I think we need to drop the mentality that these games are made for serious gamers, and subsequently 'dumbed down' for a wider audience. These games are made for the wider audience from the get-go, because that's what sells. Detailed class balance, end-game difficulty, etc., are then added on to this base layer for the more serious gamers.
If I close my eyes, and think of gaming, here are the top images that pop in my mind's eye.
1) I have a shotgun in my hand. I am panting. There is a waterfall-like stream of poison to my left, and a high platform to my right. From it, a brown furry creature is running down some stairs to me, shooting fireballs as it comes.
2) It is very dark, and I know that I am in a once sacred place, now fallen. Shadows and cobwebs surround me. I feel out of place, yet at peace, as I sit on a throne carved from grey stone. An elevator creaks in the distance.
3) I feel like I am at the top of the world, and the air is thin. Thin-legged spider-like creatures jump all around. I search frantically, running around with a lit bomb, before they can overwhelm me.
4) The city around me seems carved out of sand. I lose myself in the streets, still trying to understand how I could have ever reached this place riding the creature I did. Shaking these thoughts, I concentrate on why I'm hiding behind this crate... I am a thief now.
5) The world is unremarkable, but seems somehow new. The grass and trees are bright green. Over-large rats and spiders, surely trivial beings, somehow seem a tremendous challenge. I slash and hack at them, still marveling at the workmanship of the enormous dwarven statues at the entrance to the underground city where I purchased this humble sword.
6) I am amazed by the beauty that surrounds me, and enchanted by the quiet music in my ears. Still, my heart races at the constant fear of drowning, while my brain puzzles at all I've encountered, trying to uncover the secret to the way forward. All the while, her golden hair and flowing pink dress haunt the back of my mind.
7) Stars race by. My eyes search the darkness ahead of me, fighting off the gleam from the silver wings which spread around me. Small glimmers enlarge into the black shapes of evil. My hand is sure, but the ship trembles slightly as I fire the lasers. One drops, and the other is hit, though even more appear around me. I loop around - the fight is on.
8) I unload my pistol into a metal filing cabinet - no time to pick a lock now. Papers in hand, I exit the room, and coolly kill two agents down either side of the hall. Through the glass doors and outside, to hide behind a bunker of snow, as blue camouflaged men rush by in either direction.
9) I am in a forest of wood, but everything is metal. The bats are made of cannonballs, and the music assaulting my ears is made of tin. I clank my arms together, and take aim at the fierce mess of of circuits and springs leaping towards me.
10) The air seems to form symbols. I cannot tell if I stand inside a house, or hell. My own consciousness is a shell of sanity surrounded by madness incarnate. The spells which permeate this swirling wind do their best to turn me to fear. Yes, I am there. But I am also somewhere else, and she is very near...
Here's a SS link of the banner creation screen. (I've been more excited about screens of the options pages than any gameplay footage or other news from beta).
Wow, I find this a very surprising thread. I loved torchlight. I think anyone who is disappointed is just expecting it to be something it never tried to be.
The art - I thought was great. The style stays the same from zone to zone, but the palette differs drastically, keeping it fresh. Compare to D2, where every Act has the same muted tones, which create a spooky ambiance, but also jade you to the difference between acts. D2 all felt the same. As for cartoony... yes, but with style. This was a much much smaller project than Diablo... it was created to be a game, not an epic, and for that I think the graphics are great.
The skills - I had great fun with two Destroyer builds. Besides the micro-managing buffs, each had a couple skills to use on mobs of enemies and another couple for big guys. The pace and scenery changes keep that fresh for quite some time. If it does get old to you, I think you're just looking for a bigger game. The Summoner Alchemist was also fun, and was a class heavily built on spells, as opposed to class skills, another well incorporated idea.
Mods - you can't blame the game for a lack of mods. The fact that they made it so easy, and even gave us a modding program speaks so much. Compare to D3...
Pet AI was horrible.
So, Torchlight could have been more, but for the scope of game they tried to make, it is perfect.
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1) I have a shotgun in my hand. I am panting. There is a waterfall-like stream of poison to my left, and a high platform to my right. From it, a brown furry creature is running down some stairs to me, shooting fireballs as it comes.
2) It is very dark, and I know that I am in a once sacred place, now fallen. Shadows and cobwebs surround me. I feel out of place, yet at peace, as I sit on a throne carved from grey stone. An elevator creaks in the distance.
3) I feel like I am at the top of the world, and the air is thin. Thin-legged spider-like creatures jump all around. I search frantically, running around with a lit bomb, before they can overwhelm me.
4) The city around me seems carved out of sand. I lose myself in the streets, still trying to understand how I could have ever reached this place riding the creature I did. Shaking these thoughts, I concentrate on why I'm hiding behind this crate... I am a thief now.
5) The world is unremarkable, but seems somehow new. The grass and trees are bright green. Over-large rats and spiders, surely trivial beings, somehow seem a tremendous challenge. I slash and hack at them, still marveling at the workmanship of the enormous dwarven statues at the entrance to the underground city where I purchased this humble sword.
6) I am amazed by the beauty that surrounds me, and enchanted by the quiet music in my ears. Still, my heart races at the constant fear of drowning, while my brain puzzles at all I've encountered, trying to uncover the secret to the way forward. All the while, her golden hair and flowing pink dress haunt the back of my mind.
7) Stars race by. My eyes search the darkness ahead of me, fighting off the gleam from the silver wings which spread around me. Small glimmers enlarge into the black shapes of evil. My hand is sure, but the ship trembles slightly as I fire the lasers. One drops, and the other is hit, though even more appear around me. I loop around - the fight is on.
8) I unload my pistol into a metal filing cabinet - no time to pick a lock now. Papers in hand, I exit the room, and coolly kill two agents down either side of the hall. Through the glass doors and outside, to hide behind a bunker of snow, as blue camouflaged men rush by in either direction.
9) I am in a forest of wood, but everything is metal. The bats are made of cannonballs, and the music assaulting my ears is made of tin. I clank my arms together, and take aim at the fierce mess of of circuits and springs leaping towards me.
10) The air seems to form symbols. I cannot tell if I stand inside a house, or hell. My own consciousness is a shell of sanity surrounded by madness incarnate. The spells which permeate this swirling wind do their best to turn me to fear. Yes, I am there. But I am also somewhere else, and she is very near...
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http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/6311/title/banner-creation/cat/630
ANYWAYS, CAN SOMEONE IN BETA TELL ME IF THERE IS A LOBSTER ICON. I WANT A LOBSTER.
Thanks.
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The art - I thought was great. The style stays the same from zone to zone, but the palette differs drastically, keeping it fresh. Compare to D2, where every Act has the same muted tones, which create a spooky ambiance, but also jade you to the difference between acts. D2 all felt the same. As for cartoony... yes, but with style. This was a much much smaller project than Diablo... it was created to be a game, not an epic, and for that I think the graphics are great.
The skills - I had great fun with two Destroyer builds. Besides the micro-managing buffs, each had a couple skills to use on mobs of enemies and another couple for big guys. The pace and scenery changes keep that fresh for quite some time. If it does get old to you, I think you're just looking for a bigger game. The Summoner Alchemist was also fun, and was a class heavily built on spells, as opposed to class skills, another well incorporated idea.
Mods - you can't blame the game for a lack of mods. The fact that they made it so easy, and even gave us a modding program speaks so much. Compare to D3...
Pet AI was horrible.
So, Torchlight could have been more, but for the scope of game they tried to make, it is perfect.