upd article D3
This commit is contained in:
wgroeneveld
parent
51ea51fe6b
commit
098f4d822a
|
|
@ -22,11 +22,16 @@ There is of course no clicking involved in a console version of Diablo, and let'
|
|||
|
||||
On to the fun part: **character building**! Or rather, what seems to be completely absent in D3. Why are my skills automatically unlocked? Why are runes a subset of skills now? Why can't I dump points into skills? Where is the **tree** in "skill tree"? Where are the attributes? I'm starting to feel like the Angry Video Game Nerd here. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy Diablo 3, and I hate myself for doing so, but all the complexity that was so amazing and an integral part of the predecessor now seems to be completely vanished... Locked in a soulstone, perhaps? I know this is a 6-year old discussion, but now I'm finally starting to understand Diablo 2 fans, as I am one. I spent more than 200 hours creating "WW bars", "CE necros", doing Mephisto runs at 3 AM. Good times. But what made those times so great was my own decisions and the **permanent impact** I made on my character. Diablo 3 seems to play with me instead of the other way around: it feels like cruising on auto-pilot. All skills are automatically unlocked at level 70 and you can switch between them as you see fit. In D2, you had to start over. That might be harsh, but that was part of the fun.
|
||||
|
||||
Why would a game like this, completely built around the concept of "_runs_", automatically make choices for the player? That **is** Diablo! That is hack & slash. Take a look at Path of Exile, for example. The screenshot below illustrates my attempt at explaining the endless possibilities of character builds. And no, these things are not unlocked if you level up. My Corpse Explosion necromancer with Bone Spikes doesn't need "Corpse Devour", as CE turns corpses into bombs. It's just ridiculous. When my character levels up, I shrug my shoulders. When my character levels in Diablo 2, I'm super excited as the game gives me a chance to _crunch the numbers_.
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/img/articles/pathofexile.jpg">
|
||||
|
||||
Another part of the fun was "MF runs" (magic find) - in Diablo 3, rare items drop at exceedingly regular rates. I can't remember ever wearing something blue ("simply" magical, instead of yellow "rare" or orange "unique"). Unique drops are still exciting though. Speaking of loot: runes seem to be gone forever, embedded in the amazing skill tree. The activation of a rune will slightly modify a skill, for instance enhancing it with frostbite or doubling corpse explosion range. Damage might be altered too, but in mysterious ways. I can't see what damage what skill does, and in Diablo 2 this was essential: do I put one more point into this skill or do I wait until the next subtree is unlocked and I switch from flesh to fire golem? Now, the Necromancer only has one "Golem" skill, which he can spice up using runes. Simply awful. **What were they thinking?**, I can hear the Angry Video Game Nerd saying.
|
||||
|
||||
<img src="/img/articles/d3-2.jpg">
|
||||
|
||||
It's in fact quite an accomplishment that I still like the game, for some reason. The World of Warcraft-like graphics don't hold me back as much as I feared, and they've done a decent job at trying to integrate the story into the main game run by sprinkling auditive notebooks into the world here and there. I'm however not excited enough to do lot's of runs and will now say that I'm not interested in doing this online in any way, but local co-op play looks pleasant enough. My wife looked at me while playing it and said "that seems like a very repetitive, boring game". Indeed, but Diablo 2 was also very repetitive, that's the core of the game. I don't mind, but I do want choice and I do want to think about what I put where. Now, I feel like Blizzard thought younger gamers can't seem to think and make good decisions anymore. My wife asked me about something else while I was involved in a "heavy fight" with some enhanced monsters in a lair. I didn't even pay attention and just pressed Y (Corpse Explosion, boom headshot!). Not a scratch. I remember being vulnerable and weak in Diablo 2. I've never even used one single health potion. Even if this is a "normal" difficulty run, the game should "give" - it should be scary and difficult (well, at least provide a challenge), not be a walk in the park!
|
||||
|
||||
I'm very disappointed with the modern approach to (RPG) gaming[^1] in general. Diablo 3 isn't the only case where simplification is one of the main "gains" in a successor: just take a look at Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls or the Fallout series. I find it to be very insulting and I'm convinced that the "younger generation" of gamers is still very capable of taking up the challenge and playing intriguing, complex games instead of boring, simple ones.
|
||||
[^1]: Luckily, subgenres like the 2D masocore platformers ala Super Meatboy are growing! It's just sad to see a decline in AAA titles in general.
|
||||
I'm very disappointed with the modern approach to (RPG) gaming[^1] in general. Diablo 3 isn't the only case where simplification is one of the main "gains" in a successor: just take a look at Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls or the Fallout series. I find it to be very insulting and I'm convinced that the "younger generation" of gamers[^2] is still very capable of taking up the challenge and playing intriguing, complex games instead of boring, simple ones.
|
||||
[^1]: Luckily, subgenres like the 2D masocore platformers ala Super Meatboy are growing! It's just sad to see a decline in AAA titles in general.
|
||||
[^2]: It's funny to see threads "Is Diablo 2 that good?" in a Diablo 3 reddit. I wonder how many D3 players are veterans...
|
||||
|
|
@ -75,9 +75,9 @@
|
|||
"copyrightHolder" : "Wouter Groeneveld",
|
||||
"copyrightYear" : "2018",
|
||||
"datePublished": "2018-11-05 00:00:00 +0000 UTC",
|
||||
"dateModified" : "2018-11-05 00:00:00 +0000 UTC",
|
||||
"dateModified" : "2018-11-05 17:10:52 +0100 CET",
|
||||
"url" : "https://jefklakscodex.com/articles/diablo-for-kids/",
|
||||
"wordCount" : "1010",
|
||||
"wordCount" : "1145",
|
||||
|
||||
"keywords" : [ "Diablo III","Diablo","Hack & Slash","Diablo III: Diablo for Kids" ]
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -332,13 +332,17 @@ There is of course no clicking involved in a console version of Diablo, and let&
|
|||
|
||||
<p>On to the fun part: <strong>character building</strong>! Or rather, what seems to be completely absent in D3. Why are my skills automatically unlocked? Why are runes a subset of skills now? Why can’t I dump points into skills? Where is the <strong>tree</strong> in “skill tree”? Where are the attributes? I’m starting to feel like the Angry Video Game Nerd here. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy Diablo 3, and I hate myself for doing so, but all the complexity that was so amazing and an integral part of the predecessor now seems to be completely vanished… Locked in a soulstone, perhaps? I know this is a 6-year old discussion, but now I’m finally starting to understand Diablo 2 fans, as I am one. I spent more than 200 hours creating “WW bars”, “CE necros”, doing Mephisto runs at 3 AM. Good times. But what made those times so great was my own decisions and the <strong>permanent impact</strong> I made on my character. Diablo 3 seems to play with me instead of the other way around: it feels like cruising on auto-pilot. All skills are automatically unlocked at level 70 and you can switch between them as you see fit. In D2, you had to start over. That might be harsh, but that was part of the fun.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<p>Why would a game like this, completely built around the concept of “<em>runs</em>”, automatically make choices for the player? That <strong>is</strong> Diablo! That is hack & slash. Take a look at Path of Exile, for example. The screenshot below illustrates my attempt at explaining the endless possibilities of character builds. And no, these things are not unlocked if you level up. My Corpse Explosion necromancer with Bone Spikes doesn’t need “Corpse Devour”, as CE turns corpses into bombs. It’s just ridiculous. When my character levels up, I shrug my shoulders. When my character levels in Diablo 2, I’m super excited as the game gives me a chance to <em>crunch the numbers</em>.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<p><img src="/img/articles/pathofexile.jpg"></p>
|
||||
|
||||
<p>Another part of the fun was “MF runs” (magic find) - in Diablo 3, rare items drop at exceedingly regular rates. I can’t remember ever wearing something blue (“simply” magical, instead of yellow “rare” or orange “unique”). Unique drops are still exciting though. Speaking of loot: runes seem to be gone forever, embedded in the amazing skill tree. The activation of a rune will slightly modify a skill, for instance enhancing it with frostbite or doubling corpse explosion range. Damage might be altered too, but in mysterious ways. I can’t see what damage what skill does, and in Diablo 2 this was essential: do I put one more point into this skill or do I wait until the next subtree is unlocked and I switch from flesh to fire golem? Now, the Necromancer only has one “Golem” skill, which he can spice up using runes. Simply awful. <strong>What were they thinking?</strong>, I can hear the Angry Video Game Nerd saying.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<p><img src="/img/articles/d3-2.jpg"></p>
|
||||
|
||||
<p>It’s in fact quite an accomplishment that I still like the game, for some reason. The World of Warcraft-like graphics don’t hold me back as much as I feared, and they’ve done a decent job at trying to integrate the story into the main game run by sprinkling auditive notebooks into the world here and there. I’m however not excited enough to do lot’s of runs and will now say that I’m not interested in doing this online in any way, but local co-op play looks pleasant enough. My wife looked at me while playing it and said “that seems like a very repetitive, boring game”. Indeed, but Diablo 2 was also very repetitive, that’s the core of the game. I don’t mind, but I do want choice and I do want to think about what I put where. Now, I feel like Blizzard thought younger gamers can’t seem to think and make good decisions anymore. My wife asked me about something else while I was involved in a “heavy fight” with some enhanced monsters in a lair. I didn’t even pay attention and just pressed Y (Corpse Explosion, boom headshot!). Not a scratch. I remember being vulnerable and weak in Diablo 2. I’ve never even used one single health potion. Even if this is a “normal” difficulty run, the game should “give” - it should be scary and difficult (well, at least provide a challenge), not be a walk in the park!</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<p>I’m very disappointed with the modern approach to (RPG) gaming<sup class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1"><a href="#fn:1">1</a></sup> in general. Diablo 3 isn’t the only case where simplification is one of the main “gains” in a successor: just take a look at Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls or the Fallout series. I find it to be very insulting and I’m convinced that the “younger generation” of gamers is still very capable of taking up the challenge and playing intriguing, complex games instead of boring, simple ones.</p>
|
||||
<p>I’m very disappointed with the modern approach to (RPG) gaming<sup class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1"><a href="#fn:1">1</a></sup> in general. Diablo 3 isn’t the only case where simplification is one of the main “gains” in a successor: just take a look at Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls or the Fallout series. I find it to be very insulting and I’m convinced that the “younger generation” of gamers<sup class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2"><a href="#fn:2">2</a></sup> is still very capable of taking up the challenge and playing intriguing, complex games instead of boring, simple ones.</p>
|
||||
<div class="footnotes">
|
||||
|
||||
<hr />
|
||||
|
|
@ -346,6 +350,8 @@ There is of course no clicking involved in a console version of Diablo, and let&
|
|||
<ol>
|
||||
<li id="fn:1">Luckily, subgenres like the 2D masocore platformers ala Super Meatboy are growing! It’s just sad to see a decline in AAA titles in general.
|
||||
<a class="footnote-return" href="#fnref:1"><sup>[return]</sup></a></li>
|
||||
<li id="fn:2">It’s funny to see threads “Is Diablo 2 that good?” in a Diablo 3 reddit. I wonder how many D3 players are veterans…
|
||||
<a class="footnote-return" href="#fnref:2"><sup>[return]</sup></a></li>
|
||||
</ol>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
Binary file not shown.
|
After Width: | Height: | Size: 310 KiB |
|
|
@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
|
|||
|
||||
<url>
|
||||
<loc>https://jefklakscodex.com/articles/diablo-for-kids/</loc>
|
||||
<lastmod>2018-11-05T00:00:00+00:00</lastmod>
|
||||
<lastmod>2018-11-05T17:10:52+01:00</lastmod>
|
||||
</url>
|
||||
|
||||
<url>
|
||||
|
|
@ -352,13 +352,13 @@
|
|||
|
||||
<url>
|
||||
<loc>https://jefklakscodex.com/tags/diablo/</loc>
|
||||
<lastmod>2018-11-05T00:00:00+00:00</lastmod>
|
||||
<lastmod>2018-11-05T17:10:52+01:00</lastmod>
|
||||
<priority>0</priority>
|
||||
</url>
|
||||
|
||||
<url>
|
||||
<loc>https://jefklakscodex.com/tags/diablo-iii/</loc>
|
||||
<lastmod>2018-11-05T00:00:00+00:00</lastmod>
|
||||
<lastmod>2018-11-05T17:10:52+01:00</lastmod>
|
||||
<priority>0</priority>
|
||||
</url>
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -448,7 +448,7 @@
|
|||
|
||||
<url>
|
||||
<loc>https://jefklakscodex.com/tags/hack--slash/</loc>
|
||||
<lastmod>2018-11-05T00:00:00+00:00</lastmod>
|
||||
<lastmod>2018-11-05T17:10:52+01:00</lastmod>
|
||||
<priority>0</priority>
|
||||
</url>
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -493,7 +493,7 @@
|
|||
|
||||
<url>
|
||||
<loc>https://jefklakscodex.com/</loc>
|
||||
<lastmod>2018-11-05T00:00:00+00:00</lastmod>
|
||||
<lastmod>2018-11-05T17:10:52+01:00</lastmod>
|
||||
<priority>0</priority>
|
||||
</url>
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
|
|||
"copyrightHolder" : "Wouter Groeneveld",
|
||||
"copyrightYear" : "2018",
|
||||
"datePublished": "2018-11-05 00:00:00 +0000 UTC",
|
||||
"dateModified" : "2018-11-05 00:00:00 +0000 UTC",
|
||||
"dateModified" : "2018-11-05 17:10:52 +0100 CET",
|
||||
"url" : "https://jefklakscodex.com/tags/diablo-iii/",
|
||||
"wordCount" : "0",
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
|
|||
"copyrightHolder" : "Wouter Groeneveld",
|
||||
"copyrightYear" : "2018",
|
||||
"datePublished": "2018-11-05 00:00:00 +0000 UTC",
|
||||
"dateModified" : "2018-11-05 00:00:00 +0000 UTC",
|
||||
"dateModified" : "2018-11-05 17:10:52 +0100 CET",
|
||||
"url" : "https://jefklakscodex.com/tags/diablo/",
|
||||
"wordCount" : "0",
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
|
|||
"copyrightHolder" : "Wouter Groeneveld",
|
||||
"copyrightYear" : "2018",
|
||||
"datePublished": "2018-11-05 00:00:00 +0000 UTC",
|
||||
"dateModified" : "2018-11-05 00:00:00 +0000 UTC",
|
||||
"dateModified" : "2018-11-05 17:10:52 +0100 CET",
|
||||
"url" : "https://jefklakscodex.com/tags/hack--slash/",
|
||||
"wordCount" : "0",
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
Binary file not shown.
|
After Width: | Height: | Size: 310 KiB |
Loading…
Reference in New Issue