11 years, 7 years, still waiting.

[SHARMUCK]

This is a post about the days of years past.

In the summer of 1996 I was getting ready to be a freshman in high school, so my parents bought me a high end Micron computer (Windows 95 was new then). I had gotten a subscription to PCgamer and in it I read about a game called Diablo that was to come out in early winter. I was not a big computer gamer, matter of fact the only PC game I played before Diablo was Kings Quest on those old IBM's in the early 80's. So I bought Diablo in Nov on the release date. Was instantly hooked and played the game all the way up till Diablo II came out.

Diablo II was released in June of 00 on the day of my high school graduation. That morning I bought 2 copies of the collector’s edition. (Eventually ending up with 4 copies and 3 pcs running it at once). The graphics at the time were out of this world, as was Diablo's in 96. I was thrilled I had a whole summer to do nothing but play Diablo II before heading off to college. I can not explain the amount of time I put into it...but Diablo II is the greatest game of all time. Racing everyone in a game to solo kill everything for max xp in the early days was chaotic but fun. (CoD was my fav). It would take months of endless chaos runs to reach 99 but I did it 4 times before the xpac.

When the xpac came out it was not the same. Something was missing, yeah the graphics looked cool and it was cool that they expanded the game but the pureness that made Diablo and Diablo II so special and defined Blizzard, seemed to be missing. I played it for a couple months before uninstalling it.

World of Warcraft:

So I stopped playing Diablo II hardcore in 04 and stopped completely in early 06. I needed a new game; I had heard alot of my battle.net friends had gone to WoW. Some reason I never had a desire to try it out. I think this is because I was pretty bitter that Blizzard made a mmorpg out of Warcraft (which I thought was a boring game) and not out of the diablo franchise. So up until November of 06 I was not playing pc games.

A friend of mine and I rented a new house and he was playing WoW so I made my own toon on his account. After getting to lvl 30 in 3 days I signed up for my own account and have been playing WoW with a bitter taste in my mouth for the past 6 months.

So now I've got 3 lvl 70's and two in full tier 3 and it sucks. WoW just does not have the same appeal as Diablo. You would think its a more complex game because you can do so much in it but after playing it for awhile you realize how dumb downed the game really is, maybe that is why it is so popular. I can not believe I’m paying for this..but what else am I suppose to do? I'm still hanging on that Blizzard will one day return to the Icon of pc games. Yeah 90% of the original people are no longer with the company and I feel bad I have not played some of the games these geniuses have created since leaving but my love is with the Diablo franchise.

I guess I posted this to see if anyone else out there has similar feelings. For me it is more about bringing back the excitement and aura that came with the Diablo franchise then to actually have a new Diablo. Part of me wants some sort of new Diablo but another part is scared because of the fear that it might dampen the eight year reign of the greatest franchise ever; DIABLO.


Yours Truly
-Sharmuck


You can catch me on WoW:
U.S. Aerie Peak server
Main toon: Egalitarian

I use to play U.S. West:
ACC: Sharmuck, Sharmuck[3], Sharmell
Main Char: CutieKatie

[quadeddie]

I bought it June 00 as well. At that time, I just played it for what it was, just a mass killing game. It was only until I picked it up a year or so ago that I got into the deeper game (the stats, the breakpoints, and the items).

I started playing again because it was less addictive than WoW - it was still interesting enough to check out and play every so often, but still crappy enough that it wasn't immersively addicting.

I'd like a new game, but I just hope they don't make it too addictive. :azn:

[Dacar92]

Hi guys, It's been a long time since I have dropped in to talk to you. This thread is interesting enough for me to dive into.

Nothing will ever be as addictive as Diablo. Others have tried it. Titan Quest, Sacred, and several others have failed to accomplish what Blizzard accomplished with Diablo. Do you think those peeps playing WoW right now will still be playing in 2011? Hard to say, but my guess is no. Not as a pay to play game.

I am hoping for a new Diablo. I am sure it will come out, but when is anyone's guess. No one knows if it will have the staying power that the original had. Granted, no one played the original anymore, so maybe a Diablo 3 will replace Diablo 2, 6 years hence. You guess is as good as mine. In the meantime, I still level my level 92 amazon and hope that the ladder doesn't reset until I make the bottom of it, at least. :grin:

[goomba]

pretty well put summary of the game.

I'm old enough to be many of your parents (or older) and yet still find the game oddly cathartic, engaging, yet not so much that it is invasive of real life.

I have managed to build quite a few fun characters, enjoy some online camaraderie and have fun - all the while working full time, working towards completing additional higher education, and being a married father of two small boys. oh yeah, I also manage to sneak in a workout on most days.

of course, I am also as close to being a clinically diagnosed insomniac as one can get, so others may not be as able to fit as much into their daily schedules... :)

[weep]

hey Katie, I remember you and I also haven't played in a while just check these forums in the hopes of a reset or something but it doesn't look good. I've only ever really played the diablo series, a little sc, cs etc but not for long. The game was fun when I started with nothing just hacking away by myself and when I quit with many friends and items. One of the better aspects of the game for me was the community, thinking back it seems like 95% of the players had a stick up their a** but that's what made pvp fun and the other good people like yourself made pvm enjoyable. I know good players on wow but it never interested me much but would definately play a diablo mmorpg if it comes out in my lifetime.

[HotZhot]

You never played StarCraft? That game is EVEN more addicting than Diablo ever was... and that's saying alot.

[Virigo]

HotZhot I disagree Diablo > Starcraft

[HotZhot]

South Korea > You:grin:, but yeah IMO D=SC

[Zodijackyl]

[QUOTE=Dacar92;5596288]Nothing will ever be as addictive as Diablo. /QUOTE]

Wealthy Ladder Slasher players find it more addicting than D2. It is much simpler, but very addictive, ask any player who has been through it once.

[fledgeling]

starcraft is much more addictive IMO

and less repetitive
there is always place for improvement

on the other hand one could always pursue better gear

[CBK]

I do agree SC is a great addictive game as D2, but I want to talk about the WoW comments made.

Hi guys, It's been a long time since I have dropped in to talk to you. This thread is interesting enough for me to dive into.

Nothing will ever be as addictive as Diablo. Others have tried it. Titan Quest, Sacred, and several others have failed to accomplish what Blizzard accomplished with Diablo. Do you think those peeps playing WoW right now will still be playing in 2011? Hard to say, but my guess is no. Not as a pay to play game.

I am hoping for a new Diablo. I am sure it will come out, but when is anyone's guess. No one knows if it will have the staying power that the original had. Granted, no one played the original anymore, so maybe a Diablo 3 will replace Diablo 2, 6 years hence. You guess is as good as mine. In the meantime, I still level my level 92 amazon and hope that the ladder doesn't reset until I make the bottom of it, at least. :grin:

This are the kind of threads I LOVEEEE. First I quoted dacar92, to agree with him on WoW not going to be played in 2011 if it's still payed(if it isn't then, IT WILL BE PLAYED BELIEVE ME).

Now, when I first read this thread(only the first post) I couldn't stop laughing.

So up until November of 06 I was not playing pc games.

I love it how you got tier 3 in 3 MONTHS BEFORE EXPAC. Being a new played in WoW should take you at least 2weeks-a month getting 60 in that time, then gettting tier0 that would take you another week, and by the time you get tier 1 from ZG/AQ20 your 3 months would have gone by and you would've start playing expac.

This is another thread to try to say diablo 2 be better than WoW.

So now I've got 3 lvl 70's and two in full tier 3 and it sucks. WoW just does not have the same appeal as Diablo. You would think its a more complex game because you can do so much in it but after playing it for awhile you realize how dumb downed the game really is, maybe that is why it is so popular. I can not believe I’m paying for this..but what else am I suppose to do? I'm still hanging on that Blizzard will one day return to the Icon of pc games. Yeah 90% of the original people are no longer with the company and I feel bad I have not played some of the games these geniuses have created since leaving but my love is with the Diablo franchise.

Now lets quote this. 2 70's with tier 3(dude, people in 70 DONT USE TIER 3 AND ITS IMPOSIBLE TO GET IT IN 3 MONTHS PLAYED TIME). Yeah WoW is not the same, it has a different appeal than diablo 2(believe me I've played both for more than a year), but this doesn't make D2 or WoW better. WoW being dumb...hehe...good one. WoW has a PVP Ladder system WHICH TOTALLY OWNS D2 PvP. Then, diablo2 has a bigger item database(believe it or not) which I honestly think is better than WoW's tier, and PVP sets which you can know which is better by memory. So yeah, BOTH ARE COMPLEX(though IMO WoW being a huge game as it is ATM PvE wise, it is more complex than D2). The only guild IN THE WORLD to clear every content avaialable in WoW is Nihilum Europe, which is BARELY hanging with its GM having 4/5 of the tier 5,do sumb game, HAHAHA. Also the last two sentences reveal you are just anothe d2 fanboy that wants d3 out and can't accept D2 is not THE GAME IT used to be. IMO you need to grow up a bit and notice WOW is a GREAT game done by Blizzard which is a genius company, cause if you notice, all their games online have become a MMO.

EDIT: I forgot to add, I LOVE YOUR DWARF MAGE http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#character-sheet.xml?r=Aerie+Peak&n=Egalitarian GG with dungeon set 3, on the other hand my druid Xypher level 70 on server Lethon, has EPICS and tier 4 HELM.

Why you complain so much if according to armory LAST PLAYED DATE BY YOU WAS TODAY? HUH? TY. I quitted WoW cuze takes to much RL time to keep up with the PvE, unlike you which I bet you play it EVERYDAY, THANKS

[weep]

I do agree SC is a great addictive game as D2, but I want to talk about the WoW comments made.



This are the kind of threads I LOVEEEE. First I quoted dacar92, to agree with him on WoW not going to be played in 2011 if it's still payed(if it isn't then, IT WILL BE PLAYED BELIEVE ME).

Now, when I first read this thread(only the first post) I couldn't stop laughing.


I love it how you got tier 3 in 3 MONTHS BEFORE EXPAC. Being a new played in WoW should take you at least 2weeks-a month getting 60 in that time, then gettting tier0 that would take you another week, and by the time you get tier 1 from ZG/AQ20 your 3 months would have gone by and you would've start playing expac.

This is another thread to try to say diablo 2 be better than WoW.



Now lets quote this. 2 70's with tier 3(dude, people in 70 DONT USE TIER 3 AND ITS IMPOSIBLE TO GET IT IN 3 MONTHS PLAYED TIME). Yeah WoW is not the same, it has a different appeal than diablo 2(believe me I've played both for more than a year), but this doesn't make D2 or WoW better. WoW being dumb...hehe...good one. WoW has a PVP Ladder system WHICH TOTALLY OWNS D2 PvP. Then, diablo2 has a bigger item database(believe it or not) which I honestly think is better than WoW's tier, and PVP sets which you can know which is better by memory. So yeah, BOTH ARE COMPLEX(though IMO WoW being a huge game as it is ATM PvE wise, it is more complex than D2). The only guild IN THE WORLD to clear every content avaialable in WoW is Nihilum Europe, which is BARELY hanging with its GM having 4/5 of the tier 5,do sumb game, HAHAHA. Also the last two sentences reveal you are just anothe d2 fanboy that wants d3 out and can't accept D2 is not THE GAME IT used to be. IMO you need to grow up a bit and notice WOW is a GREAT game done by Blizzard which is a genius company, cause if you notice, all their games online have become a MMO.

EDIT: I forgot to add, I LOVE YOUR DWARF MAGE http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#character-sheet.xml?r=Aerie+Peak&n=Egalitarian GG with dungeon set 3, on the other hand my druid Xypher level 70 on server Lethon, has EPICS and tier 4 HELM.

Why you complain so much if according to armory LAST PLAYED DATE BY YOU WAS TODAY? HUH? TY. I quitted WoW cuze takes to much RL time to keep up with the PvE, unlike you which I bet you play it EVERYDAY, THANKS

one word - relax.

[Fists of War]

^Agreed^

I don't think DIII could/would be as good as DII was/is. Sure it'd have a lot of people playing it, but It would be hard for any developer to make a game as good as DII is. They hit it good with D1 and D2 but now with WoW and a hell of a lot of other games out there, what are the chances of it happening again, and not being just a clone of something else, with just improved graphics?

Maybe I'm just annoyed that I probably won't be able to play it if it is released. Crappy PC and such just runs D2 online...

EDIT: Just look at Titan Quest. If D3 was like that I would cry. they have sets, 'uniques', 'jewels', I mean they have a skill that is pretty much described exactly the same as whirlwind: A moving, spinning attack that hits multiple enemies... Too much of a D2 clone for it to be a good game.

[EmptyAbyss]

i started out playing d1 when i was 11 and loved it. i cudnt stop playing it. i eventually converted to online action and got even more addicted. after awhile i came across starcraft and gave it a try on the inet as well. IT ROCKED. a game that can be converted into something such as hydra defence, lurker defence, marine defence, crash...etc. the -use map settings- and map editor were amazing additions.

I too am afraid of what to expect of the d3...but by the time it comes out, i may not even have the imte to play it. i think they should keep much of d3 the same, but take out the skills and add in a bunch of new ones to give it the same versatility that d2 is famous for.

[WonderingSoul]

To all that do not know, the original creators of Diablo I and II have moved to a new company called Flagship in which they are creating a game called "Hellgate: London (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/hellgatelondon/index.html?tag=result;title;0)". My expectations are through the roof for this game.


Think of it as DII with guns and able to go first person. Weee the excitement.

[CBK]

To all that do not know, the original creators of Diablo I and II have moved to a new company called Flagship in which they are creating a game called "Hellgate: London (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/hellgatelondon/index.html?tag=result;title;0)". My expectations are through the roof for this game.


Think of it as DII with guns and able to go first person. Weee the excitement.

You read my mind. In my previous post forgot to speak about this... The creators of D2 are long gone, 7 years have pass, we only get new about D from blizzard like every 3 months... Get my point? Diablo IMO is not being continued, couldn't it be more obvious?

^Agreed^

I don't think DIII could/would be as good as DII was/is. Sure it'd have a lot of people playing it, but It would be hard for any developer to make a game as good as DII is. They hit it good with D1 and D2 but now with WoW and a hell of a lot of other games out there, what are the chances of it happening again, and not being just a clone of something else, with just improved graphics?

Maybe I'm just annoyed that I probably won't be able to play it if it is released. Crappy PC and such just runs D2 online...

EDIT: Just look at Titan Quest. If D3 was like that I would cry. they have sets, 'uniques', 'jewels', I mean they have a skill that is pretty much described exactly the same as whirlwind: A moving, spinning attack that hits multiple enemies... Too much of a D2 clone for it to be a good game.

/Agreed(as we do on WoW xD) This ''cloning'' happens a lot. Take WoW for example. Druids from wow have same skill as a werebear in D2. Maul: skill used in BEARFORM(sounds like WB!?) that hits your oponent for extra damage(in WoW I think it's done by AP). There are many more examples that feel like dejavu when you play WoW after playing D2, but this doesn't make the game worst or better, it's simply things that happen.

one word - relax.

Heh I get told this a lot... Specially since in RL I speak REALLY fast. Also, not my fault, I just like to defend what I like(Playing piano, scuba diving, playing WoW/D2/FF and so on...).

[Zarniwoop]

I tried to get into starcraft. Twice. Made it through about 5 maps, said "I just don't get the craze" and uninstalled it.

I will never, ever understand the starcraft thing.

[fledgeling]

single player starcraft campaigns are pretty boring

the only single player maps Id recommend would be micro challenge maps made by players, not blizzard
from the campaign there is a nice scenario for terran, where you steal battlecruisers (I think it's 3rd or 4th mission of the EXPANSION campaigns)

starcraft is a great multiplayer game
easy to start, difficult to master
there are many aspects of the game, you learn and master while playing
(micro, macro, timing, strategy, counters, expanding, style)

and the game is FAST
and BALANCED
the strategies are different, nowadays people play the game in a different way than say 2 years ago (the game is 10 year old!)

what a pity many battle.net players play ****ty high money ($$$ / fastest / BGH) maps, which are simplifying the game incredibly

I played over 4000 melee games and like 10 000 ums games (and still suck ;-) ) and yet I still learn about different aspects of the game

in addition the game is not dependant on luck (ok, there are some exceptions) and it's nearly purely based on skill. no offense, but diablo for example is a game of luck = game of time consumption. in order to get your char to a high level, you need to invest incredible amounts of time + you need luck to get the gear (more time -> better gear, but does it mean skill? IMO no..)

there was a korean guy (JulyZerg), who who was pretty ****ty 2 years ago, but he played 50 games per day. then he proceeded to be one of the best zerg (race in sc) players in the world.
what can you get by playing diablo 10h per day? ;-) probably your first legit HR in LOD ;-)

[weep]

in addition the game is not dependant on luck (ok, there are some exceptions) and it's nearly purely based on skill. no offense, but diablo for example is a game of luck = game of time consumption. in order to get your char to a high level, you need to invest incredible amounts of time + you need luck to get the gear (more time -> better gear, but does it mean skill? IMO no..)

there was a korean guy (JulyZerg), who who was pretty ****ty 2 years ago, but he played 50 games per day. then he proceeded to be one of the best zerg (race in sc) players in the world. what can you get by playing diablo 10h per day? ;-) probably your first legit HR in LOD ;-)

it doesn't matter what you do, the more time you spend at it the more you'll improve. You contradict yourself there, is he skilled to be a top player in 2 years or is it just because he plays all day? Back in the day with dupes there was very little difference between a good and great item, so how do you account for people being almost invincible against players with relatively same items and clvls.

[Fists of War]

They pick good dueling classes as opposed to harder ones?

Yes it is skill. But only a limited amount...ww this way or ww that way, how to move your character etc. As opposed to SC where you have to adapt to different situations and manage dozens of units/buildings/attacks (going off other RTS's, not personal experience), in D2 you only need to manage 3-4 atacks at the most, and just avoid/chase your opponent.

[weep]

They pick good dueling classes as opposed to harder ones?

Yes it is skill. But only a limited amount...ww this way or ww that way, how to move your character etc. As opposed to SC where you have to adapt to different situations and manage dozens of units/buildings/attacks (going off other RTS's, not personal experience), in D2 you only need to manage 3-4 atacks at the most, and just avoid/chase your opponent.

it's all relative but to be almost unbeatable in any game isn't random either

[compres]

Actually, I play both, and diablo pvp is more about fast reflexes, sc pvp is more about thinking in parallel.

I would not call either one better than the other. Well, if anyone is better is sc, because in diablo there is the whole item problem when the ebayer/duper can beat the legit more skilled player. That said there is maphack in sc, which is a mayor let down too.

[fledgeling]

in diablo a skilled player will lose to a player who has better items (either is more lucky, or simply spent more time searching for them)

some people on these forums wrote, that they leveled their barbs to say 92 (incredibly time consuming), in order to beat the level 80 barbs, due to abuse of the level difference. they said, that they consider it skill..

[weep]

in diablo a skilled player will lose to a player who has better items (either is more lucky, or simply spent more time searching for them)

some people on these forums wrote, that they leveled their barbs to say 92 (incredibly time consuming), in order to beat the level 80 barbs, due to abuse of the level difference. they said, that they consider it skill..


it's always luck/level difference when you're on the losing end :grin:

[fledgeling]

that was so low..

come to duel on europe NL, I bet you will dominate everyone ;-)
especially the level 94 barbs wearing 233, -40req swords, using their 902 ornates with 20str, 244 helmets and 140% (or whatever it was) resist rings

[Fearlessone]

This is a post about the days of years past...
It would take months of endless chaos runs to reach 99 but I did it 4 times before the xpac.

...When the xpac came out it was not the same. Something was missing, yeah the graphics looked cool and it was cool that they expanded the game but the pureness that made Diablo and Diablo II so special and defined Blizzard, seemed to be missing. I played it for a couple months before uninstalling it.

I needed a new game....

Yeah 90% of the original people are no longer with the company and I feel bad I have not played some of the games these geniuses have created since leaving but my love is with the Diablo franchise.

...For me it is more about bringing back the excitement and aura that came with the Diablo franchise then to actually have a new Diablo. Part of me wants some sort of new Diablo but another part is scared...
I use to play U.S. West:
ACC: Sharmuck, Sharmuck[3], Sharmell
Main Char: CutieKatie
Four lvl 99 chars? Were any of these paladins? Did you come back to classic right away after dropping LoD? We had a good realm there then.

USWest nonladder classic is a steadily shrinking world. It seems you played there about a year ago. Typically, you will find 2 or more games up in the wee hours and maybe twice that at peaktime. Ladder game list has about 2-3 times as many games. I've noticed that nonladder public games are dominated by clans, such as quizer, KCD (a new clan), Kon? and xplicit (fortunately this clan has been dying out the past few months).

The RemainingBlizzardTeam: will they be able to make a great D3 game without major blunders? Even if there are major blunders, will they move swifty to correct them or minimize the fallout? The best evidence of what they can do is in the patches, 1.10 and maybe if they come out with one on Monday (remember, they DID ask us last fall for suggestions for the next patch). They tested that 1.10 patch for many, many months and made a big-to-do about it, even showing two tester geeks in a photo. They didn't want some foible to allow chars to get to lvl 99 in 3 days, and they didnt, that time anyways. Remember, when D2 version 1.00 came out, they rapidly found out that ppl were gaining exp too fast and they implemented scaled exp penalties starting at clvl 75. They goofed up LoD exp too, in fact, when it comes to exp Blizzard couldnt hit the side of a barn with a shotgun while standing in the middle of the barnyard. And at least in the first few years they tried to balance things out, but failed miserably in swiftly stopping the hacks and dupes. The cheating in D1 was so bad that most ppl surveyed who bought D2 expected only to play it single player or TCP.

And they badly loused up the 1.10 patch as it applied to classic. They didnt even bother to test it. It half-ruined the game, wiping out many of the best char builds: zealots, frenziers, bowazons, good luck finding a cursing necro when all they did was put 60 bijillion skills into bones, and good luck finding a pally that used party friendly auras like cleansing or salvation or fanaticism since they pumped 60 bijillion skills into hammers. Paladins who weren't paladins, necros who didnt curse, barbs who could only whirlwind, bo or jump around, zons who couldnt use bows without being laughed at. That patch allowed a lot of new builds tho: warcry and leap barbs, fireball sorc and enchanters, pois necros. Overall, 1.10 patch was one step forward and 3 steps backward for classic users.

And your right, Sharmuck, LoD just didn't cut it. I played the 2 new chars and act5 when it came out. Act5: good, two new chars: blah. VoicesOfReason at the Expansion board meetings were afraid to express themselves. The OnesWhoHeldSway represented all the losers and kiddies that needed instant godliness and spoiled them accordingly. There is no comparison between Baal runs and CS runs. The dumbdumbdummies replaced many of the act5 monsters with 'guests' from act1-2 that gave no exp, so why bother to walk to baal? You must tele and that means buying duped runes for the enigmas. Then u stand there as Baal's Minions spawn. You just stand there? You don't go down and kill Baal? How can that be fun. Finally, after years they have CS runs in LoD, but mostly for under 80's to level up before confronting act5.

New game. I tried out DungeonSiege and GuildWars. Realm play there wasnt as good as in Diablo. Hellgate has alot of promise. I've heard it will be a combo of RPG, MMORPG, and FirstPersonShooter. GuildWars is a combination RPG and MMORPG. DungeonSiege was nice in that you could join a game in progress, u cant do that in GW. Some Blizzard ppl helped develop GW, but they weren't the main guys who used spit-and-polish on Diablo2, so don't be fooled. Nevertheless, it has mobs and not stupid single little creatures.