Diablo III Catch-All

Returned from Jamaica to find a beta invite waiting. Nice!

Sent requests to everyone from the last couple pages. If I missed you, go ahead and friend me up. Serengeti#1737

Update Blizzard SC2 and Diablo3 Names.

I've updated the list with all the names I've seen in the last several pages. I can't promise that I didn't accidentally miss someone.

Tkyl wrote:

Update Blizzard SC2 and Diablo3 Names.

I've updated the list with all the names I've seen in the last several pages. I can't promise that I didn't accidentally miss someone.

Awesome, thanks so much for updating this. Internet Hi5!

BTW, is there a GWJ Steam group for Diablo III yet? If not, I can make one and extend invites.

MyBrainHz wrote:
Tkyl wrote:

Update Blizzard SC2 and Diablo3 Names.

I've updated the list with all the names I've seen in the last several pages. I can't promise that I didn't accidentally miss someone.

Awesome, thanks so much for updating this. Internet Hi5!

BTW, is there a GWJ Steam group for Diablo III yet? If not, I can make one and extend invites.

I was in the process of making one. Anyone care to make a custom GWJ icon for the group? Otherwise I'm just going to use a Diablo 3 image.

How does one get into the beta? What horrible sacrificed do I have to make, and where?

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

How does one get into the beta? What horrible sacrificed do I have to make, and where?

I will give away my account with the Diablo 3 beta to the person that terminates Justin Bieber.

Invites to Steam group sent out to everyone who has their steam link on the google doc. Anyone who is a member can also invite people. So if you don't have an invite yet, add you name and steam link to the doc and post here that you need an invite.

Added my steam link to the doc

Ditto. Can I get an invite? (Not that I have time to play, what with packing and all, but I like to think that I'll play...)

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

How does one get into the beta? What horrible sacrificed do I have to make, and where?

http://us.battle.net/support/en/arti...

The horrible sacrifice is TBD.

Heyo!

Forgive me for being a dirty rotten skimmer. I've been on blackout for D3, but then I got a beta invite last week so I'm catching up. I wanted to poll you folks about a couple of concerns I have with it so far. Don't get me wrong. I'm loving this beta. Tons of fun. But I'm concerned about the long term replayability here.

Are all characters going to end up being basically the same? I've played through the beta content about three times now with different classes, and with the way systems currently work I honestly don't see the need to play through twice with the same class... like, ever. Even to get better gear.

1) There are no permanent choices with character skills or stats. There is no stat development at all. There is no skill tree that blocks choice. You can pick up and drop skills at will with a minor cool-down (even in the middle of a dungeon). There is absolutely no need to restart a class from a character development angle.

2) Crafted items are better than anything dropped. Judging from the limited stuff in the beta and reading the d3 site, the things the blacksmith can make are way, way better than anything I've found adventuring. Plus, once recipes are unlocked they are available to all characters. Adventuring boils down to collecting magical drops for salvage so I can make that cool thing at the blacksmith.

So far, all my characters are exactly the same by the end of the beta content. They have all the same skills, stats, and gear.

Please forgive this stupid question but where can I find the Google Doc for Diablo III? I know I used the Battlefield 3 one, but I have no idea how to get there anymore.

Orphu wrote:

There are no permanent choices with character skills or stats. There is no stat development at all. There is no skill tree that blocks choice. You can pick up and drop skills at will with a minor cool-down (even in the middle of a dungeon). There is absolutely no need to restart a class from a character development angle.

I think (think) that the replayability will come from rune-ing skills. Plus, by the time you are high-level, you'll have many more skills than you can use at any given time. The fact that you have access to all base spells with each character of any given class will hopefully be offset by the way you rune-spec.

PRG013 wrote:

Please forgive this stupid question but where can I find the Google Doc for Diablo III? I know I used the Battlefield 3 one, but I have no idea how to get there anymore.

Tkyl wrote:

Update Blizzard SC2 and Diablo3 Names.

I've updated the list with all the names I've seen in the last several pages. I can't promise that I didn't accidentally miss someone.

I wish someone at Blizzard would realize that they forgot to send me my beta invite. It's really annoying checking my bnet account daily and seeing that they have still not rectified this horrible oversight!

TheArtOfScience wrote:

I wish someone at Blizzard would realize that they forgot to send me my beta invite. It's really annoying checking my bnet account daily and seeing that they have still not rectified this horrible oversight!

Orphu wrote:

Heyo!
1)There is absolutely no need to restart a class from a character development angle.

Currently in D2, any time I want to "build" a new character I just create an alt, and run Baal over and over till I hit "enough skill points"
It only takes about 3 hours of game play to get a lvl 50+ character. Its not that big of a problem, it just means that I have to have a stable of Alts to play with all the builds available.

In D3, I rather enjoy the ability to Re-Spec my character on the fly. I've tried out way more skills and builds due to the lack of penalty at "wasting" a skill point. I found that classes I had no intention of playing at release, were super fun since I got to try all the base skills. Chumpy also makes a very valid point, Until runes are available to play with. we are only looking at a Fraction of the skills each skill will have a totally different effect depending on the gem color you put into it.

Orphu wrote:

2) Crafted items are better than anything dropped.

With regards to the Beta, yes that is true. The iLvls available from the Blacksmith are not capped according to the monsters you are fighting, but the recipes you have learned and the crafting materials you have gathered. Once the full game is out it will be back to the D2 Loot Pinata for the majority of finds. The Rares that the blacksmith can create can have static modifiers on them so if you want equipment that doesn't "waste" those stats then it is still better to find them on the ground. I tend to think of the Blacksmith as an improved gambling game. I know what base item i'm getting, I know sort of what stats it will have, I know how many mods it has. Now I just need to "gamble" twenty or thirty of them and pick which one I want, then Disenchant the rest so that I can "gamble" for new equipment.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how the skill system works at launch. I never got around to playing with different builds or really all the character classes in D2 mostly because I'm lazy and didn't feel like grinding through the same game again. Being able to just roll one character for each class that I can tweak freely is going to be very freeing I think.

koshnika wrote:

I tend to think of the Blacksmith as an improved gambling game. I know what base item i'm getting, I know sort of what stats it will have, I know how many mods it has. Now I just need to "gamble" twenty or thirty of them and pick which one I want, then Disenchant the rest so that I can "gamble" for new equipment.

The impression I got from the statement regarding the removal of the Enchanter is that Blizzard views the crafters in a similar light.

I think the replay value will be the same as Diablo 2. Hardcore characters will always encourage replaying.

And while you have all the skills available to you, most people will gravitate to skills they like. Once the campaign becomes old hat, the challenge will still remain to try and find the fun in skills you may not have wanted to use on prior runs. Using skills situationally from level 55-60 is much different than using skills as bread and butter to level from 10-40.

I already see some skills benefiting more than others from gear stacking or becoming more viable if you wield 2 handed weapons. I had a blast running around with my shield wearing monk. My witch doctor uses a lumber axe because it increases my zombie dog and corpse spider dps. I can't wait to try a melee weapon demon hunter that focuses on pets and knife skills like impale. And I don't know, will I be able to use arrow skills without crossbows or bows?

Of course there are also the passive skills to consider...

So it is still a matter of finding the fun combinations. And it still is Diablo in that you usually find those combinations out later in the game that inspire you to reroll. I see no dent in the ability to catch "perfectum builditist"

http://www.diablofans.com/news/1083-...

Acti-Blizzard investor conference call today, notable tidbit being that D3 is apparently targeting a Q2 2012 release. As early as April, as late as July?

I was originally thinking no sooner than August (This is Blizzard we're talking about. I'm fairly certain that the word time has a different meaning once you enter their demenses), but now I wonder.

I don't believe any Blizzard release date until the game has gone gold.

Tyrian wrote:

http://www.diablofans.com/news/1083-...

Acti-Blizzard investor conference call today, notable tidbit being that D3 is apparently targeting a Q2 2012 release. As early as April, as late as July?

I was originally thinking no sooner than August (This is Blizzard we're talking about. I'm fairly certain that the word time has a different meaning once you enter their demenses), but now I wonder.

My question is, is that FY2012? or CY2012? Because we're in Q2 for FY2012 already, and that's up in March.

AnimeJ wrote:
Tyrian wrote:

http://www.diablofans.com/news/1083-...

Acti-Blizzard investor conference call today, notable tidbit being that D3 is apparently targeting a Q2 2012 release. As early as April, as late as July?

I was originally thinking no sooner than August (This is Blizzard we're talking about. I'm fairly certain that the word time has a different meaning once you enter their demenses), but now I wonder.

My question is, is that FY2012? or CY2012? Because we're in Q2 for FY2012 already, and that's up in March.

Based on the info at the link (which I assume was gleaned from the Conf Call), it appears to mean CY2012.

See, that's what I'm not so sure about. Given that we're already into FYQ2 it's possible that they're talking CY, but if that information came from an investor's call, they more than likely meant FYQ2, which would mean we'll see D2 by the end of March. I say that because while the guy writing the article is saying CY, that may not, and likely isn't what Blizzard is speaking when they're writing an investor prospectus.

shoptroll wrote:

I don't believe any Blizzard release date until the game has gone gold.

^

For everyone worried about how easy the beta is...

That is joyous

AnimeJ wrote:

See, that's what I'm not so sure about. Given that we're already into FYQ2 it's possible that they're talking CY, but if that information came from an investor's call, they more than likely meant FYQ2, which would mean we'll see D2 by the end of March. I say that because while the guy writing the article is saying CY, that may not, and likely isn't what Blizzard is speaking when they're writing an investor prospectus.

Reading

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/4...

seems to imply that Bliz's Q4 FY2011 ended on 1/31/2012. Thus making FY Q1 2012 2/01 - 4/30 and FY Q2 2012 5/1 - 7/31?

A lot of people seem to have interpreted the call as claiming estimated dates were all CY 2012. I haven't listened to the call, so I have no idea what was actually said.

[edit]

Regardless, release dates might as well be printed on sand until the game goes gold. That's just Blizzard.

Serengeti wrote:

For everyone worried about how easy the beta is...

"Electrified Vortex Desecrator Teleporter"? That sounds... painful.

Still thinking 2013.