"Ten Theses of Diablo 3" deficiencies and shortcomings

Ten Theories of Diablo III - Preface

May 15, this year, the meteor fall from the sky in Tristram, among Peoples expectations, Diablo 3 turned out. Who are charged with the splendor and glory of their predecessors, unquestionable to attract the eyes of the world. Everyone guessing refuge land will create new miracles, and whether the world will open a new chapter.

But today, six months after I pick up a pen and began to write this article. Painful and sad mood, described the sight of the stars fall. Indeed no longer has faded because of the aura of their predecessors, and the truth is unfolding in the world, brilliant.

When this time, regardless of their own fans or opponents; outlook is optimistic or pessimistic; mood is sadness still coursing; should solemnly. Witness the legendary cease to exist, is unquestionable honor this fall of which absorb nutrients, what my seniority when whom do not.

This article overconfident layers of parsing the the meteors fall of the answers will be ten articles described Tristram mysteries.

First: On the core concept of deviation

When Diablo first appeared at the moment of the ground, more than 15 years have passed. In the past 15 years, the original Diablo alerted the world, Diablo 2 cover full aura, World of Warcraft has achieved unprecedented success, even the disciples of the Diablo series, have also made noteworthy achievements. However, after a brilliant 15-year, and now, the long-awaited Diablo 3 has ushered in a heavy sigh.

Life is full of people get good luck. What is the times have changed, people changed? Diablo 3 team, and predecessors What is different? In the past, they make a kind of judgment, in the future, how will they choose? Again and again tough choices, their culture, what made them what guidelines?

One page turn dusty records, time and time again to trace the footprints of exploration. From a slice of interviews from the time of times patch of correction, reduction of D2 and D3 a step-by-step walk left footprints, comparing the two teams is very different production style and value orientation, may be able to unlock the Diablo 3 Fall of puzzles.

Vastly different game ideas

Diablo 2

Officially on sale in June 2000, Diablo 2, after Erich Schaefer, senior developer wrote readme Diablo 2 design concepts, which have some remarks profound expression of the core concept of the Diablo series, where these words excerpt below:

"Diablo 1 and Diablo 2 are consistently provides a simple pleasure, this pleasure is so fundamental and obvious, as well as in all the commentaries are not mentioned, but it is the cornerstone of our success. we use such a term - "kill / reward" - to describe the basic game of our game. players continue to killing, to get the treasure and experience value but that is not enough and we returned to the players, providing a continuous goals and achievements, in order to attract players to continue playing the front there is always a task is nearing completion, a station to be activated, a soon to rise to the level, as well as an upcoming clean dungeons, etc. small will let the player's every action fun finishing goods issue, even in a backpack sound but also attractive.

Diablo 3

May 14, 2012, the eve of the Diablo 3 release, Blizzard Diablo 3 design director JayWilson accepted interviews, including passage elaborate design of Diablo 3 core, also summarized as follows:

PCPP: You are from what part started restart, the first major re-design decision, what is it?

Jay: We all do not want to change too many settings, but once you get the idea of ??rigid, it is easy to make something that nobody likes. So you need to change the mode, you need to break some of the existing framework. To do this, you need to clearly know what they are doing, you need to understand what is most important, and what is the most not so important. Therefore, in this report, I described a Diablo series of games need to have seven core features, these features together with the addition of three new elements into the new Diablo game.

PCPP: Can you tell us about the seven core features and three new elements are what?

Jay: Let me think about how I was talking about. Let me talk about the core features, Diablo is a very easy game, it needs to have a strong heroes, a rich library of articles, the perfect setting function, as well as cooperation. As for the three new elements, artisans elements should be considered first, and we will be the beginning of the design requires a lot of cooperation into existing artisans. The world is a richer connotation second new element, we hope to give players a deeper role-playing content, as well as various forms of PVP experience.

Jay: I suddenly thought of that report in my notebook. There are two core elements listed in the report are highly self-definition and the never-ending game.

From the description of the above two paragraphs, the idea of ??the difference of the game can be slightly or two. Erich Schaefer joy of text with a description of a feeling that the players see the monster death off a trophy feelings. Jay with a few words briefly describes the the Diablo series must have seven core features and three new elements.

Is regrettable: Jay seven important core features and three new elements, including ErichSchaefer said that a.

After more than 100 hours in the game ongoing, what features and elements to attract us to continue? All gorgeous, cool elements gradually dissipated, our eyes glittering fatal reason only, and that reason is - with just a click of a mouse, there are a lot of surprises waiting for you ".

After 100 hours, the true essence of Diablo series gradually emerges, it is not what characteristics, not elements, but in the game every minute sustained simple pleasures, the expectations of the people's hearts flickering moving ground gold beautiful sparkling wealth.

Who will be the essence of the play to the extreme, and who will be able to after 100 hours, still firmly grasp the heart of the player. Who ignore this happiness, who will not be able to overcome the fatigue of the players, and could only watch as the crowd gradually dispersed.

Distinct production direction

Diablo 2

"Kill / reward" - this simple pleasure is the cornerstone of our success, we strive to be outstanding in this regard, so that players have been at the edge of orgasm.

Start with, D2 are making direction as the "spoils of war" as the core concept of the game that revolves around three core issues: 1, how to make exciting endless equipment; 2, how to make these equipment in different stages of the players play the greatest charm; 3, how will the players get the joy of harvest feel the greater of the more persistent.

Eventually we could feel that the game is a mouth-watering Unique equipment, affordable green suit, the best equipment combinations for each grade stage, and that dazzling runewords. Later, there are gems and runes wash out orange handicrafts.

What is of no use? Almost no items in each category has its special value, gray below can be used to make runewords; the blue may unilaterally ultrahigh affixes; yellow a strong affix combinations may occur beyond the dark gold; dark gold is equipped with good bad but are firmly in above average, at least at a level segment of a career can play a powerful role; green suit is often the best choice of the transition phase; For some extremely rare and powerful dark gold, Rune language, orange handicrafts, is the ultimate goal of attracting players to long-term game, is the ultimate pursuit.

As long as the hearts of the players also pursuit, there is hope for the life of the game, it is far from the end. Diablo 2 above the "spoils of war" under a big effort, and the final harvest, Diablo 2 eternity.

Diablo 3

"Strong hero, a wealth of items, the perfect setting, highly customizable, endless games and new elements ... and so we feel very" cool "things, we have to make a very" cool "great things. "

This thing is "cool"? We feel that this idea is "cool" ...... and so similar argument to Joy 'mantra.

Then, after a few years of waiting for the game experience is:

Cool purgatory difficulty

(Trying to simply add a degree of difficulty to extend players game time this idea is really cool, this probably is not objective, but simply can not bear.)

Each piece of equipment / Legend of equipment is unique! This idea is really cool!

Most of the skill damage is directly linked to all occupations and weapon damage, and attack speed!

(DPS has now become for all occupations weapons base criteria of the DPS lower than the horizontal line of the weapons you will look at this?)

With skill runes number of N, N-th power variations;

(For each career, and now someone is using combinations of three or more of the skills it?)

Gems upward synthetic 14 floors;

(14 layers gem tower really is the laughing stock of the world.)

Forging, the decomposition of the system;

(Essentially a garbage collection system up as an auxiliary purposes, but Diablo 3 try it as a pillar of the economy.)

Gold as the core of the economy;

(Although the desire is very beautiful, but this economy really is not feasible, this requires a whole devoted to detailed argument.)

Blood cells and pickup distance system;

(Perhaps this is the only one made certain achievements innovation.)

Followers;

(There is no sense of presence followers took it as a passive skill.)

It's "cool"? I do not know, but this cobbled together by a bunch of "cool" Diablo 3 readily apparent to become Blizzard largest ever disaster, I believe Blizzard after a year or more out of the shadows caused by the disaster are difficult.

In fact, there is still a lot of really cool things in Diablo 3, such as the program runs smooth (ignore the network delay), the lower configuration requirements, many skills to design, monster design, and so on. But no matter what, after hundreds of hours of gameplay, these "cool" and "gorgeous" gradually faded, the players no longer notice them.

Blizzard will be fine, "the myth finally came to an end.

From the change to talk about culture, from the footprint of view the future?

"Rome was not built in a day", how one step at a time toward the front of our immortal legend, to occupy our vision? Blizzard myth how over time, eventually fall from the pinnacle to the bottom?

Let us try to recall the past, step by step down the dark footprints walk again, a deeper understanding of the culture of the Dark, and standing on the end of the trail, to guess the future of the Diablo.

Diablo 2

With the clear direction of production. Diablo 2 road beginning with pure Darksiders, firm and clear core concept, a step-by-step footprints also released a patch and piece of information. The rhythm is abnormal firm clear.

In addition to the regular bug fix, in terms of content, almost every patch will bring new dark gold equipment to stir up people's expectations and the pursuit of a very direct.

Piece of information after the birth, with the increase in the occupation (Assassin and Druid), Unique Items library richer; But this time, only by increase the Unique equipment in this way to enrich the game content can not meet the development group's desire. Piece of information after the development team continuously released a number of extremely important patch these patches and even changed the rule of the game. More from the "quality" because they do not just make the change from "quantity" to make a change.

These patches include:

Related skills among addition;

(Skills related plus years, I just want to point at least two common skills, as well as some passive now, I am willing endless pursuit skills plus point, which has created a huge demand and a long-term pursuit, the type of skill sets also greatly enriched)

Runewords;

(With this, you do not have to aimlessly waiting BOSS given to you under an unknown equipped you can target to complete it, of course, need to pay a lot of energy, but this is worth, do not you? Addition under the power of the runes, gray and equipment no longer a meaningless garbage.)

Arts and crafts;

(Remember those gems everywhere it? You never see less than they are dropped on the ground, because all gems are collected, the production of handicrafts need them.)

Plot punch and the Rune punch;

(Wait a gray strengthen the insert hole of the appropriate number of the runewords material is too long, now a hole equipment are also included in the scope of your choice)

Above, these elements bring a huge impact them tightly around the core concept of the Diablo operate honestly enhance the player's desire to pursue and the joy of harvest.

Diablo 3

Diablo 3 officially on sale, had the supreme glory of our forbearers, shouldering the expectations of hundreds of millions of players a few years, combined with the flagship Blizzard can put it on the eye. IGN even after a brief experience, do not hesitate to give Diablo 3 hit a score of 9.5, also have so many games media.

But numerous accolades can not conceal the weakness of the constitution, from 2008 Diablo 3 debut, 12 years on sale to the players, Diablo 3's development work is also the twists and turns in this long four years after another. From various bits and pieces that we were able to get in, you can understand the extremely important part of the skills system, equipment, systems, and artisans system experienced a "completely abandoned - to re-create - and then completely abandoned - re-production" this cycle tribulations.

If I say that Diablo 3 final release version, there are more than 70% of the content is to rush in the last year, I'm afraid no one will come out to oppose; if I say that Diablo 3 final release, there are still 50 in the structure of the entire contents % of the parts there is a major controversy, this almost can be identified for the fact that (a designer in Diablo 3 on sale three months before departure from Blizzard, this is definitely the major controversial performance); Diablo 3 if I say that the final release After 30% of the designers have pinned his hopes on the performance of the subsequent patches, this speculation, should also be people who believe.

Diablo 3 shrouded numerous accolades, burdened with heavy expectations, but the constitution was weak extremely letter premature children. I am afraid this is the Diablo 3 release when the real situation.

Until October 21, Diablo 3 has released five large patches with Diablo 2, these patches have had a huge impact, and even change the play. Unfortunately, these patches are not around the same topic, they are clueless, I would even venture to say that the five patches is led by 2-3 different designers made in the process of the introduction of these patches, design The group absolutely experienced a stormy quarrel and debate.

Recalling the content of these patches are as follows:

1.01 and 1.02: The two patches fix some obvious so that players can easily the challenge the powerful BOSS bug, such as toxicity Hydra strike back bug; addition to weaken and modifying some strong skills exceeded expectations. (Both conventional patch, the essence of the original development work has followed, modifications are within some predictable thing.)

1.03: weakened too metamorphosis skills, some occupations, such as Demon Hunter, playing BOSS requires a little effort. The major gatekeepers BOSS mercilessly strengthen a lot, while slightly reducing the elite mob difficulty. In addition, the jeweler and craftsman of gold coins is to reduce the charges. (Do not know whether to change a person, but the style is not the same as the previous two patches With the formation of the gaming community, the economic system is exposed and can not be ignored.)

1.04: greatly enhance dark gold (legendary) equipment practicality is to add a new legendary equipment. Strengthen the effect of a lot of equipment (such as one-handed weapon), to achieve the purpose of improving players fighting capacity. Overall weakened the major gatekeepers BOSS super elite monsters, as well as the difficulty of ordinary small monster. Added a major new system: the peak level. In addition, the auction house for the much-hated feature improvements. (From weakened players to strengthen BOSS becomes completely turn clear guiding ideology, a person can not be so quick to change their thinking and their work, so I guess the auspices of the specific work of the designer has changed this patch seemed full of hope, because the amendment to the most obvious question: "Unique equipment meaningless.)

1.05: latest patch, again strengthening part of the Unique equipment, to provide some new dark gold and equipment, improve dark gold Chance to weaken a bunch of skills in a monopoly position. The above is not important, it is important in the following: Add monster magic can add purgatory device equipment will not purgatory difficulty falling below 58. (This patch does not really fly, first monster magic can be equivalent to a deeper level than purgatory purgatory of little significance, the kind of thing made clear that a replica of the Super 3 BOSS Second purgatory device, game mechanics healthy players can zoom pursuit, but the game unhealthy when it is meaningless. Finally, do not fall below the 58 items seemingly clear-cut, but in reality foolish the incomparable 58 items indeed meaningless, but now drop items 99.9% are meaningless, cut them to address any problems? let them become useful again is the designers that think things simply increasing drop is pointless, bribery can only make all players them faster to leave.)

See the 1.05 patch, I indeed real thoroughly disappointed, presided over the work of the designer or replaced by another person, either because the 1.04 patch did not play the desired effect and led to a flurry. Short Diablo 3 continued wavering rhythm, continue with it confused, twists and turns, but repeated trips.

Diablo 3's future, someone can know?

Epilogue

Diablo III caught in the current predicament, vacillating difficult to break through, have a wide variety, or deep or shallow reasons. I start this article from the core concept, because the current plight of most root of the reason for this is that it's core philosophy.

Diablo 3 gold