Well, as you can see the proposed “move” was reversed.

After completing the process for parking this squarspace site on my web server, I found out that I couldn’t create any sub pages outside of the squarespace architecture.  Since that wasn’t going to work for my purposes, I reversed course.  A redirect is easier and allows me way more flexibility.

Also, I know I promised some Blizzcon 2011 stuff, but it is just not coming together as well as I want, so it will have to wait.  I’d rather hold off and release something that I believe lives up to my expectations than push something live that is half ass.

With that out of the way, what have I been up to?  Well, in my very limited time I’ve been working my way through the latest update to the Diablo 3 beta.  I’m just one achievement away from the Overachiever ‘chieve and I plan to get that going this coming weekend.  So how is it?

Well, let me start by telling you some of the high level issues I had before the latest major update.

First, the skill dispersal felt odd.  It created a power curve where the player felt fairly weak for approximately 2 levels (4 – 6) and then at 6 the third skill slot opens and the power curve increases sharply.  While that sharp increase in power is cool on some levels, the roughness of getting there was clearly evident.  Contributing to this was the layering of the skills as they unlocked.  Giving people too many choices early on in the experience definitely allowed players to pick skills that would make the play experience dramatically more difficult, or if they picked correctly, much easier.  If the skill system hadn’t changed, I may not have been able to put my finger on exactly what felt akward about it, but the new system is a stark contrast and much better.

In the new skill system the player gets new power often and the power curve feels more even.  Opening the third skill slot earlier is useful and setting specific skills in specific slots can make it simpler for a newer player, but experienced players can quickly start to build some situation specific synergies that are very fun.  The rune system lets the number of main skills come down, while offering many interesting modifications for those skills increasing the number of skill combos the player can setup.  It is also fantastic to have the ability to change skills whenever you want to fit situations (you may have to do some kiting while the skill cooldown finishes, but it’s great to have the option available).  It might be really cool if the player could have a quick switch for their skill load out so they could more readily hot swap without going into the skill menu.

Second, the salvage mechanic was given very early and used on too many items.  In the earlier version, once a player reach the salavge mechanic quest reward, they realized that they could pretty much just salvage everything and make the crafted gear, which is usually the best in slot for the level (at least in this early part of the game).  To save as much gear to salvage as possible a player would just keep a full inventory until they reached the point where they could salvage that gear.  It made most of the gear feel like salvage fodder and removed any reason to sell the white and gray gear.  Then the salvage mechanic was moved to a later point in the quest chain, but that didn’t change the mentality, it just made you sell off one bag full of junk or maybe dump it on the ground.

The new system makes the crafting feel a little more special because you aren’t salvaging the junk gear, just magical gear.  That reduces the material income and has the player selling the junk gear.  It somewhat limits the access to crafted gear (although you can share mats through the stash).  It is available at a good point in the story progression in the first play through and available early on for other play throughs.  But it also doesn’t inspire the player to save the junk gear to salvage later, so it feels like a very good balance.

Finally, the gear.  Yes, Diablo is much ado about shiny pixels.  In the previous incarnation of the beta, magical items had a higher chance to drop, which isn’t necessarily the worst thing.  What ends up happening though is the player who gets unlucky feels a very slow increase in power, where as the player who just gets sort of lucky feels a sharper increase in power.  The contrast is even greater when you combine it with the old skill system making a player at level 4 with mediocre weapons feel very weak, but the player with magical weapons at level 4 feel perfectly fine.  Even at level 6 the player with mediocre weapons feels sustantially weaker than the player with magical weapons, simply because of the amount of damage being done.

Now, there is only so much that can be done to even out this type of system, but reducing the overall drop rate of the magical items makes them feel more valuable.  Instead of feeling like you’re unlucky for not getting that magic weapon, you feel lucky for getting a magic weapon.  That isn’t to say you can’t share magic find items between characters through the stash, but it still feels normal that you don’t get a magical weapon very quickly.  It helps create a better feeling for the player with slightly more emphasis on mechanics and skills rather than gear, in the earliest part of the game.  This also puts a greater emphasis on the crafted items, specifically weapons.  Not every weapon type is available, but most of the main ones are and the reduced drop rate of magical items serves a good purpose of directing more players to the crafted weapons.

Before I change topics, I should briefly talk about the much debated art style.  I’ve been thinking about it quite a bit lately and the one thing that strikes me is the light radius.  The game isn’t necessarily more or less gritty than the previous versions, but the fact that the player can basically see the entire area around them makes for a less intimidating atmosphere.  I understand it is a design decision to let the player see their surroundings, but that is really the main thing that makes it feel less like diablo or diablo 2.  I think the environments are gorgeous and I sort of like seeing how cavernous the dungeon feels, but I wouldn’t complain about a light radius; it would feel thematically correct and add some great atmosphere.  If they don’t add a light radius, I think the game still feels like the diablo I love, simply from the game play and over-arching themes.

There is a bunch more that I could talk about, but let’s save that for another time.  The changes that are being made are very good and the game feels even better than it did before.  There are so many great skill combos available, even at this early stage; I feel like the combat will be very deep and even more rewarding.

Well, Mists of Pandaria Beta launched this past weekend.  Before I share too much, I need to check whether there is an NDA for MoP right now, but there are some good updates in the stuff I’ve seen so far.  More to come on MoP as I get more time with it and ensure no breaking of an NDA.  One thing I expected and wasn’t disapointed to find was the shear mass of people doing that good old camp on top of quest object thing.  Always so funny to see that going on and the battle of others trying to “reach” the people and get them to understand the hardship they are inflicting on others.  *whisper* While I respect your sense of fairness, I think they know, and you’re just feeding them.

Don’t feed the trolls and…

Stay Safe Out There

~Aten