Way back then, in the pre-plague times, my take on Blizzard's mobile D3 port was pretty simple: If the game was free to play, and if the monetization wasn't too obnoxious, I would give the game a try. I was curious to see what they'd managed to pull off, just not curious enough to spend money on D:I.
I've blogged before about my Diablo III experience, but just in case I wasn't clear enough before, let me state this explicitly: I believe that D3 is shit.
It's very glossy, highly-polished shit, to be sure, all glossy and kinda pretty from a sufficient distance, but if you get close enough to smell what it's made of... well, there's just no mistaking what it's made of:
of D3's four primary attributes, two are mechanically identical to each other, a third is mechanically equivalent to the first two, and the fourth (Vit) goes up at the same rate for all classes as they level, meaning that it may as well not exist, either;
of D3's many, many skills, most are so boring and useless as to see no use at all; the only ones that get used are those with 6-piece sets, or set-compatible legendary items, to support them;
breaking the game's attribute system actually broke its combat mechanics, creating a "hit box" problem which gets worse as characters' move speed increases, which is (at least partly) why characters' move speed bonus is capped at 25%;
breaking D3's attribute system broke its itemization, too, resulting in a game where every character, regardless of class, uses exactly the same gear, where the gear is mostly boring and interchangeable, and where melee characters need 30% of extra damage reduction to be viable;
gutting the game's RPG systems and putting all of its gameplay into the loot system resulted in a game where short-circuiting the loot hunt is game-killing, according to Blizzard themselves, and yet also essential, which is why they added Kanai's Cube (and its multiple legendary-yielding formulae), and eventually Haedrig's Gift (which just gifts you with a 6-piece set if you play the latest season);
leveling a new character is so trivialized that it's possible to reach the level cap in just 33 seconds;
the story is so lacklustre that Reaper of Souls added an entirely separate game mode in which players don't have to interact with the story at all;
even in that mode, bounties are so boring that people only run them when they need the crafting mats that you can't get any other way, and rifts are only run to obtain greater rift keystones, resulting in an expansion that actually contracted the experience, leaving all of the remaining active player base doing one thing, and only one thing, which is running grifts over and over.
Do I need to go on? Because I can. You know I can.
Most of these issues have been issues since the game launched in May of 2012; four-plus years of additional development have added polish and gloss, but haven't actually fixed the game, since the developers have been either unable or unwilling to admit that the game's problems all have their roots in these core design flaws. D3 is a game which feels very fluid, thanks to some stellar character animation work, and which is neurologically stimulating, thanks to glossy visuals full of flashing lights, bright colours, frantic motion, and constant chiming sounds, but it's pretty and stimulating in exactly the same way slot machines are stimulating; and, like a slot machine, it's designed to be addictive without being engaging at all.
That's why the Reaper of Souls expansion sold so poorly that Blizzard won't talk about its sales numbers, and redefined the term "Reaper of Souls" at the end of RoS's release quarter to mean all basic game licenses going back to the base game's launch in May of 2012. It's why Blizzard quietly stopped telling Diablo II fans to take off their "rose-tinted glasses," and started talking up their love of the Diablo legacy at BlizzCon 2015. It's why they started nakedly pandering to Diablo II fans with features like Kanai's Cube, which was literally pitched as being reminiscent of the older game:
Those who played Diablo II might remember the Horadric Cube, a unique device which allowed you to combine items. Useful as it was, it was easily surpassed in power by the item from which it originated, Kanai’s Cube. In Patch 2.3.0, players will be able to discover this powerful ancient relic and utilize its incredible potential, including the ability to break down Legendary items and equip their special effects as passive skills (which are separate from your other passive skills), convert crafting materials from one type to another, and so much more.
Diablo III is a highly polished turd, a glossy, smelly mess which sells millions of units whenever launched in a new market, but which totally fails to retain those players. Blizzard desperately needs to bring those older Diablo fans back into the fold, but can't just admit that their latest Diablo game is crap, or apologize to Diablo II fans for having spent years talking smack to and about them.
So, if you were wondering why Blizzard is leaked the concept art this week for a new Necromancer class that could be coming to D3... well, now you know why.
Of all the recent BlizzCon Diablo rumours, this is the one that I believe, simply because it's exactly the kind of desperate, pandering bullshit that Blizzard have been doing for years, trying to convince Diablo II fans to come back to Diablo III (and buy its expansion pack) in spite of the fact that D3 is simply an inferior game, in spite of its gloss and polish.
D3's problem is not that it lacks a Necromancer class; its issues are all the result of terrible design decisions which continue to cripple the game from its core, and a terrible story that even Blizzard themselves would rather you not think about anymore. I know, there are some active D3 players who have been basically begging Blizzard for years to add a Necromancer class to the game, and I'm sure they'll get some enjoyment from playing with it, but even Necromancers can't raise D3 from the dead. And when Blizzard eventually add the Druid class (which you'd better believe is next on the list), it will not shape-shift D3 from a shit game into a good one.
So, it's the wee hours before BlizzCon, but I'm not excited. Why would I be? More than anything else, the one and only thing that I want from Blizzard this BlizzCon is closure... which I'm not going to get, because they're still trying to sell their expansion-which-contracts-the-game-experience pack to me.
D2 fans are not going to get an apology from Blizzard for having fucked up Diablo so badly, or for years of belittling and insulting us when we complained about their terrible product, or about the broken state in which it launched. Instead, we're going to get a broken, boring, bastardized D3 version of a popular D2 class in a desperate attempt to pander to exactly the same nostalgia that Blizzard spent years mocking us for.
Oh, and a pre-recorded video of Dave Brevik helping to celebrate Diablo's 20-year anniversary... pre-recorded because he's overseas, helping Grinding Gear Games launch Path of Exile in China, a game that he describes as pushing the ARPG genre "to new heights" in exactly the way that D3 didn't. GG.
BlizzCon 2016 starts today, and Path of Exile is running a three-day race event, with thirty-four races in three days. I think I'll do that instead.
World of Warcraft: Legion just released to critical acclaim and Overwatch continues to be the best competitive game of 2016, but Blizzard’s loyalists are hoping that another popular franchise, Diablo, will also be getting some love this year. For a few hopeful fans, this could mean a full-fledged fourth game.
The rumor mill and speculation came after Blizzard North co-founder David Brevik tweeted that he was “proud to be the adviser for the game that pushes this genre [dungeon crawlers] to new heights.”
...
So, just what do these posts mean for the future of Diablo? According to Brevik, absolutely nothing. About a day after his previous tweet was posted, he released an update.
"There has been a lot of speculation (and hope), but I’m not working on the Diablo franchise currently or in the near future,” Brevik says.
Roper clarified on his account, as well, writing that it would “be an honor” to come back to Blizzard to develop a fourth game but that the stories were just rumors.
And don't forget the tetrahedral die (a "d4," in pen & paper RPG parlance) that came in BlizzCon goodie bags, and was (mis)printed so that one set of results reads "1-1-4" rather than the usual "1-1-1" -- an unmistakable reference to Nov. 4th, i.e. the opening day of BlizzCon (unless, of course, you know something about the printing of such dice, which actually get misprinted in exactly this kind of way with some regularity).
Just forget entirely the fact that the Diablo series didn't have a director until about five minutes ago (assuming they've actually hired one, that is, and not just stopped looking -- Blizzard haven't actually announced anything yet), or the fact that anonymous sources inside the company are leaking about D4 being dead, with the next Diablo project possibly being a mobile game of sort, or the fact that Diablo's booth at BlizzCon is, once again, the same size as the nearest washroom.
Brevik visited Blizzard! Surely that must mean something! Except that Brevik himself says otherwise...
These are the knots that Diablo fans have been tying themselves into for months, now, and the speculation seems to be approaching something of a fever pitch as BlizzCon draws ever nearer. And, for a wonder, Blizzard themselves are almost entirely blameless. They're not hyping anything; this time, fans are hyping themselves, aided and abetted by exploitative click-bait articles like Digital Trends'.
Gamespot did a somewhat better job, bluntly stating that "at this point, there's little reason to get excited yet," and admitting that there's been "no official indication about what the future of the Diablo series holds," but even Gamespot go on to assert that "its success guarantees it isn't going anywhere," concluding by promising to "report back with details of that event, as well as any other possible teases that emerge in the meantime." Really, nothing to see here, Diablo fans, but stay tuned anyway!
I wish that these people would just stop, already. The only new morsel of information here is a wee bit of something about Dave Brevik that was immediately debunked by Brevik himself. Diablo fans are already setting themselves up for yet another crushing disappointment -- they really don't need any help with that.
UPDATE: Not only are Brevik and Roper not advising Blizzard on another Diablo project, Brevik has actually joined rival Grinding Gear Games to consult on the upcoming launch of Path of Exile in China.
We now know what game David Brevik is advising on, he’s joining the Grinding Gear Games Path of Exile team in an advisory role and will help them with their launch in China.
The news comes via a press release put out by Tencent addressing Chinese Path of Exile players and news that both Chris Wilson and David Brevik will be heading to China to meet fans.
Grinding Gear’s CEO Chris Wilson confirmed the appointment and told Diabloii.Net, “David is an advisor, primarily for our launch in mainland China, but we hope to learn from his experience as much as we can over the coming months.”
The search is now on for the next Diablo-related breadcrumb that can be turned into a click-bait lede and draw some views over the next two weeks. Man, BlizzCon can't get over with soon enough...
For months now, fan forums and games media sites have speculatedbreathlesslyaboutwhatBlizzardmightannounce at the upcoming BlizzCon for their Diablo franchise. The gist of all the speculation, apparently based on a single tweet and a misprinted four-side die, is that some sort of announcement was coming, and it would be "awesome" -- whether it was a sequel, or a prequel, or a 2nd expansion, or maybe a mobile game, there would definitely be something announced in November. Surely Blizzard aren't about to let a third BlizzCon go by with nothing substantive to show their Diablo fanbase. Right?
From all over the world, members of our community will band together to invade the halls of the Anaheim Convention Center. Whether you’re planning to be there in person or tuning in at home with the Virtual Ticket, here’s what intrepid Diablo fans can expect at BlizzCon 2016.
Diablo 20th Anniversary Panel Get the inside scoop on what’s in store for Diablo III! Join us as Lead Designer Kevin Martens, Senior Game Designer Wyatt Cheng, Lead VFX Artist Julian Love, and Art Director John Mueller share the gritty details on the celebration plans that lie ahead for all our eager nephalem.
What: A retrospective on Diablo’s 20-year legacy and first look into upcoming content.
When: Friday, November 4 from 5:00 to 5:45 p.m. PDT
Diablo III Dev Talk and Q&A Get the inside scoop and ask your burning questions about Diablo III! Join us as Lead Designer Kevin Martens, Senior Game Designer Wyatt Cheng, Senior Game Designer Adam Puhl, Senior Game Designer Joe Shely, and Senior Game Designer Travis Day review upcoming content and features for Diablo III and take live questions from the audience.
What: A deep-dive and Q&A on the content and features headed to Diablo III.
When: Saturday, November 5 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. PDT
Darkmoon Faire: Quick Talks Similar to the miniature panel-like chats we had last year at the Slaughtered Calf Inn, quick talks are making a return at this year’s Darkmoon Faire! Join our developers as they share insider details about their most passionate Diablo projects and hang out after to chat about your favorite Diablo memories.
What: A series of quick talks from our developers on various aspects of Diablo III.
When: Friday, November 4 at 1:30 p.m. PDT and Saturday, November 5 at 12:30 p.m PDT
This should look very familiar to Diablo fans, since it's basically the same lineup of events from BlizzCon 2015, where they had one panel (which opened with 20 minutes of the D3 devs enthusing about their love of Diablo's "legacy"), an announcement of patch 2.4's content (mention of new D3 content is notably absent in 2016's announced events), and the Slaughtered Calf Inn, a space smaller than the nearest washroom and located behind the face-painting booth, where players could chat informally with the D3 dev team (most of whom have now either left D3, or left Blizzard entirely). 2016's offerings appear to be slightly more formal than the Slaughtered Calf Inn, but no more substantive; in fact, if anything, there's less substance on offer.
In 2016, Diablo fans will get 45 minutes in which Blizzard will try to convince them that they really did love the Blizzard North Diablo games, 1 hour in which they'll answer (some) questions about the current state of the game, and a series of "quick talks" in which the remaining D3 devs will talk about other Blizzard games, and reminisce about their time at Blizzard, generally.
