Diablo III: 20 Minutes of Game Play

oh the memories, right in line with D2, hope the modernize autoloot for the gold drop, etc.
 
I've been playing the D3 beta for the past couple of months, and while they have made improvements, I am a bit disappointed in the game so far.

First of all, the game feels like a warcraft mod rather than an extension of the diablo series. Everything from the art work/character models, to skills and weapons has a closer resemblance to the warcraft universe.

The graphics engine is not what I would expect from a AAA title. In particular the ambient lighting and shadows are simply sub par and actually detract from the gameplay. For instance, shadows are static and aren't directional based upon light sources. There's screen wide ambient lighting, that really takes away from the feeling of exploration, particularly in dungeons.

Oh and the skill system is now suffering from serious console-itis, and had the controls dumbed down in order to fit nicely on a controller. In the process they seriously limited the strategic options available to the player.
 
pfft, 20 minutes if teaser to the world, while my wife and I been playing beta for a few months now.

Beat the Lich King about 5 times. :D
 
Seems like anything not an MMO these days is designed for console first with PC gamers as an afterthought. At least it makes me not as sad that I don't have much time for gaming anymore.

Do they still have the internet requirement to play?
 
grossebeaver said:
I've been playing the D3 beta for the past couple of months, and while they have made improvements, I am a bit disappointed in the game so far.

First of all, the game feels like a warcraft mod rather than an extension of the diablo series. Everything from the art work/character models, to skills and weapons has a closer resemblance to the warcraft universe.

The graphics engine is not what I would expect from a AAA title. In particular the ambient lighting and shadows are simply sub par and actually detract from the gameplay. For instance, shadows are static and aren't directional based upon light sources. There's screen wide ambient lighting, that really takes away from the feeling of exploration, particularly in dungeons.

Oh and the skill system is now suffering from serious console-itis, and had the controls dumbed down in order to fit nicely on a controller. In the process they seriously limited the strategic options available to the player.
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Also this is a beta, and not a release.

Also this beta is limited in what it can do for bug finding.

If your baseing this as an end product, you are only fooling you're self.
 
The first thing I noticed when I started playing the beta was how much I took for granted the Lord of Destruction resolution. This is zoomed right back in like D2 vanilla. Maybe it's supposed to increase tension, but I just found it frustrating after being spoiled with the wider view.
 
Devilpup said:
Seems like anything not an MMO these days is designed for console first with PC gamers as an afterthought. At least it makes me not as sad that I don't have much time for gaming anymore.

Do they still have the internet requirement to play?
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Yes you need to be online for the "BETA".

Not saying you think this, but what I don't get is the people who have been selected for this "closed beta" are bitching about how the game is now.

Blizzard is play testing the engine, and mechanic's right now. I bet 42 bucks to anyone, you will see a change when "Public Beta" is released, as the same with Retail.
 
grossebeaver said:
I've been playing the D3 beta for the past couple of months, and while they have made improvements, I am a bit disappointed in the game so far.

First of all, the game feels like a warcraft mod rather than an extension of the diablo series. Everything from the art work/character models, to skills and weapons has a closer resemblance to the warcraft universe.

The graphics engine is not what I would expect from a AAA title. In particular the ambient lighting and shadows are simply sub par and actually detract from the gameplay. For instance, shadows are static and aren't directional based upon light sources. There's screen wide ambient lighting, that really takes away from the feeling of exploration, particularly in dungeons.

Oh and the skill system is now suffering from serious console-itis, and had the controls dumbed down in order to fit nicely on a controller. In the process they seriously limited the strategic options available to the player.
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Agree fully, though it shouldn't be a surprise as the team that's working on D3 has none of the designers of the previous diablo series.

Honestly, I think torchlight1 is still a better game in single player, and IMO, Torchlight2 will be a much better game then Diablo3. However, with D3's marketing budget and legacy name (and as stated above, this is a blizzard game in name only, not people) it'll still do better financially, which is sad.
 
[RIP]Zeus;1038438907 said:
Yes you need to be online for the "BETA".

Not saying you think this, but what I don't get is the people who have been selected for this "closed beta" are bitching about how the game is now.

Blizzard is play testing the engine, and mechanic's right now. I bet 42 bucks to anyone, you will see a change when "Public Beta" is released, as the same with Retail.
Click to expand...

If a beta is anything but the final product, then what's the point?

It's not uncommon to see people bitching about a beta version of a game being corrected by the "it's just a beta" crowd, only to see the game released with the same flaws.
 
cdr_74_premium said:
If a beta is anything but the final product, then what's the point?

It's not uncommon to see people bitching about a beta version of a game being corrected by the "it's just a beta" crowd, only to see the game released with the same flaws.
Click to expand...

The point is to find problems and fix them in the final release. The point is to get constructive feedback to improve the game, based on how people play the game.

That's the point.

Anyone whom has been involved with betas know this.
 
cdr_74_premium said:
If a beta is anything but the final product, then what's the point?

It's not uncommon to see people bitching about a beta version of a game being corrected by the "it's just a beta" crowd, only to see the game released with the same flaws.
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That the thing with this, it's just that. You are only limited to fight the Lich King and then it says THANK YOU FOR BEATING DIABLO 3 BETA!

Like I stated above, and I will state it again, since you clearly did not read my last post.
Blizzard is play testing the game for bugs, they release newer versions, wipe your char, and you start all over to find "new" bugs.

It's a "Closed Beta".

It's FAR from the final product, now I just logged on, and the skills UI has been changed, and I now have more graphic options to fart with than I did 2 weeks ago.

Also, my char has been wiped, just like the last major update.

So per you, fighting the Lich King and beating him, is the final product... :eek:

Do some research before slapping me into the "it's just beta crowd".
 
wiseoracle said:
The point is to find problems and fix them in the final release. The point is to get constructive feedback to improve the game, based on how people play the game.

That's the point.

Anyone whom has been involved with betas know this.
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That's exactly where I'm getting. The point of a beta is the feedback. Saying "it's only a beta!" when someone express what they think about the game destroys the feedback, defeating the purpose of the whole thing.

And I get what you say about "constructive" feedback.. some people go out and just trash the whole thing. Developers may not want that to happen, but I do. If someone comes out telling some bad things about a game, things that I know I don't like, it's more money in my pocket.
 
I believe it's still 'Closed Beta' and there haven't been 'that many' people accepted into the beta yet I think.
 
[RIP]Zeus;1038438899 said:
Also this is a beta, and not a release.

Also this beta is limited in what it can do for bug finding.

If your baseing this as an end product, you are only fooling you're self.
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http://vr-zone.com/articles/blizzard-tells-gamers-to-lower-expectations-for-diablo-iii/14997.html

What about basing it on their own thoughts on the game?

Honestly, it looks like crap. It's going to be another Torchlight in that it's fun for the first 2-3 days, then you uninstall and don't care anymore. The storyline might be the only thing worth it
 
[RIP]Zeus;1038438899 said:
Also this is a beta, and not a release.

Also this beta is limited in what it can do for bug finding.

If your baseing this as an end product, you are only fooling you're self.
Click to expand...

Yes it's beta, but there are still some fundamental conclusions that you can make in regards to a released product.

For instance it isn't likely that they will be redoing a majority of the art/models in the game for release. They also will not be shifting to a different game engine, and Blizzard has already commented on some of the concessions that have to be made with the engine being used for D3. Announcing that the game will be coming out on console means that there are some design choices that will be made, for instance we won't see a skill assignment system that is as flexible as the one in D2.

Having participated in the D2 and WOW beta, I'm pretty certain that we won't see monumental changes prior to release, but rather some iterative design changes.
 
all these beta key giveaways are killing the hype for this game. I won't be spending a dime on D3 ever now, unless i get a beta key or some sort of free trial down the road to make the decision to purchase not. there's just to many good games out and don't have time for them all.
 
grossebeaver said:
Oh and the skill system is now suffering from serious console-itis, and had the controls dumbed down in order to fit nicely on a controller. In the process they seriously limited the strategic options available to the player.
Click to expand...

I recall watching a video showing an option in the settings for enabling/disabling this feature. By default it's on for newbie players, but you can turn it off and have more control over your skills menus.

Maybe you can look it up if you're playing the beta right now and miss the old design.
 
I played D1 and D2 to the point that I broke a mouse during each game from it...But I find D3 to be pretty boring and the graphics look like they were designed to be "timeless" but it comes across as low-budget to me. I became fairly bored with it pretty fast too, I am not sure what the appeal is for individuals to "play for months". Especially with how limited the beta is.
 
I think you guys are all missing the point. Its fun as hell! I love the beta, and I cant wait.
 
If they ever come out with a Diablo MMO, then WoW will become "that mmo we used to play".
 
umm..... maybe i missed something...

when the character levels up and gets a new skill, what the hell is the point of player going into the skill menu to confirm she has it? Did i miss something with that? It seems like left over from the skill point system...
 
I have been playing the closed beta for about a month, a lot of it being co-op. My overall feelings about the game are "Meh!". I look forward to any improvements they make before release and will likely end up buying the game, unless they do something in beta that absolutely kills it for me.

Things I like:
Tons of stuff are breakable (Chairs, tables, lamp posts, etc.)
Looting in Co-op (Each person gets their own loot, no more loot whores)
Game play has a steady speed

Things I don't like:
Lighting & Shadows are not dynamic as grossbeaver had mentioned
Graphics IMHO could have been better, but then again it is dumb ed down for consoles (Damn yous!)
Has the feel of WoW, which isn't terribly bad as a lot of us are used to WOW, but I would have liked to see it more traditional to D2
 
hesho said:
umm..... maybe i missed something...

when the character levels up and gets a new skill, what the hell is the point of player going into the skill menu to confirm she has it? Did i miss something with that? It seems like left over from the skill point system...
Click to expand...

It's more like you have to set up the combination of available skills to make an overall character that works for you, or in co-op, for your team.

As you level up higher, you unlock more and more skills and have to make choices. In the beta, that does not really apply because you top out around level 10 when you are done.

I'm not really enthused by the skill system either. It flattens the game a little, and you can make a case for or against that I suppose.


Overall I am not crazy about the game. Not based on content itself, but it plays in a very uninspired way. The graphics aren't what I expect from a AAA title and before I hear "IT'S JUST A BETA" one more time, no, the engine will not be switched and the assets will carry forward with minimal changes. There will be more of it, and it will be more polished, but the basics remain.

I'm glad I played the beta, got the willies out and decided that unless they make major changes, I will wait for this to be in the bargain bin and pick up TL2 instead.
 
All the "meh" posts. Shit man, I cannot wait after watching this. Made me think about the first time I played D1 due to the music. Which, honestly, now makes me excited about the sometime soon to be release. I cannot wait to have many-many beers in the fridge, co-op'ing with my friends, and bitch about how I wish that ring drop is mine!
 
Wierdo said:
I recall watching a video showing an option in the settings for enabling/disabling this feature. By default it's on for newbie players, but you can turn it off and have more control over your skills menus.

Maybe you can look it up if you're playing the beta right now and miss the old design.
Click to expand...

You can remove the restrictions on some skills only going in some slots. They still removed two skill slots so they could fit it all on a controller easily. Used to be 8 skills, 3 passives, now it's 6 skills, 3 passives.
 
I think some people are missing some key points that we've learned about Blizzard over the years:

1: They're not EA. When Blizzard releases a beta they usually try to listen to the testers and try to correct thing. Once again, unlike EA

2: Blizzard has ALWAYS made their games with lower end (but good looking) graphics. They do this so people with lower end and older systems can get the same level of fun out of their games.

Blizzard has earned my trust, until they crap all over those 2 points, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and my money.
 
I played through the beta last night as a witch doctor, and I have to say that I am very disappointed. With graphics maxed at 1920X1080, it's just not a very pretty game. EVERYTHING is very low-res, and incredibly low-polygon. Additionally, there doesn't seem to have been any real advancements in terms of the combat. It's the same game. While I loved DII and DI, things have changed a lot since then, and some things stuck out at me.
Particularly jarring was the fact that you cannot move and attack at the same time. As such, it feels very much like you are a roving turret that must plant itself before doing anything. That lack of movement, while more than acceptable in DII, seems too limiting and confining these days.
 
Kargatane said:
2: Blizzard has ALWAYS made their games with lower end (but good looking) graphics. They do this so people with lower end and older systems can get the same level of fun out of their games.
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But there is a a difference between scalability and just low res, low poly goop. Tribes Ascendance is a good example. It can run on really low end systems, albeit not looking very good. It can, however, scale up pretty well, and looks really nice on higher end computers.

But here, DIII just looks bad, even on a high end computer, and there is really no excuse for that...
 
Kargatane said:
I think some people are missing some key points that we've learned about Blizzard over the years:

1: They're not EA. When Blizzard releases a beta they usually try to listen to the testers and try to correct thing. Once again, unlike EA

2: Blizzard has ALWAYS made their games with lower end (but good looking) graphics. They do this so people with lower end and older systems can get the same level of fun out of their games.

Blizzard has earned my trust, until they crap all over those 2 points, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and my money.
Click to expand...

1. The general culture of Blizzard has changed recently, especially when you look at what happened to the original development group that created the Diablo series (and Blizzard North in general). The disconnect I think is very apparent in the recent development and upkeep they are implementing in WoW.

2. Graphics that are a year or two behind the curve is one thing, the current D3 engine honestly looks pre-Torchlight retro. The issue becomes increasingly apparent when you play the game on a larger resolution. Also for a hack and slash dungeon crawl in a gothic setting, the lighting is so important for immersion. Think about the difference that +5 light radius made to some sections of past Diablo games, or hearing those that sickening sound made by those damn dolls from some unseen location in Durance of Hate (really friggin scary in hardcore hell mode).

I really would like nothing more than to love D3, but right now there's so many blaring issues that are more than cosmetic.
 
Kargatane said:
I think some people are missing some key points that we've learned about Blizzard over the years:

1: They're not EA. When Blizzard releases a beta they usually try to listen to the testers and try to correct thing. Once again, unlike EA
Click to expand...

Stop with the kool-aid. During beta there are literally thousands of suggestions, some stupid and some good. Developers cannot implement all of them. I'm glad Blizzard listened to the 12 year olds that want to do poke-battles with pets for Panda-expansion.

Kargatane said:
2: Blizzard has ALWAYS made their games with lower end (but good looking) graphics. They do this so people with lower end and older systems can get the same level of fun out of their games.
Click to expand...

There's a big difference between looking aweful and targeting low-end hardware. Starcraft II and WoW both look great for the system requirements. Diablo 3, otoh, looks terrible.
 
One thing that struck me was how incredibly short this beta is. You can play the whole thing through in less than a half hour if you wanted and if you explored every inch it might take 2 1/2 hours. Kind of a short game IMO.
Another detail is that the graphics are lacking in detail like, say, Skyrim but this can be a concession for those with lesser systems. Still, I think it is lazy of Blizzard, you can always turn down the graphics.
Also, you don't get a key, per se, but simply a link on your account to play the beta and more importantly, you don't need to have an active paid account to play.
The Charaters need some serious rework. The Barbarian is way overpowered while the Demon Hunter is comparatively underpowered IMO.
Still, it was fun to play, but you do get tired of it after the first couple of play-throughs.
 
All I'm saying is that Blizzard has yet, to me any way, released a steaming pile of garbage and called it a game.

Epic USED to be that way, then they gave us UT3. It's quite possible that D3 is Blizzard's UT3 abomination and destroys the faith they get from the gaming community. But until that happens, I am still going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

In my mind, the only other company that deserves that level of trust from me is Valve, because they have never dropped a steaming pile of garbage.
 
Kargatane said:
In my mind, the only other company that deserves that level of trust from me is Valve, because they have never dropped a steaming pile of garbage.
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You've never played CZ or CS:S when they were first released, have you? They were both utter garbage and took months (and in the case of source, years) to release a polished product which was playable and didn't suck donkeyballs. And the only reason source doesn't suck now is because valve finally listened to the community.

The graphics really don't fit Diablo's feel. It should be a dark gothic game with dark undertones, creepy music and "Holy shit! what the hell was that!?" lighting. Right now, it's WoW ported to a hack and slash and has lost its Diablo-ness.

I think Blizz forgot that Diablo and WoW should be polar opposites, and instead somewhere down the road decided to just merge the two
 
for those that don't understand why people are upset with the direction of diablo3 let me put it this way

Diablo3 is doing to the diablo series what twilight did to vampires. Completly gayed it out. there are those that like that gayed out stuff, but there is plenty that were expecting the gothic styled rated M game RPG hack&slash and find out we are getting Diablo Adventure Land rated T for toddlers where the little tikes can play the same game daddy plays and feel all grownup.

I wanted to see a game rated M for mature where you open the door to the butchers room and have nekkid mutilated corpses all over with blood every where and you crap your pants. I also wanted to decide how to play my character and not be pingeon holed into what some dude's "vision" of a class is and how it should be played.

There is no way that diablo 3 will be played for the next decade. People will get bored and move on. But then again maby activision is pushing blizzard to get on the whole anual release of trash cycle that those big publishers love so much.
 
Good point. Twilight vamps are not vampires. Just as this is not Diablo. Look, I LOVED torchlight. It was a great fun game, with fin graphics and fun characters. It's a hack'n'slash like Diablo, but it's not scary. It's not dark or gritty or bloody. It's a different game.

This is the same. It's not Diablo. It may be a fun game, but it's not Diablo, and it's not what PC gamers deserve from a AAA dev. As-is, it not worth any more than $10 Torchlight and they are going to want me to pay $60.
 
I like the beta. I'm having a lot of fun with it and have not had any crashes or many glitches with it. On the graphics end, my card is not a high-card, but I do hope those get a bump for release.
 
Modred189 said:
Good point. Twilight vamps are not vampires. Just as this is not Diablo. Look, I LOVED torchlight. It was a great fun game, with fin graphics and fun characters. It's a hack'n'slash like Diablo, but it's not scary. It's not dark or gritty or bloody. It's a different game.

This is the same. It's not Diablo. It may be a fun game, but it's not Diablo, and it's not what PC gamers deserve from a AAA dev. As-is, it not worth any more than $10 Torchlight and they are going to want me to pay $60.
Click to expand...


In a sense we should have expected it though given what Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft looked like.
 
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