Diablo 3: Thoughts so far

[BloatedGuppy]

To be perfectly honest, it seems that a good number of the people complaining about the "Potential" issues with the biggest hot-topic (The always online model), don't even suffer from these problems (No broadband connection, internet too unstable, ect) and that they're using the problems that very few suffer (In relation to the rest of the developed world) as an excuse to ***** about the game.

This was sort of my perspective on it, and Penny Arcade's perspective on it back in the day when it was first announced.

But my friend took me to task about it, claiming that unstable internet is not an unusual situation for many people. Mine has been rock solid for a long time now, but I imagine if I had a glitchy/finicky connection I'd be fairly sour about stuff like this.

 

[Mattlore]

To be perfectly honest, it seems that a good number of the people complaining about the "Potential" issues with the biggest hot-topic (The always online model), don't even suffer from these problems (No broadband connection, internet too unstable, ect) and that they're using the problems that very few suffer (In relation to the rest of the developed world) as an excuse to ***** about the game.

This was sort of my perspective on it, and Penny Arcade's perspective on it back in the day when it was first announced.

But my friend took me to task about it, claiming that unstable internet is not an unusual situation for many people. Mine has been rock solid for a long time now, but I imagine if I had a glitchy/finicky connection I'd be fairly sour about stuff like this.

For those who legitimately have unstable internet to the point of not being able to play, I do feel for them and it does suck that they won't be able to enjoy the game, but my argument is aimed at exactly what the comic depicted. People who complain, rant and rave about boycotting it because of it always being online, that their internet connection has been strong, stable and working for 90% of the time they're on their computer.

 

[Tarrker]

Now it's here and my ability to play the game is based on my ability to connect to my shitty internet. It's just disappointing and I'm expressing this to the forums on a website about games. Why am I a bad person for this?

Totally understandable. This is the internet, so everyone has to polarize their arguments to an absurd degree. Those that bought Diablo III and aren't fussed about always online because they've been always online since 1995 are decried as corporate lackeys and turncoats and are blamed for every outrage the industry chooses to visit upon us for the next 50 years. Those who have crap internet and are legitimately irritated are called entitled crybabies. If there's one thing you can bank on it's that no matter what your opinion is someone, somewhere, is itching to call you a name.

Thanks, Guppy, for adding a bit of perspective to this. I'm just gonna go ahead, be prejudiced and say that most of the people spewing flames in my general direction don't know anyone affected or are themselves unaffected by the whole always online thing. I will never forget when my one friend eagerly bought Half-Life 2 only to find out that he couldn't play it because he didn't have any internet at the time. Comcast was the only provider then and he couldn't afford it. Not only that, but, Walmart wouldn't give him a refund because of some policy about copying games. I imagine that's about how my father feels right now. I wouldn't know, though. I haven't seen him since Sunday...

 

[Tarrker]

Diablo 2:

>Get game
>Go home
>Install it
>Play

Diablo 3: (For me)

- On the fence about buying it
- Decide to buy it
- No stock online
- Go to HMV then Tesco and they have no stock
- Go home
- Back to on the fence about buying it

I hate the always online thing but the game is, otherwise, great. However, if you DO decide to get it, wait a month or so...

 

[shrekfan246]

The menu is nice. It has a very nice..."Servers are busy" message. I guess.

It certainly is a nice menu, huh? I'm mostly posting this because it has now been twelve hours since you started this thread and the American servers are still down so... I can't get in to the game. Maybe I'll just go back to The Witcher 2...

We're now at the 21 hour mark. Servers still down. What a great release. This has to be the worst release of a non-MMO I've had the displeasure to be a part of.

Well, I did get in for about ten minutes about 5 PM Eastern Time last night, but my internet decided to cut itself off, so... you guessed it, I couldn't keep playing.

I'm not going to uninstall the game or anything, as I can foresee myself having plenty of fun with it in the future, but it's definitely not pushing itself to the top of my "Games I must play now!" list.

Also, I've just stuck the shortcut in my MMO folder along with WoW and Star Trek Online (I like to keep my desktop clean), because considering there is server lag and latency in the single-player game... it might as well just be considered an MMO.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Also, I've just stuck the shortcut in my MMO folder along with WoW and Star Trek Online (I like to keep my desktop clean), because considering there is server lag and latency in the single-player game... it might as well just be considered an MMO.

It's an instanced co-op multiplayer experience like the original Guild Wars. Something of a MMO lite, if you will.

 

[shrekfan246]

It's an instanced co-op multiplayer experience like the original Guild Wars. Something of a MMO lite, if you will.

Fair enough, I don't typically get so in-depth in my sorting of things into separate genres. Either way, it belongs in my MMO-shortcut folder as opposed to my Normal-Game-shortcut folder.

In brighter news, yesterday gave me the opportunity of playing Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode II, which probably has the most interesting boss battles in the entire series to date. Good fun.

 

[Kathinka]

intrusive and unneccesary always-on-drm? check
much too short campain? check
lan mode? no check
pay-to-win real money auction house? check

i don't think so, activision-blizzard, i don't think so..

 

[Lunar Templar]

Load spikes aren't a technology problem, they're a $$ problem. Which is why Amazon Web Services exists. Did BlizzaVision not have the time/resources to create a bunch of images on Amazon and have them ready to spin up when they hit the inevitable release day load spike? They can always spin those images down post release week when the extra capacity wasn't needed. Sounds like a bottom line decision to me.

All the money that could've gone into that instead went into having giant full page ads on every site on the internet.

you'd think, but .... ya know, advertising >.>

anyway, i've been on it twice, both times the game it self ran like a champ.

case your wondering, i have one character just past the skeleton king, and one about to break her foot off in his hind end >.> I'd probably be further if i didn't explore every square inch of map space

I have that problem too. I think I did that cemetary part at least 3 times in order to get the jar of souls quest done too for absolutely no reason other than it is super fun.

On topic, really enjoyin it right now. My first character was planned to be a Wizard, but my partners weren't ready when the servers came up so I messed around as a Demon Hunter. That was a whole lot more fun than I expected it to be. Vault, especially when you get your first passive, is so much fun.

i got the jar of souls on my barb (the one that's not beat SK yet), i got the 'lay the nobles souls to rest' on my demon hunter, funny thing is, it was the same in the open beta weekend to.

and i agree, vault is awesome, then again, she dose kinda need it >.>

 

[Fishyash]

Just finished act one so I can get some actual first impressions.

It's OK. Although I am slightly dissapointed that I paid £40 for it. I am hoping it will be worth the money, but it hasn't really gotten me hooked.

The game plays perfectly fine, it just didn't give me as great a pull to it as Diablo 2 did when I first played that. I can't quite put my finger on why that is though. It is probably because the customization is a lot more limited until later on in the game.

 

[Dags90]

The game plays perfectly fine, it just didn't give me as great a pull to it as Diablo 2 did when I first played that. I can't quite put my finger on why that is though. It is probably because the customization is a lot more limited until later on in the game.

Customization skyrockets after Act 1. You're just starting to get runes and duplicate abilities.

I made a fairly in depth review of the Normal campaign which is now up on the User Review section and can be found here: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.375332-Diablo-3-as-a-video-game

 

[Stryc9]

*Snip*

Yeah, i thought about that. But gladly they delivered it today. Not sure why it took so long.

Well that's good news, and hopefully everything's smoothed out now and you should be happily enjoying the clicking, the killing, the clicking and the looting.

 

[Jaeke]

Finished the game last night at around 18 hours. Level 31-32 Barbarian.
Little short for 4-5 year development but it doesn't matter that much.

This is a great game. Nothing else needs to be said.
The combat is superb, enemies are diverese. Level design is interesting and great. Voice acting is spot on. Story was fulfilling. Didn't notice anything that people complained about with art design/atmosphere.

My only complaint is that you never really explore the world beyond a few cities, it was a bit easy for me (groundstomp+earthquake... I literally killed about %75 of the bosses in under 10 seconds) and I have had only one incident with the online DRM so far. It hasn't really been a problem for me.

Worth $60 to me.

 

[Tarrker]

intrusive and unneccesary always-on-drm? check
much too short campain? check
lan mode? no check
pay-to-win real money auction house? check

i don't think so, activision-blizzard, i don't think so..

Yeah I wasn't a huge fan of the always online thing either but I wouldn't say the auction house is "pay-to-win" at all. The only items for sale are posted by real players and you can choose weather you want to use real money or gold. I was actually kind of disappointed. It's been, what, three days now and I still haven't seen ANY real money auctions at all. Wholey aside from that, the game is very skill based. A naked character with a good skill set that knows how to use it will easily dominate players with epic gear that do nothing but skill spam. I've actually seen this exact scenario happen a few times already.

In all honesty, some of the worst parts of the game are the actual features. There is nothing like walking through a dungeon one-shotting everything only to be slowly wittled down by four "nightmarish" skeletal archers that stun lock you into death. Or finally downing a boss and watching in joy as a rare, wizard item drops only to find that it has strength as the main stat.

I swear whatever "random" function they used for the character chat in the game is just broken. All the characters have about 5 or 6 taunt sayings but you'll hear the same one about 5 or 6 times before you get another "random" one. OMG! And if I hear the vendor in New Tristram say "I've worked my hands to the bone to bring you these fine goods." ONE MORE TIME, I'm going to uninstall.... (not really)