Comments on: Mod Magic: New Diablo II Resolutions

By: Tei

Tei — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:46:28 +0000

Diablo 2 was a “streamlined” MMORPG with fullloot. And was ***EXTREMLY*** popular for the hardcore players. Is not a singleplayer game that was played 9 years, it was the PVP game (I could be wrong, but thats my impression).

The question is… will D3 be compatible for the hardcore gamers? full-loot these days is niche market. If the answer is NOT, then i see a game that will be played 8 years less than the old title.

By: parasyte

parasyte — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:06:19 +0000

@Kakksakkamaddafakka
I’m not so sure creating art for the lowest common denominator of hardware is a bad idea. Creating stuff that only the top end of stuff can run it seems more like iD’s schtick. Pretty much everything Blizzard has made seems like it runs on anything you have lying around, with the possible exception of WoW right at release.

@sigma83, I share the thought on mechanical issues; I had an experience where I decided to pick up D2 after D3 was announced, and I was mystified when pressing a hotkey didn’t use whatever I had bound to it. There were a host of other minor issues I ran into due to getting used to how WoW deals with things. Maybe I’ll revisit it later now that I’ve been off of WoW for a while, see if my assumptions on how a game should play looking as it does.

By: Kakksakkamaddafakka

Kakksakkamaddafakka — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:38:48 +0000

Alaric:

Actually, I never compared the two qualitatively, however I basically mentioned the WoW lore is shit.

I find it somewhat refreshing that they do half-interested mish-mash of clichéd fantasy and pop culture (I mean, tongue-in-cheek lore can be fun) — for about ten minutes. Then it gets tedious and boring. At least Diablo has a defined style. It’s dark, brooding and a with several notches more realistic art design. The main point in my previous post not being that WoW is shit, but that Diablo is distinct and needs to stay that way. Nobody in their right mind is interested in a sequel that looks and feels nothing like it’s predecessor.

By: Riaktion

Riaktion — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:47:24 +0000

Can anyone get the mouse wheel to work in this? I assume its because the game is now forced toa window?

By: Alaric

Alaric — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:50:40 +0000

@Angry-Man-With-A-Long-Name

Dear sir, would you kindly care to elaborate on your above statement, where you claim that Diablo II lore is somehow superior to the WoW lore? I am asking because it seems to me that you are confusing the desirable and objective realities.

The Diablo I and II lore was bland and just as borrowed from volumes of generic fantasy as WoW. Heaven vs. Hell, Lesser Evils vs. Prime Evils, etc. There is not a single original, or even well executed aspect. Even the so called “plot twist” at the end was a joke.

As for the Witch Doctor, why do you think that a tribal shaman type figure is any less realistic or appropriate for the setting than a girl with a spear wearing a bikini for example?

By: Manwe

Manwe — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:44:55 +0000

Of course, that’s 9 years later. Whoops. Still, even more impressive in cgi terms; 9 years is a hella long time.

By: Manwe

Manwe — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:43:57 +0000

The cut scenes in D2 are still impressive, 7 years later.

Maybe this time round I can get a char past level 67. At least my clicking finger has had a few years to recover from the last attempt.

By: Kakksakkamaddafakka

Kakksakkamaddafakka — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:37:44 +0000

@Xocrates:

Yes, it is obvious. The team working on Diablo3 can’t be arsed with using the lore of the Diablo universe, so they just mash up some WoW esque BS on their own. That’s simply ultra weak sauce.

Look at the Witch Doctor, just look at it. It’s like Fisher Price got a hold of Diablo and tried to redesign it for 7+. Necromancers? Nah, that’s a bit scary. Not enough colours on that lot, let’s make them sort of goofy looking indians, with feathers and shit. The kids will go crazy!

I don’t care how much other people enjoy lazy lore like WoW. Stealing from 30 years of pop culture isn’t good lore. Neither is creating art for the lowest common denominator hardwarewise. The models in D3 have a severe case of WoW-itis, and if the almighty Blizz can’t be bothered hiring artists that can do two separate designs, why would I be bothered by checking the steaming pile out?

… and don’t get me started on having item art the size of post-stamps. Diablo2 was about having awesome gear with killer names, over the top mods and COOL ARTWORK. Jay Wilson just doesn’t get it. He has no clue about why D2 was the awesome game that is was. Simply put, the guy is almost as shitty a designer as Ken Rolston, and I almost feel bad about saying that, but he deserves it. This guy would remove the ball from Pong if he had the chance.

I’m sorry, but D3 just doesn’t look good, and the game mechanics certainly leaves something to be desired. Wilson seems to think a limited amount of cookie cutter builds is hot shit, and that about wraps it up. Unless a miracle occurs, D3 will always be know, amongst people who aren’t braindead, as the lesser successor of D2.

I do think SC2 looks pretty spiffy, though. But that’s another story altogether.

By: sigma83

sigma83 — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:59:31 +0000

Diablo 2 at the time of it’s release was very good in many ways but after all these years it doesn’t quite pass muster anymore. It’s still fun but there are mechanical issues (brought to light, ironically, by the innovations of WoW) that linger.

Anyway, we aren’t forced to grade it one way or another. As long as you have fun with it, it matters not.

By: Serondal

Serondal — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:41:16 +0000

Exactly

By: unclelou

unclelou — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:59:56 +0000

” When you enjoy a game the point of which is to click on animations until they stop animating… something is wrong.”

You can break down every game ever to such a simple formula. And you’ll always miss the point.

You could do it if the story is good. Sure. However, the story was … well, about the quality of Doom 2.

The story in Diablo 2 is utterly irrelevant. Not that it was that bad, anyway – the usual nonsense story you get in games, but it was well told, and with remarkable cutscenes.

You could do it if the game looks gorgeous. Sure. But the original Diablo 2 was 640×480 in year 2000. Yea, sure in 2001 it was increased to 800×600 if you bought an expansion. Whoopti-doo. Just to compare, Total Annihilation, which was released in 1997 scaled to ALL resolutions.

Well, now you’ve completely lost me. Resolution only has something to do with the purely technical quality. Look at the high-res shots with this mod. It does look gorgeous. Still. Now look at TA today. It looks terrible. Bland and uninspired, like it did from day 1.

I’ll never understand why mediocrity is ever so popular.

Well, that I agree with. Only I’d never apply it to something so blatantly not mediocre.

By: Serondal

Serondal — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:51:23 +0000

I just couldn’t get into Guild Wars long term, I played the origonal for some time and created and help maintain a guild with its own guild house ect but it just never really grabbed me like Diablo 2 did. I can see what other people see in it but It just never got me hooked ;). I did play a lot of Hellgate London which is a LOT like Diablo 2 but lost interest in that as well. Nothing since diablo 2 has hooked me long enough to get a character near the max level.