Diablo III - World of Warcraft 1.5?
Update 20th Aug 09 - They've fixed the inventory (34 seconds into vid). I'm 100% sure it was because they saw my Neverwinter Nights inventory pictures below. Lets hope there's an auto-arrange button like there is in Silent Storm. Now if only they'd listen to me more often.
With the recent gameplay video and screenshots released of Diablo III, a lot of true gamers are pretty pissed with the art direction/graphics. Blizzard have taken World of Warcraft's textures and essentially added 1.5x more detail.
Before any cuntmonkeys start thinking I'm some fanboy, I'll say right now that I haven't completed Diablo 1 or 2.
I frequent forums that are filled with CoD4 playing assholes, and as a gamer with taste, I often argue that Diablo 3 is essentially World of Warcraft plus higher resolution textures with slightly more detail. I also mention the unrealistic coloured lighting with greens appearing from nowhere. Note the key points mentioned - texture detail and lighting colour.
Invariably, this is when I get some little shit telling me that I apparently want a pitch black game and that I'm emo. Remember the key points? Not one mention of brightness. Checking their profile, they're always 16 or under. I wish they'd fuck off and go cream their pants over their shitty little wannabe-sims like Forza and FIFA 08.
At some point they'll throw this screenshot at you:
That screenshot is the last resort of someone who's seriously trying to defend an indefensible point. Unfortunately they fail, because you can't argue against fact - the fact that Diablo III looks like World of Warcraft 1.5.
Let me clear up the point about the textures. Diablo III's indoor areas look extremely flat. It's as if they got a painter to paint the stone textures, instead of just using real stone in the first place. This means there's no grainy, or realistic quality to the stonework. If you touched the surfaces with your hand they'd be totally smooth. Now compare that with these screenshots that actually have detail:
Your hands would get torn to shreds if you rubbed it down that stonework. After seeing those screens, this Diablo III screenshot looks fucking embarrassing:
I've made a few screenshots to emphasise the point:
Now take a quick look at this screenshot from IGN:
Good god. I practically just raped you. That table/shelf thingy was from World of Warcraft:
It's about time I mentioned the new inventory. It's shit. Take a look at Neverwinter Nights 1's inventory vs NWN2's.
If you think NWN2's inventory looks better, then you're an idiot. It's no surprise that NWN2 was shit. NWN1 got all the little things right, and the little things do matter (in fact, they're more important than the story. More on that in a future post). Diablo III's already fucked up a few of the little things. Not a good sign.
Potions - dumbed down (on the Oblivion quick-jump scale) so dumbasses can play. There's nothing more to it. (EDIT - I've just been informed that dev's prefer to call this "accessible". Sorry about that dev's. All is forgiven... NOT.)
To wrap this shebang up, take a gander at this video: (I just got shebang and gander - two words you've never said out loud - into the same sentence. I am God.)
If you still think Diablo III looks like part of the same franchise, then you're fucking deluded. This game should not be called Diablo.
Sign this petition - http://www.petitiononline.com/d3art/petition.html
39 comments
Anonymous , 15 July, 2008
Fanboy.... (joke)
Anonymous , 15 July, 2008
damn right
Anonymous , 15 July, 2008
Petition signed. You're right, they should've started a new series instead of ruining this one.
Anonymous , 16 July, 2008
The only thing that can salvage this is the gameplay. It needs to be addictive.
Anonymous , 16 July, 2008
This post is ownage of the highest order :D
Anonymous , 16 July, 2008
it'll still be a good gmae though
Anonymous , 16 July, 2008
There's no doubt it looks like WOW. I don't get how anyone can argue against that ffs.
Anonymous , 16 July, 2008
Someone will make a texture pack i'm sure...although i don't know how editable the game will be.
Anonymous , 17 July, 2008
Yeah I think a texture pack would fix almost all the issues. The only thing that wouldn't be changable would be the green lights with no source, but you could deal with that if we had realisticly detailed textures....
Anonymous , 17 July, 2008
To Blizzard - please just fucking photoshop noise filter all your textures. I never thought I'd actually recommend the noise filter ever...
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Anonymous , 17 July, 2008
Did you ever stop to think that the graphics aren't done? This is a game that was just announced, it's still years away from being launched, and all we've seen is some basic gameplay and screenshots. Look at screenshots of WoW in Alpha and compare them to the current graphics - they're completely different. And Diablo 3 isn't even in Alpha yet.
So yeah, good job, you caught minor flaws and placeholder graphics in a pre-alpha build of a game.
The inventory system is the every-RPG inventory. Character slots and a bag, with each item taking up a slot in that bag. I could name a dozen RPG's with essentially the exact same thing.
And potions weren't all that intelligent to begin with. Whenever I play D2, by half way through Act 1 my belt is full of potions a level above what the vendors are selling and they still drop faster than I can use them. If anything, orbs add dificulty because you can't save them up and give yourself a health potion IV to hold you up through a boss fight.
Anonymous , 17 July, 2008
The textures in the WoW alpha were practically the same as the final game. Exactly the same style.
I doubt it'll take them as long as it took them to make WOW. Probably only a few years before release...
And they wouldn't show a video of that length if they were going to u-turn on the visual style.
Just because the inventory is in every other RPG doesn't mean you should use it. That's a good reason why they shouldn't use it.
The inventory wasn't broken, so why fix it? A pointless change, that's why.
Imagine you were a character in Diablo... would you stock up on as many potions as you could afford? Yes you would, therefore it adds realism and it adds a closeness to the character, since it's effectively your choice of inventory and your inventory layout. They're just streamlining everything. I wouldn't be surprised if it went Xbox 360 exclusive now...
Anonymous , 18 July, 2008
David's another one of those dumbasses this article is talking about....
Anonymous , 18 July, 2008
Well said!
Anonymous , 21 July, 2008
If they were going to change it they would've done it before releasing a video... the game must be coming out within 2 years.
Anonymous , 23 July, 2008
Man, the game is not even alpha yet....
Does it really need to say more?
Anonymous , 02 August, 2008
Well said cranky...
Anonymous , 05 August, 2008
of course d3 looks more like wow than d2 because d2 was created xx years ago and wow x years ago, stupid argument
Anonymous , 07 August, 2008
I'm a Diablo fanboy, and I think D3 looks great.
Anonymous , 31 August, 2008
this is why i don't like penny-arcade, they were saying stuff like they'd play this game 'because' of the artwork direction (the cartoony graphics og which, in wow, never impressed me. Being about as immersive & realistic as a theme park) & people tout their opinions as some kind of gospelk fucking truth on the internet.
Most gamers are such fucking sheep, the whole point of the diablo franchise was that its supposed to be a much darker counterpoint to the GREEN-ness of any given warcraft game.
Nevermind the fact the gameplay looks like a rehashed version of the original (a'la starcraft 2), & i think what blizzard fail to realise is that people don't necessarily 'have' to pay for games anymore (so if you piss off enough people with your art & lazy re-heated gameplay direction, people might still play your games, just without paying a cent for it!)
Anonymous , 27 December, 2008
Y'know, it's kind of useless to criticize the game before it comes out.
Anonymous , 13 January, 2009
Why would you download and play a game if you hate it so much?
Anonymous , 17 March, 2009
I wish people like you would get cancer.
Anonymous , 17 March, 2009
Pathethic post.
Anonymous , 18 March, 2009
Honestly, I do agree, it's somewhat less gritty and gothic. But frankly from the default zoom level, the screens look great. It's only zoomed in they look WoW-like, and by that I mean, cartoony.
The video made me nostalgic, but it's been a while since I saw a Diii video, and when it came on I thought it looked great. I think it's going to be great fun.
Fundamentally I agree with your points, but I feel you have taken them away from their context and analysed them as separate things. With the whole picture in place, I'd still prefer a more gothic feel, but probably only because I'm a fan of the series. Nostalgia makes me want items that have different sizes, but memories of getting pissed about a charm taking up two slots when I needed another slot say, who cares?
I'll never miss potion spamming, so frankly, I think you just want to moan about everything.
Anonymous , 18 March, 2009
The game looks awesome. Can't wait to play it.
Unknown , 18 April, 2009
Very intelligent post. It's really not so much the color as it is the textures and the lines. The environmental artwork--probably even moreso than the character artwork, is highly exaggerated.
Basically the team behind Diablo 1 and 2--Blizzard North (formerly Condor--an independent) had a completely different art philosophy than Blizzard proper(Irvine). When Blizzard North left (Phil Shenk, Bill Roper, Max Schaefer, Erich Schaefer, David Brevik, etc.) the Diablo art-style died, along with the IP imo.
I wonder how many 'versions' of Diablo III Blizzard Irvine has gone through all of these long years (they went with more realistic graphics originally, before scrapping that). They obviously couldn't handle creating Diablo III outside of their art-style comfort-zone, and thus we have what we see now.
Brian Morrisroe's argument about the original, more realistic graphical approach turning out to be too 'boring' is a weak argument. If that is the case, then why weren't both Diablo 1 and 2 boring? As pointed out by the Blizzard Irvine art-style defenders, Diablo 2 had a wonderful palette of colorful, interesting environments, although the environmental detail itself remained realistic. I'm glad Morrisroe is gone.
I'm glad Bill Roper finally spoke out about his disappointment with the Diablo III art style.
http://digg.com/d1mYRL
In concluding I'll leave you with some quotes from old interviews with the Diablo II dev team concerning their art style.
"A common revision that I remember being involved with was the effort to make stuff look aged and gritty. When art assets looked too clean and new, I'd often be called in to paint grime and grit on them, whether it was dungeon walls, or weapons."
Diablo II Artist Ben Boos
http://www.warcry.com/articles/view/interviews/5261-WarCry-Interviews-Diablo-II-Artist-Ben-Boos.2
This Designer Diary on Diablo II on Gamespot is an excellent resource for those interested in Blizzard North's 'perspective' during the development of the Diablo series.
http://www.gamespot.com/features/diablo2diary_dd/
Here is the greatest quote from Phil and Matt.
"GS: Why did you guys decide not to use classic fantasy images like elves, dwarves, and dragons?
Phil: Well, there's always the balance between the familiar and the new. If we use something like a skeleton or a zombie, we've got to put a spin on it. People don't like things that are so far out that they don't have any idea what it is. So we like the monsters to appear familiar, but at the same time, interesting. The designers of the game just aren't big fans of the typical goblins, dragons, trolls group of monsters. It makes for a more interesting balance of, I don't know....
Matt: We go for the more Gothic stuff. We're more into Gothic as opposed to the traditional RPG stuff.
GS: So is that how you would characterize the look of Diablo II? It'd be more Gothic than it would be the traditional D&D type of fantasy theme?
Phil: Yeah, definitely. There's more of a Gothic core element to it."
http://www.gamespot.com/features/diablo2diary_dd/091498/page4.html
Long live the guys from Blizzard North. Diablo 1 and 2 were brilliant.
Unfortunately the post-WoW era Blizzard fanbase has polluted the older more 'pure' fanbase from Diablo and StarCraft. It's all downhill from here I'm afraid.
r4 nintendo ds , 12 July, 2009
Diablo III is the real deal! It's incredible. Diablo III was the best investment I ever made.
Anonymous , 13 July, 2009
OP is not as clever as he thinks he is.
Also, ITT: The exact same mentality that plagued TFC forums regarding TF2's artwork prior to release. TF2 is now widely regarded, at the very least, as the superior game in terms of gameplay, and in some instances in terms of presentation.
This is a common condition of people being afraid of changing what's comfortable to them. They've grown used to something they enjoy, internalized all its details and nuances to the point there exists no room for surprise, and feel safest replaying something they *know* they like rather than taking a chance on a new experience. A similar scenario involves an individual who rents a movie they've seen 20 times before in lieu of checking out something new. Their fear of disappointment overshadows the expected tedium of resorting again to what's known.
Do not pretend you know what kind of game D3 will be by virtue of what you can infer from a series of preliminary pictures and videos. You're allowed to hold your uneducated opinions, but you've relegated the game to the gallows without really knowing anything about it. The artwork reminds you of WoW? Holy fucking shit, now *those* are grounds for dismissal, especially when they're based upon such a small amount of information that may not resemble the finished product in the very least. All of this is knee-jerk reactionism in an age where children (and often adults) need immediate informational gratification. In the event a resolve can't be formed, people go apeshit, inferentially constructing an end which is wholly unverifiable and nearly baseless, all for a comfortable sense of certainty. You've taken a *weak* similarity in art styles and an environmental texture--smooth walls (Really?)--and induced a finished game that, most likely, will bear none of the qualities you claim.
Of course, you used the words "shebang" and "gander" in one sentence; how could you possibly be misguided?
Anonymous , 24 July, 2009
Diablo 3 is going to usher in a new plauge of gamers that this world has'nt seen before... namely, "Blizzites". They will storm the internet and game forums, praising Blizzard for every game they put out, and will denounce anyone who disagrees with them. They feel like Blizzard only knows best, even if they take a turn for the worse in the buisness. They see the old generation of Blizzard fans as old and febel, dissmissing their opinions and critisisms as heresy... in other words, Diablo 3 is going to create fan boys that are probably going to end up more annoying and blind than the WoW players.
Honestly, how can you guys think that these graphics suit the idea of a "gothic fanatsy"? For the love of god, I could go into that dungeon and hold a birthday party for 4 year-olds, and they would'nt be even scared of the monsters or the dungeon itself! This is what happens when a successful product goes wrong: evey other game becomes like it. Might as well call this "World Of Warcraft: Rise of Diablo". I just hope most of the game play would help numb my eyes from these painful graphics.
Anonymous , 24 July, 2009
At this point, Blizzard has two things they could do to the graphics without rehashing the game: make the lighting more realistic (no green lights), and tweaking the textures for more realistic effect. Other than that, the dungeons make me want to puke.
Anonymous , 09 August, 2009
Nathan just owned these Blizzard fanboys.
They should call this game Warcraft: Something, not Diablo 3.
qzole , 31 August, 2009
No matter how much I agree, I can not approve arguments with manipulated images. It is out right LYING
That small shelf was pasted onto the image.
Real image
Anonymous , 31 August, 2009
It was pasted to show that the style of WoW fits exactly with D3...
qzole , 31 August, 2009
Ok, now I feel dumb, I think I read it just the wrong way... I'm terribly sorry for the accusation.
But I think there are many models from many games that can be put into D3 images with some lightning adjusting so that it won't be obvious at the first look.
I agree with the art style otherwise. I really like how people added the light radius and hidden the green lights on one screenshot.
But about the NWN1 and NWN2 inventories... both suck....
Anonymous , 26 September, 2009
Its so sad for me to see that we as old Diablo gamers is beeing sacked, just so that the new teenage generation can get their Wow cartoon style! For god sake, where is the love for the game that you make? Is anyone of the old boys from D1 & D2 still on the team or is it just money making EA guys? I feel that my old inner gamer and dreamer has been shot like a stray dog! Dizz to Blizz!
Anonymous , 26 September, 2009
Aight well first off, just because every little bit of the game isnt in a catacomb, doesn't mean it has lost its dark edgy feel that we all (im assuming) love diablo games for. Yes graphics have improved, blizzard is a multimillion dollar company now and can afford to up their art. Personally I don't really see much of a "World of Warcraft" feel to the designs, even if there are a few doodads and things that are taken from it, THEY ARE TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT GAMES. The easy potion system is fucking retarded imo, they shouldn't dumb things like that down so much, however game play looks like it will be quite a bit more interesting than D1, or D2. Blizz is not restricting themselves to only large scale MMO's that have been dumbed down to suit kids and idiots that have never played an MMO in their lives. Starcraft 2 is the most technical and strategically based game that I think ive ever seen, and theyre even taking things to a whole new level with a "next gen" MMO that will be nothing like wow according to them. Point is blizzard is an intelligent company that i believe is going to be trying to go back to their roots of catering to the actual gamer community over little kids.
Not-so-humble Fan , 04 October, 2009
Yea i agree with most, if not all, of the things you said. I grew up with Diablo and this is just messed up. They are trading in that special feel of Diablo for another "hoards and hoards of foes" game. I agree even more about the textures then anything you said. It makes me sick.
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