official Diablo III

[Razorwing]

Will the cut scenes start taking a more dominant role in D3 like we have seen in ME3. Seems to be the new wave.

I didn't play ME3, but my best guess is like what they did with Starcraft 2. So once you are done a mission/chapter of the story, you should get a cutscene.

[spedanden]

What makes you think Blizzard wouldn't release modding tools for this? Have they said they never would? It is a pretty big part of their games and I am sure they know this stuff too.

https://twitter.com/#!/Bashiok/status/200717069279436800

Will the cut scenes start taking a more dominant role in D3 like we have seen in ME3. Seems to be the new wave.

No. See second question.

http://www.mcvpacific.com/news/read/interview-jay-wilson-part-1-on-player-expectations/095630

[S00N3R FR3AK]

Because from what I understand half the game (or at least most of the logic as far as enemies and quests go) is server-side, which means unless Blizzard supports modders uploading the mods to Blizzard servers which run everything, I don't think it's going to happen.

Plus, Blizzard has never really supported modding for most of their games. Diablo 2 - no official tools, the only way to mod anything is with third-party tools. Starcraft and SC2? No modding tools, only a map editor.....modding typically means changing the game so it works differently than designed, not creating extra levels. World of Warcraft? No official modding there either......

I don't know what you're talking about, but unless I am missing something none of Blizzards games have ever really offered any official modding tools for any of their games, not sure why you have the idea that it would change with D3, especially given how server-sided D3 is (no single-player which means it MUST go through Blizzard servers), meaning Blizzard would have to be able to control the mod system, not let it go in whatever direction the modding community wants it to.

Have you seen the stuff that editor can do in SC2? They had a full fledged world of starcraft thing going(forced name change). No duh WoW has no modding. Those map editors have had me going back to those games long after any mods in say Oblivion or other games that support them. The other guy posted what I asked for that said they had no plans for any editor at the moment, but still doesn't mean a forever no.Maybe I have spent to much time on consoles but 40-100 hours for $60 is more then enough for me.

[Wakers]

So.. you are going to have GW2 running online, but because D3 runs online but for "DRM" reasons (which is not 100% true) you won't.

Either way, I am all 100% for the full online requirement so I will enjoy the game.

GW2 is an MMO.

Diablo 3 isn't it. It's a single player game with a multiplayer option. If I want to play the game on my own, I shouldn't have to be connected to the internet.

I spend a lot of my playing time travelling - I don't want to pay through the nose for a mobile internet connection just because they want a single player game to be always connected to the internet. It is DRM, end of story.

[Kirkburn]

It is DRM, end of story.

Y'know, it's kinda hard to have a conversation where people just stick their head in the sand saying 'la, la, la, I can't hear you'. There are reasons other than it being DRM, whether you want to recognise them or not.

[Wakers]

Y'know, it's kinda hard to have a conversation where people just stick their head in the sand saying 'la, la, la, I can't hear you'. There are reasons other than it being DRM, whether you want to recognise them or not.

I appreciate that - but it's not an option for people who won't support games that have overly restrictive DRM on single player modes. I only wanted clarification on it, and nothing more.

[goofyinthehead]

Y'know, it's kinda hard to have a conversation where people just stick their head in the sand saying 'la, la, la, I can't hear you'. There are reasons other than it being DRM, whether you want to recognise them or not.

Or with people too far up Blizzards ass to see what is really going on. Diablo III online is using this "feature" for 2 reasons: 1. to battle piracy. 2. to make money off of in-game purchases. . All other reasons are second to this.

"Senior producer Alex Mayberry says there were many reasons for the decision, including the prevention of cheating. Since players can buy and sell items for real money, any way of cheating to make or acquire better ones would be very lucrative ? and unfair."

On a side note I will still "probably" purchase this game

[grendal]

Who doesn't have an internet connection that they leave on all the time anyway? I mean really, the only ones complaining are the ones who either just make a stink to make a stink. Or they're with a crap ISP.

Thankfully they're also the vocal minority.

You are not taking into account all of us that deploy into the Middle East that are lucky if they can even connect their personal computers to an internet connection. Over the years, one of the biggest stress relievers for troops has been gaming. This is yet another game that the troops will not be able to play if and when they get an opportunity to. Not everyone sits at home in the US with a 15Mb + connection...

[firey]

Not everyone sits at home in the US with a 15Mb + connection...

Pretty sure it will run perfectly fine with a sub 15mb connection. Just sayin'

[grendal]

Pretty sure it will run perfectly fine with a sub 15mb connection. Just sayin'

True but I still point back to most living and working at FOBs and not having an internet connection at all.

[firey]

True but I still point back to most living and working at FOBs and not having an internet connection at all.

Well, there are plenty of other games. I mean it's the same for people living on oil rigs, or in oil drilling camps. It's not just people who are employed by the army. They can keep playing D2 lol. If they want to get D3, get another job or move somewhere where you can get better internet.

I don't think that just because "the troops can't play" is a negative to online internet. There are completely valid reasons as to why there is online only. The features that it brings, and things it helps to block far outweighs the bad.

You can still play single player, you can still play on your own in solitude. The only difference is you have to have an internet connection (and not an overly fast one either).

[HawkMan]

Y'know, it's kinda hard to have a conversation where people just stick their head in the sand saying 'la, la, la, I can't hear you'. There are reasons other than it being DRM, whether you want to recognise them or not.

There are poor excuses, but there are no "reasons".

[Nagisan]

There are completely valid reasons as to why there is online only. The features that it brings, and things it helps to block far outweighs the bad.

I disagree. Many people won't buy it because there is no offline play, I would be willing to bet that amount of people is at least relatively close to the same amount that would pirate it if it had offline capabilities. And outside anti-piracy, I really can't find any other valid reason for it.

[firey]

There are poor excuses, but there are no "reasons".

Reasons (outside of DRM):

Prevents Hacking, helps with building a solid server/game base.

Extends Auction Functionality to EVERYONE not just limiting those to online.

The Same character can be used to play online and offline

Stops people getting unfair advantage

Provides one set of code for bug fixes, provides an uniform experience regardless of choice.

Seems like valid reasons to me..

[Wakers]

All of those "reasons" you just listed can be easily done without requiring an always on internet connection.

Anyway, I'm going to leave this thread now before I get attacked by the fanatics - I've got my answer and I really don't see any appeal in getting in arguments about a game that I'm not going to buy.

Have fun playing, those that do.

[HawkMan]

I don't think that just because "the troops can't play" is a negative to online internet. There are completely valid reasons as to why there is online only. The features that it brings, and things it helps to block far outweighs the bad.

Again, How does what other people do in their offline modes negatively impact your online stored characters ? You keep bringing up the reasons that online only reduces cheating, hacking and dupes and all this. Except that has nothing to do with it, hacking and dupes and cheatign happens on online only games, whether it has an offline mode has ZERO effect on this. Well except it could result cheatign since people who would want to can just cheat on their offline characters. But if peopel cheat on and hack their offline characters it doesn't matter for your online characters since they are, or would be, completely separate.

so your reasons is no reason at all. none of what you say are good reasons for nto having offline could happen, not because it doesn't have offline anyway. however hackign and duping and cheating will happen despite there being no offline. No offline is purely a DRM ploy, and as has been said, a money grabbing micro transaction ploy. since people can no longer use cheat codes or stuff liek that on their offline characters and will now have to buy the super uber mega ultra rare drops that you can only get once every million times you beat the boss.

So again, how is it a good thing that they don't have offline ? how would offline SP gameplay at all affect you on your online play ? because it wouldn't. it would only be a positive for those that want it or need it, not a negative for those that don't need it. There's absolutely no reason to defend Blizzards position on excluding offline play.

[firey]

Again, How does what other people do in their offline modes negatively impact your online stored characters ? You keep bringing up the reasons that online only reduces cheating, hacking and dupes and all this. Except that has nothing to do with it, hacking and dupes and cheatign happens on online only games, whether it has an offline mode has ZERO effect on this. Well except it could result cheatign since people who would want to can just cheat on their offline characters. But if peopel cheat on and hack their offline characters it doesn't matter for your online characters since they are, or would be, completely separate.

What you missed is when I said that a benefit is that you can use the same character. I would not want to level up a character in offline, then have to create a new character just to play online. That's a pain, and a waste of time. If the character is the same, then yes hacking and dupes is an issue, because you could hack the **** out of your character "offline" and turn it into online and destroy.

So yea, 1 toon for single player and multi player is way better than 1 for each.

so your reasons is no reason at all. none of what you say are good reasons for nto having offline could happen, not because it doesn't have offline anyway. however hackign and duping and cheating will happen despite there being no offline. No offline is purely a DRM ploy, and as has been said, a money grabbing micro transaction ploy. since people can no longer use cheat codes or stuff liek that on their offline characters and will now have to buy the super uber mega ultra rare drops that you can only get once every million times you beat the boss.

What's wrong with trying to make money? I mean, clearly you are all so butt hurt over the no-offline you won't purchase an amazing game. So if they can squeeze a few extra bucks out of people who don't give a **** (like me) why wouldn't they? Seems like good business to me. Make money.

You are so stuck on this "DRM" that you can't see the benefits. I mean jeez, they have been repeated over and over yet you ignore them.. because they are all in support of the always on internet, and you don't like that.

So again, how is it a good thing that they don't have offline ? how would offline SP gameplay at all affect you on your online play ? because it wouldn't. it would only be a positive for those that want it or need it, not a negative for those that don't need it. There's absolutely no reason to defend Blizzards position on excluding offline play.

It's good because it adds things to the game that otherwise would not be possible.

[HawkMan]

Reasons (outside of DRM):

Prevents Hacking, helps with building a solid server/game base. No it doesn't. And yeah, building server base, what a good idea. lets cramp the servers with thousands of players who just want to play alone, icnreasing server latency for everyone else as well.

Extends Auction Functionality to EVERYONE not just limiting those to online. What if I dont' care about auction house availability, i want to play my character in MY world.

The Same character can be used to play online and offline But what if I don't WANT TO. Is this concept really so hard to get, not everyone wants to play online, and if they do, they can play on the online mode, single or in group. offline modes don't prevent this.

Stops people getting unfair advantage Uh.... what ? how are you talkign about cheatign or hackign weaposn again ? and what does me havign an unfair advantage in MY offline gameworld that you can't even access, noone can since it's offline and SINGLE player matter to you, or anyone ?

Provides one set of code for bug fixes, provides an uniform experience regardless of choice. uh, there would still only be one set of code bases, this is what good modular codign means, essentuially offline mode would tjust be the server module in yoru gameclient. and the game client itself woudl share the same code anyway, the multiplayer part would just be DLL extension to the exe loaded as needed.

Seems like valid reasons to me..

Sorry but none of your reason are valid. most of them are just plain wrong or misinformed as well. I mean if you explained them to my mother she'd probably think they make sense, to anyoen with a slightest clue about coding and how games, servers and clients work, they're mostly laughable excuses.

[HawkMan]

[/size]

What you missed is when I said that a benefit is that you can use the same character. I would not want to level up a character in offline, then have to create a new character just to play online. That's a pain, and a waste of time. If the character is the same, then yes hacking and dupes is an issue, because you could hack the **** out of your character "offline" and turn it into online and destroy.

So yea, 1 toon for single player and multi player is way better than 1 for each.

What's wrong with trying to make money? I mean, clearly you are all so butt hurt over the no-offline you won't purchase an amazing game. So if they can squeeze a few extra bucks out of people who don't give a **** (like me) why wouldn't they? Seems like good business to me. Make money.

You are so stuck on this "DRM" that you can't see the benefits. I mean jeez, they have been repeated over and over yet you ignore them.. because they are all in support of the always on internet, and you don't like that.

It's good because it adds things to the game that otherwise would not be possible.

YOU do not want to level two characters, key word YOU.. but what about the peopele who have no interest in online or who wants to play an offline characters and don't mind leveling a second online characters. you're probably going to play several different characters in the end anyway. For YOU, you can just play in the online mode anyway, (which seems to be the point of mine you keep missing, offline doesn't prevent you from doing just that), for the dud that weants offline or needs it, he can't. You can have it your way and he can't. and there's no reason both can't have it their way.

yes, 1 toon is better, for you, and for others who want to group and play multi. and they can still have that, they had that way in D2 and they did in Hellgate. worked just fine. imagine that.

and no it doesn't add anythign to the game, it only takes away.

[firey]

Sorry but none of your reason are valid. most of them are just plain wrong or misinformed as well. I mean if you explained them to my mother she'd probably think they make sense, to anyoen with a slightest clue about coding and how games, servers and clients work, they're mostly laughable excuses.

You are funny man, I code for a living, I know how code works, and I know how servers work, so stop thinking you are all knowledgeable. All the reasons I listed are valid, you would play the game different to me. End of story you don't like it, I do. We have different ideas when it comes to the game and we will never match on it.

Things I want to do in game, and things I want to happen in game are satisfied tenfold by that always on. The way I want to play is required by the always on. You on the other hand for whatever reason don't.

[firey]

YOU do not want to level two characters, key word YOU.. but what about the peopele who have no interest in online or who wants to play an offline characters and don't mind leveling a second online characters. you're probably going to play several different characters in the end anyway. For YOU, you can just play in the online mode anyway, (which seems to be the point of mine you keep missing, offline doesn't prevent you from doing just that), for the dud that weants offline or needs it, he can't. You can have it your way and he can't. and there's no reason both can't have it their way.

yes, 1 toon is better, for you, and for others who want to group and play multi. and they can still have that, they had that way in D2 and they did in Hellgate. worked just fine. imagine that.

and no it doesn't add anythign to the game, it only takes away.

Okay, what you might be missing.. is I do plan to play solo for parts of it. I do plan on not running in groups the entire time. I get the ability to do that.. by not making my game public. I can still 100% play "single player" I can still 100% play on my own. I just have the option to use that character in a group when I feel like it, with no need to force a new character, with no need to reset anything.

[Nagisan]

Reasons (outside of DRM):

Prevents Hacking, helps with building a solid server/game base.

Extends Auction Functionality to EVERYONE not just limiting those to online.

The Same character can be used to play online and offline

Stops people getting unfair advantage

Provides one set of code for bug fixes, provides an uniform experience regardless of choice.

Seems like valid reasons to me..

1. No, it doesn't it doesn't even reduce hacking.....online play is online play, single-player from D2 had NOTHING to do with hacking in closed bnet (online), there will still be maphacks and likely (at least at the start, just like some of the things that happened in earlier WoW, which is another Blizzard online-only game....but being an RPG it makes sense).

2. How do you figure? "not just limiting those to online"....what? The game is online only, enforcing that it is limited to those only online.

3. Thats a negative in my opinion, if I'm going to play single-player I want extra fun I can't have online, such as a hacked character or a mod, no single-player (offline) removes that entirely. And again, it's online only, meaning there is no offline...so no, you don't get the same character online and offline, because offline is no there....it's like saying "Well you get the same character online and online".

4. No, it doesn't (please, stop making stuff up unless you can explain how someone might get an advantage from a character that is single-player only on an online-only server).

5. Not really, while it does reduce code, most of the logic is going to work regardless. Here's a simple thought, take all the logic that Blizzards D3 servers use for a player in a game, put that code also in the game client, and have the game client create a local server and join that local server. Then when you have a patch, update the local game client code with the latest server code. This will essentially put the local server behind the live server, but it was practically the same in D2 anyway (realm-only runewords and events and what not). Uniform experience regardless of choice? No, not at all, there is no choice you either play online or don't play at all, uniform experience, sure, but that's because there can't be a non-uniform experience when there is only one way to play the game (online).

Seriously, D2 was perfect, singleplayer and open bnet (where you could use your hacked characters with other people using hacked characters) were completely separated from closed bnet (where Blizzard had your character data and you couldn't modify it in any way). Honestly I had my share of fun on open bnet in hacked duel games seeing who had the best hacked character at times, now that's not going to happen, and neither are any singleplayer mods or anything of that sort.

They seem to have taken D2, ripped out everything but closed bnet, then updated the graphics and simplified the stat/skill system (which I hate BTW). They literally removed half of what made D2 fun and added a few other things that didn't help it a ton, definitely not something I will be buying.

[spacer]

The "always online" aspect is a form of DRM, that really isn't debatable. But it's also a form of quality too. There are benefits and trade offs that come with such a paradigm, as there are with any system. I happen to not mind it, but obviously some of you do. And that's fine. I'm sure you can find something else to play. But come next Tuesday, I'll be playing and enjoying the story I started way back in 1996.

Thanks.

I was going to play this alongside GW2, whenever that comes out - but I'm not going to support that DRM bs with my money. Everyone else enjoy it! :)

I'm confused. You're going to shun Diablo 3 because it requires that you always be be online, but you're still going to play Guild Wars 2...which also needs to always be online. That doesn't make any sense, unless you meant that you will not be playing both games. But the way you structured your sentence doesn't really imply that.

[Wakers]

The "always online" aspect is a form of DRM, that really isn't debatable. But it's also a form of quality too. There are benefits and trade offs that come with such a paradigm, as there are with any system. I happen to not mind it, but obviously some of you do. And that's fine. I'm sure you can find something else to play. But come next Tuesday, I'll be playing and enjoying the story I started way back in 1996.

I'm confused. You're going to shun Diablo 3 because it requires that you always be be online, but you're still going to play Guild Wars 2...which also needs to always be online. That doesn't make any sense, unless you meant that you will not be playing both games. But the way you structured your sentence doesn't really imply that.

GW2 for when I'm at home. I was looking forward to D3 being my "travelling" game, so to speak - but for obvious reasons this won't work out too well.

[firey]

1. No, it doesn't it doesn't even reduce hacking.....online play is online play, single-player from D2 had NOTHING to do with hacking in closed bnet (online), there will still be maphacks and likely (at least at the start, just like some of the things that happened in earlier WoW, which is another Blizzard online-only game....but being an RPG it makes sense).

2. How do you figure? "not just limiting those to online"....what? The game is online only, enforcing that it is limited to those only online.

3. Thats a negative in my opinion, if I'm going to play single-player I want extra fun I can't have online, such as a hacked character or a mod, no single-player (offline) removes that entirely. And again, it's online only, meaning there is no offline...so no, you don't get the same character online and offline, because offline is no there....it's like saying "Well you get the same character online and online".

4. No, it doesn't (please, stop making stuff up unless you can explain how someone might get an advantage from a character that is single-player only on an online-only server).

5. Not really, while it does reduce code, most of the logic is going to work regardless. Here's a simple thought, take all the logic that Blizzards D3 servers use for a player in a game, put that code also in the game client, and have the game client create a local server and join that local server. Then when you have a patch, update the local game client code with the latest server code. This will essentially put the local server behind the live server, but it was practically the same in D2 anyway (realm-only runewords and events and what not). Uniform experience regardless of choice? No, not at all, there is no choice you either play online or don't play at all, uniform experience, sure, but that's because there can't be a non-uniform experience when there is only one way to play the game (online).

Seriously, D2 was perfect, singleplayer and open bnet (where you could use your hacked characters with other people using hacked characters) were completely separated from closed bnet (where Blizzard had your character data and you couldn't modify it in any way). Honestly I had my share of fun on open bnet in hacked duel games seeing who had the best hacked character at times, now that's not going to happen, and neither are any singleplayer mods or anything of that sort.

They seem to have taken D2, ripped out everything but closed bnet, then updated the graphics and simplified the stat/skill system (which I hate BTW). They literally removed half of what made D2 fun and added a few other things that didn't help it a ton, definitely not something I will be buying.

See, as was shown above, it's all in how you want to play the game. I think what you missed in my "reasons" was the fact it's why online only is good. I was not saying if it were online and offline, I was saying why an online only approach is awesome. I want to play where I have 1 character for single and group play. Where I don't have 2 sets of every character for offline and online.

So when all is said and done, I prefer the way it is to the way you want it. I don't think there is any need for an offline, as you said the main reason you want offline is the ability to hack up your character and play against other hacked characters.