Diablo III Video Discussions

[tuxor]

Alrighty guys, the truth is out, I'm seriously like...freaking out, in a good way. The wait was most definitely worth it, and the two videos have given us a little sneak peak into the game. This thread is to discuss that, and not completely explode from the awesome.

I'm going to start off with the gameplay video, because I thought that was most telling of the game. To be honest, I kind of feel that D3 looks a little cartoony. Like someone took a murder scene and cell-shaded it, it's weird. However, it does look like the game is very solid, I mean, just listen to the bones crunching and flesh squishing as the characters attack. The Witch-Doctor is WoW's Shaman. Face it.

Overall, I'm still holding back judgment, but it seems like D3 is going to be more of a mainsteam game, and I don't know, clunky. It'll be interesting to see a more multiplayer side of the game, as well as the different classes and their skills.

[ExtraStrongFireEnchanted]

If I am not mistaken in the video it was said somthing like "loot is the most important part of the game". I don't think there is gonna be support classes (witch doctor didn't have any heals). There is no easy way of healing/recovering mana (you gotta rely on leeching stat) and preventing damage in the first place (shaft vempire gaze string <3). There was this kick *** mana leeching unique ring that was worth a fortune in the beginning of new 'season'. Good memories. There are tons of monsters that you gotta fight all at once. There is impresive AoE effects. The control is easy. There are no 'cooldown' skills. All you have at your disposal can be spammable, only limited by your mana recovery rate.

My only 2 concerns so far are these: 1) is there hardcore mode? and 2) will the dungeons be randomly generated. My impression is there might be story line places which are preset and scripted, and random dungeons.

[ezrider2]

I agree it looks a 'lil' cartoony. It seems more prevalent in the stills/screenshots. I'm watching the gameplay movie now, and it's awesome, lots of fluidity, that you barely notice it. It's more of a ''dark toon'' kind of art. Also if you look some of the skill clips from the website, you see great advancements in the detail...
like you hit an undead creature on a bridge he falls bellow and you see him splashing into the waterfall ... lots of blood too. I also noticed some old diablo sound effects have been brought in... I don't expect the feel to change too much. That's what Diablo fans enjoyed from the 1st one, the dark demonic atmosphere. I would suspect they would keep hardcore mode in...

[tuxor]

I think the skills look really good, well, aside from the locust swarm to be honest. I feel like if they just darkened it up a bit, and it may just be the video's brightness, but if it was a bit darker, it would still have that feel to it.

[Mad Mantis]

To be honest, I kind of feel that D3 looks a little cartoony. Like someone took a murder scene and cell-shaded it, it's weird.

It reminded me a lot of the Warcraft style. The Witch Doctor in particular. A bit less cartoony than WC, but still a lot different from D2.

[kuafu]

The moves and attacks of barbarian in the movie keep reminding me of Kratos. Anyone else feeling the same?

[Widukind]

I'm really impressed by the gameplay video. Really glad they went for an isometric view and not third person. The animations and physics are absolutely gorgeous. Seeing the barbarian whirlwind through a group of zombies spraying blood, gore and corpses all over the place blew me away. This is exactly what I wanted DIII to look like. I don't think the game looks cartoony, or WoW-ish. It's dark, gritty, gloomy and gory --> Diablo.

[sbn]

This does look like a Diablo game, albeit how it should 10 years later. Going from D1 to D2 was not all that radically different. This game, from the video, seems like there will be a huge adjustment.

Something I just found ironic and quite humorous. In the video the narrator explains how much simpler it is to control. When he mentions using the scroll mouse I just laughed. I thought great, now we can get a temp ban in both 2D (D2) and 3D (D3). I say this angrily because my mouse freaked out for a sec last week and did a very short scroll...but enough to get booted and RD'd for a long time.

[tuxor]

Yeah, whirlwinding through zombies and having them magically transform into an explosion of blood is Diablo-esque to me...:rolleyes:

[Hello Jim]

We'll just have to face that Diablo 3 is not Diablo 2. Just like Diablo 2 wasn't Diablo 1. This is ashame but after 8 years, it's obvious.
Maybe we should request they make a Diablo 2.5 (:

In the meantime:
Diablo 3= God of War.

[raishi]

... *cleans the mess off his chair...*

i like it viciousness and gore...wall of zombies bwahaha...god of war 2 with that diablo feel to it...lovely...already have the cash sitting aside to buy it...

[cardinalrule]

I thought it looked spectacular - who didn't think the zombie wall was cool? Unfortunately it looks like the WD will take the necro's place, though.

[stillman]

One thing I can't get over is how the bodies disappear. Does the blood and gore really count if it is completely GONE after just seconds? Did the barb really kill anything in those rooms at all? Everything is cleaned up; there IS no blood!

[Friends Call Me Butch]

Everything is cleaned up; there IS no blood!

People need to accept the fact that this game is being made for a global audience that definitely includes German and Chinese censors. The gaming world is very different than it was twelve years ago, when Blizzard North saw their game as for a couple hundred thousands players tops, almost all of which were young north american males.

In any case, it isn't like Irvine has ever been capable of really doing the horror genre. When you live down the road from Disneyland, it's hard not be caught up in the happy happy magic.

[Mad Mantis]

People need to accept the fact that this game is being made for a global audience that definitely includes German and Chinese censors.

Why should the rest of the world have to put up with that? It doesn't make sense to impose the strict restrictions of one country on the rest of the world.

[flabortast]

Noticed how Diablo lacked a Soulstone in that girl's vision. Did you catch a glympse of the entrance of the Tristram Cathedral? It was exact copy that I felt Nostalgic. Is it me or did they show Lut Gholein and Kurast?

[Es Mors]

I thought it looked spectacular - who didn't think the zombie wall was cool? Unfortunately it looks like the WD will take the necro's place, though.

The zombie wall was my favourite thing! :jig:

[Friends Call Me Butch]

Why should the rest of the world have to put up with that? It doesn't make sense to impose the strict restrictions of one country on the rest of the world.

On a business level, it does. Worrying about localizing for a dozen different languages is enough of a pain, being forced to tone down the content for different markets - especially ones as massive and important as China and Germany - is a tremendous waste of resources, especially in the final leg of development. Also, keep in mind, Europe may be a MORE important market than North America for Blizzard at this point, and Germany is easily its biggest component. The same holds for China in terms of market growth.

[flabortast]

Why do I have the feeling the Diablo we saw is actually the 3 Prime evils all in one body? That would make some sick, twisted Unholy Trinity.

[Mad Mantis]

Being forced to tone down the content for different markets is a tremendous waste of resources, especially in the final leg of development.

It may be a waste of resources, but you do run the risk of turning the other markets against you. Nort America and the rest of europe that does allow blood might be less inclined to buy. You have to weigh if it is worth focussing on Germany and China when you might loose a lot of players in the rest of the world, or spending some resources of cutting out some content later in the game for the countries that have exceptions.

[Friends Call Me Butch]

It may be a waste of resources, but you do run the risk of turning the other markets against you.

That really isn't much of a risk. Look at all the hype this weekend, despite the fact that this title has almost none of the previous team on board and doesn't seem to have the older titles' atmosphere at all. Blizzard could release an ASCII version of "Pong" and as long as it was a named sequel to something released ten years ago (which is, of course, the only thing Blizzard does these days), people will line up around the block for it. As long as it says "Blizzard" it will sell millions.

The idea is minimizing expense and risk and maximizing profit, especially with a title that doesn't necessarily have regular subscription money coming in.

[Widukind]

I think we're being too cynic here.

Besides, I think the vanishing bodies have nothing to do with German and Chinese moral issues. Is a body getting mutilated in a shower of blood somehow less worse if it dissapears after a few seconds? Highly unlikely. I think it has to do with performance issues, although it would be a dissapointment since this means that all skills that require corpses are out. It might change at one point in the development.

[Mad Mantis]

When it comes to D3 I guess you are right. People will buy it regardless simply because it is D3.

But still, there is already some criticism on this issue and if they can’t maintain the hype it might turn into a real problem. The longer they try to keep up the hype, the more people start complaining and focussing on the negative.

[bedders]

In the immortal words of Ron Burgundy: "I'm not even mad, I'm impressed"

[Bad Ash]

Wow...The unholy trinity idea is AWESOME!!!!!! Baal, Diablo, and Mephisto all merged into one psycho demon. Man I cant wait.

People, dont hate until we know more about the game. IT is still super early and we cant be downers yet! :-D lets just enjoy the day as our beloved diablo franchise is getting new life.

If you dont want to be kratos, pick a diff char class haha. And maybe bodies do stay, they just didnt implement that into their gameplay video, or in that specific area they were playing in.

[Malrenn]

Alrighty guys, the truth is out, I'm seriously like...freaking out, in a good way. The wait was most definitely worth it, and the two videos have given us a little sneak peak into the game. This thread is to discuss that, and not completely explode from the awesome.
~ No explosions here as of yet.
I'm going to start off with the gameplay video, because I thought that was most telling of the game. To be honest, I kind of feel that D3 looks a little cartoony. Like someone took a murder scene and cell-shaded it, it's weird. However, it does look like the game is very solid, I mean, just listen to the bones crunching and flesh squishing as the characters attack. The Witch-Doctor is WoW's Shaman. Face it.
~ I think a slight color/contrast/brightness adjustment and a bit more style in the structures will solve this, as discussed in other threads. I think the Witch doctor is more like a Necromancer from D2 than a WoW Shaman, of which I played for years (Malren lvl 70 Shaman Draka if youd like to armory)
No, he is not anything like a WoW shaman.

Overall, I'm still holding back judgment, but it seems like D3 is going to be more of a mainsteam game, and I don't know, clunky. It'll be interesting to see a more multiplayer side of the game, as well as the different classes and their skills.
~ I thought the gameplay video was very smooth, and I cant imagine Blizz releasing a "clunky" game. It will be scrapped first ala SC Ghost and the original D3 by all accounts.
Err, screwed that quote up but you can tell my replies by the ~ in front, too lazy too fix

[mcgurk]

Just hearing that barb at the start of the video brings back the Den of Evil. Nice touch by blizz