DiabloFans

Yea it certainly seems like a much more viable option in D3. I'll at least try it out as a build, but I could see it being pretty underpowered early on, so I might have to wait until my Wiz is a high level.

Quote from PH69

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Blizz say that they reveal all the systems / mechanics of Diablo 3 before they announce the beta? We obviously don't know all of them yet, so most of you guys may be really disapointed this monday

Pretty much what Medievaldragon and Daemaro said along with the fact that the SC2 beta was announced at a similar conference call in 2009. They could easily use this conference call to announce it and then finish announcing all the systems in the weeks between announcement and the actual start of the beta.

I really want to know what's going on with the light coming out of (or going into) that chain.

Yea I guess thats true. Thanks for the pointer. The main reason I grouped it with the Dry Steppes is that the clip of Ureh seems to be in a desert-like area, so I just assumed it was closer to the Dry Steppes than the swamps. But the world map pretty clearly shows it in the swamps.

Quote from Conax

Same with Hell and Heaven, though im not sure how that would be possible lore wise.

Well in D2 the Three created a portal to Hell, so a similar thing could be done for Heaven. I'm sure Tyreal (or any other angels on our side) has some way of getting back there.

Torajan Jungles - Well, I think it's a possibility for an additional expansion act. The place where the Witch Doctor originated from had a lot to do with demons in the past (most significantly Zagraal) so it will not be surprising at all to visit the jungle.

Yea, and theres some concept art portraying ruins in the jungle. Also, I'm pretty sure the goatmen come from that area as well.

As for my top choices, I'd say something like:
1. Xiansai
2. Skovos
3. Ureh
4. Torajan
5. Ivgorod

I'd really like to see the homelands of all the characters, as I feel like that can easily add significance to an area. Heaven and Hell are also places I'd like to go, but it seems like a foregone conclusion that we'll be visiting them at some point, especially since D3 is going to close out this story arc.

Man, I don't know all of those places.. Good thing you guys rock the Diablo wiki party out with your.. lore books out. K that got weird.

Lolwut

Throughout the original //www.diablowiki.com/Diablo_I">Diablo" class="wiki-link">//www.diablowiki.com/Diablo_I">Diablo"/> Diablo and Diablo II we only visited a select few areas in the sprawling world of Sanctuary. Diablo I took place in Tristram and the dungeon below the Cathedral, and Diablo II took us to a Rogue Monastery near Tristram, Lut Gholein, Kurast, Hell, and finally the Barbarian homeland surrounding Harrogath. However, as you can see after a quick look at the world map on the official site, Sanctuary contains many more locations that we haven't seen. Fortunately, through the Sin War books and the backstories of new and old characters, we know the lore behind some of the locations on the world map. Below is a short summary of the locations we could see in Diablo III and its expansions, along with a few pictures. If you would like to view the high-res version of any image in this article, simply click on it. For more information on confirmed and potential locations in Diablo III, be sure to check out Don_guillotine's editorial on the topic. If you still aren't satisfied with your knowledge of Sanctuary's locations, be sure to click on any wiki links and check out the official site.

So far in the Diablo series, we have yet to venture to the High Heavens, despite repeated journeys to the Burning Hells. Early in development, Diablo III was supposed to take place in the Heavens, which appeared to be much lighter than most areas we've seen, and most of the architecture was composed of white pillars. If it appeared in the final game, it could end up looking similar to these screenshots. Obviously Heaven could also provide a good contrast to Hell, which is another self explanatory potential location.

Another potential location is the once proud city of Ureh. Featured in The Kingdom of Shadow, Ureh is now trapped between the mortal and immortal planes after Diablo twisted the mind of the city's leader Juris Khan into opening a passage to Hell, only to be foiled at the last second, forcing the city into a state of limbo. Although the city was featured in the announcement cinematic, Ureh has since been removed from the game. However, it is an obvious choice for an expansion location, and its presence at any point in Diablo III would most likely also give the player access to the swamp area surrounding the city.

The Skovos Isles, home to the Amazons, are yet another location that was shown and then removed from Diablo III. From the concept art we've seen, these islands appear to be tropical locations, which would make for some interesting flora and fauna. If an expansion included these isles, it would be interesting to see if Blizzard was able to implement a reasonable way to get from island to island, or if we would only get access to the main island. Either way, exploring the Amazon's homeland would be extremely interesting.

Another interesting homeland to explore could be the Druid homeland of Scosglen. Although we have no idea what Scosglen and the Druid college of Tur Dulra would look like, it appears as though it is an arctic environment. Scosglen is also close to the semi-confirmed Xiansai, the Wizard homeland.
It should be noted that this quote is from an interview in 2009, and Jay Wilson seems less than certain that we will go to Xiansai in Diablo III. However, if it is a location in the final game, a trip to nearby Scosglen could make sense. Both environments would most likely be similar, although Xiansai, judging by its color on the world map, does seem to be effected by the same plague as the Dreadlands despite the island's distance from the Arreat Crater.

A more familiar location could be the Sharval Wilds and Ivgorod. Located to the north of Tristram, the Sharval Wilds are home to the Monks of Ivgorod. This region, along with Westmarch, would most likely feel very similar to the area surrounding Tristram and the Rogue Monastery in the previous Diablo games. However, exploring Ivgorod could be more focused on the mountains in the area, while Westmarch is much closer to a port town than anywhere we've gone to in the area.

Mentioned in the Witch Doctor's entry on the official site, the Torajan Jungles surround familiar places like Kurast, but in Diablo II we only explored a small portion of the area. Depending on whether or not you liked Act III in Diablo II, a journey to the Torajan Jungles could be a very appealing or cringe inducing idea, but any Witch Doctor fan would probably enjoy a visit with the Tribe of the Five Hills. The towns in this area could also prove intriguing, seeing as other than Kurast the world map shows no centers of civilization. Small, unprotected villages instead of walled of cities and towns could lead to a lot more dangerous of a feel in the dense jungles.

The only other location on this list that is at all confirmed is the previously mentioned Dreadlands surrounding the Arreat Crater. During the Blizzcon 2010 Crafting Sanctuary panel, we got a short look at the concept art and interior of Bastion's Keep, a Barbarian stronghold located near the Arreat Crater. A short time later, Bashiok told us that we had actually seen a small portion of Act III. Seeing as all other footage was labeled as part of the first two acts, that would appear to imply that we venture to Bastion's Keep during Act III, which would then seem to suggest that Act III takes place in the Dreadlands. However, at this point in time that is pure speculation, so technically the only confirmed locations are the forests around Tristram and the deserts surrounding Caldeum.

So now that you've gotten a short overview of each of the choices, which locale do you want to see in Diablo III and its expansions? Do you have any other locations in mind? Vote in the poll above and discuss your favorite choices in the topic below.

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During last week's poll, most people (37%) agreed that a follower system that is similar to what we saw in Lord of Destruction, with the addition of skill choices, would be ideal. The next most popular option was the system Leonard Boyarsky explained in a 2009 interview (28%), and the temporary followers option trailed behind with 18% of the vote. If you would still like to vote in last week's poll, or if you just want to talk about followers and hirelings in Diablo III, be sure to head over to the topic through the link above.

I only read the poll options, but each pistol xbow will be different. So you can already have a different xbow in each hand.

...yea what Scyber said.

Artisans will function as vendors as well, yes. For example the Blacksmith is (afaik) the only person who can repair your gear.

I thought you could always summon multiple zombie dogs.

Not to mention that nowadays getting the materials gets you all kinds of government attention. And once you go through all that it might not even work (ie underwear/shoe bomber).

Yea, but you can still be in the same room and play over battle.net.

AFAIK thats not at all what they said. Last I heard the endgame setup they were aiming for was a mix of rares, legendaries, and crafted items.

I don't see how you expect a whole lot from liking a page on Facebook. Most pages don't give anything. We could have an entirely different conversation on the state of overall D3 updates (which obviously come very infrequently), but as far as this specific update, I find that concept art and screenshots is more than enough for 'likes' on a FB page. Especially considering its something you can rely on pretty much weekly at this point.

Quote from Daemaro

Quote from FingolfinGR

Am i the only one that believes this whole thing went down...

Obama's birth certificate comes under fire, white house finally produces one, people start saying its fake. BAM, Osama is killed. BTW Elections are coming up.

It's not just in Europe that it was convenient.

Have you seen/heard the people who dispute Obama was born in the USA? The only reason the birth certificate wasn't produced until now is that they knew people would say it was fake, and until Donald Trump started using it as a platform to run for POTUS there was no real reason to release it except in hopes of convincing people who are probably just trying to disguise the fact that they're racist. Not to mention that elections aren't for another 16 months (or 4 for the Senate/House). Approval ratings and polls about the upcoming presidency historically don't mean shit around this time of year, so if this was purely for elections it would have been 'saved' for a more relevant time.

And just saying, that argument about it being a distraction from the economy could have been used if the news of Osama's death came at any point in the last three or so years, so its not really relevant.

Yea you can still host games, and I'm assuming they'll still let you password protect them and choose who to invite. So you could have what is essentially a LAN party just over battle.net.