Looking at Diablo III as it's own game.

[Nautical Honors Society]

I've never played Diablo I or II, but I picked up three out of general interest...

...it's awesome.

I have no idea what all the complaining is about, and I like always being online, it makes multiplayer a breeze. Also, there are like no loading screen, I am always fighting, always playing, and never waiting.

This game is constant mindless fun.

I feel as though a lot of the hate just comes from the DRM stuff and people's past perception of the Diablo series.

But when looked at as it's own game...Diablo III is quite impressive.

Agree? Disagree? General thoughts?

 

[Kae]

Well it's pretty much the DRM what's keeping me away from it, I mean it's a stupid piece of shit DRM that keeps people like me who have really crappy Internet connections from playing the game, I mean even if I only played single player as I usually do, I'd have to deal with the stupid lag and the fact that my connection comes and goes as it pleases, bottom line the DRM is awful and there is nothing you can say to justify it, I mean literally the game is unplayable for me, or at least it seems that way, and it's not like I'm in a minority here, most people I know have these really crappy networks, so anyway the DRM sucks too much for me to give it a try.

 

[Jmp_man]

Really though, the DRM is the only thing I truly hate about the game. Essentially, it doesn't look like a BAD game. I really would have liked the ability to download mods to keep the game fresh however.

Disagreed. I don't think its impressive. Its a good hack and slay/loot em up title, but nothing more. Its also got a new ability system which will probably hurt the game in the long run and a controversial auction house.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it possible to turn off the "auto-distribute" for skills? Also, the auction house will soon be overrun with gold farmers and power levelers selling rares for a dollar a pop so that's true.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Tough to say because I can't look at it as it's own game. Besides it's other noted issues, the part that gets to me specifically is that it just really doesn't sound like it does anything to advance the gameplay of the genre at all from where it was in the time of Diablo 2. Diablo 3 may be all shiny and new, but I can get a similar (and in some ways better) experience in a number of other places for a fraction of the price and without any of the built in hassles.

Diablo 3 may look nice in a vacuum.. but so do many games. That's the point of there being competition.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Tough to say because I can't look at it as it's own game. Besides it's other noted issues, the part that gets to me specifically is that it just really doesn't sound like it does anything to advance the gameplay of the genre at all from where it was in the time of Diablo 2. Diablo 3 may be all shiny and new, but I can get a similar (and in some ways better) experience in a number of other places for a fraction of the price and without any of the built in hassles.

Diablo 3 may look nice in a vacuum.. but so do many games. That's the point of there being competition.

Well then don't compare it to the prequels, compare it to other similar games...like Torchlight, which Diablo 3 is far superior to.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Really though, the DRM is the only thing I truly hate about the game. Essentially, it doesn't look like a BAD game. I really would have liked the ability to download mods to keep the game fresh however.

Disagreed. I don't think its impressive. Its a good hack and slay/loot em up title, but nothing more. Its also got a new ability system which will probably hurt the game in the long run and a controversial auction house.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it possible to turn off the "auto-distribute" for skills? Also, the auction house will soon be overrun with gold farmers and power levelers selling rares for a dollar a pop so that's true.

Gold farming? In this game? I make 10,000g in an hour without even thinking about it. So either the prices will be ungodly inflated, or everyone is a gold farmer.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Tough to say because I can't look at it as it's own game. Besides it's other noted issues, the part that gets to me specifically is that it just really doesn't sound like it does anything to advance the gameplay of the genre at all from where it was in the time of Diablo 2. Diablo 3 may be all shiny and new, but I can get a similar (and in some ways better) experience in a number of other places for a fraction of the price and without any of the built in hassles.

Diablo 3 may look nice in a vacuum.. but so do many games. That's the point of there being competition.

Well then don't compare it to the prequels, compare it to other similar games...like Torchlight, which Diablo 3 is far superior to.

I actually have, and Diablo 3 still disappoints. I can buy Torchlight 1 for $15 and get a comparable single player experience without the Diablo 3 specific hassbles. I could also wait a couple months for Torchlight 2 and get a likely largely better experience for only $20 (and get Torchlight 1 free to play now if I didn't already have it). Diablo 3 isn't bad by any means, but it just doesn't seem to offer much when compared to either it's contemporary competition or even games from 10 years previous.

 

[Kahunaburger]

If I were to look at it as it's own game, my take would essentially be: "hey, another boring grindy mmo-style ARPG. Next!"

 

[LetalisK]

This is just from what I've seen and played a little, haven't played the whole game, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Diablo 3 is a decent game. But in reality, most big games are at least decent nowadays because the medium has progressed so much. So what was awesome just a few years ago is mediocre now. Diablo 3 feels like one of those games that feels like it's trying to do the same thing that made the series awesome way back when and today that trope is merely decent. Slap a $60 price tag on it and it starts to look mildly insulting.

 

[HellsingerAngel]

I've never played Diablo I or II, but I picked up three out of general interest...

...it's awesome.

I have no idea what all the complaining is about, and I like always being online, it makes multiplayer a breeze. Also, there are like no loading screen, I am always fighting, always playing, and never waiting.

This game is constant mindless fun.

I feel as though a lot of the hate just comes from the DRM stuff and people's past perception of the Diablo series.

But when looked at as it's own game...Diablo III is quite impressive.

Agree? Disagree? General thoughts?

I don't agree, mostly because of another comment that was made. A game should never be looked at in a vacuum, because then we'd never learn.

Is Diablo III good? I think so. It solves some of the issues I didn't like with Diablo II, such as the skill trees. They're a bit of a sloppy mess, to be honest, and the streamlined skills with rune power-ups still gives compelling choices without punishing people for making a wrong choice and have to destroy all their hard work. The new resource systems are fun and fair instead of having to chug potion after potion through a fight. basically, it's very simple now and that's good on one hand.

On the other, you have a game like Torchlight. Lots of choices and customization, plenty of hours can be whittled away getting your character just right. I'm not sure what the max level actually is but I think you can eventually max yourself out. After that? Well, get rewarded by starting another hero and keeping one of your treasured pieces of equipment! It also has a good modding scene which certainly helps with longevity. It's everything the D2 fan loves, basically, which isn't surprising as some of the original Diablo team are making it.

So which is better? That's opinion, for sure. I think most of the staunch D2 lovers will find a better home either continuing to play D2 or playing the Torchlight series. For the newer, more casual gamer, D3 seems to be the more obvious choice as its very "character customization lite" in its approach. In the end, neither are bad, both are awesome dungeon crawlers and I love them both for what they do. I just wish I had a better attention span so I can beat both of them! D=<

 

[Niishke]

Too bad you can't assess games as if they exist in a vacuum. That's now how it works.

 

[Krion_Vark]

My friends all praise Diablo 2 as a great game. I was thinking of buying 3 but with all these issues and it not even stacking up to 2 yeah its a pass. If it surpassed 2 probably would pick it up. But as it is right now its def a pass for me.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

Slap a $60 price tag on it and it starts to look mildly insulting.

Don't forget the additional auction house fees. And I found it more amusing then insulting. I did one of these:
(BTW, if anyone knows how to set the start time automatically, help a guy out. I couldn't find it)

EDIT: Thanks Jamash!

 

[Charli]

I like it enough, I'm one of the few on the interwebs who hasn't had much to complain about, it's given me some entertainment, I've made a kick ass monk, and I'm kinda interested in making a Wizard now.

Also I didn't...technically shell out 60 bucks for it... My playing WoW (and I was going to be anyway) paid it. I signed up for a year I was technically already resigned to playing through and got the game on the side... For that? Yeah it's worth it.

 

[Rednog]

The visuals remind me too much of an MMO, and I hate the notion that the game is build around playing the game over and over because the hardest difficulty is meant to be "the true game." I abhor the notion of grinding being touted as a feature in games and this is grinding at the worst level.
Also, lag in my single player? Die in a fire blizz, k, thanks, bye.

 

[ScotRotum]

I find Diablo 3's gameplay very streamlined and fun in the same way torchlight's is and diablo 2 is nothing in comparison, any other opinion is (in my opinion) entirely nostalgia based and not fact. The "lite" character customization is a fairly accurate description but even as someone who grew up with diablo 1 and 2 I quite like the freedom it offers.
I have however got the error 3007 where it kicks me whenever no-one has talked in chat for a few minutes which blizzard claims is a problem on my side and there are simply not enough expletives to explain how that makes me feel.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Well it's pretty much the DRM what's keeping me away from it, I mean it's a stupid piece of shit DRM that keeps people like me who have really crappy Internet connections from playing the game, I mean even if I only played single player as I usually do, I'd have to deal with the stupid lag and the fact that my connection comes and goes as it pleases, bottom line the DRM is awful and there is nothing you can say to justify it, I mean literally the game is unplayable for me, or at least it seems that way, and it's not like I'm in a minority here, most people I know have these really crappy networks, so anyway the DRM sucks too much for me to give it a try.

I'm a part of that group too. I can maintain a decent enough internet connection for web-surfing on my laptop but I can't stay on Xbox Live for an unbroken hour. This game simply wasn't meant for me. I liked Diablo and 2 enough though. Never actually owned 2 but played a neighbor's copy. Never made it far in the original either but it was still pretty fun.

 

[Elamdri]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it possible to turn off the "auto-distribute" for skills? Also, the auction house will soon be overrun with gold farmers and power levelers so that's true.

I don't think there is, and even if you could, it wouldn't matter. Theres no skill tree.

EDIT: Apparently I was wrong, there is an option to put any skill in any slot. My apologies.

Correct. Your character has

2 Mouse skill slots bound to Mouse 1 and Mouse 2. These are your "Bread n' Butter"

4 Action bar skills bound to 1, 2, 3, and 4. These are your cooldown powers.

3 Passive ability slots.

now within each slots are a number of skill choices that you unlock as you level.

For example, for Mouse 1, the Barbarian has the choice of Bash, Cleave or Frenzy. He must pick one of those skills to be bound to Mouse 1.

Likewise for each action bar slot, you have a choice of between 3-4 powers that fit the theme of that action bar slot, but you must pick one of those 3-4 powers for that slot.

The passives give you a lot to chose from, but you only get to pick 3.

Ultimately, how you specialize your character is:

A: What skills you pick for each slot and

B: What runes you use for each skill.

It isn't like Diablo 2 where you could sink a BUNCH of points into one skill and make it better. Instead, all your abilities scale with your gear and instead it's up to your skill and rune decisions to diversify.

 

[TaintedSaint]

Diablo 3 is great, yeah the Drm sucks and the first few day were sketchy at best, but the game is amazing.
The real issue is people just love to hate what is popular plain and simple. always on DRm is here to stay I don't like but its a minor headache compared to missing out on a game alot of us waited 12 years for. And if you think always on DRm is not gonna happen to consoles as well you are fooling yourself, because that would be one sure fire way to kill used game sales and we all know how hard big publishers are trying to do that. Welcome to the future folks.

 

[MetallicaRulez0]

*SNIP* For example, for Mouse 1, the Barbarian has the choice of Bash, Cleave or Frenzy. He must pick one of those skills to be bound to Mouse 1.

Incorrect. If you enable "Elective Mode" in the options, you can put any ability in any slot you want, and use any number of abilities from each category. I have no idea why "Elective Mode" isn't enabled from the start. Probably coddling the WoW players who got the game for free.