Diablo 3 vs Diablo 2

[robc]

Just like to get everyones opinions on the differences between the 2 games.

Do you think inferno is better end-game than d2s boss runs and special event like ubers that were eventually added?

Will the item hunt last nearly as long as in d2 with the auction house and items being a little less diverse?

Which skill system do you prefer?

Do you think that the PvP will greatly help the games longevity, and do u prefer it to the d2 dueling system?

Are you enjoying playing d3 as much as d2?

Do you think the revamping of crafting and legendarys will help the item diversity, or should something like the runeword system be implemented?

Char customization, better in d2 or d3? I feel once great items are cheap and easily available optimal builds will be used quite a bit, I know this was the case in d2 also but it took quite a while to get max gear, and you could never have every skill maxed making players even with similar builds slightly different, but in d2 anyone can jus change their build at any time. And I don't think the valor system is enough to encourage people to stick with a build since once its gone your free to switch without penalty.

Gold sinks, we know gold was worthless in d2, but are we on that same track here? With very very few gold sinks d3 is going to have crazy innflation problems I think. One idea I like for a gold sink is a decent gold cost to switch skills out once you hit lvl 60 and have unlocked everything.




One of my biggest drawbacks from d3 is the lvl progression, it just feels kinda pointless. I mean I know you unlock skills and runes as you go but when I lvled up in d2 I felt like I became more powerful in a way that suited my playstyle by picking my own attributes and skill points.

Don't get me wrong I'm loving d3 so far and have put in probably like 80 hrs allready and just starting a2 inferno. I just can't see the game the way they have it set up currenty lasting nearly as long as d2. Maybe the pvp will help but being non-competitive I don't see it adding too opfmuch longevity to the game. Hopefully they add some interesting thinks in patches and especially expansions, but if the 1st exp is 2 yrs away I'm not sure how much of a fan base will still be too interested at that point.

Let me know what ya'll think

[Valeli]

Do you think inferno is better end-game than d2s boss runs and special event like ubers that were eventually added?

I think the D2 endgame was better, if we're judging what we have. Inferno's a fun gear check, but having special events like the Ubers serve as a gear/skill/build check felt less mandatory, and left the regular game feeling like something you constantly got better at. In D3, it feels like you constantly get better for three acts, and then crash despite all your work (not that getting to 60 takes much work, but whatever. Point still applies).

I also think the D3 endgame didn't exist for a long long time after the initial launch, and am 100% positive D3 will get an actual endgame rather than/in addition to Inferno. Whether it's more interesting remains to be seen, since it's not here.

Will the item hunt last nearly as long as in d2 with the auction house and items being a little less diverse?

Again, I'm sure item diversity will increase over time as D2's did. That's sort of a given. The AH has a big impact on things though. I think if you use the RMAH, you'll obviously finish your item hunt in no time. The gold AH is a different story. You can work through the lower level items easy, but good upper level gear is very expensive (and seems to be getting more so). I'm not sure how upper level gear will end up selling on the gold AH, so I'm not sure exactly how strongly that will end up lowering the time spent working on builds for folks who don't use the RMAH. I suspect they'll still have a lot of work to do collecting the gold/items to trade for gold needed for what they want.

Which skill system do you prefer?

I like both systems... I think I prefer D2's skill system after they allowed respecs. Respecs were annoying to get and took effort, so you still planned your build, but they kept you from being perpetually locked in if you made a mistake or wanted to try something new. I think Respecs there were a good middle ground between truly fixed characters and the constant respecs of D3. But that said, getting to constantly mix and match skills, and try everything out, is lots of fun; I don't dislike D3's way.

Do you think that the PvP will greatly help the games longevity, and do u prefer it to the d2 dueling system?

I think it will help. Greatly? I'm not sure. Personally, I'd get frustrated going up against people with perfect sets from the RMAH and would probably loose interest pretty fast (unless they keep the RMAH out of HC, and only let HC people pvp other HC people, in which case I'd be interested). I played d2 almost entirely off line, so I can't say if I like it more than d2's dueling system. I don't think anyone can compare the two though, since D3's isn't out yet....

Are you enjoying playing d3 as much as d2?

I'm getting happier with D3, but think D2 was more fun. A touch. That probably has a lot to do with the lv 99 cap, and the way you constantly improved vs. the game (apart from a few specific challenges introduced).

Do you think the revamping of crafting and legendarys will help the item diversity, or should something like the runeword system be implemented?

This isn't really an either/or question. I think the revamping will help diversity. I also think something like runewords could be used successfully. And I'm sure a future expansion will add even more diversity.

Char customization, better in d2 or d3?

I like how you get to choose male/female characters in d3. What do you mean by customization though, just how you set up your skills? If that's the case, my answer on which skill system I prefer applies. Basically, yeah, d2 had more customization because characters were more locked into their skill set.

Gold sinks, we know gold was worthless in d2, but are we on that same track here?

No. Gold is going to be constantly devalued here, but it will retain value so long as the AH is used. It will just be an abstract intermediary for items. I see a point where farming gold to buy items is wasted time (we're there already, aren't we? almost). But you'll still want gold, because you'll sell X for gold, so you can use gold to get Y. It's just infinitely more convenient to use gold/the ah than to forum trade.

Also, it's worth saying that as gold looses value the 15% AH take is going to constantly go up. I'm being dumb and forgetting the name of the curve, but basically it should eventually close in on a limit and let things stabilize.

[SuggestiveName]

I'm not going to make judgments like this until D3 has seen a few rounds of patches, but for what it's worth I have quit playing until 1.0.3.

[zacheroog]

Another D2 vs. D3 thread...

Do you think inferno is better end-game than d2s boss runs and special event like ubers that were eventually added?

I like the NV stacking + boss killing system they have in D3. It makes champion packs and even regular packs fun to kill. Boss kills are more fun as well. Drops could be better for levels 1-59 though. But I guess that would mean toning down end game drops in order to keep balance in place. That's why I don't blame guys who boost, because going through 1-59 sounds so boring.

Will the item hunt last nearly as long as in d2 with the auction house and items being a little less diverse?

I'm not going to lie, AH is starting to grow onto me as I start to see the big picture with farming. AH is a big part of this game. I still prefer item for item, social trading in D2. But D3s system isn't so bad once you put time into it.

Which skill system do you prefer?

D2. With D3 I stick to the best skill combinations. Yeah, D2 had that problem too, but why change something that isn't going to fix anything? I had more fun spending points than just watching stuff unlock.

Do you think that the PvP will greatly help the games longevity, and do u prefer it to the d2 dueling system?

Yes, I hope so. D2s duels were fun, but it wasn't given as much attention as it should have been given.

Are you enjoying playing d3 as much as d2?

Not yet. As a single player game, yes. I think D3 is better in that way. As a multiplayer game though, it's a mess. It's pretty bad if I die less playing alone than I do with a group of players. Yeah I know, I need to "find a better group!" Screw you.

Do you think the revamping of crafting and legendarys will help the item diversity, or should something like the runeword system be implemented?

It should. There are a couple of legendarys which are really good, but most of them just make you think "ehhh could be better," and you end up going with the better/cheaper alternative which is a rare. I think runewords should have been a major influence on the crafting system that we have now.

Char customization, better in d2 or d3?

D2. D3 feels like I'm playing a pre-made/template character or something.I guess Ill get used to it over time.

[Darkmere]

Inferno better than endless boss runs? Yes, no question. Actually playing the game vs. waiting on a hammerdin-bot to clear to Baal so I can click-click-click and maybe get loot. Yeah, I'd rather actually play.

Item hunt: They've said they're working on itemization. If that gets more varied and more character builds become viable, then yes I see the item hunt lasting a long time.

Skill system: D3's. I have no emotional attachment to clicking + buttons.

PvP? Don't care. Didn't PvP then, won't PvP now.

Enjoying D3? Yes, I am enjoying it. I haven't played vanilla LoD in years, as I did not like how broken it was. From what I remember, I do enjoy D3 as much as D2.

Runewords: Were a poor implementation of a good idea. Crafting should be expanded to fill the niche instead. Gold sinks and steady progress towards a visible goal > running LK knowing I won't get the Zod rune I want.

Customization: D3 wins because you can pick either gender. Having semi-permanent stats or skills doesn't actually make you different from any of the thousands of others who built their amazon the exact same way.

The game feels fine to me as is, knowing that there are patches on the way to clean up some things that do need work. I think people are too focused on what's "the best" as opposed to "what I enjoy playing," but inferno doesn't really foster that (yet). I also think D2 is vastly overrated, as far as popular opinions go. It was fun, and it's still an important game to the genre, but I can't ignore the fact that certain skills never worked, or the Lying Character Sheet, or the non-difficulty. Eastern Sun mod was better at being D2 than LoD was. Titan Quest was better at implementing the aRPG systems in interesting ways, and it didn't force you into stat choices or synergies. D3 has a better pacing and gameplay feel than either of those, though. Even on my 30th warden/butcher run I'm still entertained by killing the next champ pack. And I still have the other classes to play.

[mouseman]

D2 classic 1.1-1.2 vs D3 classic 1.2 would be a good comparison.

I think both of those games are very poorly balanced and rushed products to the point it's hardly playable - though some of the exploits are fun and after the game is settled will be looked with nostalgia.

[rugga]

Personally I think D2 is the better game. IMO, it is one of the greatest games ever and it will be difficult for any game to beat that. I dont know if they really expected D3 to be better. Perhaps the main goal was to create a more profitable game. A game that is more successful from a business POV. I think it will be that. As a gamer I really dont care...

I think items and how difficult it is to find something really good is a problem in D3. It was way more fun to try to find items in D2. I dont know exactly what they have planned for PvP. But if its intended to serious competition with balanced classes, skills and builds I will not like it at all. I dont like e-sport games. Compared to that I very much prefer PvP in D2.

[swayzesghost]

Diablo 2 wins.

Fatality.

[BellaStrega]

Is this a good place to link an interview with Max Schaefer?

http://eat-games.tumblr.com/post/249...ew-torchlight2

It's mostly about Torchlight 2, but he has some interesting things to say about Diablo III as well.

As for me: Don't make me choose one. I like them both for different reasons. I find it easier to motivate to play Diablo III than I did to play Diablo II, but I love both games.

[CoQui]

Diablo 2 hands down. But it's still very early. As much as I hate so many mechanics in this game, I keep going back to it. Although I'm not sure if that is a good thing considering I have a hard time playing long sessions before I get bored. It just doesn't have the same addicting feel D2 had in terms of character progression, item finding, and game pacing. What do I mean with game pacing? I mean the way I could instantly warp between ACTs with the waypoints and go anywhere I pleased total freedom to do any kind of run I felt like. Not to mention it felt so much faster paced in town with a lot less lore involved and the true choice on whether or not you need to care about the story or just go in and hack and slash away. In D3, you are forced to swallow everything and that slows everything down...