This week, we want to know how you feel about Diablo III's randomization. We all know by now that there are certain parts of the game with no randomization. Things like the outlaying environment as well as certain areas in dungeons. However, this does not mean that there is no randomization in Diablo III. In fact, there is quite a bit of randomization in the game and there is even randomization with the randomized areas. With all of that said and from what you have seen and heard, how do you feel about the randomization in Diablo III.
In our previous poll we asked how you guys felt about Blizzard delaying the game until 2012. Half of the voters were upset by the delay but over 25% were okay waiting if it meant that the game was going to be fully polished.
With Closed Beta in full swing and Blizzcon coming within a month, we will be discussing further experiences of playing Diablo III as well as thoughts and ideas of the upcoming Blizzcon.
The randomness of the outer worlds in diablo 2 was so generic. They were just big squares and didn't feel like an actual environment. From what I've seen of the D3 beta, the environments look much more genuine and intricate. Even if there is less over-world randomization in D3, that negative is vastly over-shadowed by the positives.
I believe item randomization has improved greatly. Even base item types are random (damage and durability). I'm a little uncomfortable with legendaries having so many random properties that they resemble rares. A unique is supposed to give the impression that you know what it's going to do, just not how good it's going to do it. This was a great feature of D2 where you know, for example, that Griffon's Eye was great for boosting lightning damage. But just having one wasn't enough, you wanted to get one that was as good as possible which creates an internal submarket for every single item like this one. I won't complain yet as I haven't had experience with a lot of legendaries yet, but seeing how random Griswold's Edge has been is a little disconcerting. If one can be COMPLETELY different from another Griswold's Edge, why is it a legendary and not a rare?
On the flip side, I feel terrain randomization is lacking compared to D2. In D2, I felt truly lost and didn't recognize Underground_Room1A_WithShelf hardly at all. But repeating sections of an area stand out like a sore thumb in Diablo 3 that it loses the immersiveness and reminds you "oh hey, I'm playing a randomly generated game dungeon". This was a major issue for me personally with WoW where just about every "Cave" looked the same on the inside.
I feel poll is to biased. I mean for players who haven't played there should be an option to "I don't know how much is randomized" or something like that. Since now I can't vote at all, there is no option for me.
I don't think you can get to much randomness ...I also think one should play the beta a couple of times to really be able to say whether Diablo 3 is random enough as it is.
But from what I heard and read I still feel the static outlay of the "outer world" will get boring even though there are many randomness within the "outer world" itself. I think you will after a couple of times through the game get used to the outlay of the outer world. Then again, I haven't played the beta or seen many beta footage so I really don't know if this will be the case...I also know blizz's reasoning behind the static outline (last I heard it was to makes it easy for party members to find each other), but I thought you just clicked on the portrait, while in town, of the player and you teleport to them?
Even if they just have a total of 5 "map parts" that randomly put themselves together every time you go through that part of the game (like the dungeons, but much less random ie dungeon - 50 random parts in comparison). Just so that there's a bit of outline randomness in the outer world.
But I still think D3 has by far the most randomness as it is in comparison to other ARPG's. And D3 will be the best game ever made in the history of history, so I'll grape the game regardless...
Even though the square layouts of D2 were possibly unrealistic, it never bothered me. I think I will miss their openness. The above-ground areas in D3 seem too one-dimensional (so far), and it just doesn't feel like much of a game if there's only ever one choice for which way to go.
Randomization in the runes would disappoint me.
On the flip side, I'm saddened that there's only 4 types of gems I can random, not 6.
I didn't really like the D2 jewel/rune systems, but the more randomizations I can get on items, the better.
I suppose what I'm getting at is: In some areas I want more, in select few I want less, depending on what systems I like more.
Everyone needs to remember that one this is the beta and a short beta at that. There is only so much content. Two we don't know how much higher the randomization will scale, There could be even double the amount in the later portions of the first act alone, who can say the later acts/difficulty levels! Think of Durance of hate in normal compared to hell in diablo 2... This is all still theorycrafting at this point.
I don't like that gems have a base stat along with a random one because then you're limited to at most, stacking one of those base stats to try in a build. All gear has items that have purely random properties (outside of possible unique effects) but there are no gems with this properties. Even runes have only random bonuses (aside from the actual skill change effect).
PlugY for Diablo II allows you to reset skills and stats, transfer items between characters in singleplayer, obtain all ladder runewords and do all Uberquests while offline. It is the only way to do all of the above. Please use it.
Supporting big shoulderpads and flashy armor since 2004.
Random properties on Legendaries - this alone will make end game last WAY longer as there will always be the hunt for the perfect legendary (not just percent on guaranteed attributes but the ACTUAL attribute itself!)
The best items in the game (currently most likely 6 RANDOM property crafted rares)
Gots to love RANDOM!
makes for replayability - and the endless random item search :-)
PlugY for Diablo II allows you to reset skills and stats, transfer items between characters in singleplayer, obtain all ladder runewords and do all Uberquests while offline. It is the only way to do all of the above. Please use it.
Supporting big shoulderpads and flashy armor since 2004.
Randomization is a good thing. Lets be honest, the more random the atmosphere the more enjoyable the game will be. The biggest problem games like WOW face are the fact that everything is set in stone. It's why things become boring. Repetition of the exact same thing over and over again drives people mad. Throwing in some randomness will make things last longer.
From what I've been able to absorb from Dennis's indepth and highly entertaining Let's Plays (which is also the only perspective I have at the moment) the direction Blizzard has taken on randomization is very adequate. Its so far subtle but effective to ensure that each play through has elements that creat a unique feeling each time you play - or watch lets plays - the game. The difference, though subtle, is as of now but a taste of how it will feel as you progress in the game as Blizzard staff has so far indulged. Meaning if you think that there isnt enough variation then youll be happy to know that what they have displayed in the BETA is but a taste of amount of randomization of what is to come. I think Tyler also brought up an interesting point regarding bonus areas that occured regularily in D2. I am also in agreement that soemtimes these areas dragged on and even though discovery is a huge aspect of the game sometimes it honestly felt pointless or too time consuming in respects to the rewards. I love the smaller bonus zones that I've seen so far, and some of the throw backs to the previous titles in the franchize, "Den of the Fallen" but a NERD smile on my face. One main concern I do have reservations towards is the randomization of the side quests or "Events" that we've been seeing such as "The Jar of Souls" or the "Ghost Lady." I think these "Events" are an amazing adition to an already amazing game, and hope that Blizzard has created even more of these as you progress through the game.
On that note, as Cap'n Video would say "YeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeowW!"
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In our previous poll we asked how you guys felt about Blizzard delaying the game until 2012. Half of the voters were upset by the delay but over 25% were okay waiting if it meant that the game was going to be fully polished.
With Closed Beta in full swing and Blizzcon coming within a month, we will be discussing further experiences of playing Diablo III as well as thoughts and ideas of the upcoming Blizzcon.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
On the flip side, I feel terrain randomization is lacking compared to D2. In D2, I felt truly lost and didn't recognize Underground_Room1A_WithShelf hardly at all. But repeating sections of an area stand out like a sore thumb in Diablo 3 that it loses the immersiveness and reminds you "oh hey, I'm playing a randomly generated game dungeon". This was a major issue for me personally with WoW where just about every "Cave" looked the same on the inside.
But from what I heard and read I still feel the static outlay of the "outer world" will get boring even though there are many randomness within the "outer world" itself. I think you will after a couple of times through the game get used to the outlay of the outer world. Then again, I haven't played the beta or seen many beta footage so I really don't know if this will be the case...I also know blizz's reasoning behind the static outline (last I heard it was to makes it easy for party members to find each other), but I thought you just clicked on the portrait, while in town, of the player and you teleport to them?
Even if they just have a total of 5 "map parts" that randomly put themselves together every time you go through that part of the game (like the dungeons, but much less random ie dungeon - 50 random parts in comparison). Just so that there's a bit of outline randomness in the outer world.
But I still think D3 has by far the most randomness as it is in comparison to other ARPG's. And D3 will be the best game ever made in the history of history, so I'll grape the game regardless...
On the flip side, I'm saddened that there's only 4 types of gems I can random, not 6.
I didn't really like the D2 jewel/rune systems, but the more randomizations I can get on items, the better.
I suppose what I'm getting at is: In some areas I want more, in select few I want less, depending on what systems I like more.
I miss the option "I still have no idea if the randomization is enough or not"
Random dungeon layout
Random events (awesome idea)
Random properties on Legendaries - this alone will make end game last WAY longer as there will always be the hunt for the perfect legendary (not just percent on guaranteed attributes but the ACTUAL attribute itself!)
The best items in the game (currently most likely 6 RANDOM property crafted rares)
Gots to love RANDOM!
makes for replayability - and the endless random item search :-)
"We haven't seen enough of the game yet to really say"
http://ypslon.deviantart.com/
http://www.livestrea...m/diabloiiibeta
On that note, as Cap'n Video would say "YeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeowW!"