Diablo IV - The Real Official Thread

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Zorachus

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So this new Diablo 2 Remaster. It's an all new next gen game engine? Using the Diablo 4 graphic engine?

Or just an updated Diablo 2 engine with some sprinkles of new stuff?

Release dates?

- Diablo 2 Remaster this year?
- Diablo IV?
 
TaintedSquirrel

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There is a toggle to revert to the old graphics style, most likely they built ontop of the original.
 
Krenum

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Zorachus said:
So this new Diablo 2 Remaster. It's an all new next gen game engine? Using the Diablo 4 graphic engine?
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Watch the video , they explain it. Its a new 3D engine, running on top of the old engine. So its running at 25fps...but upscaled to 60fps on the fly....wild.
Its still a tiled game. One of the developers said its 70-30
70 percent original, asthetics, artwork ect. 30 percent they had to change and some quality impovements, without breaking the original gameplay.

Yes, Diablo 2 Remastered this year! Fuck yeh!

God it looks amazing!

Im more excited about D2 remaster than D4 at this point.
 
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E

Eshelmen

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Was bummed the Demon Hunter isn't making a return, but that rogue is basically a DH hybrid. Totally excited about it.

I'll most likely roll a rogue first.
 
TaintedSquirrel

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Meh, D2 is one of those rare games that improves on the original in every capacity. The first game was plagued with cheaters, slow movement, reptitive environments, uniform builds (all 3 classes used the same spells). I mean back in 1996 or whatever it was a masterpiece but D2 just blows it away.

I played through D1 a year or two ago using one of those remaster mods and it still holds up, but after playing D2 you're just constantly thinking "Man D2 did this so much better." The butcher is still scary as fuck though.
 
DWolvin

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FRESH MEAT was such a good jumpscare. But I agree, D2 improved everything. But it's also been surpassed but the newer stuff (imho/vmmv). I mean, you have everything from MMO style to WH40K these days.
 
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Colonel Sanders

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Krenum said:
Looks & plays like Diablo 3, with the saturation turned down.

...Not a good sign.
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I agree, the evolution from Diablo 3 is so minor that it looks more like an expansion or another game in the Diablo universe based on the D3 engine...
 
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UnknownSouljer

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Krenum said:
Looks & plays like Diablo 3, with the saturation turned down.

...Not a good sign.
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Colonel Sanders said:
I agree, the evolution from Diablo 3 is so minor that it looks more like an expansion or another game in the Diablo universe based on the D3 engine...
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This comment makes zero sense to me. Diablo 3 already plays like Diablo 2. So saying that this is similar to 4 and then sighting that as a negative makes no sense.
The difference between 2 and 3 was never about the "what" (gameplay) it was about the "how" (skills, itemization, stat points). The end result of using an array of skills to shred down enemies was the same. Just play a fully built Amazon in the cow level (whether Bowazon or Javazon) in D2 for 10 minutes. The gameplay between that and shredding anything in D3 is basically the same experience. The how again is the differentiator. D3 is all about sets, D2 itemization is all about Uniques, stat allocation, and runes. The other major gameplay difference of course was drop rate, item level, and how loot in general was handled (pools and with other chars).

So I'm not sure how you can look at this gameplay and get any sort of impression that mechanically they're working similarly or dissimilarly unless you're using some sort of opaque "feeling" rather than any objective measurement.

My big impression from these gameplay videos much like most gameplay videos in general is that it's highly produced and boring to watch. That's par for the course though. I'm paying attention to things like enemy life, player life, damage, and of course player ability. And none of that is remotely balanced all in the name of showing some piece of content. The player sucks at playing. The attacks deal next to no damage (or the enemy durability is too high). The enemies can't/don't really damage the player at all despite being hit. And the point of showing the skills already comes across at the first demonstration (let alone the over and over repetition) - which gets deflated by the fact that the attacks seem "not powerful" because again the enemy health doesn't get affected much.

In other words this demo is playing ultra slow. By the time this hits actual gameplay for players (especially at the end game) all of these attacks would/should mow down everything.

I would say at this point it's literally impossible to know how the actual end product will end up being like or playing. There are all of these graphical assets, but they are meaningless of course without actual gameplay mechanics. They can't operate in a void. But the point of them is obviously to wet the palate. At this point, being an old gamer (almost 40!) hype rarely if ever gets to me. And I know enough about games in general and I'm objective enough to know what is going on in these demos and also to know we haven't really seen ANY substance. It's all just fluff. Which isn't to say that what we've seen is either good or bad, it's just that we don't know and really with D4 being at least 1.5 years out (more than like 2+), Blizzard doesn't really know either. They still have tons of systems etc to work on and build out.

Blizzard of old I'd say this is a surefire "good game", but Activision Blizzard is an unknown quantity (mostly leading to nebulous at best and terrible at worst) - but I'm willing it give them the benefit of the doubt and hope that by the time this is released it isn't some terrible bomb. Either way, to be clear, I'm not preordering and I'll happily wait for reviews. And if a macOS version never comes, I just may not bother entirely - as I may not care enough about it to make that experience worth my time.
 
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Krenum

Krenum

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Jumpem said:
Why? Diablo 3 was extremely good.
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They killed off Deckard Cain with a butterfly...Diablo 3 was horrendous, gameplay wise, story wise and in its artistic style & worse, It was boring.

I can understand if someone had never played the series thought that it was good, but anyone who played the previous two, knew better.


I wish I had been in the board room when the designer laid out the story for us, that dumb fuck Jay Wilson. 'So Mr. Wilson, you're going to take the most beloved character of the franchise and kill him off with a mini boss write in?"

You're fired! *Smokes cigar* Now get me that guy from Hardforum in here, Krenum, lets use his story.
 
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TheSlySyl

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Yeah, that was really bad gameplay content. It got a little better at the end but I've played a ridiculous amount of Diablo over the past 2 decades and it was always way, way faster than that past the opening low level slog.

I'm more bummed that none of the skills shown off actually looked exciting. While some didn't like the colorful, card deck skill situation of Diablo III, at least every skill looked cool and mostly unique, even if the balance for them was absolutely fucking awful.

Which, this really does look like Diablo III but with individual puffs of grass and more reflections, which is kinda a big "whatever."
 
DWolvin

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New Dev update for the quarter. I like the art style, but some of the mesh blending blending is terrible in motion. That said, you won't be able to see it in game I feel...

And the Ronan the Accuser looking armor is awesome!
 
Krenum

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Diablo 4 Rogue, Barbarian and Monster Art Showcase (Quarterly Update)​



These character designs look impressive!

4:08 By Crom!
 
Krenum

Krenum

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Zorachus said:
Any type of release date for this game? I’m guessing fall 2022
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None. You know Blizzard, they take their sweet time on things. I'm just hoping it doesn't turn out being like Diablo 3 were we see the game come out looking completely different than what we saw and wanted in the development stages. So far though, the D4 development team has stuck to their guns on what their vision for this game will look like "fantasy based realism".

I'm gonna take a stab and say that it won't be coming out until fall of 2024.
 
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Zorachus

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Ouch 2024.

That means they'll milk Diablo ][ remaster game coming up. Probably have new expansion every year.
 
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Decko87

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If we're playing the price is right I'll say it'll come out in 2025.1, nah I think it'll be 2022/2023. They're doing an end game update next quarter.
 
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mr_zen256

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Krenum said:
None. You know Blizzard, they take their sweet time on things. I'm just hoping it doesn't turn out being like Diablo 3 were we see the game come out looking completely different than what we saw and wanted in the development stages. So far though, the D4 development team has stuck to their guns on what their vision for this game will look like "fantasy based realism".

I'm gonna take a stab and say that it won't be coming out until fall of 2024.
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At a guesstimate based on where they currently are in development and Blizzards history, I would say 2024 also. We still don't even have news on alpha testing, let alone beta.
 
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Jumpem

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mr_zen256 said:
At a guesstimate based on where they currently are in development and Blizzards history, I would say 2024 also. We still don't even have news on alpha testing, let alone beta.
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If they wait too long it could look outdated at release.
 
FlawleZ

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Jumpem said:
If they wait too long it could look outdated at release.
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This is kind of what happened with Diablo 3. It was announced in 2008 and didn't release until 2012. In fact there were already games that rivaled its graphics before it was even announced (TitanQuest).
 
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mr_zen256

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Jumpem said:
If they wait too long it could look outdated at release.
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Blizzard have never been ahead of the curve in the graphics department. Diablo 2 was still using sprites where most games of it's time had already moved to full 3D models and environments. By the time it does release, hardware will be fairly mainstream to play the game maxed out without much issue.
 
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Decko87

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TBH, I have no faith in Blizzard to release a ground up game anymore. D2R is going to be good (I played the alpha pretty thoroughly), if you like Diablo 2 of course. I'm not really looking forward to this at all, I'd put it on my list of "could be a pleasant surprise but may as well forget about it until it's out." The artwork is phenomenal, and they're bringing on Vicarious Visions to work on the engine, so it'll be pretty despite likely being dated on release. The quest is whether or not it'll be a good / fun game, who knows. Diablo 3 is fun if you skip the story, but when it came out it was pretty lackluster.
 
Krenum

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So long Diablo 4....we hardly knew ye...Hello Diablo 3.5


https://www.polygon.com/22620835/diablo-4-game-director-luis-barriga-jesse-mcree-leaves-blizzard

"Veteran Blizzard Entertainment developers Luis Barriga, the director of Diablo 4, and Jesse McCree, one of the game’s lead designers, are no longer employed at the game company, Kotaku reported Wednesday. World of Warcraft designer Johnathan LeCraft has also reportedly left the company.


Activision Blizzard confirmed the departures in a statement to Polygon.


“We can confirm Luis Barriga, Jesse McCree, and Jonathan LeCraft are no longer with the company,” an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said. “We have a deep, talented roster of developers already in place and new leaders have been assigned where appropriate. We are confident in our ability to continue progress, deliver amazing experiences to our players, and move forward to ensure a safe, productive work environment for all.”



Diablo 4 is doomed.
 
Nebell

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I think you're overreacting. It might even become a better game with another designer.
 
Krenum

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Diablo 4 has a new game Director

https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-4-gets-a-new-game-director/

t7vmqcC94kVFGuDg7xXEQe-320-80.jpg



"As a design lead who has been working on this dark, shared, open world action role-playing game from the beginning, I’m honored to continue the vision of Diablo 4 as its new Game Director, and I’m humbled to represent the team pouring their hearts into this game," Shely said in today's update. "Like many of you, our team has been reflecting upon recent events. A lot has happened since our last blog and the hard work of practicing the values we aspire to must continue. In parallel with that important work, development of Diablo 4 continues too."

"Sanctuary should always be items glittering in dark dungeons," he wrote. "Tales of powerful heroes standing against the onslaught of hell. Lands where trials, treasure, and terrible monsters lie around every corner, equal parts familiar and boundless in its possibilities. Doing this world justice is a solemn responsibility."


As well as announcing Shely as the new game director, today's update also digs into Diablo 4's audio, "a sometimes underappreciated yet integral element of the game's design."


"Crafting Diablo's sound requires science, art... and the occasional ball of fire," Shely wrote. "Sound Supervisor Kris Giampa and his team have fascinating insights to share in this behind-the-scenes look at how it all works."


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Well, I hope he does a good job. I also hope that it doesn't end up turning out like Diablo 3.
 
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