Fanboism

[Grogtank]

This may not go over well but it is what it is. I will attempt to explain how some of you are nothing more than food for some fat marketing exec that thinks he has his finger on your pulse.

I hate the color palette and cartoonish looking graphics in some of the D3 screens. There I said it. With that out of the way let's examine this for a minute.

Every thread has been focused on explaining why D3 should not look as colorful as wow. I have not read anything explaining why Diablo III should become a colorful fluffy cartoon. Saying "It's the gameplay that matters" or " it will delay the release" isn't an argument in favor of the preteen colored graphic style.

Seriously, do you people realize some useless marketing jackass at Blizzard is telling them WoW sold well because the because the graphics were colorful? Worse yet he might be telling them "the formula" that made WoW sell well includes the colorful and outlandish artwork and this formula needs to apply to some degree to all games. Is this what we really want? A clueless corporate exec dictating guidelines to the best gaming company in the world?

Diablo should remain Diablo. When D1 was released it was the darkest most horror focused "playable" game around. When D2 was released it again claimed the same position in the market. D3 should not sway from this formula.

Grog (gaming since pong, and my kids agree with the above)

[NKlint]

So, then you don't have a problem with the visuals on the game :)

Good

Or do you? It's still kind of confusing.

You don't like the art, but you like it because it's against your principles to judge a game based off of it's colors? As far as game play is concerned what do you think it's impact would be on Diablo III if the game looked different or more like how you like it. It wouldn't technically change, right? Basing gameplay off of the demo video, I believe that I'll have a blast playing the game.

[Grogtank]

I'm pretty sure I made my point. If you didn't understand what I wrote I'm sorry. If you just want to play games then you picked the wrong person. There is nothing nebulous about my post.

[5zigen]

Grog (gaming since pong, and my kids agree with the above)

Gorg, meet the dead horse.

Dead horse, Gorg.

Knock yourself out.

Calling people fanbois because they don't agree with you is (I think, I'm not sure) a requirement of being a fanboi yourself. Someone confirm this though, and let me know if mentioning that makes me a fanboi or not. And if it does, what am I a fanboi of?

[NKlint]

I hate the color palette and cartoonish looking graphics in some of the D3 screens.

Here you claim you don't like the art.


Every thread has been focused on explaining why D3 should not look as colorful as wow. I have not read anything explaining why Diablo III should become a colorful fluffy cartoon.

To me it doesn't look like a colorful fluffy cartoon, I mean did you see the part of the demo video where the Siege guy bit the head off the Barbarian? Try catching that on your Saturday morning specials. :)


Seriously, do you people realize some useless marketing jackass at Blizzard is telling them WoW sold well because the because the graphics were colorful? Worse yet he might be telling them "the formula" that made WoW sell well includes the colorful and outlandish artwork and this formula needs to apply to some degree to all games. Is this what we really want? A clueless corporate exec dictating guidelines to the best gaming company in the world?

Here it seems like the colorful atmosphere isn't what sold W.o.W. I think you're right, it was the story, the game play and yes fans. However judging how it outsold the games it was based off of by millions it's hard to prove that they were all fans of the series. The corporate executives aren't drawing the characters or designing the game, the art Directors are hired by the executives to do that for them. The "execs" merely front the cash needed to pay all the guys working under them.


Diablo should remain Diablo. When D1 was released it was the darkest most horror focused "playable" game around. When D2 was released it again claimed the same position in the market. D3 should not sway from this formula.

Yeah, I don't think that people were buying it because of it's "original color pallet" either. To me it was the gameplay and the free multiplayer. Did you buy Diablo I or II? Is color why you bought Diablo I and II?


I'm pretty sure I made my point. If you didn't understand what I wrote I'm sorry.

Yeah, I didn't understand it. I'm sorry I questioned you master.

[Grogtank]

Still no response to my post...

[5zigen]

Still no response to my post...

Your post needs no response, because it is just a declaration of your opinion. It isn't a hypothetical proposition, it isn't speculation it isn't a question. You just came and said you dont like the way the game looks and that people who do are fanbois....

P.S. you're not the first person on this forum to make this complaint.

[Grogtank]

I actually asked why no reasonable arguments have been made in favor of cartoon like graphics. I actually went a step further and explained probable reasons why the art direction for the franchise has changed so dramatically.

[NKlint]

I actually asked why no reasonable arguments have been made in favor of cartoon like graphics. I actually went a step further and explained probable reasons why the art direction for the franchise has changed so dramatically.

I don't see people saying that it should... I only see people who are not satisfied with the game's initial visuals say that it is. The evidence they provide is weak, too. They say it's the color, but other games outside of the W.o.W. series use the same types of color, too. It's artistic license.

Maybe I'm not researching the forum well enough. If you can please post a link to a post by someone else before your post was made saying "it should look like a cartoon" which doesn't provide what you would call a valid argument, then maybe your question won't be based off of fiction.

[a brick]

I think you need to realize that that the video can barely be considered a demo. Its pre-alpha version and not much is set in stone. They could change a lot of things. The things that might be set in stone is what the narrator said, but color and such are not even close to done...

If yous basing your opinion off of the outside area there is also the fact that it is daytime. At night, maybe it is as morbid as you like. Those levels were probably act1 im guessing, so its safe to say the game could get much darker it terms of color in later levels. Regardless of that tho, I think you should give blizzard time to work their magic which they have done a lot of times.

Blizzard isn't the type of company to be very greedy i think. They make excellent games and that has made them extremely successful. If i were you I would try to be more optimistic, cus blizzard makes very good games and hasn't dissapointed many people with their previous games.

[5zigen]

Is this what we really want? A clueless corporate exec dictating guidelines to the best gaming company in the world?


Actually Gorg, you made 2 rhetorical questions saying "is this what we want". This is rhetorical in that it's obviously not what you want, so by including yourself in the "we" the answer can't be yes.

I think you made a whole bunch of other false statements and unsubstantiated claims in the original post.

some research if you want to answer your question:
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=670641
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=668176
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=669382
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=671587
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=668162
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=669618
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=668355
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=670797
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=668151
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=668027
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=668023
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=668111
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=668190
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=668156
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=677200
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=675426

There's others, and be cautioned, some of those threads are parodies. But I just wanted you to know how much this subject has been rehashed.

[Xeteh]

I still do not understand why people call Diablo 3's graphics "cartoony". I mean, Diablo 2 didn't seem very realistic to me, either. In fact, the sprites from Diablo 2 could be argued that they look less realistic than the D3 3d models.

If the whole lack of a light-radius thing is bothering you... you could always cut out a piece of black cardboard, cut it to fit your monitor then cut out a hole in the middle. Then if you get a piece with +/- Light Radius (assuming they put that in D3) you can make the hole bigger or make a new piece with a smaller hole. Tada. Instant darkness.

[Grogtank]

Well, Blizzard has went through some very deep changes. To blindly trust them as the know all gaming gods is silly. When you look at a change as severe as whats happening with the art direction in D3 you should ask questions. This is what I have tried to do in my post.

Again who is arguing for these purple/cartoon/vivid/whatever art direction changes? Seriously who? I offered a couple possible reasons and in doing so, I thought maybe some people might wake up. Why settle for something nobody asked for? Why should our beloved franchise take such a direction change? Because some useless exec says its part of the "success" formula of WoW therefore it needs to be part of D2? I think not.

Grog

[NKlint]

I still do not understand why people call Diablo 3's graphics "cartoony". I mean, Diablo 2 didn't seem very realistic to me, either. In fact, the sprites from Diablo 2 could be argued that they look less realistic than the D3 3d models.

If the whole lack of a light-radius thing is bothering you... you could always cut out a piece of black cardboard, cut it to fit your monitor then cut out a hole in the middle. Then if you get a piece with +/- Light Radius (assuming they put that in D3) you can make the hole bigger or make a new piece with a smaller hole. Tada. Instant darkness.

Nah he didn't complain about the light radius thing. It's that everyone wants the game to look like a cartoon, but has yet to have mentioned to anyone here on the posts.

[Grogtank]

I still do not understand why people call Diablo 3's graphics "cartoony". I mean, Diablo 2 didn't seem very realistic to me, either. In fact, the sprites from Diablo 2 could be argued that they look less realistic than the D3 3d models.

If the whole lack of a light-radius thing is bothering you... you could always cut out a piece of black cardboard, cut it to fit your monitor then cut out a hole in the middle. Then if you get a piece with +/- Light Radius (assuming they put that in D3) you can make the hole bigger or make a new piece with a smaller hole. Tada. Instant darkness.

Please consider the time frame in which the game was released. D1 and D2 both were the darkest most horror like games around when they were released.

[Siniz]

I don't think it looks like a cartoon at all. I must be a fanboy? Not sure how to judge a fanboy.

[Xeteh]

Please consider the time frame in which the game was released. D1 and D2 both were the darkest most horror like games around when they were released.

I don't buy it. Just because a game is dark and there's blood doesn't make a game scary or horrific. When I started playing Diablo 1 I refused to watch horror movies, to this day I still don't like being scared, I never once found Diablo to be scary. Nothing jumps out at you in any type of frightening manner. Again, just because a game has a dark atmosphere, it doesn't mean its supposed to scare you.

[5zigen]

Resident Evil and Silent Hill were both more horrific than either Diablo.

[NKlint]

Resident Evil and Silent Hill were both more horrific than either Diablo.

It's all up to interpretation and personal preference, there.

Silent Hill and Resident Evil were in my opinion more chilling thrillers than Diablo I or II. I wasn't keeping the light on in the living room for Diablo.

[Sein Schatten]

I actually asked why no reasonable arguments have been made in favor of cartoon like graphics. I actually went a step further and explained probable reasons why the art direction for the franchise has changed so dramatically.

There is no argument because D3 doesn't look like a cartoon.
Be happy you have a thread going. I mean, you invoked Godwin's Law (http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6648832&postcount=8) in your OP.


Please consider the time frame in which the game was released. D1 and D2 both were the darkest most horror like games around when they were released.

D2 Act 1: Nice grass world. Where is the darkest horror?
D2 Act 2: sandlol. Where is the darkest horror?
D2 Act 3: JUNGLE! Where is the darkest horror?
D2 Act 4: Wow, one out of 4 atm.
D2 Act 5: ICE ICE BABY. Where is the darkest horror?

[SlechtWeerBeer]

D2 Act 1: Nice grass world. Where is the darkest horror?
D2 Act 2: sandlol. Where is the darkest horror?
D2 Act 3: JUNGLE! Where is the darkest horror?
D2 Act 4: Wow, one out of 4 atm.
D2 Act 5: ICE ICE BABY. Where is the darkest horror?

Quoted for Truth.
Act 5 wasn't all ice. There was the colorful (ups) WSK.

Now, where was that thread comparing the outdoor bosses?
EDIT: found it (http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=670641)

[johntorrio]

is that pink in my Diablo 1?!? FUK DAT!!
http://www.armchairempire.com/images/classics/diablo/diablo-1.jpg

http://www.pccheatz.com/Images/Diablo1.jpg

:grin:

[Funkopotamus]

It is when you have the entire map revealed and illuminated as bright as day by a cheat program. Shame on you, whoever took those screenshots possibly years ago.

[Sein Schatten]

What? No. D1 looked that way. It wasn't entirely black. Maybe when the monitor was off and people still played :crazyeyes:. How about you posting some screenshots to back up your claim?

[johntorrio]

It is when you have the entire map revealed and illuminated as bright as day by a cheat program. Shame on you, whoever took those screenshots possibly years ago.

those pic were taken from blizzards website. Check their diablo page

[Mcwhopper]

I really wonder: Was there anyone even remotely scared or even touched or whatever by d1 and d2 so called horror features. If you were then WTH.

I mean: I never felt scared or whatever during d2 and d1, not even tense. I felt scared when playing Return to Castle Wolfenstein and I heard one of the zombies with a gattling gun, coming up from behind. Those bastard can insta gib if your not prepared! I turn around, NOTHING. I turn around again and there the bastard was ready to chew my foor off. That scared me! BRRRRRRRHhhhh




Yeah they put up a nice amount of horror features in the catacombs and the cloister. But after that? Nothing worth noticing. I bet that in d3 we will have more horror features then we had with d2. It will depend on the dungeon ofcourse.

[stillman]

I'll basically say what I've said in other threads:

-The Three Stooges was legendary comedy and it was in black and white. Therefore, the next big comedy sitcom to hit our screens should also be black and white. Why would they change greatness? Why take comedy to a different direction when The Three Stooges was so successful? This is obviously an analogy, but you get the idea. Times have changed. Blizzard needs to show off their new systems to remain competitive in the big gaming industry. There're not going to use the old ways, and it's unrealistic to expect them to do so.

-Much of d3 sounds like it's going to involve exploration of Sanctuary...above ground! So right off the bat, we can't expect them to use the 99% gameworld being gloomy dungeons of d1, with 1% of the gameworld a single depressing town.

-Blizzard would be foolish to make the game so dark and twisted that only adults would buy it. They are a bigger company now; they must appeal to yougner newer fans too. They can't just cater to us old school D1 fans.

-Part of d1's darkness was the brutality. There were naked female torsos mangled and impaled on hooks. You could chase naked snow witches around. You could clearly see nipples on the bodies, etc. If you want to see this level of darkness and badness in d3 you can forget about it. Blizzard had no idea how successful it would become when they made d1. They can't get away with that level of brutal darkness and smut any more. Again, it is unrealistic to expect Blizzard to transform into the small company that they used to be when they had fewer responsibilites.

-Obviously, there's been 20 years of peace. The sun's got to shine some time.

Basically, I don't see why people think Blizzard is the same company it was back in the days when they made d1. They may be wealthy, but they can't just do whatever they want to please us. It's a different staff too. D1 was an experiment which turned out to be extremely successful. Blizzard is no longer in experimentation phase. They are instead in the phase of using marketing, studying known likes and dislikes of various gaming mechanisms, using modern technologies, etc.

[visom]

I understand that you don't like the new graphics from Diablo3. But I've said this many times: there has to be changes.

Look at resident evil4 for example, least scary of all the resident evil series (not to mention different 3D graphics and controls) yet it won game of the year, and many people played that game over and over again. Infact the average RE4 owner that I've seen told me they have played it over at least 4times.

In diablo2, the graphics I would say are still very colorful and not dark (unless its night), and it was a huge jump from in graphics from the original D1 yet D2 won game of the year and became one of the most popular games ever.

All I'm saying is that: You think you won't like it now, but once you've actually PLAYED it that's where your real opinion right now. As of today, (no offense though) but your opinion means absolutely NOTHING unless you actually played the game. I don't care if you think watching the game is enough, you have to play through the entire thing (who knows, maybe there are darker dungeons than that temple the barb was in).

[sbn]

I really wonder: Was there anyone even remotely scared or even touched or whatever by d1 and d2 so called horror features. If you were then WTH.

I mean: I never felt scared or whatever during d2 and d1, not even tense. I felt scared when playing Return to Castle Wolfenstein and I heard one of the zombies with a gattling gun, coming up from behind. Those bastard can insta gib if your not prepared! I turn around, NOTHING. I turn around again and there the bastard was ready to chew my foor off. That scared me! BRRRRRRRHhhhh




Yeah they put up a nice amount of horror features in the catacombs and the cloister. But after that? Nothing worth noticing. I bet that in d3 we will have more horror features then we had with d2. It will depend on the dungeon ofcourse.

I remember way back so many years ago when my brother would come visit to play Doom (I had a PC, he didn't). He would be playing in the dark and I would suddenly go "WATCH OUT" just to see him jump...that was just hilarious.

But yeah, equating Diablo with scary or horror is like equating Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood with scariness (well I was scared that my wife would make me see it, does that count?).

[Funkopotamus]

those pic were taken from blizzards website. Check their diablo page
Wow, Blizzard's full of cheaters. Was there a lightning ring spell in the game? I remember a single stream lightning, I remember multi-stream (chain) lightning, but no rings. That could easily be faulty memory.

But you can clearly see monsters on the other side of the closed door.

Okay, it's not cheating, I see it's a staged screenshot with the 3 classes and they're in the ring of lightning.


What? No. D1 looked that way. It wasn't entirely black. Maybe when the monitor was off and people still played :crazyeyes:. How about you posting some screenshots to back up your claim?
There's one how it normally looked on the wiki for it

Also, Meatball, level 1 warrior. I used photoshop to convert the .pcx to a .jpg and that's it.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/zanpanzer/geekery/D1ss.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/zanpanzer/geekery/D1ss2.jpg
I'm not about to play or cheat my way down to the caves.

I see now it's staged. I was very sure D1 didn't have that kind of visibility and completely sure you weren't able to see monsters inside closed rooms.
http://www.digitalspace.com/avatars/book/fullbook/chcg/diablo1.gif


I really wonder: Was there anyone even remotely scared or even touched or whatever by d1 and d2 so called horror features. If you were then WTH.
I'd get creeped out occasionally in D1. In the catacombs it would get kinda spooky seeing things moving outside my light radius but not being sure what it was and in what kind of numbers. It was kinda similar on the hell levels when I'd be at the stairs and knights come out of the shadows and surround me.

[trashX]

to argue for the color palette, i dont see where people get this need for dark colors to express "evil", take the war in iraq, did the sand get darker when the war started? Hope you get my wierd comparison :D

the only thing that could be darker is the dungeons, not that i dont like the way it looks now, but light IS scarse in a dungeon

[Grogtank]

I see a lot of people misinterpret descriptions such as dark and cartoony. These terms are used to describe the overall theme or setting. When I say dark I don't mean light radius. Foreboding would be a good substitute for dark in this case. When I see weapons and armor drifting toward Warcraft style design, this represents a shift towards a cartoony look and doesn't fit with the Diablo theme. Do I think Diablo3 actually looks like a real cartoon? No, of course not.

The homogenization of art style between three franchises is risky. Each individual franchise loses a bit of distinction which made them individual and unique. In the Diablo franchise we are dealing with unleashed minions of hell, prime evils, etc. The artwork needs to have a grit and realism that supports this foreboding theme. As I understand it D3, like it's predecessors will be rated "M". This is a good thing and should be exploited to reinforce the franchises underlying theme.

Some people don't care because they want the game asap. Others don't care because only the gameplay matters to them. Yet, I've not heard anyone arguing for more WoW influence in the art design. I still contend these "touches of WoW" are there because some clueless marketing "guru" overfilled his cup at the psycho semantic machine and is preaching for more WoW influence in the art direction.

[5zigen]

Some people don't care because they want the game asap. Others don't care because only the gameplay matters to them. Yet, I've not heard anyone arguing for more WoW influence in the art design. I still contend these "touches of WoW" are there because some clueless marketing "guru" overfilled his cup at the psycho semantic machine and is preaching for more WoW influence in the art direction.

How about this.

WoW doesn't look like Diablo 3. The color pallette in some areas is similar, but since wow has areas that use almost every color palette imaginable.

Making it "darker" doesn't improve the "feel" of the game. And making it more "foreboding" is something so intangible it's kind of silly to make claims about it when you haven't blade the game yet.

Your assertion that some "clueless marketing guru" is directing the arwork is a bit ridiculous, especially considering Samwise Didier is the man who is the art director for all 3 franchises and always has been the art director for all 3 franchises. It's very natural to see bleedover from one to another, and in fact WoW has borrowed a lot of artistic queues from Diablo (example: Warlock T5).

The game is not "cartoony" at all, I Think the only reason people feel that way is because of the move to a 3d engine while still trying to keep the game at a low poly count. If this is why you're griping about cartoony then I think you need to "suck it up" because the games playability on a range of machines is more important that trying to make it hyperrealistic. And that is not a decision made by some marketing "guru" but by probably a director who decides he doesn't want to overinflate the games minimum requirements.

Zoomed out, the game doesn't look 'cartoony' in the least. Then again if you zoomed in on Diablo 2 all you saw was massive pixelation, so I think a movement to a low poly count 3d game is a step in the right direction.

An example to refute your "diablo 3 looks like wow"

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/5397/d3vswowwy7.jpg

Lifted from http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=670641

[Xeteh]

"Hey guys, I think we made use of this shade of blue in World of Warcraft. Yeah, look here... We can't use this in Diablo 3. This color is clearly owned by WoW. Well damn, this green is clearly used in Darnassus. People might think we're ripping off WoW because of the colors that we're choosing."

You can tell who never really played WoW around here. They're the ones whining that Diablo 3 is too much like WoW even though the similarities are nowhere to be found.

[Sein Schatten]

@5zigen:
And if someone says it is unfair to compare the dragon pic to the D3 pic, here is the stalking Fel Reaver and it still doesn't look like D3.

http://www3.telus.net/public/mehwulfe/kyan/WoW/beta-tbc/Hellfire/Fel_Reaver_2.jpg

[Elly]

Seriously, do you people realize some useless marketing jackass at Blizzard is telling them WoW sold well because the because the graphics were colorful? Worse yet he might be telling them "the formula" that made WoW sell well includes the colorful and outlandish artwork and this formula needs to apply to some degree to all games. Is this what we really want? A clueless corporate exec dictating guidelines to the best gaming company in the world?

It's not the suits that make the design decisions. PR dance to the dev team's tune, not the other way round.

[sicilian]

There were three things total in Diablo that actually scared me. The "baby" noises in the catacombs, the first horned demon, and the final cinematic. Other than that, the only part I "feared" was the goatmen archers. I played a warrior, and got REAL sick of walking behind them until they hit a wall :P

Grog, I think the problem with your question is that you misinterpret the arguments against you. You're saying you haven't heard anyone argue for WoW-esque graphics in D3. That's because the people that don't have a problem with the current art direction aren't thinking, "Man, this looks like WoW, that's great!" They (including myself) don't think it looks like WoW.

If you want to argue that some of the models resemble those in WoW, I can't argue with that. And I'm sure I won't like some of them, but 99% of what I saw in the gameplay video did NOT remind me of WoW.

Hell, there were models/color schemes in D2 that I thought looked stupid. Anyone else HATE the fact that in order to have a prismatic item your character had to be decked out in PURPLE?

[Xeteh]

Hell, there were models/color schemes in D2 that I thought looked stupid. Anyone else HATE the fact that in order to have a prismatic item your character had to be decked out in PURPLE?

It was a scary and horrifying purple though! :whistling:

[Grogtank]

I wont even respond to some of you guys. It seems people are in complete denial concerning the Warcraft influences. There was an interview with one of the dev's that spoke about this change in art direction. I guess the dev didn't know what he was talking about either.

If you cant distinguish between "Warcraft influences" and "Looks exactly like WoW" I pity you.

[angers]

I'm so freaking pissed at the art direction, I mean, have you looked at the Barbarian? He's got two legs and two arms, exactly like the characters in The Sims. If you do not agree with what I just said, you are in denial.

[Xeteh]

I wont even respond to some of you guys. It seems people are in complete denial concerning the Warcraft influences. There was an interview with one of the dev's that spoke about this change in art direction. I guess the dev didn't know what he was talking about either.

If you cant distinguish between "Warcraft influences" and "Looks exactly like WoW" I pity you.

I used to play Diablo 2 for a very long time, recently I played it again as the announcement for Diablo 3 made me want to revisit the game. I have also played WoW for about 3 years now. Unless you've seen some other gameplay video that I have not I can't see where you think Diablo 3 is "influenced by WoW". Be it the color palette, gameplay or the setting. You haven't even managed to give a valid point as to how the two games are similar.

[sicilian]

I wont even respond to some of you guys. It seems people are in complete denial concerning the Warcraft influences. There was an interview with one of the dev's that spoke about this change in art direction. I guess the dev didn't know what he was talking about either.

If you cant distinguish between "Warcraft influences" and "Looks exactly like WoW" I pity you.

So, what are you arguing again? Are you saying it has influences or looks exactly like WoW?

If you're saying it has influences, then that's fine. But as I said above, there was plenty of imagery in the D3 demo that I have not seen in 2+ years of playing WoW.

There were only two things in the demo that really stood out as MILDLY WoW-esque: The purple chairs, and the Barb's shoulders, and those are by no means enough for me to classify the whole game as WoW inspired.

What else was there? Do you have examples that we can discuss or will you keep making sweeping generalizations then get mad when people say, "Um, what?"

[angers]

D3 has green grass. WoW has grass. Therefore, D3 is like WoW.

[Grogtank]

It's not the suits that make the design decisions. PR dance to the dev team's tune, not the other way round.

Perhaps but my overfilled cup from the psycho semantic machine line ruled!

Anyway I guess my biggest gripe so far is the purple looking dungeon. It just reminds me of WoW way too much. I would love to see more realistic looking dungeon/crypt environments and less purple or whatever other color scheme they decide to use as environmental flavor.

[Apocalypse]

I wont even respond to some of you guys. It seems people are in complete denial concerning the Warcraft influences. There was an interview with one of the dev's that spoke about this change in art direction. I guess the dev didn't know what he was talking about either.

If you cant distinguish between "Warcraft influences" and "Looks exactly like WoW" I pity you.

did you ever stop to think that some people actually like how the game looks? then did you consider that maybe the people who think the game looks good do not feel they need to explain to you why they like how it looks? are you so stuck up that you feel your opinions and your views are the only ones that matter at all? you come here and act like people are blindly buying into the bliz hype machine when maybe people actually enjoy it. if the game sucks i will be the first to say it, right now however i like how it looks and so far i enjoy the direction the game is taking. i have a few concerns with the game but i have concerns with every single game that i have ever followed pre release.

[sicilian]

Perhaps but my overfilled cup from the psycho semantic machine line ruled!

Anyway I guess my biggest gripe so far is the purple looking dungeon. It just reminds me of WoW way too much. I would love to see more realistic looking dungeon/crypt environments and less purple or whatever other color scheme they decide to use as environmental flavor.

I agree the purple isn't my favorite... but we also don't know the context of the area. In ancient times, the purple fabric was often equated with royalty because purple dyes were so expensive. So if these Forgotten Tombs in the demo were those of some kind of king, it would make sense that his final resting place would be dorned in regal colors.

[Moaf]

I'm so freaking pissed at the art direction, I mean, have you looked at the Barbarian? He's got two legs and two arms, exactly like the characters in The Sims. If you do not agree with what I just said, you are in denial.
loool - This cries for another online-petition!

Seriously, what do people hate more about World of Warcraft? Only its graphics or the whole game? I have somehow the feeling that most argumentations are more based on "I don't like the graphics of d3 because WoW suxx" instead of "I don't like the grapics of d3 because the art and design of WoW doesn't fit into d3".

Additionally, I just want here to say that Blizzard listens. They haven proven it with starcraft 2 and the latest screenshots they've released. They have taken a lot of warcraft3-stylized elements out of the game for a more dirty and 'real' look. I am sure that they will do this also with d3 as long as there is constructive criticism. If there are well formulated arguments catching Blizzards attention, they will surely rethink their active course. Maybe Blizzard is right now about to change the design to a darker one.
There will still be a lot of changes, and I am quite sure that what we see now is not what we see in the final product.
And please no more petitions... i will gladly sign a petition against all petitions of this kind.

[Pied]

For me, the only thing that buggers me is clean look of everything.

Take for example the following screenshot:

http://bp3.blogger.com/_cCpnx25UUd4/SGjGD3TKM6I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/tIB0HdUIjNE/s1600-h/diablo3interface.jpg


The way they handled the inventory slots. The rounded corners, the round layer around them, the glass like icons, i mean they even shine at the upper right corner!!! If you compare that to the rough stone-like inventory of diablo 1 & 2, thats a huge difference. You can call it wow-ish but for me its just all to clean.

And to note, I only use this as an example, its not like the whole world is going down because of the look of one simple inventory slot, but i hope you get what i mean.

Pied

[Raynor]

I don't see why people are complaining over the graphics at this time, it was just ACCOUNCED, it's proably Pre-Pre-alpha.

[5zigen]

I wont even respond to some of you guys. It seems people are in complete denial concerning the Warcraft influences. There was an interview with one of the dev's that spoke about this change in art direction. I guess the dev didn't know what he was talking about either.

If you cant distinguish between "Warcraft influences" and "Looks exactly like WoW" I pity you.

This is a great response, and generally means "I have nothing to argue with, your points are clearly better than mine"

Or "I know more than you about games and game art, nya nya nya I'm not listening to you none of you know what you're talking about, neither do the devs."

Take your pick.

You ask for a "response" to your criticism and then you just ignore the responses? Classy.

Oh and I'm not sure you know what psycho semantic means and I'm 95% certain your use of it is incorrect.

[Felix]

Graphics are great. There, I said it. I'm right and op is wrong, if he can't understand that then he is not answering to this post of deep wisdom but being a fanboy of some other game I don't know and dont care about.

[johntorrio]

Wow, Blizzard's full of cheaters. Was there a lightning ring spell in the game? I remember a single stream lightning, I remember multi-stream (chain) lightning, but no rings. That could easily be faulty memory.

But you can clearly see monsters on the other side of the closed door.

Okay, it's not cheating, I see it's a staged screenshot with the 3 classes and they're in the ring of lightning.


There's one how it normally looked on the wiki for it

Also, Meatball, level 1 warrior. I used photoshop to convert the .pcx to a .jpg and that's it.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/zanpanzer/geekery/D1ss.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/zanpanzer/geekery/D1ss2.jpg
I'm not about to play or cheat my way down to the caves.

I see now it's staged. I was very sure D1 didn't have that kind of visibility and completely sure you weren't able to see monsters inside closed rooms.
http://www.digitalspace.com/avatars/book/fullbook/chcg/diablo1.gif


I'd get creeped out occasionally in D1. In the catacombs it would get kinda spooky seeing things moving outside my light radius but not being sure what it was and in what kind of numbers. It was kinda similar on the hell levels when I'd be at the stairs and knights come out of the shadows and surround me.

I dont believe my post was about darkness of the game. It was about the use of the color pink...

[Lord_Jaroh]

Graphics are great. There, I said it. I'm right and op is wrong, if he can't understand that then he is not answering to this post of deep wisdom but being a fanboy of some other game I don't know and dont care about.

The graphics "are" great...in a game that is not Diablo III. In a game that is Diablo III, I would expect a more "adult" look to the graphics.

Please do not do to Diablo what they are doing to Terminator...

[a brick]

Like a lot of people with problems with the game, no one knows really enough about it to even say "I dont like the direction". We're at the starting point, and its a little brighter, maybe they'll change it.

Nobody outside of Blizzard knows squat. Its ok to say like "from what i've seen so far, I dont like the color". Wait for more info and then your arguements might be a bit mroe valid.

just saying...

[a brick]

Sorry double post, dumb computer in a very foreign internet cafe...

[Funkopotamus]

I dont believe my post was about darkness of the game. It was about the use of the color pink...
Then why reply to post about the darkness (maphackedness) of the screenshots?

[Xeteh]

The graphics "are" great...in a game that is not Diablo III. In a game that is Diablo III, I would expect a more "adult" look to the graphics.

Please do not do to Diablo what they are doing to Terminator...

So how was Diablo 2 more "adult" in your opinion? A player had his head bitten off in the gameplay trailer. In the years that I played Diablo 2 I can't recall that happening. The models weren't any more "adult" in Diablo 2 either. I have no idea what you're talking about.

[5zigen]

So how was Diablo 2 more "adult" in your opinion? A player had his head bitten off in the gameplay trailer. In the years that I played Diablo 2 I can't recall that happening. The models weren't any more "adult" in Diablo 2 either. I have no idea what you're talking about.

The exposed nipples of the succubus.

[NKlint]

The exposed nipples of the succubus.

And the butt cheeks on the Venom Lords, and the weenies on the Hell Spawn.

[Xeteh]

The exposed nipples of the succubus.

Yeah but that doesn't make D2 "more adult" seeing as I'm positive if there are any succubi in D3 that won't change. My point is that if anything Diablo 3's look is more realistic than anything we've seen in prior Diablo games.

[NKlint]

You forget, it's okay to show Violence on video games and daytime tv when all the kids are watching but it's total taboo if there's any sex... Which is ironic to me, since it's Sex they need to be learning about, not violence.

[DeadorK]

Don't forget all the fetishes.

[5zigen]

Yeah but that doesn't make D2 "more adult" seeing as I'm positive if there are any succubi in D3 that won't change. My point is that if anything Diablo 3's look is more realistic than anything we've seen in prior Diablo games.

It was irony, or sarcasm, or whatever. D3 is no less "adult" than D1 or 2 were. It's just another intangible like the game needs to be more "foreboding" or more "creepy" or whatever.

Really though I think people just arent thinking about the whole game.

For anyone who's ever played all the way through doom 3, you would know for the first say, 8 times they pull the "lights go out, zombies everywhere out of nowhere killing you" trick, it's kinda scare. The next 42 times it happens, it's kind of like you know it's coming, you just go, anticipating it happening every time.

Likewise, if every area in D3 is "creepy" or "foreboding" then the end result will be a really bland game that will feel creepy the first 20 minutes you play it, but will just feel run of the mill the next 200 hours you play it.

By introducing contrasting elements into the game, normal areas with natural colors, daylight, etc, they can make the creepy aspects of the game feel all the more creepy, and they will stay creepy for much longer, at least the areas will when compared to the less creepy areas.

and let's be real. Was there anything "creepy" in diablo 2? Creepy or foreboding is a combination of things imo. It's colors, sure, but it's also characterized by uncertainty, sounds, music, environmental objects (corpses, blood) among other things. To say the game is just not creepy enough when you haven't played the game, and it's so early in the development is just silly.

Creepiness in D1 fell off in the caves, and was completely gone in 'hell'. In diablo 2, I don't think there was anything particularly creepy or scary at all, environmentwise.

[NKlint]

Was there anything "creepy" in diablo 2?

I dunno, these guys are pretty creepy to me...

http://www.battle.net/images/battle/diablo2exp/images/animations/bestiary/act5/imp-opt.gif

They're like demonic Clown babies... Doing circus flips and vanishing in mid-air

Clowns -_- blrghlrggrg...

[johntorrio]

Then why reply to post about the darkness (maphackedness) of the screenshots?


I was making light of the people who complain way to much. A cheap shot at that douche who made that image outlining the rainbow saying "Is that a rainbow in my Diablo 3 ??!!!" .

[Sein Schatten]

D2 has piles of corpses. Urdars are hitting you with chained bodies. You have tortured souls everywhere in hell. You have cannibal villages.

[Funkopotamus]

I was making light of the people who complain way to much. A cheap shot at that douche who made that image outlining the rainbow saying "Is that a rainbow in my Diablo 3 ??!!!" .

those pic were taken from blizzards website. Check their diablo page
I see how that makes perfect sense.

[sicilian]

D2 has piles of corpses. Urdars are hitting you with chained bodies. You have tortured souls everywhere in hell. You have cannibal villages.

But all of those things were not creepy because of how they were drawn. They were creepy because of what they implied. I've been playing D2 since it came out, and I didn't even notice the chained bodies on the Urdars until I read it on this board last month.

I think what made D2 scary was people's imaginations, not the art direction.

[Apocalypse]

nothing made d2 scary, d2 was a pretty well lit game itself.

[Pakalla]

Right, nothing is d2 was really creepy.. but the atmosphere of the game was more inline of what it should be..

I still would like the atmosphere to be diablish, and not wowish.. If i wanted wow atmosphere i'd log on my account and play it..

Here im looking for diablo atmosphere and color schemes.. not the teals, light blues, pinks, bright greens of Wow.

[SlechtWeerBeer]

It's not freaking WoW'ish..
Cry me a river
Build a bridge
And gtf over it.

[Sein Schatten]

But all of those things were not creepy because of how they were drawn. They were creepy because of what they implied. I've been playing D2 since it came out, and I didn't even notice the chained bodies on the Urdars until I read it on this board last month.

I think what made D2 scary was people's imaginations, not the art direction.

Well, then I guess D1 is not creepy at all, too. Given, I was/am an adult back then so nothing creeped me out, really. In all my gaming time the only stuff I remember where I jumped my chair is Vampire Masquerade, the haunted house.

[Xeteh]

Right, nothing is d2 was really creepy.. but the atmosphere of the game was more inline of what it should be..

I still would like the atmosphere to be diablish, and not wowish.. If i wanted wow atmosphere i'd log on my account and play it..

Here im looking for diablo atmosphere and color schemes.. not the teals, light blues, pinks, bright greens of Wow.

You've seen a 20 minute trailer of a game and you've already come to the conclusion that the entire game looks like WoW. Yet people have posted tons of screenshots comparing the two and they don't even look remotely alike. Pull your head out and stop whining.