. But that’s totally what we did.

Flux: So you have concept artists working away and creating all kinds of cool levels. You want an icy area, or you want overgrown plants coming through the walls… so then you’re like, “let’s look at the lore and the story and try to find any way to make this stuff fit in?”

Max: Yes. *laughter*

Flux: I think a lot of fans think it all comes out of some notebook of lore and it’s all logical and carefully developed.

Max: *laughing* That’s what Tolkien does. That’s not what we do. It’s all about making cool stuff.

…

Flux: On your first version of Diablo 3. Obviously it didn’t get finished, but do you think you would have been happy with how it would have looked? Given the capacities of 3D engines in those days?

Max: I think the guys now are making it look a whole lot better than what we were making.

Flux: I wasn’t a big fan of early 3D games. So polygony. I thought Everquest looked horrible, after 2D games like D2 and Ultima Online.

Max: We didn’t want it to look lke Everquest, that’s for sure.

Flux: WoW did much better in getting an artistic look and style, but it’s still fairly low polygon count.

Max: It would have been a challenge to make it look good in those days. But on the other hand, you can do things in 3d that you can’t do in 2D.

Flux: One of the things we talked about last time, was the earliest version of Diablo III. And you said it was originally designed as an MMORPG. It seems like… for instance, we were playing Torchlight 2 earlier with 5 people in the same game, and it was just crazy. With a lot more people it would be just chaos…

Max: It would be unplayable.

Flux: So how did you think about D3 as an MMO, with lots of people in the same areas and massive spells?

Max: Through the magic of instancing. *laughs*

Flux: So you would have divided it up into lots of different worlds, and had some big Raid type events?

Max: Yeah, more or less. And in areas for Raids you’d just make sure your levels and monsters were designed to accomodate that. We’d have somehow compensated for the fact that… when you go back and look at Diablo 2, the skills were much less over the top than they are today.

Flux: Well, you had some like Lightning Fury that filled the entire screen with lightning bolts.

Max: Yeah. We’d have had to work on the particle effects and such.

The New Diablo III and Torchlight 2

Flux: I talked to Travis about the learning curve in Torchlight 2. How much you guys feel you can expect players to be familiar with. The conventions of the genre. Diablo 3′s early game is very noob-friendly, but maybe to the point of boring more experienced players. How do you feel about the learning curve and how you handled it in D2?

Max: There’s a moment in any game, a variety of moments where people might quit. Where they get frustrated and put it on the shelf and say they’ll get back to it later. But they never get back to it later. So you want to eliminate those moments in your design. Especially from the first half hour of your game. And I think the Diablo 3 team is doing really well at avoiding anything offputting to new players.

Flux: You recently played some Diablo 3 beta, after Blizzard sent you guys a bunch of beta invites. What did you think?

Max: It’s awesome. There’s a certain thrill in letting someone else do all the hard work of making Diablo III. Because it’s an enormous project. A gigantic undertaking. It’s also weird, to see someone else making something that you were a part of for so long. It’s also just a tremendous relief to see their twists on things.

As anyone who’s played the beta knows, there are a lot of twists on some of the archetypal things from Diablo. From Diablo I especially.

Flux: You’re in Tristram, you’re fighting the skeleton king…

Max: Yeah. And it was fun to see those things again. I really enjoyed what they’ve got there.

Flux: I’d say Torchlight 2 is much more similar to Diablo 2 than Diablo 3 is. You’ve got skill points, manual stat points, skill trees, potions, etc.

Max: Yeah, we continued from Torchlight 1 with a lot of those. We didn’t feel like it was a system that was fixed, that needed to be all changed around in the sequel. We preferred to spend our time making a bigger and better game world, with more dungeons, more interesting monster types, and less about reinventing the game functions.

Flux: Jay Wilson was quoted in the last issue of PC Gamer, and he said that the first version of D3 that he played — which I guess was in 2006, with mostly the work done by the team after you guys left Blizzard North — Jay said that it felt a little like Diablo 2.5, that it was maybe too reverent of Diablo 2 and didn’t break enough new ground.

Max: I just played their beta. It was awfully reverent to Diablo 2. *laughing*

More information about the history and production of The Diablo Podcast, as well as an episode guide and cast of characters, can be seen in The Diablo Wiki.

The Diablo Podcast #52: Max Schaefer Interviewed

TL2 Media Event Coverage + Matt Uelmen Music

Flux — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:31:09 +0000

I’ll link to the tunes first, for those of you who want Matt’s music but not more TL2 stuff.

“Steppes” can be heard at the end of TDP #51. (Or grab the original .ogg file here.)
“Vulture Pass” can be heard here, courtesy of TorchLight Source.
“Act 3 Day”, the town music for the Act 3 town, can be heard from RunicGamesFansite.com.

All of the media attendees were part of Runic Games first community podcast. This chat took place after we’d played a couple of hours of TL2, and we attendees asked basically every question on our lists, with several developers present to field them. My contributions included asking Travis, “Why do you hate noobs?” as well as putting him on the spot to list TL2′s selling points over D3… if someone who didn’t care about the price or modding. I’m pretty sure I threw a Bobby Kotick joke in later, but my memories are a bit of a blur at this point.

Click through for more links to the office tour video, TL2′s “German” stat tracking illustrated, several detailed gameplay reports, and more commentary on the “D3 is much slower-paced than TL2″ issue I brought up in my initial report, which generated quite a fair amount of controversy and disagreement from people who have not played either game.

Runic Games office tour video by Sp3tSnAz, and hosted by Wonder Russel with a guest appearance by office mascot Falcor. (I’m briefly seen at the 1:40 mark, in the break room with Max Schaefer. (Interview coming soon via TDP).
TL2 stat tracking. Though this was compiled from photos of the screen, it gives a good idea of just how many stats the game tracks for you. So want this in D3…
Game reports. These are by various TL2 fansite guys, hence they’re all about specific TL2 details, rather than the more Diablo-comparison, meta-analysis report I posted. How much you get from them will depend on your level of interest/knowledge about the game. Q&A galore, Sp3tSnAz’s gameplay report, Hawkn’s Part One and Part Two.

One of the things these reports stress is the main thing I noticed about TL2; just how much faster and more active the combat is than D3. A quote from Hawkn’s part two:

I’m going to start with the Blizzard vs. Runic debate that everyone seems so set on talking about. I’ve played both Diablo 3, and now, Torchlight 2. I’m well aware that the first part of a game does not speak for the game as a whole, or how the endgame will play. I’m sure Diablo 3 will have plenty of people playing it, and I’m sure it will be difficult – what any ARPG fan wants. Itemization will be fine, I’m sure. However, the main issue I’ve had with Diablo 3 so far, is that it feels… slow. Combat somehow feels like it’s artificially slowed down, and it take a long time to find any action. Most of the “difficult” combat consists of enemies that simply have higher HP, and just take longer to kill.

That was more or less my reaction, especially after I got home from the event and played a new Monk through the whole D3 beta. People have argued against this observation by pointing out that the D3 Beta is easy on purpose. Yes, it is, but remember, I played at least a dozen hours of the PvM demos at Blizzcon 2008, 2009, and 2010, none of which were the beta, and they weren’t any faster-paced or difficult than anything in the beta now.

I’ve written many thousands of words about my D3 play experiences, and I’ve enjoyed the vast majority of play time I’ve had on D3, but the only times I’ve felt actually challenged or adrenaline rushed was during my time playing in the Arena at Blizzcon. Wolfpaq and The Eliminator echoed that reaction when they talked about their Blizzcon 2011 experiences on a recent TDP. Both of them played a bit of PvM, but they had vastly more fun playing the PvP.

Blizzard keeps assuring us that the early slow/easy pace is just about “accessibility” and being noob-friendly, and that there are hard things in D3, and that it gets faster and more chaotic later in the game and on higher difficulties. I hope they’re right, because nothing I’ve seen in the game yet can compare to the crazy action and fast clicking I saw from even early level bosses in Torchlight 2. In my first TL2 MP game we did get to one big boss, when we were around Clvl 10; which is about when you face Leoric in the D3 beta. And honestly, I can hardly compare the two.

The TL2 boss (not an act boss, but a quest one, roughly equivalent to Leoric) was maybe 4x the size of Leoric; a huge demonic thing stalking around, making the screen shake, casting numerous hellfire type spells, and there were minions constantly spawning around the edges of the battle area, forcing all the players in the game to constantly vary our attacks between the boss and the minions. We had to run repeatedly, kiting out the enemies, finding defensible space, slowing our combat to let some mana regenerate, drinking potions, etc. It was a total blast and was so much more fun and challenging than anything I’ve (yet) seen in Diablo III.

I certainly join you guys in hoping that we’ll see content like that in Diablo III, but I wouldn’t be reporting honestly if I didn’t point out that we haven’t yet, and that in my opinion, the game, even the early game, suffers for it.

The Diablo Podcast #51: Travis Baldree TL2 Interview

Flux — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:12:28 +0000

The fifty-first episode of The Diablo Podcast features Flux speaking with Travis Baldree, president of Runic Games and lead designer on Torchlight 2. The sequel to million-selling indy hit Torchlight 1 is shaping up to be a huge upgrade over the original game in every way, thanks to a larger team, more development time, a bigger budget, and just plain better ideas. This interview covers a wide variety of topics, including the changes and improvements to skills, stats, monsters, items, UI, and the end game.

However, since this is TDP not TLP, we’re not just presenting the plain interview. This is an enhanced presentation, with Flux, Wolfpaq, and The Eliminator talking about TL2, and especially the features that make it stand apart from Diablo III. Ironically, TL2 is much closer in game mechanics to D2 than D3 is to D2, which gave us plenty to debate. Flux also adds numerous behind the scenes details about the Runic Games visit.

Stick around until the end for a new and exclusive 7 minute track from Matt Uelmen’s Torchlight 2 music. You can hear it in its entirety at the very end of this podcast. Enjoy, and check the news post on TDP for Matt’s liner notes for this piece

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #50: Blizzcon 2011 Recap

Flux — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:34:21 +0000

The fiftieth episode of The Diablo Podcast features Flux speaking with regular guest Neinball and first time guest Grug about their experiences at this year’s BlizzCon convention. They guys have hit 8 Blizzcons between them (and Flux has been to 4) so there’s a lot of past experiences compared to this year’s, which both guests enjoyed quite a bit.

See the TDP #50 post for more show details and the direct mp3 download link .
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
Watch the video versions of the podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

This podcast covers everything from Blizzcon 2011. StarCraft 2′s awesome new units, Blizzard’s DotA, the World of Warcraft Pandaland expansion (which Neinball defends ably), the WoW pet Pokemon system (which Neinball is more skeptical about), and the weird way WoW (effectively) combines hardcore fantasy with cutesy nonsense.

The conversation then turns to Diablo III and Neinball relates his PvM and PvP play experiences, where he was completely won over by the awesomeness that is the Diablo III Battle Arena. He also describes his triumph in the Diablo LoreZone trivia challenge, and the guys debate the “Titan or bust” status of Blizzcon 2012, a state of affairs created by the timing of Diablo 3, SC2, and WoW all (apparently) set to release their next instalments in early/mid 2012, too close to Blizzcon for them to have any new announcements at the show.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #49: David Craddock Interview

Flux — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:33:39 +0000

The forty-ninth episode of The Diablo Podcast features Flux interviewing David Craddock, author of an upcoming book about Blizzard North. David interviewed over 65 people for the project, including dozens of former Blizzard North employees, for a definitive insider account of the formation, glory years, and ultimate tragic doom of the studio that created the Diablo series.

David’s book contains a great deal of info about Blizzard North’s version of Diablo III, and the sad last years of the studio, after the departure of the “Big Four,” when Blizzard Irvine began to meddle and everything came crashing down. Though David saved some of the best stories for his book, he shared plenty of juicy details during our conversation, including several revelations that had never-before been made public about other, non-Diablo projects at Blizzard North, elements of their early version of Diablo III that were preserved in the Blizzard Irvine version, interactions between Blizzard and Blizzard North, and more.

Today also marks the grand opening of David’s new publishing house/website, now online at DM-Press.com. Check it out, or see the full press release in the news post on DiabloPodcast.com.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #48: Blizzcon and the PvP Demo

Flux — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:33:48 +0000

The forty-eight episode of The Diablo Podcast features Flux, Wolfpaq, and The Eliminator talking about all things Blizzcon. Both the guests were at the show, it was the first Blizzcon for both, and they loved it. They’ve got general reactions to Blizzcon, tales of Diablo III developer encounters, and more.

General Blizzcon chat aside, the bulk of the show focuses on the new PvP Arena demo, which each of the guests played at least a dozen times. They both experimented with all five character classes and tried out a wide-variety of strategies, and this podcast shares tons of brand new info on high level skills, runestone effects, strategy and teamwork in the Arena (or not), class power rankings (you’ll be surprised by which class both guys think is the strongest in PvP), and much more. It’s one of the most informative podcasts ever, much though it vexes me to admit that when I’m not at all the source of the info.

After the podcast, The Eliminator used the character builder on Blizzard’s site to recreate all five classes, as they were playable in the demo. Check out these links for the skills and runestones each class was set up with, in the pre-made level 60 characters available in the Blizzcon 2011 Arena.

On top of this podcast, we’ve got a lot more coming up on the PvP demo, including more highly-detailed hands-on reports, full details on all the skills/runes in use, strategy discussion, and more. Check back for that later today/this week.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #46: Beta Tester Interview: FludDaStud

Rushster — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:44:32 +0000

The forty-sixth episode of The Diablo Podcast is a conversation with Fluddastud, one of the first wave of Diablo 3 Beta F&F testers. Fluddastud has posted numerous screenshots and gameplay movies, and as much of the beta as he’s played, he knows its ins and outs very well. Tons of first hand info covered in this one, so if you want to know more about the game, don’t miss it.

Topics covered are too numerous to list. They include how he got into the F&F beta, his first reaction to D3, his favorite characters for full play throughs and for Clvl 13 item hunting, game balance, nasty boss mods, hardcore mode, the economy, the game UI, B.net game creation and friend features, SP vs. MP benefits, magic find issues, bugs and technical issues, and much more.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #45: Skills and Skill Runes

Rushster — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:01:36 +0000

The forty-fifth episode of Barbarian skills and rune effects features Flux, Wolfpaq, and The Eliminator discussing the skills and runestone effects. Now that all the skills (currently in the game) and all of the runestone effects have been revealed, what are the coolest ones? What are the weirdest ones? Which are clearly still works in progress?

The guys run down all the most interesting tidbits for all five classes with the usual mixture of game info, analysis, and humor. Apologies in advance to Witch Doctor fans and hot dog-craving Buddhist monks.

Refer to the class skill pages and rune details for full details:

The and subscribe through iTunes in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen Diablo3Inc channel.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #44: Beta Tester Interview: Thomus

Rushster — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:30:15 +0000

The forty-third episode of The Diablo Podcast is a conversation with Thomus, one of the busiest of the Diablo 3 Beta testers. Thomus has played over forty hours of Diablo III in the past week+ and has leveled all five classes to the maximum level (13) possible in the beta, and he’s got anecdotes and experience with everything in the current version of Diablo III.

Topics covered are too numerous to list, but here’s a partial list: Thomus’ gaming background, how he got into the F&F beta, his first reaction to D3, his favorite characters for full play throughs and for Clvl 13 item hunting, game balance, nasty boss mods, hardcore mode, the Arena, the economy, the current failings of the Auction House, the game UI, B.net game creation and friend features, SP vs. MP benefits, magic find issues, bugs and technical issues, and much more.

A few of the things I found most interesting in this one:

Thomus doesn’t think the economy is working well. Gold is WAY too abundant at this early level with no sign of sufficient gold sinks, and he thinks long term trading will be for gems or other items, with gold too plentiful to hold value. This is partially due to the ease of salvaging and selling items without ever returning to town, especially since everything you salvage yields common scraps, so there’s quickly no reason to salvage any white items, and soon after that no reason even to salvage blues. (Since you have way more of the common materials than you need.) So players end up quick selling all that junk with the Cauldron of Jordan, and the gold adds up.

He stressed something I’ve noticed in the gameplay movies; that Rares are really rare. Even with Magic Find, it’s almost unheard of for any boss to drop a rare item, much less a legendary. (Chests do, but only very seldom.) The first Leoric kill for each character is the source of 99% of the rares in the beta.

Diablo 3′s difficulty is exactly like Diablo 2′s. Very easy 99% of the time, with the only danger coming from occasional nasty boss modifiers. That’s ironic, since avoiding that game style was the whole point in the no-potions, health orb, combat-system overhaul the D3 developers implemented. Let’s hope things change later in the game.

The Auction House is pretty bad now, with inadequate sorting and searching options. It’s hard to find something you want with just a few hundred testers. Imagine when there are millions of people playing and flooding the AH?

Thomus even shares an interesting tip about why it’s far faster and more profitable to play in an MP game. And no, the answer has nothing to do with the fact that more people can team up to kill the monsters more quickly.

All that and MUCH more covered in this episode, and we’ll have some more Beta Tester interviews coming up later this week, plus other podcast features.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #42: The Economy and the Auction House

Flux — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:30:34 +0000

The forty-second episode of The Diablo Podcast covers the Diablo III economy from a financial, analytical, commodities broker-type perspective. Azzure, our new site chief economist, is heading up a new site for IncGamers, one that will cover the Diablo III economy and Auction House.

Topics include the purpose and function of our new Diablo 3 Markets & Economy site, which Azzure and his economics degree will be heading up for IncGamers. We also discuss how Real Money Trading will work, and as Azzure explains, it doesn’t matter if players want to use it or not, since the gold and money economies are linked, like any two currencies in a forex. Even if you refuse to use money, other players will just convert money to gold (or vice versa) and buy or sell on either type of auction house. Those are the people who will make the real profits with the Auction House, buying low and selling high like commodities traders, and making a nickle on 500 sales a day. And they will laugh at even the mightiest item finder’s “Windforce a week” profits.

Other economy issues covered in this podcast include gold sinks, gold as a viable currency, barter, the huge differences between WoW’s and D3′s economy (no one trades for items in WoW since everything worth using binds), character sales, botting in Diablo III (should be much harder to do than in WoW or D2), tools for players to track economy movement over time, and much more.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #40: Hardcore! (Part Two)

Flux — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:42:54 +0000

The fortieth episode of The Diablo Podcast is part two of a two part show (see part 1), in which we put Hardcore mode under the microscope. This show concludes our Hardcore discussion, and includes conversation about the Hardcore community and how it’s generally more co-op than Softcore, corpse looting and life without a PK switch, trading and the likely impact of no RMT in HC, the likely differences in builds between HC and SC in D3 (which should be noticeable, since HC chars can’t just manually allocate more Vitality points in D3), and the Hardcore Arena.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #39: Hardcore!

Flux — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:43:05 +0000

The thirty-ninth episode of The Diablo Podcast is part one of a two part show, in which we put Hardcore mode under the microscope. I played a lot of HC in D2, Xanth is our new Hardcore columnist, and we’re joined by Woflpaq, whose entire D2 HC experience was a Clvl 19 Necromancer. That balance is on purpose, of course, to get a variety of opinions on the issue.

This is part of the show, since there was so much to talk about. In this one we cover a little bit of new Beta info, before going all hella hardcore. Issues debated include: The general differences between HC and SC play style, character design, and public games. How different it is to make a new HC character now, compared to during the glory days of D2C and D2X. The basic philosophical differences between HC and SC player mindset. What’s the goal when making a new character? Is a SC character only about the end game boss running? Do HC players enjoy the journey more than just a rush to the destination? How will the shared stash affect the gameplay in Diablo III, and will HC characters exploit it to switch away their best gear in case of danger? Is ten character slots enough for Hardore players, and will Diablo III include some sort of in-game Hardcore Graveyard? Will there be special HC-only achievements? Is the banner system distinction enough for HC characters? And how about a “never died” achievement for Softcore characters? Is the Inferno difficulty a big deal, or just more of the same for a Hardcore player?

Those topics and more are covered on this show. Part two, to be posted tomorrow (now online), will cover the Hardcore community, co-op and the removed PK switch, differences in character builds in HC and how the removal of manual stat points will impact HC builds, and (of course) the HC Arena.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #37: Legendary Items, 10 Character Limit & Tin Foil Hats

Flux — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:16:29 +0000

The thirty-seventh episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. On this show, Flux, Neinball, and DiablosMinion run down a variety of recent topics. Could Blizzard be planning to secretly sell items for $ via the Auction House? Should Legendary items always have special graphics, and is that going to be a bad thing, given how over the top the Inferno armor looks? Why does anyone think ten characters are enough for Diablo 3? What was best (and worst) in the recently-leaked class skill movies? All that plus Flux’s grand theory of Blizzard fanboy defensive rage.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #36: Weekly News Attack, August 26, 2011

Flux — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:23:53 +0000

The thirty-sixth episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. Once again it’s Elly and Flux running down the news items of the past week, with our customary wit, insight, and occasional bad impressions. Topics include Jay Wilson making the same (not so good) RMAH argument in every interview at Gamescom, Max Schaefer trolling D3 from Gamescom, the overwhelming fan approval of the Inferno difficulty level, the awesome new leaked skill and runestone display movies, growing a D3 beard, our new beta start countdown timer, and more.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #35: INFERNO!

Flux — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:55:49 +0000

The thirty-fifth episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. On this show, Flux, Neinball, and The Eliminator jump into the fire and fan the flames of this burning issue… INFERNO.

Inferno is Hell to the second power; Acts 1-4 repeated again, but with higher level monsters, new and more dangerous random boss properties, and the best possible items in the game. Inferno is said to be a “flat” difficulty, with Act One about as hard/rewarding as Act Four, to encourage players to use the entire game, rather than just running the most rewarding, not-too-hard areas in Act Four. Can Blizzard pull this off with any kind of balance? Won’t one or two areas always be the easest/tastiest, and thus crowded with min/maxing players?<

How can Bliz stop "runs?" What sort of incentives or penalties might keep players from just grinding the same boss or levels over and over again? How can the simple monsters in Act One be made as dangerous/rewarding as the multi-talented spell casters in Act Four? What more could Blizzard add instead of just Act 1-4 repeating in Inferno? Other game modes, like a siege or horde mini-game? An infinite dungeon? Bonus content?

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #34: Early Game Structure, Plus Skills

Flux — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 13:48:57 +0000

The thirty-fourth episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. Neinball and The Eliminator join Flux for a dual show; with 30 minutes of one topic, and 20 of another.

The first half-hour of this show covers D3′s early game structure, including the story, quests, and general presentation, based on the detailed information revealed during the Beta demo. There’s a great deal more story and interconnection between the quests in the full game than we’d seen previously during the Blizzcon demos, but there might actually be too much? Several of the people I talked to from the media event in July said they felt a bit overly-guided, cattle chute-style, through early Act One, and that they hoped for more allowed exploration later in the game. I hope so too, and think it’s just that Bliz has the early game set up on training wheels to guide noobs through without confusion. Then again, both Neinball and Eliminator are long time WoW players, and they testify that the entire game in WoW these days, level 1-85, is basically the same sort of “led by the nose” character/quest progression. Might that be a sign of D3′s overall design concept?

The second half starts at the 30:50 mark, when the topic changes to the skills system. All of the new changes to skills are covered, including six max skills, the new tiers when skills are enabled, the removal of skill points, the big changes to traits, and more. Will skills scale up enough to feel different? Will freespecs end “builds” since players can shift their skill points around perpetually? Can cooldowns make higher level skills balanced but still powerful? Can Blizzard keep the levels difficult, if players can always change their skills to the most optimal for a given area?

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #33: Weekly News Attack, August 19, 2011

Flux — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:56:49 +0000

Elly and Flux run down the news items of the past week, with our customary wit, irreverence, and Flux’s inappropriate jokes. Topics include the newly-announced Inferno difficulty level, new screenshots and over-blown character armor looks from Gamescom, street art in Germany, Real Money Trading issues, Diablo III’s death penalty, and more

As usual, the YouTube version is basically a video feature, with numerous video clips, photos of the issues under discussion, game artwork and screenshots, and much more.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #32: The Auction House and Real Money Trading Debate

Flux — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:57:10 +0000

The thirty-second episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. On this show, Flux moderates a debate/discussion about Blizzard’s controversial plans for a real money trading element to the Diablo III Auction House. The Diablo Podcast regular Wolfpaq supports the RMAH and thinks it will be a beneficial feature. TDP newcomer Nico opposes the RMAH and thinks it will corrupt the game and cause unpleasant real world considerations to intrude on what should be a fun gaming experience. Tune in to witness their fight to the death!

This episode isn’t exactly a debate, but both guests are given ample opportunity to make their cases on a wide variety of Auction House and economic issues. Topics covered include:

RMT in the game is just wrong. People should use items they find themselves, or obtain with in-game goods. Not external resources.
Should there be non-RMT servers? Other than Hardcore mode.
Can the current state of D2 trading/economy be compared to D3, given all the duping and bots in D2?
Will Diablo 3 maintain a functional gold-based economy?
Is the always-online DRM requirement, and the lack of no-RMT servers, designed to force all players into the same RMT economy?
Will high end items only be sold for $, thus forcing any player who wants to buy, sell, or trade them to use RMT?
What will happen with the high level Hardcore economy? RMT via 3rd party sites; exactly the scenario Blizzard says they introduced the RMAH to prevent in D3?
What happens shortly before a patch or expansion, when everyone knows a whole new tier of top end items will come in and upset the market values?
What will Blizzard do if the RMAH doesn’t take off and they don’t meet their revenue projections?

Listen for all the arguments, whichever side of the equation you’re standing on.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #31: Weekly News Attack, August 14, 2011

Flux — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:13:03 +0000

The thirty-first episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. Once again it’s Elly and Flux running down the news items of the past week, with our customary wit, irreverence, and Flux’s inappropriate jokes. Topics include Diablo III’s cinematics, item and experience sharing in parties, new secret ninja game screen photos, D3 at the imminent Gamescom expo, Max Schaefer’s comments on D3′s new controversial features, and more.

This one runs a bit longer than our usual weekly news shows, since there was just so much to cover. Plus we ended up debating the issue of experience sharing and item drops in parties. Basically, Elly is much more forgiving than I when it comes to the issue of “do you have to be alive and present to get items when a boss pops?” I don’t think it’s asking too much that your character be, you know, alive… to get items. Elly countered with a what if you do 95% of the tanking work, die right at the end, and then the back row DHs and Wizards finish off Diablo while you’re running back from the checkpoint. Don’t you deserve the drop more than the others in the game?

Probably, in video games as in real life, but deserves got nothing to do with it. Other topics include news about D3′s Cinematics, the excellent new screenshots, the mysterious “Inferno” difficulty level/thingie, Max Schaefer’s surprisingly supportive comments about D3′s new features, and more.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #30: Path of Exile’s Chris Wilson

Flux — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:20:08 +0000

The thirtieth episode of The Diablo Podcast. In this episode we take a break from Diablo III to focus on another game, the upcoming free-to-play, dark fantasy MMORPG, Path of Exile. PoE’s lead developer Chris Wilson joins Flux for an in-depth conversation about the game’s innovative features, their financial plans to fund development through “ethical micro-transactions,” the game’s impending beta test, and much more.

Besides the game feature info, II was curious to hear about the experience of making a game. PoE is Grinding Gear Game’s first title, and as far as I know, many of the developers, including Chris, had never worked on a video game before. What’s it been like to go from a fan of games to a developer? Dealing with the press? Meeting fans? Handling forum fights over nerfs in patches? Listen for insight into all of that.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

Here’s a newer quote from Chris, updating us on the first days of the Path of Exile beta test.

We entered Beta this week, and it has been an awesome experience. Right now, the game servers are bustling with players who seem to be having a great time and are writing up some useful notes with their impressions and feedback. The game itself hasn’t run into any major technical issues, but we’ve ironically been struggling to keep the website up. Daily traffic has ramped up to 20 times our previous average now that we have tens of thousands of fans eager to play.

We wanted to avoid swamping the game/patching servers by inviting users in waves, so we decided to trickle users in at a controllable rate. Our solution was to add a countdown timer to the Path of Exile site which invites a new user every (currently, but has been lower) 15 minutes. It shows who the last/next users to be invited are. Many fans seem to spend much of the day watching it count down to each new user. This “beta troll device” created a lot of controversy. Many people applauded the the novel approach, but a lot of fans really hated to see dozens of relatively quiet users get invited to the Beta for each prominent community member. After a lot of discussion with the community, we settled on having a second timer, which invites “veteran” community members who signed up before the recent Beta rush and actually posted on the forums.

All in all, it’s really exciting as developers to see our game getting played. We really look forward to adding content, revamping systems and generally improving the game over the next few months!

The Diablo Podcast #28: UnicorNDA Chat part two

Flux — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:15:42 +0000

More discussion of the smashing new Diablo 3 news on the imminent D3 beta, big changes to skills, traits, runestones, retcon twists, and more.

The twenty-eighth episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. Now that the NDA has ended, Flux, The Eliminator, and Wolfpaq are able to give their thoughts on a bunch of hot topics from the Blizzard media event last week. Issues covered in this part two of a two-part discussion include:

Auction House
RMT
Changes to skills, skill runes, and traits, plus more.

Grab the show via direct download, iTunes, or watch on our YouTube channel.

More information about the history and production of The Diablo Podcast, as well as an episode guide and cast of characters, can be seen on The Diablo Wiki.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #27: UnicorNDA Discussion, Part One

Flux — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:15:25 +0000

Over the weekend we cut a two-part podcast discussing all the new info from last week’s Blizzard Event.

This episode features Flux, The Eliminator, and Diablo’s Minion giving their thoughts on on a bunch of hot topics from the Blizzard media event last week. Issues covered in this part one of a two part discussion include the size and purpose of the Diablo 3 beta, the Auction House and the RMT aspect of it, the Diablo III introductory cinematic and its very new visual style, new Battle.net Banners, and more.

These were fun to record, since I knew all the info from the media event, but the guests did not. So I got to describe the news, and their first reactions were right then, on live tape. We didn’t get any “first time watching two girls one cup” sort of horrified reactions, but there are a number of shocked silences, as well as some mutual confusion. Mostly when we try to figure out why and how on earth Blizzard decided to retcon the Dark Wanderer into Prince Albrecht.

This is just part one of the Bliz Event talk; Part two was recorded late Sunday evening, and covers skill, trait, skill rune, and other big changes. It will go live early tomorrow morning.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #25: Beta, Beta, Beta!

Flux — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 03:03:08 +0000

The twenty-fifth episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. In this show Flux, Neinball, and Exile discuss the imminent start of the Diablo 3 Beta, and answer numerous listener questions about the beta test. What will be in the beta, when will it start, how do you get into it, how long will it run, what does Blizzard look for from beta testers, how did Blizzard handle other recent beta tests, and much more.

Short Beta Coming Soon?

I was surprised by how short both Exile and Neinball thought the Diablo 3 beta might be. Listen to the show for their opinions and reasoning, but after thinking it over, they’ve got a point. I shall explain:

The Diablo 3 Beta test will consist of just Act One and probably the Arena. We know that Blizzard has Act One nicely-polished, plus as they’ve repeatedly told us, Normal difficulty is balanced to be ~~absurdly easy~~ rather gradual in the difficulty ramp up. So testers won’t be running into brick walls of excessive difficulty, or many bugs, and there won’t be high end/late game character/skill/item/runestone/etc balancing going on.

What does that leave that needs testing? Technical support stuff, of course, given all the different computer systems that players will log on with. But in terms of game stuff? Just Diablo 3 over Battle.net, basically. And it’s not like Battle.net is a new system at this point. It’s been pretty well broken in by a year of SC2. So once they can get good function from the game creation controls, chat channels, LFG controls, trading system, Arena matchmaking, etc… that’s pretty much all they need to test before the release.

Compare it to SC2; that game’s beta started in mid-February, and the game was released in late July; 5.5 months later. SC2 had a shorter development time than D3 has had, and B.net 2.0 debuted with SC2, and the SC2 beta was the entire MP game, with endless balancing and testing and unit-tweaking, etc. D3 is hitting a mature B.net, and will require a tiny fraction as much balancing and play-tweaking as SC2 did. Furthermore, the SC2 team wasn’t crunching frantically to make a year-end deadline. All that considered, I don’t think the D3 beta test will run anywhere near as long as SC2′s did.

Will it?

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #24: Weekly News Attack, July 21, 2011

Flux — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:28:11 +0000

Flux and Elly recap the busy week in Diablo 3 news, including new Followers information, new details on item drops in large parties, and a set date for the ATVI conference call. Beta start date announcement coming soon?

The twenty-fourth episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. Once again it’s Elly and Flux running down the news items of the past week, with our customary wit, irreverence, and inappropriate jokes. Beta start date predictions, release date revisions, reader mailbag questions, and much more.

The YouTube version features gameplay video and more visual delights, to accompany the audio, so watch as well as listen.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #23: Weekly News Attack

Flux — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 16:24:10 +0000

The twenty-third episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. Once again it’s Elly and Flux running down the news items of the past week, with our customary wit, irreverence, and inappropriate jokes. Issues discussed include the upcoming, not-new Gamescom demo, the surprising two-minute skill cooldowns and their PvP implications, a pending respecs system reveal, and yet more waiting for the Diablo 3 beta to begin.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #22: A Dungeon Journal for D3?

Flux — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 21:29:11 +0000

The twenty-second episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. In this episode Flux, The Eliminator, and Neinball discuss the merits and problems with World of Warcraft’s newly-enabled Dungeon Journal. This in-game resource provides players with detailed statistical information about monster locations, hit points, attack types and damage, loot tables, dungeon maps, and much more. (Though not actual strategies or tutorials.)

There will be no player-made UI mods in D3 (for better or worse), and Bashiok said no to a Dungeon Journal at the launch, but other as of yet unrevealed systems may cover that aspect of in-game knowledge far better than any of the systems in Diablo II did.

Diablo III’s lore window (seen in thumbnail) is another issue of discussion. It was a brand new feature as of the Blizzcon 2010 build, and not yet populated with info. If it’s been fleshed out as the tabs suggest, it will greatly change the way players process monster, quest, story, and other information in-game. If it’s still in the game we’ll surely learn all about it fairly soon, in one of the upcoming system reveals

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

The Diablo Podcast #21: D3’s Endless Skill Cooldowns

Flux — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:39:49 +0000

The twenty-first episode of The Diablo Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. In this episode Flux, The Eliminator, and Neinball talk chiefly about the just-revealed long-ass, two-minute skill cooldowns for high level Barbarian skills in Diablo III. Obviously these aren’t the only skills in the game with long cooldowns, but neither guest is much worried about it, so long as the skills are powerful enough to warrant the wait between uses.

Other topics include Gamescom 2011 getting the Blizzcon 2010 demo, and why neither guest really believed the D3Here guy’s story. Special guest rumor-confirmation thanks to The Eliminator’s inside info that BlizzCon really was scheduled to head to Vegas back in 2010… at least for a few days. Here’s the show itinerary.

View the post on DiabloPodcast.com for more details. Here’s a quick itinerary of the show.

3:00—The guys agree that Gamescom will not get a new 2011 D3 demo, and explain why.
10:00—Discussion of lengthy skill cooldowns in Diablo III. Both guests are okay with them, since longer cooldowns = mega-powerful skills, and since lots of lower level skills in D3 will have no cooldowns at all.
26:00—The D3Here guy’s claims are critically evaluated. Both guests find his credibility lacking, and explain why, as well as talking about what they would have done in his place to be more convincing.
38:00—Closing jokes and conversation about the D3Here guy’s version of the D3 market system, in which a keyboard tapping bird like the one Homer had would come in very hand.

As you’ll hear in the closing, this is part one of the show, since our recording session went well over an hour. Part two will go up tomorrow morning, with much conversation about the new World of Warcraft Dungeon Journal, and how such a feature might or might not be imported into Diablo III. Someday.

The Diablo Podcast Episode Guide in the wiki provides easy navigation with a short summary of every show.
Listen and subscribe through iTunes.
View video versions of all The Diablo Podcasts on You Tube, via our all-encompassing Diablo3Inc channel.

In Other RPG News…

Flux — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:36:26 +0000

Runic Games sent out a press release late last week, trumpeting their recent milestone as Torchlight went platinum, selling over one-million copies for the PC and Xbox combined. Congrats to Max, Erich, Matt, Peter, and everyone else at Runic Games for the achievement. There’s no official release date for Torchlight 2 yet, as it’s following in the footsteps of Diablo II by adding a million features and thus taking longer than anticipated to produce, but they are planning to reveal the fourth and final character sometime before PAX, where they will be exhibiting the upcoming ARPG sequel.

Elsewhere, the alpha test for Path of Exile is continuing (I’ve been playing, but can’t really talk about it yet.) and the game is progressing very nicely, with big new patches full of bug fixes plus lots of added content/features rolling out almost weekly. The Templar, the fifth of the six character classes, was just revealed with a snazzy new gameplay movie that’s turned into a storytelling presentation by a gritty voice over narration.

You can check out a half dozen new high res PoE screenshots that accompanied the Templar announcement, and view his new movie below. You can even get a high res 720px version of the movie, if you want to swing the download. Beta test signups for this upcoming free ARPG remain available; you’ve just got to create a forum account on the Path of Exile site.

Update: I should have mentioned that I interviewed the Path of Exile guys in person during their first press activities when they announced the game back in 2010. My very long write up of the game can be seen in a post from then, and the full interview transcript is on IncGamers in two parts.

Update #2: A gameplay movie with no narration/story/slow motion can be seen here, if you want just gameplay action. These movies are accurate representations of what it looks/plays like, based on my alpha test experiences thus far.