Online only does not prevent games from piracy, and that is not the reason for implementing only online. Sharing stash doesn't have to do anything with only online. Emulating servers will be much more easier than WoW servers. The biggest problem to emulate will be advanced Ai. At the moment monsters just attack you from close, with no skills to use or anything like that. Drops, random areas, skills, quests, and thing like that will be easy to copy (create), and code.
But the moment the game is released, the really work will start for creating emulators, mods and other things.
Well, I guess it's possible that any sufficiently advanced piracy is indistinguishable from magic the real thing, but I really do think that online only play is going to cut piracy hugely*. I think it's indisputable that since Blizzard definitely don't want their game pirated, the fact that online only mode will keep piracy to a minimum is a large part of the reason for its implementation. I'm not saying it's the only reason. But the RMAH definitely isn't the only reason either, and since we can't see into the minds of the devs, it's impossible for anyone to know which of those two justifications is foremost in their minds. I think there's a good chance they would have decided to go for online only play even if there hadn't been a RMAH. Even if there was only a gold auction house Blizz would probably have stuck to online only because otherwise the auction house would be BROKEN. So it's not just a money-making strategy, they haven't sold out. And honestly, if you don't like online play then you're entitled to your opinion, but the people who are overreacting and crying treachery and acting like Blizzard burned down an orphanage over this issue can cry me a river. Plenty of games support online play only and that's just a part of how games work these days. Get an internet connection that doesn't rely on tin cans connected by string, and then get over it.
I'm not suggesting that you, Ragnar, are one of those people, I haven't read the rest of your posts so I don't know your alignment. Just using your post as a springboard.
*I have pirated video games before, and I'd do it again. I bought the expansion CD for D2, but I borrowed the original disk from a friend to use for the installation. Years later, using a different pc, I downloaded several cracked copies of D2 and never regretted it. I've done the same with other games, too - even indie one's like Braid. I justify it by saying that I wouldn't buy the games even if I couldn't steal them, but there are times when that's probably not true. One thing I wouldn't do, though, is go to all the effort of finding and joining an emulator server, because it'd be way more effort for something not as good. Hell, I was willing to pay subscription to play WOW until I got bored of that. Online only play stops me from pirating games, an the statistics show that it works on a majority of other people too.
all in all, spare us your stupidity and just go back to playing d2. this kind of review is not constructive at all. you just keep saying how things feel "off" (i.e. they don't feel like d2, the game you obviously have played 24/7 for the past 10 years, never touching a single other game that has come out since).
And there you have one of the "Kool-Aid drinkers" I was talking about...
People can have differing opinions to your own and still be right! Wow, who'd a thunk...?
The cognitive dissonance is strong in this one... Also, you know when you make references to Kool-Aid like that you're referencing the Jonestown Massacre, right? That shit was an international tragedy - little children were forced to drink poison. Have some decency, man!
The funny thing is, you seem to be dismissing *all* criticism as "raging" against Diablo III, and that those people must be "h8ters" rather than the "true fans" of the game...
I'm not saying I love everything, or that there's nothing I could nitpick if I wanted to. That would be the other ridiculous extreme, and there are just as many nutjobs on here who have that opinion.
And dismissing everyone's criticism's simply because "There can't be criticism of a Blizzard game! Those are just aesthetic nitpicks! Go play D2!" is probably a sign of someone who drinks a bit too much of the Kool-Aid for their own good...
I'd like a bigger penalty for changing skills on the fly, like you take a hit to your durability or something. That'd be nice, because it'd create a real penalty that people would have to weigh against the benefit of changing builds, but you could still repair it next time you were in town and be just as strong as before. I'd like to see some more synergy in the Barbarian skills because while they're mostly pretty awesome, playing around on the skill calculator makes me feel like I could really pick any set at all and be pretty powerful. I get that they don't want optimal builds, but for there to be viable builds there also need to be at least a few non-viable builds. The Wizard does this better.
Just so it's extra clear, the bits where I was criticising the game are the grey bits. The burgundy/maroon parts are the background. The owl with the beard is my avatar, I stole it from a lady called Kate Beaton, she has a webcomic that is funny.
Mind you, I never said you were one of the nutjobs who was raging. Your post actually seemed pretty mild-mannered compared to some others I've seen. My criticism of your post was that it was a huge post full of tiny aesthetic nitpicks. Somewhere up above I said that if they changed the game to make it perfect in my books it wouldn't be perfect in anyone else's because everyone's books are different. So, sure, Blizzard could change all those features you talked about but then everyone else in the beta would have just as many nitpicks of their own. If you take issue with stuff at that level then there can be at most one person in the world who is happy with the game.
In response to your response to my response, if you'll read the two criticisms of the D3 beta that I've posted you'll note that they're neither rabid rage, nor pointless nitpicks. They are, however, criticisms. I don't think the game is terrible. I don't think it's perfect. I don't think all of my criticisms are important. I am looking forward to it coming out. I don't care if there are a few more delays. I am not trying to start a fight.
The way people make it appear, it almost sounds like D3 is nothing like D2... which is sad, because D2 was epic.
As for the "watered down" parts... if it's too watered down and basic, I'm just going to stop playing it, really. I don't want watred down, I want Diablo 3... not a "Diablo-esque" version of WoW.
Seriously, this game better live up to its expectations, or I know many people who will quite simply kick Blizzard ot the curb, like we have done with other gaming companies as of late (Bethesda, EA, 2K Sports, etc).
I wouldn't worry too much, the game is fine. It's not perfect in my books, but then again if it was it wouldn't be perfect in anyone else's books because everyone's books are slightly different. That's why I was a little surprised with his Lordship's wall-o-text. I've played the beta and, sure, it's not exactly how I would have made it, but then again it's very fun.
For those of you who haven't gotten beta, here's a promising sign: there are some people raging, but they aren't really united in rage against any one particular feature of the game. Sure, some people don't like the new skill system, but from what I can see that's due to their own very narrow definition of build diversity, and it's not even like those people are in the majority amongst the h8ers. Some other people don't like the colour scheme and even if we accept that as a genuine criticism and not a big ridiculous joke that someone made up which somehow metastasized, those people are again the brave, the few, the raging. I could go on and on, but if we just keep in mind that the people who actually bother to make accounts on these forums are heavily skewed towards the superhardcore fans, some of whom must statistically be impossible to please or even carry on a sane conversation with, the fact that only a few nutters are saying "Blizzard had a brain anneurysm on this one and I'm never buying another one of their products ever again or even going to a country with a cold climate for fear of encountering a blizzard" is heartening.
I'm not saying I love everything, or that there's nothing I could nitpick if I wanted to. That would be the other ridiculous extreme, and there are just as many nutjobs on here who have that opinion. I haven't bothered to make a thread about my criticisms because they're pretty minor. I'd like a bigger penalty for changing skills on the fly, like you take a hit to your durability or something. That'd be nice, because it'd create a real penalty that people would have to weigh against the benefit of changing builds, but you could still repair it next time you were in town and be just as strong as before. I'd like to see some more synergy in the Barbarian skills because while they're mostly pretty awesome, playing around on the skill calculator makes me feel like I could really pick any set at all and be pretty powerful. I get that they don't want optimal builds, but for there to be viable builds there also need to be at least a few non-viable builds. The Wizard does this better.
Anyways, I'm not saying everyone who criticises is wrong, because there has been some decent analysis hidden in amongst the angst of these forums. Then again, keep in mind that anyone who says, "Blizzard has betrayed us all and we deserve their slavish obedience because we've been sitting on the internet for the last ten years waiting for this game," probably has someone who gets paid to take them for walks on a Thursday afternoon so they can buy their easybake pies without making a mess in the frozen foods aisle.
Sure, if you have some major point to make then I'm sure they (and we) would all be interested to hear...
Because I seriously would like to hear about the sort of reasonable scale criticisms they were talking about when they made that post on the front page of the site. I lap that shit up for breakfast lunch and dinner because I'm excited about this game. I'm just sayin', your OP seems fairly negative and nitpicky. I also disagree with many of your points, and I guess I could have chosen to rebutt them individually if I'd felt like it, but at the end of the day the amount of mental energy I'd have to expend to express why I think it makes sense that you can't spin your character on the selection screen but can do it on the profile screen is just way out of proportion with the amount that I (or any reasonable person) care/s about that very minor detail. So instead I chose to rebutt your post as a whole by pointing that fact out.
Ok so I read it all... Seems like all or most of your criticisms are based on aesthetics rather than technical considerations. IMHumbleO the beta isn't a D3 crowdsourcing app designed so that Blizzard can get everyone's opinion on what colour the background of the currently selected character button in the home screen should be. They're looking for bugfixes and mechanics that don't work the way they hoped. Sure, if you have some major point to make then I'm sure they (and we) would all be interested to hear, but this stuff? If you have a degree in video design (and seriously, what are the odds that you're both a Lord and a video designer? If it was me I'd have the butler posting on forums for me to begin with...) then I'd say that the best outlet for this sort of criticism is to apply for a job on the Blizz dev team. I don't have a degree in any sort of design, though, so when I have opinions like this, my outlet is my internal monologue.
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Well, I guess it's possible that any sufficiently advanced piracy is indistinguishable from
magicthe real thing, but I really do think that online only play is going to cut piracy hugely*. I think it's indisputable that since Blizzard definitely don't want their game pirated, the fact that online only mode will keep piracy to a minimum is a large part of the reason for its implementation. I'm not saying it's the only reason. But the RMAH definitely isn't the only reason either, and since we can't see into the minds of the devs, it's impossible for anyone to know which of those two justifications is foremost in their minds. I think there's a good chance they would have decided to go for online only play even if there hadn't been a RMAH. Even if there was only a gold auction house Blizz would probably have stuck to online only because otherwise the auction house would be BROKEN. So it's not just a money-making strategy, they haven't sold out. And honestly, if you don't like online play then you're entitled to your opinion, but the people who are overreacting and crying treachery and acting like Blizzard burned down an orphanage over this issue can cry me a river. Plenty of games support online play only and that's just a part of how games work these days. Get an internet connection that doesn't rely on tin cans connected by string, and then get over it.I'm not suggesting that you, Ragnar, are one of those people, I haven't read the rest of your posts so I don't know your alignment. Just using your post as a springboard.
*I have pirated video games before, and I'd do it again. I bought the expansion CD for D2, but I borrowed the original disk from a friend to use for the installation. Years later, using a different pc, I downloaded several cracked copies of D2 and never regretted it. I've done the same with other games, too - even indie one's like Braid. I justify it by saying that I wouldn't buy the games even if I couldn't steal them, but there are times when that's probably not true. One thing I wouldn't do, though, is go to all the effort of finding and joining an emulator server, because it'd be way more effort for something not as good. Hell, I was willing to pay subscription to play WOW until I got bored of that. Online only play stops me from pirating games, an the statistics show that it works on a majority of other people too.
The cognitive dissonance is strong in this one... Also, you know when you make references to Kool-Aid like that you're referencing the Jonestown Massacre, right? That shit was an international tragedy - little children were forced to drink poison. Have some decency, man!
Just so it's extra clear, the bits where I was criticising the game are the grey bits. The burgundy/maroon parts are the background. The owl with the beard is my avatar, I stole it from a lady called Kate Beaton, she has a webcomic that is funny.
Mind you, I never said you were one of the nutjobs who was raging. Your post actually seemed pretty mild-mannered compared to some others I've seen. My criticism of your post was that it was a huge post full of tiny aesthetic nitpicks. Somewhere up above I said that if they changed the game to make it perfect in my books it wouldn't be perfect in anyone else's because everyone's books are different. So, sure, Blizzard could change all those features you talked about but then everyone else in the beta would have just as many nitpicks of their own. If you take issue with stuff at that level then there can be at most one person in the world who is happy with the game.
In response to your response to my response, if you'll read the two criticisms of the D3 beta that I've posted you'll note that they're neither rabid rage, nor pointless nitpicks. They are, however, criticisms. I don't think the game is terrible. I don't think it's perfect. I don't think all of my criticisms are important. I am looking forward to it coming out. I don't care if there are a few more delays. I am not trying to start a fight.
I wouldn't worry too much, the game is fine. It's not perfect in my books, but then again if it was it wouldn't be perfect in anyone else's books because everyone's books are slightly different. That's why I was a little surprised with his Lordship's wall-o-text. I've played the beta and, sure, it's not exactly how I would have made it, but then again it's very fun.
For those of you who haven't gotten beta, here's a promising sign: there are some people raging, but they aren't really united in rage against any one particular feature of the game. Sure, some people don't like the new skill system, but from what I can see that's due to their own very narrow definition of build diversity, and it's not even like those people are in the majority amongst the h8ers. Some other people don't like the colour scheme and even if we accept that as a genuine criticism and not a big ridiculous joke that someone made up which somehow metastasized, those people are again the brave, the few, the raging. I could go on and on, but if we just keep in mind that the people who actually bother to make accounts on these forums are heavily skewed towards the superhardcore fans, some of whom must statistically be impossible to please or even carry on a sane conversation with, the fact that only a few nutters are saying "Blizzard had a brain anneurysm on this one and I'm never buying another one of their products ever again or even going to a country with a cold climate for fear of encountering a blizzard" is heartening.
I'm not saying I love everything, or that there's nothing I could nitpick if I wanted to. That would be the other ridiculous extreme, and there are just as many nutjobs on here who have that opinion. I haven't bothered to make a thread about my criticisms because they're pretty minor. I'd like a bigger penalty for changing skills on the fly, like you take a hit to your durability or something. That'd be nice, because it'd create a real penalty that people would have to weigh against the benefit of changing builds, but you could still repair it next time you were in town and be just as strong as before. I'd like to see some more synergy in the Barbarian skills because while they're mostly pretty awesome, playing around on the skill calculator makes me feel like I could really pick any set at all and be pretty powerful. I get that they don't want optimal builds, but for there to be viable builds there also need to be at least a few non-viable builds. The Wizard does this better.
Anyways, I'm not saying everyone who criticises is wrong, because there has been some decent analysis hidden in amongst the angst of these forums. Then again, keep in mind that anyone who says, "Blizzard has betrayed us all and we deserve their slavish obedience because we've been sitting on the internet for the last ten years waiting for this game," probably has someone who gets paid to take them for walks on a Thursday afternoon so they can buy their easybake pies without making a mess in the frozen foods aisle.
Because I seriously would like to hear about the sort of reasonable scale criticisms they were talking about when they made that post on the front page of the site. I lap that shit up for breakfast lunch and dinner because I'm excited about this game. I'm just sayin', your OP seems fairly negative and nitpicky. I also disagree with many of your points, and I guess I could have chosen to rebutt them individually if I'd felt like it, but at the end of the day the amount of mental energy I'd have to expend to express why I think it makes sense that you can't spin your character on the selection screen but can do it on the profile screen is just way out of proportion with the amount that I (or any reasonable person) care/s about that very minor detail. So instead I chose to rebutt your post as a whole by pointing that fact out.
Ok so I read it all... Seems like all or most of your criticisms are based on aesthetics rather than technical considerations. IMHumbleO the beta isn't a D3 crowdsourcing app designed so that Blizzard can get everyone's opinion on what colour the background of the currently selected character button in the home screen should be. They're looking for bugfixes and mechanics that don't work the way they hoped. Sure, if you have some major point to make then I'm sure they (and we) would all be interested to hear, but this stuff? If you have a degree in video design (and seriously, what are the odds that you're both a Lord and a video designer? If it was me I'd have the butler posting on forums for me to begin with...) then I'd say that the best outlet for this sort of criticism is to apply for a job on the Blizz dev team. I don't have a degree in any sort of design, though, so when I have opinions like this, my outlet is my internal monologue.